Tennessee Names Barrett Model 82 Official State Rifle

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Murfreesboro, Tennessee - Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Inc.

The Tennessee General Assembly passed a resolution this week making the Barrett Model 82/M107 Tennessee's official state rifle. This designation follows numerous accolades the company has received over the years for its innovation and ingenuity for a range of firearms produced at its plant and headquarters in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

"We are honored by the resolution and proud to have our rifle officially recognized within our home state," said Chris Barrett, president of Barrett Firearms. "For more than 32 years, we have been committed to innovation in the firearms industry while maintaining the highest standards for precision and reliability."

Micah Van Huss, an appreciative U.S. Marine that used the weapon in combat and is now member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, initiated the State action. (To view the resolution, go to http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/109/Bill/HJR0231.pdf).

The Barrett Rifle is a true Tennessee success story: A rifle born from sketches hand-drawn at a dining room table by then twenty-six-year-old photographer, who was born, raised, and educated in Tennessee with no design training or experience. The firearm design considered impossible at the time was a shoulder-fired semi-automatic .50 caliber rifle. Using sketches of his design, Ronnie worked in a one bay garage with a tool-and-die maker to build the first prototype.

His creation, the Model 82/M107, pioneered an entirely new classification of rifle, changed battlefield tactics and recognized as the world's premier .50 caliber rifle fielded by approximately 70 allied governments.
Today, Ronnie Barrett is one of only four people in the past 100 years to invent a rifle type classified and adopted for use by the United States military. The M107 was recognized, in a ceremony in Washington, D.C., by the Office of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army as one of the "top ten greatest inventions" for its service.

Barrett now manufactures eight distinct models of rifles and has recently launched a new line of shotguns under the Barrett Sovereign brand. In addition to the Model 82 rifle, Barrett's MRAD rifle was named the 2012 "Rifle of the Year" by Shooting Illustrated magazine.

Barrett is a family-owned and operated company and the world leader in large-caliber rifle design and manufacturing. Barrett products are used by civilians, sport shooters, law enforcement agencies, the United States military and more than 73 State Department approved countries across the world.

This message and any attachments contains Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Inc. confidential, privileged, or proprietary information and is intended solely for the use of the individual(s) or entities
) to whom they are addressed.

Maine Offering $11,000 Reward for Lobster Trap Theft Info

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Maine Operation Game Thief is offering a reward of $11,000 for information that helps authorities bring the person or people responsible for a major lobster trap molesting case near Jeffrey's Ledge to justice.

A Maine Marine Patrol investigation, which began Monday, February 22, 2016, revealed that 120 lobster traps had been hauled by someone other than the license holders, the lobsters stolen, and the traps lowered to the bottom.

Jeffrey's Ledge is located in the western Gulf of Maine located approximately 30 miles off the New Hampshire coast.

Maine Operation Game Thief (Maine OGT) is a private, non-profit organization that works with the Department of Marine Resources, Maine Marine Patrol, Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, Maine Warden Service, and Wildlife Crime Stoppers to pay rewards to citizens who provide information that helps bring violators of Maine's game and commercial fishing laws to justice.

"The OGT program is committed to helping maintain our state's valuable game and commercial fishing resources," said OGT Chairman Greg Sirpis. "Maine's lobster industry works hard to protect and sustain this important resource and to have people undermine our state's proud heritage of hard work and conservation is unacceptable and we will support efforts to bring whoever did this to justice,"

"This is an extremely serious violation involving multiple victims, and we would appreciate any help from the public," said Marine Patrol Colonel Jon Cornish. "The money for this reward comes both from the Operation Game Thief program and from lobstermen committed to bringing this person or people to justice. I'm grateful for the support of OGT and these lobstermen and for their dedication to the work of the Maine Marine Patrol."

People with information on this case are encouraged to contact Marine Patrol Sergeant Rob Beal by phone at 207-479-3931 or to call the Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-ALERT-US (1-800-253-7887).                            

Meridith Rotary Derby is On !

http://www.wmur.com/escape-outside/ice-warnings-issued-as-meredith-fishing-derby-will-go-on-as-scheduled/38217944

Click on Link above
 

 

XIII WORLD Championship in ICE Fishing 2016, Ternopil, Ukraine

USAIceTeam's, Myron Gilbert with a zander caught . Myron was out top fisher  at 25th out of 53 fishers.

February 23 at 3:27am ·

All of the ‪#‎USAIceTeam‬ members have arrived safely back in the United States. Safe travels to the guys who still have a few hours to drive after landing in Chicago. We look forward to sharing more from our trip once we get settled in. Thanks, everyone!

The conditions that we faced at world competition this year, were deep water combined with current. This called for a fairly heavy jig size paired with a very small diameter line, in order to reduce current drag on the line. We fished with a smaller diameter line size than we have ever used before, once again building our skill set of Eastern European ice fishing tactics.

Using the proper feeding and timing techniques during world competition may allow an angler to catch bream like the one shown here, a larger species than the common roach. This bream is small to average-sized, but they do get much larger.

The common roach - species of choice in much of Europe

There is always a lot of trading of gear between countries at the Closing Ceremony

Our friends, Team Sweden

Feb. 20 & Feb. 21,  2016.


Congratulations 2016 Team USA ! 9th Place



Our 2016 ‪#‎USAIceTeam‬ loved wearing ‪#‎Zubaz‬ as part of our official warmups this year. A lot of our team members wore them under their ‪#‎StrikerIce‬ suit in the warm temps that we experienced on the ice in Ukraine. That allowed them to be comfortable and they were already nearly dressed for mealtime after fishing! These pants were a hit in Europe, as we knew they would be. ‪#‎WeFishForGold‬ (2016 Team pictured here with FIPSed Representative, Eric Humphreys - middle)

1.  Anthony Rodriguez - participant
2. Chad Schaub - participant
3.  Nick Schertz - participant
4. Myron Gilbert - participant
5. Jeff Kelm - participant
6. Mike Hoffman – participant
7. Mike McNett - trainer
8. Sam Grulke – trainer
9. Sean Warner - chief to delegation
10. Stefan Sissell - accompanying persons
11. Chas Thompson - accompanying persons
12. Chad Kennedy - accompanying persons
13. Rob Greer - accompanying persons
14. Kevin Kowalski - accompanying persons
15. Scott Albrecht - accompanying persons
16. Kelly Gotch - accompanying persons

Congratulations to 2016 World Champion Republic of Belarus

1. Pavel Ihnatovich - participant
2. Aliaksei Yudzenkou - participant
3. Ivan Dzen - participant
4. Vadzim Yakubovich - participant
5. Yury Shcors - participant
6. Aliaksei Androsau - participant
7. Aliaksandr Rozin - trainer
8. Kanstantin Tsikhanau - trainer
9. Romanov Alexandr - chief to delegation
10. Aliaksey Valichenka - accompanying persons
11. Aliaksandr Murayou - accompanying persons
12. Siarhey Pavidaika - accompanying persons
13. Yury Yurchanka - accompanying persons

Maine Department Seeks Input On Maine's Most Popular Wildlife And Fish Species

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

AUGUSTA, Maine -- The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife wants to hear your ideas and opinions about Maine's most popular wildlife and fish species.

Over the next month, the department will hold a series of statewide public meetings that will focus on moose, deer and turkey; bear, and freshwater fisheries. The meetings are designed to gather ideas and information from the public that will help shape management of these species over the next fifteen years.

"We want to hear from the public concerning some of Maine's most popular species," said Jim Connolly, IFW Director of Resource Management. "We've already conducted extensive public surveys, but this is your chance to provide additional input on the management of these species for years to come.

In addition to public meetings, IFW is creating a dedicated "Town Hall forum" at www.metownhall.org to provide a further opportunity for residents to voice their opinions on big game issues specifically (the forum will cover deer, moose, turkey, and bear issues).

Starting March 1, residents will be able to access the Town Hall forum website and leave comments and suggestions at www.metownhall.org. The website will stay live until March 31, at which point comments will be reviewed. Residents are encouraged to log onto the website during the month of March to submit responses to prepared questions as well as interact with one another in an exchange of opinions and ideas.

Throughout March and April, there will also be a series of public meetings around the state to hear people's thoughts and ideas regarding species management.

There will be three public meetings that will focus specifically on bear management. The dates, time and location are:

Bear Management Public Meetings
o Wednesday, March 16 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.; Embassy Suites, 1050 Westbrook Street, Portland, ME 04102, Katahdin Room
o Wednesday, March 16 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.; Northeastland Hotel, 436 Maine Street, Presque Isle, ME 04769, Red Room
o Wednesday, March 30 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.; Black Bear Inn, 4 Godfrey Drive, Orono, ME 04473, Blue Room

There will also be three Moose, Deer and Turkey Management public meetings that will meet on the following dates and these locations:
Moose, Deer and Turkey Management Public Meetings
o Saturday, March 19 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.; Embassy Suites, 1050 Westbrook Street, Portland, ME 04102, Katahdin Room
o Saturday, March 19 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.; Northeastland Hotel, 436 Maine Street, Presque Isle, ME 04769, Red Room
o Saturday, April 2 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.; Black Bear Inn, 4 Godfrey Drive, Orono, ME 04473, Blue Room

Maine's freshwater fisheries will be the focus at these locations on the following dates and times:

Fisheries Management Public Meetings
o Thursday, March 17 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.; Embassy Suites, 1050 Westbrook Street, Portland, ME 04102, Katahdin Room
o Thursday, March 17 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.; Northeastland Hotel, 436 Maine Street, Presque Isle, ME 04769, Red Room
o Thursday, March 31 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.; Black Bear Inn, 4 Godfrey Drive, Orono, ME 04473, Blue Room
o Tuesday, April 5 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.; University of Farmington, Lincoln Auditorium, 224 Main Street, Farmington, ME 04938

The meetings and online town hall are part of a larger study designed to assess priorities for bear, other big game, and fisheries management, including the issues residents see as important; their attitudes toward the current and desired population levels of various fish and game species; management techniques for these species; and any ideas for potential changes to the current management programs. Input from the public will help MDIFW to create the best management plans possible.

MDIFW contracted with Responsive Management, an internationally recognized public opinion research firm, to conduct the research for the state. Responsive Management is handling the facilitation of the public meetings as well as the administration of the Town Hall web forum. The firm has also conducted focus groups and surveys with Maine residents, hunters, anglers, and landowners as part of the research.

Maine residents may have received a call, email, or letter in recent weeks inviting them to participate in one of the scientific surveys conducted for the project. The next phase of the project calls for a wider opportunity for residents to submit comments and suggestions in an open-ended manner via the public meetings and web forum.

Find out What's New in the 2015 NH Wildlife Action Plan

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

                  Data, Maps, Action! Find out What's New in the 2015 Wildlife Action Plan

CONCORD, N.H. -- The NH Fish and Game Department's Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program is hosting workshops to inspire residents to learn more about the recently updated Wildlife Action Plan, a 10-year blueprint for conserving nongame wildlife throughout the state. Participants will learn how to use the plan to promote conservation efforts.

Two upcoming workshops will be held from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. at the following venues:

Tuesday March 8, 2016 - Keene, NH
Snowdate: Tuesday March 15, 2016
Keene Public Library (Heberton Hall), 60 Winter Street, Keene NH
(Co-sponsored by the City of Keene and the Harris Center for Conservation Education)

Wednesday April 13, 2016 - Lebanon, NH
Snowdate: Tuesday April 19, 2016
Kilton Public Library, 80 Main Street, West Lebanon, NH

To register, visit www.wildnh.com/wildlife/wap-events.html.

These workshops break down the Wildlife Action Plan into useful resources for conservation commissions, landowners, land trusts, and interested citizens. "It is only through a broad-based, all-hands-on-deck approach that the state will continue to protect and manage species and habitat that improve our quality of life and economy," explains John Kanter, supervisor of the Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program at NH Fish and Game. "These workshops will help you take your wildlife and conservation efforts to the next level."

Each workshop will provide an overview of the 2015 Wildlife Action Plan, a review of the revised wildlife maps, data and information in in the updated plan, and most importantly, actions you can take to help New Hampshire's wildlife and habitats.
Dozens of scientists and more than 1,000 concerned citizens contributed to the recent update of the Wildlife Action Plan, which contains a wealth of new information about New Hampshire habitats and wildlife. The plan identifies 117 actions that span monitoring, research, species and habitat management, land protection, education and technical assistance. There are actions everyone can take to help protect wildlife in New Hampshire, from homeowners and educators to local commissions, non-profits and businesses.

Learn more about the Wildlife Action Plan at: www.wildnh.com/wildlife/wap.html.

Bassmaster Classic Returns To Grand Lake Of The Cherokees

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., will be one of three home-state anglers competing in the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro scheduled for March 4-6 out of Tulsa, Okla. This will be Christie's second time to fish the Classic on his home waters of Grand Lake, and he says he's trying to feed off the energy of the pressure he feels. Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.

TULSA, Okla. — It would be easy for Jason Christie to sugarcoat things.

He could say it's just another tournament, and he'll approach it like he has the other 40 he's fished with B.A.S.S. He could say he's not feeling any additional pressure as one of the hometown favorites.

But this is the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.

It's the Super Bowl of professional bass fishing, and he understands the opportunity that lies ahead.

"I can honestly say I'm feeling it a little bit," said Christie, an Oklahoma native who lives just an hour from Grand Lake O' the Cherokees, where the 46th renewal of the iconic event will take place.

"It's hard not to feel some pressure when you're hearing it so much from everybody. But I'm trying to turn it into a positive thing and feed off all of the energy."

Competition days will be Friday through Sunday with daily take-offs at 7 a.m. CT from the Hard Rock Dock at the Wolf Creek Ramp launch site in Grove and daily weigh-ins at 3:15 p.m. at the BOK Center in Tulsa. The winning angler will earn $300,000 and a 50-pound trophy that is easily the most coveted in the sport.

The 55 competitors will find Grand Lake slightly above full pool. It'll be quite the contrast to 2013, when the Classic was held on a drought-stricken Grand that was a couple of feet low.

The anglers can also expect warmer weather during this trip to Oklahoma, with forecasts calling for daytime temperatures in the 60s for all three competition days. The temperature at takeoff for the opening round of the 2013 event was 19 degrees — a record low for the Classic at the time.

"I think they could hold the Classic on Grand 100 years in a row and not have better weather than what we're supposed to have this year," said James Elam, a Tulsa resident who is also considered by many to be one of the favorites.
TULSA, Okla. — It would be easy for Jason Christie to sugarcoat things.

He could say it's just another tournament, and he'll approach it like he has the other 40 he's fished with B.A.S.S. He could say he's not feeling any additional pressure as one of the hometown favorites.

But this is the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.

It's the Super Bowl of professional bass fishing, and he understands the opportunity that lies ahead.

"I can honestly say I'm feeling it a little bit," said Christie, an Oklahoma native who lives just an hour from Grand Lake O' the Cherokees, where the 46th renewal of the iconic event will take place.

"It's hard not to feel some pressure when you're hearing it so much from everybody. But I'm trying to turn it into a positive thing and feed off all of the energy."

Competition days will be Friday through Sunday with daily take-offs at 7 a.m. CT from the Hard Rock Dock at the Wolf Creek Ramp launch site in Grove and daily weigh-ins at 3:15 p.m. at the BOK Center in Tulsa. The winning angler will earn $300,000 and a 50-pound trophy that is easily the most coveted in the sport.

The 55 competitors will find Grand Lake slightly above full pool. It'll be quite the contrast to 2013, when the Classic was held on a drought-stricken Grand that was a couple of feet low.

The anglers can also expect warmer weather during this trip to Oklahoma, with forecasts calling for daytime temperatures in the 60s for all three competition days. The temperature at takeoff for the opening round of the 2013 event was 19 degrees — a record low for the Classic at the time.

"I think they could hold the Classic on Grand 100 years in a row and not have better weather than what we're supposed to have this year," said James Elam, a Tulsa resident who is also considered by many to be one of the favorites.
"We've had a little bit of a cold front come through lately, but it's the first one we've had in a while. I don't think you could ask for it to be any better."

As for what to expect from the lake itself, Christie said he has no clue.

"This is a lake I'm plenty familiar with and a time of year when I really like being on that lake," Christie said. "But to be brutally honest, I have no idea what to expect. I've been fishing other lakes, and the fish have just been upside down.

"The one thing I do know about Grand is that it's slammed full of fish. They could be caught anywhere."

Christie finished seventh the last time the Classic was held on Grand, but he was more than 11 pounds off the weight of champion Cliff Pace. He believes his knowledge of the lake may have actually hurt him in that event, and he's taking a different approach this time.

"In that Classic, I thought I was on a good pattern," Christie said. "Then when it didn't go the way I expected it to go early, I started fishing 'history.' I started fishing places that I hadn't fished in practice, hadn't fished in years.

"I don't want to do that this time. I want to go in fresh and figure out what's going on now."

The Classic often draws a crowd of spectator boats manned by avid fans who follow the anglers in hopes of seeing the action as it unfolds. Christie has been considered one of the favorites since Grand was announced as the Classic site last year, and he expects to have a large gallery with him wherever he goes.

He says he'll consider a big crowd a sign that he's doing well. But the possibility of having a large gallery behind him may change the way he plans for the tournament.

"The last time we had the Classic there, the number of spectator boats kind of caught me by surprise," Christie said. "It may force me to do some things differently. But it's a good sign that we're growing the sport — and if we get to a point where people don't want to watch me, it'll probably mean I'm not catching any fish."

As a first-time Classic qualifier, Elam said he doesn't really know what to expect from a crowd standpoint.

"I know there's nothing like the Classic, and it's something I've never dealt with before," said Elam, who enters the event as one of the hottest anglers in the sport after four straight Top 10 finishes in 2015.
"I know it could affect me, depending on how I decide to fish. If you fish down a bank and a big crowd gets behind you and drifts in on that bank, it might make it hard to fish back down that same bank again.

"But a good crowd is definitely a good sign that you're catching fish."

For those who can't be out on the water, fans can watch all of the action as the tournament leaders catch bass in real time on the exclusive Classic LIVE program on Bassmaster.com beginning at 7:30 a.m. each day of competition. Watch hosts Tommy Sanders and Mark Zona, along with guest host Davy Hite, as they provide analysis and live updates streamed from the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo.

Vermont Fish & Wildlife Board Sets Permit Numbers for 2016 Moose Hunt

Posted by Wayne G. Barber


A total of 135 regular firearms moose season permits and 25 archery moose season permits would be issued for Vermont’s 2016 October moose hunt under a proposed regulation approved by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board at their February 24 monthly meeting in Montpelier.

 

The board voted on a proposal by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department to allocate permits in 16 of the state’s 21 Wildlife Management Units (WMUs).  The proposed permit numbers must be voted on at one more board meeting in April. 

 

The number of permits would be reduced from 2015 in ten WMUs, and permits would be for bulls-only in all WMUs except B, C and E1 units.

The 160 permits proposed by the department represent a 40 percent decrease from the number of permits approved last year.  Under the proposal, hunters are expected to harvest close to 70 moose.    

 

“We recommended a reduction in permit numbers and a continuation of  bulls-only permits in most of the units this year based on biological data we collected on Vermont’s moose, and our population estimates indicating moose densities remain below management goals in many  areas,” said biologist Cedric Alexander, Vermont’s moose project leader.  “The intent of the proposal to allow slow population growth in most of Vermont.”

 

Alexander estimates Vermont has 2,050 moose statewide with the greatest concentration in the Northeast Kingdom.  

“We continue to take a very conservative approach given recent regional and national trends of moose populations and health,” added Alexander.  “Moose biologists from the southern tier of moose range across North America are increasingly concerned about the effects of warming temperatures on moose health.  Moose can easily become stressed by warmer weather causing them to feed less and early spring snow melt that results in higher winter tick loads the following year.”

 

Vermont’s archery-only moose season is scheduled for October 1-7.  The regular moose season is October 15-20.

 

Moose hunting permit lottery applications, $10 for residents and $25 for nonresidents, will be available on Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com) in early-April. 

Two lotteries will be held, one for the regular hunting season and one for the archery season.  Winners of either lottery must purchase resident hunting permits for $100 or nonresident hunting permits for $350.  Hunters also will have the option to bid on five moose hunting permits in an auction to be announced later.

 

You can review the proposed 2016 moose hunt by going to the Fish & Wildlife website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com).  Comments on the proposal can be sent to ANR.FWPublicComment@Vermont.Gov.

 

Three Fish and Wildlife Board public hearings also are being held to provide an opportunity for comment on the proposed moose season.  The hearings will be held from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the following locations: 

Sunday, March 20, 1-5 p.m. Kehoe Conservation Camp, 636 Point of Pines Rd., Castleton, VT 05735

Saturday, March 26, 1-5 pm, Montpelier High School, 5 High School Drive, Montpelier, VT 05602

Wednesday, March 23, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Lake Region Union High School, 317 Lake Region Rd., Orleans, VT 05860.

NH Bureau of Trails Snowmobile No-Snow Dilema

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

 The state’s snowmobile clubs are preparing for the possibility that the New Hampshire Bureau of Trails may impose up to a two-year hold on helping the clubs acquire new grooming equipment. In a recent letter, Chris Gamache, chief of the NH Bureau of Trails, told the clubs that revenue from snowmobile registrations is down significantly, with January’s revenues being “the second-lowest in the past 12 years; only the winter of 2006/2007 was lower. ”The majority of the fee goes to the Bureau of Trails, which then gives it back to the clubs to maintain trails. Gamache said his agency is evaluating a moratorium on capital equipment grants for 2017 and 2018; a decision will be made by sometime in mid-March. “We understand club and riders’ frustrations; this has been a very unusual winter and the realities are that GIA (Grant In Aid) revenues are not what they need to be, having a very real implication for us all,” Gamache said. Don LeClair, trail master of the Bridgewater Mountain Snowmobile Club for the past 14 years, said Monday he’s keeping his fingers crossed that there will be enough snow for some more riding this season. The BMSC has been through some challenging winters, said LeClair, but “nothing to this extent. This has never happened before.”
Last season, LeClair said he was using his club’s 2007 Bombardier BR 180 groomer as late as the first week of April to groom the club’s 50 miles of trails in Bridgewater, Ashland, Bristol and Plymouth. This season, the groomer has sat dormant since early January. With a replacement value of $175,000 to $200,000, the groomer and its 8-by-18-foot grooming sled are an important asset to the club, which is reimbursed by the Bureau of Trails at the rate of $42 per hour for operating the sled. The money barely covers the true cost, said LeClerc, but it is very helpful, as are the capital grants that helped pay for the groomer. LeClerc said he understands the funding challenges Gamache faces and why the Bureau of Trails is weighing a freeze on capital grants. Roger Wright, president of the New Hampshire Snowmobile Association and also of the Claremont-based Shugah Valley Snow Riders, said the capital grants from the trails bureau are very important to the clubs. The good news, if you can call it that, is that many clubs are using their groomers less this season, eliminating some wear and tear; repairing groomers is not cheap, said LeClerc. He said a rehabilitation of his club’s groomer cost $27,000; a replacement pump cost more than $4,000.“But what the overall impact will be,” Wright said of the possible funding moratorium, “we’re unsure at this point.” Last season, the Shugah Valley Snow Riders groomed trails well into the third week of March, Wright said.This season, he said, “we haven’t groomed for the last probably four weeks.”If registration revenues continue on the track they are, Gamache said, it is likely that grooming will not be reimbursable, nor should it be done after March 15. - Source: JOHN KOZIOL, Union Leader Correspondent

Stirring up Issues is my Middle- Name

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

 Yes, I do like to stir you up. Guilty as charged there. And I hope that, by stirring you up, I also stir you on to taking action on some of the important projects and issues I write about and talk about every week on my radio broadcast of the Outdoor Scene.
Four years ago, when I left the my corporate world of Rhode Island in order to write full-time, I recognized that the issues we sportsmen and women care about get very little coverage in the daily news. In a state where one of my heroes, Bill Bodnar, Woonsocket Call 28 years and Tom Meade , Providence Journal , Dave Pickering and Todd Corayer, Fish Wrap Writer, wrote or currently write about hunting and fishing every day for northern Rhode Island’s newspapers, we are lucky to get any stories about hunting and fishing these days.
  I am attempting, in a very modest and limited way, to fill that gap. Here’s one example. While all New England Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife are preparing new game and fisheries management plans this year, and emphasizes that this process, this year, includes unprecedented opportunities for sportsmen, landowners, and the general public to participate, I am the only one so far who has written about the process and attended some of the meetings in order to tell you about them.
  I do not say this to brag. It actually discourages me that we are unable to attract more attention to something as important as this. There are huge challenges and important issues involved in creating these new plans and you need to be informed about this and to participate in the process.
  Something the reader didn’t complain about, but that others have, and my phone number is public is that I often express my opinions on these issues in this column. Well, yes again. This is my column. This is my radio program and I am not censored by the station as long as I do not cross the line with the FCC. I think some people believe bloggers are members of the news media, and should be forbidden from expressing opinions. I do not pretend to be a member of the news media. Period.

Clearly, I enjoy the legislative process, the opportunity to participate in wildlife issues and processes, the chance to influence the course of events, and the responses I get from readers of this Outdoor Scene news blog. I appreciate the fact that even those who disagree, and criticize me, are still reading these columns (2,932,259 views) every time they are posted. I swear one guy must sit there waiting for a new column, because he almost always, within seconds, posts his critical comments on my e-mail or phone voice mail.

 Whether it is youth firearms experts 11year old (Shyanne Roberts) Maine big game guides ( Lorenda Day Coombs, Brit Humphrey, Mike Keup) NWTF( Fred Bird) or NH trapper (Jeff Traynor) or Mr. Black Bear NH (Ben Kilham) State Representives

Fly fishing experts, Carp experts, Honey bee keepers or the Audubon Society, Canoe & Kayak experts, Block Island deer culling, sharing my photography, my mission is to try to interview, report and post ANY content in New England or national law changes that effect our outdoors.

Having participated in the political system for 50 years, and been in the public eye for much of that time, I have a very thick skin. So, fire away. I appreciate your passion for and participation in these issues.
.