OutdoorHub
Catching Specks and Reds on the Gulf Coast
Across much of the nation, August and September are the hottest times of the year to go inshore saltwater fishing for speckled trout and redfish. Many state and federal marine resource agencies have built extensive inshore artificial reefs that consistently produce large numbers of speckled trout, redfish, white trout, sheepshead, black drum, and an occasional flounder. Certain anglers and guides know how to catch the biggest speckled trout and reds from these public reefs.
The tactics of Captain Gary Davis
“I like to get up early, catch some live shrimp, finger mullet, and other baitfish...
Park Service Considers Plan to Cull Deer on Historic Battlefields
Earlier this month the National Park Service (NPS) released the final version of its plan to manage growing deer populations in several historic battlefields across the country. Located in Maryland and Virginia, the Antietam, Monocacy, and Manassas battlefields commemorate some of the deadliest clashes during the American Civil War. The NPS prohibits public hunting within the national battlefields---which has led to the creation of...
How to Quickly Evaluate Public Hunting Land
Heading off to a new area to hunt can be challenging and the amount of work to learn a new piece of property can be a daunting task, particularly when it’s public land and other hunters are a factor. Here’s a system for figuring it out in a hurry.
I first discovered this particular spot on Google Earth a couple of years ago. I was sitting at my computer in Minnesota, several hundred miles away from where I was now in a treestand. The spot interested me because it was a classic funnel with a river on one side and a large area of tall grass CRP on the other. Two woodlots necked...
Raspberry Picking Strengthens Family Bonds
My dad made me an offer I couldn’t refuse in mid-July: “Get here by 4 o’clock Friday, and I’ll help you pick the last of our black raspberries. You should also be able to find about four quarts of reds to pick and take home.”
I’ve never been much of a gardener, but I’ve always liked picking berries (wild or domestic) while standing up or kneeling down. Maybe that’s because harvesting raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries involves some degree of hunting. The berries often hide well enough to make things challenging, even though they can’t run away when...
Russian Angler Plays Ringtone to Scare Off Attacking Bear
Igor Vorozhbitsyn, 42, almost died after a brutal mauling by a bear in Russia's Sakha Republic. His face was left badly scarred and he received multiple laceration wounds as a result of the attack, which occurred during a recent fishing trip. According to The Express, the angler had left his car and was walking towards a familiar fishing spot when the bruin surprised him from behind. To Vorozhbitsyn's shock, he was quickly overwhelmed and knocked over by the large animal.
The angler...
Video: A Short Test of a Clear AR-15 Lower Receiver
Tennessee Arms Company made waves on the internet recently when it announced the production of its clear AR-15 stripped lower receiver, aptly named the "Ghost Gun." The receiver itself is constructed from UV-stabilized nylon and weighs around 2.6 ounces. The company specifically states that the clear receiver is meant to be an educational tool and showcase item only, but that did not stop Tennessee Arms founder David Roberts from subjecting it to a short, 270-round "torture" test.
http://youtu.be/pvW0nYwXyvY
The clear lower can be purchased online...
Could California’s Drought Endanger Pacific Flyway Ducks?
Duck numbers are up across the country and available habitat seems to be holding steady, but could a devastating California drought endanger birds along the Pacific Flyway? Just last week the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) proposed a liberal 107-day season in the Pacific Flyway, yet the region is being baked by California's ongoing drought. Water shortages have closed many acres of available habitat in both wildlife refuges and in the crop fields where the ducks rest...
US Army Researching Improved “One-way” Tracer Rounds
The US Army recently announced that the preliminary development of a safer and more accurate tracer round is underway. Tracer rounds, or bullets that produce a highly-visible "streak" when shot, help soldiers adjust their aim in the heat of combat and can be used by squad leaders to pinpoint targets on the battlefield. Unfortunately for the user, tracer rounds also reveal the shooter's location.
US Army engineers at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey have come up with a solution: tracer...
Portable Power Products for Outdoorsmen Are Better Than Ever
Fifteen years ago, I wouldn’t have considered carrying a cell phone with me in the wilderness or out on the water. Certainly, having a computer along, even a laptop, was laughable.
Where would the power come from? How could the (heavy) batteries be transported? Why in the world would I need (or want) to have electronics in the field?
Ah, as Bob Dylan wrote and sang way back in the early '60s, “The times, they are a-changin’.”
...
Mastering Michigan’s Late Summer Salmon
If you’ve ever gone down to the shore of Michigan’s Great Lakes anywhere near the river mouths, you’ve no doubt seen lines of boats endlessly trolling back and forth. As summer wears on, those lines of boats, made up of charters and personal boats, get closer and closer to shore. The boats are moving closer to shore because salmon are doing the same thing. One thing is for sure---if you want to catch a big Great Lakes salmon, now is the time!
The fish are preparing to head up rivers and streams on the annual migration. Each fall, salmon by the thousands (having spent several years...
Video: Deer Fawn is Scared of Ground
In the courts of popular opinion, few animals are as cute or lovable as a baby deer. That is doubly true when the small critters require human help. According to this video posted to YouTube by Justin Lewis, two men were clearing trees to make way for some electric line when they found a fawn tangled in thorns. After cutting the animal free, they found that it had acquired a taste for being held. Every time they try to put the fawn down, it would bleat, much to their amusement.
The fawn was released and stayed near the work site for several hours until the workers noticed a doe watching...
Video: Jerry Miculek Pops Balloon at 1,000 Yards with 9mm Revolver
World-renowned shooter Jerry Miculek's no stranger to jaw-dropping feats of speed and accuracy, but a video released earlier today on his YouTube channel may take the ballistic cake. Using a Smith & Wesson 929 revolver that carries his name topped with a Vortex Razor Red Dot, Miculek takes aim at a balloon taped to a steel plate 1,000 yards out. After loosing one shot that lands low, Jerry finds his mark.
http://youtu.be/jJ3XwizTqDw...
USFWS Proposes Liberal Waterfowl Season, Duck Population Growing
The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced last Friday that it will continue to propose liberal season lengths and bag limits for the upcoming 2014-2015 late waterfowl seasons. The decision is based on the growing number of ducks across all major flyways and the availability of good habitat. In a recent survey of waterfowl in the north-central United States, Alaska, and south-central and northern Canada, USFWS counted about 49.2 million ducks. That number marks an eight percent increase from last...
Make Shotgunning Practice Realistic for Success in the Field
There are two kinds of clay target shooting. You can go out and shoot clays for the sake of the games themselves. Trap, skeet, and sporting clays are fun in their own right. They can stoke the competitive flame and compel shooters to renown---or they can be pursued as family fun, a wonderful introduction to firearms and lifelong pursuits.
Then there is clay shooting in preparation for hunting. It’s practice to make you a more perfect shot in the field. The goal is to create mental pictures and instill muscle memory you’ll call upon when you’re hunting. To improve your performance when...
Cookin’ in Camo: Trout Tacos with Avocado-yogurt Sauce and Pickled Red Onions
Having lived a portion of my life in North Carolina, fishing the Tar Heel State's streams for rainbow trout is something I love to do. Eating them in the form of a taco is also something I love! These trout tacos come with kick, as they are marinated in cumin and chipotle powder but quickly cool off from the fresh avocado and cool yogurt. Accompany that with the acidic pop of perfectly-pickled red onions and we are rockin’!
Serves 4
Prep time: 30 to 35 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
Spicy lime-chipotle fish
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons...
Americans Inducted into Time-honored German Hunting Tradition
Fifteen American citizens were initiated into the Jaegerschaft Wiesbaden on July 25 in a ceremony overseen by US Army officials at the historic Jagdschloss Platte in Wiesbaden, Germany. The Jaegerschaft Wiesbaden, a community of hunters located in the area, welcomed the 15 new "Jungjäger," or hunting apprentices, with a traditional ceremony that dates back to the Middle Ages.
"It is an honor to be among the Jungjäger," Dr. Robert Schloesser, who was part of the ceremony, said in a Read more »
Officials Fear Washington Elk Hoof Disease May Have Spread to Oregon
Officials with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife say that the hoof disease affecting elk in southwest Washington may have spread further south. The disease, which causes elk hooves to become twisted and deformed, has become a major concern for wildlife officials in recent months. According to Jefferson Public Radio, Oregon experts are now studying two hoof samples that resemble the cases documented in Washington.
"From the lesions it looks very similar. And that's kind of our presumptuous...
Michigan Hunters Get First Teal Season in Nearly 50 Years
Thanks to decades of teal population growth, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently announced that it will open an early teal hunting season this September. According to the DNR, hunters will be able to take six teal each day and hunting hours run from sunrise to sunset. Teal are the only birds legal to harvest during the special season, so hunters will have to be careful not to bag any out-of-season waterfowl like wood ducks or mallards.
"The results of [this] experiment will determine...
NOAA: Ocean Acidification Threatens Alaska Fisheries
A recently published study led by researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) may be a dire warning for fisheries in Alaska. According to NOAA, ocean acidification may threaten fishing off the coast of southeast and southwest Alaska in the near future, affecting coastal communities and employment opportunities.
“Ocean acidification is not just an ecological problem---it’s an economic...
Video: Mink Steals Catfish from Fisherman’s Bucket
Mink are determined creatures, and more than one angler has found themselves waylaid by a mink looking for a seafood dinner. While these critters are better known for stealing fish off the line, the brave mink in the video below decides to go straight for the jackpot: the fish bucket. Undeterred by the small crowd created by his antics, the mink hops into a bucket in an attempt to retrieve a catfish. He fails the first few attempts, but if at first you don't succeed---try, try, try again!
The video was reportedly taken on a Lake Ontario pier near Webster, New...