Archive for February, 2006
Congratulations to Jeff and Vince Barnes - 2005 World Coyote Champions
When it comes to hunting coyotes, few can do it better. Jeff and Vince Barnes grew up together as brothers in Central Utah. Jeff and Vince entered their first coyote contest in 1990. Since that time they have won the National Coyote Contest held in Rawlings, Wyoming twice and the Utah State contest twice. They have placed in the top five at the World Contest in Elko, Nevada four out of the last five years taking first place in 2005. They both take concealment very seriously, and therefore wear King’s Desert Shadow Camo.
Jeff and Vince Barnes dominated in 2005:
World Contest (Nevada) - 1st with 13 coyotes
Utah Contest – 1st with 6 coyotes
National Contest (Wyoming) - 4th with 7 coyotes
February 28th, 2006
Last Friday I had the opportunity to go and see firsthand another great 400 class bull elk from Utah from the 2005 season. Mitch Albrecht drew a late season limited entry tag and was able to connect on this very unique bull. This was a bull that was hunted hard by other hunters during the earlier hunts, but snuck through.
This bull has a very unique in-line point coming off from his right third point. He also have very impressive G-2 brow tines. The left G-2 has a cool hook to it and was the reason this bull was nicknamed “Fishhook”. The bull has just been officially scored at 415 2/8 gross and 401 2/8 net non-typical B&C.
You will see more of Mitch’s bull in a feature story in Hunting Illustrated and will also be part of our 2007 King’s Bull Elk Calendar.
This shows the 13-inch in-line point on the right side
This awesome left G-2 browtine is 22-inches long. The right G-2 is 19-inches long and had about two inches broken off.
February 27th, 2006
Ron Spomer is awarded the Jack Slack Writer of the Year Award
During a special presentation at the SHOT Show on February 9th, Leupold had a nice luncheon and, among other things, they announced the Jack Slack Writer of the Year Award. The award went to Ron Spomer. I had the pleasure of attending this special presentation and congratulate Ron personally for this great accomplishment. Ron teams up with Scott Grange in our very own Hunting Illustrated in our Dueling Duo Column. Congratulations Ron!
Here is the official press release from Leupold:
Beaverton, Ore. - Leupold has named Ron Spomer as the recipient of its 2006 Jack Slack Writer of the Year Award. Spomer received the award February 9 at the annual Leupold Writers Luncheon in conjunction with the 2006 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“Ron Spomer’s skills in capturing just the right words and photographic images have earned him an audience that includes a wide range of hunters, naturalists and just about anyone who enjoys good reading,” said Mike Slake, Leupold’s marketing communications manager. “His love and respect for the outdoors…for hunting…and for conservation shines through in a body of work which includes six books as well as articles in more than 100 magazines. He is well qualified to join the list of distinguished writers who have received the Jack Slack Award.”
Spomer’s early focus on an outdoor writing career stems from a boyhood spent hunting, fishing and trapping in South Dakota. To that end he attended the University of South Dakota, where he received a degree in English, plus a teaching certificate which he says, “was a backup in case I couldn’t make it as a writer.”
After early success (he says, “my first five articles sold, but the next five didn’t”), he taught high school, worked as an information specialist for the Sough Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, and as a photographer for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks before returning to a full-time career as a freelance writer.
Since then Spomer has traveled six continents, hunting, photographing and writing about upland birds and waterfowl as well as small and big game for publications as diverse as Rifle, Sporting Classics to Audubon and Birder’s World. Books which he has written include: “The Rut: The Spectacular Fall Ritual of North American Horned and Antlered Animals, Predator Hunting: Proven Strategies That Work From East to West, The Hunter’s Book of the Whitetail, The Big Game Hunters Guide to Montana, and The Big Game Hunters Guide to Idaho.
Established by Leupold to honor and encourage the efforts of the best outdoor and firearms writers, the Jack Slack Award is in its ninth year. Previous winners include: Craig Boddington (2005), R. L. “Larry” Wilson (2004), John Barsness (2003), David Petzal (2002), Tom Gresham (2001), John Wooters (2000), Terry Wieland (1999) and Jim Carmichel (1998).
Leupold & Stevens, Inc., the only prominent American-owned and operated optics company, employs more than 600 people in its state-of-the-art Beaverton, Ore., facility where rugged, dependable, high performance Golden Ring sports optics are designed, machined and assembled. Founded in 1907, Leupold is fifth-generation, family-owned company with products sold worldwide to hunters, wildlife obervers, competitive shooters, law enforcement officers and special operatioins military personnel. The product line includes rifle, handgun and spotting scopes; binoculars; mounting systems; and optical tools and accessories.
February 22nd, 2006
I had the opportunity to go down to the SHOT SHow in Las Vegas. I saw some great new products and was able to meet with some great people. I had a chance to meet up with Ted Nugent and talk with him for a minute. He signed a copy of the Nuge Factor in Hunting Illustrated for me and told me what a good job we are doing with the magazine.
I went down with our Marketing VP Travis Osmond and we both had a chance to see some great new products. Many of these you will be seeing in our upcoming Gear Guide in Hunting Illustrated. There are some great new optics that are hitting the market this year. Leupold and Zies had some exciting products and it seems like there is a big push for built-in rangefinders for both rifle scopes and binoculars.
I was able to see some great whitetail heads there and you may see them in a future King’s Calendar. There was also some big news for some new outdoor shows for this year. Browning is teaming up with Mossy Oak to put together a new TV show. Also, Leupold and Boone and Crockett are joining forces for a new TV program as well.
There is no question the SHOT Show is the beast of all hunting shows, and this year was no different.
February 22nd, 2006
I was at the Gerber booth at the SHOT Show and just received this press release from them and thought this was a great story to pass along.
SOLDIER MAKES SPECIAL PRESENTATION
TO GERBER AT SHOT SHOW 2006
PORTLAND, Ore. Gerber Legendary Blades, long known for its support of
America’s servicemen and women, has developed and produced numerous products
to aid soldiers on the field of battle. Now, one of the soldiers has
returned from Iraq to say thanks.
Army SFC Dillard Johnson, penned down in an abandoned building by insurgent
gunfire in Iraq, came under a heavy night attack after bright lights were
used to illuminate his position. With his Gerber LMF II, a rugged 10-inch
survival knife with an insulated handle, Johnson was able to sever a pair of
220-volt power cords without being shocked, disabling the lights. Under the
veil of darkness, Johnson and a comrade were able to wait for reinforcements
before exiting the building unharmed.
To thank Gerber, Johnson¹s unit 3rd Infantry Division, 3/7th Cavalry
presented Gerber President Jason Landmark with the U.S. flag that flew over
the division¹s base in November. The presentation is the highest honor that
a military division can bestow upon civilians. In addition, Johnson
presented that same LMF II used to cut the power cables to Gerber Marketing
Services Manager Mark Schindel
“To receive the same knife that served one of our brave soldiers on the
field of battle is quite an honor,” Schindel said. “The knife and the flag
are treasured by everyone in the company and they will be constant reminders
of why we work so hard to ensure that we make the best knives in the world.”
Joining Johnson in the Gerber booth this year at the SHOT Show was
Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, Army SFC Sammy Davis (Ret.), who
returned to the booth again this year to autograph replicas of the
Congressional Medal of Honor Citation he received for his selfless and
heroic acts during the Vietnam War.
The soldiers highlighted Gerber’s appearance at SHOT Show where the company
debuted a bevy of new products, from hydration packs to L.E.D. lights to
knives and multi-function tools. Among the new products shown were the
Freehand and Hinderer Rescue multi-tools, Carnivore Blood Tracking
Light, Presto 3.5 assisted opening pocket knife, the Quadrant Hunting and
Medal XC hydration packs, the Superknife 3 Blade Utility Knife and the
Superknife Ultrashear.
February 20th, 2006
I received this information from the Arizona Fish and Game department and thought it was very interesting. They put together a Hunter and Shooting Sports Retention Team (HRR Team) to try and figure out what can be done to retain hunters. It was interesting to find their top reasons for people to lose interest in hunting. The department received responses from approximately 7,000 people, the majority of which consisted of active Arizona hunters. The survey participants identified several factors that represented “barriers” to their participation in hunting, including:
* Not getting drawn for a big game tag – 90 percent.
* Urbanization/development of hunting areas – 65 percent.
* Lack of time – 59 percent.
* Off-highway vehicle disruption – 54 percent.
* Overcrowding – 51 percent.
What I thought was very interesting is that nothing was mentioned about the price of tags and licenses in this report. Clearly the rising cost to hunt has to be an issue. However, there is no question that the difficulty of drawing a decent tag is driving people away. Here is the full article:
Efforts are underway to increase hunter retention
The Arizona Game and Fish Department has recently undertaken efforts to explore opportunities for increasing hunter and shooter retention and recruitment in the state.
In September of 2004, the department chartered a Hunter and Shooting Sports Retention Team (HRR Team) to evaluate potential barriers to hunting sports and to identify specific recommendations that can be adopted by the department to address declining participation in hunting and shooting sports. These trends reflect a national phenomenon that has been experienced by state wildlife agencies throughout the country. Game and Fish’s Pinetop Regional Supervisor Jon Cooley, who chaired the HRR Team, provided the Arizona Game and Fish Commission with a briefing of the team’s findings during the commission’s Jan. 20 meeting in Scottsdale.
One tool the HRR Team used during the process was to conduct an online hunter needs assessment survey that was distributed to 50,000, with the department receiving responses from approximately 7,000 people, the majority of which consisted of active Arizona hunters. The survey participants identified several factors that represented “barriers” to their participation in hunting, including:
* Not getting drawn for a big game tag – 90 percent.
* Urbanization/development of hunting areas – 65 percent.
* Lack of time – 59 percent.
* Off-highway vehicle disruption – 54 percent.
* Overcrowding – 51 percent.
The ability to go big game hunting might be a barrier to participation, but the HRR Team also recognized other hunting opportunities as a way to diminish barriers and increase recruitment. “Among the major themes reflected in the approaches recommended by the HRR Team is emphasizing small game hunting as a vehicle to promote hunting recruitment and retention and to serve as a bridge to the more limited big game hunting opportunities,” said Cooley.
The HRR Team developed12 main recommendations as the base of a comprehensive hunter recruitment and retention program, which are broadly highlighted in the following:
1. Construct a comprehensive property management plan for the Robbins Butte, Powers Butte and Arlington Wildlife Management Area complex to promote small game opportunity and provide a venue for hunter recruitment/retention activities.
2. Develop a short-term hunting lease program through landowner relations designed to obtain access to private lands for small game hunting opportunities.
3. Implement enhancements to the department’s Hunter Education Program that promote course convenience and flexibility to customers and that further institute adaptive management evaluation/management practices that mitigate potential barriers to entry.
4. Charter a team to identify improvements in the delivery of hunting information through the annual regulations booklet in a manner that encourages and facilitates use and understanding by new/inexperienced hunters in particular.
5. Evaluate existing big-game draw and hunt structures to maximize hunting opportunity on a sustainable basis.
6. Institute special licenses that promote participation of new hunters through family/friend social structures that serve to reinforce and support hunting activities.
7. Create department positions, public information and outreach efforts, and Web site enhancements that promote and support hunter recruitment/retention programs and activities.
8. Create a new hunter recruitment and retention coordinator position within the Information and Education Division to launch and coordinate the implementation of department hunter recruitment/retention programs, activities and promotions.
9. Establish a full-time shooting range development coordinator position in the Information and Education Division to promote convenient public access to shooting sports/ranges.
10. Launch coordinated, department-wide public information and outreach efforts that promote hunting and otherwise reinforce hunter recruitment/retention efforts and activities made available to the public.
11. Update the department’s strategic planning documents to proactively address urban encroachment as it relates to maintaining small game hunting opportunities in proximity to urban areas, which serve to advance hunter recruitment and retention efforts.
12. Conduct periodic/annual reviews of important hunt draw and license sales data and trends and apply adaptive management practices to department hunter recruitment/retention programs as needed.
Various HRR Team recommendations are already being implemented. For instance, the big game hunt guidelines were significantly revamped this year in light of the hunter retention team recommendations. Efforts were also increased to provide small game hunters better information on where to go for quail, doves, rabbits and waterfowl. The department developed a Hunter Newsletter and a process has been initiated to look at improving the hunt regulation booklet.
February 20th, 2006
I am finally back in the office and will be getting to some new posts as soon as I can. A lot has happened over the last week and a half since I have been gone. I was at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas and then met up with the wife and kids and went on vacation this past week.
It was good to take a break and that is the reason there has not been any new posts this past week. I took a laptop with me and was planning on keeping some fresh posts coming, but my nine year old daughter would have killed me if she would have seen the computer come out on vacation.
I will be digging through my emails and messages and get to some new posts shortly.
February 20th, 2006
A record high bid was made for the Governor’s Mule Deer Tag for the state of Utah. The Governor’s Tag is a state-wide aution permit allowing the hunter a special extended season. Recently, the 2006 state-wide conservation permit went for a record $156,000! David Myer again put up some serious money this year. Mr. Myer was also the winning bid in 2005 and paid $82,000, which landed him a monster 240 class non-typical mule deer this past season. This is the most money ever paid anywhere for a mule deer permit.
February 15th, 2006
Each month we draw a winner in our King’s ShadowCamo renewal contest. Current subscribers of Hunting Illustrated who are getting close to renewing are sent an official renewal notice along with a ShadowCamo contest entry. When you renew the magazine, you also get your name in the drawing for a free set of King’s ShadowCamo.
Our January 2006 winner is Jim Russell from Parker, Colorado. Congratulations Jim, you have a free set of King’s Desert Shadow which includes a shirt, pant, hat and jacket.
Thanks Jim, for being a part of King’s Outdoor World.
February 15th, 2006
Many of you have been trying to your hands on a 2006 King’s Calendar. We have been sold out of the Mule Deer Calendar since December and the Bull Elk and Bucks & Bulls Calendars sold out last month. Good news! We just received a small return shipment of calendars from one of our distributors. We currently have stock in all of our calendars. However, you better hurry if you want one as we don’t know how long they will last and if we will be able to get any more. This year is the first time we have been sold out this early on three of the four calendars we do.
So if you wanted to get the 2006 King’s Mule Deer Calendar and missed out, now is your chance before it will be too late…again.
Click Here to buy On-line or call us at 800-447-6897
February 8th, 2006
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