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Nebraska BirdHunters GetGreatNews Accordingto Brian McClintock at r,v,uvw.gohuntn.com, Nebraskabird huntersreceivedsomegreatnewsaboutthe pheasantand quail populationsin their fair state.A survey sponsoredby the NebraskaGarneand ParksComrnissionrepons a 2 percentincreasein the ring-neckedpheasantpopulation. While that numberis refieshing,the real story is in the 175 percentincreasein the bobrvhitequail population. Harshweatherpatternsduring the pastt'elvyearsarethe main reasonthat pheasantand quail populationshavedeclined. While wet springswerepartiallyto blame,the rnainculpritwas the harshwinter in 2009 that devastatedbotl.rspeciesof birds, particularlythe bobwhitequail that favor a more temperate climate. Jeff Lusk, the ProgramManagerfbr UplandGamervith the NebraskaGameand Parks,cautionsagainstmisleading interpretations. The dramaticcomebackin both speciesis That said,any in comparison to atypicallylow populations. increasein gamebird populationsis welcomenewsand is a foundationon which to build.
SkeetShooter Sets0lympicRecords, bySafariClubInternational Sponsored Accordingto USASlnotittg, Kim Rhode'sgold medalin women'sskeetshootingwas one of the biggestdays in Olympic shootinghistory.In winning the gold, Rhodebecamethe first Americanto takean individual-sporlmedal in five consecutive Olympics.Shealsotied the world recordand setan Olympic recordwith an impressivetotal of 99 points. Rhodeis no strangerto Olympic competitions.She collectedtwo gold medalsin the Women'sDoubleTrap event in 1996and20O4and a bronzein 2000.Shealso took silver in Women'sSkeetin 2008.With the additionof her 2012 gold in Women'sSkeet,Rhodeis now the most decoratedshotgun shooterin history. Accordingto Rhode'scommentson the official Olympics @ fne UplandAlmanacI Winter 2012
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"I do rvebsite, not seemyself quitting any time soon.I'm looking tbrrvardto2O16 and a few more afier that.The oldestOlympic medalistwas a shooterand he rvas72, so I still havea few more in me." Rhode shootsbetlveen -500and I000 shellsper day and figuresthat shehasfired two million roundsin her lif'e. Teammate Corey Cogdell did not receive a medalin the London Olympics,but shedid receive deaththreats. Anti-hunters respondedto the grip-andgrin imagesshe postedto her rvebsite. Antihuntersbecame outragedover her images posedwith big gameanimals that sheshot, and they voiced their threatening opinionsvia a numberof
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and respondedappropriately.Shealsoreceivedan outpouringof supportfrom hunters,so much so that shetrendedas a top Twitter pick. JohnWhipple, Presidentof SafariClub International,is a proud sponsorof Rhodeand Cogdelland couldn't be more pleased. "We could not be happierthan to havethesetrvo Olympians as representatives ofSafari Club International.Their ability to promotethe organization'sadvocacyand huntingheritage programsto millions of peopleworldwide is truly a gift for Safari Club International."
Men's teammateVincentHancockmadesomenoiseof his own by becomingthe first Olympic shooterto win consecutivegold medalsin Men's Skeet.His record-settingperformanceeclipsedthe recordsthat he setin 2008 in Beijing. In his real life, Hancockis a soldierin the U.S.Army MarksmanshipUnit stationedin Eatonton,Ga. "This is what I love to do every singleday," Hancocksaid."I wantedto come out here andwin anothergold medalandjust keepgoing - win as many gold medalsas possible."Hancockwill soonleavethe Army and plansto opena shootingschoolwith his father.Their focus will be on teachingkids to shoot.
Rumor MillGrinds to a Halt Thanksto technology,rumorscirculatefasterthan ever. Thanksto technology,too, rumorsareclarifiedfasterthanever. Informationreportedby the NationalShootingSportsFoundation allowsfirearmownersto breathea sigh of relief when they hear GeorgeSoros'nameas well as SenateBill 2099. Anti-gun financierGeorgeSoroswas listedas havingthe controllinginterestin the FreedomGroup. FreedomGroup owns a wide varietyof firearmsand shootingsportscompaniessuchas Remington,Bushmaster, Marlin, and others.The thoughtthat an anti-gunproponentorvnedthosemarqueecompaniesrvasrevealed as f'alseinformation.Sorosis neitherconnectedto FreedomGroup nor is he connectedto CerberusCapitalManagement,the firm that owns FreedomGroup. Instead,the companyis a privatelyowned corporationrun by sportsmen,shooters,and firearmenthusiasts. SenateBill 2099 was reportedto requiregun ownersto list their firearrnson their tax documents- and pay upwardsof $50 per gun owned.This rumor,believedto havestartedback in 2009. hasrecentlybeendisproved.
Tables Turned onHumane Society Reportedby Jim Matthews,Daily News,Los Angeles: The HumaneSocietyof the UnitedStates(HSUS),an organizationthat doesnext to nothingfor animal sheltersbut sues, badgers,and lobbiespoliticiansand businesses into adoptingits radicalanimalsrightsagenda,is gettinga tasteof its own medicine. In a little-reportedruling by a judge in the District of Columbia,the HSUS is facingallegationsunderRICO statueson racketeering, obstructionof justice,maliciousprosecution,and otherclaimsfor a lawsuit it broughtand lost againstRingling BrothersCircus'parentcompanyFeld Entertainment,Inc. After winning the caseallegingmistreatmentof elephantsin its circusesbroughtby Friendsof Animals (latermergedinto HSUS), theAmericanSocietyfor the Preventionof Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and theAnimal WelfareInstitute(AWI), lawyersat Feld filed a countersuitrvith a litany of claimsrangingfrom bribery to moneylaunderingto racketeering. The attorneysfor the animal rightsgroupsaskedthejudge to dismissall of the claims,but most survived. District JudgeEmmet G. Sullivandid dismissallegationsof mail and rvirefraud,but he did so only becauseFeld didn't have standingto file this charge.His ruling all but setthe stagefor a classactionRICO lawsuitagainstHSUS for misrepresenting itself in its fundraisingcampaignsacrossthe nation.This lawsuiteasily
couldbankruptHSUS,put it out of business, andsendsomeof its top executives to prison. For the first time, a grouphasfought back againstthe animal rightsand environmentalextremistsrvho havebeensetting policy in this countryfbr the past20 yearsor more.Norv,instead of gettingrich off their lawsuitsand fundraisingschemesthat misrepresent their effortsand accomplishments, they could be driven out of business.Thesegroupshavecost the farming and ranchingindustryjobs and raisedthe price of productswe buy every day.They are behindthe effortsto ban sporthuntingacross the nation.They haveforcedstatewildlife and fisheryagencies to rvastecountless millionsof dollarson larvsuits and have policiesand legislationlike the Marine Life Protection spearheaded Act (MLPA), which hasruinedlivelihoodsin recreational and commercialfishingwithouthelpingmarineresources. Thesegroupsoperatewith surly arroganceand believethey are abovethe larv.Thankfullv.that is not the case.Stavtuned.
Hunter Numbers Up9 Percent Between 2006and2011 The numberof huntersage l6 and older in the United Statesincreased9 percentbetween2006 and 201l. reversinga previousdownwardtrend,a preliminaryreportfrom the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service(USFWS) and Departmentof the Interiorshows. Preliminaryfiguresshow an increasefrom 12.5 million huntersin 2006to 13.7million in 2011.Final datawill be includedin the upcomingUSFWS 201I NationalSurveyReport.USFWS hasconducteda nationalsurveyevery five yearssince 1955,with the last beingthe 2006 NationalSurvey,releasedin2007. "This increasein huntersmirrors what our members are telling us - strongsalesto an expandingconsumer base,"saidSteveSanetti,presidentof the National ShootingSportsFoundation,the tradeassociation for the firearms,ammunition,hunting,and shooting sportsindustry."There is increasedinterestin firearm ownership - from customersnew to the market to existingcustomerslooking for the newestproducts. Purchasesare being made for the enjoymentof recreationaltargetshooting sports - such as sporting clays,IDPA and 3-guncompetitions- as well as for personalprotection,and,as thesefiguresshow us, for hunting." The preliminary report also showsthat hunters spentan averageof 21 dayspursuingwild gamein 2011. Additionally, the report shows that huntersspent$34 billion on trips, firearmsand equipment,licenses,and otheritemsto supporttheir huntingactivitiesin 2011. The national survey is paid for by sportsmenthrough the use of Pittman-RobertsonFederalAid dollars. This yearis significantas it is the 75th anniversaryofthe Pittman-RobertsonFederalAid in Wildlife Restoration Act. The UplandAlmanacI Winter 2012#