Outdoor News Daily

Bills in Connecticut and Maryland are a good start in expanding hunting opportunities on Sundays.

Connecticut Senate Bill 114, introduced by Senator Edith Prague (D- Columbia), would allow for Sunday bowhunting on private property. The bill is pending in the Joint Committee on Environment. Currently, hunting is not permitted on Sundays in Connecticut.

In Maryland, House Bill 877, introduced by State Delegate Michael H. Weir, Jr. (D- Baltimore County), would expand Sunday bowhunting in the state. The bill adds Baltimore County to the list of counties open to Sunday bowhunting for deer while on private property. Sunday hunting is limited to the last three Sundays in October and the second Sunday in November. It is currently allowed in Dorchester, Frederick, St. Mary’s, Somerset, Washington, Wicomico, and Worcester counties.
Read the rest of this entry »

A recently introduced Indiana bill would greatly restrict the ability of residents to purchase firearms.

Senate Bill 304, sponsored by Senator Connie Sipes (D- New Albany), would, with limited exceptions, prohibit anyone from purchasing, renting, or obtaining a firearm by transfer without completing a new firearms safety course administered by the state police department.

The measure only allows those that have their concealed carry licenses, are current law enforcement officials, or are current and former members of the armed forces to be exempted from the safety training mandate. Sportsmen who are licensed hunters and have fulfilled their hunter education requirements, would still be prohibited from purchasing a new or used firearm without first taking the state’s mandated safety course.
Read the rest of this entry »

This week, Congress approved $90 million for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program as part of the $32.2 billion Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriation Act for 2010. The increase is $15 million over last year’s level and also includes a change in the nonfederal match requirement from 50% to 35%.

The State and Tribal Wildlife Grants program, now in its 10th year, is a principal source of funding for implementation of congressionally required State Wildlife Action Plans in every state and territory. The Plans assess the health of each state’s wildlife and habitats, identify the problems they face and outline the actions needed to conserve them over the long term to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered.
Read the rest of this entry »

Numerous bills harmful to California sportsmen and gun owners have found their way to the desk of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Sportsmen in the state are encouraged to contact his office and urge a veto on each bill.

Among the bills that cleared the California legislature in its waning weeks were several anti-gun bills including:

* AB 962 which requires that firearms dealers keep a registry of all buyers of handgun ammunition while banning mail order and Internet sales of handgun ammunition as well;
* SB 41 which places additional burdens on firearms retailers by requiring additional paperwork and documentation on the date of delivery of all firearms to a buyer; and
* SB 585 which stops the sale of firearms and ammunition at the Cow Palace arena near San Francisco and creates a precedent for banning gun shows at other state-owned locations.
Read the rest of this entry »