A Wish Granted: 3 Days at Patagonia’s Tipiliuke Lodge
In a three-day span I'd stalked a red stag, fished for browns and rainbows, then ended up with an exciting hunt for boar. I enjoyed them all at Tipiliuke. Sam Nede arrived at the beach well before daylight. Here on Captiva Island the shell hunters would soon be out in...
Michigan Man Charged: 125 Wildlife Crimes
A Chippewa County, Michigan man is charged with 125 wildlife crimes following DNR investigation. A 56-year-old Pickford man was arraigned Wednesday morning in Chippewa County’s 91st District Court on 125 wildlife misdemeanor charges, following a months-long...
Death of a Tusker
Poaching of Africa's elephants continues at alarming levels, spurred by poverty, corrupt government officials, and the demand for illegal ivory in Asian countries. My earliest and fondest memories of the Kenya bush are the times I spent in Tsavo National Park and its...
New Jersey Shooting Ranges Open Once Again
In accordance with Executive Order No. 147 signed by Governor Phil Murphy, Division firearm and archery ranges reopened on Friday, May 22. All Wildlife Management Area regulations apply and at least one member of the shooting party must have a current, valid New...
Kansas DWPT Donates 2,000 Pounds of Elk and Bison Meat to Local Food Banks
In a time when “every little bit helps,” the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism’s (KDWPT) Public Lands Division has found a big way to help those in need. KDWPT’s Public Lands staff donated 2,137 pounds of elk and bison meat to seven food banks across...
FBI Top 10 Least-Wanted Anglers
With the possible exception of a Category 5 hurricane, nothing ruins a fishing trip quite like a lousy fishing partner. After years of research and character profiling, and spending time with some of the seediest elements in the underbelly of human society (my fishing...
Arizona Big Game Super Raffle Offers “Early Bird” Prizes
The deadline to enter the 15th annual Arizona Big Game Super Raffle is still three months away, but May 31 is the last day to be eligible to win the “early bird” prize for May — one of five Vortex Ranger 1800 Laser Rangefinders. For each online order for raffle...
Nebraska Man Sentenced to Jail for Deer Violations
A 29-year-old Phelps County man was sentenced May 13 to jail time in Phelps County Court after being convicted of multiple deer hunting violations. Nebraska conservation officers had investigated Arthur Underwood, Jr. for multiple hunting violations during the 2019...
Utah Daily Trout Limit Increases to 8
The daily limit increased to eight trout on a portion of Mammoth Creek on Monday This allows anglers to catch and keep more fish before the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources treats the river with rotenone to remove its remaining fish. DWR Director, Mike Fowlks,...
The General
Once he strikes a trail, a great rabbit dog like The General might just keep a'goin...on and on to the damn ends of God's green earth. Everybody in the piedmont had heard of the General, but nobody had hunted with him. His owner, Reverend Eddie Chapman, had become...
The Underwater Fossil Hunter
For Bill Eberlein, every dive is an opportunity to discover a Megalodon tooth or some other fossil that has not seen the light of day in millions of years. It is a universally acknowledged truth among fishermen, sportsmen and hopefully the general public, that one...
NRA’s Steel Magnolias
Meet some of the women who are infusing the NRA with high-octane energy, fresh thinking and the power of the purse...all with a feminine touch. The nickname "steel magnolias" first imprinted on the rest of the world by way of the 1989 movie of the same name, studded...
The Captain and Me
Fifty years later, the old men were boys once again. I suppose there was a time when the Captain and I did not know one another, when he did not call me a smart ass, but neither of us can recall when that might have been. We are about half senile now, or at least we...
The $100,000 Deer
Lessons in Cold War economics and stag hunting with the KGB under the hammer and sickle of Soviet Communism. Did I ever tell you about the time I paid a hundred thousand dollars for a deer? The money wasn't mine of course, and it was in rubles, Russian money, but...
Dispatch from FTW Ranch SAAM Course: Day 4
Every single person I met at FTW Ranch was kind, supportive, helpful and enjoyable, and I am leaving here not just with new knowledge, but a lot of new friends. Fredo and I met at 6 a.m. to hunt for hogs again this morning. It had just finished raining and was still...
Deadly Disease Detected in California Wild Rabbits
CDFW diagnosed Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) in a black-tailed jackrabbit carcass submitted from private property near Palm Springs in early May. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), in conjunction with the California Animal Health and Food Safety...
Virginia Angler Shocked by Golden Crappie Catch
A lucky angler reeled in an unusual catch on Virginia’s famous Buggs Island Lake. On Easter Sunday, April 12, David Rathburn of Staunton couldn’t believe the golden fish that was swimming at the end of his line. Rathburn had already caught 15 crappie that afternoon...
SC Shellfish Harvest Season to Close May 31, 2020
SCDNR closes shellfish harvest season for the summer beginning May 31 and will reopen in October. South Carolina’s 2019-2020 season for harvest of oysters, mussels, clams and all other bivalves from State Shellfish Grounds and Public Shellfish Grounds will close on...
Bringing the Outdoors to Your Living Room
In recent times, many of us have been daydreaming of our next big hunting or fishing trip while stuck inside. Glen Dene Hunting & Fishing New Zealand is bringing the outdoors in by sharing exciting stories of adventurers and their outdoor experiences, putting our...
Alabama Free Fishing Day June 13, 2020
Each calendar year, the Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources designates a "Free Fishing Day" for the public to fish recreationally in public waters without a fishing license. Saturday, June 13, 2020, is designated as Free Fishing Day as a part of...
Across the Creek
At barely eight years old, he was scarcely ready to confront a wily old trout poacher. Or was he? Friday afternoon, 14th day of April 1959, with trout season due to open the next morning. I’d turned in my homework, got Monday's assignments from Mrs. Whitten, and Dad...
Dispatch from FTW Ranch SAAM Course: Day 3
Today I went hunting for the very first time and it's safe to say I'm hooked. Instead of beginning our day in the classroom, we rode out to one of the ranges to practice shooting in different positions. Our instructor, Dave, spent some time showing us how to use...
Must-Read Mysteries for the Sportsman Reader
Keith McCafferty headlines a list of talented mystery writers whose protagonists are gun- or rod-toting sleuths caught up in murder and mayhem. Reading has always been an integral and important part of my life. Mine was a blessed boyhood, one where I grew up in a home...
Dispatch from FTW Ranch SAAM Course: Day 2
I wasn’t sure how my second day here could top my first, which was full of accomplishments, but then I remembered I’m at FTW and that’s how things work around here. We spent the morning with another hour-long class session where our instructor went into more detail...
Arkansas Anglers Can Find Golden Rainbow Trout in White River
More golden rainbow trout have been stocked in the White River system below Bull Shoals Lake dam. About 500 of the rainbow trout that have a color variation making them appear a bright golden yellow were part of a shipment of 10,000 rainbow trout stocked Monday from...
Not-So-Positive Predators
Anyone and everyone who encourages the growth of predator populations is actually contributing to increased animal suffering in the wild. After centuries of uninformed overuse and abuse of wildlife, American conservationists/scientists in the early 20th century...
Oklahoma Approves Changes for Antlerless Deer, Waterfowl Hunting
Deer hunters will have more opportunities to harvest antlerless deer this fall, and waterfowlers will have more hunting days in the middle of the season. With antlerless deer harvest trending downward the past few years, biologists with the Oklahoma Department of...
Ohio Wildlife Council Approves 3rd Fishing Line for Lake Erie and Ohio River
Anglers may use a maximum of three fishing lines on Ohio’s portion of Lake Erie and the Ohio River starting on Jan. 1, 2020, following new regulations passed by the Ohio Wildlife Council. The council approved the use of three lines per person while fishing on Ohio’s...
Thrills Above Kills
Beneath the watchful eyes of the spirits, he would follow his dream of hunting a single species of African game. Sometimes in the deep of night, when I'm alone with my thoughts, I reflect on the moment. And it's always the eyes that I remember. Probably because that's...
Nebraska Boasts Wild Turkey Variety
One reason Nebraska claims to have the nation’s best turkey hunting is its variety of subspecies of the big bird. Bryce Gerlach, a forester for the National Wild Turkey Federation and Nebraska Game and Parks Commission who is an avid hunter, said the Cornhusker State...
Idaho Non-Residents Can Apply for Big Game Controlled Hunts
Fish and Game staff have gotten some questions about this topic, so here’s a quick reminder regarding the temporary suspension of some nonresident licenses and tags. Nonresident hunters can still buy a nonresident hunting license, which enables them to apply for deer,...
A Step-by-Step Guide to Caping a Turkey
Just as an oft-used adage suggests “there’s more than one way to skin a cat,” so are there multiple ways to skin a turkey. Mind you, if you have plans to roast or deep-fry your gobbler, it shouldn’t really be skinned at all. Plucking is a tedious, time-consuming...
Wisconsin Trout Regulation Changes
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is issuing two corrections to the 2020-2021 Guide to Wisconsin Trout Fishing Regulations effective May 2, 2020. The 2020-2021 Guide to Wisconsin Trout Fishing Regulations contained incorrect bag and length limits and gear...
Arizona GFD Accepting Applications for Fall Hunts
The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is accepting applications for 2020 hunt permit-tags issued through the draw process for deer, fall turkey, fall javelina, bighorn sheep, fall bison and sandhill crane. To apply, visit the AZGFD website and click on “Apply...
Kentucky Elk Hunt Drawing Announcement
This season’s unveiling of hunters for the 2020 Kentucky elk hunt will be held at 1 p.m. (Eastern) May 16 at the Mountain Arts Center in Prestonsburg. The event will be held virtually without an audience. This decision was made by the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and...
A Letter from Leopold
The year was 1909 in America and a young, green scientist stepped boldly from a stage on the campus of Yale University, his hard-earned Master of Science degree firmly in his grasp. Now, he was a forester! Bonafide, certified and anxious. The university had captioned...
Where Dreams Were Born
Your first encounter with a mountain nyala will stay with you forever. It may even haunt you. A soft mist rises from the forest valley like a whisper from a forgotten memory. Colobus monkeys growl. A bushbuck barks. A snake eagle soars past sheer cliffs. The wind...
North Dakota Paddlefish Snag-and-Release Season Open May 15-21
A one-week paddlefish snag-and-release season will be open May 15-21 for anglers who hold a valid fishing license, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department announced. However, if conditions warrant, Game and Fish may close the season with a 24-hour notice. Game and...
Spring Fishing Tips from Maine’s Biologists
Spring is here and so are the fish. Maine's biologists offer 6 tips for success on the water this season. 1. Keep water temperature in mind. Cold temperatures mean the fish are still moving a bit slow, so your lure or bait should move slow as well. Take your time and...
Wild Places, Fine Guns, and Good Friends
Seeking out a covey of truly bobwhite quail can be a challenging and exciting adventure It was late on the last day of our hunt, and overcast with a cold northwest wind and the feel of snow in the air. My shooting partner, Brian Mudd, was the winner of Sporting...
Unregistered Outfitter Found Guilty in New Mexico
Eddie Pacheco, age 48, was convicted in February based on charges filed a year earlier. He received a 364-day suspended sentence, 364 days of probation and was ordered to pay a $500 fine in addition to court costs and make a $100 donation to Operation Game Thief. In...
Rumshark
When the shark hit the end of the line, it came up, shook his head just like those mahi did. The dock bowed, creaked, groaned, sagged. Clink, clink, clink. I was bent over the gunnel of Maggie C, a 26-foot Maine lobster boat rigged for ocean-running. Six weeks, 600...
Maine Moose Permit Lottery Approaching Deadline
The deadline to apply for the 2020 Maine moose lottery is 11:59 p.m. on May 14, 2020. Applications for the moose permit lottery will be accepted online only. The online application process is fast and simple and you receive instant confirmation that you have...
The Grand Slam of Turkey Hunting
A slam is considered one of the biggest feats in turkey hunting and will test your hunting skills and abilities to the max. The term “Grand Slam” has a myriad of definitions, evoking claims to accomplishment in the sports of baseball, thoroughbred horse racing, golf,...
Half a Dog
All his life he'd wanted such a bird dog, and finally he was getting one, though problem was, he could only have half of him and dang if he could decide which half he wanted. Two old friends, been longer together than shoe leather, out huntin': The morning had been...
The Tie that Binds
A fishing knot does infinitely more than bind a fly or lure or bait to line, it binds a person to the idea of catching a fish. "It's the tie that binds." I wasn't sure if he was making a statement to me or talking to himself. He slid the line through the eye of the...
Wyoming Wildlife Calendar Photo Contest Opens May 4
Submit your Wyoming wildlife photos to be featured in calendar and magazine The first Wyoming Wildlife Calendar Photo Contest provides shutterbugs an opportunity to have their images in the 2021 calendar, which is printed as the November 2020 issue of the magazine.In...
Get Involved in the 2020 Nebraska Bird Month Challenge
In honor of the role birds play in Nebraska’s economy and ecosystems, Gov. Pete Ricketts has proclaimed May as Nebraska Bird Month. The monthlong celebration, typically celebrated with bird-related events across the state, has taken on a new form this year in the...
Maryland Novice Nabs Her First Turkey
It was a perfect hunt scenario, perfect shot placement, and a bit of luck for these novice turkey hunters to have experienced what unfolded before us. Oh, how I love to turkey hunt! Now I love to guide as well, having run my first paid guided turkey hunt. I’d been...
Hog Heaven
You can cuss wild hogs, just don't cuss them with your mouth full You can run them with hounds and chase them on horseback or on foot. You can wade into the slashing, squealing, howling melee and kill them with a blade if it's too tight to shoot between the dogs. You...