OutdoorHub
Illinois Bobcat Hunting Bill Heads to Governor
Last month both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly passed a bill that would legalize bobcat hunting in the state and sent it to Governor Bruce Rauner for his signature. It is the second time this year that a bobcat hunting bill has come before an Illinois governor, and the issue is still as divisive as the first time. In January, Rauner's predecessor, former governor Pat Quinn, vetoed a similar bill on his last day in office by reasoning that bobcats in Illinois are still too...
Concealed Carry Myths: You Can’t Carry a Full-size Gun
"I’d like to carry a full-sized gun, but I’m too small."
"I carry this pocket .380 because I have to keep it concealed."
Generally speaking, I call BS on all of these types of comments. Yeah, I know, we’re all shaped and sized differently, so it’s impossible to make a universal statement. It’s also wrong to buy into the “universal” myth that if you’re smaller in stature than Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson you can’t carry a full-size gun.
The bottom line is that you almost certainly can. Will it be easy? Not necessarily. Will you know you’re carrying a large gun? Of...
Video: This “Docile” Deer Fawn is Just Biding Its Time
"Hey little sweety thing, what's wrong? WHOA!"
There are few animals as shy and docile as a newborn deer fawn but believe it or not, that's actually their survival strategy. These tiny critters generate little scent of their own and blend easily into light foliage thanks to their natural camouflage. As long as they don't move or make noise, fawns are virtually invisible to predators. That's why fawns will often let people approach them and even pick them up with little resistance.
However, fawns do have one last trick up their sleeves to escape, and it doesn't require calling for...
The 5 Most Controversial Handgun Rounds
How many times have you heard about "the last round you'll ever need?" Or how about "guaranteed stopping power?" It's a given that ammunition manufacturers want to make the best, most efficient product possible---and that basically means that the more lethal the round, the better it is. However, sometimes the public or national media sees it as too lethal, and that's where the controversy starts.
Below is our list of the top most controversial brands or types of handgun rounds. Most of the rounds below can be found in multiple calibers, including the ever-popular 9x19mm...
Video: Pistol Versions of the M1 Carbine
AR-15 and AK pistols may be popular today, but they were hardly the first. In fact, the idea of stripping down a rifle into a smaller "pistol" version has been around for years. In the 60s and 70s, American firearm manufacturers started to produce the "Enforcer" M1 pistol, which was almost identical to the original M1 carbine minus the stock. Manufacturers initially made the pistol M1's out of military surplus parts but as those became more scarce---and valuable---production was switched over to entirely new commercial parts.
As a result, the actual performance of the pistols were mixed...
Quiz: Do You Know What Happened in Outdoor News This Past Week?
There were interesting news stories that happened last week on topics ranging from concealed carry to lampreys. Take the OutdoorHub News Quiz, made from stories in the we published recently, and see if you know the facts.
...
Virginia Angler Catches and Releases Massive Grass Carp
A 17-year-old high school student in Wythe County, Virginia may have landed the largest grass carp in America last month from Rural Retreat Lake. Unfortunately, it is a potential record that will never be documented, as Harley Mitchell lacked a scale to weigh the fish on and decided to release the carp shortly after catching it. According to the Wythe County Department of Public Information, Mitchell was fishing with his friends in the 90-acre lake when he hooked a 4.5-foot grass carp. Grass carp are strong fighters and Mitchell said it took a good 25 minutes before he could bring the massive...
Bizarre Crawling Fish May Soon Invade Australia
It may not look like much, but Australian biologists are growing increasingly worried that an invasive fish species named Anabas testudineus, or "climbing perch," will soon invade their waters.
Climbing perch are one of the few fish species that can actually migrate between two bodies of water over land. They do this by using specialized spines on their gills to drag themselves across ground.
In addition to being highly aggressive and robust, climbing perch are also extremely adaptable. The species has been documented to survive days outside of water, can hibernate in mud...
Father Socks Bear in the Face after It Drags Teen from Hammock
When Greg Alexander saw a black bear dragging his 16-year-old son off a hammock, he reacted the only way he knew how: by climbing on the bear and using its face as a punching bag.
Officials say Alexander and his son Gabriel were camping in the backcountry of Great Smokey Mountain National Park on Saturday when the bear rolled into their campsite. The bear immediately went after the teen and seemed intent on dragging him away, at least until his father intervened.
"I just had to get the bear off of him. I think I kicked the bear a couple times and it didn't seem to have any effect, so I...
Video: Testing Out 12 Gauge Exploding Arrows
If you haven't seen the Bow Mag, it's an arrowhead that is tipped with a .357 Magnum load that explodes on impact. Young YouTuber Royal Nonesuch has taken that same principle and applied it to a homemade 12 gauge tipped arrow.
As you can see in the video the round has some pretty devastating effects on fruit and soda bottles, but its range and accuracy are fairly limited due to the weight of a 12 gauge...
Video: .50 BMG Incendiary Round vs. Cinder Block Wall
Have you ever wondered what happens to a cinder block wall when it's shot with a .50 BMG?
If so, you are in luck because Iraqvet8888 and Chris Cheng decided to fire some PI (armor-piercing incendiary) .50 BMG to test out their newly constructed cinder block wall.
If you thought a cinder block might provide adequate cover, then this video is going to change your mind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46eEWoolHoE...
Century Arms C93 Rifle
Roller-delayed blowback (often called "roller-lock") rifles radiate an aura of cool that defies logic and better judgement. It’s the reason why guys shell out more than $2,000 for a 9x19mm MP5 pistol clone that has all the practicality of a $400 MAC-10 pistol---it's heavy, difficult to aim, and better with the addition of a buttstock. Sadly, to me, the MP5 has always been the coolest thing since sliced bread.
I say sadly because I’m far too pragmatic to purchase a pistol-caliber carbine for the great deal of cash modern clones go for---or the even greater deal of...
Video: Is This 20-foot Great White Shark the Largest Ever Recorded?
Meet Deep Blue, a massive 20-foot female great white shark that experts believe is one of the largest ever recorded on video. Twice the size of a normal shark, this monstrous predator is estimated to be 50 years old and bears battle scars from half a century of fighting. Few other sharks are willing to take her on now, though, and only the foolish---or very brave---are willing to get close to this behemoth. With a shark that big, even a metal cage feels like inadequate protection. Yet researcher Mauricio Hoyos Padilla and his fellow divers braved the waters in order to find her.
"I...
15 Things Every Survivalist Needs to Know About Trees
The next time you go camping, hunting, or hiking in the outdoors, take a good look around. What do you see? Odds are that somewhere in your answer is "a whole lot of trees." If you are in or near a forest, your greatest resource is also your most abundant one. Trees are a great way to obtain firestarting material, wood to craft tools from, and even nourishment. Here are 15 things that every survivalist needs to know about trees and their uses, organized by type of tree.
Pine trees
1. Pine needle tea
Pine trees, especially white pines, are known for their medicinal properties and their...
Florida Man Attempts to Sell Shark Outside Supermarket
Shoppers visiting the Publix in Fort Lauderdale had the once-in-a-lifetime chance to buy a five-foot nurse shark on Thursday, courtesy of one man outside the store. It is once-in-lifetime mainly because it is illegal, and Patrick Lanier, the would-be shark salesman, said he learned his lesson. According to WSVN, Lanier had caught the predator on a rod and reel in the Intracoastal Waterway. It was his first time catching a shark and unsure of what to do with it, he decided to try and...
Video: Hunter Instantly Drops a Wild Boar with a .22 LR
Shot placement is everything when it comes to hunting. This Texas hunter proved that by instantly killing an invasive wild boar with a single shot from his .22 rifle.
https://youtu.be/IjzpLN46nOo?t=5m28s
In most cases we would recommend against using a .22 LR for hunting medium game, but since wild boar are a destructive invasive species anything that will kill them is good enough. If you stick around to the end of the video there is also a cooking segment where this hunter prepares his harvest....
Potential World Record Black Grouper Caught in Florida
What started off as an uneventful fishing trip for one Bonita Springs man ended in the harvest of a potential world record fish. According to the News-Press, Alex Newman and his crew were participating in the 3rd Annual Offshore Rodeo Fishing Tournament, a charity event in the Gulf, when they hooked an absolutely massive black grouper on Saturday.
"When we were lifting it up we couldn't lift it," Newman said with a laugh. "I fish the Gulf a lot....
Video: Utahn Lands Insane 2,240-yard Open Sight Shots with Swiss K31 Rifle
Surplus rifle shooters: have you ever wondered whether those ancient, ladder-style tangent sights on your Mosin, K31, or Mauser actually work?
As the video below by Long Range Shooters of Utah shows, it turns out they do---at least if you're targeting a 36-inch pink bison about 2,240 yards downrange. With the help of some dedicated spotters (and more than a few test rounds to sight-in and get a feel for the unpredictable weather conditions), shooter Ernie...
Optimistic Craigslist Seller Looking to Unload His Taxidermy Collection for Only $110,000
Taxidermy is pretty expensive if you have it done right, but the real value is sentimental.
Secondhand taxidermy loses the sentimental value and unless it's an exceptional animal, it also loses its monetary value.
That was apparently lost on this craigslist poster from Minnesota, who is listing a collection of 70 mounts for an unbelievable $110,000! If you're interested, we encourage you to find your way to the post. Remember: serious buyers only.
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Video: Bizarre Sea Creature Caught by Taiwanese Fisherman
We'll give you three guesses to determine what this creature is, and you can't say it's an alien.
Fisherman Wei Cheng Jian found this worm-like critter last week while fishing near a port in Penghu. When he uploaded the video to Facebook, it quickly went viral, amassing a million views in less than a week and garnering loads of surprised---and disgusted---comments. According to National Geographic, this creature is actually a species of predatory ribbon worm. That...