On Your Own Adventures Launches Third Season on Sportsman Channel

Randy is a founding board member or Orion. This from the Outdoor Wire:

Thursday, June 9, 2011

New Berlin, WI - This summer tune-in to Sportsman Channel, the leader in outdoor TV for the American Sportsman, for a new season of On Your Own Adventures with Randy Newberg. On Your Own Adventures (OYOA) premieres its third season of shows dedicated to non-guided hunting starting Thursday, June 30 at 9:00 p.m. ET.

"Randy is a man on a mission and we are proud he chose Sportsman Channel as the new home for his one-of-a-kind series," said Gavin Harvey, CEO of Sportsman Channel. "On Your Own Adventures is real, raw, exciting and inspiring - exactly the type of authentic programming that makes Sportsman Channel the one and only true outdoor network for American Sportsmen."

On Your Own Adventures focuses on non-guided hunting, and with each action packed episode, Newberg proves that a hunter can achieve his or her dreams without any guides. OYOA encourages viewers that any hunt they see Randy doing is a hunt they can do, on public land, without the expense of private reserves and guiding services.

Newberg has a long list of highlights this season including a trip to Alaska where he demonstrates how to hunt for bear on a limited budget. Newberg also travels to New Mexico for many unforgettable whitetail and elk archery hunts - including one spectacular adventure where Newberg arrowed an elk from two yards!

Newberg posts his hunts as they happen, live, on his website. The Hunt Talk forums at www.OnYourOwnAdventures.com, are filled with some of the greatest stories and pictures of America's most hard-core western hunters. These are hunters who are living the On Your Own life, and sharing information and ideas to help others wanting to learn more about On Your Own hunting.

"This season of On Your Own Adventures is off the charts and as good as anything we've ever done," said host and producer, Newberg. "Sportsman Channel sought out On Your Own Adventures for the programming we bring, the audience we deliver, and the quality of our production. We embraced Sportsman Channel for the quality of their organization and their engaged viewers.

Randy Newberg lives in Bozeman, Montana, where he and his family have spent the last twenty years chasing western game on the public lands of the Northern Rockies. Originally from northern Minnesota, Randy comes from a family and culture of serious hunters - On Your Own Hunters who understand that the importance of hunting is the hunt itself. Time in the field with family and friends, living the hunting lifestyle, and dedicating himself to conservation efforts is what Randy's life is all about - a lifestyle he brings to On Your Own Adventures.

Visit On Your Own Adventure's website at www.onyouownadventures.com, follow on Twitter, @randynewberg (www.twitter.com/randynewberg) and become a Fan on Facebook, http:// www.facebook.com/onyourownadventures

Outdoors: Bill protects Pete the Moose, Vermont's wildlife

Written by Lawrence Pyne, for the Free Press

6:29 AM, Jun. 5, 2011  |  

Comments

Hallelujah! Pete the Moose is saved once again! Only this time, the good news is legislators were actually more concerned about protecting Vermont's wildlife and democratic hunting tradition than they were one misbegotten bull.

Conceding that he and other lawmakers made a mistake last year, Gov. Peter Shumlin signed into law Wednesday legislation that nullifies an amendment a few legislators put into the annual appropriations bill in the final hours of the 2010 session. That amendment stripped the state Fish and Wildlife Department of its authority to regulate a so-called "captive hunting facility" in Irasburg and, worse, it essentially transferred ownership of Pete and scores of other native moose and white-tailed deer trapped in the facility to its owner. He was then free to sell them to the highest rifle-toting bidder, despite a state Fish and Wildlife Board rule crafted with legislative oversight and considerable public input that forbids having native deer in a captive facility for wildlife health reasons.

The bill the governor signed Wednesday, H.91, not only overturned those provisions, but it also goes two significant steps further: It mandates that, with the exception of Pete, all the moose and whitetails in the high-fence facility be killed within three years, which is the only way to ensure that infectious diseases spread by non-native elk and red deer do not enter native populations; and it set in law once and for all that, "the fish and wildlife of Vermont are held in trust by the state for the benefit of the citizens of Vermont and shall not be reduced to private ownership."

That the 2010 law was nullified so quickly is a tribute to Shumlin and many other legislators, who openly regretted being duped by a "Save Pete the Moose" campaign that benefitted the owner of the Irasburg facility more than it did one photogenic moose -- a moose that was not only illegally taken from the wild, it somehow conveniently became a social media darling.

Credit also goes to Fish and Wildlife commissioner Patrick Berry and House Fish, Wildlife and Water Resources Committee clerk Kate Webb, D-Shelburne, who shepherded H.91 through the Legislature. And last but not least, kudos go to the many hunters and other wildlife advocates who worked since last summer to have the 2010 law overturned.

Ironically, what a few legislators surreptitiously did last year for the benefit of one private landowner in the end actually helped safeguard the health and public ownership of all wildlife."It was a bad law done badly, with all the last-minute, backroom stuff," said Eric Nuse of Johnson, a retired game warden who helped organize a coalition of hunting and environmental groups in support of H.91. "That made it a lot easier for legislators and other folks to get behind a good bill, even if it means killing some deer and moose that got trapped behind a fence through no fault of their own."

Read full articlehttp://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20110605/COLUMNISTS01/106050327/1050/COLUMNISTS/Outdoors-Bill-protects-Pete-Moose-Vermont-s-wildlife?odyssey=mod|homepromo|4

VT Gov. Shumlin Signs Wildlife Act

Orion executive director Eric Nuse speaking at the State House  (R-L) Brian Ames, Evan Hughs, Clint Gray, Nuse, Gov. Peter Shumlin, Commissioner Pat Berry, Rep. Kate Webb (VT F&W Photo - John Hall)

Measure will clarify that fish and wildlife are public resource

MONTPELIER -- Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin signed H.91 today, a bill passed by the Vermont Legislature clarifying that fish and wildlife of Vermont are a public, not private, resource. 

“I want to thank our Legislature for passing this bill clearly stating that the fish and wildlife of Vermont are held in trust by the state for the benefit of the citizens of Vermont and that these resources shall not be reduced to private ownership,” said Gov. Shumlin.  “It also helps reduce the possibility that our fish and wildlife could be harmed by diseases from outside Vermont.”

The bill says, “The State of Vermont, in its sovereign capacity as a trustee for the citizens of the state, shall have ownership, jurisdiction and control of all the fish and wildlife of Vermont.”

It goes on to say that the Commissioner of Fish and Wildlife shall manage and regulate the fish and wildlife of Vermont in accordance with legislation and rules of the Fish and Wildlife Board.  

Resolving a long-standing issue regarding a captive herd of white-tailed deer and moose in Irasburg, the bill charges the Fish and Wildlife Board with adopting a regulated process through which the number of the animals will be brought to zero over a three-year period.  It also requires that the deer and moose be examined for disease during the process, and it protects a moose known as Pete, while authorizing the relocation of that moose to another facility.

Vermont Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Patrick Berry applauded the diverse coalition of individuals and organizations passionate about fish and wildlife resources who came together to support the bill.  “I want to thank the broad cross-section of Vermonters who worked tirelessly to help pass this bill.  The collaborative effort shows our strong and unfailing appreciation of Vermont’s fish and wildlife, and it should serve as a model for future efforts,” said Berry.  “As a result, these resources will be managed by the Fish and Wildlife Department for the benefit of current and future generations of Vermonters.”

Mark Zuckerberg's new challenge: Eating only what he kills (and yes, we do mean literally...)

By Patricia Sellers May 26, 2011: 2:29 PM ET

Last year Mark Zuckerberg set out to learn Chinese. Now he's determined to get in touch with his food. If the goats, lobsters and chickens of Silicon Valley aren't trembling, they should be.

The eyes of a hunter.

When he's not too busy connecting people across the universe, Mark Zuckerberg is pursuing a new "personal challenge," as he calls it. "The only meat I'm eating is from animals I've killed myself," says the Facebook founder and CEO.
It's an odd dietary direction for the 27-year-old Internet billionaire, but since he has taken to killing goats, pigs and chickens, "I'm eating a lot healthier foods. And I've learned a lot about sustainable farming and raising of animals," he says. "It's easy to take the food we eat for granted when we can eat good things every day."
....After the lobster, the next animal to fall at his hands was a chicken. What's next on this journey? He's told people that he's interested in going hunting.
read full article 

Sportsmen Unite in Support of Scientific Forest Management

Orion has signed on to the letter referred to in this news release:

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

WASHINGTON - As the U.S. Forest Service completes work on new planning regulations for the nation's forests and grasslands, an assemblage of prominent sportsman-conservation groups is uniting in support of policy that conserves wildlife and fish populations, habitat, hunting and angling, and high-quality outdoor experiences, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership announced.

"The Buck Stops Here," a statement signed by 64 hunting and angling groups from across the country, strongly asserts sportsmen's priorities for managing America's 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands.

"In charting the future of our national forests and grasslands, the buck stops here," said Joel Webster, director of the TRCP Center for Western Lands. "These areas provide some of the nation's finest fish and wildlife habitat and publicly accessible hunting and fishing to millions of sportsmen. From wild sheep, deer, elk, turkey and grouse hunting to wild trout and salmon fishing, these lands will only become more important for our outdoor traditions as America's population continues to grow."

"With more than 400,000 miles of streams and 3 million acres of lakes, the Forest Service has a central role in the future of our nation's water supplies and fisheries habitats," said Keith Curley, director of government affairs with Trout Unlimited, a "Buck Stops Here" signatory. "The planning rule must ensure that management decisions are made using the best available science - and critical resources such as riparian habitats and water quality are protected or restored so that healthy populations of fish and wildlife may be sustained on Forest Service lands."

"The Wildlife Society encourages the Forest Service to strengthen the role of science in the final rule," said Michael Hutchins, executive director and CEO of The Wildlife Society, which signed the sportsmen's letter, "and to ensure that the ecosystem-based conservation and management approach leads to healthy fish and wildlife populations by placing greater emphasis on focal species-level monitoring."

"In order to sustain quality hunting and angling opportunities, forest plans must show how they will support not only rare plants and animals but also important species such as deer, elk, grouse and trout that are enjoyed and used by the public," stated Webster. "Non-routine projects must be carefully monitored to safeguard fish and wildlife - both during and after these activities."

Promulgated under the National Forest Management Act, the new regulations will govern management of fish and wildlife populations, watersheds, road building, timber harvest and habitat restoration on the nation's national forest lands. A series of forums enabled the public to ask questions and learn about the new regulations. Comments must be submitted by May 16.

Read "The Buck Stops Here" and review the list of sportsmen signatories.

Inspired by the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, the TRCP is a coalition of organizations and grassroots partners working together to preserve the traditions of hunting and fishing.

Contact:
Katie McKalip, 406-240-9262, kmckalip@trcp.org

TRCP highlighting the importance of public land management

Orion Board members Gayle Joslin and Jim Posewitz are active members of the Hellgate Hunter's and Anglers mentioned in this video, also Land Tawney's dad was a founder of Orion:

MICHIGAN 'FAMILIES AFIELD' BILL CLEARS SENATE

From the NSSF Bullet Points:

 . . . The Michigan Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill that would eliminate the state's minimum hunting age and create a mentored youth hunting program for those under the age of 10. The bill, which passed by a vote of 30-6, would allow youths to hunt under the supervision of an experienced adult mentor. It now moves to the House, where an identical bill is already pending. The legislation is part of the nationwide Families Afield effort to increase youth involvement in hunting by allowing young hunters to safely experience outdoor hunting traditions under the supervision of an experienced mentor. Read more about the bill.

US removes gray wolf from endangered list

From The Wildlife Society Newsbrief:

The U.S. government is formally removing about 1,300 gray wolves in the Rocky Mountain region from the endangered species list, capping a legal battle that has dragged on for years. The Interior Department will also seek to remove thousands more wolves in the western Great Lakes region from the endangered list because they have recovered to "healthy levels," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said. The final rule follows an order of Congress last month and means that states will manage the animals and that hunting will resume in Idaho, Montana, and parts of Utah, Oregon and Washington. More

Sportsmen Move Closer to Thousands of Acres of Federal Land

Orion has signed on to an American Wildlife Partnership letter in support of this legislation.

From the Outdoor Wire:

Sportsmen Move Closer to Thousands of Acres of Federal Land

Hundreds of thousands of acres of Federal public land could soon be open to hunting, fishing, trapping and shooting as legislation was introduced in the United States Senate today to guarantee funding for improving public access to federal public lands. | For More...

Senate Bill Will Help Hunters Access Public Lands

Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, have introduced legislation-the "Making Public Lands Public Access Act of 2011"-that guarantees funding for improving hunter access to existing public lands. | For More...

What goes through your mind prior to the shot?

Take a look at this slide show from Orion supporter J. Michael Schirra

http://www.jmichaelschirra.com/orioninstitute/

Tenn Sportsmen force Deer Farming Bill Defeat

From the Tennessee Wildlife Federation:
 
Deer Farming Bill Defeated for 2011
Measure Expected to Return Next Year
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friends:

"The White-tailed Deer Breeding and Farming Act" was withdrawn from the House general conservation and environment sub-committee yesterday, which effectively killed the bill. The separate bill to which the deer-farming language had been attached as an amendment was withdrawn from the agriculture committee last week.

The Tennessee Wildlife Federation led the charge, but it was our members and supporters who deserve all the credit.

Thanks to you, more than 1,500 emails and phone calls have been directed to members of the Tennessee General Assembly over the last few weeks. Hunters and wildlife lovers across the state made it clearly known that, considering the scientific evidence, the concept of allowing the breeding and sale of white-tailed deer as livestock is bad business. It would be foolish to risk our priceless natural resources for the prospective benefit of a few.

So hat's off to you, the people of Tennessee, for standing firm on this issue, despite parliamentary maneuvers to get it passed in spite of public sentiment. You made the difference, and your efforts were much appreciated.

Public Trust Status for Wildlife in VT Passes the Senate

H. 91 passed the Senate overwhelmingly just minutes ago. A last gasp amendment was  handily defeated. Just goes to show when sportsmen find common ground and work together for the greater good of wildlife, we have a lot of power.

The convergence of unified sportsmen, a forceful Fish and Wildlife Dept and some well positioned legislative champions did the trick.

Thanks to everyone involved!

“Pete’s” final passage

From VT Digger:

Moose, photo from stock.xchng

The saga of “Pete the Moose” is near its end.
Or perhaps only the legislative chapters of the legend.
In what seems to have been a violation of convention, if not of etiquette, the Senate on Wednesday declined the request of Agriculture Committee Chair Sara Kittell to let her committee have a crack at H. 91, which had already passed the House and been approved by the Senate’s Natural Resources Committee.

Veteran senators said it was unusual to refuse such a request from a committee chair. But they also said they were all but unanimously ready (if not well past ready) to be done with the issue.
They also said that Kittell, who is from Franklin County, probably made the request at the best of fellow-Democrat Bobby Starr, whose Northeast Kingdom district includes the huge captive elk farm on which “Pete” is also encaged. Kittell and Starr were two of the “no” votes. The others were Republican Vincent Illuzzi, also of the Northeast Kingdom, and, for whatever reason, Philip Baruth of Burlington.
The bill reaffirms that “the fish and wildlife of Vermont are held in trust by the state.”
So they had been, here and in every other state, until last year when a measure literally snuck through in the dead of night transferred control of some wildlife to Doug Nelson, the owner of the elk-hunting preserve and the proprietor of “Pete.” The moose, apparently abandoned by its mother, had been “rescued” and transported (all illegally) to Nelson’s farm, where it was fed donuts and became something of a national cause célèbre.
Though “Pete” will once again become part of the public trust, he will not be harmed. Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Patrick Berry has said that one way or another, Pete will be protected.
~Jon Margolis

CWD and Game Farming in Canada