At the end of each hunting and fishing season, Southwick Associates performs a survey of the most frequently purchased equipment and gear for that year.

Southwick is a consumer tracking company that surveys purchase information of sales across different types of stores, brand purchased, price paid and demographics for sportsmen and sportswomen who buy specific products.

For 2023, Southwick compiled the most frequently purchased hunting and shooting equipment brands. Their sampling is as follows:

Traditional Rifles - Ruger; Shotguns - Beretta; Rifle Ammunition - Federal; Reloading Powder - Hodgon; Reloading Components - Hornady & CCI; Binoculars - Bushnell; Reflex/Red Dot Sights - Sig Sauer; Scope/Accessory Mounts - Leupold; Trail Camera - Stealth Cam; Game Calls - Primos; Game Feeder - Game Winner; Holsters/Ammo Belts - Blackhawk; Gun Cleaning - Hoppes; Choke Tubes - Briley; Magazines - Magpul.

OUTDOOR

RAMBLINGS

In last week’s column we mentioned the possibility of shad making their way up the Delaware River in their annual spawning run. Well, Kevin Ingram, a contributor to the Delaware River Fishing Report, said he fished the Yardley stretch of the Delaware on March 14 and managed to land seven shad with the first one caught at 11:30 a.m. He also caught a walleye and added that the water temperature was 48 degrees at 6 p.m.

In regards to the shad fishery, the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Division said American shad are in need of protection and addressed measures of an unsustainable adult female mortality in the Delaware Basin. As such, they would like New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware to reduce their creel limits down to just two American shad in the freshwater section.

As a result, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission said that because the Delaware River American shad population is experiencing unsustainable mortality, Co-Op members and Pennsylvania have agreed to reduce the American Shad harvest by approximately 33 percent for both recreational and commercial fisheries. This was voted and approved on Jan. 1, 2023, which now drops the creel limit from three to two shad per day on waters managed for the Delaware River, West Branch Delaware River and River Estuary.

TROUT POACHERS

As most of the local streams have been stocked with trout for the season opener, it’s being reported that some fishermen are fishing closed portions of the Little Lehigh Creek (and a few others), ahead of the opener. In checking, it was learned that the local Waterways Conservation Officer has made a few arrests of these illegal anglers. If honest anglers spot any of this taking place, they should call the fish commission’s Southeast Region office at 717-626-9228.

SPORTSMEN’S

RAFFLE

The Lehigh Valley Community Benefit is a nonprofit group of folks who got together after some friends and neighbors lost their lives under tragic circumstances. They honor them with raffles and motorcycle rides like a Toy Run with all proceeds going back to the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas. Their latest effort is a Sportsmen’s Raffle of 36 firearms ranging from a Ruger American 6.5 Creedmoor rifle to a Winchester XP 12 ga. Shotgun, Sig Sauer P365 9mm, Glock 43X MOS 9mm, Ruger 10/22 .22 rifle, 1000 rounds of 5.56 PMC and many more. The raffle is being held April 27, 2024 at 1 p.m., at Tri-Boro Sportsmen’s Club in Northampton. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the club or online at www.LVCB.org.