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How to Catch Fish During a Giant Bug Hatch

June 22, 2021   |  From Articles

Why would a fish eat a bug? I found myself asking that question the first time a buddy showed me a “Mayfly Rig.” After an unsuccessful day chasing walleyes on Lake Erie , and watching hundreds on the screen of my depth finder, I had nothing to show for my...

Gifts from Our Fathers

June 18, 2021   |  From Articles

Fathers are often the first teachers and mentors for their children in the outdoors. Here, three Realtree.com contributors and veteran outdoor writers who grew up in the woods and on the water look back on the gifts their fathers gave them — some intangible — that still have an impact...

10 Elk Calling Mistakes That Can Cost You a Bull

June 15, 2021   |  From Articles

Elk bugles change lives. I’m serious; think about it for a moment. If you’re a big-game hunter coming face to face with one of the most challenging, most sought-after four-legged animals in the world, you certainly remember the first time you hear that throaty, raspy, deep bellow intro and high-pitched...

5 Top Lures for Summertime Bass Fishing

June 11, 2021   |  From Articles

Summertime bass fishing is a boom or bust sport. Long periods of inactivity are interrupted by brief moments of greatness, when it seems nothing can go wrong. The reasons for this are simple. Following the springtime spawn, bass begin to group up and move offshore, where they favor subtle spots...

18 Secrets From Deer Scientists

June 7, 2021   |  From Articles

When deer scientists talk, I listen. Men and women who make a career of studying the whitetail don’t do it for fame or money. Having worked for years to obtain a master’s degree in wildlife ecology, and in many cases a PhD to boot, they are passionate about learning all...

How to Plant a Killer Dove Field

June 2, 2021   |  From Articles

There was about an hour of flight light left when I pulled into Kerry Wix’s driveway. He met me in appropriate September attire, shorts and Crocs, and asked if I wanted to see the field before it got dark. Six acres of dead sunflower stalks and bare dirt doesn’t look...

One Crazy East Kentucky Elk Hunt

June 2, 2021   |  From Articles

A Kentucky elk tag was the last thing on my mind in May of 2020. For over 20 years I’d been unsuccessfully applying for one of the handful of tags, first solo, then together with my wife and kids. Honestly, we’d been snubbed so many times that I had quit...

Prep Now For Your Best Deer Season Yet!

May 24, 2021   |  From Articles

Depending on where you live and hunt, whitetail season will open in four or five months. Plenty of time to get ready, right? But you know how time flies. This year it’s especially important to start getting ready early. The more planning and prep work you do over the next...

Best Lures for Crappie Fishing: Jigs vs. Minnows

May 20, 2021   |  From Articles

As a kid I started out fishing the same way as just about everybody: dunking worms for panfish off the bank. A few years later, fishing trips moved to the boat, where serious crappie fishing became the family pastime. The site was Chautauqua Lake in western New York, a renowned...

The Best Draw Weight for Bowhunting

May 18, 2021   |  From Articles

When I was a kid, my dad told me that as soon as I could pull 40 pounds, he’d buy me a bow and I could start hunting. That was about 30 years ago, and I remember my trial by fire happening quickly, as if the Old Man had orchestrated...

History’s Biggest Turkey Poaching Busts

May 17, 2021   |  From Articles

Poachers steal resources and opportunity from everyone, and even relatively minor violations get hunters justifiably upset. But some incidents really roil law-abiding outdoorsmen and law-enforcement officials. That’s especially true with turkeys, which were pushed to the brink a century ago and nurtured back to today’s thriving populations only through the...

3 Great Stories About Hunting Mamas

May 7, 2021   |  From Articles

Maybe your mom taught you to hunt. Maybe she runs the tractor during food plot season, sights in the rifles, sets the decoys, or does all the cooking. Wherever she fits into your hunting family, chances are it's an important role. Remember to say "thanks" to her this Mother's Day...

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