May 4, 2024
Assault Weapons Ban Brief has been Filed with the Supreme Court of the United States. We have filed a brief in our case Harrel v. Raoul, as to why they should hear our case. That brief has been filed and we are waiting to get a reply from the Supreme Court of the United States. We will keep you posted.
Illinois General Assembly Session
Suddenly May is upon us. That means that the Illinois State General Assembly will be extremely busy between now and the end of May. Please standby for alerts as they may come at any moment. There are all kinds of legislation, both good and bad, at the state legislature, so we will be dealing with those, as they come up. We will keep you up to date with our alerts.
NRA Scores Legal Victory in Dispute with DC Attorney General
Claims Against the National Rifle Association (NRA) have been dismissed. No fines, penalties or relief against the NRA by the Office of the Attorney General, for the District of Columbia (DCAG).
This high-profile case, filed by the DCAG on August 6, 2020, in coordination with a lawsuit brought by the Attorney General in New York, alleged that the NRA misused tens of millions of dollars of NRA Foundation funds. In response, the NRA challenged the claims as politically motivated and stated that it always acted appropriately. Discovery proved that all funds received from the NRA Foundation were applied exclusively in furtherance of its charitable programs and that there was no misuse of funds.
Severe Weather Tips and Ticks
Spring is a good time for preparedness checks. Have a severe weather and tornado plan in place. In case of power outages, have several days of potable water and food on hand. If hunting mushrooms, don’t eat them unless you are certain they are not poisonous “when in doubt – throw it out”. Clean your firearms and check your ammunition supplies. Protect yourself from ticks when going outdoors everywhere, including when you visit the ISRA Range, or any other range.
I’ve had more reports on ticks already this year, more than I’ve ever had. Thirteen species of ticks live in Illinois, but only about six of them are seen regularly by people. Many ticks carry harmful diseases, so you should use spray that has high concentrations of Deet in it, for example “Deep Woods Off” and take extra precautions by wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts and hats. Also treat your pets.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (American Dog tick, Lone Star tick), Tularemia (American Dog tick, Lone Star tick) and Lyme Disease (Black-Legged tick) are among some of the diseases that ticks can transmit. Most ticks are not infected, but those in some areas are more likely to be infected than others. Ticks can even be found in your backyard!
Location of particular tick species by Illinois counties, see map: See map.
For more information on types of ticks and the diseases they may carry, -go to: https://dph.illinois.gov/
It is the season when lightning and thunder walkabout,
making things tremble.
When tornadoes draw near trees,
and man-made things, disassemble.
~ Richard Pearson, 2024
In Wildlife News
Researchers have clocked a mallard duck flying north at 99.3 miles an hour. No one knew that mallards could fly that fast, but apparently, they can. The mallard had just landed in Illinois and was anxious to get out as fast as possible.
The debate about releasing wolves in the western states rages on. Are the ideas that ecologists have had, that wolves are prey to other animals, correct? When some animal populations get smaller, this was found not to be true. Declining elk populations were most concerning in some areas. It was thought that as elk declined, wolves would switch to hunting bison. That appears not to be true. Wolves don’t care. They have a taste for elk and bison. Another thing that wolves and some other predators do (in particular owls) to my knowledge, is that they kill for fun.
Recently in Wyoming 19 elk were found dead – 17 of which were calves killed and left by the wolves. This is why hunting seasons are so important to balance the populations of predators, so that other wildlife can survive.
The youth hunting season for turkeys has just concluded. The youthful hunters harvested over 2000 turkeys this year compared to a little over 1200 in 2023. Well done!
For more information on the Spring Turkey Hunting Seasons, go to https://dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/spring-turkey-program.html.
May 2, 1918 – European Allies Attempt to Force U.S. into World War I
Great Britain and France tried to push General Pershing into using United States troops in British and French units. Pershing refused knowing they would become cannon fodder because of outdated tactics. He did supply some troops but insisted on the rest being held back for further training. The problem was Trench warfare. Trenches had been implemented during the Civil War because of advancements and technology making rifles and cannons more accurate. Pershing had been taught by generals and officers who fought in the Civil War. He knew the only way to win and not lose troops at a high rate was open-field warfare, not trench warfare. Pershing held his ground. He formed entirely American units, which distinguished themselves in World War I.
May 2, 2011 – Osama Bin Laden is Killed by United States
The raid on Bin Laden’s hide-out in Pakistan, was conducted by Seal Team Six.
May 3, 1942 – The Battle of the Coral Sea Begins. The battle was historic because it was the first time an Air naval battle had occurred. The aircraft carriers used airplanes and never fired a shot at each other. The battle halted the Japanese invasion to Port Moresby and lessened the threat to Australia.
May 4, 1776 – Rhode Island Becomes the First Colony to renounce allegiance to King George III
May 5, 1961 – Astronaut Alan Shepard, Jr. – First American in Space
The trip into space was a short one, lasting only 15 minutes but it put the United States back in the space race.
May 6, 1937 – The Airship Hindenburg Catches Fire
While attempting to moor the dirigible, it contacted its mooring mast in Lakehurst, New Jersey. The airship was filled with hydrogen, a highly flammable gas that made it lighter than air. Thirty-six passengers and crew were killed. The cause of the Hindenburg disaster has been and will be long debated. The causes include everything from sabotage to static electricity, to lightning, to a back-firing engine. No one knows.
May 7, 1945 – Germany Surrenders Unconditionally to the Allies Fighting would go on for another day, but a sigh of relief spread across the countries of the world, when they found out the war in Europe was coming to an end.
May 8, 1846 – General Zachary Taylor Defeats Mexico at the battle of Palo Alto This was before the United States had formally declared war on Mexico. Despite negotiations, Mexico had refused to recognize the Rio Grande as an international boundary. American forces were already in Texas and Mexican forces attacked them. Despite being outnumbered, General Taylor won the battle. Taylor’s efforts added 500,000 square miles to the United States and made him the leading presidential candidate in 1848.
May 8, 1945 – V-E is Celebrated in the United States and Great Britain
There was literally dancing in the streets with good reason. WWII was not over yet, and the invasion of Japan was eminent. Americans feared the worst. It was estimated that there would be a million casualties among US Troops if they invaded Japan. The Atomic bomb saved casualties on both sides.
Click here to view the entire calendar. All classes and events are open to the public & all range members, unless otherwise noted. here
Open to the public. Sixty-shot Smallbore Prone and F-Class League shoots two relays every Thursday afternoon, starting at 2:00pm and ending at dusk. Meets weekly through August. Contact: Jim Miller at 815.268.4411 or email Jim.
Saturday, June 15th. This event is designed to provide a safe and supportive environment for women to learn about shooting and self-defense and welcomes women of all skill levels. For more information and to register for this event, click here, or go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/empowering-first-shots-free-womens-shooting-event-registration-698794963547?aff=oddtdtcreator
The ISRA Range is located at 1589 N 7000w Rd, Bonfield, IL 60913.
The ISRA Range offers great classes and leagues
for shooting enthusiasts!
Interested in joining a league?
Just show up 15 – 30 minutes early.
Range memberships are available.
A day at the ISRA Range is always a great day!
Thank you for being a member!
If you are not an ISRA member, join today
Donate: https://isra.org/support-us/
Upcoming Meetings: https://isra.org/isra-activities-and-events/
Upcoming Range Events: https://isra.org/the-range/#range-calendar
While the gun show information shown in this email is believed to be correct – sometimes changes occur. This is provided for informational purposes only.
If your club or organization is holding a gun show, event or class, let us know the details, and we’d be happy to post it in our Thursday Bulletin.
Looking for a Hunter Safety Class? You can them here throughout the state on the IDNR website, which lists classes by county and date: https://dnr2.illinois.gov//SafetyEdClassByCounty
May 3 – 5 Pecatonica Gun Show, Winnebago County Fairgrounds, Pecatonica
May 18 – ISRA Range Open House Tours
May 17 – Kids & Clays Charity Fundraiser, Decatur Gun Club
May 18 – 19 Kankakee Gun & Sportsman’s Show, Kankakee Co. Fairgrounds, Kankakee
May 18 – 19 Introductory Wingshooting Clinic, Des Plaines State Fish & Wildlife Area, Wilmington
May 19 Kane County Sportsman’s Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles
June 1 Youth Wingshooting Clinic Gardner Camp, Hull
June 1– 2 Hunter Clinic, Des Plaines State Fish & Wildlife Area, Wilmington