Hunting and Fishing News & Blog Articles

Dustin Wichterman with a big native brookie. (Dustin Wichterman/)

To say that native brook trout mean a lot to me would be a massive understatement. The love of these fish and the environments in which they are found is in my blood. I’ve spent my life in close proximity to brookies, and dedicated many years to their study and restoration. My daughter’s name, Brooklynn Vale, means stream in the valley, and the skin above my heart bears a tattoo version of our finned friends.

These fish are special to me because they represent purity and a connection to the past. Because of this obsession, I studied wildlife and fisheries resources as an undergraduate and later obtained an M.S. in the field. I worked in environmental consulting before coming to Trout Unlimited in 2012 because my personal mission aligned with theirs: to leave our children with cleaner waters than those we see today.

I am currently the Associate Director of Trout Unlimited’s (TU) Mid Atlantic Cold-Water Habitat Program based in West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia. Together, with our partners, we have restored hundreds of miles of streams and many watersheds, engaged thousands of people in hands-in-the-water activities, and made our homes a better place to live.

I really don’t like to tell folks how to fish, as I’m simply glad to see people out there enjoying it. But the editors here at Outdoor Life asked me to answer a few questions about brookies, so I obliged. I hope it helps you catch a few more fish this year.

A native brookie in hand. (Mark Taylor/)

1. Outdoor Life: What do you suppose the attraction is—that so many anglers seemingly share—for catching a fish that rarely grows past the fingerling stage in most places?

One of the biggest regrets I have is never making my truck into a livable space and tooling around North America, chasing the fall migration of ducks and geese. I know several folks who have sold their homes, bought a Roof Top Tent (RTT) or camper, and pocketed the profits, using the extra cash to hunt and fish where they please. It’s a much more simple, and freeing, way to live. And since their house rides around on four wheels, just about anywhere on this continent can be called home.

It’s a cool concept, and you can still do this (to a degree) even if you have a spouse and kids. Hell, some of these models are big enough for a small family, so you can bring everyone along—they can experience a part of your life they may never have seen otherwise. In the long run, no matter how expensive some of these rigs are, they will still save you money down the road. Think about all the cash you’ve blown on dingy motel rooms, the beds so gross you slept in your sleeping bag anyway. If you’re going to spend the night in your own fleece-lined sack, might as well do it on a clean foam mattress in the bed of a Ford pickup or the roof of your Tacoma.

If you want to turn your truck into a mobile hunting camp, here are some of the best tents, toppers, and campers to buy.

1. Napier Sportz Truck Tent

The 57 series stores in a bag the size of a duffle and gets you off the ground. (Napier/)

One of the cheapest and easiest ways to start overland hunting is to buy a tent, and the 57 Series was made to fit in the bed of your truck. This gets you off the ground and also gives you a bit more security from bugs, snakes, and varmints, like raccoons or coyotes. The entire tent stores in a bag the size of a big duffle, and the tent can be set up in 15 minutes thanks to color-coded poles that correspond to the appropriate sleeves. Two adults can sleep in the tent, and the fully-taped and seamed floor keeps you dry. Plus there are three windows, an entrance door, and two ceiling vents for better air circulation. A 4x4-foot adjustable awning allows you and a friend to sit on a shaded tailgate. There’s also an included rainfly, though you might want to hop in the cab of the truck in heavy/violent downpours just to be safe. MSRP: $230

The establishment of a national deer conservation group is a step closer this week. (John Hafner/)

The establishment of a national deer conservation group, which has eluded a generation of buck enthusiasts, is a step closer to fruition with the announcement today that the National Deer Alliance will merge with the Quality Deer Management Association.

The unified organization, which doesn’t yet have a name, is the culmination of a number of dynamics that have caused many non-profit “critter” groups to reconsider how they raise funds, mobilize their members, and ultimately survive to fulfill their missions. The COVID-19 pandemic and social-distancing guidelines to reduce its spread have short-stopped the main revenue source—the local fundraising banquet dinner—for many of these groups.

But the merger of these two deer-centric groups has its origin long before stay-at-home orders and mask-wearing became part of our national discussion.

The Quality Deer Management Association was founded 32 years ago in South Carolina, and its center of gravity, membership, and influence remains in the South and with landowners interested in improving whitetail hunting and herd health on their properties. The NDA was incorporated in 2015, mainly to serve an advocacy role for its stakeholders, which included deer-focused groups as disparate as Whitetails Unlimited, Mule Deer Foundation, and QDMA.

The original intent of the NDA was also to serve as a virtual club and advocate for all deer hunters. Its creation came out of a resolution to create a conservation organization for deer, by far the most popular, abundant, and widespread of North America’s wildlife populations. Over 70 percent of America’s 10 million hunters primarily pursue deer. But cooperation and unity has been frustrated by the tribal nature of deer hunting—and deer hunters—a population that fractures along lines defined by regions, species, and hunting methods.

The venerable Senko. The most popular bass bait of all time. (Bassmaster/)

The Senko is the best-selling bass lure of all-time, and for good reason. It flat out catches bass all year, on every type of water. It works on lowland lakes, highland lakes, natural lakes, farm ponds, and rivers. After 32 years as a professional bass fisherman, it is my go-to bait from North to South, and East to West.

Let’s start with size and color selection. As I travel America competing on the Bassmaster Elite Series, my best bait is the 5-inch Senko in two colors: green pumpkin and black with blue flake. These two colors will catch fish anywhere, anytime. I prefer green pumpkin in clearer water and on sunny days, and black/blue in dirty water and on dark days. I use the 6-inch Senko in these same two colors as well, particularly if I am targeting larger bass.

Although a Senko will catch fish anywhere, you will need to modify how you present the lure based on time of year, water clarity, and depth the bass are using. So, here are my five most productive ways to rig the Senko:

1. Weightless, Texas Rigged

Use a 5/0 offset shank EWG hook on the 5-inch Senko, and a 6/0 on the 6-inch Senko. A weightless, Texas-rigged Senko is perfect for fishing around shallow, heavy cover where the big bass live. It fishes well in weed beds, pads, brush and under docks.

The author keeps an eye out for coyotes on his first hunt last fall. (Joe Dickey/)

Editor’s note: If there’s one thing that’s certain after these last few weeks, it’s that Americans need to come together. To do that, we first must listen to those of us who have been ignored for too long. At Outdoor Life, that means black and other minority hunters and anglers who don’t often see themselves represented in the hunting and fishing community. We’re running a collection of essays to tell their stories and share their perspectives.

My neighbor Eric Dinger and I had been sitting in the blind for 15 minutes when I saw a young buck appear at 150 yards, walking right toward us.

“Ron, get ready,” Eric whispered. And then, a moment later, “Shoot it.”

I know a lot of hunters get excited when it’s time to shoot. Their heart rate goes up, and they start breathing hard. But last fall in Nebraska, I was steady. And when we found my first deer, 75 yards from where my bullet reached him, Eric was more excited than I was.

A black man in hunters camo and orange vest kneels behind a deer in the woods. (Eric Dinger/)

Don’t get me wrong—I was stoked. But I was also wondering, Is this it? Are we done?

Training and proper instruction are critical after buying your first handgun. (Chris Mudgett/)

If you’re reading this, you’re likely considering buying of a new handgun, or have already bought one. Good on you. You have your reasons for doing so, but most importantly, you’re taking responsibility for your personal safety and for the safety of those nearest and dearest to you. If statistics are any indicator, you’ve probably made the decision to purchase a pistol that is concealable, one that can easily be carried on your person, and one that can also be effective for home defense. That’s good. Your next purchase should be a quality belt and a comfortable holster.

Select the right holster

After purchasing a handgun, a holster and belt should be your top priorities. After all, you’ll need some way of comfortably concealing it. Wedging it in your belt doesn’t count. Holster selection can be a complicated process, even for experienced shooters. The style and size of pistol chosen, as well as individual body type all come into play when selecting the right holster for you.

Types of holsters can generally be narrowed into three categories; Outside the Waist Band (OWB), Inside the Waist Band (IWB), and Appendix Inside the Waist Band (AIWB). There are, of course, specialty methods of carry, such as shoulder, ankle, and pocket to name a few – but our focus here will be on the first three, as they are by far the most popular.

Outside the Waist Band carry is typically reserved for carrying larger-framed pistols that can be a challenge to conceal. This is a common method of carry for uniformed police officers and security personnel. This type of holster generally allows the quickest access to your pistol, however, it is the most difficult to hide. An open front cover garment, such as a jacket might be necessary for concealment when using this method of carry. I recommend using an OWB holster when learning to draw your pistol and for range use. It is also ideal for open carry, which makes sense when you might be out working on a ranch or farm, fly fishing remote water, or exploring the backcountry. Most OWB holsters are affixed to your belt utilizing either a quick attach/detach paddle or fixed belt loops constructed of either a high-strength polymer or leather. For right-handed shooters, the proper place to mount your holster is at about 3 o’clock (imagine your bellybutton is noon in this analogy) for righties, and 9 o’clock-ish for lefties.

There has been a significant drop in roadkill since early March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Brett Billings/USFWS/)

Hunters know the risks of cruising down rural highways in whitetail country, and the deer carcasses lining our roadways are a not-so-subtle reminder. But during COVID-19 closures and social distancing, there has been a steep drop in the number of animals killed by vehicles.

Roadkill animal deaths fell in California, Idaho, and Maine, according to a study by the Road Ecology Center at the University of California-Davis. The study found that animals killed by cars dropped by 21 to 56 percent—depending on the location—from March to mid-April. The reason for the decline was directly tied to the reduced number of motorists on our roadways—traffic in the U.S. fell by 73 percent during peak lockdown, according to National Geographic).

“There is a statistically significant decline in wildlife deaths on highways in all three states following reductions in traffic this spring,” said Fraser Shilling, director of the UC-Davis Road Ecology Center in a news release. “This has not been the case for any of the previous five years for these three states. If anything, there is usually an increase in spring.”

So does a decrease in roadkilled critters mean that there will be more deer in the woods this fall? In short, yes, but you might not notice the difference. It all depends on where you hunt. For example, if you hunt in a county that’s had a historically high percentage of car-deer collisions, you might see a few more whitetails from your treestand this fall. Hunters in areas with lower car-deer collisions likely won’t see any difference.

“I think what it will mean is there will be a few more deer in the woods this fall, but not every hunter is going to see that increase,” said Dr. Michael Tonkovich, a deer program administrator in Ohio’s Department of Natural Resources. “We lose 22,000 to 25,000 deer a year to vehicle collisions, but a majority of those come in November, December, and January. There is some spring dispersal of deer, like does pushing out button bucks or does finding a new home range, but it’s not like the movement we see in the fall.”

There’s a long list of highly functional (and durable) semiauto shotguns that handle beautifully and shoot straight, but have never received the fanfare they deserved. Some weren’t brought to market correctly and faded. Others were taken out of production too early. And still others just never became popular, despite being great buys. Franchi, which is under the Benelli banner, largely falls into that category. Its guns are only a slight step down in quality compared to big brother. Franchi’s inertia-driven autos are some of the best on the market for the money, but I don’t see many folks shooting them. Which boggles my mind, since hunters are always looking to get the best performance out of our gear for the least amount of cash.

Many other shotgun makers have experienced a similar anomaly. For one reason or another, a great gun was lost in the shuffle or put out to pasture too soon. But I am here to shed light on those forgotten autoloaders. These are some of the best shotguns that never got the proper recognition. Many of them are very affordable, so if you come across one—new or used—snatch it up.

Browning Gold

Browning debuted the next generation of the Gold at SHOT Show in 2020. (Browning/)

One of my buddies who got me back into turkey hunting years ago always wielded a Browning Gold 12-gauge, which has long been overshadowed by the Auto-5, Maxus, and the newer A5. He shot rusty 3.5-inch lead No. 4s through the factory full choke, and it absolutely hammered spring toms. It’s still a superb gas-operated auto-loader that has relatively light recoil even with heavy turkey loads. Browning upgraded the gun in 2020—it’s only offered in 10-gauge—with a composite stock, Inflex recoil pad, and textured grips on the fore-end and stock. I had a chance to shoot it at SHOT Show in Las Vegas, and it’s a beast of gun (almost 10 pounds), which as a goose pit and big river duck hunter, I love. You won’t want to carry this hefty 10-guage anywhere but to the blind, but it’s one of a select few autoloaders I feel comfortable paying $1,800 for, because I know it will cycle reliably.

Franchi Affinity Elite Series

An Alaskan black bear taken with the Henry Model X in .45-70. (Tyler Freel/)

Most people don’t need a reminder that the world isn’t always a safe place to live, and the topic of self-defense is as relevant as ever. Although seasoned shooters and outdoorsmen and women tend to roll our eyes at the sudden realization by many that having a gun for protection might not be a bad idea, they need direction and good information. Even among our salty ranks, self-defense continues to be a hot topic alway up for debate.

Most of us are either shooters or hunters—sometimes both. A shooter may not have any interest in hunting, but loves guns and shooting, and will tend to gravitate towards selecting more tactical-style guns for self-defense applications. Hunters who are also passionate shooters will often go the same route, preferring a purpose-built gun for each intended task. I would say that the majority of folks fall into a hunting and general use category. Most are working with a budget and frankly don’t need enough guns to arm a platoon. They just want a reliable gun to hunt with, but that can also fill the important role of self-defense. Each person’s needs are unique, and one of these eight guns will do the job for both hunting and self-defense.

Henry X Model

Henry’s X Model is a proven lever-action built with a tactical flair. (Henry/)

Lever-action rifles may seem antiquated, but for some folks, they offer a great combination of hunting aptitude and self-defense effectiveness. The X Model from Henry takes their proven action and adds a bit of a tactical flair with synthetic furniture, a short rail at the end of the fore-end, and a threaded muzzle. Muzzle brakes or a suppressor can be easily added, and even for a camp rifle, being able to easily attach a light is a well-thought-out attribute. It’s a short, handy rifle that can be operated quickly and maneuvered well in tight spaces and cycled very quickly. Your caliber selection will depend on your needs. If you’re dealing with lots of bears as well as two-legged threats, the .45-70 will be the way to go. Otherwise, the .357 or .44 mag options offer plenty of power for hunting deer, and offer increased magazine capacity. Not to mention that the increased barrel length will give you better performance than a handgun will, with mild to little recoil. MSRP: $970

Browning BAR DBM

Major League Fishing’s Ish Monroe is the man when it comes to catching big bass with a frog. With nine majors and 51 top 10s, his career earnings total over $2.2 million. So we sat down with Monroe to find out the best ways to catch more monster largemoughs with this lure. Here is what he had to say.

Ish Monroe shows off a 5.1-pounder caught in the grassmats at Lake Fork in Texas. (Major League Fishing/)

1. Outdoor Life: What time of year/day is best for fishing with frogs?

Ish Monroe: The best season to fish with frogs is post spawn anywhere in the country. Right after spawning, fish are guarding their fry (offspring) and frogs offer lots of nutrients for their fry. The best opportunity is first thing in the morning or late in the day, but you will catch the biggest fish midday (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) fishing in super thick, heavy cover, and high sun.

2. OL: I keep missing fish while frog fishing. What am I doing wrong?

IM: Having the right equipment is number one. First, make sure you’re using a fishing braid, 50- to 60-pound class braid. Your rod needs to be an extra heavy rod; it needs to have a little tip so you don’t pull the frog out of the fish’s mouth. I designed the Ish Monroe Signature Frog Series by Daiwa for this very reason and it’s what I use on the Bass Pro Tour.

An afternoon Alberta puddle duck shoot. (Andrew Klatt/)

Waterfowl is one of the smallest, most niche communities you can find in hunting. There’s only about 1 million of us waterfowl hunters, but we see more of each other than those who pursue whitetails, mule deer, elk, and other big-game species, namely because our quarry inhabits condensed areas for short periods on their annual fall migration. In many places, you will have to share wetlands with your fellow hunters and compete for birds. Sometimes you’re going to be hunting next to veteran waterfowlers who know what they’re doing—or think they do—and aren’t afraid to tell newbies to scram.

Don’t let those folks, or the unknown, stop you from chasing ducks and geese. Some of the best days of my life have been spent waist-deep in a marsh holding a shotgun and blowing a duck call. Those days are waiting for you as well—if you stick with it. This sport, like so many others, rewards patience and hard work. The more you go, the more you learn. So, let’s get started.

Learn the Basic Game Laws

Following game laws is an essential part of ethical waterfowl hunting. (Toe Tags, Inc./)

If you haven’t already, the first thing you will need to do is take a hunter’s safety course. Some states don’t require hunter education to buy a hunting license if you’re of a certain age, but it’s smart to take the class and get certified regardless. Because 1) you’re eventually going to travel to another state to hunt where hunters of every age are required to possess a hunter’s safety card, and 2) you’ll learn how to handle a gun properly and hunt in a safe manner.

You must also purchase a hunting license, state duck stamp, and federal duck stamp prior to hunting. Ninety-eight percent of all federal duck stamp money goes directly to help acquire and protect wetland habitat, and to purchase conservation easements for the National Wildlife Refuge system. It’s one of the most successful conservation programs in North America, so you can be proud that your dollars are helping to protect waterfowl habitat.

The bow and arrow have been utilized by hunters and warriors for thousands of years. A simple yet elegant weapon, it’s provided meat and aided in defending civilizations for centuries. Today, bows have gone high-tech, like compounds, crossbows, and carbon-fiber arrow shafts affixed to razor-sharp broadheads. But we shouldn’t forget the traditional bows and arrows of our ancestors. They can provide us with a bounty of wild game or defense from predators in a primitive survival situation.

If you find yourself alone in a perilous backcountry situation, here are the items you can use to build a traditional bow and arrows.

1. Choose The Right Materials

Flexible, but strong, wood makes for the best bow. (Tim MacWelch/)

Choosing the right materials is the first place to start when constructing bows, arrows, and other archery tackle. For the bow, you’ll want a strong yet flexible wood that wants to snap back into its former shape after bending. When it comes to arrows, you’ll need to select woody coppice growth, shoots, and saplings that are sturdy and close to the final diameter you want for your arrows. Drawknives, rasps, cabinet scrapers and sandpaper (and power tools) will allow you to make great bows at home, but in the wild, a good knife should be enough to carve the stave.

For same day shooting, pick a bow stave that is dead and dry, but not rotten. For future bow making endeavors, cut some live wood and dry it for a few months for best results. Choose hardwood species like Osage orange, black locust and hickory for bows (though many other hardwoods can work). Choose a bow stave that is relatively straight and generally free of knots, side branches, and twists, roughly 2 inches in diameter. Cut it to a length about 5 or 6 feet long, but err on the side of length. The longer the bow, the less it has to bend to reach your draw length, and the less likely it is to break.

The author's father after a successful hunt, with "The Magic Bus" in the background. (Tyler Free/)

A few days ago, the Alaska National Guard used a Chinook helicopter to lift and carry out “The Bus.” If you’re not familiar, this is the bus that the wandering Chris McCandless perished in after a short stint of trying to live off the land in 1992. The local perspective on McCandless’ story is that he was an ill-prepared squatter who tragically lost his life due to poor decision making. And this story might have faded into history if it were not immortalized by the book, (and then movie) Into The Wild. Since the book was published, scores of people have been drawn to that old Fairbanks City Transit bus No. 142 (commonly referred to as “the magic bus”) on the far side of the Teklanika River on the edge of Denali National Park. Many of these folks admired McCandless and wanted to see the site where he tried to survive in the wilderness.

Practically speaking, removing the bus was a good thing. There is nothing magic about that bus, and one unfortunate fellow’s poor decisions paved the way for lots more folks to get themselves into trouble by trying to follow in his footsteps. For decades, emergency rescuers had to save stranded and endangered tourists each season. Some have even died on their pilgrimage to visit “the bus.” Remove the bus, and the site will be swallowed up into the expansive wilderness. Its significance will be lost forever. After all, what’s the loss in removing what is essentially litter, a junked old bus that has become nothing but a literal tourist trap?

On the flip side, the bus does mean something to some of us who live here in interior Alaska. Turns out that hunters and outdoorsmen had been using that bus long before McCandless’ story made it famous.

“I’ve spent a lot of nights in that bus,” my dad would tell me, as it was their family’s hunting camp for several years in the 1960s. My uncle has pictures with moose and caribou by bus No.142. Those are fond memories from days when it was just a hunting camp. It seems that those memories will be taken back by the wilderness as well, and some Alaskans hold a little bitterness for McCandless and the unwanted attention he brought to that bus.

In the end, I think it was probably time to move the bus. If ever there were an effigy of unpreparedness and poor decision making in the Alaska wilderness, that bus was it. After McCandless, it lured only more ill-prepared people into danger. I know my feelings that oppose moving the bus are illogical. It is no longer what it once was, and it could never again be just a hunting camp. That bus was haunted by the story of a wanderer who never should have ventured into the wilderness alone, never should have taken up residence there, and never should have died there. So yes, the bus needed to go. Its plot of ground will be swallowed back into the wild—this time, for good.

The 6.5 Creedmoor has proven itself many times over on deer, pronghorns, feral hogs, sheep, and even big red stags (like this New Zealand specimen) and elk. Anything the Creed can do, the .260 Rem. can do slightly better. (Ron Spomer/)

Why does the 6.5 Creedmoor outsell the .260 Remington when the latter throws the same bullets from the same short-action rifles, but about 100 fps (feet per second) faster?

The answer is in the twist rates of the 6.5 and .260.

To appreciate traditional rifling twist rates, we should perhaps revisit what rifling is and does.

Although the .260 Rem. fits the same action-length rifles as the 6.5 Creedmoor and pushes bullets about 100 fps faster, it languishes in the Creedmoor’s shadow. Credit a slightly slower twist rate as well as a rather limpid PR campaign for the .260’s poor showing. (Ron Spomer/)

Historically, all guns had smooth bores. They could be loaded with heaps of small pellets (birdshot or the larger buckshot) or a single ball (slug or bullet.) Beyond 50 yards or so, slugs hit harder and were deadlier than pellets because their mass retained energy better than did the smaller, individual shot pellets. But slugs weren’t accurate because surface imperfections—dings, grooves, flat spots and such—led to inconsistent planing in the wind. Even on a dead calm day, a slug stepping out at 1,000 fps faces a headwind of at least 1,000 fps. That’s 686 miles per hour! If that atmospheric pressure is even slightly more significant on one part of the ball than another, the flight path will be altered. This is why bird shot scatters ever farther as it progresses downrange. And it’s why single balls fired through smooth bores rarely go exactly where aimed.

Fixing this inaccuracy began in the late 1400s when German or Austrian gunmakers tumbled to the concept of cutting shallow grooves in bores, probably to offset carbon fouling. The grooves provided space in which the soot could lodge. Paper or linen patches around the ball would squeeze into the grooves to seal expanding gases. Soon enough someone familiar with curved arrow fletching added a turn to the rifling grooves and voila! Accuracy improved. This is because an object in motion tends to maintain that motion until acted upon by an outside force. Like a spinning top, a spun bullet resists air pressures pushing counter to this axial motion, helping the bullet stay nose forward on its original line of motion toward the target.

If you want a pistol that can take down a mountain lion but is also easier to carry than a .357 hand cannon for self-defense, the 10mm is the perfect option. Now, this handgun will likely never be an everyday carry gun in an urban setting (it’s not exactly a dainty pistol). But when you’re headed into the backcountry (or live there), the 10mm is ideal for a variety of hunting pursuits and to defend yourself from both animal and human predators.

The most powerful factory-loaded handgun cartridge that still fits into a service pistol-sized semiauto is the 10mm. The “big 10” has a stout reputation among Alaskan bear guides and hunters for its stopping power. It’s also capable of taking down medium-sized game at reasonable distances (out to 100 yards) with the right load and a steady hand. I won’t pit revolvers against semiautos, just know, it does take much more of a time investment and skill to become accurate with a big bore wheel gun than a semiauto. And though semiautos are not easy to shoot accurately, you do have the added benefit of more ammo capacity for multiple follow up shots and faster reloads.

If you’re going to hunt with a 10mm, the 1911s have manageable recoil and are supremely accurate. The downside is they can be unreliable if you don’t keep them clean and well maintained, which can be difficult to do in the backcountry. They also don’t have the magazine capacity of double-stack, striker-fired pistols and are heavy, so it’s best to buy a chest holster for wilderness carry if you plan to buy one. Polymer-framed pistols are going to give you more durability and are less susceptible to the elements. They have a higher magazine capacity, are easier to manipulate in all conditions, and they’re lighter. If you can mount a red dot and white light on one, that will make for a fine sidearm.

If you’re in the market for a hunting/self-defense handgun, these are some of the best 10mms you can buy. Plus, why you need a red-dot sight, and the right ammo to feed your pistol, so you can get optimal performance from your next 10mm.

Glock Models 20, 29, and 40

The author with a mature spring black bear in Alaska. (Tyler Freel/)

With all that’s happening in the world lately, it seemed like I was already living in the Twilight Zone. Then, in an episode of déjà vu, another unbelievable headline appeared on my newsfeed. It declared: “Trump administration makes it easier for hunters to kill bear cubs and wolf pups in Alaska,” with the tagline, “A ban against luring mothers from their dens with doughnuts and other treats will be lifted.” I remembered seeing these same articles back in 2018, so it didn’t take long to figure out what all the hoopla was about.

The actual rule change—and how it will play out here in Alaska—is pretty mundane. But I’ll admit that it sounds pretty bad when told by national media outlets with more spin than a Sandy Koufax curve ball. One story had a photo of a compassionate-looking sow brown bear with her cubs of that year. Another used a photo of two men celebrating over a dead sow they had just dug out of a den and killed. This photo had nothing to do with the rule changes, but was captured by an ADF&G trail camera set to monitor the den. The two men were actually poachers who illegally killed the sow and cubs on camera, and are currently facing charges.

In a nutshell, this rule change does one thing. It brings national preserve lands, currently under control of the National Park Service, back into step with Alaska’s state wildlife management regulations. It does NOT legalize general hunting in the national parks. Rather, it simply returns the rules to what they were until late in the Obama administration, when the administration established more restrictive rules with the intention of stunting the state of Alaska’s predator control plans in certain areas.

Now, the Trump administration is scaling back the expanded federal regulations to match the state regs. And that last round of these sensational-sounding articles—in 2018—was published in response to USFWS doing the exact same thing on the federal refuge lands that they manage.

In other words, state and federal policy are aligning on bear hunting regulations, and the situation is not nearly as extreme as these news sources portray it to be. Things like killing hibernating bears, denned wolf pups, sows with cubs, and cubs themselves are sometimes legal, but in very limited and specific capacities. These national articles would have you believe that it opens a free-for-all killing of all bears in sight by any hunter. In reality, not much is changing, and this portrayal will only rouse anger and resentment among the general public in the Lower 48.

Alberto Knie with a surf-caught cow striper. (Alberto Knie/)

“Crazy” Alberto Knie is nothing short of a fishing legend. The founder and president of Tactical Anglers, Inc. (Creative Innovative Fishing Products), Knie is a surf fishing savant. He holds the International Game Fish Association 8-pound-test record for striped bass with a 45.5-pound surf-caught giant that he took in Shinnecock, N.Y. on May 15, 2004. But that’s not nearly his biggest surf-caught striper. He’s taken an astounding nine stripers weighing more than 50 pounds and two that weighed more than 60.

1. Outdoor Life: What’s the best way for beginning striper surf fishermen to size up new water?

Alberto Knie: Studying new waters begins with understanding the striped bass migration and how it relates to local grounds. The second key is to pay close attention to the available baitfish and then learn how to utilize the match-the-hatch theories in ways of artificial lure presentations. Another item that I find invaluable is to keep a log book which allows both beginning and seasoned anglers to sharpen their skills to the max. Logging specific intel such as time, tides, moon, and conditions in an extended period of time will help a fishermen set positive patterns and strategies. It’s like having a personal report card if you will.

2. OL: What are your recommendations on rods and reels?

AK: The key to this question has everything to do with balancing the proper tackle with proper presentations. What I mean is it’s critical to understand the difference between chasing back-bay schoolies and chasing trophy cows under extreme jetty and ocean-front conditions. I use an array of St. Croix Rods from the light tackle Triumph to serious Avid rods, and up to the Legend Surf for demanding performance and power. It’s easy to promote those rods because they have the best rod warranty in the industry. As for the reel recommendation, I use an assortment of Penn and Abu reels. I use conventional reels for live bait or chunks, and spinning reels when casting artificial lures. Overall, it all depends on distance casting, positive line placement and leverage. Most importantly, these reels are easy to maintain with less downtime. I especially like new Spinfishers, Slammer and the new Torques for their ability to withstand extreme abuse and provide strength in performance.

An over head photo of a well-designed, isolated food plot. (The Whitetail Institute/)

Jon Cooner is the Director of Special Projects for renowned food plot seed company Whitetail Institute. Outdoor Life recently interviewed Cooner to provide his 10 keys to growing more successful food plots. Here is what he had to say.

1. Don’t Procrastinate

While food-plotting isn’t difficult, the steps to a successful food plot should be followed in order and in a timely manner for the best results. Some processes start months in advance of the season to ensure optimum growing conditions and maximum plant yield once opening day rolls around.

2. Select The Best Location

Long, skinny plots are excellent for attracting deer during daylight hours. (The Whitetail Institute/)

If space and equipment are limited, then locate your food plots where you can or in existing openings. The best locations for plots include adjacent cover for deer traveling to the food plot and for escape cover (a thicket or sanctuary, or perceived cover such as a few rows of a tall screening crop) and low human traffic. Plots should never be visible to roads and neighbors.

Adam Weatherby’s Montana black bear was the first game animal ever taken with the new Weatherby 6.5 RPM cartridge. (Weatherby/)

Recent years have seen the introduction of a stunning number of new factory rifle cartridges, with each being heralded as the “The Next Big Thing” for hunting or competitive shooting. This explosion in new-cartridge development was fueled by the phenomenal success of the 6.5 Creedmoor, which led ammomakers to focus on cartridges built around long, heavy-for-caliber, high-B.C. bullets delivering better long-range performance. There was also a demand for better-performing cartridges for AR rifles, again with longer, sleeker bullets. These trends came in response to, and coincided with, a big spike in interest in long-range shooting, creating a perfect storm in new-cartridge development that continues. In fact, several more new factory cartridge designs are on the way.

The last time the shooting world saw so many new cartridges introduced in a relatively short span of time was in the early 2000s, when the short-magnum craze arrived. Since then, with the exception of the .300 WSM, which was arguably the most successful of the short-magnum batch, many of those cartridges proved to be a flash in the pan.

The 6mm Creedmoor shares many of the attributes of its more famous 6.5mm sibling and is wonderfully accurate. (Hornady Ammunition/)

Will today’s newest cartridges follow the same sad market trajectory, or will some of them duplicate the success of the 6.5 Creedmoor? The odds are against it—the 6.5 is likely a once-in-a-generation cartridge that has become a global standard—but some of the newcomers may be poised to do very well. Of course, new cartridges come and go, and only time will tell, but here’s a look at some of the newer cartridges to keep an eye on in the years ahead.

1. .224 Valkyrie

With its heavier bullets, the .224 Valkyrie is a viable deer cartridge, as demonstrated on this Texas whitetail by Federal Ammunition’s JJ Reich. (Federal Ammunition/)

The long-range shortcomings of the .223 Rem./5.56 NATO cartridge have long left AR rifle fans wishing for something better in .22 caliber centerfire. Nosler took a swing at a solution in 2017 with its .22 Nosler, which improved upon .223 Rem. performance by sending bullets of similar weight, initially topping out at 77 grains, downrange faster. In 2018, Federal unveiled its own offering, the .224 Valkyrie, which was essentially built around a long, sleek, high-B.C. 90-grain bullet zipping along at 2,700 fps, and typically fired from rifle barrels with a fast 1:7 twist rate to better stabilize such bullets. That particular load, with a HPBT MatchKing bullet, remains supersonic to about 1,300 yards.

Soak it in. (Lilly Rum via Unsplash/)

No matter how good you are at fishing, chances are you can still learn more. And if you’re just beginning, or thinking about beginning, or somewhere in the middle of the life progression from beginner to pro, books will help take you to the next level. But in a world of a seemingly endless supply of fishing books, which one should you choose? We’re here to help. We broke it down to four books to get you started and give you tips and tricks and also a couple that will educate, inspire and simply entertain for nights around the campfire or lounging on your couch.

Great way to learn about new and familiar species and have fun while you’re doing it. (Amazon/)

You may never try to microfish for shiners or cast into agricultural canals, but that’s fine. Author Matthew Miller will take you with him while he tries. This book is exactly what any modern angler needs to read right now. It’s a realistic take on the state of fish and fishing in the U.S., but also offers readers a reason to be hopeful. When you’re done, you might just want to see what you can catch that’s different from your norm.

Go ahead, read for fun. (Amazon/)

The first in a budding series by novelist and acclaimed outdoor writer Keith McCafferty, The Royal Wulff Murders introduces readers to Sean Stranahan. He is a fly fisher, painter, and “has-been detective,” who of course becomes looped into a strange murder where the deceased has a fly in his lip. Read this one then get hooked on the series, you won’t regret it.

Trust us, you need to read this. (Amazon/)

The book’s description basically says it all: “The mission of The Little Red Book of Fly Fishing is to demystify and uncomplicate the tricks and tips that make a great trout fisher.” That’s not an exaggeration. The authors are lifelong fly fishermen who have lived and breathed the sport. It’s full of tips like how to place and drift your fly and how to cast straighter, more accurately and longer. The book came out in 2010 and has become a staple for novices and experts alike.

Read a classic. (Amazon/)

On its surface, this is a fishing story. It’s about a Cuban fisherman and his relentless, agonizing battle with a giant marlin. But like so much of Hemingway’s work, it’s about so much more. It’s a story about courage and personal triumph. It’s about persistence. It’s the book every angler, and really most people, should read in their lifetime.