Learn How To Hunt Wild Turkey
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has launched a new online guide with information about how to hunt wild turkeys. Hunters can learn about finding a place to hunt, scouting, calling, needed apparel and gear, regulations, license requirements,...
Bay Of Pigs
Fishing the Bay, you can't help but feel you've been handed the keys to a private kingdom, where the smallmouth bass reigns supreme. I should have gone to her, should have been there in her hour of need. I should have let her collapse in my arms and told her...
Non-typical Caribou…Or What?
In the early 1990’s, I had booked three gentlemen from Argentina. These fellows were eager to see and experience everything they could during their two-week stay with us at Trail Creek. That season the caribou seemed to show up in groups walking down the east side of...
The Plan
They had planned this trip for years. "If I get there before you do, look for me upstream." That was the plan, for they both knew that their chances of actually arriving there at the same time were extremely slim. You know how it is. And in the end, it turned out they...
Bothersome, Deadly Black Bears
Despite common belief, black bears have attacked and killed more people than grizzlies over the years. Before the 1870s, when the herds of buffalo and elk were ranging eastward and the wolf and cougar were too scarce to hunt for profit, the meat and hides of black...
MDC Encourages Public To Be Bear Aware This Spring
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) estimates that Missouri is home to about 540 to 840 black bears with most being in the southern part of the state. As spring gets underway, these magnificent mammals leave their winter dens in search of food. MDC reminds...
Classic Rigby Cases Now Available
Clients of London gunmaker, John Rigby & Co., can now ensure that their Big Game rifles benefit from the best protection when in transit from one intrepid adventure to the next. All those purchasing a rifle from Rigby’s acclaimed Big Game range will have the...
Baltimore’s Burning But Big Rockfish
It was May 1, 2015, a Friday, and Baltimore seemed like the last place anyone would go for a peaceful getaway. But my wife, Kathy, and I had planned to visit her son Jay in Charm City that very weekend. We were determined to make it happen. Network news broadcasts...
Bighorn Sheep Captures Aid Research
Bighorn sheep in Nebraska’s Panhandle are sporting some new hardware thanks to the work of a helicopter capture crew, wildlife professionals and volunteers. South Dakota State University joined the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in capturing and processing a total...
Sharks vs. Catfish
When it comes to sharks vs. catfish, the cats win by a nose. Hollywood has been in love with sharks for far too long. It is high time the catfish finally gets some glory. Sure, sharks have an entire week devoted to them on the Discovery Channel, and then there is the...
The Lords Of Loafers Glory
During the middle of the past century, it was commonplace for old men, maybe a smattering of somewhat younger n’er-do-wells and boys to congregate in popular gathering places. In small towns and rural crossroads, those spots were almost always a country store,...
Alabama’s First Sandhill Season In 103 Years Deemed Success
Another warm winter left Alabama’s duck hunters frustrated, but those who were lucky enough to score permits for the first sandhill crane season in the state in 103 years were elated. Although not all of the 400 crane permit holders were able to harvest one of the...
Announcing Our March/April 2020 Issue
Features: CHASING THE SILVER GHOST Tarpon can be beaten, but they’ll never be broken. By Denver Bryan QUAIL OF THE KALMIAS These birds of the hills show both speed and finesse. By Archibald Rutledge PAPA’S CUBA To many Cubans, Ernest Hemingway is as much alive...
South Carolina Turkey Season Changes
South Carolina turkey hunters need to be aware of several changes going into effect this season that impact season dates, bag limits and tag fees. These changes are a result of legislation passed by the S.C. General Assembly in 2019 (Act 51, S.575). This legislation...
Kindergarten Moose Hunt
My moose-hunting guide was a lethargic person whom Providence had fashioned—in mind and temperament—as a cook in a lumber camp. I remember him without malice and without enthusiasm. He manifested eagerness only on unimportant occasions and only when sitting. He was...
New York Announces 2019 Bear Harvest Totals
New York State bear hunters took 1,505 black bears during the 2019 hunting seasons according to state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos. "Black bears are thriving in New York, and bear hunting seasons are a critical part of our...
Oyster Shucking Knife Drawing At SEWE 2020
All exhibits at the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition in Charleston, SC, open Friday where you can enjoy the finest wildlife art and everything from fly fishing demos to signature galas and sales. Sporting Classics will be there too, and we’re giving away a...
Managed Waterfowl Hunts At Tuckahoe WMA Planned
A plan presented by Division staff to implement the state's first managed waterfowl hunts at the Tuckahoe Wildlife Management Area (WMA) was authorized in September by the Fish and Game Council. This new opportunity comes on the heels of a cooperative, five-year...
South Dakota Chance At A Hunt Of A Lifetime
The South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks (GFP) Department is offering outdoor enthusiasts the hunt of a lifetime with their Hunt for Habitat “super tag” raffle. The raffle offers two prize options for 2020 with four total prize packages available. Three winners...
New State Record Yellow Perch
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) recently recognized Tyler Halley of Maryville for catching a new state record yellow perch. Halley was fishing on a private pond in Nodaway County when he caught the 1-pound, 14-ounce fish using the pole-and-line method....
Tooth & Claw: A Valentine’s Tale Of Love And Shame
“This is going to be the day! The best Valentine’s Day ever!” I yelled as I entered the room, breaking up the hunting video game marathon in progress. “Look alive, boys, I’ve finally done it: the perfect gift!” The youngest boy shook his head and didn’t even glance...
Women’s Winter Ringneck Challenge
Pheasants Forever Montcalm County, Michigan, is sponsoring a fun pheasant hunting event for beginners and experienced hunters. The day includes clay shooting and a guided hunt with teams of four women, with lunch and prizes following the hunt. Cost is $35 per person,...
New WMA In Georgia
More than 6,300 new acres at the Canoochee Sandhills Wildlife Management Area, located in Bulloch and Bryan Counties, is now available for southeast Georgia outdoor enthusiasts, thanks to the partnership efforts of multiple agencies and Foundations. “Securing this...
Sawfish: What To Do When You Accidentally Hook One
When I started graduate school at Florida State University, I had never seen a sawfish in the wild, but I was excited to be part of the recovery of a species I had been so awestruck by in aquariums. The smalltooth sawfish, the only sawfish found in Florida, has been...
Pride And Regret
Carl Lear loved hunting grouse and fishing for trout. So when the opportunity came for him to go north from Virginia to hunt grouse in classic autumn Michigan, he stashed his old fiberglass fly rod in the truck as well, on the off chance that he might come across a...
It’s Not About The Trophy
If a man marries a girl infected with the decorating bug, he has to learn to put up with minor annoyances—a house littered with paint samples, rug samples, wood samples, granite samples, tile samples, fabric samples—and to always look twice before sitting down,...
Sweet Soul of the Smokies
Maggie “Aunt Mag” Williams (1863-1961) In the halcyon days of childhood, most of us had the distinct privilege, although we might not have recognized it at the time, of being in close contact with older folks who merited the description of being “a genuine character.”...
Utah Reintroduces Bighorn Sheep To Antelope Island
A year after a contagious respiratory disease decimated a bighorn sheep herd at Antelope Island State Park, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources successfully reintroduced a new herd of 25 bighorn sheep to the island on Wednesday, Jan. 29. Bighorn sheep existed on...
Rigby Launches North American Gun Configurator
London gunmaker John Rigby & Co. has launched an exclusive version of its popular gun configurator tool for use in North America, enabling U.S. clients to design their own dream rifles at the click of a button via Rigby’s website. The move allows North American...
Pursuing The Alpine Ibex
A once-in-a-lifetime hunt amid the lofty peaks of the Swiss Alps. Nearly a decade ago, I stayed in an Austrian castle, its walls adorned with architectural-looking alpine animal skulls. Perhaps the most intriguing of those was a goat-like creature, its...
MDC Reports Final Deer Harvest More Than 285,400
Missouri's 2019-2020 deer-hunting season ended Jan. 15 with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reporting a preliminary total deer harvest of 285,483. Of the deer harvested, 133,914 were antlered bucks, 27,931 were button bucks, and 123,638 were does. Top...
Michigan Youth Small Game Hunt March 28
A youth small game hunt is scheduled for Saturday, March 28 at Crane Pond State Game Area 60887 State Highway M-40, Jones Youth hunters will be put into small hunting groups and assigned a mentor. Hunt participants must be under 18 years old, have a valid hunting...
First Gun
For most boys of my generation, certain milestones immediately went into the treasured files of memory. They were destined to remain there permanently. “Firsts” were particularly important in this regard—first squirrel, first trout on a fly, first rabbit, first...
MDC Now Requires Landowner Registration For Free And Discounted Permits
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reminds Missouri resident and nonresident landowners who qualify to receive free or discounted deer and turkey hunting permits to register their properties in MDC’s new Landowner Permit Registry either online or by...
Brays Island Plantation Completes Remarkable Renovation to Historic Inn
The Inn and Carriage House at Brays Island Plantation reopened following a six-month renovation. The circa-1930 brick Georgian-style mansion, along with an adjacent carriage house, serves as a landmark property of the 5,500-acre residential sporting community situated...
Wisconsin Ruffed Grouse West Nile Virus Results
A final report examining the results from 2018’s ruffed grouse West Nile virus sampling effort has been posted. This report summarizes only 2018 data. Samples collected by hunters during the 2019 season were received by the laboratory and a second-year report will be...
Michigan DNR Seeks To Fill Vacancies
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is soliciting applications for open volunteer positions on the Eastern Upper Peninsula Citizens Advisory Council. The council is designed to advise the DNR on regional programs and policies, identify areas in which the...
Volunteers Needed For Bighorn Sheep Survey
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and Society for Conservation of Bighorn Sheep (SCBS) are seeking volunteers to assist biologists with a bighorn sheep count in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties on Feb. 29 and...
Betsy & Boo-Boo
“Alright cub scout, close your eyes and hold out your hand.” I heard cabinet hinges squeak open and Frank rustling through some clutter above his reloading bench. It was evening in late July and we were in his garage. The overhead doors were open, and a drop of sweat...
CWD Control Permits
Landowners in specific townships in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula chronic wasting disease management zone can apply for disease control permits to help manage deer populations on their properties. Chronic wasting disease is a fatal neurological disease affecting deer,...
Jim Thorpe, Hunting Dogs, and the Half-time Show
Green Bay, New York, Chicago, San Fran and LaRue, Ohio: what do they have in common? NFL franchises. But it was the rural Ohio team that was perhaps the most unusual. Its legacy lives on in the halftime show—a show rooted in marketing hunting dogs. LaRue native...
The 7mm-08 Rem. Bests The .308 Win.
A popular and knowledgeable gun writer online recently published a weak embrace of the .308 Winchester as his choice for an all-round, do-everything rifle cartridge. Like the groom at a shotgun wedding, he said, “I do” more out of a sense of self-preservation than...
Horses I Have Known: Pack Train Broncos
Not all horse trouble comes from the animals you actually ride. In a pack train, horses are tied to one another with bailing twine so that if all hell breaks loose, the twine will snap and the animals will not get all tangled up—at least in theory. Helping to move a...
Applications For Oklahoma 22nd Annual Wildlife Youth Camp
A week full of fun outdoor activities, conservation education and camaraderie is in store for up to 35 lucky teens selected to attend the 22nd annual Wildlife Youth Camp. Applications are now being accepted for this summer's once-in-a-lifetime event. "Campers...
Passages
Passages is an unprecedented compilation of the best quotations from hunting, fishing and conservation books, magazine articles and poetry and it's yours free for subscribing. All of these excerpts, which run the gamut from poignant and insightful to delightful and...
NH Coyote Tests Positive For Rabies
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department reminds residents and visitors that wild animals should be left alone, one reason being the possibility of rabies. The NH Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Laboratory recently confirmed that a coyote...
A Dozen For Down Under
The 2019/2020 fire season in Australia has been catastrophic. The latest figures estimate 46 million acres have burned, 36 people died and a mind-boggling loss of 1 billion animals including some species that are on the brink of extinction. These numbers are growing...
The Rhinoceros: Its Bird Guardian, And How It Is Hunted
The Bechuana of Southern Africa, if he be rich enough, purchases a gun wherewith to attack the dauntless black rhinoceros, much preferring, as any one who has a chance of seeing Borele in all his savage grandeur will at once understand, to send the messenger of death...
Venison Stew
Years ago, I fell into the habit of boning out all of the deer I was lucky enough to drag out of the woods. My Uncle Elton loved venison, and I always made sure he had a good supply in his freezer. Elton lived alone with two big dogs to keep him company – an...
2020 Wyoming Outdoor Hall Of Fame Awards
Three individuals who have made significant contributions to the Wyoming outdoors will be inducted into the 2020 Wyoming Outdoor Hall of Fame. Helen Roylance, Richard Guenzel and Duaine Hagen will join 63 past honorees. The induction ceremony takes place Friday, March...