Tuesday, January 26, 2010

NYS MuzzleLoaders Web site updated

The NYS MuzzleLoaders web site has been updated. Here is a link to the shoot dates. http://www.nysmla.org/calender.html Elbridge has a nice winter vous next month and you can camp outside or inside.Elbridge is located just east of Weedsport off interstate 90; between Syracuse and Rochester.

If anyone is looking for a we...b master the NY site is maintained by a fella who is a life long outdoorsman.George also is the President of NY Outdoors Unlimited http://www.nyoutdoorsunlimited.com/ a not for profit outfit that helps handicap folks access the outdoors.George has a nice title but funds are limited.

Thanks for your support!


Regards BPB

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Experts need not apply!

Read this, as I've told everyone I know it's not about the animals or "It's Not About the Egg" as I discussed in a previous article of mine.
BPB

Subject: 'Firebrand ways'
A visit with one of the founders of the Center for Biological Diversity
-
'Firebrand ways'
A visit with one of the founders of the Center for Biological Diversity News - From the December 21, 2009 issue of High Country News by Tony Davis

Twenty years ago, they were Earth Firsters, living in tepees, trying to save spotted owls and grafting together a shoestring budget from their unemployment checks. Today, the Center for Biological Diversity has a budget of $7 million, 62 full-time staffers and 15 offices nationally, in locations from Washington, D.C., to Silver City, N.M. By filing 600 lawsuits and countless petitions against the federal government, the center has won the listing of 380 species as threatened or endangered. It also says it has secured 110 million acres of critical habitat and proposed another 130 million acres. CBD has won a reputation as the country's most militant large environmental group, one that seldom shrinks from controversy.

From its Tucson headquarters, it's expanded its species-saving tactics to protect rivers, stop sprawl, battle overgrazing and even tackle climate change. Last year, the group helped get the polar bear listed as a threatened species. Here, one of CBD's founders, 45-year-old director Kieran (pronounced Keer-Onh) Suckling, looks back at how the group got where it is and explains how it differs from the "Big 10" green groups.

HIGH COUNTRY NEWS How did your group get its start? What were your roots?

KIERAN SUCKLING I was in grad school at SUNY Stonybrook, working on a Ph.D. in philosophy, with my dissertation on the relationship between species extinction and language extinction. I came out West for the 1989 Earth First! Rendezvous in northern New Mexico.

There, I chained myself across a road, blocking access to a timber sale. The timber industry in the Southwest was about to make a radical change in its practices. It had logged off the mesas and now they planned to go in and log steep slope canyons.

I got arrested in the process, along with a woman named Sherie. We fell in love while in jail, and she said, "I'm working for this guy, Peter Galvin, doing Mexican spotted owl surveys on the Gila National Forest (in southwest New Mexico) for the Forest Service. Why don't I see if I can get you a job?" Peter hired me, out of a VW van. One day, one of our survey crew got lost and wandered into Water Canyon, where a timber sale was going on, and found a spotted owl.

HCN The Mexican spotted owl at that point was on the Forest Service's "sensitive species" list. (It was federally listed as threatened in 1993.) What happened after your surveyor found the owl?

SUCKLING First, the Forest Service stopped the sale, then let it resume, saying the company had a contract. We had signed contracts saying we wouldn't divulge owl locations, but we went the next day to the Silver City Daily Press, with a map that told our story. We were fired within seconds. That was the start of us becoming full-time activists, starting as the Greater Gila Biodiversity Project.

HCN What made you decide to found your own group?

SUCKLING We were riled up. The government wasn't playing by the rules. The best
way to save endangered species wasn't going to work inside the government. I was studying endangered species as part of my Ph.D. research. I realized, Oh my God, this owl species is going extinct. I couldn't keep studying patterns of extinction while letting extinction go on.

HCN What was your first major victory?

SUCKLING A Mexican wolf reintroduction lawsuit in 1990, our first. The Fish and Wildlife Service had formally declared the Mexican wolf unrecoverable. The Audubon Society and the Defenders of Wildlife had formed a wolf coalition to fight this. But they had no legal strategy beyond telling the government, "Pretty please." A study had been done showing a viable wolf recovery population could be introduced at White Sands Missile Range. They spoke to the general in charge of the range and he had no interest in wolves -- he shut them down. The strategy of the wolf coalition was to wait for the general to retire. We decided, let's just sue instead. It got settled with the Service agreeing to do a wolf study, which led to reintroduction.

That was the moment when we looked at it and said, "Wow." The environmental movement spent a decade going to meetings and demanding action and getting nothing done. They were asking powerful people for something from a position of no power. We realized that we can bypass the officials and sue, and that we can get things done in court.

HCN What role do lawsuits play in your strategy to list endangered species?

SUCKLING They are one tool in a larger campaign, but we use lawsuits to help
shift the balance of power from industry and government agencies, toward
protecting endangered species. That plays out on many levels. At its simplest,
by obtaining an injunction to shut down logging or prevent the filling of a dam,
the power shifts to our hands. The Forest Service needs our agreement to get
back to work, and we are in the position of being able to powerfully negotiate
the terms of releasing the injunction.

New injunctions, new species listings and new bad press take a terrible toll on
agency morale. When we stop the same timber sale three or four times running,
the timber planners want to tear their hair out. They feel like their careers
are being mocked and destroyed -- and they are. So they become much more willing
to play by our rules and at least get something done. Psychological warfare is a
very underappreciated aspect of environmental campaigning.

HCN Were you hindered by not having science degrees?

SUCKLING No. It was a key to our success. I think the professionalization of the
environmental movement has injured it greatly. These kids get degrees in
environmental conservation and wildlife management and come looking for jobs in
the environmental movement. They've bought into resource management values and
multiple use by the time they graduate. I'm more interested in hiring
philosophers, linguists and poets. The core talent of a successful environmental
activist is not science and law. It's campaigning instinct. That's not only not
taught in the universities, it's discouraged.

HCN How democratic is your group? Does the buck stop with you or is there a
collective?

SUCKLING The buck stops with our leadership team: Me, Peter Galvin, our
conservation director, and Sarah Bergman, our assistant director. Over our 20
years, we have gone through agonizing debates and battles over consensus
decision-making and about a hierarchical organization and social structure. Ten
years ago, it settled into this structure of strong leadership, where we give
tremendous deference and latitude to our activists to pick battles, tactics and
strategy. It's extremely non-hierarchical, but not consensus-based.

HCN Did you plan all along to become a national group?

SUCKLING Not at all. Our initial vision was to protect the Greater Gila
Ecosystem -- the Gila, Apache and part of the Cibola national forests, about 10
million acres. We got dragged onto the national stage against our will. It
didn't take us long to realize that power politics that determine species
protection do not occur in the Gila: They happen in Phoenix, Albuquerque and
Washington, D.C. We decided first to be the Southwest Center for Biological
Diversity, and deal with the whole Southwest. Then, other, grassroots
environmental groups started calling us from around the country and asking, "How
do I replicate this?" At their request, we started opening offices around the
country.

HCN Has your mission changed since you went national?

SUCKLING It's still the same. Our national status came to clarify what drove us.
Before, we focused on that 10 million acres, and we were doing that through
timber sales, listing petitions, etc., all based in these species. As we've
grown, the species focus continues to be the case. Our attachment is to species,
not to the particular place.

HCN What about your global warming campaign -- what does that have to do with
species protection?

SUCKLING It's driven by the need to protect plants and animals. Our global
warming goals must be enough to save the polar bear. We need to cut emissions to
40 to 50 percent of 1990 levels by 2020. We need a net negative emissions policy
by 2050 -- less than zero.

HCN How would you deal with conflicts between renewable energy projects and
endangered species? After all, solar panels in the desert can harm sensitive
species like the desert tortoise.

SUCKLING We strongly support a rapid ramp-up of solar energy and have mapped out
100,000 acres of degraded public and private lands in the Mojave Desert where
solar development would not conflict with endangered species or wilderness.
We've also advocated placing solar developments in burned-out state, private and
federal lands along Interstate 10 between Tucson and Phoenix. With so many
highly degraded, biologically fragmented lands available, good planning should
be able to avoid conflicts between solar energy and endangered species. It's a
no-brainer. But unfortunately, many developers have proven to have less than no
brain.

HCN Contrast yourself with the "Big 10" environmental groups. What do you see as
their strengths and weaknesses?

SUCKLING The environmental movement is strongest when it has a clear vision and
is willing to be way out in front of political leaders, and is willing to cause
controversy, which is absolutely necessary to change the status quo. I think
it's weakest when it too closely follows the Democratic party instead of playing
an aggressive nonpartisan position.

Climate change is a really great example. The national environmental movement
has articulated no bottom line on climate reductions. It has let the Democratic
leadership completely define climate solutions, so every climate bill has been
weak. That's why Copenhagen collapsed. National environmental groups did not ask
Congress to do anything creative. They waited for Pelosi and Reid to take the
lead.

HCN In 10 years, would you like the Center for Biological Diversity to be as big
as the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and other mainstream national
groups?

SUCKLING Yes. At one point we thought we could do our jobs here in the West at a
moderate size and rely on the big nationals' political muscle to carry our
message in D.C. Now, after years of seeing the built-up political power of so
many groups being squandered in D.C., we decided we need to have that political
power ourselves.

Plus, there are endangered species in all 50 states, and we feel a
responsibility to keep growing and reaching out until all of them are fully
protected. We are in the midst of the sixth and possibly the greatest mass
extinction crisis in the planet's 4 billion-year history. We have to do
everything in our power, and increase our power, to stop it.

HCN Can you do that without growing corpulent?

SUCKLING I'm more than aware of the risks, but I do have confidence that we can
be as big as big nationals and retain our firebrand ways. We have to. Otherwise,
what's the point? There already is an NRDC. There's no need for another one.

Tony Davis reports for the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

The Rutherford Institute - Commentary

The Rutherford Institute - Commentary
"The essence of Government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse."-- James Madison
Obama and the Global Police: More Friendly Fascism?
By John W. Whitehead1/8/2010

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Albany Sportsmen's Rally

More news articles on Tuesdays event~ Enjoy BPB


Figura joins sportsmen on the bus to Albany
The Post-Standard - Syracuse.com (blog) - David Figura - ‎Jan 12, 2010‎
Well, it's 4:20 am and I'm getting ready to take the bus to Albany this morning, along with a host of other CNY sportsmen. ...
Kolb promotes outdoor sports at Albany event
MPNnow.com - Julie Sherwood - ‎Jan 11, 2010‎
Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb, R-Canandaigua and colleagues kick off the first annual Sportsmen and Outdoor Recreation ...
Sportsmen prepare for meetings at Capitol
Glens Falls Post-Star - ‎Jan 3, 2010‎
Formally known as Sportsmen and Outdoor Recreation Legislative Awareness Day, the event will bring sportsmen from around the state to Albany to meet with ...
Serious About Your Firearms Rights? Go To Albany NY With SAFE On January 12th 2010
AmmoLand.com (press release) - ‎Jan 4, 2010‎
See you in Albany! SAFE is the Sportsmen's Association for Firearms Education, Inc. We are a Long Island-based not-for-profit corporation formed under New ...
Assembly GOP to host Outdoor Day

Monday, January 11, 2010

Crossbows Legal in all 50 states?

Yep, that's what I was told this past week. I replied, well maybe legal to own but not to hunt with. Again I was told NO they are legal in 49 states to hunt with all but New York.
Again ,I replied; NOOOO they're only legal to hunt with in, OH , around 22 states.
So here I am again posting the states that allow crossbow hunting for everyone regardless of age of physical abilities.
Come on guys, don't tell half a story to promote your posistion.

Actually this is from the Barret bow site it's a list of all 50 states.

U.S. Crossbow Hunting Regulations
Below is a summary of crossbow hunting regulations in the United States. This page is intended as a quick reference, and as such there may be details about regulations in your state that are not mentioned here (e.g. are scopes legal? can I use a crank? etcetera). Regulations can change frequently from state to state. Please contact your local DNR (or equivalent) office or click the link under your state for the latest information.

ALABAMA
Crossbows are legal for all persons during the entire deer-hunting season.http://www.outdooralabama.com
ALASKA
You may use a crossbow in any hunt that does not restrict weapons. "Certified bow hunters only", "bow and arrow only", or "muzzleloader only" hunts or areas specifically exclude other weapons, including crossbows. Scopes and other optical enhancement devices are not permitted.http://www.state.ak.us
ARIZONA
Crossbows are legal only by permit for disabled hunters.http://www.gf.state.az.us
ARKANSAS
Crossbows must have at least a 125-pound pull and a mechanical safety. Deer, turkey and bear hunters are required to use arrowheads at least 7/8-inch wide. Poison may not be used on arrows. Magnifying sights may be used. Crossbows are not allowed for taking elk.http://www.agfc.state.ar.us
CALIFORNIA
California states that "a crossbow is not archery equipment and may not be used during the archery season." Except with a Disabled Archer Permit, crossbows may not be used during any archery season or during the general season when using an archery only tag.http://www.dfg.ca.gov
COLORADO
Crossbows legal for all hunters during gun seasons and for handicapped hunters during archery season.http://www.dnr.state.co.us
CONNECTICUT
Crossbows are legal only for disabled hunters by permit. http://www.dep.state.ct.us
DELAWARE
A crossbow may be substituted for a shotgun in November and December. May be used during archery season by disabled hunters with a permit. Check with state regulations for additional details.http://www.dnrec.state.de.us
FLORIDA
Crossbows are now legal in the Central zone (October 20-24, 2008), South zone (October 6-10, 2008), and in the Northwest Zone, the crossbow season will be seven days long and will open the Monday following Thanksgiving (December 1-7, 2008). Click on the Florida link below for additional crossbow information. Crossbows also legal for handicapped hunters by permit.http://myfwc.com/
GEORGIA
Crossbows legal in all seasons. http://www.gohuntgeorgia.com
HAWAII
Crossbows are legal by special disabled permit only.http://www.hawaii.gov/dlnr
IDAHO
Crossbows are legal in big game seasons restricted to short-range weapons. Permitted for use during archery season by disabled persons with a permit.http://www.fishandgame.idaho.gov
ILLINOIS
Crossbows are legal for disabled hunters by permit only and hunters over the age of 62 with permits and tag. See state regulations for details.http://www.dnr.state.il.us
INDIANA
Crossbows are legal hunting equipment during the late archery deer season for antlerless deer. Deer hunters may use crossbows to harvest deer of either sex only in the late archery season.http://www.in.gov/dnr/
IOWA
Crossbows are permitted for disabled hunters with permit. Residents 70 and older may purchase a statewide antlerless deer license to hunt with a crossbow.http://www.iowadnr.com/
KANSAS
Crossbows with a minimum draw weight of 125 will be allowed in regular forearms deer and turkey season.http://www.kdwp.state.ks.us
KENTUCKY
Crossbows may be used in designated weeks, see state regulations. Hunters using crossbows during a firearms deer season must follow all firearm season restrictions, zone guidelines and hunting requirements in effect during firearms seasons. Crossbows are also permitted during muzzle-loader only season. Disabled hunters with a permit may use a crossbow to hunt deer during the bow-only deer season.http://fw.ky.gov/
LOUISIANA
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Commission now has the ability to establish a bow and arrow only season, and a bow and arrow and crossbow season in special deer hunting seasons. http://www.wlf.state.la.us
MAINE
A crossbow hunting license is required for hunters 16 years of age or older to hunt bear with a crossbow during the bear hunting season, or to hunt deer with a crossbow during the open firearm season on deer.A resident or nonresident 10 years of age or older and under 16 years of age may hunt with a crossbow if that person holds a valid junior hunting license (no crossbow license required).http://www.maine.gov/ifw/
MARYLAND
Crossbows may be used to hunt deer only, with the exception of special crossbow permits for disabled hunters who may pursue all game legal for a vertical bow. All hunters may use crossbows for four weeks of archery season and four weeks of gun season.http://www.dnr.state.md.us
MASSACHUSETTS
Crossbows are permitted for disabled hunters with permit.http://www.masswildlife.org
MICHIGAN
New for the 2009 season! In Zone 3 (southern Michigan), anyone12 and older can hunt with a crossbow during any hunting season as long as they have theappropriate licenses. Meanwhile, anyone who has obtained a crossbow permit because ofa permanent disability can continue to use a crossbow. Certain restrictions apply see state regulations for details.
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/
MINNESOTA
Crossbows are permitted for disabled hunters with permit.http://www.dnr.state.mn.us
MISSISSIPPI
Crossbows are permitted for disabled hunters with permit and hunters 65 and older, also in primitive weapon and deer gun seasons.http://www.mdwfp.com
MISSOURI
Crossbows are classified as firearms and are permitted during firearms season. Disabled hunters with a permit may use a crossbow during archery season.http://www.mdc.mo.gov/hunt/
MONTANA
Crossbows are legal only during gun season. No provision for disabled hunters.http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting
NEBRASKA
Crossbows with a draw weight of 125lbs or more are legal to hunt deer and antelope during the firearms season. Disabled hunters with a permit may use a crossbow during archery season.http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us
NEVADA
Crossbows are are legal for all during firearms season.http://www.ndow.org/about/pubs/pdf/huntregs/appbro/index.shtm
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Crossbows are legal for all hunters with a crossbow hunting permit during firearms season and for all hunters on Long Island with a Long Island deer permit. Disabled hunters may use a crossbow pursuant to disabled hunter regulations without purchasing a crossbow permit. Crossbows are prohibited during the youth hunting weekend for deer.http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us
NEW JERSEY
NEW * On Tuesday, June 16, the New Jersey Fish and Game Council voted on adopting proposed amendments to the 2009 – 2012 Game Code. The Council voted to adopt all the proposed amendments except amendment 29, which proposed boundary changes to Deer Management Zones 19 and 23. The full proposal containing the amendments can be viewed at www.nj.gov/dep/rules/proposals/040609b.pdf (PDF) on the NJ DEP website.
The most significant amendment adopted expands the definition of "bow" by removing the prohibition on all draw locking and draw holding devices and by including crossbows in the definition. This allows the use of crossbows in any bow and arrow hunting season and other hunting seasons for all species where the use of bow and arrow is allowed. Crossbows must have a minumum draw weight of 75 pounds and a minimum stock length of 25 inches.
http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2009/gamecode09.htm
NEW MEXICO
Crossbows are legal sporting arms for cougar, bear, deer, elk, pronghorn, javelina, Barbary sheep, persian ibex, oryx, turkey, and bighorn sheep. Hunters that qualify with a permanent mobility limitation may use crossbows to hunt waterfowl and upland game. Sights on crossbows shall not project light nor magnify.http://www.wildlife.state.nm.us
NEW YORK
A Modified Crossbow Permit may be issued to permanently disabled individuals whose disability is so severe that they are physically unable to operate a mechanical device attached to a regular bow.http://www.dec.state.ny.us
NORTH CAROLINA
Crossbows legal only for disabled hunters by permit. Regulations are pending. http://www.ncwildlife.org
NORTH DAKOTA
Crossbows are not legal, except with a permit from the Game and Fish director. Contact the Department for additional information on crossbow regulations.http://gf.nd.gov/
OHIO
Crossbows with a draw weight of not less than 75 lbs and no more than 200 lbs. Crossbows are legal arms for archery, firearms and muzzleloader seasons.http://www.dnr.state.oh.us
OKLAHOMA
Residents of Oklahoma who are 60 years of age or older may use a crossbow. In addition, hunters who have a permanent disability to the extent that they cannot use a conventional longbow, as certified by a physician licensed to practice in Oklahoma or bordering state, may hunt with a crossbow. A disabled person who qualifies to use a crossbow shall have in their possession while in the field written evidence of such certification signed by the physician.http://www.wildlifedepartment.com
OREGON
Crossbows are illegal.http://www.dfw.state.or.us
PENNSYLVANIA
Pennsylvania Game Commissioners gave final approval to a proposal to legalize crossbows for archery hunting statewide beginning with the 2009-2010 seasons. Magnifying scopes are legal. There is a sunset review scheduled for 2012.
http://www.pgc.state.pa.us
RHODE ISLAND
Crossbows only legal for hunters who posses an official adaptive Aid/Crossbow permit obtained through the DEM division of licensing.http://www.dem.ri.gov/
SOUTH CAROLINA
Crossbows are now allowed in archery seasons. http://www.dnr.sc.gov/
SOUTH DAKOTA
Crossbows legal for disabled hunters during archery season.http://www.state.sd.us
TENNESSEE
Crossbows are legal during archery, muzzleloader and firearms season. http://www.state.tn.us/twra
TEXAS
NEW* Where the open season is designated as “archery,” only legal archery equipment/crossbow as specified below may be used. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us
UTAH
Crossbows legal only for disabled hunters by permit.http://www.wildlife.utah.gov
VERMONT
Crossbows may be used by disabled hunters (with permit) for any game that may be taken by bow and arrow.http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com
VIRGINIA
Crossbows are legal to use by any hunter. A crossbow license is required during an archery season.http://www.dgif.state.va.us
WASHINGTON
Crossbows approved for use by qualifying archers with disabilities.http://www.wdfw.wa.gov
WEST VIRGINIA
Class Y permit holders may hunt with a crossbow in established archery seasons.http://www.wvdnr.gov/
WISCONSIN
Crossbows are legal for disabled residents and nonresidents under Class A, B, C or crossbow permit, and residents age 65 and older.http://www.dnr.state.wi.us
WYOMING
Crossbows are legal during archery seasons, and must have a 90 pound minimum draw weight, shoot a 16 inch bolt and can not be cocked with a leverage-gaining device.http://gf.state.wy.us/

Monday, January 4, 2010

YEA Ringling Bros wins against Animal Rights group!

YEA Ringling Bros wins against Animal Rights group! This was more than elephants in entertainment. ASPCA filed suit using the Endangered species act.
To bad the animal rights wingdings didn't look into Feld's,(Ringling Bros.);2 elephant facilities in Florida and the fact Ringling Bros. has the largest herd of Asian Elephants around.

I have the Judges comments if any of you want to read it in its entirety.

Regards,
BlackPowderBill



UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
________________________ ______
)
AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR THE )
PREVENTION OF CRUELTY )
TO ANIMALS, et al., )
)
Plaintiffs, )
)
v. ) Civ. Action No. 03-2006 (EGS)
)
FELD ENTERTAINMENT, INC., )
)
Defendant. )
___________________________________ )

ORDER AND JUDGMENT

For the reasons set forth in the accompanying Memorandum Opinion, the Court hereby enters judgment for defendant Feld Entertainment, Inc.

SO ORDERED.
Signed: Emmet G. Sullivan
United States District Judge
December 30, 2009

Friday, January 1, 2010

Reality, so hard for so many

Here is the latest article , in part mentions one of 2009's sportsmen issues.
I'll post the so you all can read the entire thing.
Meanwhile NYSMLA & NYB have to endure another side jab by one of NY's premier outdoor writers.


http://www.thedailymail.net/articles/2009/12/31/sports/doc4b3c233a0db74409315710.txt#blogcomments

Another year of ups and downs

By Dick Nelson
Published: Thursday, December 31, 2009 2:16 AM EST

In September, the New York Bowhunters Inc and the New York State Muzzleloaders Association forwarded a signed compromised agreement to DEC Commissioner Grannis that would provide archers with an additional 15 days afield, and give muzzleloaders a five day early “primitive” muzzleloading season. And they did this without once mentioning crossbows. Thank heavens the inmates are not yet guarding the asylum, and saner minds prevail.

left in the papers web site comments section~~

BPB reply:
Dick, Spot on as usual. We never did mention the illegal crossbow. Nor was their any mention of Dove hunting or blaze orange in the proposal.But what I continue to notice is a few outdoors writers refusal to promote tools for the handicap that are in production today. It is a very sad reading how a crippled Vet has to wait for a crossbow to become a legal hunting weapon when a draw-loc or line-lock is at the ready.

Oh crap I forgot about the Trappers Cable Restraint bill~& I also did it with out calling a muzzleloader a firearm in the new definition of a "primitive weapon".

Regards, BPB