Outdoor News Update

Friday, June 30, 2017

Plano Synergy Ends Association With Busbice, Cancels Wildgame Nation

Over the course of the past 48 hours, Plano Synergy became aware of a situation which required swift and decisive action.

Today, Bill Busbice and Plano Synergy mutually agreed to end their association. Bill Busbice and his partners sold their outdoor brands to Plano Synergy in 2013. Since then, Bill has been providing services under contract to Plano Synergy, principally as a host of the Wildgame Nation television program, until today when that relationship was severed. Plano Synergy will also be cancelling the Wildgame Nation TV show.

Plano Synergy has a culture that is grounded in integrity and great respect for the outdoors. This comes with the expectation that we will always do the right thing. Our decisions will always reflect our commitments to our customers and consumers. We have a deep respect for the law, tradition and the ethical practices of our sports. We take pride in serving our industry and promote the fair and lawful practices of game hunting. Every day we strive to be a company that is trustworthy, respectful and fair with our consumers, employees, customers and business partners.

We thank you for your trust.

Sincerely,
David E. Dudick
Chief Executive Officer



About Plano Synergy
Plano Synergy's foundation is built on an unrelenting passion for the outdoors. It's the very same passion we share with our customers, and why each and every product within our family of trusted high-performance brands is carefully conceived, designed and manufactured to elevate the outdoors experience. No matter how advanced or basic the need, Plano Synergy delivers hunters, anglers and outdoor-lifestyle enthusiasts the specific products that maximize the satisfaction earned from a day – or a lifetime of seasons – in the field or on the water. Plano Synergy's diverse portfolio of quality brands delivers exceptional engineering, performance and value to outdoors enthusiasts of all levels of experience and ability. These premier brands include Ameristep, Avian-X, Barnett Crossbows, Bloodsport, Caboodles, Creative Options, Evolved, Flextone, Frabill, GroundEFX, Halo Optics, No Limit Archery, Plano, Tenzing, Wildgame Innovations and Zink Calls. Hundreds of Plano Synergy-branded products are made right here in the USA. Learn more at www.planosynergy.com.

Outdoor News - Fishing

FISHING NEWS:   NEWGLSF 43^rd ANNUAL SALMON FESTIVAL will be starting on Friday June 30^th at 12:01AM. Derby Headquarters is the Manitowoc Marina and the other weigh in station is THE WHARF in Sheboygan. The derby runs on June 30, July 1, July 2, and DO NOT FORGOT there is a PARTY ON JULY 4^TH ALL DAY DOWN AT DERBY HEADQUARTERS and stay to watch the Fireworks in the evening. Bands will be playing all days including July 4^th. For more information go the NEWGLSF website at: www.newglsf.org and please sign up for a membership.  You really need to see all their meetings, some are geared just for the kids at times. Also, the meal after the meetings are worth your time to go to them. So, I hope to see all of you down at the Derby and you can also listen to Capt. Bruce on the CUB Radio Sport Fishing Reports all weekend long reporting on the catches of the day. Tune into 980AM and listen for Capt. Bruce.  SUPER DERBY IS ON JULY 1^ST AND SO IS THE KID’S FISHING DERBY ON SATURDAY from 7am till 10:30AM.  Get down there and enjoy the fresh air while watching the kids fish.

39^TH ANNUAL TWO RIVERS FISH DERBY AND FESTIVAL will be on July 21,22, 23, 2017. The SUPER K DERBY is on Saturday July 2^nd with the cooler check between 4 am to 5am that Saturday morning and all boats must be inside the Two Rivers pier head by NOON. All prizes will be handed out on Sunday July 23^rd at Walsh Field in Two Rivers. Everyone is welcome to come on down and listen to the bands and eat some good food and drink a few cold ones. Capt. Bruce will be also announcing the leader board during his shows over the weekends.

36^TH ANNUAL CLEVELAND FISHING DERBY will be held on July 28^, 29, 30, 2017 in Cleveland, WI.  Grand Prize is $750 and 1^st place in each category is $250. So, come on down the Hika Park for their Friday Night Fish Boil from 4pm to 9pm with carry-outs available. On Saturday July 29^th there is a Fisherman Raffle at 1pm and 2pm and you MUST be present to win. Additional fish registration prizes will also be given out. Other raffle prizes available at Derby Headquarters. For Ticket and Derby Information call:  Jason Sohn after 5pm at 920-693-2111. The Cleveland Super Derby is $50 per boat entry fee. Regular derby ticket prices are $20 per Adult Ticket and $10 per child (15 & Under) with Purchase of Adult Ticket. Listen to Capt. Bruce for the fishing derby information. 

OUTDOOR NEWS

Outdoor News:   DNR TO HIRE 20 FULL-TIME CONSERVATION WARDENS; new & experienced urged to apply.  The DNR needs to fill vacancies statewide in a process officials say will recognize experience in compensation packages and welcome all levels of applicants. The application period opens on June 30, and close at the end of the business day July 14^th. The group of 20 will start in January and become the class of 2018. To learn more about the career and to contact Lt. Jeffrey King with questions about compensation and more, search the DNR website,  dnr.wi.gov, for Warden Recruit.

SPRING WATERFOWL SURVEY results show good production with lots of wetlands and the numbers of waterfowl for 2018 is showing good growth. The Canada Goose population estimates up from 2016 and due to all the rain we have been receiving this spring has made the breeding of waterfowl a very good thing, with the mallard population expected to jump this year. To view the full survey results for 2017, visit:  dnr.wi.gov  and search keyword “waterfowl”.

$5 FISHING LICENSE:  GET HOOKED ON FUN OVER THE JULY FOURTH HOLIDAY, All Wisconsin First Time buyers can get a $5.00 fishing license or a reduced price one-day fishing license, and you just might get hooked on some family, friends, or visitor fun fishing for the coming July 4^th holiday. People can buy fishing licenses in two convenient ways, over the Internet through GO WILD or at any authorized license agent.

PUBLIC-DO NOT FORGET THAT MOST FIREWORKS ARE ILLEGAL IN STATE FORESTS AND PARKS.  Remember, Fireworks can and will cause forest fires, so please check with the local DNR office and to check the fire danger levels throughout Wisconsin. Please be sure to check with the proper people about using any types of fireworks before using them. Protect those around you, check first before striking that match.

WATERFOWL BANDS MUST BE REPORTED ONLINE BEGINNING JULY 2^ND.  Previously used phone number will no longer be in service – reporting to be done online.  Go to the internet and type in:  www.reportband.gov.  Just remember that the 800 number on the band is no longer working, so just use the internet system.

OUTDOOR EDGE CANCELS SPONSORSHIP OF “WILDGAME NATION”.  David Bloch, owner of Outdoor Edge, the company that produces quality knives and tools for all outdoor activities, announced that they have severed all sponsorships with Bill Busbice and the show “Wild Game Nation” in light of Busbice’s recent conviction and sentencing for game violations. Outdoor Edge sponsored “Wild Game Nation” for the previous three and half years. Although all ties to the show have been severed, future airings of the show may still show Outdoor Edge as a sponsor. On May 23, 2017, the court accepted Busbice’s guilty plea to the charges of intentionally allowing an antlerless Elk to go to waste and taking an Elk without a proper license. Busbice could have been jailed for 180 days, but was given probation of 1 ½ years. Additionally, Busbice was fined the maximum for both offenses and their restitution charges ($23,000) and had all game and fish license privileges revoked for a period of two years. All actions by Busbice was recorded and you can hear him say they need to get rid of the illegally killed cow Elk. This was Busbice’s second time cited for previous wildlife violations. So no matter how big of a name you are, crime does not paid. This conviction can cost him millions of dollars.

Conservation News from DNR

SUBJECT: City of Manitowoc to receive financial assistance for lead service line replacement
http://dnr.wi.gov/news/releases/article/?id=4264
MADISON-The City of Manitowoc is one of 35 municipalities to complete a financial assistance agreement with the state that will allow the city to assist private property owners in fully replacing lead service lines that supply water to homes, schools and day care centers.
Through the Lead Service Line Replacement Funding program for FY17, Manitowoc will receive $350,000 in financial assistance in the form of Principal Forgiveness (PF), which means no debt is incurred on behalf of the municipality for these funds.
This funding will go toward replacing an estimated 130 lead service lines that connect homes, schools or day care centers to a water main.
The DNR conceived the funding program last year following a decision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to allow the state greater flexibility in allocating loan funds for water infrastructure projects. Another $13 million will be awarded to qualifying municipalities in FY18.

This program reflects this administration's commitment to safe drinking water and addresses the financial barriers facing communities where lead service lines continue to deliver drinking water to customers.

Outdoor News Fishing

Manitowoc Co.

• Another week of severe weather made fishing on the lake or along the lakeshore a challenge. Most days the weather was too bad for anglers to even try at attempting to take their boats out. This again made it very difficult to collect many interviews.
• Saturday June 24th, anglers were able to take their boats onto the lake and many people took advantage of the calmer morning. However, most of the boaters reported very few if any luck catching fish. Fishing parties averaged about 3 fish for 3 people in about 4 hours. Most of the fish were Coho Salmon with a few Rainbow Trout and Chinook Salmon.
• With all of the rain rolling through the area, the rivers have significantly increased in velocity, depth, and turbidity. This has also caused a slight drop in the water temperatures along the lakeshore, bringing them closer to 50°F-52°F. Increased turbidity can also be seen along the lakeshore as the streams are carrying a great amount of sediment from runoff into the lake.

Kewaunee Co.

• Salmon fishing in Kewaunee County this week has been slower than past weeks, but fish have still been coming in consistently in lower numbers. As storms rolled through many nights this past week, anglers had to spend more time finding fish than catching them, but some did have success. The bags were mixes of chinooks and rainbows, with almost no cohos reported. Many rainbows were reported to have been caught in slightly deeper water (100-200 feet) all throughout the water column on both flasher/fly combos and spoons, with no particular color catching more fish. Chinooks came most frequently in the 60-100-foot-deep range, down 30-50 feet on both flasher/fly combos in green, blue, or white, and on spoons in green or patterns like watermelon. The few cohos that came in were caught on orange dodgers with peanut flies, in no noticeable patterns of water depth.

Sturgeon Bay

• Because of the weather, few anglers in boats launched on the bay of Green Bay-side of Sturgeon Bay, and those which were interviewed had almost no luck targeting walleye or perch. No interviews were obtained from smallmouth anglers who were fishing in boats.
• Shore fishing remains consistent for perch, smallmouth, and rock bass at Sunset Park and Stone Quarry landings. Anglers have continued to catch some sizeable perch fishing with worms or minnows with a bobber or dragging a jig on bottom. Many anglers that are catching the bass are targeting perch and catching all three species in the same way. Few interviews were obtained towards the weekend because of some windy and rainy weather.
• Anglers who launched at Sawyer Park and headed to Lake Michigan had some success over the weekend. Although only a few anglers were interviewed, the catches were similar, consisting of more chinooks than anything else. Boats were bringing in 1 rainbow and 3-4 chinooks per group, and those anglers reported more boats were fishing around them. The best water depth was about 60-90 feet, with flasher/fly combos in green or white down 35 feet being the most productive presentation.

Outdoor News

Join Friends of the Branch River as we host the amazing ROB ZIMMER OUTDOORS as he presents  “WILD   EDIBLES” at Woodland Dunes Nature Center in  lower meeting room THURSDAY AUG 10.

12:00 Rob Zimmer presentation on Wild Edibles and samples!
1 pm (after talk) Potluck Lunch

2 pm hiking Woodland Dunes trails searching for Wild Edibles!

Please let Emily Endter know (920)323 –3486 if you are interested in attending. We would love to have your favorite dish at our potluck too— please let me know what you want to bring!  We will have hamburgers and brats as the main course. Side dishes, desserts, snacks, and drinks are all welcome! FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!! Donations graciously appreciated!

A HUGE thank you to Wisconsin Public Service Foundation for your Grant to Friends of Branch River to help support our Summer Event!  Also to the West Foundation!

Outdoor News

OUTDOOR NEWS:   NRA-ILA DAILY ALERT FROM MONDAY 6-26-17:  ILLINOIS:  Crossbow Legislation sent to Governor Rauner’s desk for his signature. The House passed Senate Bill 1467.  KANSAS: Legislature adjourns from 2017 Legislative Session, after numerous fights and many attempts to water down the pro-gun law from taking effect later this week.  WHY CALIFORNIA GUN OWNERS MAY BE BREAKING THE LAW ON JULY 1^ST, sweeping new gun laws passed last year by California voters and legislators require those with magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition to get rid of them by July 1^st.  (Editor’s Note:  See what happens when you allow Democrats and Liberals into office, you lose your rights.) FROM NEW YORK TIMES: Bloomberg’s Next Anti-Washington Move; $200 Million Program for Mayors. See how much money is being spent by one person to take away your 2^nd Amendment Rights today, it’s a shame the public who own firearms doesn’t do more to protect their rights from being taken away by a few.

NATIONAL SHOOTING SPORTS FOUNDATION continues Support of NATIONAL HUNTING AND FISHING DAY which will be held on Sept. 23^rd, 2017. Congress established National Hunting and Fishing Day to recognize hunters and anglers for their leadership in fish and wildlife conservation. Since launching in 1971, each fourth Saturday in September is set aside as NHF Day. This year’s NHF Day is set for Sept. 23^rd with NASCAR LEGEND Richard Childress serving as honorary chairman. Each year, thousands of people participate in NHF Day events across the country to commemorate the foundation of conservation through fishing & hunting.

LOCAL HOME TOWN NEWS:  Jagemann Sporting Group is proud to announce the launch of its JAG Magazines for the Glock 42 and Glock 43. The polymer magazine feature increased strength over standard polymer magazines. They are produced with the tightest tolerances ensuring a quality, high performing product. The magazines are designed with improved follower geometry and round stacking for ease of use and disassembly. Jagemann is currently accepting orders on the Jag 17 and Jag 19 available in Black, Brown, Grey, Pink, Red, Robin’s Egg Blue and Green. Jag 42 and Jag 43 magazines in Black are shipping and available now. Jag 42 and Jag 43 magazines in color options are also available now. The Jag 22 and 23 are in development and testing and will be available to the market soon.  For more information about the products, go to:  www.jagemannsportinggroup.com.