Out & About

OUTSTANDING

DU a top charity, says USA Today

Ducks Unlimited is cited among the country’s 25 leading charities in a USA Today series celebrating the national newspaper’s 25th anniversary.

The United States, which already has lost about half of its native wetlands, is losing about 80,000 acres of wetlands a year – the equivalent of a football field every 9 minutes.

For 70 years, DU has been fundraising and working to restore and conserve 12 million acres of wetlands in North America. In 2006, the group raised more than $162 million and conserved 169,224 acres.

Check it out: www.ducks.org.

OUTSHOOT

Shooting thrills infiltrate hunting

In the muzzle blast of the Jim Zumbo debacle, Outdoor Life placated shooting factions by running a story in August promoting the assault-style AR-15 as “The World’s Most Versatile Rifle,” and a perfect fit for many hunters.

“They’re accurate, they’re customizable and they’re fun to shoot,” the magazine said by the headline, “Why you’re going to see more AR-style rifles in the woods this fall.”

However, the semiauto rifles also are geared to rapid-fire shooting with large clips of ammo. That’s fine for sport shooting, some sportsmen say, but it runs afoul of the “one well-placed shot” philosophy promoted by hunter education instructors.

And what do landowners think when hunters bearing these military-style rifles ask for permission to hunt?

Give us your thoughts: E-mail richl@spokesman.com or leave a message (509) 459-5577, ext. 5508.

OUTHUNT

Extra turkey tags

A new wild turkey tag is available for some fall hunts in North Idaho to thin turkey flocks to less pesky levels.

For the Sept. 15-Dec. 15 fall season, Idaho residents can buy up to three “special unit” turkey tags for units 1, 2, 3 and 5, in addition to the two tags available for any Idaho turkey season.

Each special tag costs $5.

OUTLOOK

Best fishing times

Lunar tables from the U.S. Naval Observatory. Be fishing at least one hour before and one hour after peak times. Applies to all time zones.

(* indicates best days.)

Through Sep. 9

* Today

5:15 a.m., 5:45 p.m.

* Monday

6:15 a.m., 6:45 p.m.

* Tuesday

7:15 a.m., 7:45 p.m.

Wednesday

8:15 a.m., 8:45 p.m.

Thursday

9:15 a.m., 9:40 p.m.

Friday

10:05 a.m., 10:25 p.m.

* Saturday

11 a.m., 11: 20 p.m.

* Next Sunday

11:45 a.m., 12:05 p.m.

See the Hunting-Fishing Report every Friday in Sports