Jane Keller, founder of Team Huntress was nominated by her daughter as an ambassador for her state of South Dakota. Watch her inspiring interview.

http://www.50in52journey.com/states/SouthDakota1.asp

Saturday, April 25, 2009
The Hollywood Double Standard

By Dan Kidder

So when Alec Baldwin or Barbara Streisand get up and flap their gums about the state of the world, promoting cowardice in the Middle East, criticizing American values, bashing all that is good and decent, promoting gay marriage, they are hailed as brave and wonderful Americans for taking a stand.

How is it then that Miss California, Carrie Prejean is lambasted by every media outlet save one for taking a similar stand by expressing her opposition to gay marriage during the Miss USA pageant?

Is there a severe disconnect between what Hollywood says and does, of that there is little doubt. But do they not even see the immense double standard? Do they really think they should have the ability to bravely espouse whatever political view they want with no repercussions, and then have the nerve to vilify another for doing the same?

When Hollywood speaks, they know they have freedom to say whatever politically correct thing they want, so therefore the only thing that must not be said is that which is not politically correct.

Well, Hollywood can’t have it both ways. Either they can accept that someone has the right to express their opinion without being called a socialist or a bigot or they don’t. If Miss Prejean desires to express her opinion, at so high a cost as the Miss USA crown, then they should be congratulating her for her brave defense of an unpopular opinion.

Miss Prejean’s Answer to her position on gay marriage was far from inflamatory, it just didn’t toe the Hollywood line. “We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite. And you know what, I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised.”

What is ironic is that it nearly parrots the response given to a similar question by President Barack Hussein Obama during a presidential debate.

“I do not support gay marriage. Marriage has religious and social connotations, and I consider marriage to be between a man and a woman.” Obama wrote in his questionnaire to the Human Rights Campaign during his 2008 presidential bid.

Where was Hollywood’s approbation and condemnation for his answer?

By jumping on the bash Prejean bandwagon, Hollywood activists are negating their own stances and their rights to express their opinions on political matters. If that is the case, they should take their own advice and just “sit down and shut up.”

Division of Wildlife

License Structure Change for Anglers and Small Game Hunters

The Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) would like to remind anglers and small game hunters that the license structure for fishing and small game hunting has changed.

Beginning April 1, 2009, all annual licenses including fishing, senior fishing, small game, furbearer, combination fishing and hunting, Colorado waterfowl stamps, habitat stamps and walk-in access permits are valid from April 1 through March 31 of the following year.

“Annual licenses will no longer expire on January 1,” said Henrietta Turner, DOW licensing manager.  “We’ve changed the calendar-based system to a season-year format, so licenses coincide better with our small game seasons.”

All licenses purchased in 2008 will remain valid through March 31, 2009.  

Anglers should continue using the 2008 Colorado Fishing Regulations brochure through March 2009. The 2009 Colorado Fishing Regulation brochure will be available mid-to-late March at all DOW offices and license agents statewide. The new brochure will be valid until March 31, 2010, coinciding with the new license structure.

All 2009 annual fishing, small game, furbearer and combination licenses will be available for purchase beginning on December 15.  These licenses will remain valid through March 31, 2010.

March 20, 2009For more information contact:
Ted Novin
Office: 203-426-1320
Cell: 202-253-1860

Firearms Industry Applauds Introduction of
Firearms Fairness and Affordability Act in U.S. Senate
NEWTOWN, Conn. — Today, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) — the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry — applauded Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, for introducing legislation to rectify a longstanding inequity in the frequency with which firearms and ammunition manufacturers pay a federal excise tax on the products they sell.
The firearms and ammunition excise tax (FAET) is a major source of wildlife conservation funding in the United States. The Firearms Fairness and Affordability Act (S. 632) will allow the firearms and ammunition industry to pay the FAET on a quarterly basis, the same payment schedule on which every other industry supporting conservation pays the federal excise tax. Joining Sen. Baucus in introducing this important bi-partisan legislation were Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), the current co-chair of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, and five other senators.
Currently firearms and ammunition manufacturers must pay the FAET bi-weekly. This payment schedule forces many manufacturers to borrow money to ensure on-time payment, and industry members spend thousands of man-hours administering the necessary paperwork to successfully complete the bi-weekly tax payments — monies that are due to the federal government long before manufacturers are paid by their customers. This legislation will not lower the amount of conservation dollars collected by the tax.
The NSSF estimates that shifting to a quarterly payment schedule will free up approximately $22 million annually for manufacturers to reinvest and grow their businesses, resulting in enhanced conservation funding through increased excise tax payments by the industry.
Commenting on the importance of the legislation, Sen. Baucus said, “This is the right thing to do. It will help cut bureaucratic red tape and help the firearm industry save resources. This will ensure the gun industry is treated fairly.”
A broad coalition of sportsmen and conservation groups including the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, Ducks Unlimited, National Rifle Association and many others, support changing the schedule for FAET payments by the firearms and ammunition industry.
“Shifting to quarterly payments would allow manufacturers to invest in new equipment and product designs and enhance their marketing efforts,” said Steve Sanetti, president of the NSSF. “This in turn could lead to greater participation in hunting and the shooting sports, something that would benefit everyone.”
Total excise tax collections from firearms and ammunition manufacturers for the federal government’s fiscal year (Oct. 1, 2007 to Sept. 30, 2008) were $321.9 million.
“A financially strong and growing firearms and ammunition industry will not only generate greater excise tax revenues, monies that will be used to fund conservation throughout the United States, but will also help ensure America’s manufacturers remain financially healthy and a source of employment and tax revenue particularly in the current challenging economic times,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel.
“Singling out the firearms industry for tax payments every two weeks is bureaucratic and discriminatory,” said Sen. Crapo. “Changing to a quarterly excise tax payment system, as is used throughout the rest of the sporting goods industry, will allow firearms manufacturers to reinvest funds into developing new products and marketing efforts. It should provide increased funding for state wildlife preservation programs by easing restrictions surrounding the collection of these taxes. The firearms industry would still pay its full share of taxes, but it would do so in a more equitable manner that is keeping with other business practices.”
Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Pat Roberts (R-KS), John Ensign (R-NV) and Mike Enzi (R-WY) have co-sponsored the Senate FAET legislation.
A companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives was introduced earlier this year by Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI), the immediate past co-chairman of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, and was co-sponsored by fellow immediate past co-chair of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI). The House bill has the support of 37 members of Congress.
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Firearms and ammunition manufacturers have since 1991 contributed more than $3 billion dollars to fund wildlife conservation through the payment of the federal excise tax. Since the inception of the excise tax in 1937, more than $5.5 billion dollars has been collected.

PROIS PRO-STAFF SPOTLIGHT ~ ANNE VINNOLA

These guys are wonderful!! I got all whiney about my ideas for my first banner and so changed my mind. Well the wonderful guys at Skinny Moose have graciously worked with me to create a banner and blog name that I am totally thrilled about! THANKS Skinny Moose!!

I am excited to begin my new blog. Skinny Moose has graciously invited me to participate and I am jumping in!

I will be writing about many hunting related subjects including our taxidermy school, field care FOR taxidermy, women hunting issues, my hunting stories, youth hunting, products and places I review.

You are welcome to visit the online magazines I write for. www.bowhunting.net  and  www.womenhunters.com And be sure to pick up a Sportsman’s News anytime you are in a Sportsman’s Warehouse!

Enjoy!