Hunting and Fishing News & Blog Articles

It's been a long day. Have a seat. (Adam Griffith via Unsplash/)

Spend a day hiking deep into the Yellowstone or Alaskan backcountry and the last thing you’ll want to do is pop a squat in the dirt like some sort of animal. Even if you’re just truck camping, you won’t want to do that. These four camping chairs vary widely in design—from big and overbuilt to lightweight and hiking-ready—but they’ll all prove their worth on your next excursion, whether it’s close to home or miles from the nearest paved road.

Lightweight, collapsible, brilliant. (YIZI/)

The YIZI has become the go-to camp chair for legions of diehard backcountry anglers and hunters, and no surprise. A cinch to set up and take down, it weighs 2.4 pounds; can support up to 300 pounds of weight; and collapses down to fit in an 11-inch bag, making it super easy to stash in a pack. You can buy a bigger, fancier chair, no doubt, but if you’re serious about trekking off the grid, your chair search should end with the YIZI.

Get your comfy on. (CORE Equipment/)

OK, so sometimes you’re not trekking deep into the wilderness but camping at your truck and wanting to get your comfy on. No shame. That’s where the sturdy, 12-pound Core Equipment comes in. The chair boasts padded arms and soft seats and back for max comfort in camp, along with an overbuilt cup holder and side gear pocket.

A classic gets upgraded. (Coleman/)

If you haven’t used a Coleman portable camping chair before, we honestly have no idea where you’ve been the past quarter century or so. At any rate, the 8.8-pound Portable Camping Quad Chair takes the basic Coleman camp-chair design and pseudo soups it up with a four-can cooler in the left armrest. The chair isn’t fancy, but it does what it does well: keeps your butt off the ground.

Twice the size, twice the fun. (Kelty/)

This camp loveseat chair is no doubt tailored for couples, with its two-person design and 500-pound weight capacity, but more power to you if you’d rather hog it yourself or share it with your gun dog. Either way, the low Loveseat, a beach-camping staple, has a base that stands 13.5 inches off the ground, keeping you close to the campfire for roasting franks and mallows. And between hunting and fishing excursions, the Kelty Low Loveseat will pull double duty at football tailgates and musical festivals with your beau.

By the time you read this post, this bucks will have cast his last antler, making it ripe for the picking. (Mike Hanback/)

Many people have been hunting for shed antlers for two or three months, but not me. I wait until conditions are right—and that’s now.

Across America most all whitetail bucks have dropped their antlers by mid to late March. The last snows have melted, the weather is warming and deer herds are out of winter stress.

Take a look around. The woods are barren and brown. Grass and brush are pounded down. Crop fields and pastures are low to the dirt. Sheds are as visible as they’ll ever be, and ripe for the taking.

So lace up your boots and go. Here’s how to do it, and where to look.

1. Hunt Where the Deer Are

Bison are one of the main wildlife draws in Yellowstone National Park. (David Restivo/National Park Service/)

Easter weekend is historically the start of the visitation season in Yellowstone National Park, but as mid-April approaches, and just days after the Interior Department waived entrance fees to national parks across the country, access to America’s first national park is in question.

The National Park Service is reportedly considering a request from public-health officials in neighboring Park and Gallatin counties in Montana to close Yellowstone Park. They said that by encouraging visitation to Yellowstone during the COVID-19 outbreak, the public—locals and visitors—could be endangered by inadvertent transmission of the virus.

“Our shared ability to respond to the ongoing COVID19 outbreak will be greatly complicated and imperiled by the arrival of thousands of tourists to our community,” said Matt Kelly, Gallatin County (Mont.) health officer. “It is imperative that you understand that Yellowstone is not simply an expanse of wide open land. It is a massive tourist attraction that attracts millions of people to our communities from all over the world. Most of these tourists congregate in visitor’s centers, rest rooms, gift shops, restaurants, and park attractions.”

For the next couple weeks, the issue is likely to be moot, as most of Yellowstone Park’s roads and facilities remain closed, not out of public-health considerations, but because winter still grips the Yellowstone Plateau on the borders of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Most park facilities open from mid-April through early June, depending on location, snow depth, and popularity.

Yellowstone officials did close its Albright Visitor Center near the West Yellowstone entrance, as well as Boiling River, a cluster of hot springs and thermal pools near the entrance that’s popular with winter visitors.

A sampling of the tackle that battled for rank in our tests. (Dan Forbes/)

Honesty is the best policy. When I ask someone what they think about a rod or reel, I want the good and the bad. A true answer comes with time. In a perfect world, you’d fish a piece of gear for an entire season before judging it, but sometimes you don’t have the luxury. That’s why when we test tackle, we strategically design a crash course that does the best possible job of telling us how every rod and reel will hold up in the long run, and how it will perform when it’s fished hard and rough, because that’s how we use our gear all season long.

This year, we’ve expanded our test categories beyond bass tackle to include light trout and panfish spinning tackle, as well as fly rods and reels. It’s all been put through the same rigorous paces for the sake of one goal: helping you decide how your money is best spent, whether you’re gearing up to fish a reservoir or a quiet mountain stream.

All of our testing was carried out on the water in the real-world scenarios this tackle was meant to fish. We considered how it stacked up based on the manufacturer’s specs and claims, and, more important, how we evaluated its performance, construction, and value as hardcore anglers.

Test-team member Steve Kennedy with a Lake Martin bass. (Pete Robbins/)

How We Test

On the Lake

For the past 20 years, I’ve spent my springs chasing gobbles. I can’t get enough of them, and my obsession has taken me from the crisp Colorado mountains to the swamps of southern Florida.

Outside of getting the opportunity to match wits with different birds in different terrains, it’s the camaraderie of turkey hunting I cherish — time spent with like-minded individuals telling tales of adventures past and those yet to come. Most of these conversations, at some point, typically shift to which of the four major subspecies is the hardest to hunt. Yes, I realize I just opened a can of worms.

I reached out to four turkey gurus I’ve hunted with over the years. Each is passionate, and each has chased multiple subspecies of birds. Of course, each has his own opinion on what bird is the most difficult to tackle.

1. Merriam’s

After spending a few days scouting, Danny Farris located this lone tom at just a tick above 10,000 feet in the Colorado Rockies. (Jace Bauserman/)

Where They Live: The mountainous regions of the West are considered home for what many consider to be the handsomest turkey of all.

The 7x57, .284, and 7mm-08 sided by side by side. (Ron Spomer/)

Why the heck do we have rifles chambered for the 7x57 Mauser, the 7mm-08 Remington, and the 284 Winchester when they all throw the same bullets at about the same top muzzle velocities? Why did they create all three of these anyway. Shouldn’t one be enough?

The honest answer is that there probably isn’t just one answer. The three cartridges were created over a span of 88 years. That was long enough for the world to go through two world wars and switch from riding horses to rockets. Maybe cartridge designers thought the older 7mms were no longer up to the tasks asked of them. But if so, they were wrong. Let’s take a magnifying glass to each of these 7mms and figure out why they’re here and which we might want to hire for taking our next deer or elk to dinner.

7x57 Mauser

The second largest (by body weight) antelope species in Africa was not too big for the 7x57 Mauser, pushing a 150-grain Barnes TSX at 2,700 fps. (Ron Spomer/)

This 1892 creation is one of the great, great, great grandpas of bottlenecked, centerfire rifle cartridges. It was one of the first created specifically for a bolt-action rifle. It blossomed shortly after smokeless powder came onto the scene. Just as importantly, it was chambered in the strong, new, fluid-steel barrels just then being perfected. Those barrels were soon being screwed to a new Mauser bolt action that to this day is the benchmark for a proper bolt-action rifle, the Mauser Model 1898.

This happy confluence of modernity coalesced just in time for serious field testing around the world. The British Empire was in full flower. It’s officers were pressed upon by rural folk from India to China to dispatch man-eating lions, tigers, and leopards. The 7x57, referred to as the 275 Rigby by the Brits, proved up to the task. It was deadly on Africa’s Cape buffalo, hippo, and even elephant. Ivory hunter W.D.M. Bell floored some 800 tuskers with his little 275 Rigby Mauser and 173-grain round-nose bullets. He aimed for the brain and usually hit it. Bell was known to shoot flying ducks with his 275 Rigby.

With business closing through out the country, employers asking employees to work from home and social distancing being encouraged. You can be stuck at home not knowing what to do. Being around the house all day can get boring, eventually and you will run out of shows to rewatch and things to do. Try some of these tips out that can keep you active and also get you ready for fishing or hunting season.

1.Practice your cast

Get your fishing pole out and set up targets at different distances and angles. If you have buckets use those. Try to hit the target with your cast. Make it a game, make each target worth points and see how many points you can get in 10 casts.

2 Practice your game calling

Pull out your calls and start practicing and tuning up your calls. It might drive your family and neighbors a little crazy but have some fun with it!

New tech like smart scopes won't ruin hunting, because we won't let it. (Swarovski/)

We have smart riflescopes and bow sights and rangefinding binoculars. We’ve got digital mapping apps, ballistic apps, and apps that tell us when the deer are moving. If there’s a challenge that exists in hunting, there’s a technological advancement to help alleviate that challenge. Naturally, this begs the question: Will technology ruin hunting?

The short answer is no, because we won’t let it. We (the general consensus of hunters) won’t allow technology to make hunting so easy that it ruins what we love about it most—the challenge, the hunt itself. Now, if hunting were only about collecting meat, things might be different. We would probably look for the most optimal meat-for-effort ratio we could find and then use technology to optimize our efforts. However, even the most vocal “meat hunters” restrict their tactics so there’s still a level of fair chase that’s acceptable to them. This doesn’t mean we won’t embrace technology (we’re already using it). It does mean that despite all the advancements, we will still find ways to make hunting challenging—and personally satisfying.

Game laws are the most concrete restrictions we follow, and legal regulation is necessary to keep folks honest, and protect game populations. But the majority of hunters have a strong and personal ethical code that is much stricter than the law. This looks a little different for each hunter though, and is likely the reason we see different, strong opinions on many of these matters.

The fact is, we each seek a different aspect of the hunting experience for satisfaction or fulfillment in the hunt. For example, a diehard whitetail hunter may use a state-of-the-art bow, 25 trail cameras, and every other gadget they can afford, but the challenge they seek is hunting an individual buck. It takes a ton of patience and knowledge to do this, no matter how much tech you use. If it were just about getting any deer, they wouldn’t use all those advantages, because there is no need to.

Another example: I love to hunt grizzly bears over bait here in interior Alaska. I use bait, as well as Ozonics, which make it harder for an animal to smell you. But I make the hunt more challenging by using a traditional bow—I have even used stone arrowheads. It can be really hard (and sometimes frustrating) to get a mature boar to show up at a bait site while you’re on stand, so for that part I’ll take all the help I can get. But running a good shot on a big, dangerous animal with a recurve or longbow is the challenge that I choose to focus on and embrace.

The Illinois DNR shut down all access to public lands this week. (Joe Genzel/)

This week the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, along with the Governor’s office, and Illinois Department of Health decided to close all state parks, fish and wildlife areas, recreational areas, and historic sites. The decision was made in hopes of preventing the spread of COVID-19. Let that sink in for a moment. Illinois shuttered access to the outdoors to further prevent a pandemic. Why? There aren’t crowds of people lining up to use Illinois lands in March, only a few folks running their dogs, hiking trails, or casting a line. These are not venues for mass congregation we have been told to avoid, but spaces to seek solace in a time of uncertainty. Also, to my knowledge, there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 that stem from spending time alone in the woods.

Full disclosure, I have lived in Illinois most of my life, fishing and hunting its public lands and waters for decades. The public access here is not great, mostly because the IDNR has been underfunded for years and has struggled to travel a consistent path toward better habitat management. You can see the direct results of that on many of our state lands (though some public properties are well maintained and full of wildlife).

Since I am from Illinois, I have an understating of the reasons behind this decree that non-residents might not. A bit of background: most of the decision-making on policy in the state is done by Chicago lawmakers. There has always been a divide between city politics and downstate politics. In many instances, Chicago does what’s good for Chicago, and in some cases that makes sense, because a majority of the population lives there and in the surrounding suburbs. Much of the money generated by the state comes from Chicago coffers too, so therein lies the power.

But often, this political machine runs poorly, and here’s an example: There are long paths that stretch the length of Lakeshore Drive, which winds along Lake Michigan in Chicago. Thousands of people bike, walk, and run there every day. According to the Chicago Park District, parts of the trail are closed right now, but some areas are open. As I write this, Chicago parks are also currently open. But game and fish areas are not? Essentially, Illinois is saying it’s OK to frequent confined city parks that are likely to have people in them, but not state parks that will have few visitors.

I suspect the folks who made this decision don’t spend much time on public land in this state.

Huggers are usually volunteers wanting a close encounter with wildlife. They have to maintain a full-body hold on animals while scientists attach trackable GPS collars. (Kris Millgate/www.tightlinemedia.com/)

Two types of people are on the mountain during wildlife round-ups. Runners and huggers. I’m a hugger, an intense hugger, and I must hug until a runner arrives. I’m helping the Idaho Department of Fish & Game capture big game animals. It’s my job to keep a mule deer doe wrapped tightly in my arms until a wildlife biologist, or runner, comes to collar it. Two feet of snow padded my fall when I jumped on the deer, but it’s also delaying the biologists. That’s why I’m hugging for all I’m worth. The doe is in fight mode. It screams in my face—similar to the vocal range of a goat—and I know a kick is coming. I tighten my grip, close my eyes and hide my face in fur.

It takes 10 minutes to put an $800 GPS collar on a deer. During that time, the animal is also weighed, measured, and tagged. Just ten minutes of touchy grabby then the kicker runs away wearing a new necklace. That necklace sends a pile of location points for years to come, which is the kind of information useful to biologists and, in turn, hunters alike.

Drive netting involves a helicopter pilot flying at low elevation while funneling wildlife toward nets for capture. The operation is conducted with snow on the ground for extra padding during falls. (Kris Millgate/www.tightlinemedia.com/)

To learn more about how this kind of technology leads to your next buck, we spoke with Daryl Lutz, the wildlife management coordinator for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and Jon Rachael, Idaho Department of Fish and Game state game manager.

Idaho and Wyoming share a border, but wildlife doesn’t recognize borders so collared animals in one state can end up in a neighboring state, especially in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). The GYE includes Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park plus portions of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. Animals collared for research in the GYE favor long migration routes. That’s one of the things we now know thanks to collars.

Here are five questions GPS collars answer for wildlife researchers.

A new bill would digitize Forest Service easements, and make it easier to find hunting access. (John Hafner/)

For today’s hunters and anglers, the GPS has become an omnipresent tool not only for orienteering, but for finding access to public lands and waters in the first place. A bill recently introduced in Congress could make computerized tools even more effective in unlocking hunting and fishing spots.

Americans own 640 million acres of federal public land – national parks, national forests, wildlife refuges and Bureau of Land Management ground. These lands provide invaluable opportunities for hunting, fishing, camping and the like.

However, it can be difficult to know exactly when and where people can access those lands. In particular, land management agencies often own road or trail easements across private land to access public land. Often, those documents are kept in some dusty file in a government office, where the public has no simple way to know about them. And a sad fact about these easements is, if they fall into disuse, they are often forgotten and eventually abandoned.

According to the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, the Forest Service holds 37,000 easements, but only 5,000 of those are converted to digital files. TRCP has been spending more than a year highlighting places where “land locked” public lands are hard or impossible for the public to reach. For example, the TRCP and onX Hunt Maps released a report last year that found there are 6.35 million acres of landlocked state lands in 11 western states. In 2018, they issued a report stating that 9.5 million acres of federal public land were inaccessible in the West.

That work appears to be prompting action.

Fresh water when you need it.

We’ve all been there, headed into the backcountry for a day or two, maybe more, unsure of how pure the water will actually be in the streams labeled on the map. And when we get there, and see a cow standing ankle deep in the water, we know now is not the time to test the strength of our gut bacteria. That’s where any of these light, handheld water purification systems come in. From a water bottle system to gravity feed to a UV pen, these will have you covered.

Made in the U.S.A. (Epic Water Filters/)

The least amount of hassle for the biggest reward is one of the main selling points for the OG Ultimate travel bottle. Simply fill up the bottle in whatever dirty source of water you’re facing, put in the filter and straw and screw on the cap. Then go. You suck clean water out of the mouthpiece as you walk or ride. The filters make about 100 gallons of clean water before needing replaced, and the multi-stage filter removes everything from bacteria and viruses to lead, mercury, and microplastics.

Lightweight and packs small when not being used. (Katadyn/)

If you’re camping in a big group of people, or even a smaller group, and don’t want to assign someone to sit by a stream and pump clean water all evening, this is your answer. Fill the bladder up with 3 liters of water, hang it on a tree and let gravity make clean water for you. The filter removes 99.9999 percent of contaminants and filters up to 2 liters of water per minute.

Sip from this straw. (LifeStraw/)

The marketing images for the LifeStraw show someone drinking from a stream full of green algae. And it’s genuine. At 2 ounces, the LifeStraw is perfect for anyone traveling ultralight. It’s also great for shallow sources of questionable water. One straw will filter up to 1,000 gallons of water and surpasses EPA standards. The best part? It’s hard to break. It has no moving parts, doesn’t require batteries and water won’t taste like iodine or chlorine when you drink.

Remember to keep spare batteries on hand. (SteriPen/)

Fill a bottle with clear but dirty water, then plunge in a strange contraption that fills it with light. It might seem futuristic, but the UV light kills more than 99.9 percent of microorganisms like Giardia, viruses, and protozoa. The light won’t change your water’s taste or properties and is chemical free. It’s also light—just a couple ounces—and reusable for up to 8,000 liters.

Refreshing all day long. (Andrew McElroy via Unsplash/)

What was once viewed as a semi-disposable item meant for keeping items cool for a few hours is now a lifestyle item capable of holding ice for days. What separates a good cooler from a great one? Read on. These coolers are some great options to keep your beverages and food cold.

Stylish unit with excellent features. (Reyleo/)

This 21-quart cooler from Reyleo features a built-in bottle opener, cup holder and claims to hold ice for five days. The roto-molded design is stout and rugged and the built-in handle ups the convenience factor when toting.

A durable option available in three colors. (RTIC/)

RTIC’s 20-quart model is an ideal size for a day on the water, in the field, or at the beach. It’s roto-molded construction offers extreme durability and up to 3 inches of ice-saving insulation. The rubber latches are rugged and keep the lid securely in place. It has an integrated stainless handle and a side-mounted drain plug.

One of the most-recognized brands in the cooler world. (YETI/)

The Yeti Roadie has a big following thanks to its rugged design and exceptional ice-retaining insulation. The Roadie is available in an array of color options and features an integrated stainless carry handle along with stout rubber latches. A freezer-quality gasket helps to enhance the cooler’s insulation value and prevents leaks and spills..

Designed for off-grid adventurers on a budget. (Tahoe Trails/)

At 26 quarts, this Tahoe Trails model is ideal for day-tripping. The rotomolded, one-piece design is virtually indestructible. The no-fall lid stays open on its own making loading and unloading a breeze. It retains ice for several days and the carry handles fold away to save space.

Chef anywhere. (Sage Friedman via Unsplash/)

For some, time in the outdoors is about speed, suffering, and traveling light. For others, it’s about luxury, taking many of the perks of home into the woods. Fortunately, a wide range of stoves cover any of those needs, from the through-hikers who just need to boil water for a meal to the car campers who plan to spend two weeks eating as well as they would in a city. The trick is choosing which one is right for you. We’re here to help.

Two burners for a main and a side. (Camp Chef/)

Planning on setting up and elk camp for a few weeks in the fall? Taking that two weeks of vacation you get each year to tuck away in the woods? If you’re thinking of an extended stay in the outdoors, or if you just want the ability to simmer your risotto at the same time as you sauté your green beans, this is a perfect fit for you. You’re not going to take it backpacking, but the two, 30,000-BTU burners with accompanying propane tank will cool whatever you want for however long you need.

Can also charge your phone! (BioLite/)

This stove offers the perfect blend of low-tech heat and high-tech output. All you need are sticks or other natural fuel to make fire. The internal fans circulate the heat to boil 1 liter of water in 4.5 minutes. But its most impressive feature is the stove’s ability to harness energy from the fire to produce added electricity to charge our gadgets in the woods. The stove comes with a lithium battery and, because it uses sticks, doesn’t require you carry a fuel canister.

Super lightweight. (MSR/)

Anyone interested in packing light, trekking for weeks, or in need of a backup stove should consider this 2.6 ounce burner from MSR. The stove itself is only 2 by 2 by 3 inches and could, as its name suggests, fit in your pocket. Attach a fuel canister, and it will boil a liter of water for your dehydrated dinner in 3.5 minutes. It’s basic, effective, and nearly weightless for the backpacker who wants more time exploring and less time cooking.

Portable two-burner. (Coleman/)

Sometimes certain products stick around for decades for a reason. The Coleman Gas 2-burner stove is one of those. Its basic design makes for easy cooking on a tailgate, picnic table, or rock. It runs off of propane bottles available nearly anywhere and has two adjustable burners. If you’re car camping or horse packing and want to boil water for coffee while you fry bacon for breakfast, this is your stove.

Seeking a little solitude is a good thing. (John Hafner/)

COVID-19 is here, and we must stay away from each other. Those of us who can are working from home and avoiding public spaces. In our spare time, we’re obsessively scrolling through news updates and social media posts. Yes, it’s wise to follow the important news in your neighborhood, but there is a limit. No matter how much media you consume, no post or story can tell you what the future holds.

Outdoorsmen and women are uniquely suited to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. Most of us have freezers stocked full of wild game and pantries loaded with goods from last summer’s garden. Many of us have cabins and camps to retreat to, and we have the gear and know-how to survive (and even thrive) if things get really bad.

But let’s not forget our greatest advantage: We know what it feels like to be isolated, and to be alone. As Henry David Thoreau put it: “I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.”

Hunters seek solitude in the best of times—sitting quietly for hours, alone with our thoughts, waiting for a moment that may never come—so we must not spurn our old companion now, in uncertain times.

And just because you have to stay away from others doesn’t mean you have to stay home. When you’re done scrolling through this post, put your phone away and head for your favorite sliver of wilderness. Go by yourself, or bring your kids, or maybe just bring your bird dog, because she has never started a sentence with, “But, what if…”

Hope springs eternal in the mind of the average turkey hunter, who anticipates this season will be the best yet. He won’t hit a bad note on the call, won’t be spotted because he’s wearing the wrong camo clothing, and certainly won’t miss a shot. At least that’s the scenario that plays out in his mind, though gobblers have a way of wrecking the best of plans.

Typically, hunting and shooting a wild turkey is a one-on-one sport that pits a stealthy hunter against a smart tom. Our fathers made due with a shotgun loaded with lead shot, a basic call, and duds gleaned from the Army-Navy surplus store. Today, we have all kinds of advantages in pursuit of gobblers, and oftentimes need them to close the deal on a spring longbeard.

1. Primos PhotoForm Jake

Primos PhotoForm Jake (Primos/)

It’s amazing what modern technology can do with photographs. Primos Hunting’s new PhotoForm Jake Decoy is a case-in-point. Through a proprietary process that’s apt to see a lot more use in the coming years, Primos developers printed a jake’s photo over a molded foam body and head. The result looks exceptionally real and the finish doesn’t have the weird “shine” that some decoys have. Bottom line, a lot of gobblers are going to get fooled by the PhotoForm Jake this spring. Comes with a steel rod that allows the decoy to swivel 180 degrees without spinning. MSRP: $79

2. Mossberg SA-410 Turkey

Hunting snows solo is no easy task. (Joe Weimer Media/)

There are levels of spring snow goose addiction. At the very top are hunters with jacked-up diesel trucks pulling 30-foot trailers loaded with full-body decoys, chasing white geese from Arkansas to Saskatchewan, burning up fuel and the patience of loved ones back home. Frankly, they are half nuts to pursue these fickle/smart birds for months on end. But they aren’t as crazy (passionate is a nice way of putting it) as the solo snow goose hunter. Setting out huge rigs of decoys by yourself in dark, mud-sucked fields you can’t drive the truck into is hard work most hunters aren’t willing to do. But over the years, I have found that targeting the right fields—even when you are forced to go it alone—can pay off. Now, that doesn’t mean you’re going to make a pile every hunt, but if you play by this set of rules, it will give you a damn good chance to.

How Many Decoys Do You Need?

The answer to that question is as many as you can afford. But, since you’re a one man or woman show, take into consideration what is practical. For field hunting, full-body decoys are ideal, but they also take up a ton of space and are a pain in the ass to lug around. The better route is to buy socks and silhouettes (1,500 is about as many as I have ever set alone) in bulk. They are cheaper and lighter than full-bodies, which means you can afford more of them and also carry more afield. They don’t have the realism and detail of full-bodies, but you’re going to get burnt out quick setting 1,000-plus on your own every time. Socks and silhouettes are much more manageable. You can use 12 to 18 full-bodies on higher stakes to hide the blind. I typically brush in a layout really well or use a Tanglefree Ghost Blind and wear all white to blend in with the decoys. I run a majority of the socks and silhouettes on the upwind side of the spread to mimic snows feeding aggressively, then string out the remaining one-third of the spread below the kill hole in a long line with good spacing to make the rig look bigger than it really is.

If you have the financial means, buy several dozen Dave Smith Snow and Blue goose decoys. They are as close to a real snow goose as you can get, but it comes at a cost, which for most won’t be feasible. But they can make a big difference, particularly when chasing adult birds that have 20-plus migrations under their wings. You should definitely invest in snow flyers, which resemble a kite in the shape of a snow goose attached to long fiberglass stakes, and a rotary machine that spins similar snow kites in a circle. And you will need an e-caller, preferably one with an auxiliary jack for multiple speakers.

If you can find water, that’s ideal in terms of the work you will have to put in (it’s also rare to have the chance to shoot snows this way, which makes it fun as hell). Throwing decoys on a watershed is not labor-intensive. Use socks and silhouettes in the shallows and on the banks to round out the spread.

Stay above the water. (Joshua Ness via Unsplash/)

The ultimate in portability and convenience, a qualify fishing kayak can help you to access waters that see less fishing pressure and provide a totally new on-the-water experience. Fishing-specific models include an array of features designed with the angler in mind and make it easier than ever to spend a day on the water.

A quality starter that won’t blow your budget. (Lifetime/)

The Tamarack Angler offers fishing-specific features in a 10-foot kayak at an attractive price point. There’s a pair of flush-mounted rod holders and one top-mounted rod holder. There’s ample storage thanks to a pair of hatches and included bungee rigging for top-mounted storage. The seat is padded as is the adjustable backrest and there are multiple footrest positions for comfort. The kayak weighs about 50 pounds.

Pedal-driven model that’s loaded with fishing features. (Perception Kayaks/)

The Pescador Pilot is equipped for serious fishing. The 12-foot kayak features an integrated pedal-drive for self-powered propulsion. The captain’s chair is made of breathable mesh and is fully removable. A one-hand rudder system makes steering simple when using the pedal system, and there is ample storage with a bungee-retention system. There are four rod-holders molded in, trays for tackle storage, and rails for accessories such as fish-finders and tenders. The boat weighs in at 85 pounds.

A foot-operated rudder to get you exactly where you want to go.

The RA220 has plenty of watertight storage, plus an integrated rudder system for easier steering and a host of angler-pleasing features. This sit-on-top model spans 11 feet, 6 inches and has twin flush-mounted rod holders along with a foot-operated rudder for precise control. The platform is stable enough to stand while fishing. It weighs 68 pounds and is available in seven color combinations.

Ample storage and integrated rudder system make for a maneuverable functional rig. (Brooklyn Kayak Company/)

This 11-foot fishing kayak is built for comfort and function. The Ghost 110 features the dual position Vibe Hero seat that’s fully padded and adjustable to fit just about any angler. There are two flush-mounted rod holders and four gear tracks for all manner of accessories and rigging. This kayak will hold everything you need in its 20-inch front oval hatch, big center console, rear hatch, and bungeed lash areas. A toe-controlled rudder system makes steering easy on long paddles.

The Rio Chama in New Mexico (The Bureau of Land Management/)

In New Mexico right now, no one knows for sure if they can fish public water running through private land.

Today, three groups —the New Mexico Wildlife Federation, New Mexico Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and Adobe Whitewater Club — filed a petition asking the New Mexico Supreme Court to rule in favor of public access.

This comes after a lawsuit last week that the director of the New Mexico Game and Fish Department filed against the Game Commission asking a district judge to decide: Can private landowners exclude fishermen from publicly accessible waters?

The former head of the Game Commission, Joanna Prukop, tried finding a resolution at the end of last year. But midway through the debate she was not reappointed.

Sportsmen’s groups say big, out-of-state money is behind the push to privatize public rivers flowing through private land. They say the New Mexico Constitution and a following supreme court case give public anglers access to bottoms of rivers. They say the commissioner was let go because she tried to sort it out.

Add a soundtrack to your morning. (Scott Goodwill via Unsplash/)

There’s nothing like a good campfire song. But if you can’t sing? Simple. Fire up one of these portable Bluetooth speakers. They’re rugged, so they’ll work even if they get dirty, wet, or fall from your pack. Each is rechargeable and holds enough juice for multiple listening sessions. They’re also compact enough to tuck into just about any pack. Here are some top choices for small, portable speakers that can withstand the elements.

Durable and powerful. (AOMAIS/)

This tough workhorse is fully waterproof, dustproof, and mudproof, and features a rubber armor that protects the device against impacts. It boasts 20W of power and two Sport II units can be paired together for 40W of surround sound that will fill any campsite. The long-life battery provides up to 15 hours of playtime. It’s available in five colors.

Legendary sound in a portable, weatherproof package. (Bose/)

If you’re looking to fill your campsite with the highest of hi-fidelity, the SoundLink Micro is an audio juggernaut. The speaker features a 30-foot Bluetooth range, is fully waterproof and offers up to six hours of playtime on a full charge. The palm-sized speaker can be paired with a second SoundLink Micro in either party mode or stereo mode for even more sound. It’s available in blue, orange, or black.

Clip-and-go tunes for anywhere. (JBL/)

If your camping adventure takes you far from the trailhead and space is limited, the Clip 3 will provide plenty of quality sound without taking up valuable real estate in your pack. You’ll get 10 hours of playtime from a single charge and the integrated carabiner makes toting the speaker a breeze. It’s IPX7 waterproof and it doubles as a speakerphone when paired with your Bluetooth smartphone.

Big on booming bass, small in size. (Tribit/)

Bass-lovers will love this option. The MaxSound Plus boasts MaxSound Plus technology that delivers deep, booming bass for a 24W amplifier. The speaker offers extended 100-foot Bluetooth range and a stout 20 hours of playtime. It’s fully waterproof and weighs just over one pound.