Hunting and Fishing News & Blog Articles

The Browning BPS 12-gauge (top) and Browning Gold 10-gauge go head-to-head on the pattern board. (Joe Genzel/)

I grew up hunting in the goose pits of Fulton County, Illinois, a place once noted for its huge Canada geese. Those days are long gone, but there are still a few groups of massive local honkers with white asses the size of five-gallon buckets cruising the skies here. And old timers in sunken field blinds wait to ambush them every January with trusty Ithaca Mag-10s or Remington SP-10s by their sides. These days, there are few dedicated 10-gauge enthusiasts that remain.

Still, there are enough folks shooting 10s for Browning to continue to produce the Gold Light and BPS pump in that gauge (Harrington & Richardson also makes a single-shot Pardner in 10-gauge). But this niche shotgun club has become smaller as the years have ticked by. The reason for that is the advancement of non-toxic shot. Bismuth and tungsten are making smaller-gauge guns more lethal on waterfowl. Turkey hunters have really embraced sub-gauge shotgun culture—the 20-gauge and .410 are becoming popular because of the performance of TSS loads. The advent of the 3½-inch 12-gauge shotshell in the late 1980s also dropped the hammer on the 10-gauge for a time. It essentially made shooting a 12 and 10 one in the same. And since 12-gauge ammo was (and remains to be) cheaper than 10-gauge shotshells, it was a no-brainer for most hunters to make the switch.

“Right now it costs us about 50 cents per 10-gauge hull, versus 15 cents for a 12-gauge hull,” said Nick Charney, co-owner of Apex Ammunition. “That adds up to a box of 10-gauge costing as much as $45. You can buy 12s for half that in some cases.”

The 3½-inch 12-gauge load made the 10-gauge shotgun obsolete, but the big gun made a comeback in the 1990s when steel shot was required to hunt waterfowl. The first 12-gauge steel loads were not very effective at killing birds cleanly, so many core hunters went back to the 10 because it patterned larger shot so well. There were also a small number of shooters that hand-loaded 10-gauge shells, ramping up the velocity with larger shot to make the loads more potent.

“That early steel was terrible, and so we picked up the 10s again,” said Randy Hill, who guided in southern Illinois, a once iconic location to hunt Canada geese. “It wasn’t until they started speeding steel up that we went back to the 12-gauge. I still think the 10 is a great gauge for big geese, especially late season when you have to take longer shots on hardy birds that have a thick layer of down feathers and fat.”

You don't have to be a hard core snow goose hunter to enjoy it. (Joe Genzel/)

Serious snow goose hunters make up a strange subset of the waterfowling world, which is already its own weird subset of the greater hunting community. Everything is taken to the extreme in snow goose hunting. Bigger spreads, more shotshells, massive flocks of birds flying north on a shorter migration window, and yes, sometimes larger piles of dead geese at the end of the day. An outsider might look at snow goose hunting and assume that he needs a trailer full of 3,000 decoys, an extended magazine tube that holds six extra rounds, and an expensive electronic caller—and then spend a month during the spring conservation order scouting and hunting to actually kill snow geese. In some ways, this assumption is true. If you want to be a consistently successful snow goose hunter, then you’ll have to go all-in on the lifestyle.

There are no limits on snow geese during the spring conservation order in the U.S. (because the birds are overpopulated and damaging their arctic nesting grounds) and a sort of kill-em-all mentality has seeped in. In an inevitable quirk of human nature, because there is no limit on the number of birds you can kill, people get obsessed with the numbers of birds they shoot—especially after seeing 100-bird days posted on social media. This pushes some folks to call longer shots, scrapping a few birds out of a high flock even if others might get wounded. At worst, there are the roost jump shooters who waylay 100 geese (or more) on water in matter of seconds, even when ducks, Canadas, and specklebelly geese might be mixed in as collateral damage (breaking federal game laws). All of this often gets rationalized because the birds are overpopulated. But in reality, even increased harvests of light geese isn’t having the desired impact on populations.

To be fair, this type of bad behavior is often conducted by the most undedicated and under educated snow goose hunters. Many of these folks haven’t put the work in, they don’t understand the birds, and they don’t fully understand the ramifications of their actions.

It doesn’t have to be like this. Even if you’re a newbie, snow goose hunting can be about enjoying the birds (the spectacle of a massive continental migration), enjoying the challenge, and enjoying good times with buddies. In other words, spring snow goose hunting can be about what all waterfowl hunting is about—if we let it. And so, here we offer you the moderate’s approach to snow goose hunting. If you have reasonable expectations and just want to get in the game, there are a few different ways to enjoy the spring snow goose migration. Take it from two casual snow goose hunters who like chasing white geese for a couple days each year—a little snow goose hunting goes a long way.

Just Hire a Dang Snow Goose Hunting Guide

A fishing hat should provide sun protection, keep you cool (or warm), and not interfere with your fishing. (Nick Dunn / Unsplash/)

For almost every angler, a fishing hat is a must-have for a long day on the water…and not just because you might think your favorite fishing hat gives you a boost of luck. Whether you’re a superstitious angler or not, a fishing hat will serve you well by shading your eyes and protecting you from the sun.

There’s no one definition of what a fishing hat is, but there are some qualities that you should look for when you’re on the market for a hat that you want to take on your next fishing trip. Primarily, you want a hat that protects you from the sun. Because it can get windy on the water, you need a hat that’s sturdy and will stay on your head. You also want a hat that’s lightweight and keeps you cool while protecting you from the sun. And of course, you should get a hat that you will enjoy wearing. (One angler actually used his hat to help him land a sailfish, but most of us won’t be using our fishing hats for that.)

Best Fishing Cap: Repyourwater Silhouette Trio

Best Straw Fishing Hat: Huk Camo Patch Straw Hat

Best Fishing Hat With Sun Protection: Kastking Sol Armis Boonie Hat

Jared Shypkoski’s walleye weighed 16.39 pounds and is the unofficial North Dakota record. (Jared Shypkoski/)

Giant walleyes are hitting the scales in the Dakotas, continuing a trend that kicked off three years ago when a longtime and controversial state record fell.

Social media blew up last weekend with photos and reports about Jared Shypkoski’s rumored 16.39-pound walleye. He reportedly was fishing on the Missouri River south of Bismarck and trolling a crankbait—a custom-painted Smithwick Perfect 10 by friends Alex and Christine Gorske. Nothing official has yet been released by North Dakota Game and Fish, which maintains the state records and has seen a flurry of big walleye catches in the last three years.

Shyposki’s walleye hit a trolled crankbait. (Jared Shypkoski/)

The agency’s fisheries chief, Greg Power, told the Grand Forks Herald that a big walleye was caught March 13 and the weight was confirmed by a state game warden. If the record is confirmed, it would break the existing benchmark of 15 pounds, 13 ounces, set by Neal Leier of Bismarck in 2018, also on the Missouri River.

Read Next: Record 20-Pound Walleye Caught in Washington State

“Not a state record officially,” Power told the newspaper. “We’ll make that determination in the weeks ahead.”

There's no substitute for sending rounds downrange, but you can become a better shot during this ammo shortage. (NSSF/)

I know you’re sick of hearing about the current ammunition shortage, but unfortunately it’s probably going to continue for months to come. Whether you have a stockpile of ammunition or not, you likely are going to be more cautious when it comes to expending ammo for the foreseeable future. In some ways, there is no substitute for sending rounds downrange. Time behind the trigger improves our shooting, but many of us can’t do that right now with the lack of cartridges available. But there is a silver lining to the ammo shortage: it can actually help improve your shooting.

If you’re used to ripping through ammunition at the range without a care in the world, a scarcity of ammunition can help you focus on each round and improve your accuracy. I don’t want to take the fun out of shooting, but I believe every round I fire now needs to have a purpose, to contribute to the betterment of my skills and confidence in a particular gun.

Shooting practice is only practice if you are getting better, and although it’s good, clean fun, shooting from the hip, burning through magazines as fast as you can, or other casual shooting won’t really help you when it matters most. You’ll just end up with a hot barrel and no ammo—not a great place to be right now.

If you want to improve your accuracy, there are many drills and techniques available. There are drills that don’t require much ammo, and training can often be done with rimfires if you do have the ammo for that. There are also plenty of dry-fire drills that will help develop and improve your fundamental shooting skills. A combination of live fire and dry-run drills can be very helpful and conserve ammo, even if they are simple. Drawing you pistol, target acquisition, transitioning, breathing, and trigger control can all be drilled heavily without using up any brass, and will reveal things like an anticipatory flinch you might not catch while live firing.

Even on the range, it is helpful to employ dry-fire exercises. When I’m going to zero a hunting rifle or check accuracy on handloads, I almost always spend several minutes dry firing at the target before I ever send a bullet downrange. It gives me time to separate myself from whatever else is going on that day, focus on my breathing, lower my heart rate, and cleanly break the trigger. By the time I’m actually shooting, I’m tuned up and able to make the most out of the ammo that I am using. I make it a regular habit to practice drawing and dry firing my concealed-carry handgun as well. There are some things like recoil management that you must shoot to get used to. But many of the components of a smooth draw, proper grip, sight acquisition, and a clean first shot can be drilled without ever firing a shot.

Katia Rivers with one of the 81 muskies that she and her boyfriend Zach Baker caught in the Finger Lakes region of New York State last year. (Baker Muskie Lures/)

Catching a giant muskie is challenging—they’re called the fish of 10,000 casts because old timers say that’s how many casts it takes to catch one. These freshwater predators are moody, persnickety and can be frustrating to catch for even the most experienced anglers.

Katia Rivers, though, appears to be a muskie whisperer. The 39-year-old phlebotomist and EKG tech from Rochester, New York, and her boyfriend, Zach Baker, caught 81 muskies in 2020. That’s right, 81 muskies, on the Finger Lakes of western New York and some smaller lakes around those well-known waterways. Using the “fish of 10,000 casts” math, that would be 810,000 casts, but who’s counting. They fished on weekends, she told Syracuse.com writer David Figura, and stayed only on the inland lakes despite the allure of the St. Lawrence River’s big muskies.

Rivers and Baker released all the muskies that they caught. (Baker Muskie Lures/)

“I have two secret weapons: Baker Musky Lures and a great net man,” says Rivers. “I’m still kind of processing it. It was an overwhelming, magical experience.”

Baker is the founder of Baker Muskie Lures and the Muskie’s Inc. chapter in Rochester. To say they’re dialed in on the big fish would be accurate. Rivers caught her first muskie six years ago on Lake Chautauqua. Her personal best is 50 1/2 inches, caught on Waneta Lake. She and Baker troll his handmade cedar crankbaits and release the muskies.

Muskies and northerns thrive in the deep water, vegetation, rocky habitat and ample forage of the Finger Lakes and smaller impoundments. Also, a couple of hatcheries managed by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation are located in the area, one on Chautauqua. Biologists in spring collect and fertilize eggs from wild fish, usually Chautauqua, for rearing and release in 14 lakes.

The author after a successful day on the trapline. (Skye Goode/)

I’ve run into quite a few hunters with preconceived notions about trapping, and their stance against it. Often, their viewpoints on the methods used and the reasons for those methods are born out of ignorance. But I was a lifelong hunter before I became a trapper. I’ve frequently told the story about how I got started in trapping, and I’ll tell it again.

I shot a buck one evening during archery season; when I went to recover the deer in the morning, it had been consumed by coyotes. I took an interest in trying to trap those coyotes in a selfish way—to get revenge—but quickly learned that trapping is an obsession that will keep a person forever striving to achieve perfection. Which is, of course, impossible to do when trapping. Even trappers who have been doing it for more than 50 years make mistakes. But the best trappers are also constantly learning and working to get better. After hunting for so many years, I had plateaued when entering the woods. But trapping lit a new spark. When I was faced with the decision to get in a deer stand or set more traps, I ended up putting hunting on the backburner.

One of the best reasons to take up trapping is that it makes you a much better hunter. This is a humbling thought for those who presume they’re already the world’s greatest outdoorsman. They already know everything there is to know, right? But in my experience, not many hunters can tell the difference between a raccoon track and an otter track, or bobcat scat and coyote scat, or a skunk den and a fox den. These are all important things to know when pursuing game. These predators are after the same prey that you are, whether it’s a whitetail deer or a grouse—and its nest of eggs.

Learning to read the sign in the woods will help you learn animal behavior, and once you understand animal behavior, you will ultimately be a much better hunter than someone who only focuses on knowing one species. I’ve also noticed that becoming a trapper has increased my ability to recover wounded deer with a much higher success rate. Even my shed hunting trips have produced many more antlers. This is because I now know how to study tracks and patterns; I notice every overturned leaf or swaying track that might go unnoticed by the average Joe hunter.

Another reason to take up trapping if you are a hunter is to help manage game species. Most land stewards know predator control can play an important role in wildlife management, especially when combined with habitat work. Game birds and waterfowl, such as turkeys, grouse, and ducks, are constant prey for furbearers such as fox and fisher. All the eggs in a nest can be consumed in one night by critters such as raccoon, opossums, and skunks. Turkey declines have been noted as raccoon populations increase. You can also use trapping on a property to manage beavers, who will chomp down mature oaks in one winter, and otter, who can decimate a stocked pond in one night.

Life vests for fishing differ in style, sizing, and even how they keep you afloat in case you go overboard. (Spencer Gurley / Pexels/)

It’s a good rule of thumb to use a life vest whenever you’re on a boat. Also known as a PFD (Personal Flotation Device) or life jacket, life vests provide buoyancy that can save your life if you’re thrown overboard. You should wear a life vest whether you’re float fishing the Missouri River or kayaking for bass in central Florida.

While every fisherman should own a good life vest, not every life vest is ideal for fishing. A fishing life vest must allow ease of movement so you can fish, and contain storage compartments so you will have small items at hand. Beyond that, consider the water conditions you’re going to fish. Some life jackets are made to keep you alive in whitewater conditions, while others are better for trolling on lakes. Either way, we’ve got you covered. Below is a thorough guide to the best fishing life vests available today.

Best Inflatable Life Vest: Bluestorm Gear Stratus 35 Inflatable PFD

Best Kayak Fishing Life Vest: NRS Chinook OS Fishing Lifejacket

Best Fishing Life Vest For Float Fishing: Kent Type I Life Jacket

Jeff Hoffman, owner of Black Hills Ammunition in South Dakota, said there's no way ammo makers are stockpiling rounds waiting for the price to go up so they can make larger profits. (Black Hills Ammunition/)

In our coverage of the ammo shortage we’ve talked to the folks running the largest ammunition companies in the country. And while these massive ammo producers build much of the ammo that American civilians, military, and law enforcement purchase, there’s also an entire group of smaller, specialty ammo makers hustling to fill orders all across the country. To get a better picture of the challenges these smaller shops are facing during the craziest ammo buying surge in recent history, we caught up with Jeff Hoffman, president of Black Hills Ammunition. His company, based in South Dakota, has a number of contracts for providing specialized match and combat ammo to the military, but it also produces ammo for the civilian commercial market. Hoffman has 37 years of law enforcement experience. He’s known for his no-B.S. attitude, and his company is highly regarded for making excellent, precision rifle ammo. For example, their MK 262 is a well-known precision 5.56 round made for the military, and the civilian version of the round is accuracy tested at .64 MOA maximum in 10 shot groups—if rounds from a lot don’t meet those specifications, the lot doesn’t ship. Here’s Hoffman’s take on doing business during these crazy times.

Outdoor Life: Can you tell us what it’s like producing ammo for the civilian market (where there’s such high demand) vs. the military market? Is there competition between the two?

Jeff Hoffman: The only competition is the natural competition that occurs all the time. It’s no secret that the government is a buyer of ammunition. Patriotic companies support that... The way that I look at it is we’re making sharper swords for our warriors. We’re giving our guys a better capability to come home alive. There is no abuse of that system happening. What you’re seeing with the shortage on the commercial side is the ballistic equivalent of toilet paper, when there’s a run on it, everyone buys more.

Most companies do not produce only for the federal government. That’d be silly. You want to have more than one market to lean on… With Black Hills, we’ve got government business, we’ve got commercial business, we’ve got gun company business, we’ve got law enforcement business. But, the military [orders] have ratings on them which means we have to deliver. We’re not only morally and ethically bound to take care of the military, which I feel we are, but we’re contractually obligated to take care [of those orders]. The military has preferences along the way. So, there is some level of competition over machines with this stuff.

OL: Has anything dramatically changed with the military side of your business?

This is not the place to find out that your boots aren’t waterproof. (StockSnap / Pixabay/)

Dry feet are happy feet. When hunting, hiking, fishing or working takes you into mud, creeks and wet grass, you need boots that will keep your feet dry. A good pair of waterproof boots is an essential piece of outdoor gear. Not all waterproof boots are equally waterproof, and as you read on you’ll realize you may need more than one pair to meet different field conditions and activities—after all, men’s waterproof work boots are different than waterproof, men’s hiking shoes.

What Features Should You Consider When Shopping for the Best Men’s Waterproof Boots?

Waterproof boots keep your feet dry, of course. But “the best waterproof boot” can mean different things to different people.

Rubber boots are 100% waterproof, as long as you don’t punch a hole in them. But if you hike or hunt in rough country, where toughness and ankle support matter, you may need waterproof outdoor boots that are more durable than rubber. Boots made of leather, or a mix of leather and nylon, with a breathable, waterproof inner bootie offer the best combination of waterproofing and support. Think of the waterproof membrane like a waterproof sock inside the boot: it keeps water away from your feet, but it doesn’t do much to protect the boot itself. The outside of such a boot will still need treatment.

If you need heavy, all-leather boots, you can treat them heavily enough with waterproofing and seam sealers to keep water out for a long period of time. But, invariably, you’ll have to retreat your leather boots if you expect them to continue to be water-resistant boots.

The best soft shell jackets keep you comfortable, whatever your outdoor pursuits. (Aatlas / Pixabay/)

A hunter looking for elk sign in the snowy woods. A hiker exploring above the treeline in the whipping wind. A cross-country skier working up a sweat. Different situations for different people, but all will benefit from a soft shell jacket. Such a jacket is an ideal choice for when you need warmth and some protection from wind and precipitation, but don’t want to sacrifice breathability and comfort—which many waterproof shells do. The best soft shell jackets provide all the weather protection you need in most conditions, while also remaining comfortable to wear even during high-exertion activities. Most are stretchy, making them ideal for active pursuits. They’re lightweight, so you won’t feel bogged down. And they can be an excellent choice year-round, from cooler alpine conditions in the summer to truly cold, snowy days when you need full ski apparel. Soft shells range from ultralight wind shells to coats made for extreme cold, so how do you know which one to choose? Our winter clothing guide will point you to some of the best options for a variety of uses and weather conditions.

Best Lightweight Jacket: Mountain Hardwear Kor Preshell Pullover

Best Tactical Soft Shell Jacket: First Lite Catalyst

Best Breathable Soft Shell Jacket: Rab Zephyr

Best Soft Shell Ski Jacket: Black Diamond Dawn Patrol Hybrid

Elk populations are over objectives on many Montana private lands but there are too few elk on many public hunting grounds. (John Hafner/)

Montana has an elk problem. We have too few of them in the right places, public land where hunters can pursue them with an over-the-counter tag for our full 5-week rifle season. And we have too many elk in the wrong places, large private ranches where public hunting is generally not allowed.

This dynamic has been building, and brewing bad blood between hunters—who want access to more elk—and landowners, who want fewer elk but who also don’t want to open their ranches to public hunting.

Stuck in the middle is Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, which has tried any number of strategies to connect hunters with elk and reduce the number that eat ranchers’ hay and crops and wreck their fences. We have “shoulder seasons” that can start as early as Aug. 15 and run through Feb. 15. We have the Block Management private-land access program. We have special game-damage hunts. We have liberal cows tags in areas that are vastly over population objectives.

And now we have a bill percolating in Montana’s legislature—House Bill 505—that would add incentives to elk management. The bill, introduced last Tuesday in a House committee, would enable landowners to sponsor up to 10 non-resident elk hunters every year, but only if populations in their units came down to what FWP considers sustainable numbers.

The idea is that if landowners are serious about getting those sponsored non-resident hunters, who presumably would pay thousands of dollars for a prime private-land elk hunt, then they must work with resident cow hunters and FWP to aggressively reduce populations in their area.

Hip boots are perfect for fishing in areas where you won’t go in water much deeper than above your knees. (Glenn Claire / Unsplash/)

Hip boots are classic hunting and fishing gear. They keep your legs warm and dry in wet conditions, and aren’t as cumbersome–or as expensive—as waders. If you hunt ducks, wade-fish rivers and streams and ponds, or simply spend a lot of time working in muddy and swampy conditions, then you need a solid pair of hip boots in your arsenal.

A hip boot is a cross between a rubber boot and a stocking wader. They keep your legs dry up to just below your crotch. They’re great all-around fishing boots. Obviously, they’re not for use in situations where you need to wade in water that rises about your waist. But they’re easy to get around in, inexpensive, and comfortable.

Best Overall Hip Boots: Lacrosse Men’s Premium Hip Boot

Best Rugged Hip Boots: WeaArco Hip Waders

Best Insulated Hip Boots: Lacrosse Men’s Big Chief

Using a strop will keep your blade's edge sharper longer. (Tyler Freel/)

Being able to put a sharp edge on a knife and keep it there is one of the most valuable skills for anyone that spends time in the outdoors. In the backcountry, there are few tools that can save your butt like a good knife, yet keeping your blade sharp is not something many hunters have mastered.

There are a tremendous amount of tools and sharpening aids available that make the process easy, but my go-to is a strop. If you’ve ever had a straight-razor shave (or seen one done in the movies) you know what I’m talking about. A barber will take his razor and sharpen the edge by stroking it back-and-forth on a long leather strap. You can do the same with your field knife and broadheads—it will keep their edge sharper longer.

Stropping is simple, and it can take the sharpness of your blades to a different level. The principle of stropping is to hone and polish an edge to both finish the sharpening process, and maintain a polished, fine edge so it makes cutting much easier. Essentially, stropping is just an ultra-fine abrasive that continues what you started on a diamond stone or whatever sharpening method you employ.

The edge of the knife is laid on the surface to match the grind angle, then pulled across, not pushed (to avoid catching). The strop pulls whatever micro-burring still exists out as you work the blade back-and-forth until you’re left with a sharp edge. You may think your new pocketknife is sharp right out of the box, but usually you can get them significantly sharper by stropping the rough factory edge. High-end knives can also benefit from a strop.

The the most common material for strops is leather, but there are better options than dragging a knife across your belt at the edge of a campfire. Leather is good because it’s durable, varies in its abrasiveness, and is great at removing abrasive compounds from your blade. If you want to order a stropping setup, you can get pre-made strops (pieces of leather glued to a sort of wood paddle to provide you a firm and consistent grip).

Black bear records were set in numerous states last fall. (Kevin Phillips/)

If you ever have wanted to start hunting black bears, now is a great time to start. Multiple state harvest records fell during the 2020 season as more hunters hit the woods, seasons were expanded, weather conditions were optimal, and bears were on the move searching for food.

Harvest numbers have climbed in recent years, a trend that doesn’t appear to be slowing anytime soon. Several state harvest records were set just within the last 10 years, most within the last five.

“In addition to an abundant population and the potential of harvesting delicious and nutritious bear meat, larger numbers of bears were harvested due to several factors,” said Forrest Hammond, a bear biologist with Vermont Fish and Wildlife. Vermont hunters tallied a record 914 bears in the 2020 season. “It was a poor year for natural bear foods, and we saw a surge in hunter numbers brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and perhaps a corresponding increase in the number of hunters spending more time in the outdoors hunting than in past years.”

Read Next: The Proposed Bear Hunting Ban in California Is a Threat to All Hunters

New Hampshire hunters killed 1,083 black bears, breaking the record of 1,053 set in 2018. Also in the Northeast, Maine hunters tallied the fifth-highest on record with 3,853 bruins, the most since 2004 (3,921) but not close to its 20-year-old mark of 3,951. Massachusetts also set a record with 325 bears to easily top its mark of 283 set in 2014.

Local hunters and anglers rely on Pine Tree Research Station for access to public ground in their area. Most of Arkansas' three million acres of public land lies on the opposite side of the state. (Courtesy Arkansas Backcountry Hunters and Anglers/)

The current battle over the University of Arkansas’ attempt to sell the Pine Tree Research Station sounds all too familiar: A public institution that’s short on cash but has a valuable asset. Wealthy buyers with an eye toward turning a profit. Devoted locals who stand to lose yet another piece of their community. Whispers of corruption. And a ragtag band fighting for the common folk.

The challenge of maintaining hunting and fishing access on smaller parcels of locally controlled property is a familiar one. When money gets tight, development seems like the only way to make ends meet. And that’s the fate currently facing Pine Tree, a patch of 11,850 publicly accessible acres in northeast Arkansas.

A Public-Land Origin Story

A century ago, the Pine Tree Research Station wasn’t public. The modern property became public by way of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act of 1937, a Depression-era law designed to reduce marginal farmland. Struggling and starving farmers were paid for their property and relocated to more productive farms. The rehabilitation of that farmland provided badly needed jobs and eventually returned the land to the public.

More than 11 million acres of degraded farmland were purchased via conservation programs like the Bankhead-Jones Act. These Land Utilization Projects, as they came to be called, stretched from Maine to California. Some turned into National Grasslands, now administered by the U.S. Forest Service. Other, smaller parcels were eventually sold or transferred to the cooperative extensions of land-grant universities. Agricultural research, conservation, and recreation were all considered suitable uses for the properties.

A wolverine was caught on camera in Yellowstone National Park this winter, the first sighting of the species in the park since 2014. (U.S. Forest Service/)

One of the most elusive creatures to roam Yellowstone National Park has been caught on a trail camera for the first time. A wild wolverine was captured bolting through the forest, the first on-camera sighting since the park began to use wildlife cameras in 2014.

Biologists estimate that there are as few as 300 wolverines left in the lower 48, so the chances of spotting this critter are pretty low. The remote trail camera, located outside of the Mammoth Hot Springs area, was originally mounted to observe cougars.

“We put out remote cameras across the northern part of Yellowstone as part of a cougar study,” says Dan Stahler, a wildlife biologist at Yellowstone National Park. “When I first saw the video, just a week after we set up that camera, it gave me goosebumps because...I’ve never seen one in person in my 25 years here.”

The video, which was posted to Yellowstone’s Facebook page last month, shows the animal scurrying through a snow-blanketed, forested area on the morning of Dec. 4.

Wolverines live in extremely low densities and have an average home range of about 500-square miles for an adult male. They travel incredibly large distances, meaning that no one wolverine lives exclusively within the Yellowstone National Park boundaries. Biologists estimate that half a dozen individuals are likely “periodically using Yellowstone.”

Make Mom’s day. (Larry Crayton / Unsplash/)

How to recognize an outdoor-loving mom: She’s the one bribing her kids with gummy bears to hike just a little bit farther. She sets up the family tent for a backyard campout. She spends her precious “me” time on a walk in the woods. Sound like someone you know? Then coming up with a list of best Mother’s Day gifts is easy. The most meaningful gifts for mom will enable her outdoor experiences, helping her get outside and enjoy the great outdoors even more. We all know outdoor gear can be pricey. So our gift guide features all kinds of thoughtful picks for the outdoorsy woman in your life at $100 or less. And when you’re done shopping, don’t forget to add on the greatest gift of all: Some free time for her to get out there and put your gift to use.

Most Unique Mother’s Day Gifts: Buff Multifunctional Headwear

Most Unique Mother’s Day Gifts, Runner Up: Natural Reflections Camo Knit Sleep Shorts

Most Useful Gifts for Mom: Leatherman Wave Plus

Most Useful Gifts for Mom, Runner Up: Bass Pro Shops Happy Camper Stainless Steel Tumbler

The .220 Swift is the fastest production load ever built, so it's precarious that it never became popular among hunters. (Ron Spomer/)

The .220 Swift is odd. It has world-beating velocity, but never became widely popular among hunters. It is a load we all should have fallen in love with—since it’s the fastest commercial rifle cartridge in the world—but didn’t.

The .220 Swift is a .22-caliber round that fires .224-inch bullets, the same as used atop .223 Remington, .22-250 Remington, .224 Weatherby Magnum, .24 Nosler and similar .22 centerfire cartridges. Winchester created this load, and named it for what it was—swift.

It’s a “hot” round, pushing a 48-grain bullet at 4,100 fps. The .220 Swift was faster than any other commercial cartridge of any other caliber in the world (and still is). Only the .204 Ruger comes close to the .220 in terms of speed. The .223 WSSM could match the .220 in velocity, but that cartridge is now obsolete.

It was built pre-WWII, before fighter jets had been invented or the atom had been split. The next fastest .22-caliber rifle cartridge extant at the time, the .22 Hornet, pushed 40-grain bullets about 1,400 fps slower than the .220. It was so advanced that 86 years later nothing has caught up in terms of speed (the .22 Savage Hi-Power of 1912 drove 70-grain bullets about 2,800 fps, but they were .228 inches).

So why isn’t the .220 a popular load for today’s hunters and target shooters? There are a few different reasons. But first, let’s take a closer look at the history of the .220 Swift, and its ballistic makeup. Then I will delve into why it failed.

A call will get a gobbler’s attention—and a good turkey decoy will bring that bird in close enough for a shot. (Shoeib Abolhassani / Unsplash/)

Turkey decoys have changed turkey hunting forever. Under the right circumstances, a turkey decoy can literally bring birds running. You can use a decoy to position a bird in a particular place or for a close shot, which is especially important if you’re using a bow or guiding a new hunter. Knowing how and when to use a decoy, and knowing which types to use, boosts your chances in the woods. There are turkey decoys for every situation, every style of hunting and every budget. You can buy super-realistic hunting decoys as well as collapsible, featherweight models that stuff easily into a vest pocket.

Best Turkey Decoy Pair: Primos Gobbstopper Combo

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