Hunting

State-employed biologists often suffer insomnia and facial tics caused by cranky hunters who demand more deer and bigger bucks. But before agency supervisors suggest some R&R or group counseling to prevent employee burnout, they should try this: Appoint the struggling soul as the agency’s “Chief...

Summer is the whitetailer’s season of anticipation. At no point during the year does the excitement rise more rapidly or to such a fever pitch than those last months leading up to opening day. For that reason, we deer hunters exert a whole lot of energy each summer seeking out, watching, and...

If you are bear hunting from late May into June, your hunt will be influenced by the bear rut. Knowing all you can about it will make you a better hunter. A 1980 study by Kim Barber and Frederick Lindzey conducted on Long Island, Washington, found that female bears are in estrus ranging from six to...

The first flush of daylight brought forth a cacophony. Rooster pheasants began cackling. A beaver slapped its tail. Sandhill cranes trilled overhead. Mallards squawked back and forth. Cinnamon and green-wing teal joined the chorus, along with widgeon whistling by. Honkers honked. Blackbirds, both...

I’m pretty diligent about wearing ear protection at the gun range, but, admittedly, my eyes aren’t always covered. This video changed that. In this clip via from Kentucky Ballistics, a .50-caliber rifle explodes from an “extra, extra hot round” in the face of Scott DeShields, Jr. Among his list of...

I’m an official scorer for the Boone & Crockett Club. And although we track scores for nearly every game animal on the planet, we don’t keep records for gobblers—we leave that to the National Wild Turkey Federation. They keep records for every state, county, and subspecies of turkey. Here's how to...

There are few outdoor pursuits more enjoyable than an all-day run-and-gun mission on a huge tract of turkey ground. If you bust some birds, or the gobbler you’re working shuts up, you can just move on to the next one. Freedom to roam is a wonderful thing, but it’s just not a possibility for everyone...

For as long as I knew her, she was ready to die. Damn her. No one treasured work, love, laughter, family, and devotion more than she did. But for her last 30-plus years, if the bucket were sitting there, you knew she would kick it without fear. Loved ones saw no bravado in her attitude. That was...

A truly one-of-a-kind rifle is about to hit the auction block that represents an important transition in firearms design. This rifle genuinely helped shape and define an era. There are rare firearms—and then there are one-of-a-kind firearms with remarkable stories and undeniable historical...

Laney Malavolta was found dead north of Durango, Colorado, on April 30 in a wooded area near U.S. Highway 550. Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the La Plata County Coroner’s Office confirmed Tuesday that Malavolta’s death was the result of a black bear attack. According to a press release by CPW, 3...

Earlier this week, I was turkey hunting with my wife in Montana when something unusual happened. After I called in a Merriam's gobbler and shot it, a coyote ran in and tried to steal the bird. Here's a video of the attempted heist in progress.