NSSF Bullet Points Articles

California Bill Passes Senate

A California bill that will dramatically affect many large and small retailers of ammunition has passed out of the state Senate and will head to the Assembly floor. The bill, AB 996, is eligible to be heard as early as Monday. The bill would require retailers to remove ammunition from their store shelves and other display areas where customers have direct access to it.

Firearm Industry Supports 4-H

NSSF on Monday contributed $25,000 to the National 4-H Shooting Sports Foundation in support of its youth shooting program. "4-H’s dedication to introducing thousands of America’s youths to hunting and the shooting sports will translate to great things for the future of our industry," said NSSF president Doug Painter, who also serves on the 4-H foundation's board of directors.

USFWS Approves New Non Toxic Shot

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has approved Environmental Metal, Inc.’s new non-toxic shot composed of iron, tungsten and nickel. The USF&WS has also published proposed approval of four additional types of non-toxic shot for waterfowling this fall.

High Pheasant Populations Found In South Dakota

The South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks’ annual pheasant brood survey indicates the highest number of pheasants per mile in 40 years. The survey shows an increase of 21 percent over 2004 and 74 percent over the 10-year statewide average. With more than 97 million dollars spent by pheasant hunters in South Dakota last year, the health of the ringneck population bodes well for the health of the state’s economy.

Wildlife Management Remains Hot Topic In Pennsylvania

Since being hired in 2004, a team of biologists working under the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s new Private Landowners Assistance Program have aided more than 220 landowners in developing habitat-management plans for more than 33,000 acres of prime private property. The assistance has helped increase the land’s value and keep at bay the state’s ongoing decline in habitat quality and loss of wildlife habitat on private lands.

Safe Firearm Storage

A new study shows that fewer children—about 2.5 percent, or 1.7 million children—live in homes with loaded, unsecured firearms, a significant reduction from the early 1990's when the number was estimated at 10 percent. Firearm safety education programs promoting responsible gun ownership, such as the NSSF-developed Project ChildSafe, surely have contributed to the decline.

CWD Roundup

The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources announced that it has received confirmation that a road-killed deer in Hampshire County tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). “This is the first known occurrence of CWD in West Virginia,” said director Frank Jezioro. “Upon receiving this confirmation, we initiated our CWD Response Plan.” Alberta’s ongoing CWD surveillance effort has identified the disease in a wild mule deer about 30 kilometers southeast of Oyen, Alberta.

Taking Aim At Hunting Stereotypes

Did you know that 58 percent of hunting-license buyers have attended college, 10 percent have associate degrees, 19 percent have bachelor's degrees, 5 percent earned their master's degree and 3 percent can put “Ph.D.” after their names? Sunday’s Syracuse Daily-Standard points out these and other interesting facts found in “Today's Hunter,” a 435-page comprehensive profile produced by NSSF.

Energy Revenues And Sportsmen

A number of sportsmen’s groups, including NSSF, have signed a letter urging that a percentage of revenues from oil and gas production on federal lands and the Outer Continental Shelf be directed to impacted areas. This would provide adequate resources to state governments, state wildlife management agencies and federal land management agencies so they can perform environmental work required by law while sustaining multiple uses of public lands, including energy development. The letter, which was presented jointly with several oil companies, is addressed to Richard Pombo, chairman of the House Committee on Resources, and would add such language to the Budget Reconciliation Bill being considered by the House of Representatives.

Shooters Encouraged To Participate In HunterSurvey.com

Hunters and target shooters are being encouraged to visit www.HunterSurvey.com to answer questions about their shooting participation and purchases. Southwick Associates, which is conducting this ongoing survey, believes it can scientifically “weight” online responses to reflect the entire population of hunters, yielding state and national results and providing industry with information that can help it best meet the changing needs of today’s hunters and shooters. Southwick is awarding, as an incentive for participation, a gift certificate for hundreds of dollars of free merchandise to at least 10 randomly selected respondents each month.