National Rifle Association adding new features to Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, PA

Fairfax, Virginia - When the NRA took over production of the yearly sporting show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, creating the new Great American Outdoor Show, we weren't just taking the reigns and continuing on business as usual.

Before we were even awarded the show, our vision was to see it grow into something much larger and greater than it already was. Growth we knew we could facilitate. The show in Harrisburg is the largest consumer sporting show in the country, but it is still a regional event.

More on what we're adding to the Great American Outdoor Show ...

NRA reaches agreement with Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center

Banning modern sporting rifles ultimately led to the cancellation of this year's hunting & outdoor show in Harrisburg. For nine days, from February 2nd through February 10th, the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center in Harrisburg ran dark. An estimated $80 million dollars was lost. It won't happen again.

Thanks to an agreement between the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center and the National Rifle Association, people will be welcomed in 2014 to the Great American Outdoor Show. Running February 1st through the 9th, the Great American Outdoor Show promises to bring back the same flavor and style as last year's event and more.

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From the Pennsylvania Game Commission - Promising 2013 Spring Gobbler Season may be around corner

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania – The cool spring so far throughout much of Pennsylvania may lead to increased gobbling for hunters planning to take part in the state’s spring wild turkey season.

The state’s one-day youth spring gobbler season is April 20, and will run from one-half hour before sunrise until noon. The general spring gobbler season is April 27 to May 31, with the traditional noon closure for the first two weeks – through May 11, and from one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset the remainder of the season, beginning May 13. Hunters who purchase a second spring gobbler season license may harvest up to two bearded turkeys, one per day. Second tags must be purchased by April 26; they’re available from any license-issuing agent.

More on Pennsylvania's Spring Turkey Season ...

From the Pennsylvania Game Commission - Game Commission releases 2012-2013 Deer Harvest Estimates

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Game Commission today reported that, in the state’s 2012-13 seasons, hunters harvested an estimated 343,110 deer, which is an increase of about two percent from the previous seasons’ harvest of 336,200.

Hunters took 133,860 antlered deer in the 2012-13 seasons, an increase of about five percent from the previous license year’s harvest of 127,540. Also, hunters harvested 209,250 antlerless deer in 2012-13, which is a slight increase over the 208,660 antlerless deer taken in 2011-12.

“This year’s antlered deer harvest is slightly above the average harvest since 2005, when agency efforts began to stabilize deer populations in most of the state,” said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director. “The age structure of the antlered deer harvest was 49 percent 1.5 year-old-bucks and 51 percent 2.5-year-old and older bucks.

More on the Pennsylvania Game Commission's 2012-2013 Deer Harvest Estimates ...

Pennsylvanians, raise money for the shooting sports while showing off your NRA pride

Fairfax, Virginia - Thanks to the cooperation of Friends of NRA committees throughout the state of Pennsylvania, PennDOT now offers NRA-specialized license plates. The Keystone State joins a growing list of states where you have one more great way to show off your support for the NRA.

More on the Pennsylvania NRA license plate...

Pennsylvania and Texas state Youth Education Summits coming this spring

Fairfax, Virginia - Each summer forty-five outstanding high school sophomores and juniors are flown to Washington D.C. for week-long educational opportunity courtesy of the NRA. It's called the Youth Education Summit and has been teaching young men and women about the Constitution, Bill of Rights and the federal government since 1996.

At Y.E.S. students have the opportunity to receive college scholarships based on their performance. To date, over $385,000 in scholarships has been awarded!

More on the state Youth Education Summits ...

Matt and Jesse took a great trip to speak with 9/11 firefighters last season on Friends of NRA. Did you see it?

Fairfax, Virginia - With the recent news of Friends of NRA coming back to the Outdoor Channel for a third season, we started looking back on some of our favorite moments from the show. Moments like in the second episode of last season when Matt and Jesse traveled to New York City just prior to the ten year anniversary of the tragic September 11th attacks.

More favorite moments from Friends of NRA tv ...

Learning Eddie Eagle's safety message in Western Pennsylvania

There are so many great stories about Eddie Eagle's safety message reaching children all over the United States. In the most recent Eagle Eye newsletter, we learned about Eddie is doing great work with the Allegheny County Sheriff's Department in the Pittsburgh area:

The Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program is very proud to have the opportunity to work with hundreds of law enforcement agencies around the country. Every year the program hears great stories of Eddie’s success and the tremendous impact that Eddie Eagle has on local communities.

Lately, the program heard how the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department has implemented the Eddie Eagle Program into its annual operations, resulting in great benefit to the Allegheny County community.

Read on about Eddie Eagle's activities in Pittsburgh ...

SUIS Electronic Targets deployed at Olympics and NRA events

Williamsport, Pennsylvania - Last Saturday at the Original Pennsylvania 1000 Yard Benchrest Club, NRA held one of our last Electronic Target Shooting events of the year. Just off route 14 in the smokey hills of Pennsylvania, shooters gathered to give the latest in Sius Ascor's portable, wireless, precision target scoring systems. The weather was the first challenge.

More on NRA's use of the SIUS electronic target systems in Pennsylvania ...