OutdoorHub
Hunting “the Other” Spring Snow Geese
March will soon be here! It’s when hopelessly devoted waterfowl hunters begin thinking about (and pursuing) spring season snow geese. Hunting these birds as they follow the snow line and the warming weather north has become extremely popular throughout the birds’ range. As many or more light geese are taken during spring seasons as in the fall. Outside of the occasional dove shoot in Mexico, good days of spring snow goose hunting are the closest thing North America offers to the high-volume wingshooting of South America and elsewhere.
Most of the focus is on the white and slate blue...
13 Bizzare Elk Facts That Most Hunters Don’t Know
For thousands of years, hunters, scientists, and nature lovers have been fascinated by North American elk. To the Lakota, elk represented strength, courage, and wisdom. At birth, Lakota boys were given an elk tooth charm to ward off ill fortune and to promote a long life. Some of that wild mystery persists to this day, and few people are more enamored with elk than those who hunt them. Across North America, sportsmen and conservationists have worked to protect elk and elk habitat, successfully restoring the population to over a million individuals from steady declines in the past few...
Video: Watch a Hay Bale Drive This Bear Nuts
It doesn't take a lot to put bears in a playful mood, and something as simple as a bale of hay could fascinate these animals for hours on end. Or at least until they destroy it and lose interest. This video, reportedly taken near a wildlife conservation center in Alaska, shows a wild bear appropriating a bale of hay that was probably meant for another resident.
In research studies, bear toys are called "enrichment items" and can include anything from tires to large, solidly-built puzzles. In the wild, bear toys are usually anything the bruins can lift and won't run away from them.
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Video: Did This NPS Camera Record a “Bigfoot Family” Hunting Bison?
A video uploaded to YouTube is making waves online after some viewers claimed to see the mythical "Bigfoot"---or even a pack of the cryptids---stalking a group of bison. According to the Casper Star-Tribune, the video was first uploaded by YouTube user Mary Greeley, who claims the footage was taken by a NPS camera in Yellowstone National Park. The recording starts off uneventfully with a small herd of bison approaching...
Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act of 2015
On Thursday, US Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Senator Martin Heinrich (D-New Mexico) introduced the Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act of 2015. Like previous versions, the act includes a number of provisions that will protect the rights of hunters and anglers and expand access in federal lands.
"The number one issue for sportsmen and women across the country is access. This widely supported, bipartisan bill will open more areas to hunting and fishing and grow America's thriving outdoor recreation economy," said Heinrich in a Read more »
Best New Products for Hunters from SHOT Show 2015
SHOT Show is the largest trade show of its kind in the world, with every major hunting manufacturer in attendance showcasing what’s new for 2015. If it’s a cool, new hunting product, you can see it at SHOT. These are my top picks for hunters from this year's show.
1. Smith & Wesson Model 460XVR Bone Collector Limited Edition
The new Smith & Wesson 460 XVR revolver, with its two-tone finish, 7.5-inch barrel and five-round...
The Casio Pro Trek Watch in the Field and on the Water
When I was asked to field test the new Casio Pro Trek PRG270 watch I agreed, but was a bit skeptical. Over the years, I have owned a lot of watches, and they inevitably end up broken and waterlogged sitting in a drawer someplace in the house collecting dust. For me, a watch, like my shotgun or fishing rod, has to be able to stand up to the rigors and abuse of hunting and fishing some of the most rugged and diverse ecosystems that our country has to offer. I have been on a quest for years to find that one watch that I can...
SCI Highlight: Why Would an American Want to Hunt Canadian Whitetail?
Whitetail deer are the most populous big game animal in the United States, so why should a hunter travel to Canada to hunt them? The photo above helps make the case, but I tapped two outfitters to help explain the advantages of a Canadian whitetail safari.
Alberta
“Most stateside hunters have never hunted deer where there are caribou, elk, mule deer, grizzly bear, black bear, and wolves, lots of wolves," said Ron Nemecheck of North River Outfitting. "Feel free to take a couple of those home with you,” he added with a laugh. “I hunt North...
Video: What Happens to Shed Antlers You Don’t Pick Up?
Hunting for shed antlers is great fun and an easy way to get kids into the great outdoors. But there's no way that shed hunters could collect every discarded antler in the woods, could they? So what happens to those racks left on the forest floor? Do they decay, melt away, or get carried off by an army of insects?
As it turns out, loose antlers are often taken care of by squirrels. These big-toothed rodents scour the forest floor for bony treats, which they quickly nibble away. Antlers are actually a good source for mineral salts and help to keep teeth worn down, so they are highly prized...
Minnesota’s Famous Wandering Moose Was Killed by Brain Worms
Last Friday the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) confirmed that the cause of death for a wandering moose in Sleepy Eye, nicknamed "Bullwinkle" by some residents, was a brain worm infection.
The young bull had been first found in the area last November, which was unusual as moose very rarely migrate so far south from their territories in northeastern Minnesota. Fond of eating discarded apples and relaxing in residents' backyards, the mild-mannered moose quickly became a hit with the people of Sleepy Eye.
“He had become a local favorite,” DNR biologist Michelle...
FNH USA FN 15 Rifle
Last year, FNH USA finally began selling complete ARs on the American commercial market. The company has been manufacturing a number of arms for the United States military for quite some time, including the M16/M4 series of rifles and carbines, the M240 machine gun, and the Mk 19 grenade launcher. The first models introduced to the consumer model at large were the FN 15 Carbine and the FN 15 Rifle.
The Carbine and Rifle are basically semiautomatic versions of the short M4 and long-barreled M16A4, respectively (the Carbine has a 16-inch barrel to remain outside the realm of NFA items). I’m...
Video: Raccoon Tries to Wrestle Young Deer
It seems that humans aren't alone in thinking of raccoons as pests, if the video below is any indicator. Raccoons love to wrestle, bite, and generally be annoying if you're anything other than another raccoon. This young deer found itself an involuntary sparring partner after a bored raccoon decided that it looked at him funny, and to the deer's credit, it doesn't seem to mind much.
That, or it thinks it's just getting an overly rambunctious hug.
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The Guns of ‘American Sniper’
Over the course of four tours of duty in Iraq, Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle was shot twice and and caught in six different IED explosions. The son of a Sunday school teacher and a deacon, Kyle was later awarded two Silver Stars, five Bronze Stars, and came to be known as "Legend" among the American soldiers he was tasked to protect. To his enemies, Kyle was called the "Devil of Ramadi," and there was little question why. By the time he returned home for the last time, the sniper had racked up 160 confirmed kills, making him the most lethal sniper in US military history. Tragedy struck at...
Colorado Angler Crushes State Flathead Catfish Record
On January 19, Tony Chavez pulled in a 27-pound, 3.68-ounce flathead catfish from a basin below Colorado's John Martin Reservoir. Lured in by chicken livers, this giant catfish weighed nearly twice that of the state's previous record, which was caught in Pueblo Reservoir back in 2011. Officials from Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) have recognized Chavez's fish as the new state record by a landslide.
"We are really excited for Tony and for John Martin Reservoir," said, Jim Ramsay, CPW Aquatic Biologist, in a press...
In Search of Trout and a Functioning Furnace on Wisconsin Ice
Mark Stange and I took turns wiping condensation off the ice shanty’s windows on a recent Sunday morning, doing what we could to keep an eye on our two tip-ups and four homemade hook-setting rigs on the Waupaca Chain of Lakes here in Wisconsin.
After each window wipe, we’d shake the water off our gloves, upper sleeves, and anything else we pressed into service. Although he’s not always the most empathetic guy, Stange apologized for not bringing rags, napkins, or paper towels to wipe the windows. Then again, at the rate we were wiping, we would have filled a barrel with soggy paper...
SCI Highlight: The Big Five Safari in Africa—Does It Still Exist?
The big five safari is an iconic outdoor adventure that's been enjoyed by the likes of former President Teddy Roosevelt and other legendary hunters. However, is such a hunt possible today? What would it be like? What would it cost? At this week’s Safari Club International Convention in Las Vegas I tracked down Keith Atcheson, who grew up in his father’s big game booking business and has been advising hunters for 40 years. He was kind enough to explain where a hunter could pursue each of the big five animals...
Video: How to Speed Load Your Shotgun Like Jerry Miculek
Speed shooter Jerry Miculek may be better known for his fast trigger finger, his reloads are just as impressive. In this video, Jerry demonstrates that reloading is not just about having dexterous fingers, but also about having the right equipment. This modified stickloader lets Jerry fire off eight shots with a reload in just 3.5 seconds. If you're curious, the shotgun he is using is a 12 gauge Jerry Miculek Series 930 Mossberg with a modified Arredondo Speedloader chute and a modified Armstec TECLoader.
http://youtu.be/xXkyEbrqNGw...
Rare Goblin Shark Caught by Australian Fishermen
The goblin shark is a strong contender for the most bizarre-looking fish in the world, especially with its flabby body, almost-vestigial fins, and characteristic elongated nose. Though goblin sharks are also one of the rarest shark species in existence, fishermen off the eastern coast of Australia found one of the uncommon critters dead in their nets last week.
"I wasn't [freaked out], if anything I was pretty excited. I've seen photos of them before but I've never seen one before," Lochlainn Kelly told Read more »
Hundreds of Manatees Close Down Florida Wildlife Refuge
More than 300 manatees crowded into Three Sisters Springs north of Tampa, Florida yesterday, causing wildlife officials to temporarily close the waterway. According to the Southwest Florida Water Management District, the closure will remain in place depending on tides and the manatee count, which is believed to be an all-time record for the waterway. In fact, Citrus County is now host to an unusually large population of manatees, with biologists counting a record 797 as of last Friday.
This might not be good news for Three Sisters...
Group Sues Washington, DC Over “Good Reason” Concealed Carry Requirement
On Tuesday the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Washington, DC over what the group called "highly restrictive" requirements for applicants to obtain a concealed carry permit.
In 2014, a five-year legal battle between the city and gun rights advocates concluded with a federal court decision that struck down DC's long-standing concealed carry ban. That decision led Mayor Vincent C. Gray to Read more »