hunting

Tactics for Late-Season Toms

Tactics for Late-Season Toms The warm spring air felt a little chilly but good as I approached the area I was going to turkey hunt in the dark, well before sunrise. The dew was on the grass, and I headed towards an open field with rolling hills and timber nearby. Be Observant There were plenty […]

Summer Work That Pays Off in Bow Season

Summer Work That Pays Off in Bow Season Early mornings in the turkey woods are beginning to give way to graduation celebrations, long afternoons on the lawn mower, gardens, and ball parks for yours truly. I would like to think that this “season” of life that falls between springtime gobblers and fall whitetails would be […]

Keeping Kids Engaged in Turkey Hunting

Keeping Kids Engaged in Turkey Hunting The morning air was cool and damp that May morning. The kind where you can hear your boots brush the grass as the dew covers your boots. He carried no gun, and that was on purpose. This was his first turkey season. He had the excitement, but today, he […]

Shed Antlers: Do they really tell us anything?

Shed Antlers: Do they really tell us anything? March 5, 2021 was a very special day in my time spent afield. I had taken a walk through the timber to “get out of my own head” and to decompress from a long work week. I was looking for shed antlers which was an activity that […]

Building a Foundation for the Field

Building a Foundation for the Field Anymore, “basic” seems to have a bad rap. It isn’t glamorous. It doesn’t make the highlight reels. It’s often the thing we ignore, rush, or cheat. It seems lame. With a clearer perspective, we can see the value of “basic”. It’s what brings the glam to glamorous. It’s the […]

Prep for Deer Season 2026 Now

Prep for Deer Season 2026 Now Deer season 2025 seems like a distant memory at this point. What we longed for in anticipation has changed to a new longing: deer season 2026! Until then, there are quite a few deer-related activities that can keep us especially busy as we pass the time and pursue whitetails […]

Big Buck Profile: The 2025 Gandy Buck

Big Buck Profile: The 2025 Gandy Buck Ok, this first big buck profile is a little self-serving in that it is of a buck that I personally took this past deer season. While it is likely not the “biggest” big buck that we will profile this year it is definitely one of my most special […]

Thunder in the Timber: A Morning with a Longbeard

Thunder in the Timber: A Morning with a Longbeard Songbirds sing their songs and fill the cool air along a timber edge overlooking a fresh, green alfalfa field. Virginia bluebells and spring beauty add dashes of color across the awakening forest floor behind the giant oak tree I rest my back against. A deer works […]

Picking A New Pup

Engaging the Next Generation

Engaging the Next Generation The future of wildlife conservation in North America rests squarely on the shoulders of the next generation of hunters. For over a century, the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation has been predominantly funded by hunters through license fees and excise taxes on equipment. As the number of licensed hunters steadily […]