Author: Braxton Taylor
A hunting influencer has been charged with two felonies and six misdemeanors for, among other things, lying about where he killed a wolf in Idaho and then pocketing the extra reimbursement money.Ryan Lampers, who was known as the StHealthyHunter on now-deleted social media feeds, has been charged with felonies for grand theft by deception and unlawfully killing and possessing a trophy-class mule deer buck. He’s also being charged with six misdemeanors for killing that buck in the wrong unit, killing a mountain lion in the wrong unit, and falsifying public records.Lampers killed the wolf, buck, and lion in Idaho between…
Watchtower Firearms has released its new Apache Coyote, a stunning new evolution of the original Apache double-stack 1911, now finished with a proprietary Matte Copper PVD coating. The Apache Coyote’s Matte Copper PVD finish delivers a rich, non-reflective tone that offers both battle-worn elegance and advanced protection against wear and corrosion. This edition retains the performance of the original Apache such as tactical-profile grips, an intuitive double-stack magazine well, a crisp trigger pull and ambidextrous safety controls that come together to combine handling and accuracy. Machined from pre-hardened 4140 and 416R stainless steel, the Apache Coyote features a 4.25-inch slide,…
Applications have opened for certain Air Force reservists to join the Space Force under its new one-of-a-kind, part-time service model, but advocates for a Space National Guard have pointed out the arrangement may look different than originally anticipated.As of Wednesday, the Space Force has opened up applications to volunteers in Air Force Reserve space careers through Oct. 10. The move has been in the works since the Space Force Personnel Management Act was signed into law as part of the fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act. The service completed full-time transfers from the Air Force Reserve into the Space Force…
Suppressor manufacturers are looking to jump the gun by offering rebates now. On July 4 President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law. It included, as summarized by the NRA-ILA, “… a provision that eliminates the burdensome $200 excise tax imposed by the NFA.” It’s a tidy, hearing-healthy savings that does not begin until the stroke of midnight on Dec. 31, 2025. There are no doubt thousands of gun owners who are waiting for the budget-friendly reduction before they buy, but the sudden increase in demand on Jan. 1—along with four months of inflation—could minimize savings.…
Last issue, we discussed power factor and how it impacts various handgun cartridges in competition. However, if you do not shoot competitively, you probably don’t care about power factor. On the other hand, if you’re carrying a handgun for protection, kinetic energy is something you should be interested in. Kinetic energy is a factor of ballistics that most shooters reference when comparing cartridge or load performance. I wrote about it, and tried to explain it, in this column 13 years ago. Either not everyone got the message, or I did not explain it very well. Based on communications with other…
00:00:01 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Podcast, your guide to the whitetail Woods, presented by First Light, creating proven versatile hunting apparel for the stand, saddle or blind. First Light Go Farther, Stay Longer, and now your host, Mark Kenyon. 00:00:19 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Podcast. This week on the show, I’m joined by my longtime prior co host, Dan Johnson to discuss our goals, hopes, and hit lists for the twenty twenty five Seasonally all right, welcome back to the Wired to Hunt podcast, brought to you by First Light and their…
00:00:00 Speaker 1: Change that stimulus up, change up. You know, he was, oh, we’re shooting. He’s like tapping us in the freaking head with an arrow and like just slowing down, concentrating on the things in front of you. 00:00:10 Speaker 2: And it was kind of crazy. 00:00:11 Speaker 1: You know what he had us do with the bow without drawing or anything. He’s like, all, right, cover up the eyeball of the We had an elk out there, and you know, you think, oh, I can’t get there, but you’re you naturally just always come back…
As stories of military family members being detained by immigration authorities pile up, dozens of Democrats are launching an investigation into how the military’s traditional protections against deportation for noncitizen service members and their families are crumbling under the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.The investigation kicked off with a letter, signed by 61 Democrats from the Senate and House, sent Tuesday to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other immigration officials.In the letter, the Democrats demand that the DHS and Pentagon answer dozens of questions by mid-September, including how many noncitizen service members, veterans…
The Coast Guard is ending years of debate over whether it should require all members to take a physical fitness test, or PFT, announcing Tuesday that it will implement mandatory tests for all military personnel starting next year.In a service-wide message, Deputy Commandant for Personnel Rear Adm. Charles Fosse said all members must complete an initial physical fitness assessment by Dec. 31 based on the Coast Guard’s boat crew physical fitness standards to prepare for the required PFT in 2026.The Coast Guard, the only armed service housed outside the Defense Department, is also the only military arm not to require…
Less than 10 weeks after the State Department laid off hundreds of Foreign Service Officers, citing bureaucratic bloat, it is beginning to bring nearly 100 new ones on.Last week, the Office of Talent Acquisition began notifying new employees that their orientation class will begin Sept. 22, according to an email obtained by Government Executive. About 99 new employees will join the Foreign Service class, according to people involved in or familiar with the plans. In July, State issued reduction-in-force notices to 1,350 employees, including about 250 FSOs.Current and laid-off employees wonder why cuts were made if State planned to begin hiring again so soon. Foreign Service…