Hunting and Fishing News Blog Articles

They taught you how to hunt, the right gear to use, and even how to walk quietly through the woods. What will you give them this holiday season?

It’s a pretty good bet your mentor didn’t introduce you to hunting for any material reward. They did it to pass on their knowledge, and probably because they recognized something in you that encouraged them that you’d perpetuate the tradition. Still, it’s more than a nice gesture to get your mentor something for the holidays. It’s a recognition that you appreciate all the time and attention they poured into you.

The gift you select will be as individual as the relationship with your mentor, but here are some ideas that any hunter, especially one who has spent a lifetime in the field, will appreciate.

onX Digital Map Subscription • $119 (per year)

onX Digital Map Subscription • $119 (per year) (onX Maps/)

What better gift can you give a hunter than the gift of bearing. An annual premium subscription to onX provides state-specific maps that detail public-land boundaries, private landowner names, and overlays like hunt-unit boundaries, CWD areas, and even the dates of forest fires, so you can target elk and deer in succulent green-up areas. Make sure you buy a subscription to the correct state!

The author with a great post-rut Oklahoma buck. (Michael Hanback/)

A few years ago in North Dakota, the entire month of November was warm, with hardly any snow. “Needless to say, the rut was tough,” says resident bowhunter Derek Plautz.

Plautz hunted hard for weeks without seeing a shooter buck. But in early December, the weather cooled down, snow flew, and the deer started moving. With two days left in the season, Plautz checked his trail camera. Finally, a big 10-point.

He didn’t have a tree stand in the area, so he built a little brush blind behind a fallen tree and climbed in for the evening hunt. Deer started moving and soon here came Big Ten, bronze antlers glinting in the fading light. When the buck crossed at 30 yards, Derek let fly. The deer kicked like a mule and ran, but it didn’t go far.

“What a great way to end a weird season,” Derek says. “I got to hunt for weeks and then cap it off with a big buck at the very end!”

A hunt like Derek’s is becoming the norm rather than the exception across North America. My observation and theory: As temperatures have gotten warmer in late October and November, deer patterns are gradually changing. While does and bucks still breed in mid-November as they always have, they tend to move less in daylight and more during cooler nights.

Editor’s Note: Bjorn Dihle is a hunter and writer based out of Juneau, Alaska. This fall, he and his hunting partners made a film about deer hunting in the Tongass National Forest, which could become exempt from Roadless Rule protections. The comment period on removing the Tongass from Roadless is open until 12/17. Leave your comment here.

At the beginning of a Sitka blacktail deer hunt last August, I followed a well-worn brown bear trail to a salmon stream on Chichagof Island in northern Southeast Alaska. I was hunting with my close friend Forest Wagner and filmmaker Ben Hamilton. The watershed we were in was part of the 26,000-square-mile Tongass National Forest, the largest intact temperate rainforest left on Earth. A bear appeared beneath the root wad of a fallen spruce. It walked closer, lifting its nose and trying to catch our scent before sauntering away. We studied a nameless mountain rising into the swirling gray clouds. Tomorrow we’d climb to the alpine with the hopes of shooting a buck or two.

That night Ben, Forest, and I sat near a fire listening to the ocean lap onto the beach. I’d agreed to be part of this film after it became clear the U.S. Forest Service, under orders from the Trump administration, was about to abolish the 2001 Roadless Rule in the Tongass. Stripping Roadless Rule protections would open up 185,000 acres of Southeast Alaska’s last old growth rainforest for clear-cut logging and destroy critical habitat for bears, salmon, and deer. If it happens, hunters and fishermen for generations to come will lose the opportunity to pursue their way of life. I grew up eating Sitka blacktail and salmon, the lifeblood of the Tongass. Now, I feed these same foods to my nine-month-old son. Without the Roadless Rule, the woods and mountains my family have utilized for three generations may no longer be huntable.

The author hunting blacktail deer in Alaska's Tongass National Forest. (Ben Hamilton/)

I’d chosen the mountain we were hunting for two reasons. One, much of the area around it had been logged. To open its remaining stands of old growth trees to clear-cut logging would essentially make it so people could not hunt the area in the decades to come. Two, some biologists believe it’s one of the most bear-dense mountains in the Tongass. Brown bears are the soul of this country. It had been no small thing for Forest to agree to be part of this project. A fellow lifelong Alaskan, he’s the only person I know who has fought a brown bear while falling off a mountain and survived. He’d never talked about it to the press, although reporters from media stations around the world had hounded him. It was much easier for Forest to venture into dense brown bear country than talk about the attack. With the future of the Tongass in jeopardy, however, he made an exception for this film.

Read Next: The Forest Service Wants to Open 9.2 Million Roadless Acres to Potential Logging. Here’s Your Chance to Say Something About It

Joe Weimer with his giant Missouri nontypical. (Joe Weimer/)

The day Joe Weimer’s daughter was born, he was intensely focused on killing a giant Missouri nine-point he thought (but wasn’t 100 percent sure) was the same buck he couldn’t connect on earlier that season after an arrow clipped a pin oak limb in front of his stand. Weimer had the deer on camera, but had not seen it in months until he spotted the buck on an afternoon goose scout in early January 2019.

There were only days left in the season and a big snowstorm was on its way. It was all lining up. After months of anguish, thinking about where the buck had gone, Jan. 10, was going to be the day. He was in the doc’s office for a routine check on the health of the baby, and couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there, and back in a tree. But plans changed and his lovely—and understanding—wife had to make an emergency delivery.

“I had the stand set and knew where the buck was coming from, but Hillary called and said we had a doctor’s appointment, and it turned out the baby had to be delivered that day,” Weimer said. “Then, after the baby came we got snowed in at the hospital for two extra days, and by then the season was over.”

Ten months later, after a whole lot more waiting, work, downright obsession, and 30 straight days of sitting in a stand, Weimer would finally tag that buck, which was now a 197-inch non-typical. To kill it, he had forsaken everything outside of deer hunting, left friends wondering if he’d lost his mind. Here’s how he did it.

Determination Turns to Obsession

Examine deer pellets carefully. They can provide valuable insight about the current hot food source. (Jace Bauserman/)

Face it, we hunters we are infatuated with feces—especially when it comes to whitetails. It’s for good reason, too. There is a lot to discover from it. Here are 10 facts about deer pellets that you might not know, but can help you put venison in the freezer.

1. Deer Poop—A lot

Wildlife biologists agree that deer defecate roughly 13 times per day during the fall months. If you consider a family group of deer consisting of two does and three fawns, it amounts to 65 different excretions during a single day. As hunters, we often build our deer hotspots around rubs and scrapes. A bad plan? No, but if you find a trail lined with pellets, you should take notice. One of my best Colorado whitetail stands isn’t on a rub or scrape line, but rather in a spot where deer pellets traditionally abound. When I discovered it, I did a hang-and-hunt in the area and saw 14 different deer. Over time, as I learned the property more, I came to realize that the area is a major staging zone used by the deer just before heading out to the big ag fields for the evening.

Bucks tend to drop more pellets than does. If you have the time, perform a count. (Jace Bauserman/)

2. Buck Or Doe?

Many hunters believe that they can tell the sex of a deer by the size or shape of their pellets. I’m one of them. Earlier this season, I watched a large buck tend a doe in a massive sea of tamarack. The duo was unapproachable, and despite my best grunts and snort-wheezes, I couldn’t get the brute to come investigate. Days later, I checked the area out. I found a number of piles of long, formed droppings along with countless piles of smaller-sized pellets. Their size and length allowed me to easily distinguish between buck and doe droppings. Many top researchers do suggest that the length of a formed pile can suggest buck or doe, especially when dealing with a mature buck.

Peruse this collection of deals, find something for everyone on your list, and wrap a bow around your 2019 shopping season. (Susanne Jutzeler/)

If you’ve been good this year, you can count on Santa to come through with everything you put on your wish list. If you haven’t, well, enjoy the coal and better luck next year. I’m likely a member of the coal class of 2019, so unless I email someone a link pointing to exactly what I want slid under the tree, then it ain’t going to happen.

That’s why you’ve got to love Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and all the other promotions retailers can conjure before December 25. To help easy your shopping stress load, we’re continually combing the internet for the best deals available and uploading that info here. That means you need to refresh the page often as bargains appear (or disappear) so you don’t miss the best deals of the season. When it’s all over, you’ll have finished your shopping without the annual migraine headache, and you can feel free to get something nice for yourself. You’ve earned it.

Please Note: Some deals last for a limited time or may sell out. We’ll do our best to remove those products from this list, but with so much happening, we may get a little behind.

Fishing

Plano B-Series 3600 Mossy Oak Manta Tackle Bag – Price: $37Pelican Elite 30-Quart Cooler – Price: $169Plano Angled Guide Series Stowaway Tackle Box – Price: $65Piscifun Waterproof Dry Bag Backpacks – Price: $15 to $35Shakespeare Complete Panfish Spincast Rod and Reel Combo – Price: $18Pflueger 8-foot Fly Fishing Starter Combo – Price: $30Wakeman Outdoors Single Tray Tackle Box with 55 Pieces – Price: $14Shakespeare Ugly Stick Saltwater Spin Fishing Kit – Price: $31Humminbird Helix 5 Sonar G2 Fishfinder – Price: $180Shakespeare Fuel Ice Fishing Rod and Spinning Reel Combo – Price: $15South Bend WormGear Tackle Box with 88 Pieces – Price: $10Berkley Cherrywood HD Spinning Reel and Rod Combo – Price: $40Flambeau Premium Tuff Krate Kayak Tackle Storage – Price: $45Shakespeare Wild Series Walleye Spinning Reel and Rod Combo – Price: $40Plano Guide Series Five-utility Pro System Tackle Box – Price: $40Abu Garcia Catfish Commando Baitcast Reel and Rod Combo – Price: $66Abu Garcia Silver Max Low Profile Baitcast Reel – Price: $66PENN Warfare Star Drag Conventional Fishing Reel – Price: $66Quantum Icon PT Baitcast Reel – Price: $60Berkley Jumbo Fishing Cart – Price: $155Minn Kota Endura C2 30-lb. Thrust 30-inch Transom Trolling Motor – Price: $93Classic Accessories Roanoke Pontoon Fishing Boat – Price: $200Minn Kota Endura MAX 55-lb. Thrust 42-inch Transom Trolling Motor – Price: $200Cabela’s Prestige Fly Fishing Combo – Price: $100Johnny Morris Platinum Signature Baitcast Reel – Price: $125Johnny Morris Platinum Signature Spinning Reel – Price: $70Bass Pro Shop XPS Hardbait Kit – Price: $10

Hunting

While you’re preparing to feast on Thanksgiving dinner, the fattest muskie and pike that swim in your local river are moving to the shallows for a feast of their own.

This season of really big, really aggressive esox is short. Fly fishing guides Rebekka Redd, Luke Swanson, and Harry Desmond have learned to take full advantage, tailoring their tactics for this special opportunity at a giant. Use their tactics to find a monster before ice-up, or spend the rest of the dark, cold Winter with regrets.

Slow Down When the Temperatures Drop

“Cooling temps bring on ‘survival mode’ in pike, meaning they are aggressively feeding in preparation for Winter,” says Rebekka Redd, of Rebekka Redd Fly Fishing. “A slow presentation with large flies has proven to be successful.”

That survival mode in pike and muskie has them zeroed in on baitfish, trying to fatten up for the winter. Your fly should behave like their forage. “Essentially your fly is mimicking cold temperature affected bait fish, meaning they are lethargic,” says Redd. “Slow your retrieves and lengthen your pauses.”

Who can forget the iconic phrase from A Christmas Story, “Don’t shoot your eye out.” It’s hard to believe, but Red Ryder BB guns have been in production for 80 years, and to celebrate, Daisy created an anniversary edition. Get one for a young shooter in your life. —$25 (Daisy/)

I’ve never been a fan of shopping. It’s likely one of my least favorite things to do. Negotiating the traffic and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with other customers in a store, only to realize the one thing I’m looking for is out-of-stock, is enough to give anyone the bah-humbugs.

Thankfully, online shopping is easier than ever, and because so many promotions begin before Black Friday officially commences, like the ones listed here from Walmart, you can get all your gifts ordered and shipped without taking a step outside. Peruse these categories, find something for the outdoorsman or woman in your life, and free up more time to gobble up Thanksgiving leftovers.

Trailcameras

Spypoint 12 MP Link Dark V Cellular Trail Camera—$300

Bushnell Trophy Cam HD 20MP—$70

The author sets up on a self-filmed hunt. (Tony Hansen /)

The camera never lies. Unless you really know how to edit...then, well, it can.

I’ve spent my fair share of time in the woods with a video camera. Sometimes, I was there to lay down footage of someone else trying to fill a tag on whatever critter was in season. Other times, I was the one in front of the lens, working in tandem with a cameraman to deliver something folks would want to watch.

But, lately, it’s been a solo show. Just me, the camera and whatever happens to saunter by. While the end goal of capturing whatever transpires on video is the same, the two methods for getting there could hardly be more different.

Most hunters aren’t going to have a dedicated cameraman on the majority of outings. Sure, you may team up with a buddy from time to time. But, for the most part, the everyday hunter is going to self-film. If you’re new to the self-filming game, pause for a minute and thank those lucky stars overhead. You’ve got it damned good.

Today’s technology and equipment make it infinitely easier to capture your hunt on video. I’ve been around just long enough to know what it was like before the advent of micro-sized cameras and specialized self-filming tools. Which means I’ve learned a few tips and tricks that might help you out. Here’s seven to get you started.

I’ve always loved camping, but ever since I’ve had kids, the notion of what and what doesn’t constitute as a camping trip has changed. In years past, it meant sleeping in the dirt and chasing big game or alpine trout. Now it includes makeshift backyard adventures and overnights a stone’s throw from the truck tailgate. But it all revolves around that ever-important takeaway we all want to bring home from every adventure—memories. If that sounds like you, a friend, or a family member, here are a few gift ideas that can help create more memoirs in 2020, and several years after.

OtterBox Elevation Tumbler Mug

OtterBox Elevation Tumbler Mug • Price: $25 (OtterBox/)

Camping and warm beverages go hand in hand. Whether your poison is coffee, hot chocolate, tea, or maybe even a warm "adult" blend like cider and spiced rum, the best way to stay comfortable on those chilly nights and mornings is to heat the body from the inside out. To prevent drinks from cooling, you and everyone else in your camp need a mug built to keep hot drink hot, and the OtterBox's Elevation Tumbler does just that. Made of 100 percent stainless steel, there's an internal copper ring that keeps contents at an ideal temperature, and the outer coating doesn't sweat or leave rings on countertops. A leak-proof lid is included and it's available in five different colors so you can assign one to each person in camp for the duration of your adventure, which helps cut down on dish duty.

Coleman Dome Tent with Screen Room

Coleman Dome Tent with Screen Room • Price: $140 (Coleman/)

In recent years, it's become more difficult to sneak away with my boys on a quick, two-night turnaround camping trip. School, sporting events, and other obligations seem to be soaking up the vast majority of their Friday's, Saturdays, and Sundays. Thankfully, we've been able to adapt by overnighting in the backyard—and it's a blast! I don't have to haul gear all over Hell's half acre, the "outhouse" conditions are five-star, and if the weather turns rotten, we don't have to suffer through it. We've also discovered a big tent, like Coleman's Dome Tent, makes a big difference. It's easy to erect and take down, there's enough room inside for us to move around our cots, and the cost didn't burn through my gear budget. If there's someone in your family looking for a solid car-camping shelter, or a kid just begging for more time under the stars, the Coleman Dome tent is a terrific option.

Black Friday, historically one of (if not the) busiest shopping days of the year, is almost upon us, and over the next 48 hours, lines will begin forming at the front doors of retailers nationwide. Trying to get in on the action can be a maddening, stressful experience—but it doesn’t have to be.

To help ease your stress load, the good folks at Bass Pro Shops are making some of their best promotions available early. Today through Sunday, you can save some serious coin, and get the majority of your gifts purchase without leaving home. Here is a short list of some of their best bargains.

Save $130 and help someone begin processing their own wild game with the Ultimate Processing Package, which includes the Cabela’s #5 meat grinder, Heavy-duty Vacuum Sealer, Heavy Duty Slicer, and Harvest 5-Tier Dehydrator. (price: $200; reg: $330) (Bass Pro Shops/)
Save 60% on RedHead Lined Shirt Jackets. (price: $18; reg: $45) (Bass Pro Shops/)
Save $80 on Cabela’s Prestige fly-fishing outfits. (price: $100; reg: $180)
Save $75 on Johnny Morris Platinum Signature Baitcast Reels. (price: $125; reg: $200)
Save $50 on Johnny Morris Platinum Signature Spinning Reels. (price: $70; reg: $120)
Save $180 on Garmin 64st Handheld GPS units. (price: $170; reg: $350)
Save 50% on Ascend Ladies’ Sweater Fleece Full-zip Jackets. (price: $38; reg: $75)
Save 25% on your choice of Under Armour Specialist Henleys, Fleece Half-zip Jackets, and Armour Fleece Hunt Hoodies.
Save $10 on Bass Pro Shops Folding Fillet tables. (price: $80; reg: $90)
Save $70 on Pelican Protector Wheeled Double Cases. (price: $200; reg: $270)
Save $300 on Cabela’s Classic E-lock 48-gun Safes. (price: $1,300; reg: $1,600)
Save 40% on XPS Hardbait kits. (price:$ 10; reg: $16)
Save $230 on Leupold RX-1600i TBR Rangefinders. (price: $250; reg: $480)
Buy 1, get 1 free on Spypoint LINK-S Solar Cellular Trailcameras. (Bass Pro Shops/)
Save 40% on Toilet Paper blasters Skid Shot Spitball Guns. (price: $15; reg: $25)
Save 25% on Columbia Basin Trail Fleece Long Sleeve Pullovers. (price: $38; reg: $50)

Sure, the coolest survival gear items are knives, guns, and

Sure, the survival gear that gets the most attention are the flashy items like knives and fire starters. But the simple everyday items, like zip ties, tarps, and even steel wool are going to be more useful in the long run. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday coming up, these are the items you should look to order online. Doing so will save you some cash, but it could also save your life.

15. Altoids

These curiously strong candies can freshen your breath and leave you with a versatile container for many survival projects. (Altoids/)

With plenty of flavors to choose, there will be an Altoids product for every palate. Once the candy is gone, then you’ll have the real treasure—that metal tin. Empty Altoids tins have been used to make excellent char cloth boxes for flint and steel fire making. They also make great survival kits and first-aid boxes. We can even turn them into a “survival stove” by filling them with cardboard strips and melted wax. Just leave a little piece of cardboard sticking up above the wax level and you’ll be able to light the stove with an open flame. If there’s still fuel left when your cooking is done, close the lid and snuff out the flames (just let the molten wax cool down for a few minutes before you put the tin back in your pocket).

14. Water Key

Boning knives are specialty blades designed to debone meat and trim away fat. (imarku/)

In the wake of popular trends such as the field-to-table and locavore movements, home butchery of both game and domestic meats has become more popular than ever. At the heart of that process is a quality boning knife. These specialty blades make the most out of your meats by allowing closer trimming to the bone, which is where the most flavorful and tender cuts are. The boning knife produces a clean carcass for stocks or broth and learning to use one increases your overall versatility in the kitchen. Here are a few things to consider when deciding which style of boning knife is right for you.

Blade Length

The larger the cuts of meat you’re trying to slice, the larger your boning knife should be. (Victorinox/)

A 5- or 6-inch blade is about the most common length for all-purpose home butchery. However, those processing large, whole animals may want to consider a 7- or 8-inch blade to reach deep into primal cuts.

Blade Shape

Curved boning blades are best for trimming or making precise cuts. (Mercer Culinary/)

The choice in blade-shape is basically between curved or straight. Curved knives are great for trimming and precision work, while straight blades work well on larger cuts. But there is no hard and fast rule here. As long as your blade is sharp, it will get the job done. Buy a quality honing steel with your boning knife and learn how to use it.

To help you get a jump on your Black Friday and holiday shopping for your favorite outdoorsman or outdoorswoman, here are some deals that are available NOW through Cyber Monday (December 2, 2019).

BioLite

Save up to 35% on BioLite products. (BioLite/)

Save up to 35% on BioLite products, including the FirePit complete kit, the Energy Bundle+, CampStove 2 bundles (includes a FREE CoffeePress), HL330 headlamps, and all BioLite swag.

SPOT

Save $50 on all SPOT devices. (SPOT/)

Save $50 on all SPOT devices. If you know someone that is reluctant to carry a GPS into the backcountry but likes knowing help can arrive in the event of an emergency, this is the gift for them.

Venison may have been the main course of the first Thanksgiving feast. (Jamie Carlson/)

Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and football. In America, that’s usually what’s on the menu on the fourth Thursday in November. But in the fall of 1621, the original Thanksgiving meal didn’t resemble this in the slightest. The Pilgrims at Plymouth Plantation had a lot to be thankful for. The Wampanoag helped them survive the previous winter and harvest plenty of food over the summer. The two groups decided to come together and celebrate this for a few days with a feast, during which they ate a mix of wild fish and game. Here is an excerpt from one of two firsthand accounts from a man named Edward Winslow:

“Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others.”

That sounds a little more like deer camp than grandma’s house. Along with a pile of venison and week’s supply of fowl, it’s not out of the question to assume there were also dried fruits, berries, nuts, fish, and shellfish at the feast. Being that most of these things are available to hunters and anglers, we took a deep dive into some past recipes from our Cast-Iron Chef blog. In the spirit of that original Thanksgiving meal, here are eight ways to bring back some wild game to the table this season.

Nuts

A bowl of acorns with their caps removed. (Jamie Carlson/)

Hunting, fishing, and foraging were part of everyday life in the 17th century, and one abundant source of food was hard mast, such as beechnuts, hickory, chestnuts, and even acorns. The pilgrims would stuff birds with nuts instead of the bread-based stuffing of today because flour was in short supply. But you don’t need wheat to make bread. It’s possible to turn acorns into flour and then into bread through a process of grinding and soaking in water to leech out the tannins (bitter-tasting compounds). If you’d like to try making acorn flour, this step-by-step guide will help. It also includes a recipe for acorn-flour pancakes.

No 7mm would be everyone’s idea of the ideal brown bear medicine, but all three of the magnums discussed here coupled with the right premium, controlled expansion bullet can handle the big bears. (Ron Spomer/)

The U.S.A. hasn’t fully adopted the metric system, but our shooters and hunters have. We are now conversant in 6mm, 6.5mm, 7.62mm — and especially 7mm. There are now at least 14 7mm cartridges being manufactured in the U.S. with several wildcats waiting in the wings.

You might think Remington started the 7mm cartridge trend in 1962 with its famous 7mm Remington Magnum, but by then the 7mm Mauser was already well known. It had impressed its power upon our troops in Cuba under fire from Spanish Mausers in 1898. Teddy Roosevelt was so impressed that he used the 7x57 as a basis for what became the .30-06 Springfield.

Meanwhile, over in Africa a Scottish commercial ivory hunter named Bell was making the little 7x57mm famous as a BIG big game round by dropping some 800 elephants with it. His bolt-action rifle was chambered for the confusing .275 Rigby. That was the 7x57mm re-branded for the non-metric British Rigby rifle.

Less well known in the U.S. (but more ballistically advanced) was the 7mm Weatherby Magnum from the early 1940s. More obscure were the 7mm Gibbs and the Norma-loaded 7x61mm Sharpe & Hart in the early 1950s. Neither caught on, but American shooters were certainly beginning to recognize the potential for 7mm cartridges. Then Remington blew the doors wide open with their new 7mm magnum chambered in their equally new and affordable M700 rifles. Almost overnight the “seven em em” was on the lips of American hunters. And in the chambers of their rifles.

The 7mm shoots .284-inch diameter bullets through bores .28-inch across, but only two use this Imperial measuring system in their titles: .280 Remington and .284 Winchester, both excellent but underrated “standard” velocity cartridges. Like all 7mms, they can fire bullets as light as 100-grains and as heavy as 180-grains. Handloaders can take advantage of all these, but most commercial ammunition features 120-grain to 178-grain bullets.

Fishing tackle can be as basic as a pole, a length of line, a weight and a baited hook. That’s seldom good enough, though. There’s something in human nature that never settles for the status quo and even fishing tackle can be made better. What we lack, we invent; what we find deficient, we improve.

Consider fishing reels, which have been around for hundreds of years. Chinese art from the Middle Ages depicts anglers using poles with reels mounted to their bases. The first were crudely manufactured and used to retrieve line rather than to cast it out. Europeans followed with their own line gatherers, or “winches” as reels were often called. It wasn’t until the late 18th century that motivated inventors really started improving on previous designs and how they worked.

We travelled to the History of Fishing Museum in Branson, Mo., to take a look at some of the first reels that changed the fishing game, and set in motion an era of invention and innovation that hasn’t ended yet. A few of these reels are priceless; others, not so much, but still worthy of recognition as fishing forerunners:

1. Billinghurst Fly Reel

Billinghurst Fly Reel (Bill Bramsch, History of Fishing Museum/)

The Billingshurst Birdcage was the first single-action fly reel produced in the U.S. It was patented in 1859 by a Rochester, N.Y., gunsmith named William Billingshurst who used brass, nickel, coin silver and gold-plating in the production of his reels. In 2007, a Billingshurst silver fly reel with original case and paperwork sold at auction for $40,000.

The author with a mature blesbok, a common antelope species in South Africa. (Tyler Freel/)

There is no place in all of hunting lore as iconic as Africa. Talk to anyone who has been fortunate enough to have hunted there and they will wear your ears out telling you about it. Because it seemed such a remote possibility, Africa never really made my bucket list. I wasted no time daydreaming about it. That all changed when I received an invitation to go on a hunt on the Eastern Cape of South Africa for plains game with Frontier Safaris. It was to be a completely new world for me, and literally almost as far on land as I could get from my home in Alaska. With some initial reluctance, I went, and had the time of my life. I was a complete greenhorn in a strange new land. I learned a lot. Here’s some of it:

1. Africa Is Incredible (even if you don’t know it yet)

I was that guy—the one who was perfectly satisfied with the hunting that I had at home. Although I had nothing against hunting in Africa, I would not have never gone out of my way to go there. Impala, zebra, wildebeest all seemed cool, but I didn’t much care, frankly.

The travel definitely sucks—I knew that. But once there, my perspective quickly changed. A whole new world of animals and things to be learned was opened up to me, and I had an absolute blast. There is something for just about every hunter in Africa. Multiple varieties of plains game and dangerous game abound. If a person can go to a quality outfitter and not have an incredible experience, they need to do more research.

Our transportation in Africa, these land cruisers are amazing machines, made to go just about anywhere in the dry, rocky terrain. (Tyler Freel/)

2. Borrow A Gun (if possible)

A young archer can learn the value of patience, practice, and the importance of safety in the field. (Adventure Awaits!/)

It doesn’t take much to get kids interested archery. In most cases, they just need a suitable bow in their hands, a bit of safety and aiming instruction, and the room to exercise their energy and imagination. Depending on a child’s age, you can start them off with the tried-and-true suction-cup arrows or with a genuine bow capable of sinking field tips into a real target at five to ten yards. Wherever they start, be sure to emphasize safety first as you introduce them to the joys of a lifetime sport.

A Bow Like Dad’s

Genesis kits are the official bow-and-arrow products of the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP). (Genesis Bows/)

A youth compound bow in the 10- to 20-pound draw weight can accommodate a wide range of draw lengths. That is, the bow can grow with a beginning archer for several years before needing to upgrade.

The Toy Bow

A toy archery setup is perfect for safely getting someone interested in the sport. (GoBroBrand/)

For the youngest archers, a toy bow with suction-tipped arrows is a great way to promote safety awareness, eye-hand coordination, and an appreciation for practicing any skill. The hours spent plinking with such a toy can instill a love of archery that lasts a lifetime.

Attaching a rod holder to the side of your boat means more lines in the water, which means a greater chance of catching fish, which is a big deal if you’re fishing alone. (Plusinno/)

If you are fishing in anything smaller than a center-console boat, you’re probably going to have to outfit the vessel with aftermarket rod holders. From johnboats and small runabouts right down to kayaks, canoes, and even one-man pontoons and cata-rafts, there’s a rod holder that can turn any small boat into a fishing-catching machine.

Track Mounted

Modern kayaks often include features that make attaching an aftermarket rod holder simple and easy. (YakAttack/)

Most modern kayaks come with a section of T-track integrated into the hull. This feature is useful for mounting everything from rod holders to GPS, cleats, anchors, and other accessories. The nice thing about running your rod holder in the tee track is that it can slide fore and aft to place the rod just the right distance away while you are paddling, trolling, or just hanging out.

Clamp-On

Clamp rod holders are great if you need to use them in other watercraft from time to time. (PLUSINNO/)

For johnboats and canoes with an exposed gunnel, it’s hard to beat a clamp-on rod holder. They are a little more cumbersome to deal with than T-track but can be placed virtually anywhere on the boat to accommodate a variety of fishing styles, from trolling for lake trout to side-pulling for crappies.