By Dave Hurteau & Chad Love

Last week we ran a link reporting that a Quebec woman named Diane Guillemette had hauled a 507- pound Greenland shark through the ice of Saguenay fiord north of Quebec City. The catch has gotten so much media attention that Guillemette has achieved some degree of recent fame. The downside, however, is that fisheries officials have now gotten wind of the story and may fine Guillemette for not having the proper permits to catch a shark. Click here for the story

Thanks to J.R. Absher at the Outdoor Press Room for posting the link on his site. [ Read Full Post ]

By David E. Petzal and Philip Bourjaily

Now it’s getting interesting. According to the February 1 edition of the New York Post, the National Rifle Association, operating behind the scenes, has succeeded in quashing Diana Taylor’s nomination as head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Ms. Taylor is New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s girlfriend, and it was done, sayeth the Post, as retaliation for Bloomberg’s recent attacks on the NRA.

Bloomberg, in his second-term inaugural speech, took on not only the NRA, but lawmakers who roll over for the gun lobby (meaning Congress), saying: “It shows the power of one advocacy organization and, I would argue, the cowardice of people who succumb to their pressure.”

But now comes the really interesting part. Bloomberg spent $77 million just to get re-elected, and his total worth is estimated at between $5 and $9 billion. If he should become angry enough, he could buy the votes in Congress and have Article II of the Bill of Rights repealed, or he could buy the NRA.

Buying Congressional votes is no trick at all. Everyone does it. Bloomberg could probably do it with what he carries in his wallet. As for the NRA, how much is it worth?... [ Read Full Post ]

By Dave Hurteau & Chad Love

Honestly, what's up with killer snowmobilers? In early January, we ran a link about Canadian snowmobiler Anthony Norris who after running over a moose several times, jumped on the poor beast's back and killed it with an ax. Now, after an outraged Grand Rapids community raised a $2,000 reward for their capture, Dale W. Guyer, 20, of Coleraine and Gabriel W. Hill, 19, of Bovey have been charged with intentionally running down and killing a deer with their snowmobiles. Click here for the story [ Read Full Post ]

By Dave Hurteau & Chad Love

Somerset, New Jersey--The Fly Fishing Show wrapped up it's sixteenth Somerset event on Sunday, sending home 200 exhibitors, 9,000 visitors, and several thousand pounds of fur, feathers, and fly tiers. This is an enormously entertaining event for a fly fisherman, but it's no place to take anyone with an abiding fear of insects. Witness Paul Whillock's incredibly realistic "Flies As Art", exquisite reproductions of anatomically correct stoneflies, mayflies, caddisflies, even a frighteningly accurate praying mantis. These things will fool any trout if you're callous enough to toss one in the water. Of course, this may not be saying much, as the intelligence of trout has recently been called into question. But they've also fooled U.S. Customs agents, who, citing federal animal import regulations, confiscated Whillock's luggage the first time he tried to bring his work into the states. For more on Whillock's "Masterclass Flies", check out his web site here.

This show is about as close to a trout stream that a cash-strapped, Manhattan-stranded outdoorsman can get in the month of January. Like many... [ Read Full Post ]

By Dave Hurteau & Chad Love

Way back in Minnesota’s remote Lost River State Forest, eight old hunting shacks have provided shelter over the years for snowmobilers, birdwatchers, and, of course, hunters. As they are private buildings on public land, the state Department of Natural Resources says they must go. But families that have used the shacks for generations are fighting their removal. So the question is: Are old hunting shacks on public land historic buildings or illegal eyesores? What’s your take? Click here for the story [ Read Full Post ]

By Dave Hurteau & Chad Love

There’s not much to do during winter in Norway. Even the moose get bored. So much so that at least one appears to have taken up surfing. Recently, one Kjell Grannes of Overhalla witnessed a fully grown moose floating down the Namsen River on a chunk of clear ice. “It almost looked like the moose was walking on water.”
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1706617.html [ Read Full Post ]