Rigby’s New Pocket Knife
London gunmaker John Rigby & Co. is offering hunters the chance to upgrade their expedition kit with a knife that is as exquisite as it is hard-wearing, and combines the practicality of a folding pocket-knife with the beauty and craftsmanship associated with Rigby...
Missouri Forecasts Challenging Spring Turkey Hunting
Missouri turkey hunters can expect a challenging spring season according to the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). The spring turkey hunting season starts with a youth-only weekend April 4 and 5 followed by the regular spring season April 20 through May 10....
Prairie Pike
At Cheyenne Ridge Signature Lodge, it's the "other season" you don't want to miss. Hedy Lamarr was one of the most glamorous film stars of Hollywood's "Golden Age." Viennese by birth, she was invariably cast as a seductress of exotic origins and gained fame as filmdom...
Aerial Survey Shows MN Moose Population Is Stable
For the ninth year in a row, Minnesota’s moose population remains relatively stable, but reproductive success – one of the factors that has the greatest impact on moose survival over time – remains low. This past winter, the DNR estimated the moose population to be...
St. Croix Lifts The Veil On Its Most Sensitive Rods Ever
SPONSORED CONTENT All-New Legend® Xtreme Series introduced at the 2020 Bassmaster Classic. St. Croix Rod has one guiding goal: to provide anglers with the rods that give them the upper hand in any fishing situation. So when anglers began requesting rods with increased...
’Ol Settler Of Deep Hole
No fish had ever exerted a greater influence on the thoughts, the imagination, the manners or the moral character of his pursuers. Uncle Eb was a born lover of fun. But he had a solemn way of fishing that was no credit to a cheerful man. It was the same when he played...
Convicted Poacher Fined $17,500 For Unlawful Take of Deer Over Bait
A Granite Bay man has been convicted of poaching a trophy class deer with the use of bait and will pay an enhanced penalty. A tenacious investigation by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and prosecution by the El Dorado County District Attorney’s...
Webster County Angler Breaks Days-Old Record For Yellow Perch
Brian Holiday of Fordland is the new a state-record holder after catching a 2-pound, 3-ounce yellow perch from Bull Shoals Lake. This is the second time the record for yellow perch has been broken in 2020. “Missouri is on the very southern range for yellow perch, so...
CDFW Seeks Artists to Enter Annual California Duck Stamp Art Contest
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) invites artists to submit their original artwork to the 2020-2021 California Duck Stamp Art Contest. Submissions will be accepted April 27 through May 29. The contest is open to U.S. residents 18 years of age or...
Reward Offered For Utah Elk Poacher
Between Dec. 20, 2019 and Jan. 15, 2020, six mature bull elk were shot and killed by poachers in the Knob Hill area of Park City, Utah. The area between Knob Hill and the Glenwild Residential Area is home to a herd of large, adult bull elk. Local residents routinely...
A City By The Sea
Blackfly Lodge at Schooner Bay anchors a Bahamas community created especially for fishing. On a calm day, the slight slap of the water on the hull of a flats boat has one of two effects on me. If I'm tired, it can lull me into a trance, the kind that makes me...
There’s Always The Pier
All sorts of interesting characters frequent our fishing piers, but they all share the same thing—a passion for fishing. South Carolina's Daniel Island is actually a peninsula of the original Cainhoy Plantation sandwiched by the Cooper and Wando rivers that probe...
Winter Weather Wisdom
My Grandpa Joe was chock full of weather-related wisdom. For example, about this time of year, whenever a premature warm spell hinted at a change in the seasons, he would opine: “A fellow can’t trust spring. It tends to be mighty fittified.” He knew, by dint of long...
South Carolina Antler Measuring Sessions
Antlers will abound throughout the Palmetto State as the search for new state record deer antlers gets underway during the S.C. Department of Natural Resources' annual series of measuring sessions. Each winter, the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) measures...
Rule Change Expands Hunting Opportunities In Utah State Parks
In an effort to increase consistency and to allow for multiple land use, the Utah State Parks Board recently passed a new rule that allows for expanded hunting opportunities within state parks. The new rule was approved on Nov. 1, 2019, during the quarterly...
Alabama Opens Red Snapper Fishing May 22
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR), Marine Resources Division (MRD) announced Alabama state waters and federal waters will open for red snapper fishing for private anglers on Friday, May 22, 2020. The season will consist of...
The Last Buffalo
On the floor, on either side of my fireplace, lie two buffalo skulls. They are white and weathered, the horns cracked and bleached by the snows and frosts and the rains and heats of many winters and summers. Often, late at night, when the house is quiet, I sit before...
Daisy Days: Boys And BB Guns
Although as a boy I didn’t receive dozens of Christmas gifts each year, those that did come my way from Mom and Dad were invariably practical, prized or memorable (and in some cases, they fit all of those descriptions). Such was the case with a Daisy Red Ryder BB gun....
The Fishing Plug Man
He was the best kept secret since the Trojans hid in the Horse. His name was W.C. Crissy; he was an august old codger from Little Rock, Arkansas, and his game was rare and valuable commodities. I say old and august. August for certain; old I'm not sure. For I never...
State Record Lake Trout Caught in Northern New Hampshire
Thomas Knight of Meredith, New Hampshire, caught an enormous lake trout while ice fishing in northern New Hampshire. The fish was certified as a new state record, eclipsing the one established in 1958. After a lengthy battle, Knight was able to bring the fish...
Left-Hand Conversions
Although it makes me appear a bit long-in-the-tooth, I’ve been actively participating in the firearms market for nearly 40 years. In point of fact, I clearly remember attending my first gun show in March 1982 and being captivated by the process. I jumped right in,...
Wisconsin Bear Application Period Delayed
The opening of the bear permit application period for the 2021 bear hunting season will be delayed this year while the new 2021 zone structure works its way through legislative review. The application period, which normally opens in March, will open shortly after the...
Montana License Year Begins March 1
Montana hunting and fishing licenses will go on sale starting Sunday, March 1 at 5 a.m., and this year people will see some changes to how they can buy general licenses and apply for special (limited draw) licenses and permits. This year, FWP will not accept paper...
Brittanys
An angel at home and a demon in the field, the French Brittany packs maximum ability in minimum volume. In the 30 years or so that I've been scribbling about gundogs, the biggest "breed story" has been the renaissance of the cocker spaniel. Finding a decent hunting...
Florida: Gray Triggerfish Opens March 1
The recreational gray triggerfish season reopens to harvest in Gulf state and federal waters March 1, and will remain open through May 1, closing to harvest May 2, 2020. If you plan to fish for gray triggerfish in Gulf state or federal waters, excluding Monroe County,...
The Fish That Shook The Pier
In the summer of 1964, an average Joe revealed to the happy-go-lucky Myrtle Beach tourists where some large creatures roamed. Large is actually insulting when it comes to describing thousand-pound sharks. How about one that weighed almost a ton, caught with rod and...
George Hoenig’s Rotary Round Action Rifle
The clean lines and simplicity of all functions in George Hoenig's Rotary Round Action gun camouflage the creativity and elaborate engineering involved in its creation. Many premier side-by-side shotguns are sold as round actions, but rounded is the more accurate...
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...
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...