Thursday, June 16, 2016





STAFF SPOTLIGHT Q&A: 
MEET JONATHON! ANN ARBOR ARMS RANGE SAFETY OFFICER | MOREL MUSHROOM HUNTER EXTRAORDINAIRE



Q: Jonathon, what do you love most about the hunt for Morels? 
A: The thing I love most about Morel hunting is being outdoors with family and friends.


Q: When is the best time of year to look for Morel mushrooms? 
A: Michigan weather is unpredictable as we all know, and if it's a cold spring, you can expect it to be a later Morel season. For perfect conditions, you want a lot of rain followed by some sunny/warm days. If it's raining for a few days, then a sunny 70 degree day follows, I will be in the woods shortly after, looking for them. 

I found mushrooms this year early in April but generally the best time is the last week of April or the first week of May. By that time of year, we are past those cold winter days and have had some good showers and warm days for those Morels to grow. You don't want to wait too long because once the under-canopy starts to grow up, it blocks out the sunlight for the Morels. Once we get close to June and the forest floor is covered, it becomes really hard to find them.

Q: What's your favorite recipe using Morels or your favorite way to cook them up?
A: My favorite way to prepare them is to let them soak in some water with sea salt. The next step is to cook the mushrooms on low heat to get the water out of them. I then drain the water from the pan. Next, I add some butter, garlic salt and pepper, turn up the heat to medium and cook them until they brown up.

Q: Who in your life taught you how to spot them?
A: I taught myself from reading articles in magazines and just walking in the woods a lot. I have learned from trial and error over the years.

Q: Where are the easiest places to find Morels (or what type of environment do they grow best in)? 
A: I typically have the best luck in open, mature hardwoods. I have heard that near dead ash or elm trees are the best, but for me, I have never had much luck. In my spots there are a lot of live elms and I can usually find mushrooms not far form their bases. Also, southern-facing slopes are the best and where you typically can find the most Morels.

Q: How do you determine false vs. real Morels?

The best way to determine a false Morel vs. a real one is to cut it in half vertically. These are the things to look for in a real Morel: cap is usually longer than the stem, the bottom of the cap is attached to the stem. The mushroom is one piece and hollow all the way from the cap to the stem

For false Morels the cap is smaller than the stem. The cap attaches to very top of the stem. The best way i can tell is when you cut a false Morel the cap and stem do not appear to be one piece and is not hollow all the way through.


Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Beginners Guide: UTM's and Why You Should Be Training with Them for Home Defense


Beginners Guide: UTM’s and Why You Should Be Training with Them for Home Defense

Do you keep a gun in your home for home defense? How often do you train in safe, realistic home defense situations? Have you ever wanted to try your skills at effectively defending a home? In our upcoming Ann Arbor Arms Academy Inaugural Shoot House, the weekend of June 18 and 19, you will be using Ultimate Training Munitions (UTM’s) to safely practice defending a home.
Understanding how to safely and effectively negotiate the environments you live in with a gun in hand is critical to being truly prepared for the worst-case scenario. Our in-house UTM (Ultimate Training Munitions) shoot house simulates a home like setting and introduces you to the basics of home defense.

Details on how UTM’s operate and how they work for you:
·         Has normal weapon function, recoil and realistic and consistent cyclic rates
·         Replaces dry-fire practicing
·         Enhances live-fire practicing
·         Minimal noise and emissions
·         The UTM Civilian Target Ammunition (CTA) is the safest, most reliable and accurate alternative to live ammunition
·         The expanding cartridge combined with the UTM Conversion creates a blow-back system that realistically and reliably cycles the firearm
·         Consistent shot-to-shot muzzle velocities (Average of 375 feet per second), essential for safe indoor target training
·         Intended for all responsible gun owners, novice to professionals
·         The UTM Target Shooting Conversion is uniquely designed to prevent the discharge of traditional “live” ammunition
·         “Fail-Safe” technology is achieved by utilizing a 3mm offset firing pin design, which will only work with the rim fire power load used in the UTM Target Ammunition, but not with a “live” center fire cartridge
·         In the event a “live” cartridge is chambered and the trigger is pulled, the conversion offset firing pin will strike outside the primer pocket of the “live” round. This makes it impossible to detonate the “live” ammunition in the UTM converted weapon
This technology only previously available to military, law enforcement and professional training organizations is now available to everyone for the first time ever! Now you have the freedom to target shoot virtually anywhere, and not use a single round of your live ammunition stock. Whether you are a beginner or seasoned shoot house student, the UTM Target Shooting Round will revolutionize and enhance how you practice defending yourself, your family and your home!

Check out the internals of UTM ammunition!

Home Defense Shoot House with Steve Fisher of Sentinel Concepts

WHEN: Saturday June 18 – Sunday June 19 (9AM to 6PM both days)
*INCLUDED EQUIPMENT: UTM (Ultimate Training Munitions) Glock in 9mm, holster, 100 rounds of UTM ammunition
EQUIPMENT: Please bring wrap around eye protection, gun belt and range appropriate attire. This practical application course does not require armor or helmets
AMMUNITION REQUIREMENT: All ammunition is INCLUDED IN COST. All equipment and ammo will be issued on day one of training
COURSE FEE: $425