NSSF Issues Statement on 'Operation Choke Point' NEWTOWN, Conn. -- The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) today issued the following statement: The National Shooting Sports Foundation has been investigating the possible role of the federal government in influencing banks in their lending and business banking relationship decisions regarding companies in our industry. We have heard from several industry members that they had banking relationships terminated by their lending institutions. We respect the right of financial institutions to make business decisions based on objective criteria. It is unacceptable, however, to discriminate against businesses simply because they are engaged in the lawful commerce of firearms, an activity protected by the Second Amendment. NSSF staff has met with members of the House Financial Services Committee and members of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee concerning several documents that have surfaced from the FDIC labeling companies in the firearms and ammunition industry as "high risk." As a result, we have worked with U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO) and expect that he will offer today an amendment to the FY15 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, which would prevent federal funds from being used as part of "Operation Choke Point" or in any effort targeting companies involved in the lawful commerce in firearms. We will continue to investigate the extent of any improper government involvement and will update our members as more information becomes available. About NSSF The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 10,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen's organizations and publishers. For more information, visit www.nssf.org.

Hilham, TN --(Ammoland.com)- This letter, from a Saratoga County, New York, Deputy Sheriff speaks of honor, commitment, and respecting any Oath you take. It was sent to Glenn Maine, one of our State leaders. It is placed here with the author’s permission. What would you say to your children about how to live? I think Deputy David Jones said some important things to his children. - Glen, I am not one who seeks or intentionally brings attention to myself. I am one who participates, but does so from the rear of the crowd. My articulation skills are lacking, and in a crowd, I will often pronounce a word with error or stutter through a phrase. I have known the Sheriff of Fulton County for some time now. I call Tom Lorey a friend. I understand and agree with his philosophy and I’m motivated by his passion. I, if allowed, would like to stand next to Sheriff Lorey and do whatever I can to assist in the completion of this mission. I will stand in the shadows no more. I am an Army veteran and have been a police officer for nearly 24 years. I have taken all my oaths freely and accepted the responsibility of an oath as a promise to those that I serve. In today’s society, it seems that an oath is now nothing more than a ceremony of useless words and phrases which no longer are binding to those who have repeated them. Our Government was formed as a representative government for the people and by the people. Our elected representatives should mirror the beliefs and morality of the people they served. If a representative wanders from those beliefs, they feared the vote of the people. Now it seems the government no longer fears the people. Our government has become a government by the government and for the government. Special interest, and money, bribes if you will, tell many of representatives how they will vote and the will of the people are ignored. Elected politicians and appointed government figures have been knowingly and intentionally violating law whenever it suits them to push a political agenda. Never let a good crisis go to waste, even when they are told by a majority of the people they represent that their agenda is not wanted. Yet, they will call one of our citizens, who have committed no crime on Tuesday, who is compliance with the laws and openly accepts personal responsibility, a criminal on Wednesday for being in compliance with Tuesday’s law, only because someone rewrote the definition of a term. Now that the executive branch of our federal government has made the Congress powerless through Executive Order and they believe that there is no need for any type of a spending plan to exist, is there any possible way to hold these politicians accountable since those in Congress appear to be in no hurry or have little to provide except wonderful sounding press releases that never have an action attached to them. I have been thinking about this for some time and from my recent experiences I believe that I must start with our young citizens. Recently I attended a function at the local High School. My daughter was being inducted into the National Honor Society. The auditorium was full of families and school officials. At the beginning of the ceremony everyone was asked to stand for the National Anthem. I stood, clicked my heels and placed my hand over my heart. I was in horror to see the number of adults who stood but considered it a hassle and did nothing else. I looked up and onto the stage and saw my daughter standing with her hand over her heart and smiling while looking at our Nation’s flag. While some students also had their hand over their heart, I was amazed by the number of students who were standing, but talking to the student next to them, chewing gum or fidgeting around. The High School Principal, who is the leader of the school and the primary role model for these students, was standing front and center of the stage and had her hands behind her back. For a moment I said to myself, “What is wrong with me, I am the one who is out of touch, doesn’t this matter anymore and what has happened to our children?” If I had acted the way some of these young adults were acting when I was their age, I would have been punished by my parents for embarrassing them in public. Citizenship is no longer taught properly in our homes or our schools if it is taught at all. It has become the responsibility of those who still believe that this is the greatest country in the world and it is because of an old piece of paper written a long time ago that makes it that way, to teach this to our young people. I am dedicating myself at this time to help teach our young people the true meanings of our forefathers; I just don’t know how to accomplish this. Both of my boys as well as I, are Eagle Scouts. I have taught citizenship, national history and flag etiquette to scouts for many years. This is great, except scouting only reaches a small percentage of our male youth. Part of an Eagle Scout ceremony is called the “Challenge”. It is given to a new Eagle Scout by an Eagle Scout and I had the pleasure, honor and responsibility to challenge my sons. I told them that as of this day, they are marked men to everyone who knows them. That minimal effort and turning away from a situation is not acceptable and to never compromise on their personal beliefs and morals. I then led my sons and every Eagle Scout in that room in the Eagle Scout Oath. This Oath as well as many others ends with, “On my sacred honor.” Meaningless words? I think not. My wife and I have tried, and believe we have accomplished, to teach our children their National heritage and what the meaning of our forefather’s written words actually mean. We have taught our children not to lie. We have taught our children not to steal or cheat or associate with those who do. We have taught our children that morality counts and that there is right and wrong as well as good and evil. The saying in our home is, “Do what you know to be right”, when our children leave our home unaccompanied by an adult. We are all hypocrites in one way or another but we have taught and shown our children that after we are gone, we will only be remembered for our character. Our country is changing at a rapid pace; it seems to be out of control. I do not know how much longer my law enforcement career will last, as I will not violate my oaths because some elected or appointed official does not possess the courage, morality, integrity or guts to say “no” to laws and directives that violate the Constitution of the United States of America. I am asking all of you who read these words not to stand at the rear of the crowd anymore. Let’s all stand together at the front of the crowd with Sheriff Tom Lorey.   Respectfully submitted, David P. Jones Deputy Sheriff Saratoga County -   Note from Elias Alias, editor: The letter above, written by Deputy Jones, stands as an individual example of the character and honor held by the Deputies of Saratoga County, New York. That Sheriff’s Department has written its own statement opposing New York’s Redcoat Governor Cuomo’s S.A.F.E. Act, which was hastily rushed through the State legislature and forged into law in a very despicable skirting of normal legislative processes. Please also read the official Sheriff’s Department letter of condemnation: http://oathkeepers.org/oath/2013/02/04/saratoga-county-sheriffs-association-stands-against-ny-safe-act/ Oath Keepers salutes the whole Sheriff’s Department of Saratoga County, New York for honoring their Oath to the Constitutions of the United States of America and the State of New York. About:Oath Keepers is a non-partisan association of currently serving military, reserves, National Guard, veterans, Peace Officers, and Fire Fighters who will fulfill the Oath we swore, with the support of like minded citizens who take an Oath to stand with us, to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, so help us God. Our Oath is to the Constitution. Visit: www.oathkeepers.org Read more at Ammoland.com: http://www.ammoland.com/2013/02/new-york-peace-officer-on-commitment-and-oath/#ixzz2LMKGZAyx

                                          PRESS RELEASE"Here comes the Judge" and she is coming back with a vengeance! Judge Julie Mogenis has wasted no time with filling up her dance card. Since her visit with the Gunny at the NRA Convention, Julie has been getting some previously shot video into the production house so all new episodes will air soon on the Texas, Fox, and Pursuit channels. On the move, Julie will make several appearances and conduct a few "Hunting Tip" seminars at one of her favorite places, the Bass Pro Shops in Texas this summer. So come on down and meet Judge Julie. We will keep you informed of the dates and locations.In July, Judge Julie will be angling her way into ICAST" (International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades ) so everyone can hook up with Julie in Las Vegas. But as we speak, Julie has already dispatched several of the Adventure Pros on an assignment to New Zealand and has planned several other far off and exotic adventures for this season of World Wild Adventures, some of which she will announce on Wednesday, May 22nd on the radio show Spirit of the Outdoors produced by Shell Shocked Outdoors. Join Jim Newcomb and the Judge for a "power hour" of talk radio. Tune into the show this Wednesday at 10am CST on KGGF Coffeeville 690 on your am dial.The Spirit of the Outdoors could also be heard on the following radio stationsKUOA 1290 am Siloam Springs 7 am Sat KHGG 1580 AM Fort Smith Thurs 12 Noon KNBB 97.7 FM Ruston, Monroe LA 7 am Sat KBCL 1070 AM Bossier City 7 am Sat KHGG-FM 103.1 FM Waldron Thurs 12 noon KCLI 1320 am Clinton, OK 6 am Sun KYAL 97.1 FM Tulsa, Okla 10 am Sat KCXY 95.3 FM East Camden, AR 6 am Sat KFMD 1240 AM Bethal Hieghts, AR 7 am Sat KSKY 660 AM Dallas, TX 7 am SatYou can also listen live on the internet on these stations websites.

  Epidemic Alert: Feral Hogs Tearing Up New York Countryside     The pigs are invading New York! It may sound like the lamest monster movie tagline ever, but the feral hog pandemic that was previously localized to the South has made its way to the Empire State, and it spells destruction for state agriculture. The New York Times has reported that feral hogs have made their way into Champlain County, New York, and like their cousins down in Dixie, these porkers are causing huge problems. For example, Bob Rulf, an 82-year-old farmer, found his crops severely damaged, and thinking it was a deer problem, dispatched a few hunters to take care of it. What they found was even more of a nightmare. “They eat everything,” said wildlife biologist Ed Reed. “They’ll eat the understory in a forest and dig up plants by rooting the ground for insects and roots. They compete with wildlife for food. They’re the most destructive mammal out there.” Now, state wildlife officials are weighing their options in dispatching the hogs, from traps to sterilization, and even popping pigs from choppers. “There’s a real sense of urgency,” Reed told reporters. “Once the pigs get established, they are very difficult to eradicate completely.” Officials have tried using traps filled with all manners of pig bait — donuts, dried gelatin powder and dried corn, for example — but have found the pigs tend to crowd in a corner and will climb on one another to escape. Even circular traps have proved ineffective, catching only three pigs last year. The Times are reporting that New York’s usually strict hunting laws have been relaxed a bit for the porkers; the New York Department of Environmental Conservation is advising hunters to “shoot and keep feral swine at any time and in any number.” Sounds like open season for makin’ bacon to us.  

Legislative Alert Sportsmen's Act Will Soon Face A Vote NSSF Urges Calls to Your Senators As the 112th Congress begins its post-election session, NSSF encourages all firearms owners, hunters and sportsmen to call or email their U.S. Senators and urge them to vote YES on the Sportsmen's Act (S. 3525), the most important package of measures for the benefit of sportsmen in a generation. An early vote has been cleared procedurally, so act now. This historic legislation includes the firearms industry's top legislative priority, the Hunting, Fishing and Recreational Shooting Protection Act (S. 838) that would clarify that ammunition is excluded from regulation by the Environmental Protection Agency under the Toxic Substances Control Act. Anti-hunting groups led by the Center for Biological Diversity are suing the EPA to force a ban on traditional ammunition made with lead components that would devastate hunting and shooting sports participation, drive up ammunition prices by almost 200 percent on average and dry up conservation funding. No less than 46 of the nation's leading sportsmen and conservation groups including the NRA, Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance and the Boone and Crockett Club are championing S. 3525. This bipartisan legislation is strongly supported by the National Shooting Sports Foundation. The Sportsmen's Act is a package of 19 separate bills -- the majority of sportsmen's legislative priorities on Capitol Hill. (See below for an overview of the components of the bill.) A similar package of bills--the Sportsmen's Heritage Act of 2012 (H.R. 4089)--was passed by the House in the spring by a bipartisan vote of 276 to 146. Passage of this pro-sportsmen's legislation will promote, protect and preserve our nation's hunting, shooting and conservation heritage for generations to come. Our voices must be heard! As you read this, Anti-hunting forces are working to defeat S. 3525. So act now, call your U.S. Senators at 202-224-3121 and urge them to vote YES for the bipartisan Sportsmen's Act of 2012. Sportsmen's Priorities in the Sportsmen's Act of 2012 The Hunting, Fishing and Recreational Shooting Protection Act: Specifically excludes ammunition and fishing tackle from the Toxic Substances Control Act, preventing unnecessary regulations that could devastate hunting, shooting, conservation funding and the firearm and ammunition industries. Making Public Lands Public: Requires that the 1.5 percent of annual Land and Water Conservation Fund funding is made available to secure public access to federal public land for hunting, fishing, and other recreational purposes. Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act: Makes Pittman-Robertson funds available to states for a longer period of time for the creation and maintenance of shooting ranges. The bill encourages federal land agencies to cooperate with state and local authorities to maintain shooting ranges and limits liability for these agencies.   Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 to urge your senators to SUPPORT the Sportsmen's Act of 2012.   --------------------------- Visit NSSF's Government Relations site at nssf.org/GovRel.

Well, its the end of the season for me here in South GA....Hunted the final weekend and drew a blank, it was unseasonably warm with a full moon, so that didnt help much at all.  Thats ok though, over all it was an incredible season!! So with that being said, onto 2015 and for the next few months it will be getting things in order around the house, and then start to hit some of the outdoor shows in our area.  What does everyone have planned for the off season?? Im going to be really looking at managing the property I have access to and figuring out the travel patterns and all that fun stuff.  Thats the stuff that makes it fun honestly, watching the deer grow--especially the new fawns! Come this summer, I will be working on learning the ins and outs of inshore fishing and promoting the website as much as I can! I look forward to the coming year with all the new products coming out its crazy!! Twisted Timber has just released their new tree stands, will allow us tree hangers to climb and hang stands on just about any tree that is out there!! Go check them out....www.twistedtimbertreestands.com its gonna be a great year for us here at SeeMeHunt!!    

NY Gun Confiscation Underway – Citizens Told to Turn in Pistol Owner ID & Firearms Manasquan, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- Remember all those who denied that firearms confiscation as a result of New York’s new gun laws was too “insane” to even consider? That it was strictly in the realm of paranoid conspiracy theorists and the “it cant happen here crowd”? Those were and remain some of the standard replies to anyone who even thought about the possibility, let alone gave voice to it, despite the fact that Gov Cuomo and numerous other officials made public comments about such a plan, as I discussed in my article “Feinstein & Cuomo Admit Planning Australian Style Government Gun Buy Back” . Elected Officials, the media, various Gun Control Groups and their zealous forced disarmament supporters, even some firearms owners themselves all insisted it was to crazy to even consider. There’s just one huge problem it is happening now in New York State!It seems those that tried desperately to warn of such an insidious plot had hit the bullseye with their warnings after all. News came from multiple NY State based firearms enthusiast websites late Friday that confiscations of Pistol Owner ID Cards, as well as firearms and accessories has commenced in NY under the provisions of the horribly flawed, draconian and blatantly unconstitutional NY SAFE Act. Those folks having their weapons and FID cards confiscated  have been discovered to have been prescribed multiple different types of psychotropic drugs, such as those for Depression or Anxiety. These are known as SSRI ( Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) class drugs and have the potential to cause serious and adverse side effects, something I wrote about extensively last week in an article that went viral in days and caused multiple Anti Gun and Progressive News Groups to initiate a concentrated denial of service hacker attack against Ammoland Shooting Sports News (see Daily KOS ” Keeping Track Of The RKBA Crowd” http://tiny.cc/ug67uw),  in an effort to keep the information from the public. From NY http://tiny.cc/nyfirearms “John Doe, an upstanding professional with no outstanding criminal convictions and no history of violent action received a letter from the Pistol Permit Department informing him that his license was immediately revoked upon information that he was seeing a therapist for anxiety and had been prescribed an anxiety drug. He was never suicidal, never violent, and has no criminal history. The New York State Department of Health is apparently conducting a search of medical records to determine who is being treated for anxiety drugs and using this as a basis for handgun license revocation. Those are the facts. Nothing more, nothing less.” Get your FREE 2A Flashmob Patch – See if your eligible here! Now, before anyone trots out the old saw about how this is nothing more then a paranoid, unsubstantiated rumor on a “gun nuts” internet forum. I spoke to the Attorney of Record in this matter on the phone this morning and he confirmed that the above snippet is accurate and these cases are happening! James Tresmond Esq confirmed in our conversation that the above mentioned case is occurring in Erie County NY, it is his client that has been effected, and as yet unknown sources have seen fit to take it upon themselves to share confidential medical records with NY State Officials without authorization, a massive HIPPA violation. It seems these supposedly confidential records are then compared against a list of known NY pistol license holders and letters are sent out demanding their Pistol Owner ID Cards be surrendered, as well as any firearms and accessories. This is an unprecedented violation of a Citizens 2nd, 4th, and 5th Amendment RIGHTS, brought to fruition by power and control hungry tyrants holding elected office who swore an Oath to uphold and defend the very rights they are now actively stripping from their constituents. Moreover, the confiscation efforts underway in NY State have had another, albeit unintended effect. By undertaking this course of action, those in power have inadvertently pulled back the curtain on something they have suppressed from the Citizens for far to long, leaving them with precious little wiggle room to explain away their actions. Either they are acknowledging that there is in fact some sort of little reported link between the prescribing of psychotropic drugs and violent behavior, thus they are somehow, at least in their own minds “justified” in their actions to preempt someone from violence. Or, this is nothing more then a backdoor confiscation effort and massive abuse of governmental power unleashed on innocent Citizens. Those are the only two possible explanations. If anyone still feels some level of doubt regarding the veracity of this story, Attorney Tresmond welcomes anyone to visit his website tresmondlaw.com, Facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/james.tresmond.7 ), or send an email to TresmondLaw@gmail.com.  

140 pound mountain lion captured in LA-area neighborhood 4/11/2013   A large mountain lion found wandering through backyards in the Glendale area has been tranquilized and captured.   GLENDALE, Calif. (AP) — A large mountain lion found wandering through backyards in the Glendale area has been tranquilized and captured. Glendale police Sgt. Tom Lorenz tells the Los Angeles Times that the big cat was spotted in a La Crescenta neighborhood. KABC-TV news cameras showed it scaling up and over roofs and backyard fences. Nearly two hours after it was first spotted, California Department of Fish and Wildlife officers tranquilized the mountain lion, and planned to release it back in its habitat. KABC showed about a half-dozen officers carrying the animal estimated to weigh between 120 and 140 pounds into a truck.

DICK ACT of 1902 . . . CAN'T BE REPEALED (GUN CONTROL FORBIDDEN) The Trump Card Enacted by the Congress Further Asserting the Second Amendment as Untouchable The Dick Act of 1902 also known as the Efficiency of Militia Bill H.R. 11654, of June 28, 1902 invalidates all so-called gun-control laws. It also divides the militia into three distinct and separate entities. The three classes H.R. 11654 provides for are the organized militia, henceforth known as the National Guard of the State, Territory and District of Columbia , the unorganized militia and the regular army. The militia encompasses every able-bodied male between the ages of 18 and 45. All members of the unorganized militia have the absolute personal right and 2nd Amendment right to keep and bear arms of any type, and as many as they can afford to buy. The Dick Act of 1902 cannot be repealed; to do so would violate bills of attainder and ex post facto laws which would be yet another gross violation of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The President of the United States has zero authority without violating the Constitution to call the National Guard to serve outside of their State borders. The National Guard Militia can only be required by the National Government for limited purposes specified in the Constitution (to uphold the laws of the Union ; to suppress insurrection and repel invasion). These are the only purposes for which the General Government can call upon the National Guard. Attorney General Wickersham advised President Taft, "the Organized Militia (the National Guard) can not be employed for offensive warfare outside the limits of the United States ." The Honorable William Gordon, in a speech to the House on Thursday, October 4, 1917, proved that the action of President Wilson in ordering the Organized Militia (the National Guard) to fight a war in Europe was so blatantly unconstitutional that he felt Wilson ought to have been impeached. During the war with England an attempt was made by Congress to pass a bill authorizing the president to draft 100,000 men between the ages of 18 and 45 to invade enemy territory, Canada . The bill was defeated in the House by Daniel Webster on the precise point that Congress had no such power over the militia as to authorize it to empower the President to draft them into the regular army and send them out of the country. The fact is that the President has no constitutional right, under any circumstances, to draft men from the militia to fight outside the borders of the USA , and not even beyond the borders of their respective states. Today, we have a constitutional LAW which still stands in waiting for the legislators to obey the Constitution which they swore an oath to uphold. Charles Hughes of the American Bar Association (ABA) made a speech which is contained in the Appendix to Congressional Record, House, September 10, 1917, pages 6836-6840 which states: "The militia, within the meaning of these provisions of the Constitution is distinct from the Army of the United States ." In these pages we also find a statement made by Daniel Webster, "that the great principle of the Constitution on that subject is that the militia is the militia of the States and of the General Government; and thus being the militia of the States, there is no part of the Constitution worded with greater care and with more scrupulous jealousy than that which grants and limits the power of Congress over it." "This limitation upon the power to raise and support armies clearly establishes the intent and purpose of the framers of the Constitution to limit the power to raise and maintain a standing army to voluntary enlistment, because if the unlimited power to draft and conscript was intended to be conferred, it would have been a useless and puerile thing to limit the use of money for that purpose. Conscripted armies can be paid, but they are not required to be, and if it had been intended to confer the extraordinary power to draft the bodies of citizens and send them out of the country in direct conflict with the limitation upon the use of the militia imposed by the same section and article, certainly some restriction or limitation would have been imposed to restrain the unlimited use of such power." The Honorable William Gordon

                      Carl Zeiss Sports Optics Promotes Joel Harris to Global Position   NORTH CHESTERFIELD, VA., November 22, 2015 – Carl Zeiss Sports Optics proudly announces the promotion of Joel Harris to the position: Head of Global Public Relations – Sports Optics Division. Harris will report to Mike Jensen, President of Carl Zeiss Sports Optics SBE, LLC USA and Dr. Simone Zaha, Senior Director Marketing & Communications Carl Zeiss Sports Optics, GmbH.   In this global role, Harris will handle all public communications for the Sports Optic Division worldwide including communication tasks that relate to brand and business development, strategic planning, product and company advertising, public/media relations, copywriting and new product launches. Harris came to Zeiss with 20 years of outdoor industry brand management and public relations experience. Prior to joining Zeiss, Harris was brand manager for G5 Outdoors. In this role, he was responsible for all aspects of marketing, public relations and brand management. Prior to G5, Harris led key account management for Eastman Outdoors (Carbon Express and Gorilla Treestands), and brand management for Kahles Optics. Harris is an extremely accomplished outdoorsman with a lifetime of hunting, shooting and archery experience.   "While at ZEISS, Joel has been able to provide our partners a level of support that is second to none in this industry", said Michael Jensen, President of Carl Zeiss Sports Optics, SBE, LLC. "Joel‘s extensive network and industry expertise, combined with his premium optics product knowledge, makes him an extremely valuable asset to our team at Carl Zeiss, not only in the U.S. but worldwide. We look forward to him applying his industry expertise for the rest of the world.”   "I have always had a deep understanding of premium optics and the premium optics market," said Harris. "ZEISS is clearly the leading brand in sports optics, providing cutting edge technology and products for all sportsmen and women. I am truly thrilled to work with a very talented global team to elevate the ZEISS brand to the highest possible level."