Hunting and Fishing News & Blog Articles

Sometimes it takes a big crew to keep rabbits running around. (Alex Gyllstrom/)

Close your eyes and picture your ideal rabbit hunting habitat. Chances are it’s some variation of overgrown brush piles, thick tangles of briars, or brushy fence rows bordering an ag field. No question these are incredible places to find a day’s limit of cottontails, but some true rabbit goldmines are right under your nose. There the kinds of places you probably walk by every day without so much as a second glance. I know I did before the rabbit lightbulb finally turned on. To help fill the stew pot after deer season is over, add a few of these unusual and overlooked places to your rabbit hunting arsenal.

Junkyards

The author and two hunting buddies after a successful junkyard hunt. (Alex Gyllstrom/)

At first glance junkyards look, well … junky. They’re not much more than cars, farm equipment, stacks of steel, and piles of old stuff left and forgotten. But they can be a rabbit’s Taj Mahal. To a rabbit, an old car body provides excellent shelter from wind, snow, and rain and gives shade during the summer. Grass and vegetation grow up around the frame providing food and material for dens, and because old cars are usually parked side-by-side, rabbits can easily flee from danger. Next time you’re strolling by on a hunt, give that old bumper a kick and it just might surprise you what comes springing out.

How to Hunt a Junkyard

Whether it’s a pile of random debris, a broken down manure spreader, or old refrigerator, I approach a junkyard in a similar way to a brush pile. Whatever object you’re checking, determine the most likely exit route and approach from the opposite end. If you’re hunting with a buddy or in a small group, make sure you’re a safe distance apart and approach at a slight angle. The goal is for each hunter to be able to cover an area of escape. Keep an eye out for rabbits flushing ahead of you, they may not run far especially if there are plenty of piles for cover.

Almost the real deal. (Andras Vas via Unsplash/)

Whether you’re out in the open plains of the West or the fertile farm ground of the Heartland, a quality turkey decoy can help bring more gobblers into range. Here are a few of our favorites.

An ultra-realistic option for challenging longbeards. (Avian-X/)

During certain times of the spring season, challenging gobblers with a jake decoy can pay off big. This super-realistic half-strut jake from Avian-X mimics the gobbler-enticing pose of an aggressive jake. The decoy is collapsible and easily deployed using the included stake.

Super-portable and easy to transport hen decoy (Montana Decoy/)

A space-saving, weight-trimming decoy option, the Miss Purr-FECT is a fully collapsible hen decoy that features a photo-realistic image printed on the decoy’s fabric. The springform body allows the decoy to be packed into a palm-sized package that weighs less than a pound.

Versatile decoy duo for the full spring season. (Primos /)

Some situations call for a single hen. Others lend themselves to the challenge of a rowdy jake trying to get in good with a local lady. The Gobbstopper combo includes a hen and jake duo that’s ready for any situation. The hen can be used in three positions and both decoys are fully collapsible for easy transport.

Incredible realism to trick wary gobblers. (Dave Smith Decoys/)

When dealing with ultra-wary, pressured gobblers realism matters and the Dave Smith Decoys Leading Hen is incredibly realistic. The decoy is anatomically correct with intricate feather detail and is made from self-healing A.C.E. material which can sustain a shotgun blast with minimal visible damage.

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }

The deeper Brandon Nelson, my buddy from GoPro, drives into Northern Wisconsin, the more I’m mesmerized. The land is a maze of hills, forests, farms, rivers, and lakes. Whitetails are everywhere, and I’m jealous how much water people in this part of the country have at their disposal. Someone could fish for smallmouth, walleye, pike, and catfish after a short drive in any direction—but for decades, muskie have remained the marquee headliner, and the town of Hayward, Wisconsin is celebrated as one of the prime muskie fishing spots in the world. There’s a museum-sized fish replica in the center of town in case you forget that fact.

There’s never any guarantee of catching a muskie, even in the muskie fishing capital of the world. (JC Maldonado/)

Our main goal is to catch a muskie on a flyrod, and capture it all on video. However, I’m making the trek to this part of the country looking for something more than just a fish. If successful, I’ll finally achieve a goal I’ve spent years trying to realize, largely because of my family’s fabled relationship with muskie. Back in the early 1960s, my great grandfather caught one of the largest fish of his life by accident in Canada. He hoisted it in camp for photos, shared the meat with his family, and sprawled the fish’s dried head on a wood board. It was makeshift taxidermy at its best, and it resided in the basement of his Akron, Ohio home. As a kid, it terrified me. Decades later, I’ve spent countless hours chasing something just as large, often in his old boat, which I inherited. My dad has caught muskie, my uncle has caught muskie, but no matter how hard I’ve tried, I haven’t been able to land one … yet.

We’re hedging our mission on the so called “end-of-season-window.” It’s supposed to be the magical time in the heart of a musky’s late fall feeding frenzy when fish strap on the feed bag to prepare for winter and are supposedly “easier” to catch. Joining Brandon and I are friends JC Maldonado, and famed musky fly-fishing guides Jason Stewart and Brad Bohen, who achieved National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame notoriety with a 51.25-inch, fly-caught musky.

Hayward, Wisconsin is the muskie fishing capitol of the world, and the town has a 143-foot fish replica with a museum inside if you want to learn more about its claim to fame. (Hayward Chamber of Commerce/)

Jason knows Hayward’s waters like the back of his hand. He recognizes what we need to do to be successful, I have to remain optimistic, and hopefully the fish work themselves into the scheme somehow. The five of us convene at a local bar, discuss the next day’s strategy, and get some last-minute coaching from Jason about being ready to set the hook after every cast. But I’ve played this game before, and it’s hard to always be ready to strike at something affectionately nicknamed the fish of 10,000 casts.

A little preparation can make a quarantine a lot easier. (Pixabay/)

As the number of people infected by the novel virus COVID-19 increases across the world, the likelihood that you or someone you know would face a quarantine situation is also increasing. Whether you “self-quarantine” to defend yourself from this virus, or your entire town is put under containment, complete with the National Guard soldiers, you’re going to need the same supplies Here’s what you actually need and where can you find it.

First, Don’t Panic

The number one rule in survival isn’t hoarding toilet paper or knowing which wild plants you can eat. The number one rule is “don’t panic.” And yet, the panic buying has begun. Before you max out your credit card on overpriced supplies (that you probably don’t even need), take the time to clear your head and move forward with logic rather than emotion. Fear is a useful asset in our survival tool kit, as it can help to keep us safe. But when fear runs unchecked in the logical mind, like being terrified of a media-hyped virus, that fear can become panic (which can get the best of any of us).

Shop Thoughtfully

One of the best prepper adages is: it’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. This logic is sound, if we apply it to the right supplies and resources. Don’t’ go buy an old Army tank on eBay. You just need the basics. The things you’d need to buy to prepare for a quarantine aren’t much different than the things you need every day. Food, drinks, hygiene supplies, cleaning products, and OTC medicines top the list of necessary supplies. Add in a few things for sanitation, personal protection, and morale, and your shopping list is complete. Just make sure you take inventory of the things you already have, before you head out to the store. Think about the things you’d actually need to run your household for 2 weeks (or a month), if everyone was home all day. Ask yourself:

Say what you want about the hunting world of late, but you can’t say that things aren’t interesting—especially when it comes to hunting ammunition. Over the last 15 years, designers and engineers have rendered the hunter more capable and lethal than ever before. And those same innovative people continue to work hard to keep that trend going. Here’s what’s new and awesome in terms of ammunition, as discovered at the 2020 SHOT Show.

SIG .277 Fury

The Sig .277 Fury features a revolutionary new case design that allows for higher velocities from shorter barrels. (Sig Sauer /)

In a radical departure from traditional cartridge design, Sig Sauer has put together a new and extremely hot cartridge. It’s an intriguing story, but the short of it is that the Fury was developed for military use. The parent cartridge was a .308 and the case itself is made of three-pieces rather than the common one-piece of brass we’re all used to. The forward section of the cartridge is made of brass, while the rear, and case head, are made of stainless steel. A third piece mechanically links the two together.

This construction allows pressures in the case to exceed those of standard and even magnum cartridges by as much as 20 percent. To stand up to the increased pressure Sig announced a new rifle, the Cross, that’s chambered in the .277 Fury. They believe this design may be the way of the future in the ammo world, and when you see the performance of this little cartridge you might agree. It’ll spit a 140-grain projectile downrange in excess of 3,000 FPS from a 16-inch barrel. That’s a lot of medicine in a compact package. Further specs are elusive at the time of this writing, but keep your eye out; they’re sure to be available soon. www.sigsauer.com

Federal Premium Terminal Ascent

You know the backcountry when you see it. The pavement ends, the footpath disappears, and the game trail dissolves into swamp. Your cell signal cuts out as you push deeper into forest, but that doesn’t matter—no one could find you here if they tried. Climbing the next ridge, you hear water, then see it—miles of tight creek all to yourself. Gone are the empty night-crawler containers on the bank, the rusted Panther Martins dangling in the trees. It’s just you and the smallmouths now. Or brown trout. Or, hopefully, both.

Backcountry fishing can be a crapshoot, but spend enough time exploring water that other people don’t want to work for and you’ll find your hands covered in fish slime more often than not. And while the most important tools for the journey are a trailblazer’s attitude and a gambler’s heart, the following gear will help too.

1. Fishpond High-E Hoodie

FishPond High-E Hoodie (FishPond/)

This is my outer layer for weeklong canoe loops. It features high-crimp, ultra-­insulating wool and a breathable, water-resistant exterior that makes all-day exploration efficient and comfortable. It’s cut extra-long in the sleeves and bottom, so your wrist and belly won’t get exposed no matter how far you stretch. ($229)

2. Buff Neck Gaiter

Hank Cherry boats a keeper. (Dalton Tumblin/)

Alabama’s Lake Guntersville put on a show at the 50th Bassmaster Classic. The 53 anglers spent the week dealing with rain, dingy water, and post-front conditions. You wouldn’t expect anything less at bass fishing’s world championship.

Cherry with a life-changing trophy. (James Overstreet/)

At the end of three intense days of competitive fishing, Hank Cherry, who came close to hoisting the Classic trophy in 2013, won the ultimate prize in bass fishing. Here were his lure choices and those of the other top finishers in fishing’s greatest event.

11. Jason Williamson (48-lbs., 14-oz.)

Jason Williamson (Andy Crawford/)

Jason Williamson relied on a trio of lures. A 3/8-ounce, Z-Man Evergreen Chatterbait Jack Hammer with Zoom Super Fluke was a top choice. So was a 1/2-ounce Buckeye Lures Mop Jig. He also used a 1/2-ounce Booyah One Knocker.

10. Matt Herren (49-lbs., 5-oz.)

The USFWS has clarified rules around deterring grizzly bears. (NPS.Gov/)

Ranchers and landowners in Montana will now have the liberty to pop a grizzly bear with a paintball, and not risk a ticket from the feds.

Now they may risk a mauling from an angry and colorful bear, but that’s another story.

Here’s the deal. Grizzly bears are protected in Montana under the Endangered Species Act. Under that law, it’s illegal to harm or harass protected species, except when defending human life.

Grizzly bears are also growing in number in Montana, expanding farther out of the mountains and into the prairies. In the prairies, they are more likely to get into conflict with ranchers and other rural property owners. Those folks wanted some way to deter bears, and plans to hunt them have been held up in federal court.

This week the US Fish and Wildlife Service, which administers the Endangered Species Act, released a secretarial order that defines how state wildlife management agencies and residents may legally harass grizzly bears, without getting sideways with the law. This being 2020, the Montana Department of Fish Wildlife & Parks announced the new rules on, you guessed it, Facebook.

If you live in a big city and love to hunt and fish, it can be a struggle to find a place to pursue those passions and find success. Hooking into a hot bed of smallies or shooting a doe, few ducks or rabbits for the pot is more difficult in urban areas than the back 40. But in many cases outdoor opportunities are abound right outside city limits, it’s just a matter of finding them. That’s where this list comes in. It will give you better options to find, and take advantage of, the public access closest to you. Just remember when folks at the check station ask how you found out about their honey hole, mum’s the word.

Whitetails are plentiful on portions of NYC’s Watershed Lands. (USFWS/)

New York City

Best Public Option: New York City Department of Environmental Protection Watershed Lands

Best Species to Hunt/Fish: Whitetail deer, largemouth bass

Distance from City: 20 miles

In addition to featuring exhibitors touting some of the world’s most coveted hunting and fishing opportunities, this year’s Safari Club International Convention, held in Reno, showcased work by renowned wildlife artists. Following are a dozen of the more striking exhibits.

1. On the Horn of a Dilemma

Kanati Elite Taxidermy, Myerstown, Pennsylvania

Kanati Elite Taxidermy, rhinoceros mount (Ralph P. Stuart/)

A white rhino bull lumbers along while being harassed by three hyenas. This piece combines the taxidermy of real animals (the hyenas) with a replica (the rhino). Kanati Elite Taxidermy has developed a proprietary process using synthetic composites to reproduce materials like skin and horns. On a “green hunt” for a rhino, the hunter darts the animal, takes photos and measurements, and turns over the material to Kanati to create a true-to-life reproduction.

2. White Wonder

Wolves are the most controversial predator in America. (National Parks Service/)

I recall the first time I cut wolf tracks on a frozen river in the Canadian Rockies, following the lone animal on my cross-country skis for a full day, hoping for a glimpse. It was a heady experience for a 19-year-old raised on Jack London novels.

Now, 33 years later, there is no novelty in wolf tracks where I live in northwestern Montana. Wolves have gone from ghostlike rumors to commonplace. These days it’s rare to go out in a fresh snow and NOT see wolf tracks. The natural world has changed dramatically.

The political world changed along with it. Americans are polarized. Nowhere is this more evident than regarding wolves. My neighbors have license plates that read “WolfH8R” and bumper stickers urging folks to “Smoke a Pack A Day.”

Camps are staked out as pro-wolf or anti-wolf. But wildlife management happens in the real world. Even in a snowy forest, black and white fade to shades of grey.

After I wrote about wolves, one of my readers called wolves vermin that needed to be eliminated. “As a hunter,” another reader asked, “why would you even want them around?”

A bipartisan deal would fully fund the LWCF and provide more than $1 billion per year for clearing the maintenance backlogs in our national parks. (NPS.Gov/)

President Trump has evidently undergone an election-year conversion on the topic of the Land & Water Conservation Fund, pumping new energy into the campaign for full and permanent funding of this critically important access and habitat conservation tool.

This week, Trump used his favorite platform – Twitter – to express his enthusiasm for LWCF. He wrote: “I am calling on Congress to send me a Bill that will fully and permanently fund the LWCF and restores our National Parks. When I sign it into law, it will be HISTORIC for our beautiful public lands.”

He goes on to thank Sens. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., and Steve Daines, R-Mont., whom he called “GREAT Conservative Leaders.”

In this highly partisan era, LWCF is one of the relatively few government programs that consistently receives support on both sides of the aisle. Even so, it has critics among those who frown upon the idea of government owning land in the first place. Full funding for the LWCF has received pushback because some lawmakers argue the massive $12 billion backlog in national parks maintenance needed to be addressed first.

It seems President Trump and the Senate are ready to tackle both issues with one deal. Yesterday, Senate leaders announced a bipartisan deal that would spend about $2.2 billion per year on conservation and outdoor projects and national park maintenance across the country, according to the New York Times.

Having patience and dialing back on calling can kill toms in the rain. (Jace Bauserman/)

The rain was falling sideways and the tin roof of the cabin was rattling. Thunder clapped and lightning flashed—for once, the weather man was right. Damn him. I was pissed. My bunk mate, three-time NWTF Grand National Turkey Calling Champion Billy Yargus, must have sensed my tension.

“Don’t worry,” I heard him whisper from under his bed sheets. “We’re still gonna kill them in the morning. It’s gonna be nasty, but we are going, and we will have the woods to ourselves.”

The rain was falling in sheets when we arrived at the field, but the lighting had stopped. Thank God. I snagged a Primos Double Bull blind and started the march across the muddy beans.

“Wouldn’t want to hunt in this without a blind,” Billy said as we erected our ground fort under the cover of darkness. We were cold, wet, and our boots were caked with pounds of black Missouri mud. The turkeys didn’t gobble, which was expected, but an hour after first light a lone tom appeared across the field. I had one of the best callers in the world sitting next to me, and in minutes, the bird was flopping in our decoy spread.

We stayed put in the blind for a few more hours. The rain was relentless, and the wind reached hurricane speeds a time or two. More than once, Billy and I had to hold the blind down to prevent it from taking flight. Still, every 15 or 20 minutes, Billy would call.

If you want to protect your dog from fleas and ticks, but don’t want to use harsh treatments, know that there are all-natural alternatives. (Helena Lopes/)

Many chemical-based dog products available today ward off ticks and fleas. They’re effective, and many dog owners use them without incident. But not all dogs, or dog owners, are the same. Some dogs have skin reactions to the chemicals. Some dog owners are concerned about the long-term effects of their use, or simply don’t want to use anything on their dog that they wouldn’t use on themselves. Or some owners just don’t want to have a dog with chemicals on it hanging around the house.

Fortunately, there are numerous products that will keep ticks and fleas off of your dog. Many dog owners will use a combination of these and make them part of daily, dog-care regimen. Here are a few choices.

A Fine-toothed Brush

A de-shedding tool has closely spaced teeth that catch crawling ticks and reveal fleas. (PetNeat/)

It’s always a good practice to brush your dog regularly to remove loose hairs and keep its coat looking good. A fine-tooted wire brush, with its narrow, closely spaced teeth, will not only remove loose follicles, it also will catch any ticks that aren’t embedded and reveal any fleas in the fur. This is an important first step in controlling ticks and fleas naturally, and one you should practice regularly.

Tick Removal Tool

You may have watched every survival video on YouTube (twice), but there’s a big difference between watching someone perform a complex skill and performing it yourself. The best way to learn is under the careful eye of a seasoned survival instructor. I’ve been a survival instructor for more than 20 years, and can tell you it shortens the learning curve. This is a list of the 10 best survival schools in the lower 48 states for outdoorsmen to hone their skills and take their knowledge of the wilderness to the next level.

1. Mountain Shepherd Adventure School

Mountain Shepherd provides empowerment, education, leadership, and survival training. (Mountain Shepherd/)

For women and young girls looking to avoid the macho nonsense that can accompany survival training, take heed. Mountain Shepherd Adventure School provides top-notch wilderness survival, first-aid, and bushcraft training in one of the most beautiful settings in Virginia. They also have an amazing infrastructure in place. There’s not only a huge lodge, and a cabin with rooms you can book for your stay during classes, they’ve got a pub onsite (for those of age). And even though the amenities are remarkable, it doesn’t take away from the training. School owner Dina Imbriani, along with a large staff of skilled women and men, bring their love of the outdoors into every class. From women-only classes to adventurous wilderness survival outings, the team at Mountain Shepherd will guide you as you grow, developing skills and gaining a new understanding of the wilderness. And if you have a young outdoorswoman in the family, Mountain Shepherd has a girl’s camp each summer.

2. Byron Kerns Survival

During his admirable military career, owner and operator Byron Kerns was a U.S. Air Force SERE instructor. Teaching civilians since 1996 and operating as Byron Kerns Survival since 2008, Byron is based in Georgia and occasionally teaches in Florida. His classes include: wilderness survival, instructor training courses, minimalist survival, escape and evasion, as well as parent and child classes. He is always glad to share his wisdom with anyone who shares his passion for survival skills. Over the years, he has worked with the public in many capacities and has even provided training for the next generation of American survival instructors (some of his students have founded their own schools).

These common-sense steps will help you prepare for the outbreak. (Dr. Fred Murphy, Centers for Disease Control/)

Fear activates people. It sells surgical masks and medical gloves. It sells bleach and disinfecting spray. But even more than than selling products, fear drives people to obsessively gobble up social media posts and scroll through traditional media reports. But instead of panicking at the prime time reports, let’s cut through the B.S. and make emergency preparedness a real priority before the coronavirus spreads throughout the country. Here’s how.

What is the Coronavirus?

What is this alarming aliment and where did it come from? Last year, a new virus was discovered in humans and initially named “SARS-CoV-2.” A close relative of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), the disease was renamed “coronavirus disease 2019” (which is shortened to “COVID-19”). First detected in Wuhan, China, the disease is now confirmed in some 60 locations internationally, including in the United States. Coronaviruses are nothing new (and that’s why they’re listed on your Lysol can). This huge family of viral organisms is found in people and plenty of “Old World” animals (like bats, camels, cattle, and cats). Initially, the outbreak epicenter involved people who had ties to a major seafood and live animal market in Wuhan, but soon, the disease seemed to spread person-to-person. On January 30, 2020, an emergency committee of the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern.” Symptoms of COVID-19 infection range from those of a mild respiratory cold, to major flu-like symptoms that require hospitalization.

What Makes a Pandemic So Dangerous?

The two main things that make a pandemic dangerous are communicability and lethality. The definition of a pandemic is an infectious disease that had spread around the globe, and it will only do this when the organism is easy to spread (highly communicable). Diseases that are strictly blood borne are not likely to jump out of a carrier and all over the other passengers at the international airport, for example. Yet something that’s easily spread in the air (by droplets from coughing and sneezing, breath/body fluids, or other close contact), can spread across the globe in a few days (due to the speed of modern international travel). If the wide-spreading ailment is just a common cold, it doesn’t matter too much. But when it is an illness with a higher than normal mortality rate—that’s when things get ugly. So far, COVID-19 isn’t proving to be as fatal as our fears might imagine—but it is very catchy. Some reports are suggesting that people are “reacquiring” the illness, effectively catching the same virus twice.

The lever-action takes a back seat to modern, extreme range, precision rifles, but it’s still one of the coolest, most effective whitetail hunting rifles in the woods. (Ron Spomer/)

Most hunters inherit or buy a rifle and learn to love it. A few are dissatisfied and search and search for the perfect model. A few churn through gun after gun, enjoying each for what it does well, but always trade up or try something new. This constant searching and cycling reveals what most of us might consider some “cool” guns—actions, sizes, calibers, and qualities that somehow combine to heighten the cool factor. Cool, however, is in the eye of the beholder. Below are some of the most awesome rifles I’ve been fortunate to shoot and hunt with. See if you agree or if you’ve shot some that are even cooler. If you have, tells us about them in the comments section.

1. Winchester M94 .30-30

Two classics born for one another. The Winchester M94 lever-action and .30-30 Winchester cartridge. Now 125 years old and still going strong. (Ron Spomer/)

The coolest rifle I ever shot was a Winchester Model 94 lever-action in .30-30 Winchester with open sights—just as it came off the manufacturer’s floor. It was 1968. I was barely old enough to legally hunt deer, but barely is good enough when you’ve been champing at the bit for four years.

“This is what you should get,” the dealer said as he handed over a Model 70 bolt-action. It looked klutzy and un-cool compared to that lever-action cowboy gun I wanted to buy. All the TV heroes shot lever-actions—Clint Eastwood, John Wayne. Besides, I’d trained on a Daisy Red Ryder BB gun.

Classically cool. The famous lever-action brush rifle in .30-30. Still-hunter’s dream date. (Ron Spomer/)

“Let me see that lever-action in a thirty thirty,” I said, pointing behind him at his basement wall lined with rifles. Back in those days virtually anyone could buy and sell guns out of their house if they wanted. And we drove to school with them in our pickups, most of them hanging in a rack against the rear window for everyone to see, the pickups unlocked. This had been going on since pickups were invented. No one had ever stolen a gun one or used it to harass, threaten, or kill anyone in the 85-year history of our town.

Evolution is a slow process. We tend to believe that the trout swimming in our rivers now are smarter than the ones that were swimming there 25 or even 100 years ago, but the truth is they’ll eat the same flies they did back then. Thanks to modern synthetic materials and flashy new patterns, a lot of the old stuff has lost its rightful place in fly boxes. But sometimes those forgotten gems save the day, or crush more fish than the latest and greatest bug. So, this winter, when you’ve topped off your scotch after shoveling snow and you sit down at the vise, consider spinning up these five old-school killers. You’ll be happy you did come spring.

These “old dog” trout flies don’t need new tricks to crush big fish. (Cliff Gardiner & John Keller/)

1. Whitlock’s Near Nuff Sculpin

Legend has it that Dave Whitlock once told Lefty Kreh, “You can use this fly, but you can never write about it.” Fortunately, the secret is long out, so I’m safe giving it some ink. Large streamers delivered on sinking lines are all the rage these days, and some in the meat-stripping crowd may find it hard to believe that sometimes smaller is much more potent. The Near Nuff doesn’t have a lot of body, and it’s weighted with small lead eyes, so it gets down fast with little resistance. Whether you’re on a big Western river or meandering spring creek, if fishing gets slow, give this morsel a dredge. No, you don’t need a sinking line, and yes, it will cast just fine on your 5-weight.

2. Goddard Caddis

John Goddard and Clive Henry developed the G&H Sedge pattern in England in the early 1960s. Here in the States, we simply call it the Goddard Caddis. And in its heyday, many even referred to it as the “Godlike Caddis.” There was a good reason for that. You can tie or buy the Goddard in a wide range of sizes, and it’ll match everything from small terrestrials to caddisflies to midsize golden stoneflies. One of my favorite attributes of this pattern is that its spun-deer-hair body makes it float like a cork. You can drift smaller Goddards in heavy chop without them sinking, and you can even use them as the indicator in a dry-dropper rig. Tied in all black, they are absolutely deadly.

Don’t give up on silent gobblers. (USFWS/)

If there is something in hunting that compares to spring turkey gobbles ringing through the hardwoods at sunrise, I haven’t found it. No matter how many mornings I spend with my back against a tree, there’s always that anticipation of hearing the first tom sound off—it gets my heart racing uncontrollably. But no matter how vocal, there are many times when longbeards go silent after a morning display.

Every seasoned turkey hunter has had it happen. A turkey gobbles on the limb, answering every scratch form the slate call. He’s hooked! Or so you thought. The tom lets out a thundering rattle and you hear his wings beating down through the canopy to the forest floor. You reposition your shotgun and wait…and wait. And you never hear another peep. Now what? Call it a day? If you’re like me—unless your wife is in labor or you’re out of vacation days AND sick time—you’re not leaving the woods until shooting time is up. So when gobblers turn into ghosts, here is what you should do.

1. Toms Can’t Tell Time

The biggest mistake a hunter can make is to hunt turkeys like they are on a schedule. One of the most successful guys I know often reminds folks he hunts with the mentality that he has “never seen an ol’ gobbler wearing a wrist watch.” There are definitely times to get aggressive and go after a bird, but I view turkey hunting like a game of blackjack. If I’m sitting on 16, I’m going to hang back and bank on the dealer busting. So, don’t get in a rush to chase a silent tom. Give that bird time to make the first mistake (which will be his last) by coming to you, especially if you are in an area where toms have been trafficking.

2. Every Property Has Strut Zones

A new Backcountry Conservation Area is being proposed near Lewistown, Montana. (Charlie Bulla, via TRCP/)

Over the past month, Outdoor Life’s hunting editor Andrew McKean has had two opportunities to interview Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt. The first interview was a wide-ranging conversation about topics as varied as CWD funding, actions that federal agencies are taking to prepare public lands for climate change, and the status of acting BLM director William Perry Pendley.

The second interview detailed a new BLM designation called Backcountry Conservation Areas that aim to perpetuate sportsmen’s access to public lands but to give managers tools to improve wildlife habitat and improve public recreational opportunities. These BCAs got their first showing earlier this month in the BLM’s proposed Resource Management Plans for the Lewistown and Missoula areas in Montana as well as the Four Rivers Field Office in southwest Idaho.

The new land designation is intended to “promote public access to support wildlife-dependent recreation and hunting opportunities and facilitate the long-term maintenance of big-game wildlife populations,” said the BLM in a statement. Bernhardt told McKean the new designation is designed to “perpetuate traditional access and to take care of our best big-game habitat, using migration mapping and other information to improve the habitat even more. Other uses, like oil and gas development or mining, are still allowed but they’re secondary to those two things. We think it’s an important way to recognize the value of some of these lands to wildlife.”

The BCAs will curtail some uses, including minimizing surface occupancy of critical lands and regulating viewsheds, but lands in BCAs will generally be open to traditional multiple uses, including motorized travel and the use of mechanized equipment for habitat improvement projects. Backcountry Conservation Areas are planned as land-use designations in other resource management plans scheduled to be released later this year and into 2021.

Later, Bernhardt sat down for a wide-ranging interview. Here are some sound bites from that discussion, plus a lightly edited transcript of the full interview.