From the Arizona Game and Fish Department - Online application service now available for Arizona’s 2013 fall hunts

The Arizona Game and Fish Department has announced that the online application service is now available for Arizona’s 2013 hunts for deer, fall turkey, fall javelina, bighorn sheep, fall buffalo, and pheasant.

Hunters now have the option of applying online for a tag issued through the draw process by visiting https://az.gov/app/huntdraw/home.xhtml and scrolling down to the “Apply for a Draw” link.

The 2013-14 Arizona Hunting Regulations are available online at www.azgfd.gov/draw. Printed copies of the regulations are now at Game and Fish offices and will soon be available at license dealers statewide.

The application deadline is Tuesday, June 11, 2013 by 7 p.m. (MST). Those applying online will have to pay the non-refundable $7.50 application fee (which is charged as part of the tag fee whether applying online or with a paper application).

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Arizona business says contribution is "important to all of us at the core of the current debate on gun control"

Tuscon, Arizona Late last year, NRA's Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program reached an important milestone; 26 million kids. That's 26 million pre-k through 3rd graders who sang along and learned Eddie's lifesaving message of "Stop! Don't Touch! Leave the Area. Tell an Adult."

Thanks to that message, along with the coloring books, DVDs and other instructional items that come along with it, America's accidental firearm fatality rates have fallen steadily for decades.

The program centers around the Eddie Eagle mascot costume. Available to law enforcement agencies only, the costume captures the children's attention and draws them in. Problem is that the costume isn't cheap.

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From the Arizona Fish & Game Department - Take in the fun at this weekend’s free Outdoor Expo

Outdoor enthusiasts know that the place to be this weekend is the Arizona Game and Fish Department Outdoor Expo at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix. Feel free to invite your family and friends!

The free event offers loads of activities, presentations and exhibits for everyone ranging from novices to seasoned outdoor recreationists. Whether you want to see live wildlife, take the kids fishing at the huge catch-and-release tanks, try out shooting sports on the range, view OHV and boating exhibits, learn target archery, watch exciting cowboy mounted shooting competition, attend informative presentations, or visit with more than 150 exhibitors, the Outdoor Expo offers something for everyone.

Best of all, admission and parking are free. There is a nominal charge for ammunition at some of the shooting venues. The Gold Sponsor for this year’s Arizona Game and Fish Department Outdoor Expo is Cabela’s.

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Learning Precision Law Enforcement Rifle techniques from AFTT

AFTT owner/instructor Mark Fricke discussing shooting positions during his Precision Rifle class.

When I started working here at the NRA, I knew there would be a learning curve. The need to become intimate with the training, competitions, locations and lingo which surround the shooting sports. But I never thought I'd take as far as I did last March. That's when I enrolled in a Law Enforcement Precision Rifle class out in Wickenburg, Arizona.

The trip out to Arizona was less then encouraging ... record low temperatures, impassable back roads and the idea of sleeping in my SUV for the week were just a few of the obstacles. But it got better.

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Who among this year's first, second and third graders placed in the Youth Wildlife Art Contest's youngest category?

Fairfax, Virginia - The results are in for the 2012 George Montgomery/NRA Youth Wildlife Art Contest and we have some great pieces of art to show you.

First up are the winners from Category I, reserved for students in grades one through three. These entrants are so young you can barely call them artists, but their skills suggest otherwise.

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NRA Life of Duty's profile of Pinal County Sheriff Babeua & his men

"My fellow American can't imagine what it's like to serve as a sheriff or a deputy in the number one county for the pass through of drugs and human smuggling in the entire nation."

That warning comes from Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeua. Sheriff Babeau and his men (especially the SWAT unit) were recently profiled on NRA's groundbreaking digital experience Life of Duty. Launched in 2011, NRA Life of Duty highlights heroes who go to work every day, protecting, defending and fighting for the safety of the general public. Heroes like the men and women of the Pinal County Sheriff's Department.

Find out more about the Pinal County Sheriff's Department border wars ...

Actor Joe Mantegna shooting a segment of Gun Stories at the NRA.

Fairfax, Virginia - Joe Mantegna's first trip to the National Firearms Museum occurred almost a year ago today. Along with Michael Bane and the Outdoor Channel crew, he was here to shoot segments of the soon to be debuted television show Gun Stories. Fast forward eleven months and a couple of Golden Moose awards later, Joe and the crew are back at the NRA for season two.

"Today (Monday the 14th) we're going to start with the Thompson Machine Gun, the Garand and the Luger," said Director Tim Cremin. "Later in the week we'll move on to your Hollywood Guns exhibit and maybe get a look in the museum vault."

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This weekend's NRAblog Rewind comes courtesy of Art Merrill, a freelance writer for "Shooting Illustrated," as he completes his series from Disabled Shooting's 2010 Open Range Day in Phoenix, Arizona.

Phoenix, Arizona - Saturday morning's safety briefing was the no-nonsense, all-business dialogue we're used to hearing from match directors and rangemasters – except for the “sip & puff” part:

“Always always always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction! Keep your finger away from the trigger until you're ready to shoot. If you're using the sip & puff trigger mechanism, don't put it your mouth 'til you're ready to shoot. If you need help, if you have a question, don't be stubborn - ask a volunteer. Keep them busy.”

After that, it was pretty much all fun in the desert sun.

The air rifles appealed to a lot of shooters today, and not just because it was indoors, sheltered from the 95-degree desert spring. Every shooter enjoys hitting reactive targets, in this case, air rifle metallic silhouette targets. But there are other reasons, as well.

“I don't like loud bangs,” Ashleigh Justice said. “I liked the .22 pistol, but the .38 was too much.”

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Paulden, Arizona - Staff from NRA’s Training Department headed West last month to participate in cross-training with Gunsite. John Howard (pictured), Andy Lander, and Sean Thornton made the trip to the Gunsite Academy in Paulden, Arizona where they conducted NRA Certified Instructor Courses for Pistol, Rifle, and Shotgun for nine Gunsite Instructors. In exchange, the three attended the Gunsite Defensive Pistol 250 course.

It all started when NRA Board of Director and Gunsite owner Buz Mills discussed cross-training opportunities with Bill Poole, Director of NRA’s Education & Training Division.

“We knew that this would be a fantastic opportunity for Gunsite and NRA to come together and examine the evolution of firearms training – from where it’s been, to where it is now and how we can look to the future,” said Poole.

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