Montana Congressional Challenger, Mark French, Calls for Immediate Reduction of Wolf Population in Montana

Paradise, Montana (Mar. 27, 2010) – Montana Congressional challenger, Mark French, is calling for an immediate reduction of the wolf populations in Montana, citing four main points. First is the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) policy of eradicating a species that represents an “emerging threat” to a native endangered species, as has become apparent with the current non-native wolf species introduced in the state. Secondly, the presence of a harmful parasite enhanced in Montana through introduction of this non-native wolf subspecies. Third is the direct threat of domestic predation as seen last week with the miniature horses near St.Regis and the recent killing of a healthy female jogger in Alaska. Lastly is the obvious and severe decline in the wild game populations linked directly to wolf predation. Read more

Update: Military Brass Destruction and ATK March 27, 2010

Having suffered a “Zumbo moment,” corporate giant ATK now seeks to redeem its image after its aggressive run at destroying all used military brass. Even though ATK was actively soliciting military installations to join its brass destruction program as recently as last Wednesday, ATK said in a fresh press release on Friday, “ATK fully supports the provision passed by Congress last year to ensure that demilitarized spent brass casings remain available for civilian use.”

Industry and gun culture insiders report that ATK head Mark DeYoung is one of us, a gun owner and sportsman. Great. However, to refurbish its image and get beyond this “Zumbo moment,” ATK will need to do more than simply post a statement announcing that it now fully supports a congressional ban on brass destruction enacted last year. Read more

MSSA Candidate Questionnaire

I’ve just sent the following message about the MSSA 2010 Legislative Candidate Questionnaire to about 300 Montana legislative candidates by email. The same message is going out to ALL candidates by postcard today. Feel free to review this CQ if you want to know what issues MSSA will have before the 2011 session of the Montana Legislature.

Gary

Montana Shooting Sports Association
2010 Legislative Candidate Questionnaire

Dear Montana Legislative Candidate,

MSSA is the primary political entity asserting the rights and prerogatives of gun owners and hunters in Montana.

We appreciate your willingness to serve the people of Montana in the Legislature. The gun owners and hunters of Montana would like to know more about you and your positions on issues of interest to them.

MSSA’s 2010 Legislative Candidate Questionnaire is posted at:
http://www.progunleaders.org/lcq2010

Please complete this Questionnaire and return it to us by mail or email at your earliest convenience for our candidate evaluations and endorsements.

Thanks!
.
Best wishes,

Gary Marbut, president
Montana Shooting Sports Association
http://www.mtssa.org
author, Gun Laws of Montana
http://www.mtpublish.com

Wolves: “The Sad Story of Idaho and Montana”

Ungulate Herds at the Hand of Wolves

Editor’s Note: The following file was written and assembled by Lynn M Stuter, March 24, 2010. The photographs contained in this file are used by permission and the publication of this file on this web site was granted by the author. I have made only a portion of the entire file available here. The entire piece is contained in a pdf including the photographs. I encourage all readers to read the facts and view the photographs.

The pictures you will see in this notebook have been taken in the Lolo Zone in Idaho, Units 10 and 12, except for the first section of pictures of the 6 x 8 bull elk, which were taken 30 miles outside Libby, Montana in the Winter of 2008. None of the pictures are easy to look at; they are actually quite gruesome, quite horrible, but tell a tale of what deer and elk have endured at the hand of wolves in Idaho and Montana. Read more

Military Cartridge Brass Destruction 2010 – Round 2

by Gary Marbut, President, Montana Shooting Sports Association

The cure that was arranged by Montana Senators Baucus and Tester to fix the intended military destruction of once-fired cartridge brass last year appears to be suffering from a fatal end-run.

Interested persons will remember that a year ago, helpful intervention by Montana’s senators persuaded the Department of Defense to rescind a fresh DoD directive to military installation commanders requiring them to destroy once-fired brass, prior to selling it at auction into the civilian marketplace for ammunition reloading and other purposes. Read more

MSSA County Coordinators

MSSA needs to get more involved in county-level races, especially for the position of sheriff. As the volunteer leader of MSSA, I simply don’t have time to reach to or be involved with county-level races. I can write and make available a candidate questionnaire for sheriff candidates, but it must be given to declared sheriff candidates and evaluated at the county level.

For that, MSSA needs people to volunteer to be MSSA County Coordinators. This email is to urge you to step up to the plate and volunteer for this position in your county.

So, please let me know if you are willing. Send me your name, a mail address, county name, a contact phone number and I’ll capture your email address from the email.

If I get more than one volunteer from any county, I’ll connect all volunteers in that county and let you folks sort out who wants to be the MSSA contact and MSSA County Coordinator in that county.

I’d like to have all volunteers in no later than next Monday.

I assume volunteers will be reasonably familiar with the concepts of freedom, constitutional government, and the right to bear arms. Eventually, we will build a Web page with a map of Montana where a person can click on a county and access contact information for the MSSA County Coordinator (maybe even a photo).

Thanks for your help sharing this part of the load!!

Gary Marbut, president
Montana Shooting Sports Association
http://www.mtssa.org
author, Gun Laws of Montana
http://www.mtpublish.com

Second/Tenth Amendment rally, Helena, Saturday, March 27th

There will be a Second Amendment and Tenth Amendment rally on the front steps of the Montana State Capitol Building in Helena at High Noon on Saturday, March 27th. The event is expected to last until about 2 PM.

Rally organizer Tim Ravndal is advising that any carried firearms be unloaded for safety reasons. Feel free to bring and display posters and banners. Tim says he has ordered nice weather for the event.

Gary Marbut, president
Montana Shooting Sports Association
http://www.mtssa.org
author, Gun Laws of Montana
http://www.mtpublish.com

Starting Out Young

by Mac Moad

Tanner Colten Moad, 5 years old, is one of the coolest kids I know. The youngest of 4 children of mine, Tanner never stops moving.
Before gun season in central eastern Oklahoma, the traditional bow season usually takes priority. I had taken the first week of bow season off from work in an attempt to tag out early at the request of my wife Lori. In her mind, if I was to tag out early, my deer season would then be “dear” season, with lots of additional chores getting done that get overlooked during each year’s deer season. Read more

Gun Safety Classes – Missoula area

Gun Safety for Personal Protection and Concealed Weapon Permits Course April 10th or April 18th

MISSOULA – A course entitled “Gun Safety for Personal Protection and Concealed Weapon Permits” will be hosted in Missoula by the Montana Shooting Sports Association and taught by Gary Marbut on both Saturday, April 10th and also on Sunday, April 18th. Both one-day courses will focus on safe handling, storage and use of handguns suitable for personal protection, selecting a personal firearm, issues of personal protection, allowable use of lethal force, concealed weapon permits, kids and gun safety, and shooting skills, and will include both classroom and shooting range sessions. Graduates will receive a credential qualifying them to apply for concealed weapon permits under Montana law. The class will begin at 9:00 AM, and finish about 4:00 PM. Class size is limited to the first 20 registrants and preregistration and pre-class study are required. The cost is $90 per student. Students should be 16 years or older. For further information or to register, call 549-1252 or email gary@marbut.com.
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Information: Gary Marbut, president MSSA, 549-1252

Note to prospective students: These two classes are the same, so you could attend on either the 10th, or the 18th. If you want into either class, call or email me and I’ll get you registered. If you send me an email, I will need your first and last name, a valid USPS mail address, a contact phone number, and which class you wish to attend.

Gary Marbut, president
Montana Shooting Sports Association
http://www.mtssa.org
author, Gun Laws of Montana
http://www.mtpublish.com

First Precision Rifle Match of the season, 4/17

The first Precision Rifle Match of the season is scheduled for Potomac for Saturday, April 17th.

Our rifle matches will be scheduled for the third Saturday of each month through October, possibly minus July and August depending on how the fire season evolves.

If you haven’t fired one of these matches before, be sure to review the Website for information about times, procedures, etc.
http://www.marbut.com/rifle

I will only send this one announcement to the general MSSA email list. I keep a separate email list for information about these rifle matches. If you wish to also be on the “Rifle List” to get announcements about upcoming and/or recent Precision Rifle Matches, shoot me an email and ask to be put on the Rifle List.

Best wishes,

Gary Marbut, president
Montana Shooting Sports Association
http://www.mtssa.org
author, Gun Laws of Montana
http://www.mtpublish.com