Fairfax, Virginia - David Keene, President of the National Rifle Association, provides the following thoughts as the NRA announces their selection for the 2011 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year:

2011 NRA Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Deputy Michael Zack

Each year we honor a law enforcement officer whose valor, professionalism and willingness to risk everything to protect the citizens and community of which he or she is a part.

This year we are proud to honor Deputy Michael Zack of the Cecil County, Maryland Sherriff's department. Zack's willingness to risk his own life to come to the aid of a fellow officer, though he wasn't even on duty at the time of the incident, exemplifies the professionalism of our nation's best law enforcement officers who view their role in American society as a sacred trust entered into when they were sworn in as protectors of their community and its citizens. His fellow Deputy may well be alive today because of Michael Zack's heroism and for that he must be grateful. All of us should be just as grateful that there are men and women in this country like Zack willing to selflessly put themselves in harm's way to enforce our society's laws and provide the security essential to a free society.

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Maryland Youth with four ducks from Mentored Hunt

This time last year, NRAblog brought you Moe Aguilar's report on Pintail Point's Mentored Youth Hunt. Here it is again as one of our new features — the weekend story rewind:

The Maryland DNR Mentored Junior Hunter Day on February 20 at the River Plantation in Queenstown, Maryland was a big success.

All the youngsters made it through the instructional safety clinic in plenty of time to enjoy the sporting clays course. After the warm up, it was time to take aim at some mallard ducks.

The parents and the Maryland DNR staff was just as excited as the young hunters as they took their first shots. The biggest excitement was seeing the youngsters hit their first clays or mallards. One young hunter was so excited after hitting his first duck that he walked to his father, safely handed him the gun, and jumped up and down with his hands in the air.

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Registered Maine Guides offer full services hunts at Great American

J & S Guide Services' vendor booth from NRA's 2012 Great American Hunting and Outdoor Show at the Frederick Fair Grounds in Maryland.

"We've got an 80% success rate on bears and 100% success rates on moose," said Woods. "Pretty good numbers I'd say."

Operating mainly out of central Maine, that's moose hunting districts 14 and 17 to you and me, the two came down to Maryland for the Great American Hunting & Outdoors Show this January to see if they could drum up a little interest from those looking for a northern hunt. After looking at those numbers … who wouldn't be interested?

"Over the last few years, we've had repeat hunters that are taking bears around 175 to 225 pounds," said Woods. "The bull moose run anywhere from a 24 to a 60 inch spread."

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Maryland State Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC) Coordinator Lee Esworthy sent NRAblog the following:

Williamsport, Maryland - The 2011 Maryland Youth Hunter Education Challenge was held on the June 18th weekend at the Potomac Fish and Game Club in Williamsport. Participants and spectators had a wonderful time. This year’s challenge had 23 teams including clubs from Virginia and New York giving us 112 registered participants. The girls showed up the boys by winning several awards and coaching the overall junior team to victory. I can’t say enough about my volunteers ... most are former coaches or parents. One of the best parts is the large number of past participants who come back as volunteers or team coaches.

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