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I love a day of offshore fishing immensely. But while the rush and team work involved in wrangling tuna or sharks is huge, such trips don't often qualify as "relaxing fishing" in my mind. You're on a mission that involves long-distance runs in the dark, days of watching weather patterns, a couple hundred bucks tied up in bait and fuel, a boat to clean when you return, and so on. Fun, but often stressful and always tiring...though it's a good tired.

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My local archery shop owner has a favorite saying: “There ain’t many of us as good as the bows we shoot.” There is a lot of truth in that saying, but it only truly comes home when you witness a truly great shot pick up a bow—preferably the same one you’re using—and really show his stuff.

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This week a new North Carolina state law went into effect allowing active members of the military to hunt and fish without a license while home on leave. I admit, as a discussion topic this one is a little light on controversy; most of us, I think, would agree that the folks protecting our freedom should hunt and fish for free. But this is a perfectly good forum for us to show our support. So let’s hear it.

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And the party never ends.  At least the fishing doesn't.

Having just finished the 19-hour drive from Michigan to Colorado with the Mrs., my 8-year-old son, two dogs, and a car full of fishing gear, I've had time to collect my thoughts a bit. 

Those long drives are ultimately healthy experiences.  A pain when you do them.  But it doesn't matter where I go--driving through the Arizona desert, down the Pacific Coast Highway, along I-95, or through the heartland-- I inevitably gain a deeper appreciation for how beautiful this country is.

I also learn things along the way.  Here are some examples of what I learned this time:

When in southwestern Iowa and the emergency broadcast network breaks over the radio with a tornado warning... and you pull off the highway to hide under an overpass... it's not a cool parenting move to suggest to the 8-year old in the back seat that he look out the window and see if he can spot a funnel cloud.  Other lessons... [ Read Full Post ]

My wife recently brought home Marley and Me because she’s gone dog wild. (Wait till you hear about the local dog show.) I found the movie to be extremely average. But damn if the final scene didn’t reduce me to a blubbering mess. But then, again, most dog movies do. Which brings us to a fine Hump Day Discussion: What’s the best dog movie of all time?

I favor Where the Red Fern Grows, because I don’t think a better dog flick exists. (And also because I still remember my older brother reading the book aloud to me when I was just a child, prompting me to dream that our mutt, Flapper, had a touch of coonhound in him.) Hard to compete with two redbones, Little Ann and Big Dan, tromping through the Ozarks with a young, aspiring coon hunter in tow.

Call of the Wild and White Fang, two movies based on classic Jack London novels, can’t be left out of the discussion. Buck and White Fang do for Alaska and the Yukon what Little Ann and Big Dan did for the Ozarks.

I can hear you now, “What about... [ Read Full Post ]

Last week we told you about two very rare black buffalos that were born on Edwin Tuccio’s farm on Long Island, New York. You asked for photos, and we have delivered. Click here to check out the gallery.

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From The New York Times:

[A]lmost every table [at Montreal’s Au Cinquième Péché bistro] was sampling an appetizer plate that included . . . a seared, rare loin, dark red in color, with a texture and taste akin to beef tenderloin. But the meat was not beef. It was seal.

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I’m fond of dumb crap because there’s so much of it spewing forth every day, and particularly of old dumb crap because it has a nice comfortable feel to it. This past week I encountered some authentic mid-1950s vintage ordure, courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

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Two weeks ago I wrote a story for the main page titled, "The Beginner's Guide to Better Fishing Photography". This week, thanks to my boys over at moldychum.com, I have stumbled upon what possibly might be the worlds best point and shoot camera for fishing related activities. The camera in question is the...

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Mike Leggett of the Austin American-Statesman sat down with 81-year-old veteran gun writer and whitetail deer authority John Wootters to talk guns, deer, and the future of hunting. As always, Wootters had something interesting to say. Here are a few excerpts:

On deer: "I love deer," he said. "I never loved their scores. I'm not a record-book hunter. I'm not sure I even approve of record books. I think they've resulted in a lot of abuse of the resource” [ Read Full Post ]

From the Northwest Florida Daily News:

The adults were fishing with a child near the Archie Glover Boat Ramp. After [finding] that four of the five red drum [the anglers] had were undersize, [an officer] tried to get information. . . .

Both adults gave false names, but the child provided the correct names to the officer. Both had outstanding warrants, one for failure to pay child support and the other for failing to appear in court.

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Everywhere you turn these days, some “celebrity” dog trainer is talking about being the leader of your pack—in other words, the alpha wolf. In fact, just yesterday I was reading an article about a trainer who insisted that you should refrain from acknowledging your dog when returning home from work. Here’s what she had to say ...

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