A Striking Pair Of Hill Country Rifles
Hill Country Rifles is a lot like the Psalmists in the Old Testament. They restoreth my soul.It isn’t that high-tech, synthetic stocked rifles aren’t tough, reliable, deadly accurate and good looking. It’s that they have no warmth, no soul. They’re like a runway...
Perfect Pairings At Wing & Barrel Ranch
Seldom do hunters pair superlative upland gunning – pheasants, chukar and quail – with Sonoma County or the Napa Valley. The region’s reputation seems reserved for wines, but around 1900, about 50 years after the first commercial vintners were established, ringnecks...
Buck-To-Doe Ratio And Antler Size
Q: Larry, my friends think I’m crazy, but I think the buck-to-doe ratio has an effect on antler development. My hypothesis is that with fewer does, the competition to breed is fiercer and thus only those deer that are stronger and that have larger antlers will win...
An Artist In Big Game Country: Hunting For Meat
This is an excerpt from an article that originally appeared in the August 1910 issue of Outing magazine. Rarely is the sportsman so situated that he absolutely depends upon game for food, though as one penetrates farther into the North, the sight of hungry Indians is...
Rigby Completes First .577 Rising Bite For More Than A Century
London gunmaker John Rigby & Co. has completed its first rising bite in .577 Nitro Express for more than 100 years. The double rifle was made for a valued client, who wished it to be a tribute to Satao, the famous Tsavo tusker. It includes an exquisite floorplate...
Honoring The 150th Birthday Of Carl Rungius
Carl Moritz Clemens Rungius is widely regarded as the greatest painter of North American big game animals. He witnessed firsthand the decline of large mammals on the continent when there was an unregulated open season that put some species on the brink of extinction....
Return Radio Collars From Harvested Deer
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is encouraging anyone who finds or harvests an animal with a radio collar or transmitter to return that collar as soon as possible to any Game and Fish office or employee. “Many animals from deer to moose are fitted with collars...
8 Points About Deer Antlers
1. They’re antlers, not horns. The major difference between horns and antlers is that horns don’t shed and are almost always a permanent part of the animal. Antlers are made of bone and have a velvet phase, in which blood is supplied to the antler to help it grow....
Legends Of The Hunt: Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt’s resolve, his utterly fearless nature and unmatched determination were never more apparent than on this mountain lion hunt in Colorado. In January 1901, the year Theodore Roosevelt became president, he embarked on a five-week hunt for cougar with...
Catching the Sockeye Train
My reel was hissing as line ran off it. My ten-weight fly rod was bent and shaking. My heart was beating rapidly as I felt the strong sockeye salmon fighting at the end of the line. That fish had hit my red wet fly eight feet in front of me in just over a foot of...
Great Lakes Ruffed Grouse West Nile Virus Study
First-year results from a multi-state West Nile virus study show that while the virus is present in some ruffed grouse in the Great Lakes region, some birds exposed to the virus survive. More than 700 hunter-provided samples from Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin were...
Photography Tips From New York Department of Environmental Conservation
During and after a memorable hunt, most hunters want that perfect picture to remember it. With the increased quality of cell phone cameras and the use of social media, it is easier than ever to capture and share that special moment! However, it is important to...
Assist In Wildlife Research
Hunters can help the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s wildlife management efforts through the AGFC’s free Deer Hunting Observation Survey available through the AGFC app on their smartphone. The app is available through both the iTunes app store and the Google Play...
Horses I Have Known: The Scraper/Impaler
This horse seems to take every opportunity to relieve itself of an annoying rider (you) by sliding under low-hanging limbs, trying to impale you on broken branches or scraping you off against trees, rocks or other horses. I once made the mistake of wearing an...
NY Deer Management Permits Available Nov. 1
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced that remaining deer management permits (DMPs) in several wildlife management units (WMUs) will be available to hunters beginning Nov. 1. DMPs, which allow hunters to harvest antlerless...
New 6,638 Acres Of Forest Open To Hunters
This summer, Weyerhaeuser Company enrolled 6,638 acres in the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) Private Lands Access program. WDFW opened this section of forest as Feel Free to Hunt access this year. “We are excited that Weyerhaeuser Company has...
Participation Needed for New York Black Bear Hunter Survey
New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is partnering with the Center for Conservation Social Sciences (CCSS) at Cornell University on a survey of roughly 1,800 randomly-selected black bear hunters to learn more about their activities, interests and...
Minnesota DNR Certifies New Catch-And-Release State Record Muskie
An angler on Lake Vermilion caught and released Minnesota’s new state record muskellunge, a 57 ¼-inch fish that he called a “true giant.” The DNR certified the state catch-and-release record fish on Oct. 11. The 57 1/4-inch fish had a 25 1/2-inch girth with an...
2019-20 Arizona Quail Hunt Forecast Looks Good
Arizona’s quail hunters are also weather wonks — always checking the forecasts, particularly during the winter months, their fingers crossed that the wet stuff is on the way. After all, good doses of timely precipitation that time of year are what give the state’s...
Grouse In The Heather
Gordon, my loader, was a strong-looking older man of upright bearing, with full, florid cheeks and a friendly smile. He was responsible for me, my safety, my shotgun and shells. Gordon guided me to and from the butts and, although carrying my gun and shells, still had...
Colorado Expands Public Trust Lands
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) recently announced locations of newly available properties enrolled in the Public Access Program. The Public Access Program provides seasonal hunting and fishing opportunities on Colorado trust land across the state. Blue Lake -...
Field Aging Whitetail Deer
Q: Larry, it’s important to me to shoot only mature animals, so I’d like to be able to judge the age of whitetail deer before I shoot. I understand that the size of a buck’s antlers is not a good way to judge because after a certain age antler growth tends to...
Tennessee Mentored Youth Deer Hunts
Tennessee youth have the opportunity to participate in mentored deer hunts. These Tennessee Wildlife Federation Hunting and Fishing Academy events link youth and their accompanying parent or guardian with trained, lifelong hunters and anglers who serve as mentors for...
Own A Legend: Steyr Scout Rifle Package
SPONSORED CONTENT It’s Col. Jeff Cooper’s dream come to life…yours for less than you think. Twenty-one years ago, legendary Gunsite Academy founder Colonel Jeff Cooper chose Steyr to bring his dream rifle to life—the Steyr Scout. Cooper’s vision was a rifle suitable...
Million Dollar Decoys?
Crowell decoys topped Copley’s record-setting $3 million sale. Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC, the nation’s premier decoy and sporting art auction house, realized more than $3 million at its Sporting Sale 2019 on July 25 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The auction, which...
Arkansans Harvest 84 Alligators In 2019
Lasting heat of summer and stable conditions paid off for Arkansas hunters lucky enough to draw a tag in the 2019 alligator season. Of 147 tags available, 84 hunters managed to successfully take an alligator during the two-weekend season. The harvest is on par with...
Socrates, Stung & Skunked
I was planting fenceposts. Back then, we coated post bottoms with creosote to preserve the wood from rot. Wise to my dog, Soc’s, ways of drinking things he shouldn’t, I guarded the creosote bucket like Cerberus before hell’s gates and stopped him mid-sally on his way...
Florida’s New Online Option For Reporting Harvested Deer
Hunters in Florida now have an online option to comply with new deer harvest reporting requirements. You can log (Step 1) your harvest using a paper deer harvest log and report (Step 2) with the new FWC Deer Harvest Reporting Online Tool. Hunters still have the option...
Colorado Waterfowl Forecast
Colorado Parks & Wildlife is forecasting that hunters can expect good waterfowl opportunities during the 2019-2020 seasons. Despite drier conditions across most of the state as we head into the fall, Colorado hunters should be able to find good waterfowl hunting...
Announcing Our November/December 2019 Issue
Features: A Very Fishy Story When it comes to tall tales, most every fisherman can lie with the best of them. By Jerome K. Jerome The British Invasion English cockers have won the hearts of countless hunters. By Tom Keer The Homecoming A hunter returns to his favorite...
Utah Quail And Pheasant Forecast
Biologists estimate that Utah’s wild ring-necked pheasant populations have slightly increased from last year, due to a wet spring that resulted in good brood-rearing conditions. The largest wild populations are located in the wetland areas around the Great Salt Lake,...
Horses I have Known: The Back Biter
The back biter is orneriness incarnate. Given half an opportunity, this horse will gladly latch onto an arm or leg and stare impassively at you as you try to wrest your limb from its teeth. My first piece of advice regarding this animal is that horses never smile. If...
Artwork And Wine Benefit Oregon’s Fish And Wildlife
ODFW’s annual fish and wildlife art show is Saturday, Nov. 2, 1 - 4 p.m. at Duck Pond Cellars, 23145 Hwy 99W, Dundee, where the winery will release its new Conservation Cuvee pinot noir. This free, family-friendly event showcases artwork submitted for ODFW’s 2020...
2019 Minnesota Deer Forecast
Wet habitat and access conditions make scouting even more important this Minnesota deer season. Nearly half a million Minnesota firearms deer hunters are preparing for the season that opens Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019 and offers opportunity to spend time with friends and...
Hawaii Announces 2020 Lana’i Axis Deer Season
Deer hunting enthusiasts must apply by 4:00 PM on Friday November 1, 2019 to hunt for the new season. The DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) announces that application forms for the 2020 Lana’i axis deer hunting season, together with instruction sheets,...
Utah Mule Deer Forecast
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources biologists estimate that there are just over 370,000 mule deer in Utah, which is about 100,000 additional deer than were in the state in 2011. “Over the last three years, we’ve had the highest deer numbers in Utah in 25 years,” DWR...
Montana Cautions Bird Hunters: Be Bear Aware
Bird hunters around Montana, particularly those in the western half of the state, should be "bear aware" and prepared for an encounter with a grizzly bear. In recent years, grizzly bear populations have expanded into areas where they haven’t been for decades,...
What’s A Good Pronghorn Cartridge?
Q: Larry, I need a good pronghorn cartridge. I’m from the Midwest and have hunted big game only with slugs. I was recently invited to hunt antelope with friends in Wyoming, so I’m looking for a good rifle and cartridge to use. At home, I can hunt with only slugs...
5 Tips for Fall Walleye Fishing
Walleye fishing is a year-round sport and thanks to Georgia DNR’s walleye stocking program. There’s plenty of walleye out there and anglers must change their game plan in the cooler months of the year to be successful. Just like leaves, walleye habits change too with...
The Coues Deer; Very Small, But A Very Big Prize
Frontier Army surgeon, naturalist and hunter, Dr. Elliott Coues, never actually collected a Coues deer. In 1874, Dr. Joseph Rothrock, another Army Surgeon, collected and saved two specimens from the Santa Rita Mountains near Tucson, Arizona. He stated correctly that...
Utah Approves Bighorn Sheep Unit Management Plans
The 10-year statewide management plan for bighorn sheep in Utah was approved in November 2018, and on Thursday, the Utah Wildlife Board approved plans for each of the specific regions in Utah that have bighorn sheep populations. Eighteen unit management plans were...
Rifles Now Permanently Allowed For Hunting Here
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced that Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently signed a law permanently adding rifles to the list of implements authorized for big game hunting in Orleans County and a portion of Broome County...
California’s Hunters Encouraged To Purchase Ammunition Now
With California’s stringent new ammunition laws, California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is encouraging hunters to stock up on their favorite hunting ammunition sooner rather than later so as not to miss out on any hunting opportunities. New, more...
CWD Found In Deer West Of Continental Divide
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department confirmed chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer hunt area 152, approximately 12 miles west of Bondurant on Willow Creek. The mule deer buck that tested positive was hunter-harvested. This is the first time CWD has been found in...
Decorative Arms To The Heart Of A Lion At Nevada Museum
This autumn, one of the most celebrated decorative arms collections will leave the vault for a rare public exhibition. “Decorative Arms: Treasures from the Robert M. Lee Collection” features more than 130 firearms dating from as early as 1590 through the modern era....
Invasive Northern Snakeheads Found In Georgia
The Georgia DNR reports that for the first time, invasive northern snakehead fish have been confirmed in Georgia waters. In early October, an angler reported catching the fish in a pond located on private property in Gwinnett County. What is a northern snakehead? The...
SC All-Time Antler Records Available
The complete listing of South Carolina’s antler records (pdf) is now available to the public online. The South Carolina white-tailed deer Antler Records Program was initiated in the spring of 1974 and since that time, 7,469 sets of antlers (7,167 typical and 302...
ELLIOTT COUES: Surgeon, Naturalist, Hunter And His Deer
Many of you may have heard Coues deer or the name Elliott Coues mispronounced as coos, cooz, cooeys or something else other than properly as “cows,” as in “wait ’til the cows come home.” Here in Arizona, he is known as the namesake of the diminutive but highly prized...
Jim Casada Wins Excellence In Craft Award
Sporting Classics’ Editor-At-Large, Jim Casada, was recognized by the South Carolina Outdoor Press Association with an Excellence In Craft Award in the electronic publication category for his article, “Of Catfish and a Smelly Old Codger,” that appeared on Sporting...
Zane Grey & the Model 1895 Winchester
What Zane Grey termed as the “Tonto Rim” in Arizona is officially the Mogollon Rim, named for Juan Ignacio Flores de Mogollon (pronounced ‘muggy-own’) who was capitan-general of Spanish-held New Mexico back in the early 1700s. The Rim, which is now home to a...