Hunting and Fishing News & Blog Articles

Building habitat on private ground goes hand-in-hand with good hunting. (Joe Genzel/)

Everyone wants to be a #publicland hunter these days. You will get no argument from me if that’s where you prefer to hunt. I spend a good amount of time chasing greenheads and a few gobblers on state ground each fall and spring. But I am here to tell you, it’s OK to hunt private land too…seriously, it won’t ruin your street cred.

It takes every bit as much work to develop habitat on your own piece of property as it does to scout a nice buck on public land and kill it there. I know, because I hunt both. I’ve sweated alongside my family members, clearing timber, cutting trails, and planting food plots on a small farm we own together (more on that later). And I’ve also made countless long walks down muddy levees on Waterfowl Management Areas at ungodly early hours to shoot two hen ringnecks.

Not everyone will be able to get their own piece of private land, and some of you may think it’s too expensive to buy or lease, which is true in many cases but there are always exceptions. So I talked to four experienced hunters and habitat managers to see how they utilize private property. I also included how my family has developed an 80-acre farm in west-central Illinois for whitetails, turkeys, and doves. The conclusion? Private land is tough to acquire, and it’s a lot of work to hunt, but the payoffs are huge.

Jordan Adams: Getting Permission on Private Land

Jordan Budd (left) and Jordan Adams with a private-land whitetail. (Jordan Adams/)

Jordan Adams, guides on private ground in western Nebraska and looks for grandmas and cows when she is trying to get landowner permission.

Add extra flavor. (Jez Timms via Unsplash/)

Fill your neighborhood with that perfect apple smoke smell, or hickory, or maple. It’s not as tricky as it sounds. The right mix of wood pellets or chips have the ability to take your smoked meat from delicious to downright decadent. But what wood pellets are the right ones? We offer you some suggestions for whatever your tastes and ability levels may be.

Buy what works. (Amazon/)

Can’t decide between hickory, cherry, hard maple, and apple? Don’t worry about it, now you don’t need to. This mix has all four of the top hard woods with no filler oak or alder. Think of it as everything you need and nothing you don’t for the perfect hardwood, smokey blend.

Cook it your way. (Amazon/)

Are you one of those little-bit-of-this, little-bit-of-that people? If so, think about this mix. You get 1 pound each of apple, hickory, mesquite, cherry, pecan, and Jack Daniel’s. Each bag has 10 uses, which means the package lasts plenty long enough for you to try most combinations. These are perfect for anyone who doesn’t want to be stuck with the same mix each day.

Put that whiskey flavor in your meat. (Amazon/)

Expect nothing but the best from this 20-pound bag of all-natural, 100 percent oak and hardwoods. The pellets are guaranteed high BTU and clean-burning with low ash. With a hint of whiskey you’ll also smell and taste notes of hardwood flavors like pecan, hickory and sugar maple. And go ahead, pour yourself a glass while you’re standing by your smoker.

Give your food that hickory taste. (Amazon/)

Uses for these chips are nearly endless. Use them plain in a smoker for pork loins or briskets. Throw them on some charcoals to add flavor to a whole chicken or smoked wings. Use just the chips to cook a thin filet of trout or salmon. The hickory wood has been treated to prevent mold and rot. Cooking with these will impress anyone at your dinner table.

Keep your catch. (Rhett Noonan via Unsplash/)

Congratulations, you shot your elk, punched your turkey tag, or knocked down your daily limit of ducks. While the hunt is certainly a part of the adventure, taking the meat home and filling your freezer is the real prize. But so much can go wrong between field and freezer. We’re here to help. Whether you need a cooler or game bags, here are four tailored ways to help ensure your meat is as good as you imagined.

Don’t let waterfowl go foul. (Amazon/)

Is this pricey for a cooler you can throw over your shoulder? Yes. Is it worth it to keep your small game and birds cold in the field? Absolutely. The quickest way to spoiled meat is not caring for it properly after it’s been shot. If you live and hunt in the Arctic, maybe a good cooler doesn’t matter. But if you’re anywhere warmer, consider this one. It has a large mouth opening so it’s easy to drop animals in and pull them out. It also has a heavy base to protect from abrasion and a water-, puncture-, and UV-resistant exterior.

Consider this your extra refrigerator. (Amazon/)

You just shot an elk and dressed it in the field. But as you lug it back to your truck, you begin to realize it’s a long way to home and it’s 80 degrees. Don’t worry. This Yeti cooler can handle the bulk of the meat and some ice, cooling it down and preventing unwanted spoiling. It’s also certified bear resistant, so if you’re hunting in bear country and need to camp out another night, your meat is safe.

Carry out meat, not bugs. (Amazon /)

Field dressing an elk, moose, caribou, or other big game is no easy task. And while a shoulder can be carried out whole, the backstraps, tenderloins, and other choice pieces need somewhere to go. Don’t put them on the ground. Use these bags to keep your meat clean, safe, and away from pesky bugs. The odor-free bags are compact and can be washed and reused. They’re also made in the U.S.A.

Preserve your game. (Amazon/)

Knowing you’re not going to deal with freezer burn should be enough to make you want a vacuum sealer for your meat. This one has a double line seal for extra strength, a double vacuum pump, and various sealing choices. It’s the easiest way to ensure your meat is frozen, preserved, and ready for you to eat throughout the year.

Gear you'll want by your side. (Amazon/)

Channel catfish start spawning when the water temperature tops 80 degrees. That means about a month before that period, they’re moving into the shallows en masse to fatten up on their favorite chow ahead of the big event. This is both the best part of the season to land a double-digit channel cat, and to stock the freezer for a summertime fish-fry. But first, you need good tackle. Like this stuff right here.

Garcia’s Elite Max 60 is the perfect all-purpose spinning reel for channel catfish. (Amazon/)

The same reel suited for a 90-pound blue cat is a little overkill for a 5-pound channel cat. What you need is a good spinning reel that holds plenty of braided line in the event you tangle with something heavy, but one that also allows for short, accurate casts and comfortable all-day use. This Abu Garcia spinning reel gives you a lot for the price, including 6 stainless-steel ball bearings and a 200-foot, 20-pound line capacity.

Baitholder hooks are ideal for live nightcrawler presentations. (Amazon/)

With an angled eye and rear-facing barbs on the shank, these might be the perfect hooks for threading on juicy nightcrawlers—which are about as fine a bait as a person can use for channel cats this time of year. But they work nearly as well with whole shrimp in the shell, too, which seem to attract bigger fish. A 1/0 size will hold a hefty channel cat with a good hookset, but upsize to 2/0 or 3/0 if the fish in your home waters are especially bulbous.

Get hold of a catfish without getting finned with these old-time grippers. (Amazon/)

This timeless piece of catfishing gear isn’t just for people who can’t stand touching the slimy things. Channel cats sport barbed spikes on their dorsal and pectoral fins that’ll punch right through the web of your hand and hurt like the dickens, if you’re not careful. Sure, there’s a proper way to grip them that minimizes the risk, but these grippers guarantee you won’t get poked while unhooking fish—and they save on a little of the slime mess wiped across your pants, too.

Craving a plate of fiddlers? Skin your smaller cats with these easy-to-use pliers. (Amazon/)

Peruse the menu in the right southern diner and you can find “fiddlers,” which are whole channel cats of about 2 pounds, skinned and gutted and deep-fried. Because catfish have smooth skin that’s difficult to grip with your fingers, specially designed pliers like these have found homes in the tackleboxes of dedicated whiskermen everywhere. They’ll make short work of your catch at the end of the day.

Spice up your life. (Keep Your Darlings via Unsplash/)

We know, some cuts of beef or filets of fish are sacrosanct. No one should put anything on them, no less a flavored rub. But if you’re not grilling filet mignon every night, or you are but want to try something a little different, we have some options. Start light and see what you think, then layer it on if you like what you try. We think you will.

Whatever you unearthed in your freezer, put some of this on it. (Amazon/)

This rub is marketed to go on anything, and they mean anything. You can go traditional, and mix it in with your burger or sprinkle it over a steak or roast. But you can also toss it with some popcorn if you’re thinking about a savory snack and add it to a salad for something a little different. Consider this your goes-on-anything, improves-most-everything rub.

Buy it for steaks, keep it for other meat. (Amazon/)

Look to the Santa Maria Steak Seasoning to give your steaks the perfect combination of garlic, pepper and spicy chilies with the right amount of sea salt. It not only adds a little spice and smoke, but also enhances the meat’s natural flavor. Use it on steaks, but also consider it for grilled pork, chicken and even vegetables.

Take your salmon to the next level. (Amazon/)

Crafted with a blend of paprika, thyme and brown sugar, this rub was inspired by the salmon it’s intended to flavor. It has all-natural ingredients and doesn’t include any MSGs. Save it mostly for trout and salmon, but keep it around for pork, steaks or chicken wings. If you’re wondering how restaurants get that smokey flavor, this is likely it.

For when you want it hot. (Amazon/)

When you want food spicy, but you also want a variety, this five-pack is hard to beat. It includes adobo seasoning, jerk, lemon fire, soul food and spicy Cajun, Creole. Use it on basically anything you’re grilling from vegetables to shrimp or consider it for homemade jerky, pizza or mixed into a marinade. We just recommend you start light before layering it on thick.

Keep your feet dry and secure. (Nahuel Hawkes via Unsplash/)

We all understand, in theory, why waterproof boots matter. Wet feet are the quickest way to blisters, frostbite, and even foot rot. Even in the best circumstances, wet feet are just plain uncomfortable. But not everyone has to buy knee high muck boots or pricey GORE-TEX. We picked out four options for whatever your outdoor need.

Stay dry day after day. (Amazon/)

Imagine waking up in the morning after a long pack into a lake. You stretch your legs out of your tent and slip your feet into boots. But instead of cool and dry, they’re freezing cold and soaking wet. And you have days of hiking in front of you. These boots won’t let that happen. The rubber sides and sole keep your feet forever separated from the ground. GORE-TEX ensures waterproofness for the life of the boots and technology in the midsole optimizes weight and performance.

For when you need to walk through creeks. (Amazon/)

These aren’t your grandpa’s irrigation boots. The XTRATUF boots are 100 percent waterproof with triple-dipped latex neoprene. They’re also slip-resistant with toe and heel guards that protect against abrasions. The best part is the moisture-wicking insoles that absorb shocks and have an open cell structure that reduce insole drying time.

Look good. Protect your feet. (Amazon/)

You’re not going on a five-day backpacking trip in these, but for the days you need to look decent in the office or for a dinner, but also need to do a site visit in the rain or check out a trail, these are your boot. Their waterproof construction is designed to keep your feet dry and comfortable. The suede is practical and attractive. And the style transitions better than any boot from the trail to the office.

Buy for comfort, stay for durability. (Amazon/)

Go ahead, put these to the test. Take them out on a trail, run through puddles or shallow creeks. The performance suede leather and mesh is waterproof and breathable. The closed-cell foam tongue keeps moisture and debris out. The protective rubber toe cap keeps your toes safe and extends the life of your shoe. The Vibram TCS sole is all you need to stay upright on even the slipperiest surfaces.

Creating a pattern on a GLOCK handgun with Cerakote. (Bryce M. Towsley/)

The best way for a DIY hobby gunsmith to finish the metal and often the stocks or grips on a gun is with a spray-on coating. Spray coatings are much easier to deal with than traditional methods like hot bluing, which requires a lot of equipment and the use of nasty chemicals.

Spray-on coatings come in many colors and finishes and they can be applied to just about any material. They also protect gun metal against rust and act as a barrier against corrosion causing substances.

Spray-on coatings have become the standard for a lot of custom builders of hunting, tactical, or target guns. Bluing is traditional and has a certain visual appeal, but for a working gun, one that sees a lot of field time, a spray-on coating makes more sense. It is less expensive, will protect the gun, camouflage it in the field, and it is a much easier finish to maintain or repair.

They are better for your love life too. Unless you are a hermit living alone, just try setting up bluing tanks on your kitchen stove, I dare you! Let me know how that works out.

How to Prepare a Gun for Painting

All the cuts from a wild turkey. (Alex Robinson/)

Wild turkey is my all-time favorite game meat. It’s easy to cook, it has plenty of rich flavor, and it’s just about impossible to beat fried turkey nuggets dipped spicy barbecue sauce. Oftentimes, wild turkey meat is very hard-earned. You wake up at 3 a.m. morning after morning, calling at unresponsive toms, until one morning a gobbler breaks and comes strutting in to shotgun range. There is nothing more satisfying than that.

So after a hard season of turkey hunting, you just might want to get every last scrap of meat off your bird. In the video below, my turkey hunting buddy Josh Dahlke does a really nice job demonstrating the basic butchering process on a wild turkey. With most of the birds I shoot, I follow the exact same process Josh uses here.

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But sometimes, I want more than just the breasts and legs. Some turkeys are killed on hunts that are more meaningful, and I want to savor every bite as a way of making that hunt last just a little longer. That means taking the giblets, the wings, and bones.

A quick example of what I’m talking about … earlier this spring I scouted a piece of public property that was about an hour from my house. One evening I drove out to roost birds, and unknowingly set up too close. I watched a tom strut at 100 yards and then fly up into an oak tree about 70 yards from me. His hens roosted even closer. Not wanting to blow all the turkeys off their roosts, I waited until dark and then crawled my way out, luckily only spooking two hens. By the time I got home it was 10:30 pm, and I was up again at 3 a.m. to get back on the tom in the morning. Sure enough, I called that old gobbler off the limb and into shotgun range, and then missed—twice. I wanted to give up for the day, but instead I gave myself a little pep talk, ate a granola bar, drank some coffee out of my thermos, and then made a long walk through some thick woods that nobody else had been hunting. After a few hours I struck a tom and then called him in to 15 yards. This time, I didn’t miss. Here’s how I got all the meat available out of that turkey.

TRCP, along with other conservation groups, is asking outdoorsmen and women to continue to be cautious as they head out to public lands and waters during COVID-19. (Steve Hillebrand, USFWS/)

The COVID-19 curve has begun to flatten, but several conservation organizations are cautioning hunters and anglers to maintain social distancing practices and follow directives set forth by their home states and the Center of for Disease Control and Prevention. The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Program helped launch the #ResponsibleRecreation pledge this week. It’s a coordinated effort that includes the National Wild Turkey Foundation, Congressional Sportsman Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Trout Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, and Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

As summer approaches, and in an attempt to return to some sense of normalcy, more of us are heading outdoors to enjoy our public lands and waters. The #ResponsibleRecreation campaign is asking us to do this sensibly. That means maintaining social distancing rules, recreating close to home, and buying licenses and park passes online to avoid unneeded encounters with other people.

“Whether participating in hunting, fishing, shooting sports, or numerous other outdoor activities, individuals and families are getting outside as a means of coping with the challenges of this health crisis,” says Whit Fosburgh, the president and CEO of TRCP. “The conservation community recognizes that this is a privilege, one that sportsmen and women take very seriously. Just as we’ve stepped up to fund conservation efforts and recover at-risk species, hunters and anglers have yet another opportunity to lead by example and ensure that outdoor recreation can continue to delight and facilitate healing for anyone who ventures outside.”

The idea behind the campaign is to showcase hunters, anglers, bird watchers, hikers, etc., spending time outdoors in a safe manner. A handful of states shuttered access to some or all public lands and waters in March and April, but most have opened state and federal lands recently (though some states are only opening select sites). Using the #ResponsibleRecreation hashtag is an opportunity to lead by example, and to show our communities that we can safely return to the woods, lakes, and rivers during these unprecedented times.

Read Next: Will Coronavirus Get More People into Hunting?

The decision to send a pointing dog, flushing dog, versatile dog, or a retriever to a pro trainer is a big deal. Some owners want help starting puppies off with a solid foundation. Others are good with basic obedience, yardwork and training, and only need assistance with advanced work or specific issues. Then there are those who are so frustrated with their dogs that they need a lot of help. But it costs money to send a dog to a pro trainer, sometimes a lot. To get the most return on your investment of time and expense requires upfront research. Every dog is unique, and so is each owner’s requirements. Here’s some advice from pro trainers nationwide on constructive ways to form a team to help your pup succeed.

Eukanuba Pro Trainer Jeremy Criscoe (Eukanuba/)

1. Set Achievable Goals

Jeremy Criscoe, a Eukanuba Pro Trainer out of Florida’s Blue Cypress Kennel, is a fourth-generation dog man who splits his training time between Florida and Alabama. Blue Cypress’ dog Gus made headlines a few years ago for being the only American born and trained UK Lab to win field trials abroad. To successfully work with clients, Criscoe relies on a series of benchmarks that begins when owners pick up a pup.

“I work with them to set goals, expectations and then formulate a training platform so they can reach those marks,” he says. “If I know that the dog will be used as a gun dog, a house dog, or a field trial dog, I customize a module to train a dog to their liking. I’ll review my expectations of the owners in weekly and monthly increments that run from the time they pick up their pup until the day they drop him off for training. For retrievers between 8 and 14 weeks, I like clients to focus on crate training, housebreaking, sitting, walking on a lead, and fetching. For pointing dogs, I want them to focus on recall, heeling, housebreaking and crate training. I need to know if they want a dog steady to wing, shot or broke all the way through. During that time, I like clients to come by the kennel so we can introduce their dog to kennel life. That regular exposure keeps the dog from going into shock from the dramatic change from a house dog to a working dog. We get aligned as a team and everyone, and especially the dogs, are on the same page.”

Kyson Moss (9 years old, left), Jared Moss (center) and Kobe Moss (11 years old) train dogs and young handlers alike. (Jared Moss/)

2. Don’t Freak Out Your Pup

An angler battles a hefty brown on a Beaverhead tributary in Montana. (Brian Grossenbacher/)

Around and around and around we go. Where we’ll stop, I already know because we’d stopped there five times since 7 a.m. There was the little manicured bathing beach. There was the corner where the power lines crossed. There was the cove and the spillway.

The visuals on land may have been different, but not the ones in the water. In every place we rowed on this small lake, there were weeds, weeds, and more weeds.

Of course, it was the muskies in those weeds that my friend Joe Demalderis and I were after, but they weren’t chewing. Not on the first lap. Not on the tenth. The reality was that even if one of those water wolves sprang up and destroyed my fly, it would not have changed my opinion: Moving water rules, still water drools.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve had some incredible days—many that I will never forget—fishing still waters all over the world. I’ve beat up on Lake Erie’s donkey walleyes and caught my personal-best largemouth on El Salto in Mexico. I’ve duked it out with Lake Gaston blue cats and monster perch on Winnipesaukee. But the common denominator in all those achievements? I had a guide who was very dialed in.

I didn’t grow up in an area with a big-lake fishing culture, nor was my dad or granddad a part of the limited one that does exist in New Jersey. From my youngest days, if given a choice of where I wanted to fish, I usually opted for moving water. If the stocked trout weren’t biting on Stony Brook, I’d catch crayfish. If the smallmouths weren’t biting on the Delaware River, there were always the catfish or a little riffle to bodysurf down in the summer. The older I got, the less time I spent flipping rocks or swimming because I was too busy catching what I came for. Little by little, I figured out that the way the fish set up in the hole by the bridge is the same way they set up at the logjam three bends downstream. Current breaks are key. When the water is up, fish push to the soft banks. It all started to click.

Any old canoe can be turned into an effective deer transporter. (Lon Lauber/)

Seven years ago, Aaron Warbritton borrowed his landlord’s fiberglass canoe to access a piece of hunting ground in Iowa. Along with a hunting buddy, he paddled a mile upstream to a prime riverbottom, and then paddled a mile back with a dead whitetail buck in his boat. These days Warbritton, a host of the popular YouTube series and podcast The Hunting Public, travels state to state, chasing bucks on public land, and taking viewers and listeners along for the ride. Warbritton and the other Hunting Public guys usually go in cold, speed-scout when they get there, then jump into a hunt. They use a variety of tools to fit their run-and-gun style—ghillie suits, tree saddles, and especially canoes and kayaks.

Launch a Surprise Attack

“You’re usually extremely quiet when approaching a spot via water, and you also leave minimal ground scent, especially if you end up hunting close to the bank,” Warbritton says. “We’ve noticed over the years that bucks tend to bed and live close to water sources. They have good cover and good security, but also a lot of available browse and water right there. That helps them stay secluded, so they don’t have to move far to get a drink.”

Bedding near a river also helps whitetails feel ­secure, and this is especially true for rivers with oxbows, or U-shaped bends. When he’s inside the U, a buck is protected on three sides, since predators don’t typically come from the water. Warbritton likes to home in on these areas and access them by boat. He selects spots using digital maps, then sets up when he finds fresh sign. To avoid bumping bedded deer, he does as little walking as possible when he gets there.

“If it’s a fairly shallow creek, there is usually a big cut in the bank on each side of the oxbow, and the dirt that came out of the cut bank kind of accumulates,” he says. “A lot of times, there’s a shallow water crossing there. The deer that bed on the tip of those oxbows have multiple escape routes down through the crossings. With the wind coming in from the land side, they rarely expect to see any danger coming from the water. We’ve paddled up to rutting bucks right on the bank in the middle of November. They just don’t know what you are.”

Measurements taken at the old mining town of Thurmond show the New River spikes to nearly 100,000 cfs each March, then dwindles throughout the rest of the year. That makes spring the most hazardous—­and thrilling—time to raft it. (Nick Kelley/)
Archambault got his nickname in the Marine Corps (“Archy is easier to say when you’re getting shot at”) and spent his first years out of the service with Outward Bound, volunteering as a liaison between veterans and “super hippie raft guides.” The Florida native spends half his year fishing saltwater, and the rest on the New. Whenever he gets a day off from guiding anglers in West Virginia, he gets right back on the river to throw flies himself. (Nick Kelley/)
Flyfishing isn’t one of my vices, so I opted for a medium-action spinning outfit instead. This Abu Garcia Revo STX reel did the trick. (Nick Kelley/)
The New River Gorge drops 750 feet over 50 miles, creating its famed whitewater. Congress protected this stretch, and 70,000 adjacent acres, in 1978 with a National River designation. (Nick Kelley/)
After we load gear and strap the raft frame to Simon’s truck, his fellow guides drive us to the put-in in exchange for beer money. (Nick Kelley/)
Simon, 35, and Otter, 11, have spent most of their lives guiding: summers on the river, ducks and geese in the fall. (Nick Kelley/)
We land bass all week and release each one. Not because we’re catch-and-release purists, but because Archy and Simon refuse to eat anything that lives in the New River. (Nick Kelley/)
Archy caught this fish near camp, but the best smallie action is in the rapids, where bass like to tuck behind rocks, in eddies, and in the pillowy Vs of water just ahead of the rapids, feeding on whatever floats by. (Nick Kelley/)
It’s easier to muscle through flat stretches of river while rowing backward, but it’s critical to face rapids head-on. This allows boaters to read the current and make the technical maneuvers certain sections require. Here, Archy tucks in his oars to clear the rocks as he threads a narrow chute. Careless rowers can easily snap oars on hazards like this, rendering themselves handicapped mid-rapid and thus more likely to flip, get swept into danger, or both. (Nick Kelley/)
After paddling my packraft all day, I tie off to Simon’s boat for the evening bite. He’s ferrying much of camp on his 12-footer, including the cooler full of food that serves as his seat, Yeti dry duffels stuffed with sleeping bags, a 5-gallon jug of drinking water, two spare oars, dog food, and the crew’s daily ration of whiskey. (Nick Kelley/)
Simon leads commercial trips with individual, waiver-signing paddlers, and has been known to kayak and riverboard (imagine swimming with a kickboard in Class Vs), but he loves his custom-fitted oar boat best. (Nick Kelley/)
Otter and Simon sneak in a few casts at midday. It is possible to fish from the public banks, but the terrain is so steep and the woods so thick that locals often can’t reach the water on foot. (Nick Kelley/)
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, which runs beside the river, was completed in 1872. It’s still active with freight and Amtrak cars, as I learned when workers started hosing down cars near our campsite at 5 a.m. (Nick Kelley/)
We might not have had fresh fish, but we didn’t go hungry. (Nick Kelley/)
These little rapids wouldn’t pose much danger if I fell in, but standing in the riverbed would. Never try to stand in shallow swift water. You risk foot entrapment and getting pushed beneath the surface. (Nick Kelley/)
We used 7-foot medium-action rods to throw PowerBait Power Swimmers with white jigheads. This worked well until Simon lost my rod in the last rapid. (Nick Kelley/)
I’ve run rapids without a guide, but it’s much safer to boat with someone who knows the river—or how to navigate an unfamiliar one. A good paddler can read a rapid like a good angler can read the current, but we didn’t need to scout the New because my companions have it memorized. Before each stretch of whitewater, Simon briefed me on which path (a “line”) to take through the rapid, which way to swim if I flipped, and which undercut rocks could trap me below the surface. (Nick Kelley/)
There are plenty of slow-moving stretches on the New, giving solo rowers a chance to catch bass. (Nick Kelley/)
Here, Archy drops into Middle Keeney, a Class IV rapid named for a coal-union organizer. It’s important to lean forward, rowing (or paddling) with powerful, even strokes to punch through big waves head-on. Hitting a rapid at an angle can flip your boat. If you do fall in, know which way to swim or look to your guide for a hand signal. Don’t wait for rescue—swim hard, and never try to grab onto tree branches sticking out of the river. The force of the current can trap you against submerged limbs like noodles in a colander. (Nick Kelley/)
The fishing, of course, is best in the early morning and evening, but we also seem to get more bites whenever a train rumbles by. Archy swears the vibrations scare the fish out of their holes, and it doesn’t take long to discover he may be right. (Nick Kelley/)
The final mile of riffles before the old Fayette Station Bridge and then the famous New River Gorge Bridge holds some of the best fishing of the trip. The smallies here are hand-size but hungry, and hit nearly every lure I throw to them. (Nick Kelley/)
The final mile of riffles before the old Fayette Station Bridge and then the famous New River Gorge Bridge holds some of the best fishing of the trip. The smallies here are hand-size but hungry, and hit nearly every lure I throw to them. (Nick Kelley/)
Last summer, Simon traded a truck camper for cash and this welded stand, a literal lifesaver for steady fishing through whitewater. The metal platform gives me a lift too, making it easy to sight-cast to bass holding in eddies and above rapids. (Nick Kelley/)
The massive boulders lining the New also hint at what sits below the surface. Here, Simon floats into a cave that becomes an undercut at higher water—a death trap for capsized boaters who get sucked into the opening and pinned by the current. (Nick Kelley/)
Each year, the New swells its banks and sends mud, trash, and timber roiling downriver. This leaves tangled heaps of sun-dried driftwood along the beaches, providing more than enough fuel for the few campers who sleep there. (Nick Kelley/)

Always have what you need. (Thought Catalog via Unsplash/)

Surviving an unplanned night in the woods doesn’t always mean death—if it’s not too cold, no one is injured, and you find help right away. But what about when it starts to snow? Or an injury is so severe you can’t walk? Don’t leave your safety to chance. Being armed with these items may well be the difference between an uncomfortable night or two and a rescue that turns into a recovery.

Prepare for what lies ahead. (Amazon/)

Carrying a knife into the woods just makes sense. But what if your knife also helps you start fires, call for help and gives you instructions on how to survive? The 4.8-inch fixed stainless steel blade can cut firewood or filet a trout. It comes with a whistle on the lanyard and fire starter in a watertight holder. Even more impressive are the built-in features. The base can be a hammer and the holes in the side allow you to lash it to a stick to use as a spear. It has what you need and nothing you don’t.

Stay warm anywhere. (Amazon/)

Even in the pouring rain, this fire starter won’t let you down. It generates three times the heat of ordinary matches and the carbide striker and flint-based bar will last for over 100 strikes. It’s also compact and weighs less than an ounce. Survival experts recommend carrying at least two ways to start fire. Make this one of them.

Have what you need. (Amazon/)

With 100 essential supplies from 6-inch shears and bandages to a CPR pouch with instructions to an emergency blanket, this kit will clean your wounds, save your head and maybe save your life. Don’t worry if your gear falls in a river, the bag is water resistant and inside pockets are waterproof. The inner sleeves are labeled, meaning you can quickly find what you need even in a moment of panic.

Dehydration kills. (Amazon/)

Few of us plan to suck water from a murky pond through a small, blue straw. But if your water supply runs dry and your only other option is drinking straight from the pond, you’ll be happy you have this blue straw. It filters up to 1,000 gallons of contaminated water, requires no batteries and has no moving parts. It weighs 2 ounces and is only 9 inches long. We rarely plan to be without water, but all of us should.

Sleep soundly. ( Wilson Ye via Unsplash/)

Some days you get lucky, and your campsite is on a bed of flat, fresh grass or matted down pine needles. Sometimes, no matter how hard you look, you just can’t find a soft place to sleep. Either way, separating your tired hips, shoulders and knees from the hard, cold ground is crucial to a good night’s sleep. Fortunately, options abound, and we narrowed it to four that will suit basically any camper’s need.

Sleeping well in the backcountry cannot be overrated. (Amazon/)

This isn’t the cheapest sleeping pad on the market, but it’s worth every penny. The four-season mattress is 2.5 inches thick when inflated but weighs only a hair over a pound and packs down to the size of a 1-liter bottle. It’s perfect for sleeping well after a long day carrying a heavy pack. ThermaCapture technology traps heat as the pad’s construction minimizes heat loss. No slip fabric keeps you and your sleeping bag on the mat and off the ground.

Stop falling in the crack. (Amazon/)

Anyone who has camped with a partner knows it’s only a matter of time before one of you is sleeping on the ground in between sleeping pads. Fortunately for you, that particular relationship issue is an easy one to solve. This pad is marketed as more of a double bed than a sleeping pad and is guaranteed to keep you comfortable and warm down to -54 degrees Fahrenheit. The best part? It self inflates in 10 minutes.

Why sacrifice comfort? (Amazon/)

If you’re not carrying all your belongings on your back, then why skimp on sleeping comfort? Fortunately, this pad is both ultra-comfortable with 4 inches of space between you and the ground and small enough to fit in the truck of a car. It’s warm down to -30 degrees Fahrenheit, has a lifetime warranty, and the top has 50D stretch fabric making it feel much more like a mattress than a camp pad.

Sleep tight but don’t break the bank. (Amazon/)

Not all sleep systems require big investments. But there’s still a difference between your Boy Scouts foam pad and an inflatable mattress. This air mattress walks the line between foam pad and high-end sleep technology. It’s not meant for very cold temperatures, but how many of us actually camp in the snow? And for just over a pound, it won’t break your back or your bank.

Do you hear me calling? (Amazon/)

Every hunter has his or her own reasons for chasing wild animals. For many it’s a chance to be outside. For some it’s the thrill of the hunt. For most of us, it’s the opportunity to communicate with wildlife in a way almost no one else understands. But to do that effectively, you have to have the right tools. Whether the tag you’re hoping to punch is turkey or elk, or duck and goose season is more your speed, we have the call for you.

Drive him crazy. (Amazon/)

There’s a reason Primos is known for their calls—it’s because they work. This cow elk call will be there for you whether you need to sound like no more than a weak whimper or a full throated cow looking for a mate. Prepare yourself for the raging bugles that follow. It’s designed and tested to last through whatever weather and conditions elk season throws your way.

Make him come to you. (Amazon/)

Little is more satisfying to a hunter in the spring than hearing a distinct gobble through the trees. Turkeys are notoriously hard to find if they hide or run, so don’t be caught without some help. This call can switch from timid yelps to louder, more aggressive hen calls with little more than a flick of your wrist. Its basic, durable design means it will be with you for life.

Make the crowd join you. (Amazon/)

Perfecting a duck call can take years if not decades, but this one makes starting easy. A triple reed means you won’t struggle making sound and the polycarbonate construction is durable. It’s designed to replicate a mallard hen’s quack, feed call, and hail call and can switch between low, gravel tones, and high scratchy pitches. It’s even Phil Robertson approved.

Sound like one of the pros. (Amazon/)

These made-in-the-USA calls are each hand tuned to ensure pitch perfect calling. They’re also some of the easiest calls on the market, requiring the least amount of air pressure. The call allows you to produce long, voluminous honks or single or even triple clicks. It also has a Mossy Oak camo finish, which means you won’t be spotted from the air.

The New River is many things—­gorgeous, deserted, dangerous—but new isn’t one of them. It was named unwittingly, so the story goes, after traders labeled each landmark “new lake,” “new stream,” and so on. The description stuck. Yet at 360 million years old, it’s one of the oldest rivers on the planet. The New existed before tectonic forces shoved the Appalachians up around it and the current carved out what’s now the New River Gorge—the longest and deepest gorge in Appalachia. It’s also one of the best fishing destinations east of the Mississippi.

As we load boats at the put-in, I survey our crew. My buddy Zach Simon guides white­water here and in Colorado, and his Lab, Otter, has spent more time on the water than most humans. Nate “Archy” Archambault guides anglers on the New; his girlfriend, Kate Barker, didn’t own a PFD until this morning. Photographer Nick Kelley is snapping pictures even though I know he wants to unpack his flyrod, and I’m here for the bass—and the rapids.

We could find more pristine whitewater out West, but there’s no river with a better story. The New is a comeback kid. Those geological processes that exposed sandstone and shale along these banks also exposed seams of coal. The New River coal field boomed in the late 1800s, and the river ran black. The rush petered out after World War II, and most of the mines closed.

The New River recovered, mostly, but there are still scars. In the sand where we stake our tents, you can still see flecks of black coke from the coal ovens. Meanwhile, the river suffers from continued illegal waste dumping by residents and failing sewage infrastructure. Archy catches 24-inch brown trout in feeder streams here, pulling them from under mats of plastic trash and dirty diapers. Arbuckle Creek, which flows past the rafting company where he and Simon work and into the New, holds trout. It’s also an EPA Superfund Site, still dealing with fallout from the coal industry.

It feels like the river is trying to sweep away our mess and win back the gorge. It feels wild. Once, we spook a black bear on the shore that flees over the railroad tracks. I paddle past farmhouse-size boulders and twisted metal wreckage. There’s no patch kit that could fix the gashes it would rend in our rafts.

A good fishing kayak needs to have a wide deck for better stability. (Kristine Fischer/)

When I first read The Old Man and the Sea, I was captivated by the sheer adventure of it all. A man alone at sea, whose small wooden boat suddenly was at the mercy of the monster on the end of his line. I hung onto every one of author Ernest Hemingway’s words as he brought me along on that riveting tale.

I chose to kayak fish for the experience. When you strip away the comfort and convenience of a boat with 250 horsepower, you’re left with a better connection to your surroundings. Being that close to the water means you’re closer to the action. It’s similar to having a front-row seat at your favorite show. Whether you are navigating through the mangroves in hopes of tangoing with the silver king or maneuvering your kayak around rows of shallow cypress stumps, sight fishing for fat largemouth bass, it gives you an unparalleled sense of intimacy and appreciation. Kayak fishing is something every outdoor enthusiast should try, as it truly is a remarkable way to experience the sport—if you hook into a big enough fish, he might take you on a sleigh ride, like the giant marlin did to Santiago in Hemingway’s novel.

I’ve been in relentless pursuit of big fish from my kayak for nearly eight years. My obsession has taken me from Florida, chasing pelagic fish to Oregon for pre-historic marvels. Oftentimes, I’m met with raised eyebrows and concerned expressions from other anglers: “You caught a sailfish in THAT?” “You’re out here fishing musky on Lake St. Clair in a kayak?” And my personal favorite: “That’s crazy. You’re lucky you haven’t flipped.” Hooking into big fish from a kayak has its challenges, but so does fishing from a conventional boat. In a kayak you can get into places you might not be able to otherwise. I love it. It’s MY way of fishing, and you can do it too. Here is how to get started.

The Right Kayak

The author is a proponent of catch-and-release. (Kristine Fischer/)

Kayaks come in all shapes, sizes, and prices, but there are a few “musts” you need to pursue big fish. Stability comes first. I need a kayak that is not only large enough to handle big water, but also stable enough to stand in and work large baits. My Hobie Pro Angler is 38” wide, and 13.10’ long, providing me adequate deck area to comfortably stand, and enough stability to hook, fight and successfully land big fish. Just know, even the most stable kayaks can tip. Keeping your spine in line with the center of the kayak can help prevent an accidental flip. I would also recommend looking at a kayak with a pedal drive system as opposed to paddling. Having the ability to hold your position in wind, current, or when fighting a fish gives you an advantage on the water.

These invasive insects can be up to two inches in size, with a giant stinger to match. (Washington State Department of Agriculture/)

This article was originally published on Popular Science.

Unless you live under a rock, you’ve probably heard the term “murder hornet” sometime over the past few days. And while it might feel like they’re the next harbingers of the apocalypse, these freaky insects should probably be on the lower end of your ever-growing list of worries—even if you are a bee-lover.

The United States isn’t truly being invaded by bloodthirsty super wasps. But it’s still best to not go chasing after them on your own. Here’s what you should know about the ominous-sounding interlopers.

The ‘murder hornet’ is actually an Asian giant hornet

The Asian giant hornet, otherwise known as Vespa mandarinia, is indeed a giant bug—some reach lengths of nearly two inches. For reference, your average honeybee is a bit over half an inch long.

There's a lot of good meat on a pair of turkey legs, but you have to prep them properly. (Alex Robinson/)

If you’re used to Butterball turkeys, you’re going to be surprised when you butcher up the legs of a wild turkey. First, you’ll notice that the meat is much darker and most importantly, there are tough tendons running through the drumsticks and the thighs (though to a lesser degree). A wild tom spends his days walking, strutting, and fighting on his two legs and while that old gobbler is tough to hunt, his legs are even tougher to chew through—unless you know how to prepare them properly.

The key here is to separate the drumsticks from the thighs because they are anatomically different. The drumsticks have thick, heavy tendons running through them vertically, almost like the spokes of a bicycle wheel. No matter how you prepare the drumsticks, you won’t be able to cook down these tendons. So, you’ll need to shred the meat of the drumsticks. The thighs have tendons too, but they are not nearly as thick. If you slow cook the thighs, you can eliminate the chewiness of these tendons and wind up with delicious dark meat. The other benefit of splitting the thighs from the drumsticks is that two thighs or two drumsticks make a meal for two people (if you’ve got more to feed, you’ll just have to shoot more turkeys).

Separate the thigh from the drumstick by cutting through the knee joint. (Alex Robinson/)

So separate the the drumstick from the thigh by cutting through the knee joint. First cut through the meat on the back of the joint, the line that separates the drumstick from the thigh will be obvious—just cut along that line. Then bend the drumstick backward and feel for the middle of the joint with the tip of your knife. When you find the soft spot in the joint, cut through it and the two pieces will come apart.

How to Barbecue Turkey Thighs

Let’s start with the thighs because they’re my favorite. My go-to method is sous viding them and then finishing them on the grill. If you don’t have a sous vide cooker yet and you plan on eating a lot of wild game birds … get one. They’re not just for fancy French chefs. They’re relatively cheap, super easy to use, and they allow you to cook meat for a long time at a low, consistent temperature, which is key for wild bird meat.