OutdoorHub
Sportsmen Rally to Keep Public Lands Public in Montana Capital
On Saturday, hundreds of hunters, anglers, and other outdoor enthusiasts flooded the lawn of the Montana State Capitol in Helena. Despite a torrential downpour, many stayed to listen to speakers advocating for the protection of federal lands. Their message: keep public lands in the hands of the public.
"People showed up in droves," Land Tawney, president of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers (BHA), told OutdoorHub. "Over 300 people on a rainy Saturday when they could be out chasing elk or watching a homecoming game, it’s a big deal. It should...
Thieves Nab 8 Rare, Antique Bows from Archery Museum
Eight antique and rare bows were stolen from a museum in New Westminster, British Columbia last week. According to Global News, the bows were on display at Boorman Archery shop and museum before last Friday, when thieves smashed through a window and escaped with the valuable items. It is likely that the thieves were familiar with the prices of the bows, estimated at over $20,000, since they targeted them specifically. The museum's owner, Ron Boorman, said that the stolen bows were...
A Book Review: Beryl Markham’s ‘West with the Night’
Did you read Beryl Markham’s book, West with the Night? She has written so well, and marvelously well, that I was completely ashamed of myself as a writer. I felt that I was simply a carpenter with words, picking up whatever was furnished on the job and nailing them together. But she can write rings around all of us who consider ourselves writers.
-Ernest Hemingway (from a letter to Maxwell Perkins)
First printed in 1942, Beryl Markham's West with the Night only sold moderately well despite stellar reviews. It was out of print for nearly four decades until rediscovered and...
Wyoming Officials Fight to Save Wolf Season, Governor Mead Files Emergency Rule
Last week Wyoming Governor Matt Mead signed an emergency rule in response to the recent decision by US District Judge Arm Berman Jackson to restore federal protection to the state's wolf population. The emergency rule will establish a new management plan by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (GFD) that officials hope will satisfy Jackson's concerns, while still preserving this year's upcoming wolf season. Governor Mead announced that the emergency rule will be in...
Talismans Lead to Good Fortune on Idaho Elk Hunt
With my stomach growling and the noon-hour ending, I realized lunch could wait no longer. It was time to find a shady spot to escape the sun and the detection of any elk that might pass within arrow range.
It was day four of my annual bowhunt in southeastern Idaho. Each of the previous days I’d been within 50 yards of bugling bulls, but I either spooked or couldn’t see them for all the brush on this mountain in the Targhee-Caribou National Forest.
Soon enough I spotted a large Douglas fir whose lowest branches made an emerald-green ceiling six feet off the ground. Perfect. I kicked...
How Many Shotguns Do You Own? How Many Do You Shoot Well?
What is your approach to shotgunning? Are you the legendary one-gun man or woman? There’s wisdom in the warning, “Beware of the hunter or shooter with only one gun! He or she probably knows how to use it!”
Then there is the "golf bag" approach to shooting. The golfer doesn’t play an entire round with only a driver or solely with a putter. His or her bag carries a dozen or more clubs each meant for a specific distance or type of shot. Ever watch a professional golf tournament? That selection of clubs allows them to perform some amazing feats. The caddy even makes suggestions on the...
PETA Wants to Spy on Anglers with Submersible Drones
Last year, the animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) boasted that it would begin documenting hunters with aerial drones, and now it seems that the group has targeted anglers as well. PETA announced in a press release on Thursday that it would be introducing a new line of submersible drones available for purchase from its online store. The organization is hoping to field-test the new drones as early as September 27, coinciding with the National...
German Economy Minister Targets Country’s Firearm Export Industry
Germany is the world's third-largest arms exporter, coming only after the United States and Russia. It is estimated that German manufacturers export more than $7.8 billion in small arms and military equipment every year. The country's Minister of Finance, Sigmar Gabriel, pledged earlier this year to restrict arms exports due to growing concerns that more and more weapons are heading to non-NATO countries. Gabriel appeared on public television last month urging changes in the way the country exports arms, and Read more »
Deer Herd Crashes Wedding Photo Session
For Erick and Lauren Fix, their wedding was supposed to be the biggest day of their lives. For a herd of about 40 deer living near the Stockton, New Jersey farm where the couple had their wedding reception, it was Saturday. This photograph taken by the wedding photographer, Ian Christmann, quickly went viral after the entire herd decided to crash the reception. The critters were pretty mild-mannered about it and kept mostly near the woods as wedding guests looked on.
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Video: Sea Lion Escapes Shark by Swimming into Divers’ Cage
Shark-proof cages are a great investment for filmmakers hoping to get a glimpse of a great white while underwater, but they are also great places for sea lions to hide in. Divers in the video below were astonished when an opportunistic sea lion decided to take a quick breather in their shark cage as a great white patrolled outside. The pudgy critter managed to get itself stuck between the bars, so one of the divers helpfully gave it a nudge.
http://youtu.be/T5TpfNcTCvs
For those of you worried that the sea lion became a quick snack, don't worry. Craig Paisley, who uploaded the video to...
UK Angler Reels in World Record 90-pound Common Carp
A 52-year-old fisherman from Greater Manchester, England is celebrating what is believed to be a world record catch. According to ITV, Warren Harrison hooked a 90-pound common carp while recently vacationing near Hungary's Euro Aqua Lake. The massive fish beat out the current world record by nearly 15 pounds.
“It’s unbelievable. It’s never been done before. The only problem is, where do I go from here? I might go shark fishing now," the angler told ...
Duck, Duck, Goose: Waterfowl Hunting Options Abound in Michigan
When you think of waterfowl hunting meccas, places like Stuttgart, North Platte, Eastern Shore, and the Dakotas get thrown around. Sure, those places have a rich tradition of amazing waterfowl hunting, but what do they have that Michigan doesn’t? The answer is simple---nothing! In fact, there are not many places that can stack up to the Great Lake State when it comes to waterfowl hunting. Looking for puddle ducks? Got ‘em! Want the ultimate diver duck hunt? No sweat! Want the skies to turn black with migrating Canada geese? Here you go! Oh, and did I mention sea ducks? Good luck finding...
Cookin’ in Camo: Venison Quesadilla with Honey-chipotle Sour Cream
Outside of hunting, this time of year means one thing to my family: football. An extension of football is tailgating. One of my favorite tailgating dishes is a play on the Bleu Cheese Burger from the Thurman Café in Columbus, Ohio. Imagine a three-quarter-pound, all-beef patty topped with a ginormous amount of bacon, loads of mozzarella, a ton of blue cheese, and a mountain of mushrooms! For clean up, forget the napkins and invest in a pressure washer. You feel me? Although juicy, tender, and forever scrumptious, the burger often leads to stains on my Buckeyes jersey. Have no fear, this...
Wisconsin Hunter Bags 780-pound Black Bear
A Waupaca County, Wisconsin hunter is beside himself after harvesting what may be the state's next record black bear. According to WITI, Dennis Arndt was hunting on private property near Ogdensburg when he shot a bear that many hunters have been yearning to bag for years.
“I say he’s been a local monarch. All the neighbors are like ‘did you see him? Did you see him?’ Yup, he showed up this year for me,” Arndt said.
You can see video of the bear...
Video: Python Steals and Swallows Hooked Fish
A vast variety of predators would like nothing more than to steal the fish right off your line, but most at least have the good courtesy to leave afterwards. Not so with pythons. They'll steal your catch and take their time swallowing it in front of you. Interestingly, the video below shows what appears to be Burmese python instinctively coiling up while swallowing the fish.
http://youtu.be/Ju9LGkzqsWg...
The Buck Knives Paradigm: A Gentleman’s Folder for the Modern Outdoorsman
The gentleman's folder, or the "dress knife" as many people call them, seems to have gone by the wayside as the evolution of folding knives marches on. Like cuff links and high-end watches, these accessories were once a vital part of a gentleman's attire when heading out for dinner or a special occasion. Although rarely seen, the flick of one of these slim folders is just as classy as the slow clap of a lighter snapping open. Alas, the industry has mostly moved past these knives in favor of more tactically-minded or just practical folders.
"We object," says Buck Knives with their new Read more »
Manage Your Hunting Land with the Tip of a Finger with HuntStand
I really enjoy incorporating technological advancements with outdoor pursuits like hunting. I frequently try to "disconnect," but I keep getting pulled back in. One such tech tool that I’ve been enjoying is the new HuntStand Lite app for smartphones and tablets from the folks at TerraStride.
What’s in the box?
The app uses GPS data, along with sophisticated mapping programs, weather data, and satellite images to create an interactive overlay of your property. I’ve seen programs that let you use those...
Michigan Woodcock Season Opens Strong and Promising
Rub, my English setter, was locked up, solid as a statue, on point in the sort of aspens where you might not expect to find grouse and woodcock. It was an open area with more mature trees than you’d usually choose to hunt in, but the kind of place you dream about finding birds as you’d be able to swing in any direction without wrapping your shotgun around a popple. I stepped up toward Rub, but when the bird rocketed out of there, it flew to my left where Al Stewart and his son Chris were standing. I couldn’t shoot and neither could they.
The grouse flew right between the two of them....
Washington DC to Allow “May-issue” Concealed Carry, Heavy Restrictions Remain
On Tuesday the Washington, DC Council voted reluctantly, but unanimously, to allow the carry of concealed firearms in the nation's capital. The decision came nearly two months after a federal judge ruled that DC's 40-year-old ban on handguns outside the home was unconstitutional. In late July, District Court Judge Frederick J. Scullin threw out the city's long-standing ban and later issued a 90-day stay on his ruling to give local lawmakers time to rewrite the city's gun laws.
"It's a...
Don’t Leave for a DIY Hunt Without These 10 Essentials
If you are headed off on a DIY deer hunt away from home, there are a few simple things that can make or break your success. Here are 10 you may not have thought of.
An hour after sunrise in a Kansas hot spot, I was flooded with optimism. I heard a deer walking through the leaves towards me and quickly grabbed my bow off the hanger. As I clipped my release to the string loop, I heard a mysterious clink on my treestand platform, but I didn’t know what caused the noise until I put a little pressure on the string. The release came apart. The strap was around my wrist but...