No doubt you’d heard the buzz about Wal-Mart agreeing to join the Mayor’s Committee Responsible Firearms Retailer Partnership program where Wal-mart among other retailers agree to follow a 10-point firearm sales guidelines set by the mayor’s committee. It is the hope of the committee that fewer firearms will get into the wrong hands. One of their 10-point guidelines includes video taping the purchase. Many think that this is Wal-Mart’s way of bowing out of the hunting and shooting retail market. They may be right. The USA that old Sam Walton’s knew has changed and the rural market, which is most responsible for firearms sales is shrinking fast. What's also shirking are markets for Wal-Mart to enter. Many cities have markets that make Wally World’s retail strategists see green, but these markets have been blocked by guess who--big city mayors just like the ones responsible for firearm sales guidelines. Do you think Wal-Mart is making nice with big city mayors by making firearm purchases stricter so those officials will ease Wal-Mart’s access to those markets? Wal-mart is not making the margins they want on guns so it seems they can kills two birds with one stone: dump the dog of hunting and shooting products while gain entry into the more lucrative city market cash cow. Old Sam would be proud. Target stores are eating his lunch in some markets and Sam built his empire on selling general goods at a low price. Shotguns and shotguns shells are no longer needed on the shelves of today’s general store. Should we worry? Only if you are a manufacturer that provides Wal-Mart with hunting and shooting products. If I was marketing manager at say an ammo manufacturer or a firearm manufacture I’d be looking at drying up sales and posting my resume on Monster.com. Next on the Wal-Mart chopping block would be fishing products. Again, rural America isn’t so rural anymore. It's strange since Wal-Mart donated a bucket load of money to PF and DU. I guess for us outdoor enthusiasts there’s always Cabelas, Bass Pro Shop and Dick’s if you want to shop big box stores.

Posted by robert at 02:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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The state of MA is asking outdoor enthusiasts to assist MassWildlife count turkey families this coming summer. MA conducts an annual wild turkey brood survey from June through August to determine productivity and compare rates of reproduction. You can go to the MassWildlife's website and download a turkey brood survey form. The state is looking for town, number of hens seen, and number of poults and their relative size compared to the hens. The survey period runs from June 1 - August 31. Survey data from the last two years is also posted on website. If counting turkey is not your game try loons. The common loon has a small but growing population in MA. The state compiled loon nesting activity last year and will be documenting nesting sites across the state. In 2007, 20 territorial pairs on eight waterbodies were documented and a total of five chicks were produced and presumed fledged. The Quabbin and Wachusett Reservoirs are home to the majority of MA’s nesting loons as well as smaller ponds in Worcester County. Let MA know your loony or at least let them know where you've seen the birds.

Posted by SwampYankee at 01:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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You may recall that Cooper had a solo adventure a few months back where he was missing for 30 hours. Coop hasn't flown the coop lately but the situation has become embarrassing. As I walk Cooper around the neighborhood, neighbors ask, "How's the escape artist doing?" or "How has the Houdini hound been behaving?" A guy with a standard poodle, who insists his dog is a great on pheasant, is one of the orators of these snide remarks. I smile politely and laugh at their jokes and keep walking. An, yes, standard poodle replete with pom-poms of fur. Coop is oblivious to the entire situation. He likes it that everyone knows his name, though our neighbors have a hard time remembering mine. It's great to have friendly neighbors and guess having the label of the guy with the runaway dog is better than the guy with the runaway bride.

Posted by SwampYankee at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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McCain was recently interviewed by OL and to their credit they didn't pitch any softballs—from the Farm Bill and 2nd Amendment to public land access and the collapse of the west coast salmon fishery. The interview is an interesting insight to the Republican nominee. Give it a read before you vote this November. No word on whether OL lined up Obama or Clinton.

Posted by SwampYankee at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Every year Orvis selects a lodge for their Lodge of the Year award and this year Harris Springs Sportsman's Preserve in SC made the grade. There are three criteria for a lodge being endorsed—resources, hospitatlity, and the facility itself. Harris Springs has been a family-run business since 1896. It started as a hotel where guest from up and down the east coast came to take the waters at the local mineral springs. The Rasor family owns and manages the lodge, which offers sporting clays, early-release and preserve quail, pheasant and chuckar, as well as wild eastern turkey.

Posted by SwampYankee at 03:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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How often do you have people ask you to play with their upland monkey? We put together a survey (click the link in the right rail under SURVEY and the survey will open). We would appreciate it if you took a few moments to take a survey powered by SurveyMonkey.com (hence upland monkey). It is completely safe, non-toxic, good for the environment and no personal information is requested so have no fear about your privacy (we really don't want to know that much about you since we scare rather easily). Have fun with the survey and let us know how you hunt upland birds. Thanks in advance for your support.

Posted by ras400 at 03:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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What is Unboxing?: Unboxing originated with Unboxing.com, a site dedicated to helping people show off their new techie toys, favorite gadgets, consumer electronics, and more. As their tag line states "Vicarious thrills from opening new gear."

I started this "Unboxing" post with: "Yankees are a frugal lot...". What's that you say, "No foolin'!" But really, it rubs my feathers the wrong way to pay a lot for a name brand and not have that brand deliver. These Browning boots deliver. I don’t get excited easily but a good pair of boots is priceless especially if you spend any amount of time chasing grouse or pheasants in New England or any where for that matter. You know a good pair can mean the different between a great day a field or blisters or wet feet. I have used the Kangaroo Featherweights regularly since I purchased them. Cooper and I have this habit of going for a hike on our town's land trust area, which is hilly, wet, and steep. It boasts a small switchback trail that leads to down to a beaver pond but not before crossing a 6-foot wide stream. The trail continues to meander through a maze of mountain laurel and hemlocks and then starts back uphill through a stand of hardwoods. It gets my blood pumping and Copper, well nothing tires out that pup. The boots feel like sneakers (I don't trip up over the soles like I have with a heavier soled boot) and are truly water proof (Ms. Deborah thinks I'm crazy for walking in the streams). Plus—and this is important—my foot slides easily into the boot. Ever have the rough side of leather exposed inside your boot? It’s like you have carpet tape on your socks. The Featherweights lace and unlace quickly. No fussing to loosen the laces and no pulling each criss-cross of the lace to tighten them. This all from day one. They never needed to be broken in. Well, Cooper is jumping on my lap looking for attention. I do belive he's suggesting we go for a walk on the land trust.

Posted by ras400 at 02:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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