Articles
Scout
How to Play the Draw Game for Whitetails
I stopped when I noticed two does feeding about 300 yards off, and whispered to my wife that I was going to practice aiming. Moments later, a few more deer showed up. As I watched them through the scope, a big buck appeared, and my heart raced full-throttle. The buck nosed through the does, and...
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Public Lands & Waters
Mining Matters. So Do the Boundary Waters.
I’m a lifelong conservative, passionate hunter, and conservationist who believes in straightforward truths. One of those truths is that modern life depends on natural resources. Nearly everything we rely on—from pickup trucks, farm equipment, and roads to cell phones, medical devices, and energy...
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Turkey
What Turkeys Can Teach You About Calling
Calling contests or video tutorials can help you learn how to make realistic turkey sounds. But, if you want to know why and when to make those calls, you should get it straight from the horse’s mouth. Especially if that horse is a turkey. A crisp, realistic calling ability is a great tool to have...
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Ice Fishing
The 5 Hardest Fish to Catch Through the Ice
Almost every outdoor activity has its own upper tier. A black belt level test that outdoorsfolk take up to challenge themselves in hopes of finding out how far they can push their passion. For hikers, it can be a particularly rough or long trail. For hunters, it can be pursuing a difficult species...
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Wildlife Management
Canadian Man Takes Down Attacking Moose With .22 Rifle
Can you knock down a moose with a .22? The answer is “yes”—but it takes about 15 bullets. Just ask Shawn Tuffnell, of Stoughton, Saskatchewan. On January 22, Shawn was going about his morning after having spent the night at his mother’s house when he heard her screams coming from outside. Angie had...
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Hunting
Friday the 13th: Ignore Its Superstitions at Your Peril
If you’re reading this, you obviously survived June 13, the only Friday the 13th we’ll see in 2025. But don’t get too cocky. We’ll face three such unlucky Fridays in 2026, the maximum possible in a calendar year, according to TimeAndDate.com, an astronomy website. If you’re like me, you won’t see...
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Firearms
Ruger's SFAR Is Built for Hunters. Should You Get One Before It's Too Late?
The concept behind Ruger’s Small-Frame Autoloading (SFAR) rifle was simple: .308 Winchester power in an AR-15-sized package. Many hunters have adopted the AR-15 as a hunting rifle due to its light weight, modularity, and easy maneuverability. Problem is, the .223 Remington cartridge most commonly...
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Ice Fishing
Unique Michigan Ice Fishing Season Closes After 48 Minutes
That was quick. A Michigan ice fishing season opened at 8 a.m. on Saturday, February 7, only to close 48 minutes later after the harvest quota was met. The quick season—if you want to call it that—took place on Black Lake, which is situated in Cheboygan and Presque Isle Counties, and was for lake...
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Coyote
Coyote Calling Setups That Work Anywhere
When it comes to calling coyotes, location is key. Where you call is probably more important than how you call. Coyotes survive by using their senses and the terrain to their advantage. Hunters who understand this consistently put more fur on the ground. Whether you hunt the rolling farmland of the...
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Wildlife Management
International Wildlife Trafficking Ring Busted in California
Authorities in California have disrupted an overseas wildlife poaching operation after seizing hundreds of illegal animal parts. According to a press release, in the early weeks of 2026, an investigation began after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service intercepted a falsely labeled package en route...
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Wildlife Management
Indiana Busts Poacher Using Drone to Scout Deer
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is prosecuting its first drone poaching case, the first since the recovery of game with drones was legalized in March of 2024. However, it is illegal to use drones to search for, scout, or detect deer during the hunting season or for 14 days prior...
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Conservation News
Pine Beetles Poised to Decimate Colorado’s Ponderosa Forests
In Colorado, beetles are on the move—and it could have big impacts on mule deer habitat. The insects, mountain pine beetles, are the same ones that destroyed many of the state’s lodgepole forests over the last decade, and they’re now moving into ponderosa stands along the Front Range. The US Forest...
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Wildlife Management
California Poacher Busted After Hiding Two Abalone…in Her Pants
Well, you don’t see this every day: A woman in California was recently nabbed for two wildlife infractions after attempting to conceal illegally taken shellfish in her pants. The incident took place at Van Damme State Park, along the Mendocino Coast, during the weekend of January 31-February...
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Wildlife Management
Sharpshooters Will Eradicate Deer on Catalina Island Under New Plan
Last week, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife approved a plan to eradicate mule deer on Catalina Island, located about 23 miles off the southern California coast. Behind the plan is a nonprofit called the Catalina Island Conservancy, which owns 42,000 acres on Catalina—about 80% of the...
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Wildlife Management
Hawaii Encourages Landowner Participation in Bounty Program to Remove Invasive Axis Deer
The Hawai’i Department of Natural of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is currently accepting applications from landowners and lessees to participate in a unique “incentive program” that encourages the removal of invasive axis deer on the island of Maui. The program, dubbed the Landowner Incentive...
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