Namibia Safaris Added to Natural High’s Exciting Destinations in Africa

Safari and wilderness travel company Natural High has added Namibia to its list of exciting safari destinations in Africa. Safaris in Namibia are now showcased on Natural’s High newly re-designed website with allows visitors to explore what Namibia has to offer via a series of stunning images. The Namibia section at http://www.naturalhighsafaris.com/explore/namibia includes safari viewing areas and places to stay, and a list of highlights and things to do in that region.

Natural High is a company which specialises in bespoke safaris and wilderness travel in east and southern Africa. Every member of the team has extensive experience, having been running or planning safaris and wilderness travel for more than 20 years.

Natural High’s owner Alex Edwards, says; “We believe that Namibia, with its varied and dramatic contrasts, is an outstanding safari destination. The real value of the type of travel we offer is the opportunity to experience some of the world’s most inspiring wild places and Namibia fits that description.”

Namibia is a country full of surprises and there is so much to see there. It’s largely empty with mainly desert or semi-desert terrain but this extraordinary country throws up colours and landscapes quite unlike anywhere else.

One of the best ways to experience the vast desert expanse is to take a skeleton coast flying safari, these epic safaris have been run by the Schumann brothers for decades and they land in places that are impossible to visit by any other means. The feeling of space and solitude in these empty places is just awe-inspiring.

Natural High have a lot of experience in this region the new website is packed with a wealth of information for anyone considering safaris in Namibia. Places to stay include safari camps and lodges in Damaraland, Etosha National Park, Khaudum, the Kunene Region, the Skeleton Coast, and Wolwedans Private Reserve.

Specialist safari advice includes when to visit the Namib Desert, and the best time of year to visit the Skeleton Coast.

Options for clients include a family safari through the deserts of Namibia, mobile safaris in Namibia’s remote north west, and a landscape photographic safari complete with itinerary.

Visit http://www.naturalhighsafaris.com/content/namibia.html for more details about Natural High’s safari packages in Namibia.

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Rough Weather Strands Philadelphia Eagles’ Jason Babin During Alaskan Bear Hunt

Jason Babin, defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles, had one of the better excuses to miss a team activity in the history of the NFL. He was stranded along with his guide in Cold Bay, Alaska living off melted glacier water and freeze-dried food for several days.

In his 9^th season, Babin has become one of the more important players on the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense after registering 18 sacks and forcing 3 fumbles during the 2011 season.

Babin told the Philadelphia press that there was so much snow drifting over his tent that “the tent was in our sleeping bags.”

Babin had a few tips for anyone stuck in his situation. “You’ve got to pack your food, which are freeze-dried meals. You got to hike up a glacier with snowshoes to get your water. You gotta boil it. If you fall through and get while out hiking, no one’s gonna come dry you off with a towel. You’ve got to survive on your wits.”

Babin said he was doubly disappointed. “I don’t miss [team activities]. I’m not late.” Also, he didn’t manage to bag a bear. “Didn’t see the one I wanted,” he reported.

Babin’s experience didn’t sully him on risky activities. His next plan: Running with bulls in Pamplona.

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Attitude Attire Takes a Shine to the Big Time

Moon Shine Attitude Attire, a premium clothing manufacturer that develops trendy attire in recognition of the hard working American heritage, announces its continued partnership with Jimmy Big Time. Jimmy Big Time is the first ever scripted comedy to air on the Outdoor Channel. The documentary styled comedy showcases Jimmy “Big Time” Miller, a self proclaimed hunting and fishing phenomenon.

“We believe that our clothing line is just as unique as the one and only Jimmy Big Time,” stated, Travis Mattern, President and Founder of Moon Shine Attitude Attire. “Our team is excited to work with the Big Time another year and see what antics they come up with next!”

Jimmy Big Time is the newest trend to hit the outdoor industry. This cutting edge program is the first ever scripted comedy to air on the Outdoor Channel. Throughout the show fictional host Jimmy “Big Time” Miller gives viewers a glimpse behind the scenes of his award winning outdoor program in this documentary style comedy.

Follow the Big Time Crew as they embark on the many trials & tribulations encountered on their humiliating journey to outdoor superstardom. Don’t miss all the action of Jimmy Big Time starting in July 2012 only on the Outdoor Channel, or visit them at www.jimmybigtime.com.

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Apply for Georgia Quota Hunts Now

Beginning June 1, Georgia Wildlife Resources Division will accept online applications for public quota hunts including deer, alligator, waterfowl, dove and many others. The newly redesigned system now allows sportsmen and women of all ages to apply electronically for quota hunts including Adult/Child specialty hunts.

“The new system offers much improved service and convenience for our hunters,” says John Bowers, assistant chief of Game Management. “For example, youth applying for an Adult/Child hunt will no longer have to complete a paper application, mail it in and wonder if it was received. We’ve completely eliminated the paper. All applicants receive an immediate confirmation that their application was submitted and subsequent notifications via email.”

Bowers notes that all applicants MUST create an online account on the new system before applying for an upcoming hunt – even if they have applied for hunts for years prior. Hunters will be selected solely from online applications. Some quota hunters have already created accounts when they applied for the 2012 turkey season; however, most people will have to create a new account.

New System Highlights

• First Step: Visit the website www.georgiawildlife.com/hunting/quota.  Then click on “Access the NEW Quota Hunt System!” Read all instructions in the “About” tab, which contains critical information for successfully creating an account and completing your application.
• New Opportunities: The new quota hunt system now allows hunters to apply for special hunting opportunities, including all Adult/Child hunts.  ONLY children (17 and under) should apply for Adult/Child hunts. Supervising adults must be present at the hunt.
• Be Accurate:  Quota hunt applicants must enter their Social Security Number correctly when creating their account. This ensures the transfer of any priority points from previous seasons to the new account.
• Tip: Make sure your email address is current and correct so that you can receive quota updates, confirmations and any notices about quota hunts.

Application deadlines vary depending on hunt type. The first deadlines are July 31 for Alligator, August 15 for Dove, including Adult/Child, and September 1 for all types of Deer Hunts, including Adult/Child.

To be sure to get your application in on time, check the complete deadline list located at www.georgiawildlife.com/hunting/quota.

Upon completion of the selection process, applicants will receive a notification e-mail and also will be able to login to their accounts to view their updated status.

For more information, visit www.georgiawildlife.com/hunting/quota, email Brandon.anderson@dnr.state.ga.us or call 770-761-3045.

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Outdoorsman’s Axe and Shears from Browning Are a Must Have

Clear the woods with the Outdoorsman’s Axe and Outdoorsman’s Shears from Browning. These tools are designed to help you clear shooting lanes faster, cut firewood, butcher game easier and help finish up chores quicker around the house.

The Outdoorsman’s Axe injected molded polypropylene and fiberglass handle is designed to reduce hand fatigue and shock for years of cutting wood or quartering big game. The one piece axe head is hot forged, hollow ground and is made out of 1055 tool steel. To make it more rugged the axe head has an integrated tang that extends down into the handle. The Outdoorsman’s Axe also comes with a tough nylon sheath.

For clearing large branches in shooting lanes or cutting through briskets and bones when field dressing, the Outdoorsman’s Shears are ready to get the job done. The shears blades are made out of high carbon tool steel. The lower blade is serrated and the shears also feature a large gut hook for severing pieces of hanging tissue. The tough polypropylene handles extend from 21″ to 28″ and a nylon sheath is included with the Outdoorsman’s Shears.

Suggested retail value of the Outdoorsman’s Axe $64.95

Suggested retail value of the Outdoorsman’s Shears $41.95

Please visit www.browning.com for more information about Browning products.

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Anti-Wolf Hunting Activists Plan to Disrupt Minnesota Lottery

The State of Minnesota recently announced that it will hold its first-ever wolf season. The early season would begin on November 3 and continue until the completion of deer season.

The late wolf season would coincide with bobcat season (November 24 through January 6) and is also open to trapping and snaring.

There will be a total of 6,000 wolf licenses auctioned off and the harvest quota is 400 wolves. However, anti-wolf hunting activists plan to try and short circuit the system.

Karl Bremer, of Ripple in Stillwater, asks his readers (in bold letters) “$34 to save a wolf?”

Bremer is calling for Minnesotans to buy tickets in the state’s wolf lottery in order to obtain permits that will never be used.

From Bremer’s post:

Ordinarily, this might be seen as unwise meddling in a scientifically-based hunting season. But there is nothing scientific about this wolf hunting season. It’s a purely political response to satisfy the bloodlust of a vocal minority of wolf haters. A season on wolves is not necessary to maintain a desirable wolf population. In fact, the DNR hasn’t even determined what Minnesota’s maximum wolf population should be, only that it shouldn’t fall below a winter population of 1,600.

So if you think a season on wolves is one of the most idiotic things to come down the pike since a mourning dove season, step right up and invest $34 on a chance to buy a wolf a reprieve from the executioner. It may not stop the jackpine savages from shooting wolves altogether, but at least you’ll get the satisfaction of making them work a little harder to “get their wolf.”

Minnesota Deer Hunters Association Executive Director Mark Johnson followed up with this response:

I find the ignorance and bias in the article incredible. A wolf hunt is not an extermination. It is a management tool that has been approved by the federal government and the MN Department of Natural Resources. It is controlled to a max of 400 wolves out of a population of at least 3,000 across the state. Even the most noted wolf researchers and scientists have said it will be of no detriment to the wolf populations and in fact will have beneficial effects.

Another fact is that the wolf was delisted from the ESA in 2007 and for approx. 18 months stayed that way in MN until late 2008 when a lawsuit over technicalities gave the court room to order relisting. Wolves have met or exceeded every benchmark of the ESA. We should be celebrating delisting and management being passed back to the states. This is a good thing and another benchmark of success in bringing this apex predator back onto the landscape to stay.

If you think a wolf hunt will extinguish the wolf population do your homework and learn the facts. Check with the International Wolf Center, or the Wildlife Science Center, or the DNR, or the USFWS, or check with the Wildlife Divisions of Alaska, Montana, Idaho or the Canadian Provinces. If you are opposed to hunting, that is your choice, but at least be willing to admit to the fact that a wolf hunt is a valid tool of management that not only provides valuable research but also the $500,000 to $1,000,000 annually needed to manage, research and pay for depredations of wolves.

There is not one single hunting or farming interest group that wants the wolf desimated. In fact, they are all adamant that proper management and funding of all aspects of wolf management be provided. What they are insisting upon is simply management so the species is maintained but controlled.

Last week a wolf crossed the road in front of me near Cromwell. Incredible animal. I’ll fight to keep wolves as part of our landscape just as I will fight to keep deer and loons and chickadees a part of it. I challenge each of us to take a step back and really examine the facts. There is too much inaccurate information being passed in “anti” articles, advertisements and blogs.

Keep following Outdoor Hub for more updates on the Minnesota wolf hunt as they develop.

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2012-2013 Deer Permit Application Process Begins June 1 in Arkansas

Permit applications will be available for WMA doe quota, youth, archery, modern gun and muzzleloader deer hunts on several AGFC wildlife management areas throughout the state.

Applications are made only online at www.agfc.com beginning Friday, June 1. The deadline for applications is Sunday at midnight, July 1.

Each person may submit one application for each type of permit hunt (WMA doe quota, youth deer, archery deer, muzzleloader deer and modern gun deer).

Youth hunters must be at least 6 years old but no older than 15, the day the hunt begins.

Youths are required to have their hunter education certificates in order to apply for any youth hunt permit. Applicants under 16 years old must supply a hunter education number on the application. If supplying an out-of-state hunter education number, the state of the hunter education number must be supplied.

Permit winners will be notified by e-mail. An e-mail address must be included with each application.

Applying is free, but successful applicants must pay $10 to receive WMA hunt permits. There is no charge for WMA Doe Quota Permits. Permit winners who pay for their permit will receive it by e-mail.

Phone 501-223-6440 or 501-223-6359 for more information on AGFC permit hunts.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - 2012-2013 Deer Permit Application Process Begins June 1 in Arkansas

West Virginia Hunters Harvest 8,332 Spring Turkeys

Preliminary harvest figures for the 2012 spring gobbler season are in and West Virginia hunters checked in 8,332 bearded turkeys, according to Frank Jezioro, director of the Division of Natural Resources. This year’s harvest is a 10 percent decline from the 2011 harvest and a 15 percent decline from the previous five-year average.

Biologists have long recognized that the brood counts two years prior are fairly accurate predictors of harvest since most of the kill is composed of two-year old birds. Brood production in 2010 was 28 percent lower than 2009; therefore, the 2012 spring harvest was lower because fewer birds were available. Brood production was higher in 2011 but still below the long-term average.

“Because future harvests are dependent on brood production and survival, let’s hope for a dry June and a more normal spring in 2013, if there is such a thing,” said Jezioro.

The 2012 spring kill is the lowest since 1989, when 7,245 birds were harvested by hunters. While all the other districts saw a decline in harvest, hunters in District 1 (northern counties) registered a 7 percent increase over last year. The southern districts saw the greatest reduction in harvest, with Districts 5 and 4 declining by 25 and 21 percent, respectively.

The top counties were Mason with a kill of 343, Preston (330), Harrison (282), Wood (237) and Greenbrier (235). Rounding out the top 10 counties were Jackson (229), Marshall (227), Upshur (224), Monongalia (222) and Kanawha (213).

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Public Meetings Set to Gather Input for Wolf Hunting and Trapping Season Rule in Wisconsin

The public will have the opportunity at four upcoming meetings to provide input on the draft concepts to be included in a wolf hunting and trapping season rule that will be going to the state Natural Resources Board on July 17 in Stevens Point as an emergency rule.

The public meetings will include a review of the history of wolf recovery and management in Wisconsin and will focus on major rule components such as harvest management zones, as well as potential wolf harvest quotas and hunting and trapping permit levels. Public comments and questions are welcome.

These meetings will start with an open house for visiting with DNR staff at 6 p.m. Staff presentations will begin at 7 p.m. with time for questions and comments to follow. The meetings are being held at:

• June 6, Spooner – Spooner High School Auditorium, 801 County Highway A.
• June 8, Black River Falls – Black River Falls Middle School Auditorium, 1202 Pierce St.
• June 14, Fond du Lac – UW-Fond du Lac Auditorium, 400 University Drive.
• June 15, Rhinelander – James Williams Middle School Auditorium, 915 Acacia Lane.

The Wisconsin Legislature passed a bill calling for a wolf hunting and trapping season that the governor signed on April 2. The Department of Natural Resources has been directed to implement a wolf hunting and trapping season this fall. To do so, an emergency rule and harvest quotas and permit levels must be adopted by the Natural Resources Board.

The Natural Resources Board approved the rule scope statement [pdf] on May 23.

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Loyall Brand Becomes Official Dog Food of Delta Waterfowl

Delta Waterfowl and Cargill announce Cargill’s Loyall-brand petfoods as the organization’s official dog food.

Delta, a leading North American waterfowl conservation group, is partnering with Cargill to offer savings and special promotions on Cargill’s Loyall brand to its members. Cargill, a top agricultural products company, will provide support for Delta’s mission toward scientific research and duck production programs.

“We’re pleased to be the Official Dog Food for Delta Waterfowl,” said Andy Rash, marketing manager for Cargill’s Loyall brand. “We are in full support of its mission, and its science-based solutions to help ensure the future for waterfowl hunting is aligned with our scientific approach to nutrients and metabolism in our Loyall premium dog food.”

Delta Waterfowl members represent the core of duck and goose hunters in North America, and surveys reveal that 84 percent own dogs.

“We’re very excited about this new partnership with Loyall pet food,” says Nick Pinizzotto, chief operating officer of Delta Waterfowl. “It’s a unique opportunity to work closely with a high-quality brand from a company that truly understands the importance of our four-legged companions. This is a natural partnership for Delta Waterfowl, and we look forward to a long, productive relationship.”

Loyall Professional formula, for top-performing, competitive canines, and Loyall High Performance formula, for the demanding nutritional needs of active, hard-working dogs, both contain high levels of nutrients needed for maximum endurance and recovery. The brand’s patented Opti-Cook process optimizes quality and palatability, and helps reduce digestion problems associated with starch.

“We welcome the opportunity to help the Delta Waterfowl membership ensure dogs are better prepared for hunting,” Rash said. “Our animal nutrition scientists know that because of the increased exercise and physical demands throughout hunting season, many dogs respond well to the higher protein and fat levels in Loyall® Professional and Loyall High Performance dog food formulas. These products are formulated to promote greater muscle endurance and a faster recovery — useful during times of intensive workouts to keep dogs performing their best.”

Delta Waterfowl Foundation is a leading North American conservation organization, tracing its origins to the birth of the wildlife conservation movement in 1911. The Foundation supports research, provides leadership and offers science-based solutions to efficiently conserve waterfowl and secure the future of waterfowl hunting. Delta Waterfowl is based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Bismarck, N.D.

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