Outdoor News: Deadly Deer Disease Outbreaks, Wolf-Centered Lawsuits, Drones in Deer Hunting & More

Check Out These Hot News Items & The Latest Guns & Hunting Gear

Much is afoot in the world of hunting and outdoors. New products are hitting shelves. Big decisions are being made. And several things are rocking the deer hunting world. Here’s the latest outdoor news you need to know:

Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) Outbreak in the Midwest

Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) — a viral disease deer contract from the bites of small flies called “midges” — is rearing its ugliness yet again. Of course, it occurs somewhere every year but tends to move and strike different areas each summer and fall.

While the disease isn’t fatal for every deer that contracts it, deer herds with low immunities tend to see higher mortality rates. Because most EHD strains originated in the Southeast, and are spreading northward, higher mortality rates are seen in northeastern, midwestern, and western whitetails.

Currently, the areas getting hit hardest include Indiana and Michigan. It’s hitting the hardest in the northern third of Indiana, and a few southwestern counties. In Michigan, it’s largely confined to the southwestern region of the Lower Peninsula.

Stay tuned as this disease continues to spread. It won’t stop until the first frost, which can’t come too soon.

Sportsmen’s Alliance Sues Fish and Wildlife (FWS) Over ESA Wolf Petition Inaction

EHD isn’t the only issue in Michigan. Wolves are inking headlines, too. On September 9, the Sportsmen’s Alliance filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). This suit is to “compel FWS to issue findings on two petitions requesting gray wolf delisting and downlisting under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).”

“Today, we’re making good on our promise to sue the Fish and Wildlife Service for its failure to timely respond to our petitions in accordance with the ESA,” said Michael Jean, Litigation Counsel at the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation. “Unsurprisingly, the agency has asked us on multiple occasions to refrain from bringing this suit. But we will never refrain from holding agencies accountable to their statutory mandates to scientifically manage wildlife.”

“The ESA is crystal clear in its petition process – FWS must issue a preliminary 90-day finding on our petitions and make a final decision within one year,” said Torin Miller, Associate Litigation Counsel at the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation. “FWS has done neither, and we’re happy to remind them that the ESA’s provisions are not optional.”

Drones Continue to Spark Debates in Deer Hunting

For the past several years, in the deer hunting world, drones have been a hot debate topic. In recent seasons, hunters began using drones to recover harvested deer. A lot of states are banning, or at least contesting, the use of these for this. That said, others are embracing it.

Missouri is one of the latter states. However, restrictions apply. For example, operators must get permission from the private landowner or public land manager. Furthermore, they cannot have a weapon on their person while the drone is in operation. Other rules must be followed, too.

Springfield Armory’s New Echelon Handguns Hitting the Market

Echelon recently released a series of new handguns, and each one is impressive. The Echelon 4.5-Inch 9mm Handgun with Manual Safety is a sleek gun. It’s a great striker-fired duty pistol. It includes numerous great features, including a robust stainless-steel chassis, an incredible optics mounting system, frame-mounted ambidextrous thumb safety, and more.

Likewise, the Echelon 4.5-Inch 9mm Handgun also comes in a Manual Safety 15-Round model. This option offers increased capacities for more demanding situations.

Finally, the Echelon 4.5-Inch 9mm Handgun with Manual Safety also comes in a Low Capacity offering.

These guns come with an all-new Central Operating Group that’s self-contained and serialized. This provides a very durable and reliable housing.

FALCO Holsters Announces Holster & Gear Expansion

FALCO offers a vast range of hunting and firearms accessories, including belt holsters, belt pouches, chest holsters, rifle cases, rifle slings, and more. Its line of firearm accessories products is now expanded to provide even more offerings. The same is true for its hunting products. Each of these is designed with purpose-driven features.