OutdoorHub
15 Hunting-themed Decoration Suggestions for the Holidays
Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or something else---like the age-old tradition of waiting in lines at check-out---the holidays are a time to relax. It's also a time to show off your inner decorator. Some people go for a spartan approach with just some gifts underneath a tree. Others go all out and treat this time of the year as the perfect time to assault their neighbor's senses.
Here are 15 relatively tame decoration suggestions that fit into just about any home, especially if you have more antlers than you know what to do with.
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Scientists Successfully Prevent Coyote-wolf Hybridization in NC
The issue of coyote-wolf hybrids has been troubling biologists for years, although the subject only recently entered mainstream discussion. The growing population of hybrids, or coywolves, has garnered attention from both researchers and the wider public, and now people are starting to question what measures are being taken to prevent coywolves from expanding even further.
A recent study published in the journal Biological Conservation shows that scientists are able to successfully prevent coyotes from...
Sheriff: Gun Owners “First Line of Defense” Against Terrorism
A Florida sheriff drew both criticism and support earlier this month after a public announcement in which he said that private gun owners are the first line of defense in case of terrorism or mass shootings. Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey posted a video to Facebook last week, speaking about the threat of terrorism and what gun owners could do for the safety of their families and others.
"The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," Ivey...
Video: Great White Shark Attacks Research Drone
It looks like humans aren't the only ones concerned with drone intrusions.
A team from the Oceanographic Systems Lab at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution was observing a great white shark off the coast of Guadalupe Island in Mexico. They were using a specialized aquatic drone known as REMUS, also known as the"SharkCam."
After some filming, the shark decided to attack the drone by biting it repeatedly. We don't think the shark found the drone very appetizing because it gave up after a few bites.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faZw3IFJOXs...
Tactics for Catching Pike Through the Ice
Catching any fish through the ice is fun and a bit of a trip. Catching a huge northern pike through the ice is a serious thrill and something every angler should get to do at least once. There’s nothing like fighting one under the frozen surface, only to see that primitive, predator head fill up the hole and emerge from the icy depths. It’s what gets anglers out onto the frozen lakes. Gear up, folks---the hard water season is here.
Find them
Logic dictates that when a...
Hunting Show Host, Beauty Queen Theresa Vail Charged with Illegal Bear Kill
Theresa Vail, a 25-year-old hunting show host with the Outdoor Channel and former Miss America contestant, was charged recently by Alaskan officials with allegedly harvesting a grizzly without a tag and then conspiring with her guides to cover it up.
According to Alaska Dispatch News, State Troopers said the incident took place in May when the woman, her film crew, and two guides were hunting a large male grizzly bear near Timber Creek, Alaska. Troopers...
Video: Angler Builds Cannon to Launch Bait 300 Yards
Struggling to get some extra distance out of your cast? Maybe a pneumatic cannon can help.
This wild contraption called the Blaster Bait Caster uses compressed air to launch bait much further than is typically possible with a rod alone.
The creators claim that the device can shoot a frozen piece of bait farther than 300 yards. That's useful for beach fishermen who want to be able to reach their line out as far as possible. It appears as though you can only use bait frozen into a tube shape with the Blaster Bait...
Video: Coyote Locked in Death Grip with Mountain Lion
Who's winning in this fight? It may be harder to tell than you think.
At first glance, the video below appears to show a coyote viciously attacking a young mountain lion. The coyote is on top and seems to have every advantage---including the cougar's head in its jaws. It shakes the big cat mercilessly, digging its teeth deeper into the animal's face. As one of the smaller predators in North America, coyotes generally survive by steering clear of larger carnivores, so it is strange to see it turn the tables here.
Or has it? On a closer viewing the coyote seems to be trying to escape more...
California’s Long-awaited Wolf Plan Outlines Future of Species
Earlier this month the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) released a draft of its wolf conservation plan for public input. The plan outlines how to manage wolf-livestock conflicts, strategies for ensuring a healthy deer population to feed the predators, and, when the species reaches a sustainable population, how to remove them from the state endangered species list. The wolves would still have to be downgraded first on the federal endangered species list before the state could...
Obama Prepares Executive Action on Gun Control Without Congress
According to media reports on Thursday, President Barack Obama and his advisers are putting the final touches on a proposal that would expand gun-related restrictions without the approval of Congress. The Associated Press reported that the executive action would deal specifically with background checks at gun shows to address the so-called "gun show loophole."
President Obama has spoken extensively about gun control after the attack in San Bernardino, California, in which 14 people were killed by a married couple...
Video: Flamethrower-equipped Drone Roasts a Turkey
Remember that pistol-equipped drone? Its creator just upped the ante and released video of a flamethrower-equipped remote aerial vehicle.
The drone was made with a combination of off the shelf components and 3D-printed parts. We are actually pretty impressed by the amount of flaming fuel this little drone is able to shoot out. As you can see in the video the copter did an excellent job of blackening the bird.
While this was an interesting demonstration, we would advise against...
Founder of The North Face Dies in Kayaking Accident
Renowned conservationist, outdoorsman, and businessman Douglas Tompkins was reported to have died on Tuesday as the result of a kayaking incident in southern Chile.
Tompkins was kayaking with several others in General Carrera Lake on December 8 when strong waves caused the kayaks to capsize. A military patrol boat was able to save some of the kayakers, while Tompkins and others were airlifted to a hospital by helicopter. According to the BBC, Tompkins was found unconscious and suffering from hypothermia, and died hours...
Video: Donald Trump Nearly Attacked by Bald Eagle Named “Uncle Sam”
It seems that Uncle Sam does not approve of presidential candidate Donald Trump---at least, not the 27-year-old bald eagle named Uncle Sam. TIME recently released a video of Trump attempting to pose with the bird during a photoshoot for a cover story in August. While the end result---which you can see below---looks quite striking, actually getting the bird to cooperate was difficult.
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Presidential candidate Donald J. Trump poses with an American bald eagle named Uncle Sam.Go...
Video: Russians Save Helpless Dog Clinging to Ice in Volga River
Russians have a habit of recording dramatic events, or we might have missed this epic rescue.
A dog managed to get trapped in an ice flow on the Volga river. The dog was clinging to a piece of ice and struggling to stay afloat when he was spotted. The boatmen were able to pull the dog aboard just in time.
It's really nice to see happy stories from Russian YouTube videos for once.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY44CX5r7jw...
FBI Director Apparently Doesn’t Know How Buying a Gun on the Internet Works
Gun owners, brace yourselves: this clip may make your blood boil.
In a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing held yesterday, FBI Director James Comey was brought before legislators to primarily discuss the recent terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) began his question-and-answer period with Comey with a seemingly simple question: "If I buy a gun on the internet, is it delivered to my home?"
Comey, perhaps surprised by the question, seemed to stumble. Graham clarified, asking "if I try to buy a gun on the internet, where do I...
Video: Firing Ultralight 3D-printed 9mm Rounds
If 10 years ago you told your average gun owner that one day we'd be experimenting with ultralight, 3D-printed 9x19mm bullets, they would've said your head was too far in the clouds. Yet technology marches on, and while it took a few stumbles before getting there, people have finally begun making 3D-printed bullets that work. Well, at least they don't blow up your gun and have some measure of accuracy.
"One of my friends owns a 3D-printer and prints all sorts of crazy things with it," wrote YouTube user Panzerkopf, who uploaded the...
Zombait: The Device That Turns Dead Bait Fish into “Zombies”
Two engineers, a fisherman, and a programmer have designed a device that claims to revitalize your dead bait fish---but some anglers may find it unsavory. Massachusetts-based Magurobotics LLC recently launched their Kickstarter campaign for the "Zombait," a simple robotic device that can be inserted into a dead fish to animate it, much like a novelty artificial goldfish.
"Put it in the water and it will start swimming automatically until you pull it up again, no...
Video: 5 Simple Survival Traps and How to Make Them
How well-equipped are you to survive an unexpectedly long stay in the outdoors? Most people will never find themselves in a situation in which they would have to resort to trapping small game to survive, but these events do happen.
After all, one of the dangers of enjoying the great outdoors is the risk of staying there longer than you planned.
This video details the construction and use of five simple survival traps. Included are several snare traps, a standard deadfall trap, and a bottle trap to get bait fish. Keep in mind that many types of traps are illegal to use in some...
Video: This Redneck “Spin Chair” Will Make You Lose Your Lunch
This is what you get when "creative minds" have a rear differential, a chair, and an ATV lying around.
These backyard engineers hooked up a chair to the the rear axle of a car to create a terrifying carnival ride. As the ATV pulls the "spin chair" forward, it turns the wheels, which then spin the differential attached to the chair.
While we are not sure what the axle ratio is, it's pretty obvious that this chair can spin fast enough to make you lose a meal or two.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEFtzxEqkqg...
FDA Approves Civilian Use of New Medical Device to Treat Gunshot Wounds
Military technology always spills over into the civilian market. We can thank the Department of Defense for countless innovations from the internet to the GPS you are probably use everyday.
Now a medical device, named the XSTAT 30 and designed to treat soldiers with gunshot wounds, has been approved for civilian use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The approval comes after being used by the military since 2013. The device works by injecting a number of small sponges into a wound. The sponges quickly absorb blood...