OutdoorHub
Seeing What You Can’t See, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Thermal Vision
If you really want to be able to see, sometimes you have to use a lens that you can’t see through.
I recently toured one of FLIR’s manufacturing facilities and got quite the lesson on how to see things you can’t really see. While FLIR makes a wide variety of "sensing" gear, not just infrared products, they’re most commonly known for commercial and military products that help folks see things not normally visible to the human eye. By using lenses made from exotic materials like Germanium and Zinc Selenide and adding a touch of...
“Buy a Joe a Cup of Joe” for Christmas
Yes, this weekly post is about “all things shotgunning.” As such, you might expect its author’s time is spent immersed in “all things shotgunning.” That's largely true, but I do try to pick my head up off the stock for a little while each day and see what’s going on in the rest of the world. That’s especially true during the holidays.
In the summer of 2012, I was honored to participate in the Armed Forces Entertainment/Paralyzed Veteran's of America Outdoor Legends Tour. It was the idea of the National Wild Turkey Federation and Mossy Oak, that came into being when nine of...
The US Navy’s New Aquatic Drone is a Cross Between a Tuna and a Shark
Weighing in at 100 pounds and measuring five feet long, a device dubbed the "GhostSwimmer" is the newest piece of technology in the US Navy's arsenal. The "silent" aquatic drone is one of the first working prototypes in the Navy's "Silent Nemo" program, a project named after the clown fish of the same name in Disney's Finding Nemo. GhostSwimmer is built like a cross between a shark and bluefin tuna, and according to a Navy press release, is much quieter than a comparable drone with rotating propellers.
What...
Video: Lone 9x19mm Cartridge Flies Off into Space
The team over at ammoman.com may have a little too much time on their hands, or just a fascination with science. With a bunch of packing tape, balsa wood, helium, and a single 9x19mm round, the amateur physicists sent the cartridge floating off to space on a large balloon. According to their website, the rig reached 120,000 feet---or roughly 22 miles---above land before the balloon popped and sent the contraption back to earth. At its highest point, the 9x19mm experienced a temprature of -77.8 degrees Fahrenheit.
"No matter what the real...
Exotic African Wildcat Found on Vancouver Island
When Peter Henry saw a cat dart out in front of his truck while driving in the Sooke area of Vancouver Island on Monday, the last thing that he expected was a species whose native range was thousands of miles away.
“I ran over this exotic serval cat last night... waiting for conservation officers to contact me!" he wrote on Facebook. "Kinda shocking when it jumped out in front of the truck!”
According to the CBC, the unfortunate animal was indeed a serval wild cat....
Muzzleloader Explodes Like Grenade, Takes Off Shooter’s Fingers
Most black powder muzzleloaders come with instructions that emphatically warn you to not use anything other than black powder, and any seasoned shooter will tell you that swapping powders can be a recipe for disaster. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources recently put up a photo of a completely shattered muzzleloader on its Law District 7 Facebook page. According to officials, this was one accident was not caused by a malfunction, but rather a...
Photos: Hands-on with the New Desert Tech MDR
For Nick Young, a longtime friend of mine and owner of Desert Tech, manufacturing firearms is about making what’s best, not easiest---even if it involves reinventing the wheel. While everyone else was repackaging the same old bolt-action rifle, Desert Tech created the first truly usable bullpup sniper rifle. It was no easy task taking what Nick thought was the best of several existing systems an melding them into the SRS. It took over a year to create the first working prototype. It is now a well-respected precision rifle used by enthusiasts and...
Will Texas Overturn Its 140-year-old Ban on Open Carry?
Open carry advocates in the Lone Star State are crossing their fingers and hoping that 2015 will be the year in which the state's 140-year-old ban on open carry is finally struck down. That hope rides on a number of bills awaiting the start of the legislative session in January, along with promises from Governor-elect Greg Abbot to push for more gun rights.
"If open carry is good enough for Massachusetts, it's good enough for the state of Texas," Abbot told the Associated Press.
Despite...
Video: Shooting an Over-lubricated Gun
Is there such a thing as too much oil on a gun? Larry Vickers puts the myth of over-lubrication to the test at Gunsite Academy in Arizona. Of course, drowning firearms in Castrol GTX engine oil is hardly a good recipe for a fun day at the range (especially if you drop it in the dirt), but will the gun malfunction? Watch the video below to find out.
http://youtu.be/p9bOT_d60LM...
Angler Lost at Sea Fixes Radio with Coat Hanger, Gets Rescued by Coast Guard
On Thanksgiving day, the US Coast Guard received a short distress call from Ron Ingraham roughly 40 miles off the coast of Kailua, Hawaii. According to CNN, it was the last time anyone would communicate with the 67-year-old angler for 12 days, until miraculously, Ingraham was able to make one last transmission.
"This is a mayday, mayday, mayday," said Ingraham on December 9, eight days after the Coast Guard suspended its search. "...Small boat, in danger of sinking."
The angler was picked up 64 miles south of...
7 More Celebrities You Didn’t Know Were Hunters
Last month we covered seven female celebrities that you may not have known are hunters, so it is only proper to follow up with a list of seven male stars who are as equally keen about the great outdoors. These movie stars, musicians, and athletes have enjoyed international acclaim throughout their careers, but their fame also comes with a downside. Their celebrity status makes them big targets for anti-hunting groups, but that doesn't stop these men from putting on camo. Instead, many...
4 Legendary Ice Fishing Baits That Have Stood the Test of Time
After his Grandpa passed away, Chris Granrud found all of his old ice fishing baits stored in Band-Aid tins. Granrud is an Ice Team Pro Staff angler and a professional guide at Rainydaze Guide Service on Lake of the Woods and Rainy River.
“I found old baits in those tins and they still catch fish, too,” Chris told me. Talking with Chris got me thinking---some ice fishing baits have withstood the test of time. Here are four that have been catching fish for decades and still available in almost every bait store across the ice belt: the Swedish Pimple, the Jigging Rap, the Fat Boy jig, and...
Video: This Mesmerizing Film Shows How a Beretta Shotgun is Made
Have you ever wondered how a Beretta over-under shotgun is made? This short film from Ancarani Studio titled Human Technology follows the production of the one of these luxury firearms from start to finish. The manufacture of a Beretta shotgun is a mesmerizing meld of the high-tech and the traditional.
"Human Technology is a singular and symbolic movie, its cast entirely made up of Beretta workmen, thus illustrating the perfect synthesis between craftsmanship and technology," Beretta writes on its website.
If you've ever wondered where every dollar goes on a Beretta...
Beating the Drum in Bad Weather Along the Upper Gulf Coast
The wind had been blowing for three days when I arrived in Biloxi, Mississippi, to go inshore fishing with Captain Sonny Schindler of Shore Thing Charters one winter. The water in Bay St. Louis looked like a melted Milky Way candy bar. Even though the wind had died down, the fishing conditions on the surface appeared to be horrible at best.
When I met Schindler at the dock, I told him, “I guess this weather has blown our fishing trip.” I expected Schindler to say, “Yes, we’ll just can the trip.” But with a smile on his face, he answered, “Get your stuff, John. We’re going to...
Ohio Gun Bill Heads to Governor, Could Legalize Hunting with Suppressors
Last Wednesday the Ohio House of Representatives voted 69 to 15 to pass HB 234, a bill with numerous pro-gun measures, to Governor John Kasich for his signature. The bill is widely supported by Second Amendment advocates, and would reform the concealed carry process, legalize hunting with suppressors, and recognize handgun licenses from other states.
"Our work today makes it easier for law-abiding citizens to exercise their right to bear arms while putting in safeguards---real safeguards---to keep people safe in Ohio," Senator Joe Uecker (R-Miami Township) told Read more »
Video: How to Make Your Own Headphones with Spent Casings
Inspire to Make recently released this video on how to make a pair of unique headphones with two .40 S&W casings, some spare headphones, an assortment of tools, and a little bit of creativity. No verbal instructions is given, but the video is easy enough to understand. Finding earbuds to fit the brass might be the hard part.
Does this pique your interest? Or would you rather save all your brass for reloading instead?
http://youtu.be/gJOKCtVwI1E...
Arizona’s “Robot” Fish Help Researchers Study Trout
If you fish Arizona's East Verde River, you may soon be reeling in some rainbow trout with a little bit more wiring than usual. That is because the Arizona Game and Fish Department will eventually be releasing 35 rainbow trout implanted with lightweight wire tags into the area. These new "robot"---or more accurately, cyborg---fish will be helping researchers analyze the movement of rainbow trout and better understand how they should be stocked.
“It’s a way to kind of estimate the ultimate goal, which is trying to optimize the number of fish to stock while maintaining high catch...
12-year-old Girl Shoots Mountain Lion Stalking Her on Elk Hunt
When Joshua Caldwell heard the gun shot, his first thought was that his daughter had bagged the bull elk they had seen earlier. As it turned out, 12-year-old Alyssa Caldwell had actually shot a mountain lion instead, at a mere five yards away, from where it could have pounced on the young hunter.
“I already had a feeling that something was watching me or something, but I didn’t see the cat until it was close,” Alyssa told CBS 7.
Alyssa and her father were building a makeshift blind in the New...
Can Deer Get High on Raw Marijuana?
Marijuana plants are hardly a staple in the diets of American cervids, but in Southern Oregon's Applegate Valley, a deer by the name of "Sugar Bob" spends its days nibbling on marijuana leaves and the occasional bud. The medicinal marijuana farm Sugar Bob frequents belongs to Richard Davis, who became friends with the inquisitive deer and now considers it almost like another pet. As Davis tends to his plants, Sugar Bob will do his part by eating whatever drops onto the ground.
"He's just eating a big bud, and he's sitting there and as he's chewing that he's just getting sleepier and...
5 Tips for Fishing for Michigan Hard Water Panfish
Anglers across Michigan always get a good laugh this time of year. As the lakes freeze over and we get ready for the hard water season, those of us with friends in the South get ribbed for venturing out on a frozen lake to chase after a few fish. They just don’t understand how much fun it can be.
Love at first ice
As autumn moved along, the fish were in active feeding mode. When the temperatures stayed below freezing long enough to solidify the surface water, it triggers a whole new feeding frenzy. This can be a great time of year to score a quick limit of bluegill, sunfish, crappie, and...