The Elk of Two-Ocean Pass
An ideal bull in an idyllic locale.
Leo Tolstoy and The Bear Hunt
I felt something warm above my head and realized the bear was drawing my whole face into its mouth; my nose, already in it and feeling the heat of it… Have you had summer in Moscow and St. Petersburg this year? “the bundled-up June tourist asked at the...
The Dilemma
The rifle was all they talked about. A slick new Winchester Model 94 resting in the glass showcase at Harden’s Hardware. Jack coveted it. All the boys did. An inveterate hunter all of his long life, Mr. Harden smiled at the boys’ enthusiasm. Recalling his excitement...
A Winter’s Bone
Damn cold. The stove has died during the night, down to coals. I’m completely awake, just opening my eyes to the dark of the cabin. The creaking I hear as I get out of the bed isn’t just the old bunk springs, it’s my bum elbow and that damn left knee. I heave an...
Buffalo Bill: Famous Hunting Parties of the Plains
No individual so personified the American West and spirit of the late 1800s as William Frederick “Buffalo Bill” Cody. Pony Express rider, scout and legendary hunter, Buffalo Bill and his popular Wild West show toured the U.S. and Europe for more than 30 years. Cody...
When Wolves Come Calling
I spotted a dark figure moving in the dense north Canada forest to my left, and my mind somehow convinced me it was a black bear headed my way—no need to move or be ready. I was hunting wolves. Moments earlier I ceased calling when four wolves suddenly appeared down...
Desert Dreams
It was a dream come true working with desert bighorns for research, and soon my dream of taking a bighorn ram would be realized. Less than 75 yards away the desert bighorn ram was indeed going down! As he faltered, I took off running. The ram staggered and fell. I...
Every Man Goes Out Alone
It is not a thing life prepares one for, no matter how much meat has been secured in this fashion following a successful elk or deer hunt. The name fits. Clyde. I picture a “Clyde” and see leathery features beneath a black, grease-crusted Stetson, floppy...
Still-Hunting Secrets Revealed
Ditch the treestand and strike out on foot. Big bucks are waiting, and lots of them.
In the Valley of the Shadow
A misfiring rifle leads to a gruesome bear attack for one California prospector.