Hunts are supposed to be exciting and a bit nerve-wracking, but that excitement is supposed to come from the hunter’s encounter with a game animal – not a trespasser. I’ll never forget the day I was turkey hunting on private land in Florida with the landowner when he suddenly told...
The heat of the merciless sun pounded the back of my neck as I glassed through the small gap of the lone cedar bush I was crouched behind. His handsomely colored face and long curved black horns seemed to fill the viewfinder as I studied every inch of him. He...
For women and most men too, there's an overwhelming rush and feeling that comes on strong after killing an animal. Both sexes will benefit from these words. My father James was an excellent teacher when it came to all things outdoors. He loved hunting and wanted to share his passion...
I’ve always said I don’t know who or where I’d be if it weren’t for the outdoors. It’s had that big of an impact on my life. And I know I’m not the only one. There are millions of people around the world who have been changed, at least in...
I sat quietly in the back seat of the truck while David Draper, with Cabela’s, and Ann Smith, online editor for NRA publications, talked about the upcoming pronghorn hunt. I had little to say as I couldn’t take my eyes off of the landscape and the multitude of animals that...
Elk are where you find them, no matter where they reside. The elk hunter can also be faced with two entirely different habitat types in a single morning, such as dogging a bugling Southwestern bull across open mesa country one hour, dropping into impossibly-thick pinon/juniper thickets the next. In the...
As the popularity of hunting videos and outdoor television grows, so does the desire of average hunters to video their own hunts. Every spring and fall, hunters across the country pack a video camera in their backpacks and head into the woods with hopes of catching a successful hunt on...
When my dad told me about going on my first elk hunt, I was very excited to say the least. I have been bowhunting for the last five years, but this would be my first experience out West. My dad and I both spent many afternoons in our backyard fine-tuning...
The Yellowstone grizzly bear has been protected for years. But according to a press release from the Outdoor Wire , the Department of the Interior (DOI) has announced the recovery of the species and that management of them will be turned over to the states once again. Mike Demick, information...
Dave drove all night to reach the trailhead. After a short nap in the front seat of his truck, at daybreak he strapped on his 70-pound pack and began the long 8-hour hike to reach his camp-out area. It would be in the high 70s later in the day, so...
Thousands of hunters across North America rely on baiting for deer , black bears and hogs as a perfectly legal hunting practice. Detractors are quick to call baiting a “lazy” style of hunting, but that's simply not true. Thing is, I’ve been a food-plotter since I was old enough to...
I’m going to jump right out there and say that I believe the outlook for our hunting heritage is strong. A stone wall also is strong. And a stone wall can be chiseled away until it crumbles and falls. There are a lot of people with chisels out there trying...
Wally Mack said it would rain, and it did. By late afternoon a ceiling of low clouds had blotted out the sun and a mist rode the breeze through the poplars like a creeping fog. As the Canadian evening waned the wind picked up, and then came in uneven breaths...
Bear populations have really taken off in the last decade. The stronghold states that have long harbored great populations are still doing well. States that haven’t seen stable populations for a century are seeing more black bears, too. It’s a great time for those who love to chase these big...
Records can sometimes be deceiving. You have to break those records down and analyze them from different angles to see the big picture and get the most accurate analyses. For example, if you just looked at the all-time elk records list for best states, it’d read Arizona, Montana, Utah, Wyoming...
Elk hunting is a way of life for many. And for the rest, it’s a dream. And the world elk calling championship is a way to celebrate that lifestyle and all those who are great at sounding like this big game animal. The recent event, hosted by the Rocky Mountain...
I was in Africa when the concept hit me. I couldn’t help but notice African antelope constructed scrapes, pawed-out areas where droppings and scent were deposited. I knew I’d observed this phenomenon before on North America’s pronghorn prairies. It was to become my secret weapon, one few bowhunters even consider...
Once upon a time, as many a story book legend begins, there was a pig name Hogzilla . Hogzilla, not to be confused with Godzilla , ranks right up there with the mystery of Bigfoot , though we actually have kill photos of the big wild pigs. Other facts are...
One bitter cold January morning, I found myself in the duck blind of a good friend, an older gentleman with the title to a prime piece of Pamlico Sound saltmarsh. About mid-day, my breakfast was wearing thin, and I wondered aloud if there were any snacks to be had. My...
Hunting is more than the act of pursuing game. It consists of respect, camaraderie, humor and innocent appreciation, and nothing brings out those elements like the traditions of a great hunting camp. Hunters enjoy and look forward to good gatherings as much as being in the field, and camp pranks,...
