OutdoorHub
Best New and Unusual Guns and Gear from the 2015 NRA Annual Meeting & Exhibits
One of my favorite NRA Annual Meeting & Exhibits activities is to dash through the trade show aisles at .0007 miles per hour (due to the crowds) and find new guns, gear, and miscellaneous accessories. Many of them are announced via press releases and media emails as the show begins, but sometimes you stumble onto new things that are there, but not even announced yet. Such was the case with my stop at the Sig Sauer booth. More on that below.
Here are some of the more interesting new product finds from this year's NRA Annual Meeting, held over the past weekend.
Team Never Quit...
Video: Dad Shoots Daughter’s Loose Tooth Off with Bow and Arrow
That's one way to lose your baby teeth.
Instead of tying this young girl's tooth to a door handle or simply waiting for it to fall out, one family decided that the speediest option was to extract the tooth by way of bow and arrow. Dad certainly seemed up for it, but the little girl on the other end of the string was literally shaking. There was very little to be worried about though, and the tooth came out cleanly.
Of course, it would be a different story if dad tied the string to the wrong tooth. What do you think? Would you try this on your kids?
//
That's one way to do...
Florida Will Give Hunters Another Shot at Pythons in 2016
Python hunters, it's time to clean out your boots. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has indicated that it will be bringing back its "Python Challenge" hunt in 2016, which is tentatively scheduled for next January. The agency first held the python hunt in 2013, drawing more than 1,500 hunters to the Everglades in the search for invasive snakes, and officials are hoping to do so again. The target of the hunt, Burmese pythons, have become firmly entrenched within the Everglades and are now causing widespread ecological damage. The python hunt would offer officials a way...
Photos: 15 Insanely Intricate Antler Carvings That Will Amaze You
Antler and bone carving, sometimes called scrimshaw, is as about old as hunting itself. As an art form, antler carving is remarkably easy to get into. All you need are some decently-sized sheds and some tools---carving steel and a magnifying glass. If you are feeling especially productive, perhaps a rotating motor tool as well.
Yet for veteran carvers, the art offers near infinite possibilities. Antlers come with unique challenges compared to wood, but the results can be astounding. Check out some of these magnificently intricate carvings below---it might inspire you to take a class or...
NSSF Video Explains Traditional Ammo Bans’ Economic and Environmental Consequences
If you live in California and you hunt, restrictions have already been implemented to stop you from using lead ammunition. Non-lead ammo is much more expensive, and is in short supply to boot. More than a third of those polled in a recent survey said that if a ban goes into effect, they will either hunt less, or stop altogether.
Now the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) is warning that other states are also under pressure to ban traditional lead ammo. You can learn more,...
Using Winchester AA TrAAcker as a Training Aid
Wingshooting would be such an easy pursuit if we were shooting laser guns from the old sci-fi movies. You know, the ones alien shooters used to project a continual beam of disintegration at their intended targets. We’d simply watch the beam and easily adjust for lead on any moving target no matter how evasive its maneuvers.
If you’ve ever set foot on a shotgun range or into an upland field or duck blind, you know it doesn’t work that way. Learning to consistently center a shot pattern you can’t see on a moving target is to master physics, muscle memory, and a good bit of art. And it...
Video: Exotic Brazilian Bird Sounds Like ‘Space Invaders’
This is a curl-chested jay, a bird native to the forests of southern and northwestern Brazil. Just like parrots, curl-chested jays are capable of reproducing sounds that they hear, including everyday noises or songs. What comes out of this bird, however, is a weird series of computer noises that seem to mimic a loud video game, full of beeps and whistles. It has to be heard to be believed.
When prompted by Polish wildlife blogger Goska Zdziechowska, this bird is all too happy to launch into its repertoire of memorized sounds.
https://youtu.be/jUp6TuYPvbY...
Famous Mountain Lion Trapped Underneath California Home
One Los Angeles homeowner was shocked to find a celebrity in their house on Monday, but the discovery was anything but pleasant. The celebrity was a mountain lion named P-22, and it was trapped in a crawl space. According to ABC News, the animal was first discovered by the employees of a security company working on the house.
"One worker came sprinting to through our house, white-faced, shouting, 'There's a mountain lion under your house!" said homeowner Paula Archinaco.
When Jason Archinaco...
Man Shoots Armadillo, Bullet Ricochets and Hits Mother-in-law
Are armadillos bulletproof? A freak accident in Lee County, Georgia has law enforcement asking that very question after a local man shot one of the critters, only to have the ricochet hit his mother-in-law. According to WALB, the shooting happened on Sunday when Larry McElroy fired his 9x19mm pistol at an armadillo outside. The animal died as a result of the injury, but the bullet ricocheted off its shell, went through a fence, and pierced a nearby mobile home, eventually striking his...
Video: How Does “Armless Archer” Matt Stutzman Compete? Like This
Where there's a will, there's way. Matt Stutzman may lack arms, but his drive and relentless passion for archery are an inspiration to many. As a member of the US Paralympic Archery Team, Matt must keep in competitive form with constant practice.
After all, you don't hold the world record for the longest accurate shot in archery by sitting on a couch all day. According to his adoptive mom, Matt was always active, even as a kid. The first thing he shot though, was a gun, not a bow.
"Matt loved the outdoors and soon taught himself how to shoot a gun which meant attending a hunters safety...
Michigan Introduces Year-round Catch and Immediate Release Bass Season
Michigan ranks as one of the top bass fisheries in North America. Coming on the heels of other recent changes to the state's fishing regulations, a catch and immediate release (CIR) season for bass has been established across the state year-round in waters open to fishing.
There are two types of catch and release. CIR is defined as removing the fish from the water only long enough to safely remove the hook. The fish must be returned to the water immediately without undo harm. Catch and delayed release (CDR) is a common term among tournament anglers, as the fish are caught, kept alive out...
Quiz: What’s That Fish? Test Your Freshwater Identification Skills
Think you're a pro at identifying different species of freshwater fish? Test your skills in the quiz below. Let us know how you do!
...
Video: Have You Ever Seen an Albino Tortoise?
Well, now you have.
Card
Albino tortoises and turtles are unique among albino animals in that they are not relatively rare, and are able to survive pretty well in the wild due to their tough shells. Unlike other species, albino tortoises and turtles also seem to cope better with any health problems associated with their albinism, making them popular among breeders in captivity.
Keep in mind though, this cute sulcuta tortoise can live up to 150 years and is one of the largest of its kind, with the heaviest specimens weighing more than 200...
More Dangerous Than Lyme Disease? Deadly Tick-borne Powassan Virus Arrives in Connecticut
Researchers in Connecticut have confirmed that a potentially deadly tick-borne virus has entered the state. Spread by blacklegged ticks, commonly known as deer ticks, the Powassan virus can even be more dangerous than Lyme disease and can cause serious nervous system disruptions, encephalitis, and meningitis. In documented cases, about 10 to 15 percent of those who contract the virus will die from it. Although the virus has a low occurrence rate, experts say the state should expect to see its first human cases soon.
"It’s an emerging tick-borne disease that we’re going to be looking at...
New Hampshire Ice Fisherman Nabs State Record White Sucker
The ice may be melting, but one New Hampshire angler managed to get in a record fish just before the end of the season. On March 29, seasoned ice fisherman and fishing guide Tim Moore caught a five-pound, 4.96-ounce common white sucker on Lake Winnipesaukee while fishing for perch. Just last week, Moore told OutdoorHub that the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department confirmed it as the new state record.
"In late March we catch loads of lake trout and smallmouth bass on the tiny Epoxy Drop jigs we were using so when I hooked the white sucker I...
Video: Chainsaw Ice Skating Might Be the Most Dangerous Thing You’ll See Today
As if lake ice wasn't already precarious enough, this man decided to strap on some ice skates and use a chainsaw to tractor his way across some ice at high speeds. Don't worry, though, that man is actually Swedish professional skier Erik Sunnerheim, and he knows what he's doing.
We hope.
https://youtu.be/Osv7HUW7Dic...
Video: Pelican Swallows Pigeon Whole
Contrary to popular belief, pelicans eat more than just fish. Although the bird's distinctive throat poach is most often seen stuffed with fish, pelicans enjoy other seafood such as turtles, crustaceans, and, occasionally, even other birds. Although it is rare, pelicans near semi-urban areas have been known to scoop up the occasional pigeon.
Catching a pigeon is easy, but actually swallowing one is hard. As you can see in the below video, pelicans are not well-equipped to eat struggling pigeons. This is why some of the long-billed predators have developed an interesting tactic---they will...
Why You Should Consider Using an Outfitter for Turkey Hunting
You know how you can masquerade as the World’s Greatest Turkey Caller, even if you can’t call a lick? All you need to do is learn the lay of the land where you’re hunting and the habits of the birds you’re after. Then just formulate a plan to make certain you’re where the birds want to be about a half hour before they get there.
You yelp twice, the tom gobbles back and comes marching into range. BAM! Get out the camera to take the grip and grin photos!
Sounds so easy, doesn’t it? But if it were, then a bird with a brain the size of a walnut wouldn’t defeat us so...
Alberta’s Mountain Lion Population Triples, Human Encounters on the Rise
For the first time in decades, mountain lions are reclaiming territory in southern and eastern Alberta. Half a century ago, the wild cats were pushed into the province's remote corners, but conservation efforts and good habitat conditions are now drawing cougars back to their former range. According to the CBC, Alberta's mountain lion population has grown from 680 animals a decade ago to more than 2,000 now, a nearly threefold increase.
"Most of this expansion we're seeing is...
The Where, When, and Why of Whitetail Travel Patterns
Ever wonder why that mysterious buck showed up on your trail camera but you never saw him again? Or why one of your regular bucks just disappears for a few days? Some recent research into the travel patterns of whitetail bucks casts some light on these events.
I spotted the largest buck I've ever seen in the wild during the rut. He moved out across a field and I never saw him again. None of the hunters in the area knew of him, and even the owner of the land had never seen him before. Where did he come from? Where did he go? These questions have often puzzled me when it comes to...