People
Dr. Seth Bynum
Dr. Seth Bynum is a North Carolina native but has lived in the northwest for more than 15 years. He is a second-career veterinarian, having spent more than a decade as a writer and photographer for newspapers and magazines in Montana and Washington. When he’s not in the clinic, you’ll find Dr. Bynum outdoors with a shotgun or fly rod, accompanied by his two rambunctious German Shorthairs, River and Shine.
Recent Posts
Turkey
Will Western Turkey Flocks Suffer the Same Fate as Those Back East?
I vividly remember how that spring morning broke over the Ouchita National Forest. Still darkness gave way to dark blue as the predawn light slowly snuffed out the starlight sprinkled above the creek drainage below. The shriek of the morning’s first bird call disrupted the tranquility—a piercing...
Turkey
Tungsten Turkey Loads Don't Make Up for Bad Hunting
Supply chain shortages aside, we live in the golden age of turkey hunting ammunition. The integration of tungsten super shot (TSS) into the lineup of longbeard loads has revolutionized the sport immeasurably from those early days of finicky paper shells and fixed chokes.
Tungsten’s incredible...
Turkey
How to Choose the Right Turkey Call for the Conditions
With enough time in the woods, you’ll eventually meet that one gobbler who keeps his beak clinched to one style of call but then turns suicidal following a few yelps from another. Frequency, volume, and pitch matter when trying to unlock what sounds sexy to a longbeard. And you need numerous options...
Turkey
If You Want to Kill a Tom, Think Like a Hen
While a few memorable longbeards have left me in awe of their survival savvy, it’s easy to give that old tom more credit for higher thought than his pea-sized brain deserves. In retrospect, most of my missed opportunities transpired because I miscalculated the myopic focus driving his behavior in...
Hunting with Dogs
What Vaccines Does My Dog Really Need?
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the veterinary profession in ways none of us predicted. Not only were pet owners forced to comply with the awkwardness of curb-side medicine, but the shelter-in-place mandates detonated an explosion of pent-up demand for new puppies. Now don’t get me wrong—having a...
Waterfowl
Should I Adopt My Next Hunting Dog?
For all the promise and anticipation wrapped up in a new puppy, there exists a certain charm in restoring the shine on a second-hand bird dog. Tailgate legend has a long chapter devoted entirely to these pups. Their stories feature washed-out trial dogs that just needed more time to blossom or the...
Waterfowl
Is a Raw Diet the Right Choice for Your Dog?
Few things will turn south an otherwise civil conversation about dogs faster than the topic of what to feed them. As a practicing veterinarian and bird hunter who spends a great deal of time engaged in tailgate banter, I’ve both received and dished out my share of subtle eyerolls and outright looks...
Turkey
How to Kill a Tom in the Evening
If you’re looking to squeeze as many hours as possible from a short spring season, don’t discount the fading light of evening as a prime occasion to catch a longbeard at his most vulnerable. While the enthusiasm of a new day and the warmth of morning sunlight on his feathers may make a gobbler more...
Turkey
How to Kill a Tom in the Rain
Gobblers love good weather. Crisp, clear mornings and abundant sunshine entice an otherwise tight-lipped old longbeard to broadcast his vitality and availability for spring romance. His fondness for an idyllic sunrise makes sense when you consider his breeding strategy revolves around a far-reaching...
Upland Birds
Docking Tails: Is Puppy Pain Worth the Gain?
There’s no better window into a dog’s soul than its tail. Wagging, rigid, quivering, or tucked, each manifestation of this expressive appendage conveys the extensive vocabulary of canine nonverbal communication. Like a hand of cards tipped towards the poker table, there’s no mistaking a dog’s intent...
