Iowa archers competed at the National Archery in Schools Program (NASP) Championship in Daytona Beach, Florida, June 18-20. Ava Boldt of South Tama County High School won first place in the 3D girls division and received a $5,000 scholarship, while Emily Mourlam of Center Point-Urbana High School earned runner-up honors with a $4,000 scholarship.
Chef Jean-Paul Bourgeois and his series "Duck Camp Dinners" received a James Beard Foundation Award in the Lifestyle Broadcast Media category. The show, now in Season 4 on MyOutdoorTV and Outdoor Channel, explores Louisiana's wetlands and Cajun culinary traditions.
Troy Mills Wildlife Area near Troy Mills, Iowa spans 323 acres of sand prairie, timber, and wetlands along the Wapsipinicon River. Jason Auel, wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Cedar-Wapsi Unit, highlights the area's diverse recreational opportunities including fishing, hunting, and mushroom foraging, noting it remains popular despite being overshadowed by nearby Buffalo Creek.
Florida's Fourth District Court of Appeal ruled in Eubanks v. State that the state's ban on public carry by 18-to-20-year-old adults violates the Second Amendment, citing Firearms Policy Coalition victories in Worth, Lara, and Reese. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced his office will not appeal the ruling.
Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC), the Second Amendment Foundation, and Louisiana Shooting Association filed an opening brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Reese v. ATF, challenging the district court's limited relief after prevailing against the federal age-based handgun and ammunition purchase ban.
The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), Louisiana Shooting Association, and Firearms Policy Coalition filed an opening brief challenging the limited scope of an injunction in FPC v. ATF. The Fifth Circuit previously ruled the federal firearms purchase ban for adults under 21 unconstitutional, but the district court restricted relief to Fifth Circuit residents only.
Indiana Conservation Officers Logan Hodges and Luke Tincher completed advanced public safety diving instructor training through Dive Rescue International, strengthening the Indiana DNR's scuba team of approximately 40 officers. In 2025, the team completed over 600 dives including 35 body recoveries and 40 vehicle recoveries statewide.
Georgia's Coastal Resources Division hosts Beach Week 2026 June 29-July 1 at Jekyll Island, St. Simons Island, and Tybee Island. Free family-friendly events feature interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, and live horseshoe crabs, with partnerships including University of Georgia Marine Extension, Georgia Sea Grant, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Keith Warren and Johnny Piazza hosted the annual High Road Viewer Appreciation Party in Conroe, Texas, drawing over 250 attendees. The event raised substantial funds for the Texas and Louisiana Chapters of SCI through raffles, auctions, and sponsor support, advancing conservation efforts and hunting heritage preservation.
The Buckmasters Expo, presented by Mountain Dew, returns to Montgomery Renaissance Convention Center August 14–16 for its 31st year. Featuring over 300 booths, the Bulls & Buckmasters Professional Bull Riding Show, and appearances by personalities including Macy Watkins, Nate Hosie, and Randy Birdsong, admission is free with a canned food donation benefiting Friendship Mission.
Montana's yellow and green tag paddlefish seasons closed June 15 with an estimated combined harvest of 497 fish, significantly impacted by low river flows. The harvest included 409 fish from the Yellowstone River and seven from the Missouri River downstream of Fort Peck Dam, with biological data collected to support future population management.
Whitetails Unlimited granted $125,620 to 4-H programs during the 2025-2026 fiscal year to support youth shooting sports and leadership development. The organization's Target Program aims to preserve the hunting tradition for future generations through hands-on learning experiences.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission offers nine urban archery deer hunts this fall to manage deer populations in semi-rural and suburban areas. Hunters must complete the International Bowhunters Education Program, pass a shooting proficiency test, and donate their first deer to Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry. The Arkansas Bowhunters Association, Bull Shoals Urban Bowhunters Association, and Hot Springs Village Property Owners Association coordinate orientations for their respective areas.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation is accepting applications for its Special Family Hunts, offering families dedicated hunting opportunities on specified WMAs at Okmulgee GMA and Cross Timbers WMA in late 2026. These unguided hunts provide a focused setting to build skills and create traditions without crowds or competition.
Viridian Weapon Technologies announced that Iron Valley Supply, a Birmingham-based distributor with roots dating to 1923, has become an authorized distributor of Viridian's optics, lasers, and weapon-mounted lights. The partnership expands Viridian's distribution network and provides dealers nationwide access to the company's innovative firearm technologies.
YHM, a leading firearm suppressor manufacturer founded in 1951, announced David Workman as its new Marketing Manager, replacing retiring Tim O'brien. Workman will oversee YHM's marketing operations, brand strategy, and representation at industry events including SHOT Show and the NRA Annual Meeting.
Viridian Weapon Technologies announced that Lipsey's, one of the largest independently owned firearms distributors based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has become an authorized distributor of Viridian's green dot optics. This partnership expands product availability to dealers nationwide and strengthens Viridian's distribution network.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources urges boaters and anglers to clean, drain, and dry their equipment to prevent aquatic invasive species from spreading to new water bodies. Jason Euchner, aquatic vegetation management biologist, warns these invasive species can reduce native species and impact outdoor recreation quality.
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development confirmed the state's first detection of elm zigzag sawfly in St. Clair County. The invasive Asian insect, identified by the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, feeds on elm leaves but poses no significant threat to people, animals, agriculture, or natural resources. Residents are encouraged to report suspected sightings using the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network reporting tool.
Remington introduced Performance Wheelgun 22, a rimfire cartridge engineered for classic 6-shooter revolvers. Featuring a 39-grain truncated cone bullet and 770 fps velocity, the ammunition delivers low noise and minimal recoil, now shipping to dealers nationwide.
Hawke Optics announces the Vantage HD 30 SF riflescopes featuring System H2 optics, 30mm chassis, and advanced turret systems at affordable prices. Available in 4-16x50 and 6-24x50 magnifications with multiple reticle options and illumination, backed by Hawke's No-Fault Lifetime warranty.
Henry Repeating Arms is shipping the America's 250th Anniversary Tribute Edition Collection, featuring three collector-grade lever-action rifles including H1 .22 S/L/LR models and an H10 .45-70 Gov't rifle. Each features American flag Cerakote on nickel-plated receivers and Fancy-grade American walnut stocks to commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary of independence.
Adrenaline Research Labs (ARL) announced record growth and a partnership with Palmetto State Armory as a premier dealer. The company launched AlphaBlast, a new rimfire binary explosive target engineered for .22 LR and suppressed subsonic rounds, expanding ARL's product line alongside AlphaCharge and the Obliterator Series.
The Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association (ALBBAA) released a 72-page travel guide showcasing the region's 23 counties, featuring outdoor recreation, cultural attractions, dining, and festivals. The guide highlights destinations like the Freedom Quilting Bee, Chattahoochee River Whitewater, and Moundville Archaeological Park, available in print and digital formats.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources seeks volunteers to mentor youth at the DNR's Pocket Park in Escanaba during the Upper Peninsula State Fair, Aug. 17-23. Volunteers will help with fishing, archery, pellet guns, and other outdoor activities. Businesses and organizations can sponsor shifts with recognition provided.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is hosting a virtual public comment opportunity on June 30 for the revision of Wyoming's State Wildlife Action Plan. Rhiannon Jakopak, the State Wildlife Action Plan coordinator, emphasized the plan's goal to proactively conserve species and habitats through coordinated statewide efforts. Written feedback is accepted through July 27.
The Arizona Game and Fish Commission will hold a public meeting on Friday, June 26, at 8 a.m. at the Payson Public Library in Payson, Arizona. Complete agendas and information on viewing the meeting or speaking to the commission are available at www.azgfd.com/commagenda.
Governor Mike Braun and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources announced that Salamonie River State Forest and Frances Slocum State Forest will transition to Indiana State Parks management effective July 1, adding over 1,400 acres of forestland in northern Indiana while maintaining recreational opportunities including hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, and horseback riding.
Giant Springs State Park in Great Falls is hosting free Trivia Nights every Tuesday evening from July 7 through August 25, featuring family-friendly questions in four rounds. Teams of seven or fewer can compete for prizes, with registration available on-site before 7 p.m.
Shooting USA features USPSA Racegun 2025 competition at Southern Utah Shooting Sports Park, showcasing Open and Limited Optics divisions. The episode also covers 10/22 rifle customization for family use and accuracy enhancement. Airs Wednesday 9:00 PM ET/PT on Outdoor Channel.
The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is launching its annual online turkey brood survey from July through August. Citizens are encouraged to report wild turkey sightings, including flock size and location, to help turkey biologist Toni Mikula monitor population productivity and assess weather impacts on poult survival.
Montana FWP receives hundreds of calls yearly about baby animals, often from well-intentioned people who inadvertently endanger them. Ali Pons, wildlife center program manager for FWP, explains that human scent can cause mothers like deer and rabbits to abandon their young. Wildlife rehabilitators and Montana WILD's Wildlife Center recommend assessing situations and contacting professionals before handling baby animals.
Rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHDV-2) was confirmed in wild cottontail rabbits in Kamas and black-tailed jackrabbits in the West Desert by the Utah Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Veterinarian Ginger Stout advises hunters to follow safe handling practices, as the highly infectious virus can spread through contaminated materials and predator feces.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks conducted spring aerial surveys across Region 5 to assess mule deer populations and fawn recruitment. While mild winter conditions resulted in above-average fawn recruitment in some areas like Big Coulee and Deadmans trend areas, most of south-central Montana showed below-average population numbers, with Red Lodge district recording historically low counts.
While recreational and commercial fishers have long been at odds, the commercial take, properly managed, is an essential part of the nation’s food supply. (Wiki Media)
President Donald Trump took a swing at fisheries policy two weeks back week and, in the process, demonstrated just how far rhetoric can drift from reality once it leaves the dock. Admittedly the Pres has a lot more than fisheries on his mind these days, but just for the record:
In remarks announcing the reopening of several large protected offshore areas to commercial fishing—in itself no bad thing in most areas--Trump claimed those waters had effectively been “given away” to foreign fishermen by previous U.S. administrations and that U.S. seafood consumers—lobster lovers in particular—were paying the price because American waters were supposedly locked up.
Neither claim survives even a cursory look at how fisheries management actually works in the United States.
Those offshore areas were not being “fished by foreigners.” They were closed by U.S. proclamation and regulation, meaning no one—foreign or domestic—was legally harvesting fish inside them. Outside the lines, yes, international fleets operate on the high seas under regional fishery management organizations. Inside U.S. monuments and reserves, fishing pressure went to zero by design. That was the point.
The lobster claim was just simply untethered. The American lobster fishery remains one of the most productive and heavily regulated in the world. U.S. waters from Maine southward are not closed to lobster fishing; they are worked intensively under trap limits, size rules, v-notching, escape vents, and seasonal controls refined over decades.
There are so many U.S. lobster traps in the water in many areas along the northeast coast that navigation is a crapshoot due to the tens of thousands of tethered buoys marking their location, and every seaside village has local lobster for sale in restaurants and roadside stands.
Canadian lobster shows up in U.S. markets because Canada also has a massive fishery and because seafood trade between the two countries is deeply integrated, not because American lobstermen have been fenced out of their own grounds. (Warming coastal waters—definitely happening no matter what we think overall about “global warming”—is moving a lot of the lobster population further north, however. Eventually a lot of that population is going to be on Canada’s side of the line, a problem for future generations of lobster harvesters to sort out.)
What Trump’s comments revealed is a recurring problem in fisheries politics: the conflation of access with abundance, and closures with failure. Modern U.S. fisheries management—overseen by NOAA Fisheries and regional councils—does not operate on the simplistic idea that more water automatically equals more fish. It operates on stock assessments, rebuilding timelines, bycatch thresholds, habitat protection, and long-term yield. That framework has rebuilt dozens of once-depleted stocks and kept many more from collapsing. It is also why American commercial fisheries are widely regarded as among the best-managed on the planet.
Huge foreign factory ships like this one are definitely a threat to U.S. fisheries, but they are for the most part banned from coastal waters. (Wiki media)
That doesn’t mean every closure was perfect, or even necessary.
Some of the offshore areas now being reopened were vast, remote, and lightly fished even before protections were imposed. For highly migratory species like tuna and swordfish, a line on a map offers limited biological benefit when those fish cross entire oceans.
From the perspective of U.S. commercial fishermen, especially longliners and pelagic fleets, reopening these zones restores access that never clearly threatened the resource to begin with. It may also reduce pressure to push farther offshore into less regulated international waters, where enforcement is uneven and conservation outcomes are often worse.
There is also a legitimate argument that blanket monument-style closures sidelined fishermen without fully integrating them into the conservation conversation. Fisheries management works best when those who make a living on the water have buy-in, not when decisions feel imposed from above with little regard for economic reality or operational nuance.
But there is another side of this ledger, and it matters just as much.
Some of the reopened areas protected habitats that recover slowly or not at all once damaged—deepwater corals, seamount ecosystems, canyon walls shaped over millennia. These places are not interchangeable with open shelf waters. Even limited commercial activity can leave marks that last far longer than a political cycle. Removing protections without a clear, science-based replacement risks trading durable conservation gains for short-term access.
A discussion might better have acknowledged that some monument closures were blunt instruments, that adaptive management might serve both fishermen and fish better, and that reopening certain areas could be done cautiously, with gear limits, monitoring, and trigger points tied to stock health. Instead, the speech leaned on false premises: foreigners stealing fish, Americans locked out, consumers shortchanged by regulation.
That framing may play well politically, but it does nothing to improve fisheries outcomes. U.S. fisheries are not struggling because managers forgot to let Americans fish. They are navigating a far more complicated landscape shaped by changes in the fisheries themselves, global markets, ecological limits, and decades of hard-won regulatory progress.
Lobsters are heavily harvested from the waters of New England—but not by foreign fishers. Most lobstermen are U.S. citizens. (Wiki Media)
The reopened areas may yield benefits for some fleets and regions. They may also erode protections that were doing quiet, valuable work beneath the surface. Both can be true at once. What isn’t true is the notion that U.S. fisheries management has been some grand act of self-sabotage finally corrected by reopening lines on a chart.
If the goal is stronger domestic fisheries, the path forward is careful, transparent management grounded in science, economics, and accurate, honest input from working fishermen.
Sometimes it’s simply better to take the win and hold the comments, but that has proven to be challenging at times for this administration. In any case, the changes will benefit U.S. fish harvesters and consumers in the short term, and if the take is too great, it’s likely future administrations will put any needed regulations back in place.
