ORGANIZATIONS, FOUNDATIONS & ASSOCIATIONS
Safari Club International
Safari Club International’s 2009 Annual Hunters’ Convention raised millions of dollars for SCI’s mission of hunter advocacy, conservation, education and humanitarian services in North America and worldwide. The Jan. 21-24 conference in Reno, Nev., drew approximately 20,000 attendees, nearly four miles of aisles and 1,100 vendors and exhibitors. A highlight of the convention was the auction of a deer hunt in Michigan with baseball superstars Kirk Gibson, David Wells and Jake Peavy, which brought in $100,000 to help fund the SCI Foundation’s Disabled Hunter program. www.safariclub.org.
Ducks Unlimited
Wildlife artist Dennis Minor of Lacey’s Spring, Ala., is the Ducks Unlimited 2010 International Artist of the Year. His painting, “Beam’s Creek,” earned him the top honor. Minor got the inspiration for “Beam’s Creek” after hunting with the Lab portrayed in the painting. The flooded timber, marshy landscape with a hint of early morning fog is a setting waterfowl hunters know very well and are drawn to every fall. This is the fourth year the public voted for the winner through an online vote. More than 16,000 votes were tallied, an increase from last year’s 13,000, and the final three candidates were all within 200 votes. For more visit www.ducks.org/news/1802/DennisMinornamedDUIn.html.
Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau
The Web site for the Great Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail, located on The Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel along southwest Florida’s Gulf Coast, now has a fresh look, cutting-edge functionality and interactive capabilities. The Lee County VCB launched the improved site – www.calusablueway.com – to better meet the needs of visitors and first-time paddlers as well as experienced kayakers. New content, interactive mapping, community pages and blogs, and special promotions are among the features of the updated Web site.
Trout Unlimited
Trout Unlimited is clearing out its warehouse inventory. Rods, reels, loads of gear – everything must go. This is your chance to support TU’s coldwater fisheries conservation work and get a great gift worth close to – or perhaps even more than – the value of your contribution. The liquidation campaign is offering overstocked items near or in some cases below their retail value. So check out the gear TU has in store. Browse the inventory. Select the item you would like to receive and make your special contribution in the amount indicated. Quantities are limited, so browse the inventory now and make your special contribution promptly. To shop, go to www.tu.org/site/c.kkLRJ7MSKtH/b.4505663/k.6846/Liquidation_Campaign.htm.
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Gray wolf populations in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming need to be managed through state-regulated hunting – now. That’s the upshot of a new Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation policy statement approved by its board of directors March 4. The official action headlined a regular board meeting held in conjunction with the RMEF annual convention in Fort Worth, Texas. David Allen, RMEF president and CEO, said wolves are an organizational concern because of their impacts on elk herds, elk hunting success and participation, livestock and landowners, rural economies and RMEF’s ability to facilitate collaborative conservation successes in the future. Read the policy statement at www.rmef.org/AboutUs/PositionStatements/Wolves.htm.
Pheasants Forever
Quail Forever
Devon Walter of Lincoln, Kan., is the new regional representative for western Kansas for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. His primary duties with PF/QF will include starting and servicing chapters and helping members in the region enhance the organizations’ wildlife habitat mission. Walter will advise chapters in raising and expending funds on wildlife habitat and conservation education, and will work with local, state, and federal natural resource agencies on behalf of PF/QF chapters in western Kansas. Walter can be reached at 785-524-4033 or DWalter@pheasantsforever.org. For more information visit www.PheasantsForever.org and www.QuailForever.org.
FISHING PRODUCTS & ACCESSORIES
Northland Fishing Tackle
Northland’s new Mimic Minnow Fry jigging lure maintains the same lifelike features of its larger family members – the original Mimic Minnow, Mimic Minnow Spin and Mimic Minnow Shiner – but in a miniature model that panfish can’t resist. The hand-sculpted Mimic Minnow Fry is designed with a lifelike holographic Baitfish-Image body, a flat dolphin-shaped glider tail that darts and swims like a crippled minnow and a reflective FlashFoil body that shimmers like iridescent fish scales to lure fish from a wide radius. For more information and a 2009 catalog, contact Northland Fishing Tackle Inc., 1001 Naylor Drive S.E., Bemidji, MN 56601; 218-751-6723; e-mail norfish@northlandtackle.com. Web site is www.northlandtackle.com.
OUTDOOR GEAR, CLOTHING & PRODUCTS
Tender Corp.
New for this spring, Tender Corp. is unveiling two more trusted solutions to help consumers take the ouch out of the outdoors: AfterBite Backyard and AfterBite Outdoor. The Backyard Combo Pack includes a 0.5 ounce tube of the original, ammonia-based Itch Eraser and a 0.7 ounce tube of AfterBite Kids, a cream formula consisting of baking soda, tea tree oil and vitamin A. The AfterBite Outdoor Combo Pack includes AfterBite Kids and new AfterBite Outdoor. Containing a powerful yet soothing, gel formula of baking soda, ammonia and tea tree oil, Outdoor is the choice for the most aggressive bites and stings. www.tendercorp.com
Streamlight Inc.
Streamlight has introduced two super-bright, polymer personal lights, the Streamlight PolyTac, featuring a high-performance xenon incandescent bulb, and the Streamlight PolyTac LED with the latest in C4 power LED technology. The lights’ compact size, combined with their strong, tough polymer casing and high light output, make both lights ideal for a wide variety of hunting, camping, backpacking and other uses in low-light conditions. Available in black, coyote or yellow, the PolyTac retails for $52, and the PolyTac LED for $65. For information call 800-523-7488 or visit www.streamlight.com.
Hunt’s Photo, Video and Digital
OWAA members: If there is anything in electronics you’re looking to purchase, e-mail Gary Farber for a quote. Hunt’s carries the latest in digital SLR cameras, digital point-and-shoot cameras, a large selection of photo bags, pelican cases, binoculars, memory cards, scanners, Adobe Photoshop CS4, Lightroom, Nik Software, OEM lenses from Sigma, Tamron and Tokina and many other items. Watch for Hunt’s monthly specials; members who are not receiving them, go to Hunt’s Web site at www.wbhunt.com and sign up. Members may contact Farber at digitalguygary@wbhunt.com or at 1-800-221-1830 ext. 2332. Hunt’s appreciates OWAA members’ support.
GENERAL
Toyota Motor Sales, USA
Toyota recently announced that total combined Toyota and Lexus hybrid vehicle sales in the U.S. have topped the 1 million mark. The sales milestone was achieved with an industry-leading six Toyota and Lexus hybrid vehicles, including the Toyota Prius, the world’s first mass-produced gas-electric hybrid and the all-time worldwide leader in hybrid sales. With the expansion of its hybrid technology to a diverse group of vehicles, Toyota has commanded nearly 75 percent of all hybrid vehicles sales in the U.S. over the past 10 years. Overall, cumulative worldwide sales of Toyota and Lexus hybrids have exceeded 1.7 million vehicles through January 2009. www.toyota.com and www.lexus.com.
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