The Hunting Connection
The very nature of hunting requires that you know as much as possible about the game you pursue. And that's why, the author maintains, artists who hunt are able to capture the essence of their wild subjects. For the past few decades, wildlife art has enjoyed an...
Where the Sporting Life Lives
Where the Sporting Life Lives Brays Island, located in the heart of the South Carolina Lowcountry, is a sporting community with a unique history, dedicated to preservation and a love for life outdoors. SPONSORED CONTENT: Brays Island is a sporting enthusiast’s dream...
New Rivers and New Sights
My summer plans include a long list of rivers that need exploring. Ever since the first hoomans arrived here in the New World in the 1400s, there have been roamers among the crowds. The history books are full of tales of pioneers like Daniel Boone, John Bozeman, Lewis...
Tales From Three Hemispheres
Ramblings: Tales From Three Hemispheres features 240-pages and over 180 black-and-white photographs that richly document Michael Altizer's contemplative and intimately composed accounts of his hunting and fishing journeys, from Patagonia to Alaska—along with the guns,...
Mossberg International SA-410 Safety Recall
Attention: There has been a Mossberg International SA-410 Safety Recall Mossberg has recently discovered a potential safety issue with certain Mossberg Model SA-410 shotguns, which may lead to personal injury and/or damage to the shotgun. Mossberg is voluntarily...
Cusp of Summer On a Carolina Day
There is nothing more apt to illustrate life than a stilt house hovering over water set to the rhythm of a spring tide. A friend of my granddad's used to sit on our porch in a wicker rocking chair and watch the creek go by. That creek is part of the Elizabeth River...
Air Rifles Continue Hunting’s Quiet Revolution
Air Rifles Continue Hunting’s Quiet Revolution I’ll never forget my first morning deer hunting on public land near my childhood home in southern Wisconsin, a state with more than 600,000 deer hunters. For nine days a year, the state could field the world’s seventh...
Playing the Game – Candid Cameron
It’s a fact of life: dog’s like to fetch. While hoomans often see fetching as a boring game, for dogs running and grabbing goes back, way back, to that wolf era when we had to run down and grab animals, and then pull them down to the ground and begin eating them. It’s...
Berry Crisp
BERRY CRISP I’ve always had a sweet tooth, and few things in the dessert world tickle my fancy more than those featuring berries. You can use about any kind of berries with this recipe. 1 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup packed...
B.A.S.S. Founder Ray Scott, The Father of Modern Bass Fishing, Has Died
B.A.S.S. Founder Ray Scott, The Father of Modern Bass Fishing, Has Died Sadly, I learned of the passing of my friend, Ray Scott. Like everyone else, for years I’d seen his “showmanship side” on TV. But it wasn’t until the mid 1990s, after I attended a Bassmasters...
Squirrel Pot Pie
SQUIRREL POT PIE 1 onion, chopped coarsely 1 stalk celery, chopped coarsely 1 large garlic clove, minced 4 cups beef broth Freshly ground black pepper 1 squirrel, cleaned Pastry for two-crust pie 1 (12-ounce) can Mexican-style mixed vegetables 1 tablespoon cornstarch...
Places to Be Sensed and Senses to Be Placed
Here's the portfolio; look what's inside. People are known for doing the one thing at which they are best. That's what we were telling the artist one afternoon in his studio with the window as big as The Ritz. There are well-known western artists and wildlife artists...
Venison Chili
VENISON CHILI It’s hard to beat a steaming bowl of chili, especially if flanked with a fine chunk of cornbread or a plate of corn dodgers, when you have a mighty craving for hearty fare. Here’s a recipe to use some of that ground venison you hopefully put in the...
CZ 600 Bolt-Action Rifle Recall
CZ-USA has recently learned of a potential safety issue with the CZ 600 bolt-action rifles. CZ-USA is voluntarily initiating a recall of these rifles to protect the safety of its customers because of the potential for a catastrophic failure if the barrel is not...
Of Ice and Men: Part II
Part II Of Ice and Men I helped him get to his feet and got him moving toward camp. He walked like a crippled man. I quickly pulled the cord attached to my pack and it came up full of water. I turned it upside down and jammed the frame into the snow. I left the rifles...
Baked Squirrel
BAKED SQUIRREL Mom often fixed fried squirrel, and when served with side dishes of biscuits, milk gravy made with the drippings from the squirrel, sweet potatoes and turnip greens, it was among my favorite meals. However, I liked her baked squirrel even better, and...
The Book That Humbled Hemingway
When Hemingway read this book, he said: "She has written so well, and marvelously well, that I was completely ashamed of myself as a writer . . . [Markham] can write rings around all of us who consider ourselves as writers . . . It is really a bloody wonderful book."...
STREAKED MEAT DUTCH OVEN POTATOES
STREAKED MEAT DUTCH OVEN POTATOES Pork was the staple meat of my boyhood, and that was true not just in my family but for country folks across much of the Southeast in general. While a pig offered plenty of variety in terms of “meat on the table,” with dishes...
Streaked Meat Milk Gravy
Some Culinary Musings on Pork Pork was the staple meat of my boyhood, and that was true not just in my family but for country folks across much of the Southeast in general. While a pig offered plenty of variety in terms of “meat on the table,” with dishes including...
Dead Fish Tell No Lies
To think that this box might hold Harry's legendary Atlantic salmon was too much for the club members to bear. Postmortem jurisprudence. I believe that’s what they call it. This "executor of a will" responsibility is indeed an objectionable bit of business. "Damn it,...
Traditional Mountain Cornbread
TRADITIONAL MOUNTAIN CORNBREAD Across much of the country, and certainly in rural regions of the South, cornbread has long been a staple. For the sportsman, it goes wonderfully well with venison chili or any type of game soup or stew. The keys to making really good...
Venison Loin Steaks With Raspberry Sauce
VENISON LOIN STEAKS WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE 1 pound loin steaks 1/3 cup Dale’s Steak Seasoning 1/3 cup water ½ stick butter 1 garlic clove, minced ½ cup raspberry jam Marinate loin in Dale’s Steak Seasoning and water; drain. Melt the butter and add garlic. Sauté briefly....
Venison Calzone
VENISON CALZONE 3/4 - 1-pound ground venison 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 cup venison kielbasa 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1/4 teaspoon oregano 1 14-ounce jar tomato and basil spaghetti sauce 1 8-ounce package...
Son of the South
Son of the South:Reminiscences of a Southern Sportsman follows the life of one of North Carolina's most outstanding hunters and fishermen-conservationists Bob Gordon. At 82, the stories of his hunting adventures in North Carolina and way beyond take shape in a sort of...
Honey Pecan Mountain Trout
HONEY PECAN MOUNTAIN TROUT 2 pounds of trout fillets or, with small fish, split down the middle and remove as many bones as possible. 1/2 cup all-purpose flour Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cup finely ground pecans 1 egg or egg white, beaten Butter, softened Honey...
African Elephant Hair Bracelets
Designed after the original African Elephant Hair Bracelets dating back over 1200 years it was believed that wearing these bracelets would protect against harm, sickness, and misfortune. The four knots symbolizes the powerful forces of life: the sun, wind, fire, and...
Passages – 1996 Issue of Sporting Classics
Memorable Quotes Over the Years A collection printed in the 1996 issue of Sporting Classics The streams that hold trout are filled with spirits. They are filled with magic that will stay as long as someone comes to feel it. When we come upon old gear that has been...
Walk Your Way Through the Colors
Mike Stidham, the critically acclaimed, self-taught artist, paints fishscapes. One summer evening a year ago, Mike Stidham left his studio and drove a few miles to a heavily fished stretch of the Provo River where it spills out of the Wasatch Mountains through the...
The Last Bear
Generally, he would have welcomed the chance to leave the hunter behind and go alone to finish the hunt. It would've been a good way to end his bear-hunting career. But this time, he couldn't. Kernels of snow splashed from the tracks for several feet in every...
Mother’s Day Gifts 2022
There’s a lot of pressure on us all when it comes to Mother’s Day gift ideas. You want to find something she’ll use all the time, but it can’t be strictly utilitarian. It should also have a sentimental spin. But overthinking it only makes the whole process harder. So...
Shrimp and Hominy
Shrimp and Hominy Hominy seems, in today’s culinary world, to have given way in large measure to its first cousin, grits. Yet this dish, featuring two standards of Lowcountry fare, was, according to Two Hundred Years of Charleston Cooking, “served in almost every...
Venison Steak and Potatoes
Venison Steak and Potatoes At Hampton, as in a hunt camp, hearty fare was a must. This recipe fits the bill. Ingredients: 1 pound cubed venison steak 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 can (10 3/4 ounce) cream of celery soup 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 teaspoon freshly...
Pickled Shrimp and Capers
Pickled Shrimp and Capers Shrimp are wonderfully versatile in that they can be a main dish, a cocktail, or merely hearty hors d’oeuvres for a party. Here’s a somewhat unusual approach that works well when you are having a large group for drinks and snacks. It will...
Ethics and the Meat Hunter
Contemplations on the ethical hunt. I saw the yellow Rank and the branched antlers as he stepped through a thin place in the second-growth timber, maybe 70 yards away. He was gone before I could even slip the rifle sling off my shoulder, let alone shoot. The wind was...
Game and Field Fair 2022
Sporting Classics Attends 2022 Game & Field Fair On the weekend of April 1, Sporting Classics traveled to the mountainous region of Adairsville, Georgia, for the Game & Field Fair sponsored by The Pepi Family Studios and High Adventure Company on the Beretta...
Orange Glazed Baked Duck Breasts
Baked Duck Breasts in Orange Glaze One of my all-time favorite outdoor stories is Robert Ruark’s account, from The Old Man and the Boy, of the occasion when he and his grandfather hunted ducks and fished with some Cajun friends of the Old Man down in Louisiana. Every...
Shrimp Chowder Recipe from Casada
Shrimp Chowder Ingredients: 1/2 large onion, finely chopped 1/4 cup (a half-stick) butter 2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped 1 cup boiling water 3/4 teaspoon salt 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated 2 cups whole milk 1 pound shrimp, cook, peeled, and chopped...
Venison Brunswick Stew
Venison Brunswick Stew You’ll need: 3 pounds venison, cut into one-inch cubes 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 large potato, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 1 large can tomatoes, chopped (or use frozen ones from the summer garden, which I do) 1...
Duck Gumbo Recipe Rutledge Style
Duck Gumbo Although his literary output on waterfowling was relatively sparse, Rutledge did his fair share of duck hunting at a place and in a time when ducks were fairly plentiful. You’ll need: 2 mallards or 3 wood ducks 3 chopped medium onions 3 large potatoes or an...
Hampton Plantation Shrimp Pilau
Hampton Plantation Shrimp Pilau Given its title, presumably this was a dish served regularly at Hampton. It certainly features ingredients regularly used in the Lowcountry, and it comes from Mrs. Paul Seabrook (Archibald Rutledge's sister, Harriott Horry Rutledge),...
Meatball Sauce Recipe
MEATBALL SAUCE 1 16-ounce can whole berry cranberry sauce 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard with horseradish Bring to a boil over medium heat and introduce cooked meatballs. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-10...
RANCH TURKEY STRIPS
One of the myriad joys of being fortunate enough to fairly call and cleanly kill a wild turkey is the resultant feast. There aren’t many, if any, delicacies from the wild that are more scrumptious. Of course the breast of a wild turkey is its equivalent of backstraps...
Poke Sallet Recipe
POKE SALLET RECIPE Poke shoots are easy enough to find over much of the country. Just be sure to get tender young shoots only three or four inches above the soil’s surface. Clean thoroughly and then bring to a rolling boil in a sauce pan of water. Drain, rinse, fill...
Grilled Wild Turkey Strips
GRILLED WILD TURKEY STRIPS Half of a wild turkey breast cut into half-inch strips 1 pound bacon Jalapeño peppers or water chestnuts Marinate the strips in Italian dressing, then roll bacon slice around each strip, enclosing a slice of pepper or water chestnut inside...
Sautéed Morels
SAUTÉED MORELS Morel mushrooms are a great delicacy, and I have three favorite ways of preparing them. In each case, soak the mushrooms in salt water and then clean thoroughly. Dab dry with a towel or paper towels and slice in half. It is hard to beat introducing the...
Wild Turkey Meatballs Recipe
WILD TURKEY MEATBALLS If you throw away the legs and thighs, you might want to reconsider — and here’s a perfect use for the dark meat. 1 1/2 cup ground wild turkey 1 cup finely crumbled cornbread 1/4 cup chopped, toasted hazelnuts or pecans 1 large celery rib, finely...
Call Time Finalist for Ben Franklin Award
Amid a field of more than 1,900 entries, Chris Dorsey’s latest book, Call Time was named as a finalist for the prestigious Ben Franklin Award from the Independent Book Publishers Association. Call Time is one of three finalists for the Gold Award for Sports &...
Wild Strawberry Trifle Recipe
SPRING’S BOUNTY ON THE TABLE One of the too often overlooked aspects of hunting and fishing involves the opportunity to feast from nature’s bounty you encounter while in the wilds. Here is a quartet of recipes, two for wild strawberries and one each for morel...
Loin Steak Crabmeat Sauce
Loin steak with shrimp and crabmeat sauce You’ll need: 1 pound loin steak cut a quarter-inch thick 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon butter Salt and pepper to taste Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet and cook the loin quickly until medium rare....
SHRIMP IN BASIL BUTTER
SHRIMP IN BASIL BUTTER Whether you take the do it yourself route by learning to handle a cast net or simply buy your shrimp at a local grocery or seafood market, this super-abundant crustacean lends itself to a wide variety of preparation techniques. This one combines...