NASCAR, Dead Grizzly Bears, Tree Diseases, YouTube Censorship & More 

A Look At The Past Week In The Wide World Of The Great Outdoors 

The No.10 Ford Mustang Dark Horse Is Wrapped With Winchester & Ready for Bristol 

Winchester fans will be happy to know that the No.10 Ford Mustang Dark Horse driven by Noah Gragson is sporting Winchester. It’ll be on the track for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. The track has 26-30 degrees of banking in the turns and 6-10 degrees on the straightaways. This will be the 127th Cup race hosted at Bristol Motor Speedway. Drivers will make 500 laps around the half-mile oval. 

Check out the race on Saturday, September 21. The famed night race returns to Bristol as one of the most popular races in NASCAR. Viewers can catch the race on USA or streaming on NBC Sports. 

Team Winchester and Team White Flyer Perform Well at NSCA South Central Regional 

Both Team Winchester and Team White Flyer performed quite well at the NSCA South Central Regional, which took place in Fort Worth, Texas. At the event, more than 500,000 targets were thrown and 150,000 Winchester AA target loads fired. 

Team Winchester had a lot of winners, including: Joe Fanizzi (Junior Main Event – 3rd, FITASC Junior 3^rd), Zach Kienbaum (5-Stand – Runner Up), Connor Daniels (Super Sporting – Junior Champion, 5 Stand – Junior Champion), Desi Edmunds (Super Sporting – Ladies Runner Up, FITASC Ladies – Runner Up), Mike Wilgus (Veteran Main Event 3^rd), and Kayla Wilgus (Super Sporting – Ladies Champion). 

In the Winchester Ladies Cup standings, top results included champion Karen Miles, runner-up Kiersten Sales, and 3^rd place Haylyn Hanks. 

This is the last stop along the 2024 NSCA Championship Tour before the season finale. The latter of which will be hosted at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio, Texas. 

Winchester Announces Hunting Rifle Ammo Rebate 

Shooters and hunters should be happy to know that Winchester recently announced a hunting rifle ammo rebate. This applies to eligible hunting rifle ammo, including Winchester Ballistic Silvertip, Copper Impact, Deer Season XP, Expedition, and Power Point. The rebate applies to eligible purchases between September 15, 2024, and November 30, 2024. Visit Winchester.com and follow directions to properly submit the rebate. 

Three Grizzly Bears Killed in Montana 

Last month, two grizzly bears were removed because of depredation. The southwestern Montana bears were killed because they continually attacked and killed livestock. 

The first was killed in the Gravelly Mountains after continually killing sheep. Many attempts were in place to prevent this, including hazing the bear, guard dogs, moving livestock, etc. Nonetheless, it continued to occur. 

Another bear was killed in Paradise Valley. It repeatedly killed cattle, even after the rancher moved cattle twice. The bear continued to attack the herd. 

Both bears were removed on August 21. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, all worked together in these cases. 

“Specialists with FWP and Wildlife Services work to help landowners, producers and communities avoid bear conflicts,” a report stated. “Promptly reporting bear conflicts can make a difference for the health of the bear and the safety of communities. Some corrective management efforts, when applied early, can be effective in discouraging bears from being close to humans and livestock and reduce future conflicts.” 

Incredibly, a third bear was killed, but by hunters who experienced a dangerous encounter with the bruin. The event took place as bowhunters were hunting near Tepee Creek, which is north of Yellowstone. 

The two hunters were charged by a sow that had two yearling cubs. The hunters killed the bear with handguns. One of the yearling cubs charged, too, and was shot and injured. The hunters were not injured. 

“Bear specialists, game wardens, and a helicopter pilot with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, as well as law enforcement staff with the Custer Gallatin National Forest, visited the site on Wednesday,” a report stated. “They confirmed the mortality of the adult bear, an older female. Officials found evidence of a yearling bear being injured, but they did not locate the yearling bears. No further management action by FWP is planned. This incident is still under investigation by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, who also provided assistance this week.” 

Oak Wilt Discovered In Marquette County, Michigan 

Recently, oak wilt was discovered in Marquette County, Michigan, which is located in the Upper Peninsula. This is an often fatal oak tree fungus, and the infectious tree disease continues to spread. 

“Oak wilt is a tree disease caused by the fungus Bretziella fagacearum,” a report said. “It spreads from tree to tree by underground root contact or through tiny, sap-feeding beetles that carry spores from fungal pads on infected trees to wounds on healthy oaks. The fungus can kill red oaks within weeks, while white oaks are better able to withstand the disease.” 

“If you have oak trees, it is important to be aware of the symptoms of this disease and report them if you see them,” said Simeon Wright, forest health specialist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. 

Guns.Com to Quit Publishing Videos On YouTube 

In perhaps a rather shocking move, and in sobering news, Guns.com will no longer publish content on YouTube. 

“We pride ourselves in creating content that is educational, informative, and entertaining to gun owners nationwide,” states Managing Editor, Scott Gara. “Our customer base is in the U.S., but our content has a global reach. Unfortunately, YouTube continues to move the goalposts with its restrictions and censorship, which is unsustainable for brands in the firearm industry. Our main YouTube channel will remain unless they take it down; however, we will no longer post new content.” 

Check back next week for more news in the hunting, fishing, and firearms spaces.