SIG SAUER, Inc. has debuted a first in their rifle line-up. Their Cross rifle is the first SIG-built precision bolt-action hunting rifle that was designed by SIG SAUER engineers. It was  completely manufactured and machined at the SIG SAUER facilities in New Hampshire, and tested by premier competitive shooters, the world’s best long-range shooters, and a team of professional hunters that the CROSS is built for.

The Cross takes on a Modern Sporting Rifle (AR) design, but uses a bolt instead of a semi-auto mode. As such, it qualifies as a legal rifle to hunt with here in Pennsylvania where semi-auto (AR types in particular) rifles are illegal to use for hunting. 

Cross crosses the line in this respect and if the anti’s and bad politicians manage to outlaw ARs, the Cross should not be included. Cross appears to have all the fine attributes of lightness and flexibility with sighting systems that AR type rifles have. 

Said SIG’s Chief Marketing Officer and V.P. Tom Taylor, “When our product management team and engineers researched developing a bolt-action rifle, they looked at what was missing from the market, and what new innovation SIG could bring to hunters and precision shooters. Hunting rifles are typically focused on less weight, and accuracy is secondary. Precision rifles are designed for extreme accuracy, with no weight limitations. What was missing from the market was a true crossover. Our product management team and engineers took the best of both worlds and developed the CROSS featuring the characteristics of a hunting rifle, with the accuracy of a precision rifle.”

The CROSS Precision Bolt-Action Hunting Rifle is a lightweight precision rifle with a push button, foldable SIG precision stock, a one-piece aluminum receiver that eliminates the need for bedding the action, and AI magazines for creating the most accurate precision hunting platform. The CROSS features a stainless-steel rifled barrel with a free-float M-LOK handguard, a 2-stage match-grade trigger externally adjustable from 2.5 – 4 lbs., ambi-safety, a three-lug bolt design with a 60-degree throw and interchangeable bolt handle. The precision stock is spring-loaded for one handed operation and can be fully adjusted in the field for length of pull and comb height with no tools. The rifle has a full-length replaceable picatinny rail that allows for direct optics mounts, 20 MOA, and O MOA. The CROSS is available in 6.5 Creedmoor, 308 WIN, and the soon-to-be-released 277 SIG Fury Hybrid Ammunition with a black anodized or First Lite camo finish.

“Right out of the box the CROSS comes loaded with new innovation and features that hunters and precision shooters will appreciate at a very affordable $1,779.00 MSRP price point,” continued Taylor. “The CROSS delivers on all fronts, and we are especially proud that everything about the CROSS from concept to completion is 100% SIG SAUER and comes directly from our U.S. operations here in New Hampshire.”

CROSS Bolt-Action Rifle Specs (6.5 Creedmoor):
  Overall Length: 35.5”
  Folded Length: 27.0”
  Barrel Length: 18”
  Barrel Twist: 1:8
  Weight (w/o magazine): 6.4 lbs.
 
CROSS Bolt-Action Rifle Specs (308 WIN / 277 FURY):
  Overall Length: 36.5””
  Folded Length: 25.0”
  Barrel Length: 16”
  Barrel Twist: 1:10 / 1:8.5
Weight (w/o magazine): 6.2 lbs.

Expect more calibers to follow once Cross gets used in the field by savvy hunters. 
​

The snows are back. No, not a snowstorm, but a large flock of Snow Geese have made their way to Lehigh County from their summer breeding grounds in the Arctic tundra.  

On Saturday, Dec. 14, a flock of about 500 snows descended like snow flakes on a cut cornfield belonging to GEO Chemicals (formerly Trojan Powder Company) on the west side of Mauch Chunk Road and across from the intersection of Mechanicsville Road. The snows’ nasal honking can easily be heard if lowering a window in your vehicle. This is my first sighting of them in the area, but they may have put down elsewhere in the valley. 

These particular snows landed amidst a small flock of Canada geese that were foraging for leftover corn spewed from harvesting machines. And further down the road a bit, were probably an equal number of Canada’s in a cut cornfield but on the east side of Mauch Chunk Road. 

As for snows, the season in the North Zone runs from Nov. 19-Jan. 11. For the South Zone, it runs Nov. 19-Jan. 18. In the Atlantic Zone, the split seasons run Oct. 1-Jan. 25, then reopens Jan. 27-Apr. 24. The seasons are long because they need to be culled, say biologists, as their burgeoning populations are decimating the grasslands of the tundra. In other words, the snows are eating themselves out of house and home. And local farmers who plant winter wheat detest snows because they can devour a wheat field in a few days with their foracious appetites.

Here are some interesting facts you may not know about Snow Geese:

* In wintering and migrating flocks that are feeding, lookouts keep an eye out for predators. Upon sighting a threat, they call out to the rest of the flock, which may take flight. 

* Snow Geese make epic journeys by air, but they are impressive on foot, too. Within the first three weeks of hatching, goslings may walk up to 50 miles with their parents from the nest to a more suitable brood-rearing area. Molting Snow Geese can outrun many predators.

* Females forage up to 18 hours a day once they arrive at breeding grounds, but eat little once they begin incubating the eggs.

* Food passes through the Snow Goose’s digestive tract in only an hour or two, generating 6 to 15 droppings per hour. The defecation rate is highest when a goose is grubbing for rhizomes, because such food is very high in fiber and the goose inevitably swallows mud. 

* The oldest Snow Goose on record, shot in Texas in 1999, was 27 and a half.

* Snow Goose hunting in the eastern United States was stopped in 1916 because of low population levels. Hunting was allowed again in 1975 after populations had recovered. Since then, their populations have continued to grow, to the point that some areas of tundra nesting habitat are starting to suffer.

Hunting these extremely wary birds is tough. Hunters usually have to employ at least 50 decoys or more, or white cloths on sticks stuck into the ground, to lure them into range. And the geese are unpredictable as they may be in a particular field one day and another the next. The daily limit on them is 25 daily, with no possession limit. 
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If you have an unfilled buck or doe tag, you still have another deer hunting opportunity when the post holiday late archery, flintlock and extended firearms season gets underway. The latter, however, is only open in Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, and it closes Jan. 25. 

As for archery, the season ends Jan. 20 statewide except in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D which closes Jan. 25. 

The flintlock season also closes Jan. 20 except in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D that has a Jan. 25 closing date. 

For those who have filled their deer tags, there’s still small game to hunt. For squirrels, pheasants and rabbits, their season begins Dec. 26 and runs until Feb. 29. There’s also snowshoe hare, the neat white (in winter) rabbits with larger feet and longer ears than a cottontail. They also have a short hunting season that ends Jan. 3 and carries a one rabbit daily limit with three in possession. The reason for this is because of their small population and that’s primarily due to habitat loss and predation by foxes, coyotes, bobcats, weasels and some hawks and owls according to the PGC. They also succumb to diseases, parasites and of course hunting. 

The snowshoe hare has a brown coat in summer that turns white in winter. It gets its name because the bottoms of their toes and soles are covered with course hair that grows long in winter making snowshoes of sorts. That allows them to support their bodies in deep snow and gives them traction on icy crusts says the PGC. 

Unlike most cottontails, snowshoe hares prefer a mix of deciduous forests with conifers and and escape cover like rhododendron and mountain laurel. They can also live in swamps where cedar, spruce or tamarack grow. Hares will take to dense stands of aspen or poplar mixed in with pines. In Penn’s Woods, they’re usually found in high country with ridge tops, mountains, high swamps and plateaus.

And they are fast when spooked. They can run up to 30 mph on ground or snow and can leap 10 feet in one bound. Like cottontails when they are chased, hares run in circles but make a larger circle than a cottontail.  

If I was ever lucky to get one, I’d take the meat then have it mounted because they are far and few between. If you feel the same, here are some words of advice from Bob Danenhower of Bob’s Wildlife Taxidermy in Orefield. 

According to Danenhower, hare’s skin is very thin, and because of that, they’re very difficult to mount. He cautions to be careful not to inadvertently cut it at several places because it’s tough to sew the holes because of its thinness. Danenhower also says, “Before field dressing it, try not to get blood on the fur as it’s a devil to get out. Place a paper towel in its mouth to absorb any blood and hang it from its hind legs so any liquid can drain through its nose.” Good advice from a seasoned pro who has mounted a good many of them over the years. 
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From On the Water Magazine comes this press information from  fishery managers. 

Approved were new regulations for the 2020 recreational bluefish fishery. These measures, which include a 3-fish bag limit for private anglers and a 5-fish bag limit for for-hire fishermen, represent a substantial reduction compared to the federal 15-fish bag limit that has been in place since 2000.

The most recent assessment of the Atlantic bluefish stock concluded that the stock is overfished. In October, managers called for an 18% decrease compared to 2019 and considered several combinations of bag limits and minimum size limits. Although the Bluefish Monitoring Committee recommended a coastwide 3-fish bag limit, the majority of comments from the public and Bluefish Advisory Panel (AP) members expressed opposition to this option, noting that it would have severe economic consequences for the for-hire sector, which was only responsible for 3.6% of coastwide landings from 2016 to 2018. Additionally, AP members and the public emphasized that these proposed reductions come at a challenging time for for-hire stakeholders as they are also facing new restrictions on striped bass, black sea bass, summer flounder, and scup.

After an extensive discussion and thorough consideration of public comments, the Council recommended and Commission approved a 3-fish bag limit for private and shore modes and a 5-fish bag limit for the for-hire mode. No restrictions were made to minimum fish size or seasons.

“For many years, bluefish has been one of our most abundant recreational fisheries,” said Council Chairman and ASMFC Board member Mike Luisi. “The Council and Commission are fully committed to the effective conservation and management of this stock, but we also recognize that a sudden change in regulations could have severe socioeconomic consequences for some stakeholders. After evaluating a wide range of options and considering numerous comments from the public, we feel that this approach is the most fair and effective way to achieve the necessary reduction in harvest next year.”

After an extensive discussion and thorough consideration of public comments, the Council recommended and Commission approved a 3-fish bag limit for private and shore modes and a 5-fish bag limit for the for-hire mode. No restrictions were made to minimum fish size or seasons.

“For many years, bluefish has been one of our most abundant recreational fisheries,” said Council Chairman and ASMFC Board member Mike Luisi. “The Council and Commission are fully committed to the effective conservation and management of this stock, but we also recognize that a sudden change in regulations could have severe socioeconomic consequences for some stakeholders. After evaluating a wide range of options and considering numerous comments from the public, we feel that this approach is the most fair and effective way to achieve the necessary reduction in harvest next year.”

And the following are comments from On the Water subscribers:

  RK 17 hours ago: In Europe, pretty much every country has gone to a management model where there are a handful of giant factory ships with access to almost all of the fish harvested and recreational fishermen can catch next to nothing to take home.?Fisheries managers seem to be going that way here now.

  Mike O’Mara 17 hours ago: Good luck getting this across to the shore snapper fishermen, and expecting them to comply.

  Tom 17 hours ago: So this pertains to snappers as well? 3 snappers per person?

  Tommy Strzepek 16 hours ago: All the new restrictive limits on recreational fishing will
  decimate the for hire fishing boats.

  Not many folks will spend 80 or 90 dollars to go fish on a boat when the number of fish they can take is a few blues or a few flounder .

  I believe the fish stock is cyclical and the biggest culprit in this equation is the commercial fishery. 

  JOHN 16 hours ago: Many years ago I remember seeing the giant foreign fishing ships cleaning out our water along NJ. Almost close enough to read the name of the ship from shore. Remember doormat flounder and the cod my dad used to get too. Its gone now,,we need to conserve or we’ll never see it again.

  Greed isnt the answer,,so the big money guys need to be inline too.

  GB 16 hours ago: Interesting that an 18% reduction is requested but we end up with an 80% one. Strange math at work here.

  Mark 16 hours ago: 18% ? How the heck will that help? Why don’t they just admit there going to continue to let the bluefish be overfished. What a joke. 

From the OutdoorHub website, its reporters just posted this inspiring story.

During an era with fewer and fewer hunters heading into the woods, an elementary school in a small Maine town is embracing its hunting traditions, and we are fully on board!

At Whitefield Elementary, students aren’t concerned about posting their hunting photoson social media because there’s a large bulletin board hanging in the hallways where kids can post photos of themselves with bear, moose, turkey and deer that they’ve harvested.

Students K-8 are all allowed to hang pictures on the board, which multiple faculty members claim has brought the community closer. Even the teachers get involved in the fun!

“I like the bulletin board,” says Caleb Bishop. “If we kill a big deer or or a big bear, we’re able to talk around to our friends.”

There is one stipulation. Due to the school’s ‘zero weapons’ policy, photos hung on the board cannot feature any firearms, bows or other weapons of any kind.

“We started our bulletin board a few years ago and kids were posing with guns and their game, physical education teacher Jamie Simpson told News Center Maine. “We have a no-weapons policy at school. So the kids were also taking their photos without their weapons so they could still have their photos posted.”

And there’s some pretty impressive hunters walking the halls at Whitefield Elementary! In fact, two seventh graders have already accomplished grand slams – which means they harvested a deer, bear, turkey and a moose IN THE SAME YEAR.

Olivia Brann is the latest to complete the impressive feat, with Caleb being the only other seventh grader to do it.

“A lot of people think because I’m very ballet and I like to dress up and stuff in dancing when I say I’m a hunter, people are like ‘Wow!'” she said.

Students also compete in a contest each year for the hunter with the biggest buck. Last year, Olivia’s nine-year-old sister Cassidy won the contest with a massive ten-point buck.
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I

In their next to final bear harvest report, the Pennsylvania Game Commission said Pennsylvania hunters set an all-time bear harvest this season. 

During the final day of Pennsylvania’s statewide bear season, hunters took 565 bears, raising the 2019 statewide general-season harvest to 2,063.

That adds to an early season harvest of 1,335, which increases the 2019 total bear harvest to 3,398, not including the extended bear season that kicked off this past Saturday in 16 Wildlife Management Units.

However, none of the bears taken on the final day of the statewide season cracked the Top 10 list for heaviest bears.

The largest bear through all 2019 seasons continues to be the 813-pound male taken with a rifle on the opening day of the general season in Smithfield Township, Monroe County, by Victor M. Vassalluzzo, of Kintnersville.

Other large bears taken in the 2019 general season – all taken with a rifle – include: a 747-pound male taken in Wright Township, Luzerne County, by J. Kripp Jr., of Mountaintop; a 696-pound male taken in Penn Forest Township, Carbon County, by Brian J. Borosh, of Jim Thorpe; a 657-pound male taken in Franklin Township, Columbia County, by Nicholas A. Podgurski, of Elysburg; a 656-pound male taken in Hanover Township, Luzerne County, by Dale J. Kobal, of Hunlock Creek; a 623-pound male taken in Beech Creek Township, Clinton County, by Mikael J. Catanese, of Sewickley; a 620-pound male taken in Miles Township, Centre County, by Reuben Kennel, of Turbotville; and a 604-pound male taken in Gallagher Township, Clinton County, by Steven Z. Rohrbach, of Lock Haven. 

The top bear-hunting county in the state over the general season was Lycoming County with 136 bears. It was followed by Tioga County with 131 bears. 

Locally in the Southeast Region, the tally is as follows: 

Schuylkill County, 75; Dauphin, 66; Northampton, 15; Lebanon, 2; Berks, 17; and Lehigh 4. 
Expanded hunting opportunities provided by new special-firearms and muzzleloader bear seasons and an expanded archery bear season, have helped increase the 2019 bear harvest. Record bear license sales also have contributed. License sales currently exceed 200,000 which previously have held at highs between 170,000 and 175,000. And the statewide bear population at the start of the bear-hunting seasons was about 20,000 bears.

“It’s the largest suite of bear-season changes ever approved in a single year,” explained Matt Lovallo, agency Game Mammals Section supervisor. “In most of the state, we’re going from 14 or 16 days of bear hunting to 32, and from three Saturdays to seven. As such we started hunting bears almost two weeks earlier.”

The additional days and increased number of bear hunters appear to have made a significant difference. Great weather on peak hunting days also helped.

The final bear harvest numbers will most likely be available in February 2020, but they shouldn’t increase significantly. 
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From the National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®), comes these interesting numbers. 
NSSF is the firearms industry trade association, and they released the 2017 Firearms Production Report to members. The report compiles the most up to date information based on data sourced from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF’s) Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Export Reports (AFMER). Key findings for public release showed:

• The estimated total number of firearms in civilian possession from 1986-2018 is 422.9 million, according to data reported in the ATF’s Firearms Commerce Report in the United States 2019 report and including the preliminary 2018 Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Exportation Report (AFMER) figures.

• 17,740,000 Modern Sporting Rifles are in private ownership today.

• More than half (54%) of all rifles produced in 2017 were modern sporting rifles.

• In 2017, 7,901,218 total firearms were produced and imported. Of those, 4,411,923 were pistols and revolvers, 2,821,945 were rifles and 667,350 were shotguns.

• An interim 2018 estimate showed a total 7,660,772 total firearms were produced and imported. Of those 4,277,971 were pistols and revolvers, 2,846,757 were rifles and 535,994 were shotguns. Those are interim reports and will be updated as complete information becomes available.

• Firearms-ammunition manufacturing accounted for nearly 12,000 employees producing over $4.1 billion in goods shipped in 2017. An estimated 8.1 billion rounds, of all calibers and gauges, were produced in 2018 for the U.S. market.

“These figures show the industry that America has a strong desire to continue to purchase firearms for lawful purposes,” said Joe Bartozzi, President of the National Shooting Sports Foundation. “The Modern Sporting Rifle continues to be the most popular centerfire rifle sold in America today and is clearly a commonly-owned firearm with more than 17 million in legal private ownership today. The continued popularity of handguns demonstrates a strong interest by Americans to protect themselves and their homes, and to participate in the recreational shooting sports.”

The report also shows that as lawful firearms ownership in America continues to grow, criminal and unintentional misuse of firearms is falling. During the 25-year period covered in this report (1993–2017) the violent crime rate has decreased by 48.6 percent and unintentional firearm-related fatalities have declined by 68 percent.

And get this from a recent Fox News report: 

The FBI ran the second-highest number of gun background checks on Black Friday 2019, which is an 11 percent increase from the previous year and an indication that firearm sales are on the rise, officials said.

The agency conducted 202,465 gun background checks on Nov. 29, 2019, which is the second-highest number seen since the bureau implemented the checks in 1998. This year’s big-shopping day is second only to Black Friday 2017, when the FBI ran 203,086 checks, records show.

Black Friday’s numbers were 11 percent higher than 2018, when 182,093 checks were fielded, according to the data.

Though the agency’s background check data typically includes permit checks and re-checks and is, therefore, higher than the number of actual gun sales, it is often indicative of trends in sales in the firearm industry.

Mark Oliva, director of public affairs for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, called the FBI’s gun background check records the closest barometer available to gauge firearms sales.
“This tells us Americans are voting with their wallets when it comes to their ability to exercise Second Amendment rights,” he told FOX Business. “Interestingly, Americans are turning out to buy the firearms they want in increasing numbers even as politicians on the national stage and in some states are increasingly vocal on restricting Second Amendment rights.”

Oliva said the decision to buy a firearm is not “made on a whim,” instead describing it as a “significant investment.”

“Americans are choosing to invest their hard-earned dollars in their ability [to] exercise their rights and buy the firearms they want before gun control politicians attempt to regulate away that ability,” Olivia said.

Roughly 1.2 million firearms were sold nationwide in October 2019, a 10.8 percent increase from October 2018, according to arms and ammo analytics research consultancy Small Arms Analytics and Forecasting. September’s sales were estimated to be about 1.1 million, an increase of nearly 11 percent from the same period a year ago.

Data from the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System shows the agency performed 2.4 million background checks for potential gun purchasers in October 2019, which is the highest number of checks recorded by the agency for that month. The second-highest recorded year for October’s background checks was 2016, when 2.3 million checks were conducted.

Gun sales are expected to spike this holiday season amid public and political pressure for stricter gun control laws.

In the past five years, there have been at least 33 mass shootings, which are defined as those in which four or more people were killed, not including the shooter, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Democratic presidential contenders have since come out strong against certain kinds of firearms, or in favor of stronger gun control practices, and some retail chains, including Dick’s Sporting Goods, have since opted not to sell them.

In September, nearly 150 business executives called on Senate to pass legislation to enforce stricter firearm background checks and stronger gun laws. 

The way I see it, while these efforts appear viable in practice, how will they determine if someone has an undiagnosed mental problem and suddenly goes off the deep end because someone or something set them off. Strong gun laws are already on the books in places like Chicago, California, New York and New Jersey, but firearm crimes still occur. 
​

As many sportsmen and sportsgals are deer hunting right now, there are a number of avid anglers who don’t hunt (or have already filled their deer tags) who prefer to fish as local streams and lakes are virtually void of fishermen. 

According to Willie, from Willie’s Bait & Tackle in Cementon, the Lehigh River is dead. No one fishing it. But he was receiving good trout reports from the Little Lehigh that was stocked two weeks ago with brown trout from the Lil-Le-Hi trout nursery. He says a couple customers have been picking up nice 16-19 inch brownies on Gulp Worms, night crawlers and fathead minnows. But not PowerBait. 

Willie reminds anglers that the Extended Trout Season is in effect allowing only a three fish limit. He added that he received a call from an angler inquiring if he had waxworms as he was going ice fishing at Tobyhanna Lake in the Pocono’s that had three inches of ice. Wow! If in fact that’s true, he’s walking on thin (unsafe) ice. 

From upper Berks County, Chris at Chris’ Bait & Tackle in Mertztown, reports good crappie action at Ontelaunee Reservoir  in Maidencreek Township. Crappies there are falling mostly for minnows. Blue Marsh Lake too is producing decent crappie action and a few largemouths, also on minnows. And in Lehigh County, Leaser Lake continues to yield catch-and-release muskies that are being enticed with large shiners. No trout, as the consensus is the sizable muskies there, devoured them.   

If you have a New Jersey fishing license, the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife recently stocked approximately 4,800 two-year old rainbow trout averaging 14-18 inches in 20 selected ponds and lakes. Check the agency’s website for a map and location of these stocked waters. 

DEER SEASON

Since the rifle deer hunting season continues until Dec. 14, and then extended season kicks in Dec. 26, hunters need to hunt safely. Cases in point, two hunters succumbed to falls last week in Berks County. The first accident happened when a 69-year old man fell 30 feet from his treestand in District Township near the Hereford Township line. 

The second fatality occurred when a 75-year old man died when he fell on his crossbow while driving deer for his son in Alsace Township. The hunter tripped and the crossbow he was carrying discharged into his left side, abdomen and it pierced one of his lungs. 

The treestand incident could have likely been avoided had the hunter used a full-body harness that attaches to the tree. One model even allows the hunter to be slowly lowered to the ground in the event of a fall. 

The second incident was unique as most on-the-ground fall accidents occur when a firearm is involved, not a crossbow.  
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