Regular + Carbon + Synthetic +Technical Fiber Approved

     Pleasant Valley, MO – Dead Down Wind^®, the industry leader in scent prevention introduces Triple Action 3D Laundry Detergent in a 20 ounce concentrated formula and drain back bottle.  This unique formula controls odor, removes blood stains or other organic stains and even protects against fading or UV glow. Our ESP™ technology is the most effective laundry product for all hunting apparel including synthetics, carbon or technical fibers.

     For the first time, one product does it all removing odor, cleaning, stain removal and garment protection on virtually any type of apparel.  The exclusive ESP™ formula even knocks out chemical odors like earth scents, fresh scents or cover scents and unclogs carbon apparel.  Dead Down Wind’s proprietary formula uses multiple types of enzymes for Broad Spectrum results. For the best results in odor control and to extend the useful life of your apparel use a biological laundry product, not a chemical detergent – use Dead Down Wind. 

     Unlike chemical laundry products, Triple Action Laundry with 3D technology will never cause camouflage patterns to fade, even after repeated washings.  High efficiency washer approved, the concentrated formula only needs one ounce per regular load. You can have the best and save money in the process with Triple Action 3D Laundry Detergent from Dead Down Wind.  With an MSRP of $ 10.99, concentrated 3D Broad Spectrum technology is the only laundry product that does it all, and like every DDW product carries a Customer Satisfaction Guarantee.  (Item Number #1120) 

      Dead Down Wind offers biological solutions that are readily biodegrade and reduce skin sensitivity issues compared to common chemical alternatives. More effective odor control that’s better for you and the great outdoors. 

About Dead Down Wind®:

     Dead Down Wind^® is a premium supplier of quality scent prevention products and D2W Guide Gear designed to help outdoor enthusiasts become more successful in the field. Dead Down Wind® revolutionized the scent control industry through the development of a bio-engineered process known as ESP™ (Enzyme Scent Prevention). Unlike cover sprays that can only attempt to mask foreign odors or carbon clothing that only attempts to contain it. Dead Down Winds enzymes go well beyond the scope of typical antimicrobials in both effectiveness and the range of odors controlled.

     It is that time of year again to chase the devil dogs as they try to find a mate in the northern woods of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.  We have a trip planned for this coming weekend and I haven’t had the varmint rifles to the range since last summer, so since we had some nice weather for a change I decided today it was time to tear some paper.

     It didn’t take long for me to convince my youngest boy to help me get the rifles into the car and load our ammo bag to hit the range.  He was more than happy to help dad with this task, with anything else it would have been a fight to get him out from in front of his video game.

      I knew that the last time I had the AR-15 at the range it was fairly close but that it still needed some work to make sure it was dead on!  I also wanted to make sure that the scopes on the Ruger M/77 HMR .17 and the Ruger M/77 .22 Hornet were just as I left them.  I received a neat little tool to take care of that problem last summer but I have yet to use it to tune the Leupold scope that sits atop of my Bushmaster varmint dispatcher.  The item I’m talking about is the Leupold Zero Point bore-sight tool.  This neat little gadget is a great addition to any shooter’s ammo bag; I don’t think I will ever head out on a hunting trip again or to the shooting range without mine!

     This tool makes sighting in your rifle easy and quick!  If you’ve put a new scope on a gun, just turn on the Zero Point by pushing the slide switch on the side and stick the unit onto the muzzle.  Next look through the scope and you’ll see an orange grid pattern with numbers along the sides.  Move the Zero Point up or down to get the grid located in the center of your scope’s image.  Next, turn the power ring of your scope back and forth (if it’s a variable) to get the best amount of magnification on the grid.  Now orient the Zero Point so the grid and the scope’s crosshairs are aligned both vertically and horizontally.  Then use the scope’s adjustment knobs to move the crosshairs till they’re perfectly aligned with the center of the Zero Point’s grid.

      Once you have everything lined up, take the Zero Point off and fire a shot on target at 100 yards. Chances are the shot will not be dead center but still on the paper somewhere.  Now put the Zero Point back on, and square its grid to the scope’s crosshairs again.  Now look through the scope and get the crosshairs on the center of the target. The Zero Point is so small; you’ll be able to see its grid and the 100 yard target at the same time.  Now use the adjusting knobs and move the scope’s crosshairs over the bullet hole (It’s very important that the gun not move during this process).  The scope is now perfectly zeroed.   Now, replace the Zero Point and see where your crosshairs are in relation to the Zero Point grid, mark this on your range card for future reference, for example at a hunting camp or at the range.  You can recheck your sight for an accurate zero position by comparing your range card to the Zero Point’s grid when placing it on your muzzle without having to test shoot the rifle.

     The cost of this little tool can be equivalent to a pricey box of cartridges.  Think of the time and money it can save you at the range!  I used it today to put three of my scopes dead on at 100 yards to make sure they were ready for this coming weekend’s hunt. 

     Now that we have that out of the way, I turned my youngest boy loose to do some shooting.  He punched holes with precision today and a smile on his face!  What was even better was that we had the range all to ourselves the whole afternoon, we couldn’t have asked for more.  Well maybe a little warmer weather!

     Once Manzella shipped my pair to me, I was skeptical when I looked at them for the first time.  They felt and looked too thin to provide any real warmth; I soon found out that I was wrong on that thought.  You see living here in Michigan and putting up with some severe winters at times I’ve tried to find a pair of warm and dry gloves that would do just that, keep me warm and dry.  The ones that I have found in the past that provided any warmth at all were always bulky which made it hard to grip anything.

     My first test run came on the day I received them.  I headed to work that evening with a temperature in the single digits and dropping!  The car I drive provides little to no heat so keeping my hands warm is a must, what better way to test the new gloves.  On my 20 minute drive my digits never felt the first hint of being cold; as a matter of fact they were really warm.  Ok so they passed the warmth test for 20 minutes.

     I was worried about how dry could they really keep my hands out in the cold elements so I decided to take them ice fishing the next weekend.  With drilling holes in the ice along with dipping the holes clean and doing what ice fisherman do these gloves were going to get wet!  Usually I wind up pulling a wet pair of gloves off and just throwing them in a bucket after an hour on the ice, but not this day!  I was surprised that the gloves not only kept me warm for hours on end but they kept me dry as well.  As you can see in the photo, a thin layer of ice formed on the finger tips of the glove and my hands were warm and dry.

     I also found out that since these gloves were fairly thin, they also provided good dexterity while wearing them.  Now I couldn’t bait a hook, but reeling in fish wasn’t a problem.  I found that I could use all of my outdoor gear that day with no problem of bulky materials getting in the way.

     My last effort to try and make these gloves fail was to use them for a couple of hours on a snow blower after a 10 inch snowfall.   I thought maybe with all of the vibration while pushing the big blower it might work the seams loose or pop a thread.  NOPE!  They are as tight as a bug in a rug!  So despite my best efforts of trying to make them fail in some way or another they performed flawlessly. 

     So down to the brass tacks on this one, they retail for $35.00 on their webpage http://www.manzella.com .  To me that is a fair price to pay for a warm, dry and dependable pair of gloves! 

The tech side of them: 

                The Shell:  is water repellant micro poly twill

                The Palm:  is synthetic suede

                The Lining:  is fleece lined

                The Insulation:  100 grams of Thinsulate X-Static

                The Insert:  Hydroblok WPB

                Patterns:  Mossy Oak Treestand and Realtree AP camo

Other features:

     Two of the things I really liked about these gloves were the elastic gathers with cynch straps around the wrist area that made them nice and snug around your hands along with the string gathers at the mouth of the glove that provided a tight fit to keep cold and snow out of them!  The string gathers allowed you to pull the glove over the end of your coat sleeves and close off any opportunity for anything to enter the gloves!

     I didn’t get to really try out the exclusive MOC trigger finger feature as of yet.  My endeavors to hit the coyote trails have been a bust so far this season.  I still hope to get out and give them a try and if I do I will update this report. 

Dislikes: 

     I can only find two things that I didn’t like about the gloves and are not that big of a deal.  When pulling the gloves off, you can feel the inside material of the fingers begins to pull backwards as you slip your hand out of them.  I think if they somehow sewed or tacked each end of the inside finger material to the inside of the outer shell it would help secure them from wanting to pull backwards.  The other thing is that I would like to see some other material than synthetic suede on the palms.  I know that after a while that material tends to break down.  Although after running the snow blower for a few hours straight, they held up with no noticeable wear.  I would have thought that the stitching would have pulled loose from the material from all the vibration, tugging and pulling but it didn’t.

The Grade:  1 through 10 (1 = fail and 10 = excellent)

Quality:  8.5 (would be a 9 except for the finger problem mentioned above)

Warmth:  10

Dryness:  10

Dexterity/Fit:  9

Other Features:  9

     Overall if you’re looking for a good pair of gloves I recommend spending the $35 for these gloves.  I’ve spent $30 on several pair of gloves with poor results, but these are definitely worth the money!

Disclaimer:

     I have received these Manzella Tracker Gloves free of charge to test and review.  The opinions expressed above are my independent thoughts and experiences.

Matt Goodlife – England

     I don’t really remember if any deer came out on this particular evening, in fact I don’t think I saw anything which was a shame as it may have changed the outcome of the ride back home.  If I can get the landrover to where the deer has been shot that’s how I retrieve them if not I use the farm quad bike to get them back to the larder.

     On this night I have nothing to load up as I walk back to the bike.  I fire it up and head for home which is a 3 minute ride.  The ride home can be a cold one after sitting in a highseat for two hours not moving then add the cold wind from being on the bike and you really look forward to a hot shower.

     I’ve gone through one field and into the second with just a road to cross then up the farm track, park the quad and that shower.  It’s a ride I’ve taken a hundred times so maybe the brain slipped into auto pilot this night as I find myself heading into the corner of the field to fast and running out of room!  I hit the brakes.  Now most of the time there would have been some rain about so the soil would be wet and the bike would just slid but not this night. The wind has dried the ground so the bike grips and that’s where the fun starts!

     I’m now airborne and the ground is ready to hurt me as I hurtle towards it but that’s not my main problem!  The bike is also in mid air doing a back flip and heading my way fast!  I knew I had to hit the ground and start rolling.  As I hit the ground I roll as fast as I can as the rear of the bike meets the deck just where a second ago my head was!

     The bike upside down is still running, I pick myself up and drag it back onto its wheels.  That’s when I think about my rifle that was sat in the front basket.  The stock is now a worthless piece of fire wood, snapped at the pistol grip.  Later a friend makes me realise that I can get a new stock but not a new head!

     Through a shooting friend I get the name of a gunsmith and he builds me a new walnut stock for $400.  He did a fantastic job, the grain in the walnut is just beautiful.  I now take my time on the bike and I’m not so heavy on the throttle!

     This system is like nothing you’ve ever seen before!  The central part of the camera system is the exclusive hand held USB controller/viewer that plugs right into the trail camera!  Yes this camera has its own GUI (General User Interface), trail cameras have gone hi-tech!  You can now check your cameras without even touching them other than to plug in the USB cable to see what trophy animals you have on your SD card! 

     The controller offers more than a simple plug and download feature for your camera, it also gives you a real-time look at your camera’s field of view.  How many times have you placed your camera only to get an obstructed view photo of an animal you would like to see more of?  With the controller you can go into live mode to see that your camera is placed correctly through its 3″ LCD c0lor display screen.  If your camera alignment is off, simply adjust it and re-secure it where it needs to be to give you those perfect photos.

     With the controller you can also manipulate the camera’s settings to what works best for your situation in the field.  It also allows you to view, download, and reset your SD card photos in your camera.  Then take the controller home and download those photos onto your PC!  With this controller you will no longer have to take your camera down to get your SD card out to swap it out with a fresh one only to have to realign the camera again!  It makes your trips to the field to check your cameras quick, easy and hassle free!

     Leupold has put as much thought into their cameras as they have the controller!  They offer two models of cameras that will work with the controller, the RCX-1 and the RCX-2!  The RCX-1 comes with basic features that will allow any outdoors man to obtain surveillance photos of the game that is in his hunting area!  The RCX-1 offers an 8 mega-pixel camera with a 54° wide angle lens with a 45° sensor area that can be triggered up to 45 feet away!  It offers 36 Infrared LEDs for catching those nocturnal bucks and a trigger speed of less than one second!  The RCX-1 additionally has a video setting if you want moving pictures instead of stills!  No more ears and rears, you can now catch more photos of racks to see what’s tearing up your area! 

     If your looking for a camera that has more adjust-ability built in, then the RCX-2 is for you!  The RCX-2 has a 10 mega-pixel camera with dual trigger area adjustment on a 54° wide angle lens.  Set it for 10° sensing area for those long narrow runways or 45° sensing area for those wide food plots!  The maximum trigger range is from 45 feet on the wide angle to 90 feet on the narrow angle.   The Infrared system has an additional 12 LEDs on the 10° setting for a total of 48 for those night shots!  Wish you could have both the narrow trigger area and wide trigger area views available?  Well the RCX-2 is the only camera that has a dual-trigger system that allows for both simultaneously!  As for the video, do you wish you had audio to go with that clip of a huge buck tearing up a tree near your camera?  Well this camera has the audio to go along with the video to complete the clip of that trophy animal!  The RCX-2 is truly a customizable camera that you can adjust to fit your needs in the field!

     Both cameras run on 8 AA Lithium batteries for months on end.  An optional rechargeable battery kit is also available.  The RCX-2 comes with a Lock-Down Security Plate that allows for heavy gauge cable locks to be used for security and it is available for purchase for the RCX-1 models as well.  Both camera models and the controller interface are made of ABS/polycarbonate outer shells that offers strength and protection against the weather elements.

     By now you’re probably saying, “OK this is a great system, but a camera that offers that many options has to be expensive?”  Wrong!  This camera system is very affordable for anyone wanting a quality set up like this!  The RCX-2 system with the Controller Interface is going to retail for $299.00.  Every additional RCX-2 Camera that you want to add to the set up will be at a cost of $249.00 each.  You say that you don’t need that much adjust-ability?  Then the RCX-1 system with the Controller Interface is going to retail for $249.00 and every additional RCX-1 camera is going to be $199.00 each.  With this system you can truly mix and match camera models to fit your price range and needs!  Look for the RCX Trail Camera System to start showing up in your Leupold dealer sometime near June.

     It is obvious that Leupold has taken the time to put the same quality and dependability into their trail camera system as they do their optics!  I’m truly excited about putting these cameras into the field this year to see just what animals are running through my area!  Thanks to Tim Lesser, Product Line Developer at Leupold for taking the time to show us another great product from Leupold!

     November can be an indifferent month. It can be wet, it can rain all day and night for days on end. On the other hand November can also produce the most wonderful hard frosts, the ones that the sun never has enough time in the short hours of a winter day to really melt. The orbweb spiders webs hang from the wires between fence posts outlined perfectly as only nature could intend it. The trees and hedgerows look like there’s been a light fall of snow.

     It was on one such morning that I woke to the sound of the alarm clock at 5.30 and my first thought was tea, it’s what all Englishmen march on! After getting dressed, having a second mug of tea and taking the rifle from its cabinet and placing it in its case it’s time to make a move for the landrover.

     As I drive down the farm track to the Highseat I’ll be sitting in I can see 100 yards into the field maybe 150 because of the heavy frost. No black shapes out there, which is good a predator never likes to been seen. I park the landrover, take the rifle out and press the doors shut as softly as I can.

     It’s a 5 minute walk to the seat along the edge of the forest but in years gone by it seemed a long way to drag a deer back before the farm bought a new quad bike and the old one turned into a deer/pest control bike.

     As I climb into the seat I’m glad I didn’t have a third mug of tea as light is maybe 15 minutes away. There’s something peaceful about sitting in the dark waiting for the day time to wake around you, the night time animals clocking off and the daytime staff are clocking on. The owl, fox or badgers heading home while the birds and small mammals are starting their day.

     It’s about then that a movement catches my eye 300 yards to the left. It’s a group of 3 fallow doe’s following the second tramline out, I know that because I’m looking at them through my bin’s and they’re now 250 yards away. As they continue on in a steady but relaxed pace it looks like they are on one route and that’s straight passed my seat.

     At 60 yards the lead doe stops to look around as if unsure of something, maybe she was right as the next second she drops to the ground with a broken neck. As the scope settles down the noise die’s I work the bolt and slide another round in. The second doe has made it out to 80 yards and is standing looking back at the first doe, which was her first mistake as she too falls to a neck shot. Reload and keep looking , there she is at 116 yards the third doe is wondering what in the world is going on! She’s a small yearling with a slender neck, the cross hairs settle and I squeeze the trigger.

     It may seem harsh, greedy to shoot three fallow deer in one morning but the population has got so big and must be brought into check. Better to enjoy wildlife than to look upon it as just a pest. Well that was my thought as I loaded them into the landrover and headed off to the larder. There will be many other outings that I see nothing so this was a really special one.

     These American made points are one piece, no added screw in weights to vibrate loose in the shaft.  They are also sized to match the shaft, not over sized like some.  This makes it easier to pull your arrows from target backstops at your local ranges.  It also allows archers to used heavier spined arrows at a lower poundage for target shooting.

     They come in traditional bullet points and they also provide a “Stinger” point that is designed to keep the arrow from kicking away from the X ring on impact.  Jim Beasely a 10 time State Champion, 4 State Records, 2 National Records, and USA Archery National Champion says, “These points will improve your score IMMEDIATELY!”

They come in bullet point sizes of:

2314 - 140gr,   190gr,   230gr

2512 - 170gr,  200gr,  230gr

They provide Stinger point sizes of:

2314 – 140gr,  190gr,  230gr

2613 – 270gr,  300gr,  330gr

2712 - 250gr,  300gr,  330gr

Full Bore – 150gr,  200gr,  250gr

X-Jammer – 250gr,  300gr, 330gr

    To order your points today stop by Spot Shooter’s website and place your order today, a set of  points sells for $34.99 a dozen!  You can also contact them at:  (248) 531-0238 or visit them on facebook.

Contact: Tom Huggler, Publicist (989) 714-1407

Henri Boucher, show producer

Adam Starr, show manager

(800) 328-6550 / (616) 447-2860

Here once a year, OUTDOORAMA is Michigan’s No. 1 show for family fun and conservation education

February 24 to 27 event features Big Buck Night, Wildlife Encounters

NOVI — Outdoor enthusiasts look forward to the shortest month of the year because that’s when Outdoorama, sponsored by RAM Trucks, comes to town. The 38th annual edition of Michigan’s most popular show is February 24 to 27 at Suburban Collection Showplace, 46100 Grand River Avenue in Novi.

Many of the state’s more than one million anglers and hunters will pack what used to be called Rock Financial Showplace for great deals on boats and sporting gear, for conservation education and dozens of free seminars, and for family entertainment and features.

Returning to crowd fanfare are favorite attractions like “Big Buck Night,” “Wildlife Encounters” and “Ultimate Air Dogs” with Milt Wilcox hosting daily demonstrations and weekend competition.

Although hunting and fishing are at the show’s core, Outdoorama has long appealed to Michigan’s huge core of conservationists, those lovers of nature who also hike and camp, boat and canoe, and who pursue bird watching, wildlife photography and other outdoor pursuits.

“Outdoorama is all about celebrating our state’s outdoors heritage while keeping in mind our responsibilities toward the environment,” said Adam Starr, show manager. “That’s why the Michigan United Conservation Clubs, which started the show nearly 40 years ago, still plays a major role.”

Adding to the show’s broad appeal is the 4th Annual Cottage & Lakefront Living Show, which runs concurrently at Suburban Collection Showplace. Patrons to either event receive free crossover admission. “We’ve kept the admission fee low again this year,” Starr said. “It’s $10 for adults and $4 for children 6 to 14. Kids 5 and under get in free.”

A large number of lodges, outfitters, guides and charter boat captains from Alaska to Africa have reserved space in the show. Great values on fishing boats, duck hunting boats, pontoons and pleasure boats will be at the show along with docks and other accessories.

Besides Ultimate Air Dogs, family fun activities include a Trout Pond with live rainbows, pellet shooting range, free Casting Kids Contest hosted by the Michigan B.A.S.S. Federation NATION, a video fishing simulator, and the Sportsman’s Grill with fried fish all four days of the show.

Many specialty vendors with hunting equipment, fishing gear, and camping supplies had already reserved space before the show sold out for space in late December.

Dozens of sport clubs and organizations, many of which are MUCC affiliates, will staff booths with volunteers to hand out literature and explain club programs.

Ray Eye, considered by many to be America’s top turkey-hunting expert, heads a stellar seminar lineup of top hunting and fishing experts. Eye, a radio-show host and former national champion caller from Missouri, tantalizes crowds with “Chasing Spring,” his popular multi-media presentation. Other speakers include Greg Abbas on turkeys, white-tailed deer expert Fred Abbas, and food-plot teacher Ed Spinazzola.

Tim Fox from Shooting the Breeze Hunt Club, will demonstrate basic bird dog training tips. Fishing seminars are headed by Mark Martin and Mark Romanack on walleyes, David Rose on panfish, and Don Miller on muskies.

Traditional skills expert Jim Miller offers demonstrations on building birch bark canoes, making fire with a wooden stick, and tanning hides the Native American way.

The Huron Valley Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation will host a calling contest on Saturday. Experts from Country Smoke House in Almont will demonstrate how to field dress and butcher a deer. Among the nearly 100 seminars, all free with admission, are several on outdoor photography at the Cottage & Lakefront Living Show.

Terry McBurney from Ada will head up a major display of collectible gear for outdoor sport. Patrons can bring their artifacts to the show for a free appraisal. There are even vintage boats and collectible outboard motors, thanks to expert Dick VanRaalte from Grand Haven’s Starboard Marine Restorations.

The first 500 attendees on Thursday and Friday receive a free, collectible Dardevle spoon from Eppinger Manufacturing Co. in Dearborn.

The show that celebrates Michigan’s great outdoors is February 24 to 27. Bring the kids and grandchildren.

Show hours are Thursday and Friday, 2 to 9:30; Saturday, 10 to 9; and Sunday, 10 to 5. For more information, call 800-328-6550 or go to www.Outdoorama.com and www.CottageandLakefrontLivingShow.com. Follow us on FaceBook and Twitter.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Saturday, January 15

Contact:

Miguel Ayala, Sen. Stabenow – (202) 360-0929

Mary Detloff, Michigan DNRE – (517) 335-3014

Mike Parker, Pheasants Forever – (517) 896-4178

Erin McDonough – (517) 775-9500

“Michigan Pheasant Restoration Initiative” launched

Stabenow, Stokes, Creagh join conservation groups and state agencies to kick-off wild pheasant initiative that promises to improve habitat, increase hunter opportunities

BATH, MICH – U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Michigan Department of Natural Resources director designate Rodney Stokes, and Michigan Department of Agriculture director designate Keith Creagh today joined together with a partnership of Michigan conservation organizations and representatives of federal and state agencies to kick-off the “Michigan Pheasant Restoration Initiative,” a partnership geared toward restoring wild pheasant habitat in Michigan. The growing partnership currently includes Michigan State Council of Pheasants Forever, Michigan United Conservation Clubs, Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Michigan Department of Agriculture, Michigan Association of Conservation Districts, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency and Natural Resource Conservation Service.

“I strongly support this program, which we included in the most recent Farm Bill,” said U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. “Hunting and outdoor recreation is part of our way of life in Michigan. This program lets our farmers and landowners get added value from their property while opening up access for hunting. This will allow sportsmen from across our state to enjoy all that Michigan’s outdoors have to offer.”

By providing quality habitat to support the long-term recovery of wild pheasants in Michigan, the Initiative will also benefit other grassland species and create significant opportunities for small game hunters in Michigan. “There are more than 50,000 hunters who pursue pheasants annually in Michigan, and we can do better at meeting their demand for opportunity,” says Mike Parker, Pheasants Forever’s Regional Wildlife Biologist in the state. “It’s a given that when you have quality and quantity habitat, you have pheasants. Revitalizing habitat – nesting cover, escape cover and food and winter cover – is the key to revitalizing pheasant hunting in Michigan.”

Newly appointed Director for the Department of Natural Resources Rodney Stokes applauded the Initiative as a fresh example of good governing for Michigan’s new state agency structure. “This initiative is a great showing of partnership between state and federal agencies and conservation groups, and a good example of how the new Quality of Life executive group will work together,” said Rodney Stokes, director designate for the Department of Natural Resources. “It will increase and diversify hunting opportunities in our state, help with hunter recruitment and retention, and the habitat work will benefit many other species. We are very excited to be a part of the effort to rebuild and strengthen pheasant hunting in Michigan.”

Two primary goals of the plan are to double Michigan’s current pheasant harvest and to increase access to quality hunting lands. The plan will also have a tremendous impact on hunter retention and recruitment in the state. According to Parker, the key difference between past efforts and the new Pheasant Recovery Initiative is the broad landscape scale. “Previous efforts have been successful on smaller scales, improving 40 acres for a landowner here, and 40 acres for a landowner there,” Parker said. “But to maximize pheasant hunting, we need to broaden the focus.”

Michigan United Conservation Clubs Executive Director Erin McDonough heralded the Initiative as a gateway to recruiting and retaining new hunters. “Many first time hunters’ experience comes from hunting small game,” said McDonough. “You’ll hear from many hunters in Michigan that they got started hunting and appreciating its place in conservation from hunting pheasants when Michigan actually had a good pheasant population. With Michigan ranking last in the nation in hunter recruitment and retention, MUCC is proud to be a part of this Initiative that will help improve hunter opportunities, hunter recruitment and retention and preserve the future of conservation in Michigan.”

Along with the Initiative, Michigan DNRE will also be expanding opportunities for public hunting on private lands through the Hunting Access Program. Outreach and education to youth about pheasant hunting is also a priority within the Initiative. The conservation partners will host youth events to explain pheasant needs and habitat as well as an opportunity to share their pheasant hunting heritage with others.