Hunting and Fishing News Blog Articles

Okay I get it. In times of uncertainty and change, it is tempting to seek comfort in the traditional and spurn the new. If it helps put anyone's mind at ease, let me say this No, there is nothing wrong with your old Savage .30/06. It will still kill deer and no one is suggesting otherwise.

But as you'll see here, with a few exceptions, the newest crop of rifles doesn't look much like what you'd find in the gun rack at your daddy's whitetail camp. (If you're looking for more classic designs, you might check out this year's field of new shotguns)

These new rifles are built on chassis stocks, have carbon-fiber components, and are chambered in eigher 6.5mm or 6mm Creedmoor, a fact that has triggered cross-eyed rage among som who wish we could have stopped the clock wit the introduction of the .270 Winchester, or better yet, the Mauser 98. But if you look closely, you'll see plenty of variety in this new field of rifles, and you just might find a new one to add to the old gun rack.

The Traverse is a solid rifle that conveys an impression of heft and substance. The stock has an oversize Monte Carlo cheekpiece, a large, nearly vertical grip with a palm swell, and a wide, flat fore-end with a beavertail contour. The thick carbon-fiber barrel, topped with an imposing (and effective) muzzle brake, completes the image.

For the test team, this beefy rifle felt equally sturdy in hand. The bulk is in all the right places, enhancing the rifle’s ergonomics and performance whether you’re shooting off sandbags at the bench or in a practical field position. Settling in behind the Traverse is like taking the wheel of a luxury SUV. Not only is it super comfortable, but you also feel like you can handle anything Mother Nature might throw your way.

The new crop of shotguns has a little something for everyone. Overall it should be less threatening than the new field of rifles to those sensitive souls who value good old days of wood-stocked pumps. Some of these new shotguns channel the classic designs, and we even have a new side-by-side in the mix. That said, the detachable-magazine semi-autos—one of which is a marvel—will be sure to cause them fits.

Caesar Guerini has pulled off something remarkable with the Revenant. It has created a production shotgun that, except for the final engraving, is never touched by hand, yet exhibits the fit, finish, and handling qualities of an English Best smoothbore—for a fraction of the price. Yes, 13 grand is real money, but when compared to the cost of a bespoke gun, which can easily top six figures, it is a good value and an incredible accomplishment.

What that buys is perfection: gorgeous wood, flawless wrap-around checkering, exquisite wood-to-metal fit, a level of engraving that no other gun at this price point even comes close to achieving, and a shotgun that shoots beautifully.

The deeply cut and detailed engraving is a three-step process that begins with an automated laser that does most of the cutting, followed by approximately 10 hours of handwork, and then the final application of gold inlay, also done by hand. The Revenant is built along the lines of a classic British game gun, with solid side ribs, 28-inch barrels, a trim fore-end, and a Woodward-style grip. The entire team praised the gun’s balance and nimble handling. It swung easily on every target we presented, solidifying our opinion that it would be ideal for any type of upland game.

That last point is perhaps the most important. Yes, the Revenant is lovely to look at, but at its core, it was born to hunt. Little surprise that it ran away with an Editor’s Choice award.

I wrote my first rub-line article for Outdoor Life more than 30 years ago. Back then, buck rubs were little more than curiosities and rarely played a part in anyone’s hunting strategy. Since then, I’ve spent a great deal of my time in the field trying to hone my mature buck hunting tactics as they relate to rub lines. For more than three decades, waiting in ambush along active rub-lines has become and will remain my No. 1 go-to tactic for killing big deer.

Here are some things I thought I knew about rubs back then, and what I know for sure now. If rub-line hunting isn’t part of your hunting strategies yet, it’s high time that it did.

1. Do Big Rubs Always Mean Big Bucks?

According to research I’ve done, the presence of antler rubs on large trees almost always means there’s at least one mature buck in the vicinity. This isn’t to say that big bucks won’t rub small trees—they absolutely will. And as for small bucks rubbing on big trees; they indeed will as well, but only after those trees have already been shredded by a big buck. I personally have yet to see an instance where a small buck initially tore up a big tree.

My first experience with the “big-rubs, big-bucks” rule happened more than 30 years ago. A couple buddies and I were doing some spring scouting when we came across a number of rubs on waist-thick spruce trees. Further investigation in the immediate area led us to the discovery of a few more rubs of the same size. Interestingly, a 13-point buck that grossed more than 180 inches was taken from that area during the following gun deer season. We never found any more of those giant rubs after that.

For nearly a decade, the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) has compiled and disseminated some of North America's finest research on whitetail deer. This year's Whitetail Report lays a finger squarely on the pulse of America's deer hunters and provides a long-term look at what's truly happening in the world of whitetails. Here are a few important figures from the 2019 QDMA Whitetail Report.

Harvest Trends

Overall, harvest trends provide some perspective on deer populations and the people who hunt and manage them. The most recent data available, from 2017-18, is divided into three U.S. regions: Southeast, Northeast and Midwest, and Canada.

Let’s start with antlered bucks killed because they get most of the attention. The top five states are:

Texas (506,809)

In two separate cases, hikers became lost in the wilds of Maui Hawaii last month. Both were 35 years old and each one was in great physical condition. There was even an overlap in the time that the two hikers were missing. While their exact survival situations were very different, the circumstances for each were similar. One hiker was found alive by rescuers, the other, sadly, was found dead.

I’ll take a look at both cases from a survivalist’s point of view and provide some info on how to stay safe during your own summer adventures.

Amanda Eller's Story

On May 24, a tough young woman was rescued from a Hawaiian mountainside. Amanda Eller survived 17 days in the steep mountainous jungle with a broken leg, severe sunburn, dehydration, and painful skin infections. She had gone for a hike on May 8 and took a break to meditate. But she lost her bearings on the way back and ended up wandering away from her car rather than back to it. Over the next two weeks, hundreds of searchers combed the area. Eventually, the family bought additional helicopter search time and Eller was ultimately spotted near a waterfall and airlifted to nearby medical care. Eller later reported that she had broken her leg, but was able to find water, edible plants and even shelter during the ordeal.

Noah Mina's Story

We're not here to take sides. We're not here to end the debate forever. We are, however, here to say that there are times when rigging with bait—either live or dead—will outfish artificial lures, even in freshwater.

The following 15 natural bait rigs are among the best we've ever tried. So when your target species refuses to hit a soft-plastic, consider a more natural change in tactics.

Often, catfish, lake trout, salmon, pike, striped bass, and other heavyweights want nothing more than a fresh, whole chunk of their favorite baitfish, such as a chub, sucker, whitefish, or other oversized forage.

Then there are other times when a more diminutive slice of a favored forage species, such as a perch, bluegill (where legal), shiner, shad, or smelt will turn them on.

To rig, simply fillet the baitfish just as you would with a larger fish for eating, then thread on a whole side as shown. Leave the skin and scales on the meat to make the bait more durable.

Some of my best memories include a charred old coffee pot and stale cans of Folgers in hunting camp, or dozens of tea bag sized coffee singles on my lightweight adventures. But I know I’m not the only one. Preparing coffee is just part of the daily routine in so many camps, and possibly even an article of endearment.

Thankfully, just as our hunting and fishing gear has improved thanks to technology and inventive thinking, so has the way we pack, prepare, and enjoy a cup of java. These days, whether you like your coffee black or loaded with cream and sugar, in an insulated mug or tin cup, there is something for everybody. Whether you’re a hardline coffee snob who demands fresh-ground beans, or you prefer to travel ultralight and drink instant go-juice, there are some great options out there. Here’s a look at just a few of the percolators, mugs, backcountry-friendly jitter juice blends, and other items that will help you start your day off right when you’re out and about.

If hunting camp is the cabin, and morning life revolves around the coffee pot for everyone, a simple stainless steel percolator like the one from GSI is a great option. Made from a heavy gauge, marine-grade steel, it has a hinged lid, inner basket to hold grounds, and a clear plastic knob on the lid so you can gauge the strength of your brew. You get that age-old percolated taste in every cup, it makes enough coffee for everyone in camp to get their blood flowing, and it's simple enough to use that anyone in camp should have no problem preparing the following day's brew. If someone doesn't know how to use a percolating kettle, then they need to be in a different camp.

If you're a fan of motor-oil thick, but smooth, rich coffee, a French press is tough to beat, but until recently, carrying a press has been a royal pain for those of us who live out of our backpacks in the mountains for 14 days at a time. It's just not practical to bring a press along when you're trying to cut as much pack weight as possible. Thankfully, now you can use a French press with the cookware you're likely already carrying. The MSR Reactor is a good example because it uses the MSR Reactor 1.0 pot, which I use to boil water for freeze-dried meals. Simply boil your water, dump coffee grounds into the water, insert the strainer and press down on the plunger, and drink!

If you're a fan of drip-brewed coffee have had to jerry-rig filters in the past to get relatively home-like coffee, then the Ultralight Java Drip is for you. Even the most weight-conscious hunter or backpacker can't complain about this lightweight, compact little device. It's basically a simple, re-useable coffee filter fitted to it's own stand that clips onto a coffee cup. Just add grounds, pour water over the top, and coffee will drop out the bottom of the net. What makes this device unique is the fact you can add or remove coffee grounds to create a strong, or weak, cup of liquid energy.

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Connecticut Congressional Delegation Introduces Federal Version Of 'Ethan's Law'

Two weeks after the Connecticut House of Representatives adopted ‘Ethan’s Law,’ which requires gun owners to store firearms safely and keep them out of the hands of children, the state’s Congressional delegation has introduced a federal version of the law.

U.S. Reps. Rosa DeLauro, Joe Courtney and John Larson, and Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy—all Democrats—announced they would introduce the bill in both chambers in a May 20 press conference in Washington, D.C.

Mike and Kristin Song of Guilford attended the press conference was attended. Their son Ethan accidentally shot himself in the head with a handgun owned by his friend’s father in 2018.

The coastline along the Tongass National Forest. (Mark Brennan, via Flickr/)

If there is one national forest that lights up the imaginations of American hunters and anglers, it is the Tongass National Forest in Alaska. If it’s not on your bucket list, I suggest buying good raingear and putting it on your itinerary soon.

At nearly 17 million acres, the Tongass covers the southeastern panhandle of Alaska, islands, fjords, snowcapped peaks and lush rainforests. It is by far the largest national forest in the system. Creatures like whales and bald eagles that are rare in much of coastal North America, remain abundant here.

However, under the guidance of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, the Forest Service is revisiting and considering rolling back protections on the most pristine portions of the Tongass, undeveloped regions known as “roadless areas.”

Hunters fly to the Tongass to chase brown bears, black bears, blacktail deer, and mountain goats. Anglers arrive from around the world to pursue five species of wild salmon in both fresh and salt water. The local lifestyle depends on hunting and fishing as well, fishing for halibut, rock fish and hunting for blacktail deer and black bear.

Of course, roads are necessary for hauling logs and developing access, including hunting and fishing access. At the same time, roads have a downside, particularly impacting pristine habitat preferred by brown bear and salmon—and backcountry hunters and anglers.

If you're a bookworm, particularly of the self-help variety, you likely know that 2019 marks the 40th anniversary of one of the most iconic self-help books ever written, Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Successful People. With 25 millions copies sold, and the first audio book to ever top one million sales, 7 Habits is one of those iconic works that has helped a whole bunch of folks figure things out. The revelations in that book aren't exactly ground-breaking. But they are, at their core, a solid foundation for success.

That said, I’ve been fortunate to hang around some pretty good deer hunters. I’ve studied their success and analyzed their failures, and noted a few things along the way. Here are 10 things I’ve noticed they all have in common that can help you have a more successful deer-hunting season.

1. Pay Attention to Details

A few years back, I attended a seminar given by whitetail legend Barry Wensel. In his presentation, Wensel talked about hunting over scrapes. I was stunned at the level of detail in his stories and recollections—the guy remembered seemingly every item of varying significance about every deer he’d ever observed working a scrape. And it wasn’t the last time I marveled over the amount of information retained by highly successful deer hunters.

Wensel pays attention to every detail because he’s learned that it’s the meanings behind those details that you have to put together to create answers. Those details are stored away, analyzed, organized and put into practical action.

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Proposed Constitutional Carry Bill Addresses 'Gun-Free School Zones Act' Loopholes

U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, on May 16 introduced the ‘Constitutional Carry States’ Rights Act,’ which seeks to close a loophole in the ‘Gun-Free School Zones Act’ to give law-abiding citizens in states with constitutional carry laws the same legal authority to possess a firearm as individuals in states that require a permit to carry a concealed weapon.

The 1990 Gun-Free School Zones Act makes it a federal crime to possess a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school zone, with exceptions for law enforcement and individuals licensed by the state to possess a firearm, such as those with concealed carry permits.

The law only makes exceptions for individuals “licensed to do so by the state in which the school zone is located.”

It takes more than just ingredients to cook a campfire meal. It also takes a great sense of timing and temperature to cook your food to perfection. (Tim MacWelch/)

If you think you can only find a great meal in civilization, think again. I've eaten some of the best meals of my life under the open sky, next to a warm campfire. Primitive cooking may not be easy at first, and there’s a lot that can go wrong, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll wonder why you didn’t master it sooner.

There's something so satisfying to the process of skewering wild game meat on a stick and watching it roast over a crackling fire. It is likely the same way that the majority of our ancestors prepared their food since ancient times. Whether fire-kissed meat is inherently tasty or we have been bred to enjoy its flavor, you cannot deny that it is delicious. Keep in mind though, that delicious doesn't happen by accident. If you're a beginner at this, be patient, and pay attention to the details if you want to produce a good meal.

Cooking on sticks over an open fire can infuse your food with a great smoky taste, and when sticks are your only utensils, there’s no nasty dishwashing to do after the meal. The same fire that cooked your meal will clean up the mess for you. Just throw in the sticks, and you’re done. Here are a few primitive cooking tips and techniques that I routinely use in camp with cooking gear made exclusively from sticks.

Stay Safe Around The Fire

You’ll need patience, attentiveness, and of course, good ingredients to make your wilderness meals into culinary masterpieces. But you’ll also need to stay safe as you work around boiling liquids and burning hot implements. Keep these tips in mind as you work around the cook fire.

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Fly rods can be challenging to transport. When broken down, four-piece rods take up almost no space. But when assembled, the typical nine-foot length makes stashing them in your vehicle nearly impossible. Fly anglers will often tuck their rods under their windshield wipers for jaunts along the river, saving themselves from re-rigging at every fishable hole along the way. But this is perilous, as every bump and pothole along the way has the potential to send your rod crashing into the ditch.

Here’s a better option: If your vehicle’s roof is equipped with crossbars, you can outfit it with a holder made of common PVC tube. This system will allow you to safely transport your rod fully assembled so you can you can start fishing right when you get to the water. You can also use this holder to transport spinning rods that won’t fit inside your car, but you will need to increase the diameter of the PVC pipe to accommodate the larger guides. You can build this holder for about $30.

To build this rod holder, you’ll need a ten-foot piece of 2-inch diameter schedule 40 PVC pipe that will serve as the outer shell, though you can easily make a longer version for switch, spey, or Euro nymphing rods by adding another piece of pipe using a coupler. Foam pipe insulation serves to protect the rod, but isn’t totally necessary. You will have to omit it if you’re building a holder for heavier weight rods, as the larger guides won’t fit in the one-inch hole in the center of the insulation. I used three-inch U-bolts to secure the rod holder to the vehicle’s roof.

A threaded cap allows you to open and close the tube, though some anglers choose to use a slip-on cap secured with a lock or some sort of pin instead. The addition of a lock means you don’t need to worry about leaving your rod unattended when you grab lunch, but be aware of its limitations. The PVC pipe can be easily cut with simple hand tools, so if someone really wants your rod they can find a way to get it. I used an extra handgun lock I had laying around, but any lock with a long enough shackle will work.

The goal of bowhunting is pretty simple: put an arrow where you aim. To do this, you’ll need a sight (unless you shoot instinctively, and if you do, well, hats off), and there’s no shortage of quality options.

If there is a theme to this year’s lineup, it would be of a range-finding variety. Several new models have built-in rangefinders, and while it’s yet to be seen if these high-dollar systems will really catch on long-term, sight manufacturers seem to be betting on them. Here are 11 new-for-2019 options worth a look.

If you’ve had enough of boring sight pins and are looking to get a little rifle-like with your compound setup, check out the new Covert Pro from Apex Gear. This sight forgoes the traditional sight pins and uses a rifle-scope-style reticle instead. There’s an illuminated dot, and everything is micro-adjustable with both second- and third-axis adjustments.

This is an adjustable sight with rear-facing yardage tape for shots out to 120 yards, but instead of a single-pin setup, it uses the illuminated PWRDOT. You can pick from 11 levels of green illumination. At about $220, it’s not cheap, but it is well built.

Black Gold is known for tough, no-nonsense sights, and the Ascent Whitetail does nothing to tarnish that reputation.

For years, when it came to my dad's birthday, Christmas, and Father's Day, I did what most men do when they don't want to put any thought and effort into gift ideas—I bought him a Cabela's gift card. Thankfully, I've become much more creative since then, and my new problem is zeroing in on one unique item I know he'll appreciate. If you're stuck in the gift-card-gift rut, or if you just don't know where to start shopping for this upcoming Father's Day, here is a list of items to consider—any of which will surely put a smile on your dad's face. —Ben Romans

While Sitka is mostly known for its high-performance apparel, the company also has a lineup of casual shirts and pants manufactured with the same top-notch materials and attention to detail as their hunting clothing. The Globetrotter Shirt is a good example. Made from a two-way stretch cotton and polyester blend, it's wrinkle-free and impregnated with the company's Polygiene Odor Control to help manage scent. There is a side gusset for freedom of movement, a zippered chest pocket, and it's available in two color choices. —Ben Romans

When I was a kid, my dad bought an olive-drab military rucksack from our local Army-Navy surplus store and used it as a makeshift briefcase for work. I thought it was awesome, and he gave it to me after upgrading to a leather lookalike. These days, companies like 5.11 are continuing to make military-grade packs and backpacks, but with much more thought behind form and function. Their RUSH24 is a good example. It has a simple rucksack design with lots of storage space in the main area (2,275 cubic inches), a reinforced handle, hydration pocket, zippered fleece-lined sunglasses pocket, and self-repairing YKK zippers. On the outside, there are three mesh pockets, a water-bottle holster, and compression straps. And, because it has a water-repellent coating, dads can use the pack for fishing, hunting, or on a quick grab-and-go camping trip. —B.R.

Growing up, my "go-to" gifts for dad on Christmas, his birthday, and Father's Day were either a knife, some tools, or a flashlight. Somewhere I'm sure he has a stash of a dozen unopened Maglites he never needed. But as flashlight technology has improved, so have the gift options, which is why you should consider the BioLite No-bounce LED headlamp. The headband itself is part elastic and part molded plastic, so the unit fits snug in the back, and grips the head in the front, eliminating any bounce, slips, or shifting while moving. The other great thing it's rechargeable, so gone are the heavy batteries, and it's bright, throwing out 330 lumens at max power for up to 3.5 hours, and up to 40 hours on the low setting. —B.R.

The Talon is a super-sharp, surgical-blade Havalon your dad likely knows and loves, but in a versatile package. It comes with two 7-inch fillet blades, one 5-inch fillet blade, one 3 1/2-inch semi-serrated blade, and a nylon roll pack that secures the handle and all the blades in one package. The knife utilizes the company's Quik-Change II Interchangeable Cutlery System, which makes it easy to safely change blades. Another nice thing about the design is it allows you to fit any Talon-style blade onto the handle. So, down the line, if your dad wants to pick up some blades from Havalon's hunting lineup, he can use this setup with something like a 3 1/2-inch gut hook combo blade. I used the Talon on turkeys and crappies this spring, and the system has worked flawlessly. If your dad could use an almost unbelievably sharp knife to work on big-game, small-game, and fish, well, look no further. –Alex Robinson

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Rather Than Eat Crow, Congressman Files Bill To Block 'Colorado Loophole'

After spurring a walk-out by students angered that gun-control zealots had hijacked a vigil to honor a fallen classmate and those injured in a school shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch near Denver, Colorado first-year Democratic Congressman Jason Crow offered no apologies.

In fact, to add legislative activism to tone-deaf insult, the very next day Crow introduced a federal bill to close what he called an “obvious loophole” that allowed a woman to buy a shotgun in Colorado days before the 20th anniversary of the Columbine shooting.

Crow introduced H.R. 2634 on May 9th. It would extend restrictions already applied on handgun purchases to prohibit a licensed firearms dealer from selling a long gun to anyone the dealer knows, or “reasonably believes,” does not reside in the same state. It has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee where it is likely to be received warmly.

I love a good action movie. My favorites usually involve beleaguered heroes surviving against very long odds in the wild. Even though the lines between reality and silver-screen magic are blurry in Hollywood, they have a bad habit of mixing plausible survival situations with impossible nonsense.

As hunters, anglers, and survival movie fans, can we spot the fake stuff when it flashes before our eyes? Also, is there any actual knowledge or useful ideas to learn when we sit down to watch a movie? Well, we’re about to find out. Pop yourself some popcorn, dim the lights, and join me as I prowl through some well-known movie scenes to determine if they have any “survival” merit that we could actually use in an emergency.

Can you really rub a stick against another stick for fire? Yes, that's just one of the many different ways to create a friction fire. Here's the catch. There's a steep learning curve. It's very hard for beginners to succeed at this, and if you get the wrong materials, you are doomed. But, let's take our Cast Away scenario into consideration. With plenty of time on your hands and a wealth of fast-growing tropical softwoods to test, I believe that even a novice could figure it out and eventually create an ember from wood friction. In the movie, we feel the struggles of our lead character. We watch him experiment and change tactics, and we finally celebrate with him in the iconic scene where he triumphantly shouts, "I have made fire!"

He had tried twirling a stick with his hands, but in the end, the crudest friction fire technique, the fire plow, was the winner. I’ve successfully made fire this way for many years, and I even teach people how to do it in classes. I can tell you, with confidence, it’s the most brutal of all the methods I use, but with the right woods and a refusal to quit, it does work.

Here's how you can try it out for yourself. Select a dead, dry log from a softwood species. Collect a thumb-thick dead stick from the same or similar wood. Rub the stick against the log briskly, creating a groove and staying within it. The groove should be about a foot long. Once established, really work fast and hard. The groove will get deeper, and the rubbing stick will start to wear down. If you picked good specimens, you should have smoke and dark brown dust in the groove. With each stroke, push the dust down the groove and stop at the same point if you can. This creates a pile of dust, and under ideal conditions, the dust can become a smoldering ember. Scoop your little nugget of fire out of the groove, place it in a tinder nest, and blow it into glorious flames. You have made fire!

Owner Stacy Howell pins down a wild hog in front of his hunting rig before releasing it. (Katie Logan/)

My favorite hunting rig was a 1978 Jeep CJ5. I could remove the rear bench seat with a crescent wrench and easily fit two dog boxes to hold four dogs. I'd turn the manual hubs and run it in reverse to engage the four-wheel-drive, and when I did, I could climb any hill, ridge, or mountain with unparalleled maneuverability. That same rig towed my boat for sea duck hunts just as easily as it ran the fishing beaches. Everything was manual from the transmission to the choke and the heat. On hot days, I would remove the doors literally in two seconds and the top in about two minutes.

I'll never forget the time when a fully restored, 1970, hunter green Barracuda pulled up next to me at the stop light. Its 198-cubic-inch, slant-six engine sounded more powerful than it really was, but the driver didn't care. He was staring at my rig.

"Sweet Jeep," he said.

"Wanna race?" I asked.

He laughed when I revved the engine on my inline four-banger, and when the light changed, that Barracuda was out of sight before I had shifted into third gear. Hunting rigs don't need to go fast; they just need to go hard with purpose. We all dream of unique vehicles so here is a sample of some of the best.