Apply Now for Spring Turkey Hunt Permit

Wild Turkey in New Jersey

The Turkey Hunting Booklet has been discontinued.

Spring 2020 season information

is found in the

2019-20 Hunting Digest

on pages 14 and 58-61 and below:

Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information 2019-2020

(pdf, 475kb)

Spring Turkey Permit Application Information

Apply NOW!

Changes to Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge Hunt Program

Spring 2019 Turkey Season Harvest Data

The Division\’s Turkey Restoration Project represents one of the greatest wildlife management success stories in the history of the state. By the mid-1800s, turkeys had disappeared in New Jersey due to habitat changes and killing for food. Division biologists, in cooperation with the

NJ Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation

, reintroduced wild turkeys in 1977 with the release of 22 birds. In 1979 biologists and technicians began to live-trap and re-locate birds to establish populations throughout the state. By 1981 the population was able to support a spring hunting season, and in December, 1997, a limited fall season was initiated.

There is now an abundance of wild turkeys throughout the state with turkeys found wherever there is suitable habitat. In South Jersey, where wild turkeys had been struggling just a few years ago, intensive restoration efforts have improved population numbers significantly. The statewide population is now estimated at 20,000 – 23,000 turkeys with an annual harvest of approximately 3,000 birds.

Youth turkey hunters

aged 10 to 16 with a

Youth License

can obtain a \”Y\” permit which allows them to hunt in any hunting period in the zone that they obtain a permit for during the spring season. Youth hunters aged 10 to less than 14 must be under the supervision of a licensed adult who is at least 21 years of age. The adult does not have to have a turkey permit, but they do have to have a regular license. This regulation applies until the youth takes a turkey. After taking a turkey, the youth is subject to the same hunting period and zone restrictions as an adult. There is also the special statewide

Youth Turkey Hunting Day

each year.

Spring turkey permits are awarded via a

lottery

followed by over-the-counter sales; the lottery application period is January 25-February 22. There is no lottery for the fall season.

REGULATIONS/PERMIT INFORMATION

2018-2019 Wild Turkey Hunting Season Regulations and Information

(pdf, 190kb)

Turkey Hunting Area Map

Spring 2019 Lottery Quota Information

(pdf, 85kb)

Turkey Hunting Area Boundary Descriptions

(pdf, 100kb)

Turkey Permit Information

Turkey Check Stations

(pdf, 110kb)

HARVEST/POPULATION DATA

Wild Turkey Harvests and Population Estimates, 1981 – 2019

2004-2019 Spring Gobbler Season Harvest Data

Public Turkey Hunting Land

(pdf, 280kb)

Primary Turkey Range and Public Land in NJ

Turkey Hunting Tips and Basic Information for the Turkey Hunter

Principal Foods for Wild Turkeys

Turkey Patterning Target

(pdf, 50kb)

ADDITIONAL LINKS

Wildlife Technician Joe Garris Honored

(NWTF news release, 2/21/09)

NJ Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation

Hunting Regulations

Small Game Information

Hunter Education

Farmer Information

Wildlife Management Areas

Forms

Feature Articles

Governor\’s Surf Fishing Tournament May 17, 2020

Beautiful Weather Ushered In the 28

Annual Governor\’s Surf Fishing Tournament

The annual

Governor\’s Surf Fishing Tournament

is held on the third Sunday in May at

Island Beach State Park

In 2020 the tournament will be held on Sunday, May 17.

A variety of species are eligible for entry in the tournament each year. Overall length determines the winner. All fish must meet minimum length tournament requirements. Tournament fishing hours are 6:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The individual who catches the overall largest fish wins the \”Governor\’s Award,\” and has his/her name engraved on the Governor\’s Cup, which is permanently displayed at the park. Fishing equipment is awarded to winners who catch the largest fish in each species category. Winners from the early entry drawing and the tournament must be present during the afternoon awards ceremony to claim their prizes or they will be forfeited.

Anglers planning to participate in the tournament should always register early: doing so entitles you to save on the adult registration fee, be eligible for special prizes and avoid delays when entering the park.

The 2020 early entry incentive ends April 24, 2020

. After this date, anglers are required to register at the tournament beginning at 5:00 a.m. at Pavilion #1.

Brochure and Registration Form

(pdf, 3.7mb)

HIGH SCHOOL TEAM CATEGORY

The High School Team Category is for high school aged students, who are part of a formal fishing club, members of a

Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs

group, or a non-formal group.

The tournament entry fee is waived for student teams, and admission to the park is free for registrants. For more information see the flyer linked below.

High School Team Flyer

(pdf, 900kb)

High School Team Registration Form

(pdf, 780kb)

The school team category is supported by the following organizations:

The Fisherman

The Reel Seat

Fish Hawks Saltwater Anglers Club

Shark River Surf Anglers

Hooked on Fishing – Not on Drugs New Jersey

All tournament anglers need to complete the

NJ Saltwater Recreational Registry

prior to the event.

Questions can be directed to 609-748-4347.

PAST TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

Winners of the Governor\’s Surf Fishing Tournament, 1992-2019

(pdf, 65kb)

A Day of Family Fun At 27

Annual Governor\’s Surf Fishing Tournament

16 Year Old Wins Governor\’s Cup With 34\” Bluefish At 26th Annual Governor\’s Surf Fishing Tournament

Bluefish Blitzes Liven 25th Annual Governor\’s Surf Fishing Tournament

Hundreds Enjoy 24th Annual Governor\’s Surf Fishing Tournament

Sunny Skies and Lots of Action at 23rd Annual Governor\’s Surf Fishing Tournament

Anglers See Through Fog to Enjoy Governor\’s Surf Fishing Tournament

Anglers Enjoy Another Successful 2012 Governor\’s Surf Fishing Tournament

Beautiful Fall Day Greets Anglers at the 20th Annual Governor\’s Surf Fishing Tournament

Anglers Brave High Winds and Rough Surf to Make 19th Annual Governor\’s Surf Fishing Tournament a Success

Anglers Enjoy Family at the 2009 Annual Governor\’s Surf Fishing Tournament

Anglers Enjoy Beautiful Weather at the 2008 Governor\’s Surf Fishing Tournament

Winners of 2007 Annual Governor’s Surf Fishing Tournament Announced

South Amboy Man Earns Top Honors at 2006 Governor\’s Surf Fishing Tournament

Anglers Enjoy Beautiful Weather at the 2005 Governor\’s Surf Fishing Tournament

Anglers \”Sing the Blues\” at the 2004 Governor\’s Surf Fishing Tournament

2004 Governor\’s Surf Fishing Tournament Offers Great Fun for Families, Friends

(feature article)

DEP Commissioner and Governor Celebrate Surf Fishing at 2003 Tournament

11th Annual Governor\’s Surf Fishing Tournament Sunday Oct. 6, 2002

(feature article – includes complete winners list)

Governor\’s 11th Annual Surf Fishing Tournament a Reel Success

Governor\’s 10th Annual Surf Fishing Tournament a Success

Governor\’s 9th Annual Surf Fishing Tournament a Success

Governor\’s 8th Annual Surf Fishing Tournament a Success

Governor\’s 7th Annual Surf Fishing Tournament a Success

Governor\’s 6th Annual Surf Fishing Tournament a Success

The tournament is sponsored by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection\’s Division of Fish and Wildlife and

Division of Parks and Forestry

, the

New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen\’s Clubs

Jersey Coast Anglers Association

, and the

New Jersey Beach Buggy Association

32 Murders in 22 Days; Philly Councilman Calls for Stricter Gun Laws

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 23, 2020 – As gun violence continues to rage unabated in Philadelphia,

Council President Darrell L. Clarke

(5th District) today called for Council to authorize the hiring of legal counsel to file a lawsuit compelling the Commonwealth of

Philadelphia City Hall (Wikipedia)

Pennsylvania to enact stronger gun laws, or allow municipalities like Philadelphia, Pittsburgh or others to pass their own gun laws.

Last night, a 20-year-old man was shot and killed inside his Cobbs Creek home. It marked Philadelphia’s

homicide

already in 2020 – a 22-day-span. This represents an 82 percent increase in homicides in the city in the first three weeks of the year, compared with the same period last year. More than 100 youths under the age of 18 were shot last year – 14 fatally.

“People in Philadelphia are tired and frustrated with gun violence happening every day in their neighborhoods,” Clarke said. “32 homicides in 22 days! Toddlers shot in their homes, a shoot-out at a Target store parking lot – we must take action and we need every responsible elected official on deck. Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

Resolution

authorizing Council to retain legal counsel to file a lawsuit against the Commonwealth was co-introduced this morning by Councilmembers

Kenyatta Johnson

and

Curtis Jones Jr.,

on Council President Clarke’s behalf. Numerous other Councilmembers signed on as co-sponsors, including Majority Leader

Cherelle Parker

, Councilmembers

Derek Green

, and

Allan Domb

The resolution details the “ferocity and sheer volume of gun violence in Philadelphia” over the past several weeks – the impetus for the legislative action.

“WHEREAS, The ferocity and sheer volume of gun violence in Philadelphia shocks the conscience of all law-abiding citizens: Three men were shot to death in the first fifteen hours of 2020. On January 15, 2020, five people were shot in less than 30 minutes. On January 21, a triple shooting in a Target parking lot left one man dead. As of January 21, 2020, there have been 31 homicides in 2020, up a shocking 82% from January 2019, according to the Philadelphia Police Department’s webpage,

www.phillypolice.com/crime-maps-stats/

. Last year, 14 children under 18 were shot fatally with guns. The homicide rate in Philadelphia has risen steadily, from 277 in 2016, to 315 in 2017, to 353 in 2018, to 356 in 2019.”

The resolution goes on to note that gun violence is a

statewide

problem – not a city-only problem.

“WHEREAS, Gun violence is not confined to one city or state, but rather plagues communities across the country. Today, the public still mourns the tragic loss of life from the mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, and decries the General Assembly’s refusal to permit Pittsburgh’s City Council to use commonsense measures to combat the spread of rampant gun violence. Across the Commonwealth, gun violence claims the lives of more than 1,500 residents each year, according to the Giffords Law Center, which means that someone is killed with a gun every six hours in Pennsylvania.”

The resolution notes the failure of the PA General Assembly to take action to reduce and prevent gun violence across the Commonwealth – due to the strong influence of the gun lobby. The most recent example: after Council passed an ordinance last session prohibiting the possession of guns at city recreation facilities – the scene of several shootings last summer – the legislature took no action to approve legislation allowing Philadelphia to enforce that ordinance.

The Resolution concludes:

“RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby authorizes Council to retain counsel to file a lawsuit compelling the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to fulfill its obligation to protect the citizens of Pennsylvania by enacting, or authorizing municipalities to enact, legislation that addresses the public health crisis of gun violence.”

How to Cook Wild Game Meat

Gloucestercitynews.net (January 29, 2020)–When talking about wild game meat, it’s important to remember that we’re not talking about a single type of meat. Instead, wild game meat can come from all sorts of animals – from quail and hare to wild boars and deer. That’s why it can be a bit tricky to discuss general ways you can cook the meat as not all of them require the same treatment or temperature.

image courtesy of unsplash.com

That being said, we will try to give some guidelines on how to cook wild game meat the right way, which generally apply to most cases. Here, you will find some tips as well as some of the most common mistakes to avoid for a great cooking experience and delicious results. Check them out.

Temperature plays a huge role

The sous-vide cooking technique is definitely the preferred approach when it comes to cooking game meat. This low-temperature long-time cooking technique enables you to control the way in which your meat is being cooked to ensure that everything is cooked evenly. Since the game is usually best when served slightly pink this technique will allow you to avoid overcooking it as you will be able to control the temperature of the environment the meat is cooking in at all times.

The way you cut the meat is very important

Another thing you need to pay attention to is the way you cut the meat before you start preparing it. While there are some animals whose meat is similar to one of the domesticated breeds and doesn’t really require special skills, there are some animals that will require not only special skills but the right tools as well. That’s why you will need to ensure that you have the right equipment for the meat of your choice in particular. If you’re not sure where you can look for such utensils, you can always do some online research and find more information at this website –

https://thegearhunt.com/

Choose the meat carefully

Furthermore, in order to prepare a great dish, you first need to ensure that your main ingredient – the meat – is of the appropriate quality. If you are not the one who hunted the animal yourself, you will need to find a reliable vendor. This way, not only will you ensure that the meat you bought is actually the meat you intended to buy and that it’s safe for you to use, but you can also rest assured that the meat was treated properly. If you’re not sure how or where you can buy fresh game meat you can always resort to the frozen options.

Avoid common mistakes

In the end, you should get to know some of the most common mistakes people make when cooking wild game so that you can easily avoid them. The first and arguably the most important mistake to avoid is not letting the meat age properly. Since this process allows the enzymes in the meat to improve the flavor of the meat, it should definitely not be overlooked. Additionally, not marinating the meat can arguably destroy it. Since juiciness plays a huge role in wild game meat, it is very important to allow it to soak up all the juices and flavors from the marinade.

Even though cooking wild game meat will require somewhat of a different approach than cooking regular meat, it really is not too difficult to do it right, once you master the basics. One of the best tips for cooking game is to keep the dish simple and not overwhelm it with different spices. Instead, you should allow the quality and the taste of game to shine in its full glory.

“Journalist” Can’t Decide: Slumping Gun Sales or Best Year Ever?

source NRA-ILA

On the eve of the annual Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show in Las Vegas, Associated Press reporter Lisa Marie Pane wrote an article titled, “

Gun industry gathers amid slumping sales, rising tensions

.” But it seems as though the AP and their reporter were more concerned with promoting an agenda than accurately reporting the news or reviewing readily available data.

The story was published by the AP on January 19

, picked up by

ABC News on the same day

, and reproduced in various other national and local outlets in the following days.

The opening paragraph references “slumping sales,” and later paragraphs expound on the reasons and impact of this supposed downturn. The author also makes sure to gratuitously proclaim that the SHOT show is being held “about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) from the deadliest mass shooting modern U.S. history” [sic].

Slumping firearm sales? Really?

Pane’s half-cocked story came out about two weeks after

The Washington Examiner

published “

Record gun sales checks in 2019, NICS at all-time high: FBI

” and after

The Hill

published an article titled, “

2019 gun sale background checks highest since system launch in 1998

.”

NICS checks are not a mystery or a Friday afternoon news dump; detailed reports are issued monthly. In early December, MarketWatch published a piece titled “

Gun-purchase background checks on track for record high in 2019

.” Similar articles were run in other outlets.

Even the Associated Press itself ran such an article,

published on December 3

of last year and also picked up by ABC News on that same day.

The author?

You guessed it: Lisa Marie Pane, the

same

author who wrote the more recent piece alleging slumping sales.

Record-breaking pace or slumping sales? A closer look at the NICS reports can provide some answers.

The FBI reports there were 28,369,750

NICS firearm background checks in 2019 – the most ever.

Now, this number does include permit checks and rechecks but the FBI also provides a breakdown of NICS checks by type.

Last year saw the fourth-highest number of checks for handguns and the sixth-highest year for dealer sales checks ever.

That does not include NICS checks on private sales (41,775 last year) or all dealer sales to permit holders in the 24 states that issue so-called NICS-exempt permits, which can be used as an alternative to the NICS check when purchasing a gun from a licensed dealer.

That means that the number of sales checks may appear artificially low. As the FBI notes in the “NICS Firearm Background Checks: Year by State/Type” report, “Since the permit check is done in place of the NICS check in most of the affected states, the low handgun statistics are often balanced out by a higher number of handgun permit checks.”

In other words, some number of the 3,738,203 permit checks run in NICS exemption states were likely people who ultimately purchased a handgun (or other firearm) with their permits, perhaps even multiple firearms. The overall NICS records do not necessarily account for these permit-based sales. What we do know, however, is that there were a lot of NICS checks for the issuance of NICS-exempt permits.

Another important consideration is that firearms are durable goods – they do not spoil or breakdown, assuming minimal care. Firearms purchased in 2018 still exist. Firearms purchased in the late 90s, when NICS began, still exist. Not every year will be a record-breaking year for sales, and it can be misleading to label any year that doesn’t significantly top the last one as a “slump.”

Maybe Lisa Marie Pane can’t make up her mind, but we’re here to tell you: 2019

was

a record-breaking year for sales and permit checks in total. That indicates the American tradition of firearms ownership is as strong and vibrant as ever, and attendees at the 2020 SHOT Show have much to celebrate.

Meanwhile, the National Rifle Association continues to work hard to protect your Second Amendment rights, just as we have for 148 years.

DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Blotter: Jan. 13-19

Reminder for the week: Be cautious when boating icy waters or walking on frozen waterways

DOVER (Jan. 24, 2020) – DNREC’s Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police conserve Delaware’s fish and wildlife resources, promote boating safety, and protect the public through outreach, education, and law enforcement. To promote public compliance with laws and regulations, officers from Jan. 13-19 made 1,709 public contacts and responded to 45 complaints regarding possible violations of laws and regulations or requests to assist the public.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Actions

Officers issued a total of 45 citations for the following listed violations related to:

Wildlife Conservation:

Hunting at night, hunting illegally on a Sunday other than for deer, hunting on a refuge, hunting migratory waterfowl without required HIP number, hunting migratory waterfowl without required federal waterfowl stamp, hunting migratory waterfowl over illegal bait, unlawfully taken goose, hunting with an unplugged shotgun capable of holding more than three shells, removing antlered deer parts prior to checking, failure to tag antlerless deer, failure to check antlerless deer within 24 hours, possession of unlawfully taken red fox, wildlife area map violation – not hunting in assigned waterfowl blind, no conservation access pass, and unlicensed hunting.

Public Safety:

Failure to display required hunter orange during a firearms deer season, possession of heroin, possession of marijuana – civil, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Other:

Trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area, camping in a state forest without a permit, possession of alcohol on a state forest, obstructing gate on state forest lands, criminal trespass 3

, operating a motor vehicle off an established roadway on a state wildlife area, loitering, and driving with a suspended or revoked license.

DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife recognizes and thanks the majority of anglers, hunters, and boaters who comply with Delaware’s fishing, hunting, and boating laws and regulations. The public can report fish, wildlife, and boating violations to the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police by calling 302-739-4580 or using the free smartphone DENRP Tip app downloaded from the Google Play Store or iTunes App Store. Wildlife violations can be reported anonymously to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030, going online to

http://de.gov/ogt

, or using the DENRP Tip app; Verizon customers can connect to Operation Game Theft directly by dialing #OGT.

Are you AWARE?

With the cold weather, anglers, hunters, and winter outdoor enthusiasts are reminded of the potential hazards of ice and winter weather and encouraged to follow these safety tips:

Waterfowl hunters using a boat should watch ice conditions and currents carefully to avoid becoming locked in by ice. Drifting ice in tidal marshes and waterways also can complicate rescue efforts.

Anglers and outdoor enthusiasts should exercise extreme caution when venturing out onto ice, and should always take along someone who could provide or summon help in an emergency situation.

Examine ice carefully before walking on it. Freshwater ice should be a minimum of 2 to 3 inches thick, clear, and solid, with no thin spots caused by springs or currents. Be wary of snow on the ice, which can hide weak spots. For ice fishing, ice should be at least 4 inches thick.

Driving ATVs, snowmobiles, or passenger vehicles on ice is

strongly

discouraged. To support the weight of a vehicle, ice must be at least 7 to 10 inches thick. Without an extended period of extreme cold, ice is unlikely to reach this thickness in Delaware.

Future of the Pinelands Program Uncertain

Today the Pinelands Preservation Alliance (PPA) released its 13

annual

State of the Pinelands Report

. The report rates how specific actions of state and local government have helped or harmed the Pinelands during

2019.

The year 2019 marked the 40

anniversary of the landmark Pinelands Protection Act and the establishment of the Pinelands Commission. The central achievements of the Pinelands Commission and the Act are strong. Over its 40-year history, this agency has been able to withstand efforts to weaken or abolish the plan to protect the Pinelands.

Nevertheless, political and economic pressure are wearing away at the Pinelands Commission’s commitment to protect the Pine Barrens. There is a danger that the rules we all fought so hard to implement will become brittle and break away as the plan is weakened by political manipulation of the rules to benefit specific developments.

While this year brought a major victory for the Pinelands in the defeat of the South Jersey Gas pipeline, the Pinelands Commission has not advanced any of the policy reforms the Commission itself identified several years ago to ensure the long-term protection of Pinelands resources.

Just as bad, the Commission’s handling of pipeline applications over the past six years revealed major holes in its procedures, which it has refused to fix.

Even pipeline projects that have been defeated live on at the Pinelands Commission!

The Commission failed to pass a resolution withdrawing their approval of the South Jersey Gas pipeline at their January 10, 2020 meeting, even after the Appeals Court officially remanded the matter back to the Commission with directions to reconsider the approval in light of the changed facts.

At the same time, the Commission is trying to eliminate fundamental public appeal rights built into every part of the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP) since it was first adopted in 1980. And the Commission only encouraged the New Jersey Natural Gas pipeline (the so-called Southern Reliability Link) despite the plain language and intent of the CMP and the risks this totally unneeded project brings to the people living, learning and working along its path.

Just as troubling for the future of the Pinelands National Reserve is the fact that the New Jersey Senate held up the confirmation of the governor’s nomination of four vital Pinelands Commission members for a year. The nomination process must now start over since they expired at the end of the last legislative session (January 14, 2020).

“The Senate’s failure to confirm Pinelands Commission nominees places vulnerable and critical resources of water, forest and wildlife at risk, as the Commission has essentially ceased to function without these new members. There is no valid reason for the Pinelands to be left without enough active Commissioners to achieve its mission,” says Jaclyn Rhoads, assistant executive director of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance. “In recent months the Pinelands Commission has not even been able to muster enough members at its meetings to vote on matters large and small.”

On the plus side, the Commission took a small but important step in addressing climate change by forming the Land Use, Climate Impacts and Sustainability committee. The Commission also opened the new Candace McKee Ashmun Education Center at their offices in Pemberton with exhibits that highlight the natural and cultural treasures of the Pinelands. The education center is named after one of the greatest environmental heroes of Pinelands protection, Candy Ashmun, who is the last original Pinelands Commissioner still serving.

In 2019, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) worked to address stormwater pollution with efforts to bolster the use of green infrastructure and provide guidance for local governments to establish stormwater utilities. However, the DEP has not yet adopted clear and decisive measures to solve the critical issue of illegal Off-Road Vehicle use that continues damage land throughout the Pinelands.

This year’s report recognized the great work of municipalities like Hammonton and Evesham who installed green infrastructure projects to capture stormwater and allow it to infiltrate into the ground. Long Beach, Ventnor, Beach Haven and Brick took action to protect their environment by participating in coastal resiliency projects to improve dune habitat. The Pinelands Preservation Alliance and the Raritan Valley Community College coordinated these projects.

For the first time ever a media organization received a thumbs-up in the State of the Pinelands Report. The investigative reporters at the Burlington County Times have covered the PFAS drinking water contamination issue meticulously. PFAS are a family of chemical compounds that have been found in drinking water in the Pinelands, especially on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. They can have adverse effects on humans and wildlife.

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The 2020 State of the Pinelands Report is available online at

www.PinelandsAlliance.org

. A full-color copy of the report can be obtained by visiting the Alliance at its headquarters located at 17 Pemberton Rd, Southampton NJ 08088. For more information, please call 609-859-8860.

The Pinelands Preservation Alliance (PPA) was established as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization in 1989 by environmental leaders and Pinelands residents, with the goal of preserving and protecting the more than 1 million acres of the New Jersey Pinelands. PPA remains the only private organization dedicated solely to environmental protection throughout the Pinelands.

Another One Bites the Dust

Source NRA-ILA

Actually, that headline is a little misleading, as we are referring to U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) abandoning his bid to take on Donald Trump in the 2020 Presidential Election. But when we

last reported

on the Democrat clown-car that is the field of candidates who wished to challenge Trump for POTUS, there were 19 active campaigns.

With the departure of Booker, Democrats now have “only” a dozen candidates from which to choose.

In fact, our last posting on the field proved to be quite prescient. We suggested that promoting the extreme anti-gun position of confiscating firearms from American citizens may be the new

“exit strategy”

for foundering campaigns poised to leave the race. At the time, we opined that U.S. Senator Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) seemed to be positioning herself to drop out of the race by reiterating her support for banning and confiscating semi-automatic firearms. She threw in the towel the following week.

Booker, like Harris, promoted the euphemistically named

“mandatory buyback”

policy, which is a more innocent sounding name for confiscation. Now that he has announced he is quitting, every Democrat candidate who had been vying to be President and has also openly advocated for confiscating firearms from American citizens has now deserted the race. Before Booker and Harris, we saw the campaigns of failed candidates

Eric Swalwell

and

Robert Francis O’Rourke

give up the ghost.

Of course, those candidates that remain are all still stridently anti-gun.

They all want to ban the future manufacture and sale of

semi-automatic firearms

like the AR-15.

They all want to set arbitrary limits on how many rounds of ammunition

a magazine can hold

They all want to prohibit the private transfer of firearms between law-abiding citizens by imposing so-called

“universal” background checks

Virtually every proposal that has been introduced by anti-gun extremists over the last few decades has been met with support by most, if not all, of the candidates that are still in the race.

Sadly, two candidates that appear likely to stick around for a while have taken arguably equally extreme positions on another gun issue, using firearms to save lives.

The first, former Vice President Joe Biden, has a modest lead in most polls, but a commanding lead in

gaffes

. In 2017, after

Stephen Willeford used an AR-15

to bring an end to the rampage of a crazed murderer at a Texas church, Biden ignored the idea that lives were likely saved by the heroic act. Instead, when asked about the use of an AR-15 by Willeford, he stated, “Well, first all, the kind of gun being carried, he shouldn’t be carrying.”

Last December, after another Texas church attack was also stopped by an armed citizen, it was pointed out by many that

Biden had criticized the very law

that allowed law-abiding gun owners to carry firearms for self-defense into houses of worship.

After Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed the NRA-supported law in September, Biden said, “It’s just absolutely irrational. It’s totally irrational.”

Granted, Biden cannot see into the future, so he had no idea that his words would come back to make him look so foolish, so quickly. Then again, some might argue that he has a long track record of past statements causing future problems.

The other Democrat candidate who has staked out a position against firearms being used by law-abiding citizens to save lives cannot use the excuse of not being able to foretell future events, as his comments were made after the fact.

Anti-gun billionaire

Mike Bloomberg spoke out against not just the Texas law

, but, presumably, against any use of a firearm by any citizen to defend themselves or others.

Although most acknowledge that Jack Wilson—the 71-year-old church congregant who brought an end to the violent attack at West Freeway Church of Christ—acted heroically, Bloomberg didn’t see things that way.

At a campaign stop in Alabama, Bloomberg commented on Wilson’s action, stating, “[I]t’s the job of law enforcement to, uh, have guns and to decide when to shoot. You just do not want the average citizen carrying a gun in a crowded place.”

So, now that all of the Democrat candidates who openly advocated for gun confiscation have been shown the door, it appears that Biden and Bloomberg hold the most extreme anti-gun position—opposing law-abiding citizens using firearms to stop violent assaults and save lives.

Biden will be in the race for the foreseeable future due to his lead in the polls. Bloomberg, on the other hand, is polling in the single digits. But with a personal fortune that could underwrite several Presidential campaigns, and a driving desire to impose his anti-gun ideology on America, expect Bloomberg to remain in the race for at least several months.

Unless, of course, the curse-of-the-most-extreme-anti-gun-positions strikes again.

We can certainly hope.

https://www.nraila.org/a

Hawaii: Gun Control Measures Introduced With More on the Way

SOURCE: NRA-ILA

The Hawaii Legislature opened on Wednesday and an onslaught of bills targeting your Second Amendment Rights have been introduced. Below, find a brief description of the more significant anti-gun bills that were introduced this week.

House Bill 1599

House Bill 1734

, and

Senate Bill 2152

would change the permitting system for the purchase of rifles and shotguns (long guns) to match the procedure currently in place for handgun purchases. This would require an individual to obtain a permit from the police each and every time they wished to purchase a long gun that would only be valid for 10 days. Whereas now, only one permit is required to purchase any number of long guns, and is valid for a year. It goes without saying that these bills create an onerous and unnecessary new burden on law abiding citizens who wish to purchase long guns for sport, hunting, or home defense.

House Bill 1733

and

Senate Bill 2151

would prohibit the purchase and manufacture of certain firearms parts by private individuals in an effort to ban home built firearms. The legislation is vague and overly broad as to what exactly could constitute a part or parts that could subject a person to felony penalties. This legislation fails to recognize that prohibited persons already cannot lawfully possess any firearm, whether home built or produced by a licensed manufacturer.

House Bill 1736

and

Senate Bill 2154

would prohibit possession of magazines capable of holding more than ten rounds. These so called “high capacity” magazines are in fact standard equipment for commonly-owned firearms that many Americans legally and effectively use for an entire range of legitimate purposes, such as self-defense or competition. The bill recognizes the utility of these magazines by carving out an exemption for law enforcement, but would still violate the rights of ordinary citizens. It contains no “grandfathering” provision for affected magazines lawfully acquired prior to the ban, so citizens would be forced to dispose of their property, alter it, or surrender it to the government.

Continue to check your inbox and

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NRA-ILA : Gun Ownership and Crime Trends

January 2020

For decades, gun control activists have predicted that crime will increase as more people own more guns or burdensome restrictions on gun rights are repealed. The opposite has been true. Americans own more firearms and Americans in more states can lawfully carry a concealed firearm than they could decades ago but crime rates have fallen significantly.

In 2018, the violent crime rate fell to the 2

lowest total rate since 1971 and the murder rate was half of what it was at the 1980 peak. The two lowest violent crime rates of the last 48 years were 2014 and 2018.

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The violent crime rate has decreased 51% from the 1991 all-time high. Americans have acquired more than 215 million new firearms in the same time period – more than doubling the number of privately-owned firearms in the United States.

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As violent crime has decreased, the number of Right-to-Carry (RTC) states and the number of people who carry guns for protection away from home have risen to all-time highs.

Every state now has a system allowing residents to obtain a concealed carry permit. There are 42 RTC states, more than 18.6 million people with carry permits, and data shows that permit holders are statistically more law-abiding than the general public.

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Women and minorities are the fastest growing concealed carry permit holder populations, and the number of female permit holders are increasing faster than male permit holders among every ethnic or racial group for which data is available.

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People who use guns to defend against robbery and aggravated assault are less likely to be injured than people who use other means, or no means, of self-defense.

A 1986 survey of felons for the federal government found that 40% had not committed one or more crimes because they feared that their prospective victims were armed. Thirty-four percent of criminals had been scared off, shot at, wounded, or captured by an armed victim.

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It’s an article of faith among gun control supporters that more guns will bring about more crime. For example, in the mid-1970s, the Brady Campaign, campaigning for a ban on handguns,

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predicted: “There are now 40 million handguns owned by private individuals in the United States—about one gun for every American family. At the present rate of proliferation, the number could build to 100 million by the year 2000 (which isn’t as far off as you think). The consequences can be terrible to imagine—

unless something is done.

”

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In 1979, when the group was known as Handgun Control, Inc., it updated its prediction, saying, “Right now over 50 million HANDGUNS flood the houses and streets of our nation. . . . HANDGUN production and sales are out of control.”

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Gun control supporters have made similar doomsday predictions about Right-to-Carry laws, “assault weapons,” and “large capacity” ammunition magazines.

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More Guns

—Since the early 1990s, the number of privately-owned firearms has more than doubled, from about 192 million to more than 405 million – including more than 167 million handguns.

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Americans acquire roughly 10 million new firearms annually. More than 18.66 million Americans have carry permits.

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The AR-15 is the most popular firearm in the country, and the number of these firearms Americans own has increased from several hundred thousand to at least 16 million.

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The number of so-called “large capacity” magazines – the regular magazines used in rifles like the AR-15 and in semi-automatic handguns designed for self-defense – numbered in the tens of millions decades ago and, today, are so common that the number in circulation is seemingly incalculable.

Despite gun control supporters’ predictions, murder and total violent crime have decreased by more than half since 1991. In 2014, total violent crime fell to a 44-year low, murder to an all-time low.

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The rate in 2018 was slightly higher than in 2014 but still the 2

lowest violent crime rate since 1971.

Less gun control –

Over the last quarter-century, many federal, state, and local gun control laws have been eliminated or made less restrictive. The federal “assault weapon” ban, upon which gun control supporters claimed public safety depended, expired in 2004. The violent crime rate last year was 20% lower than it was in 2014 and the murder rate was 9% lower.

The federal handgun waiting period, for years a priority for gun control supporters, expired in 1998 in favor of the NRA-supported national Instant Check and the murder rate has since dropped 20%. Accordingly, some states have eliminated obsolete waiting periods and purchase permit requirements.

Every state allows residents to lawfully carry a concealed firearm. Fifteen states allow permitless carry, and Montana allows permitless carry outside of city limits. Eight states retain some discretion over who can obtain a permit, and the remaining states are shall-issue states: any law-abiding resident who meets the established requirements can obtain a permit to carry a concealed firearm.

All states have hunter protection laws, 48 have range protection laws, 45 explicitly prohibit local gun laws more restrictive than state law, 44 protect the right to arms in their constitutions, and 33 have “castle doctrine” laws protecting the right to use guns in self-defense.

Crime Trends

The interactive visualization below displays historical crime data going back to 1960 (or 1965 for the state of New York). The violent crime rate includes homicide, aggravated assault, robbery, and rape. The FBI definition of rape was changed in 2012 (taking effect January 1, 2013). The revised definition of rape is utilized in total violent crime calculation beginning in 2013. Prior to 2013, the legacy definition of rape was used. For more information on the definition change, see the FBI\’s Rape Addendum in the 2013 Crime in the United States report.

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