Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. launched ruger.com/proxy2026, a dedicated website providing shareholders with materials for the 2026 Annual Meeting, including information on the refreshed Board with five new directors, capital stewardship, and shareholder returns.
APEX Ammunition's 12-gauge Mossy Oak Greenleaf Turkey TSS won Outdoor Life's Editor's Choice award for best TSS load. The ammunition, featuring #9 and #10 pellets with 1,096 pellet count, earned praise from Editor-in-Chief Alex Robinson for exceptional pattern density and penetration at 60 yards.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is hosting a free great blue heron viewing event on April 18 at the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Wildlife Education Center in Farmington. DWR biologists will assist visitors in spotting herons nesting in the rookery, with spotting scopes and binoculars available.
Team Winchester and Team White Flyer achieved 17 podium finishes at the 2026 NSCA Western Regional in Tucson, Arizona, with standout performances from shooters including Zach Kienbaum, Anthony Matarese, Kayla Wilgus, and others across multiple class divisions.
Team Krieghoff shooters achieved strong results at the 46th Annual Southern Grand in Odessa, Florida, with Richard Marshall, Jr. co-winning the Singles Championship after a 450-target shoot-off, while Zach Nannini secured the Handicap Championship and Deborah Ohye Neilson dominated the Lady II division with multiple titles.
The inaugural Gee's Bend Spring Yard Show on April 25 in Wilcox County offers visitors an opportunity to experience the internationally renowned quilters' artistry and heritage. Organized by Visit Gee's Bend in partnership with local residents and the Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association, the community-led event features quilts and handmade items available for purchase directly from quilters' yards.
CCW Safe is hosting a live town hall on March 25 featuring "The Armed Defender's Dilemma" series with self-defense litigator Shawn Vincent, criminal defense attorney Don West, and firearms instructor Steve Moses. The interactive session will cover legal considerations, tactical decision-making, and psychological aspects of self-defense incidents for concealed carriers.
Georgia's Coastal Resources Division is seeking public comment on a proposed amendment to saltwater fishing regulations that would allow certified shellfish master harvesters to collect maricultured oysters during summer months with expanded harvest windows, based on University of Georgia research showing safe practices when proper cooling and handling are followed.
Hatchery trout stocking operations will not occur at Mormon Reservoir and Little Camas Reservoir during the 2026 season due to low water levels caused by below-average snowpack. IDFG will redirect trout to other Magic Valley Region waters and continue monitoring conditions for potential resumption when levels recover.
National Walleye Tour anglers John Hoyer and Duane "Dewey" Hjelm switched to Norsk Lithium batteries for the 2026 tournament season, citing reliability, customer service, and recommendations from fellow anglers like Jay Siemens and Will Pappenfus. Norsk Lithium batteries offer 4,000+ charge cycles and a 10+2 year warranty, providing anglers with dependable power for electronics and trolling motors.
Michigan's DNR Master Angler program released 2025 results showing 4,391 approved entries from 3,577 anglers, a 25% increase over 2024. The revamped online application reduced errors, with Lake Michigan producing the most awards across 760 different bodies of water.
Whitetails Unlimited awarded $10,000 to the Louisiana Wildlife Agents Association (LWAA) to support their annual conference. The LWAA comprises Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement agents and retirees dedicated to hunting and fishing education, conservation, and wildlife protection.
Yamaha Motor Corp., USA announced Q4 2025 grants totaling nearly $250,000 to 11 organizations across nine states through the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative. Funding supports trail infrastructure, bridge construction, youth riding education, and stewardship efforts, bringing 2025 total funding to over $1 million toward the program's $10 million goal by 2028.
The Bay Mills Indian Community's long-term care facility in Brimley, Michigan received $50,000 from the Michigan Mass Timber Catalyst Program. The project is among 10 statewide recipients sharing $400,000 in funding to advance mass timber construction across Michigan.
Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry President Ronnie Ritter and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Deer Management Assistance Program Coordinator Jeremy Brown reported record success in their partnership with deer camps. During the 2025-26 season, hunters harvested and donated 715 deer across 52 clubs, generating 23,595 pounds of venison and 128,000 packages of shelf-stable snack sticks distributed to needy families and school backpack programs.
Wyoming Game and Fish Department aquatic invasive species inspectors intercepted a watercraft from Oklahoma with viable zebra mussels attached to its hull. Working with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, officials quarantined the vessel and required professional decontamination before launch. The incident demonstrates the importance of year-round watercraft inspections and multi-state coordination to prevent invasive mussel spread.
The University of Montana's Wildlife Biology Program named Heather Johnson as the new Boone and Crockett Professor of Wildlife Conservation, the sixth researcher to hold this position since its establishment in 1993. Johnson, a researcher with the Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, specializes in large mammal conservation and climate change impacts on wildlife.
Bob Ameen's velvet blacktail deer scored 115 0/8, earning recognition from the Pope and Young Club as the largest bow-harvested velvet typical blacktail in North America. The deer was shot in Southeast Alaska and surpasses the previous record by 5 1/8 inches. The animal will be displayed at the Pope and Young's Biennial Awards Convention in Little Rock, AR, April 8-10, 2027.
Aunt Betty, 92, shares family stories and life wisdom on The Michael Waddell Podcast, presented by Spandau Arms in partnership with Folds of Honor and Cigars International. The episode features heartwarming conversations about the Waddell family's homesteading heritage, Great Depression and WWII experiences, and Michael Waddell's roots in Booger Bottom, Georgia.
As Michigan's 2026-27 ORV season begins April 1, riders heading to Silver Lake State Park's 450-acre ORV Scramble Area in Mears should prioritize safety on the unique dune terrain. Key tips include maintaining situational awareness, operating within vehicle capabilities, staying visible, and avoiding fatigue-related incidents.
Davidson's partnered with Smith & Wesson to introduce the first threaded barrel Shield X pistols from Performance Center, featuring blue PVD finishes, redesigned slides with ClearSight technology, and Ameriglo night sights. Item 14801 includes a thread protector (MSRP $699), while item 14802 features a Strike Industries compensator (MSRP $749).
Galco unveiled the Combat Master 2.0 Belt Holster, an updated version of its classic pancake holster designed for modern EDC preferences. The professional-grade holster features optic cutouts, a raised sweat guard, premium steerhide construction, and twin belt slots for enhanced comfort and concealment.
GRITR Range in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas is expanding its firearms training program with advanced-level classes including Pistol Red Dot Skills, Concealment Dynamics, and Performance Pistol/Rifle courses. Sign-ups will open soon, with prerequisites required for enrollment.
Nexus Outdoors announced a partnership aligning ScentLok and Blocker Outdoors with Drop Zone Hunting TV for its 16th season on the Outdoor Channel. The collaboration features ScentLok's scent-control technology and Blocker Outdoors' Finisher Turkey Series integrated throughout the season with hosts Greg Zipadelli and Hal Shaffer.
The Nebraska Master Naturalist Program offers Spring Core 24 Training on April 10-11 and 17-18 at the Schramm Education Center near Gretna. Participants will receive certification training combining classroom instruction with hands-on field experience guided by conservation experts in Nebraska ecology and conservation practices.
The Sage-Grouse Implementation Team will meet April 8 at 10 a.m. at the Wyoming Oil & Gas Conservation Commission in Casper. The team, comprising state and federal agencies, industry, and non-governmental organizations, works to maintain greater sage-grouse populations under Wyoming's Sage-Grouse Executive Order.
First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park hosts a full moon hike on April 1 led by ranger Andy Keller. The three-mile guided hike begins at 7 p.m., features sunset and moonrise views, and includes park history. A $4 fee and advance registration are required.
Shooting USA features the Franklin Armory M-14 Heritage Match from the CMP National Match at Camp Perry, highlighting the rifle's historical significance. Jessie Harrison provides a Taurus ProTip on maximizing rimfire training benefits.
Fish and Game reports 89% of collared mule deer fawns and 99% of collared elk calves survived through February, exceeding long-term averages. Deer and Elk Coordinator Toby Boudreau notes the mild winter is helping southeast Idaho herds recover, though March and April remain critical as young animals' fat reserves deplete.
Millions of trout, bass, walleye and other species are stocked by states across the nation to support sport fishing—but some conservationists are starting to question the tactic. (Ohio DNR)
There’s a growing argument making the rounds in elite publications that state wildlife agencies are undermining conservation by stocking nonnative fish.
Some states have gone so far as to try to wipe out smallmouths, walleye, brown trout and other introduced species in some of their waterways.
The logic goes like this: introduced species can disrupt ecosystems, therefore stocking trout, bass, or other nonnative fish is environmentally irresponsible—especially when agencies also spend money fighting invasive species elsewhere.
On paper, that sounds tidy. On the water, it doesn’t make sense in many cases.
Stocking fish isn’t a relic of ecological ignorance. It’s a practical response to a landscape that has already been radically altered—and one of the few tools left that keeps people invested in fixing it.
Most of the waters Americans fish today are not pristine, native systems waiting to be restored to some imagined baseline. They are reservoirs created by dams, urban ponds, flood-control lakes, channelized rivers, warmwater tailraces, and streams reshaped by agriculture, logging, and development that occurred generations ago. In many of these places, the original native fish communities cannot survive no matter how much we wish they could.
Stocking doesn’t “ruin” those waters. It gives them purpose.
A human-made reservoir without a managed fishery isn’t a thriving ecosystem—it’s just a flooded valley. Stocked fish convert altered water into something socially and politically valuable. They bring anglers. Anglers bring funding. Funding supports habitat work that benefits everything else in the system, from insects to birds to non-game fish.
That reality is often dismissed as economics trumping ecology. In truth, it’s ecology surviving because economics allows it to.
It’s true that introduced fish can have impacts. Fisheries biologists have known that for decades. That’s why stocking today looks nothing like it did in the early 1900s. Modern programs are targeted, regulated, and increasingly conservative. Sensitive watersheds are closed to stocking altogether. Native strongholds are protected. Sterile fish are used where reproduction would pose a risk. Some waters are stocked specifically to protect wild fish by absorbing angling pressure elsewhere.
Stocking high country lakes with trout via air drops has been going on for decades in many states, creating unique fisheries in some of the nation’s most beautiful areas. (Utah DNR)
This is not blind dumping. It’s triage for otherwise sick systems.
Critics often point to high-elevation lakes where trout introductions reduced amphibians and insects. Those impacts are real—but so is the response. Many agencies have already halted stocking in those systems, removed fish from select waters, or designated them as fishless preserves. That’s adaptive management in action, not denial. And plenty of these high-altitude fisheries still remain, for those who love the reward at the end of a long high-country hike.
The same goes for concerns about competition and hybridization. These risks are well understood, and in many cases already addressed through watershed-level planning, genetic safeguards, and selective stocking bans. Where native fish can realistically recover, agencies increasingly prioritize habitat over hatcheries. Where they can’t, stocking maintains public use without pretending the system is something it no longer is.
What often goes unsaid in these debates is who actually pays for conservation.
Anglers and boaters do.
Fishing license sales, excise taxes on tackle, boat fuel taxes, and registrations fund the overwhelming majority of aquatic conservation work in this country. That includes non-game programs, endangered species recovery, water-quality monitoring, riparian restoration, dam removal, and streambank stabilization—projects that benefit far more than the fish and the anglers.
The idea that stocking exists only to “sell licenses” misses the point. Participation is conservation. When people fish, they have skin in the game. They notice when water turns muddy, when access disappears, when new invasives like silver carp show up, when habitat is lost. They show up at public meetings—although they could be better at it in some areas. They support funding measures. They demand better management.
Fish stocking has been accepted across the U.S. for many years, with horseback stocking for some areas common in the early going. (Utah DNR)
Remove the fish—and we don’t get a renaissance of native biodiversity. We get apathy.
There’s also a quiet contradiction in calls to shift conservation funding away from anglers toward non-consumptive users. Hikers, birders, and paddlers absolutely care about healthy ecosystems—but they are not currently paying at a scale that sustains professional wildlife management. Until that changes in a meaningful, durable way, dismantling the user-pay model risks collapsing the very system critics say they want to improve.
It’s hard to envision the anti-stocking folks ponying up for an annual license to hike or bike or camp—more likely, that financing will remain on the shoulders of anglers and boaters.
Stocked fish are the reason conservation still has a paying constituency in many locations.
The real threats to native fish in most areas aren’t hatchery trucks. They’re warming water, altered flows, legacy pollution, invasive mussels, poor land use, and political indifference. Stocking doesn’t cause those problems—and eliminating it won’t solve them.
What stocking does is keep people connected to the water while the harder work of conservation and restoration continues.
