Team Lapua's Justin Utley captured third place at the 2026 Oklahoma Prone Masters Challenge held April 17-19 at the Oklahoma City Gun Club in Arcadia, OK. Competing in the two-day 1,000-yard prone match, Utley used Berger bullets, Lapua brass, and Vihtavuori powder to achieve exceptional precision across challenging weather conditions.

Jake Stine, a Team SK member, won the 2026 Arizona State Highpower Silhouette Championship held April 18-19 at Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix, capturing titles in both Standard Rifle and Hunter Rifle divisions. Stine defeated 35 competitors using SK, Berger, Lapua, and Vihtavuori components and ammunition.

Benelli USA announces that Pro Staff shooters Heather Eckhardt and Ashlynne Thomas have qualified for Team USA at the 2026 IPSC World Shoot in Corinth, Greece, September 20-October 4. Eckhardt will compete on the Ladies Modified Team while Thomas qualified for the Standard Ladies Team.

Wyoming Game and Fish celebrates the USDA Partnership expansion of the Migratory Big Game Initiative to Montana, Idaho, Colorado, and Utah. The program, established in 2022, has invested in over 500,000 acres of habitat enhancement through NRCS partnerships with private landowners, allocating $8 million for EQIP and $8 million for CSP in Wyoming's current fiscal year.

The South Carolina Waterfowl Association hosted the inaugural South Carolina Duck Summit on April 27, 2026, bringing together SCDNR, Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl, the James C. Kennedy Waterfowl & Wetlands Center, and Nemours Wildlife Foundation to address waterfowl conservation and hunting challenges through collaborative discussions and habitat management strategies.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is hosting American Wetlands Month events in May, including a wetlands bike ride from Pioneers Park Nature Center to Wilderness Park on May 4, and a soil exploration workshop at Spring Creek Prairie on May 20 presented with the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The Gulf Council will host two virtual workgroup meetings on May 11-12, 2026, to discuss shrimp trawl bycatch methodologies for finfish species. Presentations will cover gray triggerfish bycatch estimation using SEAMAP data, lane snapper as a proxy species, and protocols to expand observer data to fleet level.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is proposing white sturgeon introductions into Hobbs Reservoir and Grantsville Reservoir, updates to wildlife management area access rules, and changes to furbearer trapping, turkey hunting, and CWMU regulations. Public feedback is being sought through regional advisory council meetings and the Utah Wildlife Board meeting in June.

Windmill State Recreation Area completed a major Aquatic Habitat Restoration Project improving fishing access and habitat across five lakes. Improvements include ADA-compliant fishing piers, shoreline access enhancements, habitat structures, and a new floodway. Funding came from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Aquatic Habitat Program, Capital Maintenance Funds, and the Nebraska Environmental Trust.

The Mule Deer Foundation received $320,265 from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to implement a juniper reduction project across 1,046 acres in Modoc National Forest. The restoration effort will restore sagebrush habitat, improve wildlife corridors, and reduce wildfire risk for mule deer, pronghorn, and greater sage-grouse.

Thompson/Center Arms, the National Wild Turkey Federation, and MTN OPS are collaborating on an exclusive turkey hunt in Missouri from April 30th to May 2nd. The event will feature T/C's turkey shotguns, MTN OPS nutrition products, and wild game meals by chef Jeremiah Doughty while highlighting NWTF's conservation initiatives and sustainable wildlife management efforts.

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department issues comprehensive safety tips for spring turkey hunting season, emphasizing target identification, proper clothing, positioning, and communication with other hunters to ensure safe and successful hunts.

Indiana's migratory bird hunting seasons for 2026-27 have been submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, including seasons for mourning dove, waterfowl, woodcock, snipe, and sora rails. White-fronted geese have a daily bag limit of two, while Canada geese and brant share a five-bird limit, and light geese remain at 20.

Ducks Unlimited announces the passing of acclaimed wildlife artist David Maass at age 96. A five-time DU Artist of the Year and pioneer in wildlife art, Maass designed 38 duck and conservation stamps while raising millions for conservation through his work with Wild Wings and other organizations.

We Buy Guns expanded operations with a new warehouse facility to support growth in online firearm resale. The company has purchased over 11,000 firearms from sellers across all 50 states, paying out more than $5.25 million, and generates over 1,500 purchase offers monthly through its platform.

NSSF attended the Department of Justice signing ceremony where Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche released a landmark 34-policy rulemaking package from the ATF. The changes, directed by President Trump's Executive Order, include rescissions of the "Engaged in the Business," bump stock, and stabilizing pistol brace rules, addressing regulations NSSF has long championed.

The NSSF applauds the U.S. Senate's bipartisan confirmation of Robert Cekada as ATF Director in a 59-39 vote. Cekada is the first ATF director confirmed after nomination by a Republican president and brings decades of law enforcement experience to lead the federal agency regulating the firearm industry.

Korth Group Ltd. highlights spring hunting and shooting sports opportunities in Canada, including bear, turkey, varmint, and snow goose seasons, plus fishing. The distributor stocks premium products from brands like Hornady, Winchester, Leupold, and Ruger to support hunters and anglers.

Hawke Optics has launched the Vantage IR 3x32 Rimfire scope, designed for .17 HMR, .22LR, and .22 WMR cartridges. Featuring a one-inch monotube chassis, multi-coated lenses, and L4A Dot reticle with red/green illumination, the scope offers clarity and durability at an MSRP of $99 with included Weaver mounts.

The Second Amendment Foundation praised Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and ATF Director Robert Cekada's announcement of 34 proposed and final rules, including rescission of the pistol brace rule. SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut and founder Alan M. Gottlieb expressed optimism that the new rules will clarify firearms regulations and protect Second Amendment rights.

Zanders, a national distributor based in Sparta, Illinois, has added Ram It Fast Loaders to its product lineup. These magazine loaders are designed for quick, efficient loading with minimal hand fatigue, benefiting both recreational and professional shooters.

Kinetic Development Group's patented Kinect™ Series offers tool-free mounting for rifle accessories, enabling shooters to quickly adjust configurations for training, competition, hunting, and field use without requiring tools or interrupting workflow.

Davidson's and Colt's Manufacturing introduce two exclusive revolvers featuring round-butt grip frames and 2.5-inch barrels—the Python in .357 Magnum and the Anaconda in .44 Magnum, both finished in semi-bright stainless steel with an MSRP of $1,699.

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. announced a new LCP MAX model featuring Magpul's Enhanced Handgun Grip, developed through collaboration between Ruger and Magpul Industries. The pistol includes a manual safety, 10-round magazine, and new 13-round magazine for improved control and consistency.

Cole Fine Guns and Gunsmithing, based in Naples, Florida, serves as the exclusive U.S. distributor of TSK fully adjustable stocks for premium shotgun brands including Beretta, Perazzi, Krieghoff, and Browning. The TSK system, manufactured in Italy, offers complete customization for shooters of all skill levels across skeet, sporting clays, and trap shooting.

UNIT Solutions announced the launch of the UNIT9 Compact non-lethal pneumatic training pistol, available May 1, 2026. The precision-engineered system replicates duty-size pistol weight, trigger feel, and manual of arms, firing 8mm rounds powered by CO2 cartridges at 325 fps with an MSRP of $749.

Ani-Logics Outdoors launched four new food plot blends: Rack & Roost, Rapid Rack, Double Decker, and Trophy Plot. Developed through scientific research and field testing with Lee Lakosky, these products maximize attraction, nutrition, and soil health for hunters and land managers managing whitetail and game species.

Range USA has expanded to 300 certified instructors across its 50 locations in 2025. The company is hiring and training additional instructors to meet growing demand for firearm education, offering expanded class availability and private lessons tailored to students' skill levels.

GRITR Range, a premier indoor shooting range in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, is offering pistol and rifle safety and proficiency classes throughout May, including basic handgun safety, marksmanship training, and a new red dot skills course, plus Texas License to Carry concealed carry courses on May 2 and 31.

SoundGear, a hearing protection technology leader manufactured by Starkey, announced a national sponsorship of the USA Clay Target League to support youth shooting sports athletes' safety and hearing health. The partnership aims to provide advanced hearing protection to over 56,000 students across 2,000 school-approved teams nationwide.

ALPS Mountaineering announces its third consecutive year partnering with Philmont Scout Ranch to promote the Wilderness Pledge Achievement Award for Boy Scouts of America. Proceeds from award sales support Philmont's sustainability initiatives, including recycling efforts and environmental education programs.

Connecticut Valley Arms/BPI Outdoors will continue its partnership with Whitetails Unlimited as a national sponsor, announced WTU President Jeff Schinkten. CVA, founded in 1971, manufactures muzzleloading rifles and hunting equipment designed for reliable performance and accessibility for hunters.

Houston Safari Club Foundation (HSCF) and DEA Ranch have renewed their corporate sponsorship partnership through 2029. The multi-year agreement continues their shared commitment to wildlife conservation, youth education, and hunting heritage, with DEA Ranch supporting HSCF's youth hunting experiences and Worldwide Hunting Expo & Convention.

Winchester AA shotshells and White Flyer targets will be featured on the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet during the Würth 400 at Texas Motor Speedway on May 3. Both brands are official partners of the Amateur Trapshooting Association, National Sporting Clays Association, and Scholastic Clay Target Program.

Major League Fishing's Bass Pro Tour Stage 5 streams live on MyOutdoorTV from Beaver Lake, Arkansas, featuring 51 professional anglers competing for a $125,000 top prize and $600,000 purse. The four-day event (April 30 – May 3) is hosted by Destination Rogers with broadcast coverage by Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission advises against moving young wildlife that appears abandoned, as mothers typically leave offspring to forage or avoid attracting predators. Moving animals often causes harm, and rehabilitators are overwhelmed with kidnapped young. The best practice is leaving wildlife in place, as mothers will locate their young regardless of human scent.

There is an old understanding in the American West—one that predates wildlife agencies, tag lotteries, and glossy brochures—that the land belongs to all of us. Not in the romantic, abstract sense, but in a very literal one. Millions upon millions of acres across states like Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, and Arizona are federally owned, held in trust for the American people, and paid for with federal tax dollars drawn from every corner of the country. The electrician in Ohio, the contractor in Texas, the machinist in Pennsylvania—all of them have skin in the game.

And yet, if any one of them decides to travel west to hunt elk or deer on that land, they will quickly discover a hard truth: ownership does not equal access.

The legal foundation for this reality was cemented nearly half a century ago in Baldwin v. Fish and Game Commission of Montana (1978). In that case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states could charge non-resident hunters significantly higher fees than residents—up to 7.5 to 25 times more in Montana’s case—without violating the Constitution. The reasoning was straightforward, if somewhat narrow: recreational hunting is not a fundamental right protected under the Privileges and Immunities Clause. Therefore, states can treat residents and non-residents differently.

Legally sound? Perhaps. But fairness and legality are not always the same thing.

Fast forward to today, and the gap has not only persisted—it has widened. A non-resident combination big game license in Montana now costs $1,384. A resident pays $79.50. In Utah, lawmakers recently approved doubling non-resident fees, pushing a general season bull elk tag from $613 to $1,226, while residents pay just $56. Wyoming has followed suit, raising non-resident tag prices between 40 and 90 percent in a single stroke.

At some point, these disparities stop looking like reasonable cost allocation and start resembling something else entirely.

What makes the situation particularly difficult to reconcile is the land itself. Montana is roughly 30 percent federally owned. Utah approaches 65 percent. Colorado sits around 36 percent, Wyoming near half, and Arizona close to 40 percent. These are not marginal figures—they define the landscape. Vast swaths of the very ground where hunting occurs are not owned, maintained, or funded by the states imposing these fees. They are managed by federal agencies and paid for by federal taxpayers.

In other words, a non-resident hunter pursuing elk on Bureau of Land Management ground in Utah is, in many cases, paying a premium to access land he or she has already helped fund.

That reality is rarely acknowledged in policy discussions.

State wildlife agencies often argue that they bear the burden of managing wildlife populations, enforcing regulations, and maintaining the overall health of ecosystems. There is truth in that. Wildlife management is not free, and states rely heavily on license fees to fund their operations. But the equation is not as one-sided as it is often presented.

Federal funding plays a substantial role in wildlife conservation, most notably through the Pittman-Robertson Act—an excise tax on firearms, ammunition, and related equipment that generates billions of dollars for state wildlife agencies. These funds are not drawn disproportionately from residents of western states; they are paid by hunters and shooters nationwide. In recent years, Pittman-Robertson revenues have reached record levels.

So when agencies claim they are perpetually cash-strapped, it raises a legitimate question: is the issue truly a lack of funding, or is it how that funding is being managed?

In the private sector, a company facing budget pressure would be expected to examine its operations, identify inefficiencies, and make adjustments before raising prices on customers. In the public sector, particularly within wildlife agencies, the default response too often appears to be the opposite. Fees go up first. Scrutiny comes later—if at all.

And the easiest target, politically speaking, is the non-resident.

After all, non-residents don’t vote in state elections. They don’t sit on local boards or influence state legislatures. They are, in many ways, the perfect revenue source—until they aren’t.

Because there is a breaking point.

At what level do non-resident hunters simply stop coming? When does the cost of participation outweigh the experience? No one seems entirely sure, but the trajectory suggests we may find out sooner rather than later.

That outcome would not just affect hunters—it would ripple through entire communities. Rural economies across the West depend heavily on non-resident hunting dollars. These visitors book guides, stay in hotels, eat in local restaurants, fill up at gas stations, and shop in sporting goods stores. In many small towns, hunting season is not just a tradition; it is a financial lifeline.

Reduce non-resident participation, and those dollars begin to disappear.

It is a paradox that state agencies and legislatures often overlook. In seeking to maximize revenue per hunter, they risk reducing the total number of hunters—and, by extension, the broader economic impact those hunters generate.

There is also a longer-term concern, one that goes beyond economics. Hunter participation in the United States has been declining for decades. While there have been temporary surges—such as during the COVID-19 pandemic—the overall trend is downward. Recruitment and retention are constant challenges for the hunting community.

Raising barriers to entry, particularly financial ones, runs directly counter to efforts to sustain and grow that community.

It is difficult to encourage someone to take up hunting when the cost of a single out-of-state tag approaches or exceeds $1,000. For younger hunters, families, or those of moderate means, these prices are not just inconvenient—they are prohibitive.

And yet, the system continues to move in that direction.

Supporters of the current model often frame it as a matter of resident privilege. The argument goes that those who live in a state, pay state taxes, and deal with the day-to-day realities of wildlife—crop damage, vehicle collisions, land use conflicts—deserve preferential access and pricing.

There is merit to that perspective. Residents do have a unique relationship with the land and wildlife around them. But that argument becomes more complicated when applied to federal land.

If a significant portion of the hunting landscape is owned collectively by all Americans, should access to that land be so heavily skewed in favor of those who happen to live within state boundaries?

It is a question worth asking, even if the answer is not straightforward.

One possible approach would be to rethink how access to federal land is funded and managed. If the principle is that those who benefit from a resource should help pay for it, then perhaps that principle should apply more broadly.

What would it look like if there were a modest federal access fee for public lands—one that applied to all users, regardless of residency? Hunters, hikers, campers, and off-road enthusiasts alike could contribute to the maintenance and stewardship of the land they use.

Such a system would not replace state wildlife funding, but it could help balance the scales. It would acknowledge that federal land is a shared asset and that its upkeep is a shared responsibility.

Of course, any proposal involving new fees is likely to face resistance. Public lands have long been seen as a birthright, a place where Americans can roam freely without paying at the gate. That ethos is deeply ingrained and not easily changed.

But the current system is not exactly free, either—at least not for everyone.

Non-resident hunters are already paying a premium, often a substantial one, to access these lands. The difference is that the costs are unevenly distributed and, in many cases, disconnected from the actual management of the land itself.

There is also a philosophical dimension to consider. Public lands are one of the few truly unifying features of the American landscape. They belong to everyone, regardless of geography, income, or background. They represent a shared inheritance.

When access to those lands becomes increasingly stratified—when it depends heavily on where you live or how much you can afford—it begins to erode that sense of shared ownership.

That erosion may not be immediately visible, but over time, it has consequences.

It changes how people perceive public lands. It shifts them from a collective resource to something closer to a regional asset. And once that shift takes hold, it becomes easier to justify policies that further limit access or prioritize certain groups over others.

None of this is to suggest that states should abandon differential pricing altogether. There are valid reasons for offering residents lower fees, and those reasons should not be dismissed lightly.

But there is a difference between reasonable differentiation and extreme disparity.

When non-resident fees climb to 20 times the cost of resident tags—or more—it is fair to question whether the system has drifted too far from its original intent.

It is also fair to ask whether there are better ways to achieve the same goals.

Could states explore more nuanced pricing structures? Could they tie fees more closely to actual usage of state-managed versus federally managed land? Could they implement caps or safeguards to prevent sudden, dramatic increases?

These are not easy questions, but they are necessary ones.

Because at the end of the day, the current path is not without risk.

If non-resident hunters begin to opt out, the immediate impact will be financial. Revenue will decline, and agencies will need to find alternative sources of funding. That may mean turning to general taxpayers—many of whom do not hunt—or seeking additional federal support.

In other words, the burden may simply shift rather than disappear.

And if that happens, the same residents who benefited from preferential pricing may find themselves paying more in other ways.

There is a lesson here, one that extends beyond hunting.

Systems that rely too heavily on a single group for funding—particularly a group with limited political influence—are inherently fragile. They work until they don’t. And when they fail, the consequences are often felt more broadly than anticipated.

The challenge for wildlife agencies and policymakers is to recognize that fragility before it becomes a crisis.

To step back and ask not just what is legally permissible, but what is sustainable. Not just what serves residents in the short term, but what preserves access and participation in the long term.

Because the goal, ultimately, should not be to extract the maximum possible revenue from each hunter.

It should be to ensure that the tradition of hunting—and the conservation model that depends on it—remains viable for generations to come.

That means keeping the door open, not closing it with a price tag.

It means remembering that the land, especially federal land, is not just a resource to be managed, but a shared inheritance to be respected.

And it means acknowledging that fairness, while sometimes inconvenient, is worth striving for.

Even when the law says you don’t have to.

– Chris Dorsey

Chris Dorsey is a 30-year media veteran and conservation thought leader who is the founding partner of Dorsey Pictures, a Global 100 Production Studio, and Mission Partners Entertainment Group, a leading IMAX/giant screen natural history producer.