The bank that absorbed Seattle-based SeaFirst Bank back in 1983 has allegedly taken an action that might resonate in downtown Seattle, but to the American firearms community it’s a declaration of war, and gun owners are evidently poised to strike back.    Bank of America is alleged to have advised McMillan Fiberglass Stocks that, because it now manufactures firearms, its business is no longer welcome. The bank has denied the allegation. It's quickly becoming a case of "he said/he said," with some gun owners expressing skepticism, others accepting the report as true.    The report sizzled across cyberspace over the weekend has spread Mondays morning to Jim Shepherd’s The Outdoor Wire, and HotAir.com. It has ignited a discussion on GunRightsMedia.com, Northwest Firearms and other forums. A story under my byline also appears in TheGunMag.comMany in the Pacific Northwest who have or had personal and business accounts with SeaFirst (a.k.a. Seattle First National Bank among old-timers) are gun owners.    According to a message posted on Facebook by Kelly D. McMillan, director of operations at the Phoenix-based McMillan Fiberglass Stocks and McMillan Firearms Manufacturing company, a meeting with a Bank of America senior vice president occurred the other day that went like this: McMillan Fiberglass Stocks, McMillan Firearms Manufacturing, McMillan Group International have been collectively banking with Bank of America for 12 years. Today Mr. Ray Fox, Senior Vice President, Market Manager, Business Banking, Global Commercial Banking came to my office. He scheduled the meeting as an “account analysis” meeting in order to evaluate the two lines of credit we have with them. He spent 5 minutes talking about how McMillan has changed in the last 5 years and have become more of a firearms manufacturer than a supplier of accessories.At this point I interrupted him and asked “Can I possible save you some time so that you don’t waste your breath? What you are going to tell me is that because we are in the firearms manufacturing business you no longer what my business.”“That is correct” he says.I replied “That is okay, we will move our accounts as soon as possible. We can find a 2nd Amendment friendly bank that will be glad to have our business. You won’t mind if I tell the NRA, SCI and everyone one I know that BofA is not firearms industry friendly?”“You have to do what you must” he said.“So you are telling me this is a politically motivated decision, is that right?”Mr Fox confirmed that it was. At which point I told him that the meeting was over and there was nothing left for him to say. ___________________________________________ UPDATE: This column reached McMillan Monday morning and he stands by his story. Bank of America has posted this message on its Facebook page: "We want to let you know that we hear your comments and questions regarding one of our customers. While we cannot discuss the details of any individual client we work with, we can assure you the allegations being made here are completely false. Bank of America does not have a policy that prohibits us from banking clients in this industry. In fact, we have numerous, longstanding customers in the industry. "We are also extremely proud of our support of the US military and reject any assertion to the contrary. We count as clients many companies that provide for our nation's defense. We employ thousands of veterans, Guardsmen, and Reservists, and plan to increase our hiring this year."—Bank of America    The Snopes website is also discussing the controversy here. This column's call to Bank of America has not been returned. _________________________________________________________ Shepherd, in Monday morning’s Outdoor Wire, noted that the story has gained plenty of traction. McMillan concluded with this observation, and a warning to customers: I think it is import for all Americans who believe in and support our 2nd amendment right to keep and bear arms should know when a business does not support these rights. What you do with that knowledge is up to you. When I don’t agree with a business’ political position I can not in good conscience support them. We will soon no longer be accepting Bank of America credit cards as payment for our products.—Kelly D. McMillan    Over at HotAir.com, there is already a rumbling of boycott. And at PJMedia, columnist Bob Owens has literally taken off the gloves, reminding readers that McMillan is “heavily involved” with the U.S. military, producing stocks for the Marine Corps’ designated sniper rifle, and producing equipment for other branches. He also had this assertion: Bank of America was the recipient of well over 100 billion dollars in federal money. They are also one of just two vendors processing payments for Barack Obama’s 2012 presidential campaign, employing a system that disables safeguards against illegal foreign donations. Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, is the site of the Democratic Nation Convention in September.—Bob Owens, PJ Media    This story may, or nay not, cause a ripple in high finance circles, but it is certainly causing a ripple effect in the firearms community as more gun owners – and especially the gun rights activists – are learning about this.    Q. Do you have a Bank of America account, and will this story cause you to change banks?   PLEASE FORWARD the link to this column and share with all of your chat lists and forum  

LYME-DISEASE CARRIERS Deer ticks spreading, pose risk to hunters   Saturday, October 9, 2010  02:56 AM   By Frank Thomas THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Black-legged ticks, at lower right, sometimes called deer ticks, are considerably smaller than the more common dog tick. Four-season danger Unlike the common American dog tick, which hides during cold weather, deer ticks hunt during warmer winter days and in the early spring. Some tips for dealing with them: Check everywhere. Dog ticks search for hairy areas on the body before latching on to suck blood. The deer tick isn't picky and will attach itself to any exposed skin. Respond quickly. Even if you are bitten by a Lyme-disease-infected deer tick, you have 1 1/2 days before the tick can transmit the disease. You won't know what bit you. Deer-tick saliva carries a numbing agent. Get a grip. To remove the tick, use tweezers. Grasp the bug as close to the skin as possible and pull. See a doctor. Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics. The sooner treatment is started, the better. Sources: Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio State University Hunters and hikers should be wary of a potentially disease-carrying parasite that has established a foothold in Ohio, the state Department of Natural Resources warns. A reproducing population of black-legged ticks, or deer ticks, has been found in Coshocton County, said Glen Needham, an entomologist with Ohio State University. The tick, which can carry Lyme disease, is fairly common in surrounding states, and hikers have come across single ticks in Ohio for years. But scientists didn't discover a population large enough to reproduce and sustain itself until this past spring, he said. "We're not sure if they'll turn up in other areas around the state. ... We catch them when citizens send in ticks for examination," Needham said. "But with the hunting season already started, we wanted to give hunters and people out looking at fall colors more of a heads-up than in the past." Lyme disease is a potentially debilitating infection. It starts with a bull's-eye-shaped skin rash around the bite that appears between three and 30 days after a tick attaches itself to the person. Other symptoms include fever, chills, headache, fatigue and severe joint pain, according to the Centers for Disease Control. "It can be painful, debilitating almost to the point of crippling," said Steve Lonsinger, director of environmental health at the Coshocton County Health Department. Doctors confirmed nearly 30,000 Lyme disease cases nationwide last year, according to the CDC. It is the most common insect-transmitted infection in the U.S., Needham said, adding that, of the deer ticks found in Ohio that he's examined, few carried the disease. The ticks turned up on several farms in Coshocton County, Lonsinger said, and the state will now look at other areas to determine the scope of the infestation. "We're not surprised that there's a population here. It's just that we hadn't found them before," he said, adding that many scientists think the pest hitched a ride with migrating birds. Hunters are particularly vulnerable because deer ticks, which are smaller than dog ticks, blend with camouflage clothing, Lonsinger said, adding that the parasites are common in wooded areas rather than fields. "You need to do a whole-body check," he said. "These little ticks move so quickly that even if you get them on the outside of your clothing, they can work their way to your skin. And you need to make sure they don't get into your home. Check your clothing."  

October 16th was a very cold and windy opening day for bow season this year. I barely saw chip monks running around the woods let alone a deer. At one point, the wind was blowing so hard that my tree stand was moving from side to side. I thought that I was going to get sea sick. Around mid afternoon, I decided to climb out of my tree stand and stalk around the area for a while to see if there was any movement. Still- Nothing. I was going to meet my hunting partner, Bill Hogan at the bridge around dark to head back to camp. This really was not much of a bridge but it allowed us to cross the stream without getting wet. So, around 5:30 I headed over to the bridge to wait for Bill. I sat down on a small boulder that had just enough scrub brush in font of it to use for cover. I was sitting there about a half hour when I saw a flash of black through the trees about 100 yards off. I saw it again before this bear appeared making its way down the mountain. As luck would have it, it was coming in my direction walking along the stream. This Bear was walking but it was closing ground fast. It seemed like the closer it got to where I was sitting, the bigger it was getting! I knocked an arrow & attached my release. I was still a ways off but it was moving like a man with a pourpose. Finally, it reached the spot where he was going to cross the stream... 35 yards from me! This was a nice big bear. It had to be at least 300 pounds! It stopped, his nose in the air. I froze. Not moving a muscle. I kept thinking- 5 more feet. All you have to do it move five more feet down the embankment & I will have a nice new rug! It kept scanning the area and then looked right at me. He lowered his head & it seemed like he was looking right into my eyes. And then- just like that- It turned and walked briskly away from the stream. As I watched the Bear walk away it seemed strange- but I was so focused on getting a shot that I did not have any fear what so ever. That was my second encounted  being up close and personal with a bear in a 6 week period. the first time I was only 15 yards away from a small 170lb bear. I am confident that I will fill my bear tag before the end of the season. Until then - Good luck to everyone

It has all the makings of a horror movie — a 300-pound beast with oversized teeth running amok in forests and fields, eating everything it can. FLORENCE, Ala. (AP) — It has all the makings of a horror movie — a 300-pound beast with oversized teeth running amok in forests and fields, eating everything it can. Instead, it is a real-life scenario that is becoming more common in the Tennessee Valley and across the nation as the feral hog population expands. Feral hogs, descendants of farm animals that escaped or were purposely set free, are wreaking havoc on farm crops and pastures and destroying wildlife habitat throughout the nation. Wildlife officials estimate the nation's feral hog population at more than 4 million, and estimates show they cause more than $1.5 billion in damage each year in the United States. Feral hogs are not just a problem for rural areas. In 2010, hunters were called in to help remove feral hogs that invaded the Florence sportsplex on the western edge of the city. Traps also were used in the effort to remove hogs from the sportsplex. Todd Nix, community services director for the city of Florence, said the wild hogs learned to avoid the area after hunters and traps were used in the effort to remove them. Nix said hog tracks can still be found at the edge of the sportsplex property at Alabama 20 and Gunwaleford Road, but the swine have learned if they come into the open they may be shot or trapped. "We have eliminated the problem, but we have not eliminated the hogs,'' Nix said. "That was not our goal. We knew we would never get rid of all the hogs, but we wanted to train them to stay away from the fields at the sportsplex.'' Hunting and trapping are the two most popular methods used to slow the feral hog population explosion. Biologists admit hunters cannot eradicate the wild hog population, but hunting helps keep the animals under control. There is no closed season or bag limit for feral hogs in Alabama. Permits are available allowing landowners and farmers who are being overrun by feral hogs to hunt them at night. Officials at Bankhead National Forest are asking hunters to join a feral hog hunt that runs through Sept. 18. Barry Baird, biologist at the Black Warrior Wildlife Management Area in Bankhead Forest, said he hopes hunters will take advantage of the upcoming hunt and help reduce the feral hog population there. "They are real nuisance,'' he said. "The more hunters can remove from the forest, the better.'' In Tennessee, lawmakers have removed game animal status for wild hogs, reclassifying them as a nuisance and liberalizing harvest limits. "Feral hogs are a huge problem,'' said Allison Cochran, biologist at Bankhead National Forest. "They are a nuisance animal that causes extensive damage to the land and native plants, and they compete with native wildlife like deer and turkey for habitat. Feral hogs are the number one enemy for native wildlife and plants.'' Chris Jaworowski, a wildlife biologist for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said there are few things wild hogs won't eat. "A hog is an opportunistic omnivore,'' Jaworowski said. "Pretty much anything they can get in their mouth, they are going to eat.'' A feral hog's diet includes acorns and other food eaten by native wildlife. "A hog going through the forest where there has been an acorn drop is just like a vacuum cleaner,'' Jaworowski said. "They will pick the forest floor clean of acorns that could have provided food for native species.'' Feral hogs will eat wild turkey eggs and those of other ground-nesting birds, Cochran said. They also eat birds, frogs, deer fawns and other animals they are able to catch. In addition, feral swine can destroy endangered plants by rooting and wallowing. Erosion caused when the hogs root up the soil can lead to silt in nearby streams and harm rare fish and other animals that live there, Cochran said. Jaworowski said feral hogs were once limited to southern Alabama. In recent years, the animals have spread throughout the state, though. "We now have feral hogs in pretty much every county in the state,'' he said. "It's not just a problem in Alabama. It's a national problem. Since 1982, feral hogs have spread from nine states to 45.'' The earliest feral swine in Alabama were escaped hogs that European explorers brought to America almost 500 years ago. Jaworowski said more recently, well-meaning hunters played a major role in the proliferation of wild hogs. He said hunters hoping to create hog-hunting opportunities close to home would catch the animals in one area and move them to another. Also, farmers who no longer can afford to feed their hogs have released them throughout the state. Once the animals are released, their population typically increases rapidly and the animals spread to adjoining property. Department of Conservation biologists said it's impossible to estimate the number of wild hogs in Alabama because the population is expanding so fast and the animals are most active late at night and rarely seen by anyone trying to count them. Ron Eakes, a supervising biologist at the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources office in Tanner, said it's undeniable that the state's feral hog population is increasing rapidly. The typical feral sow has two litters of four to 14 piglets each year. He said two pairs of wild hogs and their offspring can produce 16,000 piglets in three years. "They reproduce incredibly fast,'' he said. "With no predators, it doesn't take long for a population of feral hogs to reach problem levels once they move into an area.'' The hogs generally live six to eight years. Jaworowski said a single adult feral hog can cause $2,000 in damage to farm crops in a year. Alabama farmers reported they caused more than $90 million in damage to their crops in 2010. That doesn't include the amount of money being spent in an effort to eliminate them. "Wild hogs are a huge problem for agriculture,'' said Eric Schavey, a regional agent for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. "They will walk through a field knocking down corn stalks and eating the corn. They will root in wheat fields and soybean fields, causing lots of damage.'' Florence farmer Randall Vaden has had wild hogs damage his fields along Gunwaleford Road. "They can really ruin a cornfield,'' Vaden said. "I've seen them go row by row digging up the seed when a field is first planted in the spring and then come back and push down the stalks to eat the ears in the summer.'' Jaworowski said hunters who released swine likely did not realize the problems the animals would cause. "They didn't know the hogs were going to take food from the deer and wild turkey and destroy the turkey and quail nests,'' he said. "They didn't realize the hogs they released on their 200-acre hunting lease were going to leave that property and cause problems over a large area. A hunter who lets a hog go can cause problems for farmers 10 miles or more from where the animal is released.'' It is illegal to release swine into the wild in Alabama and Tennessee or to transport live feral hogs. Dwight Cooley, manager of Wheeler Wildlife Refuge in Decatur and Key Cave Wildlife Refuge in Florence, said crops planted at both refuges have been damaged by feral hogs. Grain crops are grown to provide food for wildlife. At Key Cave, a portion of the property is rented to a farmer who grows cash crops such as corn and soybeans. "The feral hogs can cause major damage by rooting up the corn and soybean fields,'' Cooley said. "Where they have dug up the ground, it looks like the war movies where mortars have hit and left big craters in the ground. Feral hogs can do a tremendous amount of crop damage.'' Jade Keeton said wild hogs frequently damage food plots for wildlife on land in western Lauderdale County where he and his family hunt. Despite the damage, wild swine have redeeming qualities. "They are really good to eat,'' Keeton said. "I mean really, really good to eat.'' In Tennessee, landowners are being urged to kill every feral hog on their property. Feral swine in Tennessee are no longer protected by hunting laws. Doug Markham, a spokesman for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, said the state's wild hog population has risen dramatically in recent years, prompting lawmakers to declare open season on the animals. Permits are available to allow wild hogs to be shot at night in Tennessee and to be lured into shooting range by spreading corn or other bait on the ground. "We no longer refer to harvesting wild hogs as hunting,'' Markham said. "We are calling it eradication. We know we will never be able to eradicate them, but hopefully we can slow them down.''

  Bighorn Sheep Auction License Sells for $42,000 North Dakota’s 2012 bighorn sheep auction license sold for $42,000 at the March 17 Midwest Chapter of the Wild Sheep Foundation annual meeting in Bloomington, Minn. North Dakota’s auction license allows the winning bidder the rare privilege of pursuing a North Dakota bighorn on a self-guided hunt. One hundred percent of the auction license proceeds, plus an additional $10,000 donated by MCWSF, are used to enhance bighorn sheep management in North Dakota. In addition, a 5 percent conservation fee for all auction licenses generated an additional $2,100 from the sale of North Dakota’s license for wild sheep conservation.

Excellent show: Skull Bound TV by Mia Anstine My weekdays are primarily shared between the Little Gal and work so on the weekend I do my best to get outdoors. I don't watch TV often, but last winter I did get to catch an episode of a friend/fellow Prois Staffer's show on the Sportsman's Channel which I really enjoyed.http://www.skullboundtv.com/ I first met Jana [...] Read more of this post

My 2014 Season started off pretty slow, however it turned out to be pretty darn good! Dec 1 found me in Dawson GA, a beautiful place about 30 minutes east of Albany Ga.  Beautiful morning, temps were perfect and the rut was on....at 820 the biggest deer I have ever killed showed up, one shot at 93 yards, put him down for good! He wasnt a massive 140" 8 point but he may as well have been! The best part of the whole thing was that the rifle I shot him with was my Grandfathers....come to find out after talking with my Dad that he had never shot at or killed a deer with it....its been over 30 years that the rifle had never been used to kill one! Then to top it off, my wife wants to start going with me to hunt! Im super excited for next season already! Overall, my season was super! Its not done yet, have about 30 days left in our season down here, so Im going to try to put at least one more in the freezer!!! Here is the picture of my deer-The blood you see on the towards his hip is where the bullet exited.....He was quartering pretty hard, and I was up 22 feet in a tree when I shot him!  

Michigan's wildlife policymakers on Thursday voted to end a ban on baiting and feeding of whitetail deer in most of the state's Lower Peninsula.   LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan's wildlife policymakers on Thursday voted to end a ban on baiting and feeding of whitetail deer in most of the state's Lower Peninsula. The 4-3 vote by the Natural Resources Commission means baiting will be legal again in most of the Lower Peninsula from Oct. 1 to Jan. 1. The exception is a northeast section where bovine tuberculosis remains a problem, including Alcona, Alpena, Iosco, Montmorency, Oscoda, and Presque Isle counties. Bait could be "scattered'' but not "piled'' and the amount of bait could not exceed two gallons at any one hunting site. The debate isn't over, however. The commission also voted to revisit the ban in three years, if not earlier. Baiting and feeding have been banned in the Lower Peninsula since August 2008, when a deer with chronic wasting disease was found at a captive breeding farm in Kent County. No other cases have been reported. That led some to push for ending the ban, which was instituted to prevent deer from spreading diseases to each other while eating highly concentrated piles of food left by hunters and others. The new plan also would allow people to feed deer for recreational viewing year-round except in the bovine TB zone. Policies that allow limited baiting and feeding in the Upper Peninsula remain in place. Hunters have long been divided over baiting. Some advocate it in part because they say it increases their chances of a successful hunt. Others consider baiting to be unethical and say it has encouraged deer to feed at night, when they cannot be hunted. Some commissioners noted Thursday that the ban has been difficult to enforce. "This is a very controversial and emotional issue,'' said John Madigan, a Natural Resources Commission member who voted in favor of lifting the ban.

Well, I know some of you all are still under snow.....LOTS of it, but I wanted to see what you all do during the summer months, camping, family vacations, fishing planting ect.... Here in south Ga the summers can be hot and dry, but we get out by the pools, head to FL to do some fishing, but mostly we hang out and enjoy the long days and good friends.  What do you do in your neck of the woods to stay busy over the summer when the kiddos are out of school and the long winter days are passed?  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:   BADLANDS GOES SILENT WITH GROUNDBREAKING NEW SERIES OF PACKS   West Jordan, UT – The hunting pack and apparel company known for screaming about new gear from the mountain tops has suddenly gone silent. Built on the idea of “One Part Science, Three Parts Silence,” the new Badlands Silent Series of packs was born with one goal in mind – absolute stealth. Consisting of two new daypack size hunting packs, the new Silent Series from Badlands is made up of the “The Stalker” and “The Reaper.” Both packs are offered with the following revolutionary features:     No zippers, no hook and loop, no clicking buckles (no forgetting how loud a buckle can be and busting yourself inadvertently) New Badlands proprietary fabric called “Mutex” – guaranteed to stay soft and quiet in any condition Sound absorbing foam liner to contain sounds from inside the pack Easy access pockets for both tree stand or backcountry use Badlands AirTrack™ Ventilated Suspension Randy Hynes of the independent review site 365whitetail.com said of the new Badlands Silent Series, “Not only do these new packs provide a much quieter outer shell, but to ensure these packs are the epitome of quiet, they’ve used magnets and proprietary fasteners in place of buckles and zippers. The Silent Series is sure to be a favorite among hunters who understand the advantage of owning gear that’s just as stealthy as the game they pursue.”   The Silent Series packs will be available July 2015 in Realtree Xtra™ pattern. Retail price for the Reaper is $129.95 and the Stalker $149.95. Now in its 20th year, Badlands continues to focus on exceptional quality, continuing innovation, unmatched performance and as always the only unconditional lifetime warranty in the industry.   ###