Lee R. Anderson received the Beretta & Safari Club International Foundation Conservation Leadership Award at the 11th Annual Award Gala in Nashville, Tennessee. The prestigious award, sponsored by Beretta, recognizes Anderson's exemplary leadership and lifetime commitment to wildlife conservation, outdoor education, and humanitarian service.

Montana's Smith River permit lottery remains highly competitive, with 8,711 residents and 2,860 nonresidents applying for 995 available float permits in the 2026 drawing. June 15 was the most sought-after launch date with only a 1.87 percent success rate. Remaining permits and a Super Permit drawing offer additional opportunities through March 15.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department tested 1,224 animals for chronic wasting disease in 2025, confirming 16 deer positive for CWD across multiple hunting units. CWD was newly detected in units 2B and 3D2, with surveillance data guiding future management decisions.

The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) is supporting a third federal lawsuit challenging the National Firearms Act's registration requirements for silencers and short-barreled rifles. After President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill eliminating NFA taxes, SAF argues the government's constitutional authority for the law no longer applies. SAF now backs three cases: Brown v. ATF, Jensen v. ATF, and Roberts v. ATF, which includes plaintiffs Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership, Center for Human Liberty, American Suppressor Association Foundation, Buckeye Firearms Association, and Meridian Ordnance.

Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) announced a new challenge to the National Firearms Act of 1934, Roberts v. ATF, filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Plaintiffs including T.J. Roberts, Zachary Cockrell, Meridian Ordnance LLC, Buckeye Firearms Association, Center for Human Liberty, Jews for the Preservation of Firearm Ownership, and American Suppressor Association Foundation seek to declare NFA regulations unconstitutional.

Women for Gun Rights hosted 12 social media personalities with over 13 million combined followers at WOFT in Orlando, Florida for hands-on firearms training. Participants received instruction on firearm safety, situational awareness, and Second Amendment issues. Sponsors included 1st Phorm and CZ-USA.

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation awarded $400,000 to the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies to fund three state-led projects in Nevada, Washington, and Wyoming aimed at conserving big game seasonal habitat and migration corridors. Projects include sagebrush habitat enhancement, shrubsteppe restoration, and moose GPS collar tracking along the Green River.

The Montana Fish & Wildlife Commission has closed LMU 280 to all hunting of male mountain lions effective one-half hour after sunset on Friday, February 27th, 2026.

Montana FWP encourages hunters to thank landowners for providing private land access through the Thank a Landowner web portal, which closes March 15. Hunters can submit thank-you notes and photos that FWP will mail to landowners in spring, with over 600 submissions received last year.

By order of the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission, bobcat hunting and trapping will close in Region 6 on February 28th at midnight. Hunters can check current quota status on FWP's website.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife proposed 2026-27 hunting and trapping season dates to the Ohio Wildlife Council, including white-tailed deer, waterfowl, and small game seasons. Public comments are accepted online through April 1, with a statewide hearing scheduled for April 8. If approved, the proposed rules take effect June 30, 2026.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks opens online vehicle registration April 1-19 for shed antler hunters accessing the Blackfoot-Clearwater Wildlife Management Area on May 15. A new 2025 law prohibits nonresidents from shed hunting on WMAs during their first seven days open, requiring a $50 Nonresident Shed Hunting License.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is expanding its eHarvest digital tagging system beginning with the 2026 license year, allowing hunters to digitally tag deer, turkey, bear, bobcat, otter, fisher, and marten through the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish mobile app. The expansion follows successful pilot programs and offers hunters convenience while reducing administrative costs.

Vihtavuori, a world-renowned smokeless reloading powder manufacturer, unveiled its new brand look at the IWA Outdoors Classics exhibition in Nuremberg, Germany, February 26-March 1st. Sales and Marketing Manager Olof Borgstrom confirmed the product range remains unchanged while new branding will appear on bottle labels throughout the year.

Lipsey's, a leading firearms distributor, announced construction will begin in April 2026 on a new 265,000 square foot corporate headquarters and distribution center in Baton Rouge next to Ruffino's. The project, developed with Arkel Construction, Ritter Maher, and Powers Brown Architects, will feature advanced logistics, expanded storage, and upgraded technology infrastructure.

Wildlife Forever announces 2025 Clean Drain Dry Initiative results reaching 47 million media impressions. University of Wisconsin–Madison research confirms boaters exposed to Clean Drain Dry and Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! messaging are more likely to remove aquatic plants and drain live wells, preventing invasive species spread.

The National Rifle Association is hiring a Field Representative for Northern California and Oregon to manage Friends of NRA fundraising events, volunteer committees, and grant promotion. The role requires strong leadership, organizational skills, and experience in business management and fundraising.

The South Carolina Waterfowl Association and its Outdoor Heritage Institute program were featured at the Safari Club International Convention in Nashville, where Founder and CEO David Wielicki presented on the South Carolina Conservation Education Act as a national model for conservation literacy. SCWA's programs, including Camp Leopold and school-based initiatives, combine classroom instruction with outdoor experiences to build youth knowledge and stewardship.

Hornady Security unveils its Mobilis Safe series for 2026, featuring three modular safe variations with digital locks, tamper-proof construction, and 2300°F fire protection. The customizable safes accommodate different firearms and accessories with Square-Lok interior wrapping and 120V power strips.

SnapSafe introduces the Super Titan, a modular gun safe combining full-sized security with portability. The UL-listed digital lock safe assembles in minutes without additional tools, holds 24+ long guns, and features fire protection up to 2300°F with a lifetime warranty.

CCI Ammunition has begun shipping High Bar Air Gun Slugs designed for modern air rifles and pistols. The initial product line includes 22-caliber options featuring Segmented Hollow Point and standard hollow-point designs, with two additional options coming soon.

Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. announces the release of the M&P9 M2.0 Metal with a direct-mount Aimpoint ACRO slide cut. The 9mm striker-fired pistol features a 7075-T6 aluminum frame, ClearSight Cut technology, optic-height night sights, and includes two 17-round magazines with interchangeable palmswell grip inserts.

Savage Arms introduces its 110 Pro Series, featuring the 110 Core Hunter Pro and 110 Ultralite Pro rifles with AccuFit V2 systems, customizable stocks, and factory-installed Omniport muzzle brakes for enhanced accuracy and performance.

SK Guns announces the second installment of its Outlaws & Bandits Series featuring a limited edition run of 200 Colt 1911s chambered in .38 Super, each engraved with a special edition number. The commemorative pistol honors Joaquin Murrieta, a legendary figure of the California Gold Rush era, with intricate 24k gold engravings and details celebrating his cultural significance.

Nebraska Game and Parks invites grades 6-12 educators to a free Educator Field School at Niobrara Valley Preserve June 16-18, featuring wetlands exploration, river kayaking, and water quality testing with conservation biologists to develop classroom resources on aquatic ecosystems.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources marked 125 years of owning property for wildlife conservation and public recreation, beginning with the Burraston Ponds Wildlife Management Area purchase in 1901. Today, the DWR manages 149 wildlife management areas spanning over 500,000 acres throughout Utah.

Cowboy Kent Rollins and wife Shannon premiere a Season 1 marathon of Cast Iron Cowboy on Outdoor Channel Saturday, Feb. 28, 7-11 p.m. ET, featuring their 1876 Chuck Wagon visits to authentic working ranches across America including the JA Ranch, Stuart Ranch, and Diamond A Ranch.

Arizona Game and Fish amended Article 4 (Live Wildlife) rules are now effective, included in the February 2026 Laws and Rules Book. Key changes include clarifications on restricted aquatic wildlife, desert tortoise possession limits of one per person and four per household, Wildlife Service License requirements, and cervid record-keeping mandates for five years.

Despite the fact many of our fellow U.S. attendees are still struggling to make air connections to get to IWA 2026, it is very much underway in Nuremberg, Germany.

The facilities are very much high tech and architecturally awesome, but they just might be more dispersed than SHOT Show. But spacious aisles and a decidedly slower pace make it much more easy on both your feet and your patience.

A slower pace makes for more conversations. And more conversations lead to more insight into what’s going on in the industry since SHOT Show. With show seasons all but over, manufacturers are telling me that they’re seeing signs that 2026 will be somewhat improved over last year. That optimism, however, was tempered by one CEO who admitted that everything was predicated on something outrageous not happening in Washington. As he explained it, “there’s always the chance our Commander in Chief will say: ’that’s nothing. Hold my Diet Coke and watch this.”

It brought a laugh, but it also reinforces what more than one CEO told me: price uncertainty is a real thing. But the price uncertainty, while a “real” thing for imported products, isn’t because of tariffs.

So what’s behind the hikes? Commodity prices.

Prices for raw goods for anything from nitrocellulose, lead and copper for ammunition to high-tech components continue to vacillate across the board.

Eventually prices will have to rise to cover the raw goods price increases. Ammunition, for example, has already had price increases. I have been told it’s reasonable to expect increases anywhere from seven to ten percent to be industry-wide. That’s partially due to the continued war been the Soviet Union and Ukraine. As was explained to me, every 155-howitzer round fired by Ukrainian artillery requires the equivalent of 4,000 rounds of small arms powder.

And it appears the “investment” in Ruger by Beretta Holding is more than simply an investment. News broke earlier this week that not only had the Luxembourg-based Beretta Holding increased their stake in Ruger to ten percent, they were preparing to wage a proxy contest with Ruger in a plan that included nomination of four executives to Ruger’s nine-member board.

Earlier this week, Ruger announced changes to their board, with former CEO-Chris Killoy, Sandy Froman and Rebecca Halstead retiring from the board. They have been replaced by a trio of executives with extensive automotive and aerospace manufacturing experience: : Aaron Rivers, Stephen Timm and Lorin Cassidy Wolfe.

While Beretta formally refuses to comment or to engage in “substantive” talks with Ruger, business news sources are reporting plans to nominate four board candidates at the next Ruger board meeting. The names being reported include Fernbrook Capital Management managing partner William Franklin Detwiler, Frederick Disanto, CEO of Ancora Holdings, Inwood Capital Management founder Michael Christodolou, and former Vista Outdoor CEO Mark DeYoung.

Meanwhile, Ruger’s shareholder protection plan (commonly known as a “poison pill”) remains. If, however, Beretta’s proxy fight did result in seats on the Ruger board, the “Beretta directors” could push other board members to revoke the plan.

Looks like interesting times between now and the next Ruger shareholder meeting. Their next board meeting is only days away.

I’m tracking on reports that another major gun company’s ownership may be interested in pursuing a sale. It’s the latest “hot rumor” here in Nuremberg, but that’s all it is- a rumor. But in a small industry, rumors sometimes have a foundation in fact. We’ll keep you posted.

The next couple of days at IWA promise to be even more interesting, but not because of anything unexpected inside the exhibition halls. Earlier today, on-site media was notified that strikes were planned for public transit on Friday and Saturday.

This trip began with snowstorms and delays leaving the United States. Guess public transit strikes shouldn’t come as a shock.

As always, we’ll keep you posted.

—Jim Shepherd