• Aimpoint Wins Army Contract for Optical Sights

• Remington Expands popular 870 Express Tactical Line

• Remington Introduces Ultimate Home Defense Shotgun Round

• Record brown trout caught in Manistee River

• UK Scouts Ban Penknives Knives

• Florida Continues Seizures of Pythons

• Judge Allows Wolf Hunts to Proceed in Idaho, MT

• Weekly Great Lakes Water Levels for September 11, 2009

• New Quantum Fishing Website Goes Live

• Mercury commits to Wisconsin following union vote

       Weekly News Archives

                         or

       New Product  Archives

Florida Continues Seizures of Pythons

An anonymous tip sent investigators to a Lakeland, Florida residence in search of two illegally kept Burmese pythons.

What they found last week was an 11' long male Burmese python, dwarfed by its female companion, a 17' behemoth of the same species that weighed more than 150 lbs.

Judge Allows Wolf Hunts to Proceed in Idaho, MT

MISSOULA, MT�Wolf management via closely regulated hunting can proceed in Idaho and Montana. That�s the decision issued last week by a federal judge who denied an emergency injunction request and ruled in favor of state wildlife agencies and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.  A

coalition of 13 environmental groups had sought to stop the hunts and return gray wolves to the endangered species list, but U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy said the plaintiffs� key arguments were "unpersuasive." A hearing was held Aug. 31 in federal court in Missoula, MT.

Record brown trout caught in Manistee River

A State Record, but could be new World Record

MANISTEE, MI. - An angler has landed the heaviest brown trout on record in Michigan. Brian Mulherin, journalist for the Ludington Daily News says Tom Healy of Rockford caught the 41 lb 7 1/4 oz trout September 9 from a boat in the Manistee River. 

The fish took a black-and-silver Rapala Shad Rap crankbait that Healy cast from fishing guide Tim Roller�s boat. The 66 year-old angler used a Cabela�s XML spinning rod and Cabela�s Prodigy reel loaded with 30 lb braided line. Michigan DNR fisheries biologists Mark Tonello and Todd Kalish weighed the fish after leveling the certified scales and determined the weight. It is the new record hold for Michigan. Upon the second weighing with the scales leveled, the weight was determined to be 1 pound, .75 ounces heavier than originally determined. The fish was 43.75" long.

The fish is 1 pound, 3.25 ounces heavier than the reigning world record German brown trout, a 40-pound, 4-ounce fish caught in Arkansas in 1992 by Howard �Rip� Collins who used an ultralight rod and 4 lb test line. Healy will have to apply for certification National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and  to be declared the world record holder.  The previous state record for brown trout was a 36-pound, 13-ounce specimen caught in Frankfort in 2007.

The previous state record German brown trout weighed 36.81 lbs and was caught in Lake Michigan in Benzie County in 2007. The next three places in the state record books were held by Lake Michigan browns caught in Manistee

UK Scouts Ban Penknives Knives

It�s a sad day for Scouts in Britain as all knives are officially banned in virtually all circumstances, �neither Scouts nor their parents should bring penknives to camp except in �specific� situations.�

A Scouts spokesman defended its policy, saying: �The Scout Association plays a key role in helping young people develop the confidence, maturity and self-esteem they need to play active and responsible roles in their communities, and to resist the peer pressure that may attract them into local gang culture.

We believe that young people need more places to go after school and at weekends, where they can experience adventure without the threat of violence or bullying and the need to carry weapons.  Scouting helps to prepare young people with valuable life skills, while keeping them safe by not

carrying knives.

This action is a reflection of the intense anti-knife culture that has developed in the U.K. in the past few years. There are numerous causes, not the least of which is a media all too happy to feed the flames and politicians who would rather attack the tool rather than the root causes. In any case, it should serve as a warning to America�s knife owners.

The anti-knife hysteria in the U.K, Europe and elsewhere was one of the reasons why Knife Rights was founded just under three years ago, to give knife owners an effective voice against those who would take away our knives if we don�t oppose them.

If there were ever a reason to support www.KnifeRights.org  and the efforts to keep these sorts of dopey laws from being pushed through, this one should be the tipping point.

Senate Bill Would Give President Emergency Control of Internet

Details of a revamped version of the Cybersecurity Act of 2009 show the Senate bill could give the president a "kill switch" on the Internet and allow him to shut out private networks from online access.

FOXNews.com, Friday, August 28, 2009

A Senate bill would offer President Obama emergency control of the Internet and may give him a "kill switch" to shut down online traffic by seizing private networks � a move cybersecurity experts worry will choke off industry and civil liberties.

Details of a revamped version of the Cybersecurity Act of 2009 emerged months after an initial version authored by Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-WV, was blasted in Silicon Valley as dangerous government intrusion.  "In the original bill they empowered the president to essentially turn off the Internet in the case of a 'cyber-emergency,' which they didn't define," said Larry Clinton, president of the Internet Security Alliance, which represents the telecommunications industry.  "We think it's a very bad idea ... to put in legislation," he told FOXNews.com.

Clinton said the new version of the bill that surfaced is improved from its first draft, but troubling language that was removed was replaced by vague language that could still offer the same powers to the president in case of an emergency.  "The current language is so unclear that we can't be confident that the changes have actually been made," he said.

The new legislation allows the president to "declare a cybersecurity emergency" relating to "non-governmental" computer networks and make a plan to respond to the danger, according to an excerpt published online � a broad license that rights experts worry would give the president "amorphous powers" over private users. "As soon as you're saying that the federal government is going to be exercising this kind of

power over private networks, it's going to be a really big issue," Lee Tien, a senior staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told CNET News.

A Senate source familiar with the bill likened the new power to take control of portions of the Internet to what President Bush did when he grounded all aircraft on Sept. 11, 2001, CNET News reported.  Rockefeller, who introduced the bill in April with bipartisan support, said the legislation was critical to protecting everything from water and electricity to banking, traffic lights and electronic health records.  "I know the threats we face," Rockefeller said in a prepared statement when the legislation was introduced. "Our enemies are real. They are sophisticated, they are determined and they will not rest."

The bill would also let the government create a detailed set of standards for licensing "cybersecurity professionals" who would oversee a single standard for security measures.  But many in the technology sector believe it's a job the government is ill-equipped to handle, said Franck Journoud, a policy analyst with the Business Software Alliance.  "Simply put, who has the expertise?" he told FOXNews.com in April. "It's the industry, not the government. We have a responsibility to increase and improve security. That responsibility cannot be captured in a government standard."

Clinton, of the Internet Security Alliance, praised President Obama's May science policy review, which he said would take cybersecurity in the right direction by promoting incentives to get the private industry to improve its own security measures.

But he faulted the Senate bill, which he said would centralize regulations for an industry that is too varied to fall under the control of a single set of rules without endangering the economy and security.

"We think a lot of things need to be done to enhance cybersecurity," he told FOXNews.com, but this bill is "not something that we could support."

Coast Guard considers allowing recreational vessels to transit Electric safety zone

Area includes the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal over the electric fish barrier

CHICAGO � The U.S. Coast Guard announced that the Captain of the Port Sector Lake Michigan will allow, on a case by case basis, certain recreational vessels to transit the safety zone on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal surrounding the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers� electric fish barrier from mile marker 296.0 to mile marker 296.7.

The Coast Guard will continue to enforce the safety zone near the fish barrier.  However, based on the initial results of recent safety tests conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Coast Guard will consider, on a case by case basis, requests by recreational vessels to transit through the zone under their own power.  Previously, certain vessels were permitted to transit through the safety zone only while being towed.  Mariners must request permission to transit and comply with all instructions of the Coast Guard on-scene representative who can be contacted on VFH-FM Channel 16 or at (630) 336-0296.

Starting Saturday, September 12, 2009, the Coast Guard will begin allowing, on a case by case basis, certain vessels greater than 20 feet in length to transit through the safety zone. Transit times will be from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.  All persons aboard a vessel transiting the safety zone must wear a Coast Guard approved personal flotation device while in the vicinity of the barrier.

Due to the risk of personal shock, the following types of vessels will still be prohibited from transiting the safety zone: all personal watercraft, canoes, kayaks, rafts, shells, or sailboats without a motor.

The Coast Guard recommends all people on board a vessel transiting the safety zone:

►remain seated

►avoid contact with the water and any standing water in the vessel

►avoid contact with metal objects on vessel unless necessary for safe navigation

►avoid making contact with anything outside the hull of the vessel

�There are very serious risks associated with coming in contact with electrified water.� said Capt. Luann Barndt, Commander of U.S. Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan. �We want to ensure people understand all the risks before they decided to request permission to transit through the safety zone.�

For updated information regarding the safety zone on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, go to http://www.uscg.fishbarrierinfo.com.

For further information, contact the Sector Lake Michigan Public Affairs Office at (414) 349-5109

Video Game Takes Kids Outside

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service launched a new online video game aimed to encourage kids to go outside and learn about the environment. Designed for children ages 8 to 11 years old, Neighborhood Explorers is accessed through the Service�s Let�s Go Outside! at www.fws.gov/letsgooutside/ .

The journey through the game begins when you meet three children � Mia, Lucy and Steve � who gather in a tree house as the school year begins and talk about all the fun outdoor environmental activities they did over the summer. They form a Neighborhood Explorers Club, called the NX Club, and share information about planting gardens with native plants, backyard bird watching and urban wildlife.  By exploring the tree house with your cursor, you can learn about endangered species, conservation heroes and threats to our natural world. Then you can play a fun jeopardy-style trivia game that tests your newly acquired environmental information in an entertaining and interactive venue.

Other activities include recording nature sightings in your own back yard, a race against time to find a missing praying mantis in the midst of an urban neighborhood, and identifying birds in a variety of habitats.  When you finish a game, you can receive a gold, silver, or bronze patch, depending on how many points you score. Every game is a fun challenge as well as a valuable educational experience.  You can also receive patches for documenting environmental projects and local

wildlife, thus reinforcing the connection between the virtual

and natural worlds.

When you�ve earned all five patches, you can receive a free tree from the Arbor Day Foundation! (A free membership to the NX Club is required so a record of your earned patches can be saved). After earning all five patches, you will be directed to the Arbor Day Foundation web site, where you can provide your name and address to get a free tree with directions for planting. There are only 450 trees available, so you should get started winning your patches right away!

Neighborhood Explorers provides an excellent educational opportunity for children and parents.  By participating in this game, kids learn about nature and are encouraged to spend more time outside.  Steve�s summer activity, for example, is simply exploring and observing nature. Children can also learn about problems that the environment is facing, such as pollution and invasive species, and discover ways to help solve these problems.

Unstructured play and discovery outside is an important part of childhood, and Neighborhood Explorers reinforces this through a medium that kids are familiar with: a video game. This is a great opportunity to show kids how caring about conservation and the environment can make a real-life difference in the world.

USFWS makes Key Career Leadership Selections

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Sam D. Hamilton announced the selection of Dan Ashe and Rowan Gould to serve as deputy directors for the agency.

Gould, who has served as acting director since January 2009, will be deputy director for operations. Gould will oversee regional directors, ensuring agency performance and accountability, consistent application of all Service resource management policies, and will be responsible for the day-to-day Service operations.

Ashe, who has served as science advisor to the director since 2003, will be deputy director for policy. He will oversee assistant directors in the Washington, D.C. office, providing strategic program direction, and will be responsible for developing policy and guidance to support and promote program development and fulfill the Service mission.

Gould is a native of Oregon and received his B.A., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in fish health and fish biology from Oregon State University. He started his Service career as a research microbiologist at the Seattle National Research Center in 1976. During Gould�s career with the Service, he has served in numerous research positions including as section chief at the National Fisheries Research Center in Seattle, Washington 

and the director of the National Fisheries Research and Development Laboratory, Wellsboro, Pennsylvania.

Ashe was born, and spent his childhood in Atlanta, Georgia, where his father � William �Bill� Ashe � began his 37-year career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Mr. Ashe earned a M.S. degree in marine affairs from the University of Washington, and a B.S. in biological sciences from Florida State University, in Tallahassee, Florida.  He worked for 13 years on the professional staff of the former Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Since coming to the Service, in 1995, Ashe has served in a variety of leadership capacities: assistant director, external affairs; assistant director, refuges and wildlife; chief, National Wildlife Refuge System; and science advisor to the director.  As science advisor, Ashe provided leadership on science policy and scientific applications to resource management. He has led the organization in recognizing and responding to changes in the global climate system. Ashe also helped define an agency Code of Scientific and Professional Conduct; author new guidelines for scientific peer review and information quality; build electronic literature access for employees; and reinstitute internal scientific publication outlets.

New Quarters Showcase National Parks, Refuges, Forests

WASHINGTON, DC, September 9, 2009 (ENS) - Hot Springs National Park, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Grand Canyon National Parks and Mt. Hood National Forest will be the first sites commemorated in a new quarter-dollar program announced by the United States Mint.

Starting in April 2010, the America the Beautiful Quarters Program will begin producing quarters with tails side designs that showcase a national park or other federally preserved area from each state, U.S. territory, and the District of Columbia.  The familiar 1932 John Flanagan portrait of President George Washington will be featured on the heads sides of the quarters.

A new quarter will be introduced about every 10 weeks for 11

years. The 56 coins will be issued sequentially in the order in which the featured location was first placed under the care of the federal government. "The new quarter program recognizes that public places of inspiration and recreation have always been important to Americans," Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said today.

The designs will be developed through a consultative process involving the governor or other chief executive of each jurisdiction, the U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, and will be selected after review by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.  In addition to the coins for circulation, the Mint will produce collectable items including proof sets, silver proof sets, a five ounce silver bullion coin, coin bags, and coin rolls for each quarter.

Journalist 'shield' law gains steam in Senate

A long-debated federal "shield" law to protect journalists who refuse to reveal their confidential sources is poised to move a little closer to passage Thursday. The Senate Judiciary Committee plans a mark-up session with the shield law at the top of the agenda.

"It is very significant that this is the first bill on the agenda. That tends to indicate that it is in a position of priority," the Senate aide said. A federal shield law would grant journalists the right to refuse to reveal information they have obtained during the news-gathering process in certain legal proceedings - and ultimately would protect the public's "right to know."

Currently, 49 states have some form of common-law, statutory 

or rule-based protections for journalists - but there is no definitive federal legislation in place for those who choose not to reveal their sources in court. The House passed its version of the "Free Flow of Information Act" in March, but Senate action is needed for the bill to become law.

The protections in the bill would be "similar to those afforded to lawyers and their clients, clergy and their penitents, and psychotherapists and their patients," according to the Society of Professional Journalists, which has raised $30,000 in the past year to build support for the law.

The bill has been slow in coming, with bipartisan forms of the legislation stalling in recent sessions of Congress.

Researchers solve mystery of Chronic Wasting Disease

Study Spells Out Spread of Brain Illness in Animals

Healthy deer can spread prion disease through feces

Researchers are reporting that they have solved a longstanding mystery about the rapid spread of a fatal brain infection in deer, elk and moose in the Midwest and West. The infectious agent, which leads to chronic wasting disease, is spread in the feces of infected animals long before they become ill, according to a study published online September 9, 2009 by the journal Nature.

Brain-destroying prion disease can spread among deer through feces shed by animals, which have been infected by the deadly pathogen but are not sick, the study suggests. The paper implies that the mysterious disorders known as chronic wasting disease (CWD) and scrapie-cousins of mad-cow disease-could be transmitted in a hitherto-overlooked way, posing a headache for farmers.

The scientists are led by University of California neurologist Stanley Prusiner, who won the 1997 Nobel Medicine Prize for research into prions, the rogue proteins blamed for turning brains spongey.

Prion diseases are well-researched disorders in deer (CWD), cattle (bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE), sheep and goats (scrapie), cats (feline spongiform encephalopathy, FSE) and in humans (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, CJD). Many aspects about them are unclear, though. In deer, CWD is known to be handed on from mother to offspring, but other paths of infection are deemed possible.

Prusiner's team probed a theory that deer may pass on the prion in their feces, thus creating a risk that other deer will pick up the pathogen in the soil when they graze. Over the course of months, the investigators collected the feces of 5 mule deer and then orally infected them with CWD prions.  They continued taking samples until the animals died or developed

signs of the disease and were euthanized.

Fecal samples -- irradiated to kill germs and viruses but leave the prions untouched -- were injected into the brains of genetically modified mice. Samples that had been collected before the deer were infected and 3 to 4 months after infection had no effect. But 14 out of 15 samples that were collected after the 4-month mark caused the mice to fall sick with CWD-like signs. The results, say the authors, point to a "horizontal" way by which CWD could spread among deer in the wild -- and, possibly, by which scrapie could spread among sheep and goats.

The "fecal-oral route" was given credence by a 1994 Icelandic study in which sheep with scrapie were held in a field, removed, and then replaced with scrapie-free sheep, which then went on to develop the disease.  But an unresolved question is whether prions can survive long enough in the soil to infect other animals. Past studies have sent back conflicting data on this; some say harsh weather and microbial enzymes in the soil degrade the pathogen.

The new paper did not touch on BSE. That disease, which erupted in Britain in the 1980s, unleashed a scare in 1996 when BSE-infected beef was linked to a rare form of fatal neurodegenerative disorder in humans, variant CJD. The causes of BSE have been fiercely debated. One idea is that herds became infected by eating the ground-up carcasses of scrapie-infected sheep. [Another proposed theory has been feeding unhealthy ground up cattle back to cattle.]

BSE has been fought through a culling of animals and a change of feeding practices. Several studies into cattle suggest there is no 

"fecal-oral route" for BSE.

Nature, International Weekly Journal of Science -www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature08289.html

Weekly Great Lakes Water Levels for Sept. 11, 2009

Weather Conditions

This week the Great Lakes Basin has experienced sunny skies, minimal precipitation, and seasonable temperatures. In the basin, the month of September has started out much drier than the average September. A high pressure center has set up over the Great Lakes Basin, and it is expected to stay over the basin through next week. Sunny skies and dry weather are expected throughout the weekend and most of next week. There is a slight chance of isolated showers near the end of next week and into the next weekend.

Lake Level Conditions

Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, and Erie are expected to be 2, 9, 7 and 6 inches, respectively, higher than their levels of a year ago.  Lake Ontario is at the same level it was a year ago.  Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, Erie and Ontario are expected to decline 1, 2, 6, 4 and 7 inches, respectively, over the next 30 days.  Over the next several months, Lake Superior is predicted to be near its level of a year ago. Lakes Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, and Erie are forecasted to remain at or above last years levels over the same time period.  Lake Ontario is forecasted to be near or below its levels of a year ago over the next six months.

Current Outflows/Channel Conditions

In August, the outflow from Lake Superior through the St. Mary's River and the outflow from Lake Michigan-Huron through the St. Clair River were below average. The Detroit

River carried near average flows during August. The flow in the Niagara River and the outflow from Lake Ontario through the St. Lawrence River were above average in August. 

Alerts

Users of the Great Lakes, connecting channels and St. Lawrence River should keep informed of current conditions before undertaking any activities that could be affected by changing water levels. Mariners should utilize navigation charts and refer to current water level readings.  

New Quantum Fishing Website Goes Live

TULSA, Oklahoma - The totally redesigned Quantum web site - www.QuantumFishing.com  - went live last week with a new look and many expanded features and functions for the ultimate interactive experience relating to Quantum products, customer service, technical support and a wide range of fishing topics and know-how.

The new site incorporates the latest in new media technology advances and puts them in an easy-to-navigate-and-search format that makes QuantumFishing.com extremely user-friendly, regardless of a visitor's level of Internet experience.

In addition to general information such as FAQs, dealer locator, trophy board and media room, the site also contains a greatly expanded library of product schematics covering a wide range of years, as well as the most intricate details about PT products, including gear ratios, inches per turn, weight, drag strength, etc. Visitors can also get a behind-the-scenes look at engineering and quality testing that goes into every

Quantum rod and reel by choosing one of the many video

options.

There are also numerous fishing tips videos by Quantum's elite pro staffers, including Kevin VanDam, Shaw Grigsby, Dean Rojas, Greg Hackney and several others, covering fresh and saltwater. The "On Tour" department follows the pros through their respective tournament participations.

For customers wanting to communicate directly with the company's engineers and product managers, there's the Quantum Blog. The monitored blog will provide useful communication on most any fishing topic, and expect to find frequent postings by Quantum's pro staffers adding to the exchanges.

Certain items, such as Quantum Signature Series PT rods and a variety of promotional clothing, can be purchased through the site's "buy online" areas. The Custom Shop houses all of the information about the rods.

Mercury commits to Wisconsin following union vote

Now that the Mercury Marine union has approved a contract, the company says it will consolidate manufacturing in Fond du Lac, Wis., and will transition work from its Stillwater, Okla., facility in the next 18 to 24 months. The company and union both announced last week that a labor agreement had been reached. It was the same agreement the union had previously rejected Aug. 23.

"We met with Mercury Marine top management and have a commitment that with this vote, the company will stay in Fond du Lac, Wis., and move more work to Fond du Lac over time," IAM Midwest Territory vice president Philip J. Gruber said in a statement. "Our members' vote for the company proposal, while being a very difficult decision, clearly says they are willing to work with Mercury to secure a sound future for themselves, the company and the community."

Mercury Marine president Mark Schwabero said the company will develop and execute a transition plan that balances the needs of employees, the communities and Mercury Marine's future.

"After weeks of intense discussions and completion of the voting process, we accept the union's ratification of our contract proposal," Schwabero said in a statement. "As we've stated throughout this important process, comprehensive changes to wages, benefits and operational flexibility are necessary for Mercury to effectively compete in a smaller and fundamentally changed marketplace."

More than $50 million in government loans and other aid was offered to Mercury Marine to maintain and expand its operations in Fond du Lac, Wis.

Aimpoint Wins Army Contract for Optical Sights

Aimpoint has been awarded a new contract from the US Army for supply of up to 565,783 M68 Close Combat Optic rifle sights. The Aimpoint CompM4s was chosen following an extensive evaluation and competitive trial of available optical sights by the Army s Research & Development Command (ARDEC) at Picatinny Arsenal, NJ. Aimpoint was the only manufacturer whose product fulfilled the Army's rigorous testing criteria during this evaluation, and is the only manufacturer to be selected as a qualified vendor for this contract.

The sight chosen by the Army, the Aimpoint CompM4s features a battery compartment positioned near the sight base, which gives the sight a streamlined profile and places the switch and battery in a more protected position. A 

ruggedized switch knob has been integrated as part of the battery compartment housing and features 7 night vision compatible settings and 9 daylight settings. The modular QRP2 mount maximizes product application for all M4 Carbines and M16 rifles, and eliminates the need for a separate mounting ring.

The electronic components in the CompM4s include the latest ACET diode circuitry, which allows the sight to run continuously for up to 8 years on a single battery, and features an internal voltage regulator that makes it possible to utilize any AA sized battery found worldwide for power. The sight features a 2 minute-of-angle (MOA) dot size, making it perfectly suited for use with Aimpoint s 3X Magnifier (3XMag), Aimpoint Concealed Engagement Unit (CEU), and all generations of night vision devices. The CompM4s is designed to function under hard use and extreme environmental conditions.  www.aimpoint.com/

Remington Expands popular 870 Express Tactical Line

Madison, NC � The Remington Model 870 pump-action has long been the gold standard for tactical and home defense shotguns for their absolute reliability, dependability and ease of operation.  Model 870 Express Tactical shotguns stand and deliver with the swift pointing characteristics and unfailing reliability that have made them legendary.   New for 2009, two highly functional and versatile 12-gauge platforms join our expansive line of tactical shotguns - Model 870 Express Tactical with Gray Powder Coat Finish and the Model 870 Express Tactical with XS� Ghost Ring Sights.

These durable shotguns start with the proven, dependable Model 870 action which features twin-action bars for ultra-reliable feeding, extraction and ejection. The guns handle both 2 3/4 and 3-inch loads. A factory-installed, two-round magazine extension raises the overall capacity to seven rounds and the 18 1/2-inch carbon steel, hammer-forged barrel is fast handling and delivers consistent patterns thanks to the ported Extended Tactical Rem� Choke tube.   Their receivers are milled from a solid block of billet steel and both models have rugged black synthetic stocks and tactical-style fore-ends with sling swivel studs installed.  Receivers are drilled and tapped for mounting optics.

870 Tactical Grey powder coat finish

The Model 870 Express Tactical with Gray Powder Coat Finish has a bead-sighted barrel and the receiver and barrel are finished with a gun metal gray powder coat for increased

durability and reduced glare. 

870 Tactical with Ghost Ring Sights

The Model 870 Express Tactical with XS Ghost Ring Sights is optimized for rapid target acquisition and precise shot placement with a front XS blade sight and a XS Ghost Ring rear sight mounted on the receiver.  This �Remington exclusive� sighting system is fully adjustable for windage and elevation. 

Remington Introduces Ultimate Home Defense Shotgun Round

Madison, NC - For nearly sixty years, law enforcement agencies and judicious gun owners around the world have relied on the Remington Model 870 shotgun as their defensive firearm of choice. For 2009, Remington announces a new ammunition product designed to enhance the effectiveness of your shotgun in a home defense scenario - Remington HD Ultimate Home Defense.

Remington HD Ultimate Home Defense shotgun ammunition features the same pellet material as the popular Wingmaster HD tungsten-bronze hunting ammunition and is offered in two loadings. Consumers can choose from a load of BB's for the highest terminal energy or a duplex mixture of #2 and #4 pellets for excellent pattern density and outstanding stopping power with a reduced chance of over-penetration. Both loads are 12 gauge, 2 �-inch with 1� oz of shot at 1250 feet per second. At the most commonly encountered home defense distances, Remington HD Ultimate Home Defense produces very tight patterns for one-shot confidence.

HD Ultimate Home Defense ammunition is the perfect compliment to Remington's recently expanded line of tactical shotguns. Recent additions to the line include the Model 870 Express Tactical with XS Ghost Ring Sights and the Model 870 Express Tactical with Gray Powder Coat Finish. Both shotguns are 12 gauge and feature 3-inch chambered 18�" barrels which are threaded for the included Tactical Extended Rem

Choke. Average weight for both models is 7� lbs, overall length is 38�" and both guns are equipped with a black synthetic stock and fore-end.

The Model 870 Express Tactical with XS Ghost Ring Sights is optimized for rapid target acquisition and precise shot placement with a front XS blade sight and a receiver-mounted picatinny rail with an integrated XS Ghost Ring rear sight. This "Remington exclusive" sighting system is fully adjustable for windage and elevation.

The Model 870 Express Tactical with Gray Powder Coat Finish has a bead-sighted barrel and the receiver and barrel are finished with a gun metal gray powder coat for increased durability and reduced glare.

Regardless of which shotgun you employ in defense of your family, a magazine full of HD Ultimate Home Defense will have things that go bump in the night fearing you for a change.

HD Ultimate Home Defense Shotshell

Memorable quote

Nearly fifty years ago, Walter Lippmann, then the dean of

political columnists, warned, "Presidents don't merely appoint whom they want; they appoint what they are."

IDNR Announces Special "Free Fishing Day" Sept 19

No license needed at IDNR sites where fishing opportunities exist

SPRINGFIELD � The DNR wants to encourage families and children to wet a line this month.  IDNR Director Marc Miller is declaring September 19, 2009 as a �Free Fishing Day� at state parks throughout Illinois.

Allowing children and adults to fish without a fishing license within the boundaries of state parks on September 19 is part of the celebration of �It�s Our River Day.�   The day will highlight Illinois� rivers and streams through conservation, education and recreation at over 50 events throughout the state

�We hope events like �It�s Our River Day� will spark interest in

our youth and introduce a new generation to the joy of fishing

and the beauty of our state parks,� said Director Miller.  �This is a great opportunity for mom and dad or grandma and grandpa to take their kids or grandkids fishing without having to pay for and obtain a fishing license for a day.�

The �Free Fishing Day� on September 19 applies to both Illinois residents and non-residents.  Free fishing on that day will only be allowed within the boundaries of Illinois state parks, natural areas and wildlife areas where public fishing opportunities are available.  For a list of state sites, visit the IDNR website at www.dnr.state.il.us.   The �Free Fishing Day� waiver of fishing license requirements on September 19 will not include fishing on the Illinois waters of Lake Michigan or on river positions outside of Illinois state park boundaries

Crossbows Legal for 2009-10 Archery Deer/Bear Seasons

HARRISBURG � The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners voted down a proposal that would have placed restrictions on crossbow use for the 2009-10 seasons.  The 4-4 tie vote is not sufficient to give the proposed rulemaking the final adoption needed, so the previously approved regulations governing the use of crossbows for the 2009-10 seasons � as outlined in the 2009-10 Digest � will remain in effect.

On July 9, by a vote of 4-3, the Board gave preliminary approval to regulatory changes to restrict the use of crossbows for the upcoming fall hunting seasons. Following the July 9th vote, the proposed rule-making was reviewed by the state Office of Attorney General and published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on Aug. 22.

Those voting today in favor of the proposal were Game Commissioner Ron Weaner, who requested that the proposal be placed on the July meeting agenda; as well as Game Commissioners Tom Boop, David Schreffler and Jay Delaney.  Those voting today against the proposal were Game

Commissioners Greg Isabella, David Putnam, Robert Schlemmer and Ralph Martone.

Based on today�s action, crossbows may be used by hunters participating in the archery deer and archery bear seasons for the 2009-10 seasons, as well as turkey seasons and the two-week firearms deer seasons. 

Under the regulations, a crossbow must have a minimum drawn weight of at least 125 lbs, and a bolt must be equipped with a broadhead that has an outside diameter or width of at least 7/8 inches with at least two cutting edges on the same plane throughout the length of the cutting surface, and shall not exceed 3" in length.

Hunters participating in the October muzzleloader antlerless deer season or late flintlock muzzleloader season are not permitted to use the crossbow in place of their muzzleloader.  Hunters participating in the overlapping archery deer seasons may use a crossbow. A sunset date for this expanded crossbow use will require a future Board to vote on the measure again before June 30, 2012.