Field and Stream - Big Game Hunting RSS

Why Shorter Rifle Barrels May Be Better

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:27:18 -0500

by David E. Petzal

A couple of generations ago, before there was a chronograph lurking under every loading bench, gun makers used barrels of sensible lengths. If you got a .30/06 or a .270, most likely you got a 22-inch barrel. If you bought a magnum, it was probably 24 inches. Over the years, however, barrels have been getting longer, possibly because manufacturers are afraid their guns/ammo won’t deliver advertised velocities.

I’ve never feared shorter barrels. They are handier to use, weigh less, and often are more accurate than the longer ones. And as a rule, you lose very little velocity when you lop off some steel.

As proof of this, ace Texas rifle maker Charley Sisk recently published an experiment where he barreled six rifles with 27-inch tubes and chronographed them, cutting each one back an inch at a time. Space doesn’t allow me to list all the figures, but I can give you the totals.

The 180-Class Pending B&C World Record 8-Point Buck!

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:46:12 -0500

This 8-point buck is a shoe-in for the B&C world record.

Recipe: Dutch Oven Stuffed French Toast

Sarah Smith — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:00:59 -0500

by Colin Kearns

If you haven’t had breakfast yet, you might consider this delicious morning meal, courtesy of new Lodge Cast Iron Cooking cookbook. And, if you haven’t shared your favorite Dutch oven meal, get on it! The Wild Chef reader with the best-sounding dish will win a brand new Lodge Dutch oven.

Stuffed French Toast

Ingredients
- 1 French bread loaf, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 dozen large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1⁄3 cup maple syrup
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes and softened

Valentine's Day Soup Recipe + Contest Winner Announced

Online Editors — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:12:35 -0500

by David Draper

Jack O'Connor's Legendary No.2 Rifle

Online Editors — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:08:59 -0500

by David E. Petzal

In 1959, Jack O’Connor bought a Winchester Model 70 .270 Featherweight in a hardware store in Lewiston, Idaho. He had bought his first Winchester .270, a Model 54, in 1925, and in the ensuing years had made the cartridge synonymous with his name. He already had several .270s, but as we all understand, one or two of anything is never enough.

The new gun—O’Connor called this the No. 2 rifle--turned out to be very accurate (MOA or just under, which in 1959 was sensational), and so O’Connor took it to his favorite custom gunsmith, Al Biesen, of Spokane, to give it a level of elegance befitting its performance. Biesen completed the work in 1960. Biesen was not only a first-rate craftsman, but had a very good feel for ergonomics. All his stocks had a very slim pistol grip that belled toward the bottom, and they have a very distinctive feel. You can mount a Biesen rifle blindfolded and pick it out of a bunch of rifles.

Recipe: Cast-Iron-Skillet Fried Catfish

Sarah Smith — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:30:06 -0500

by Colin Kearns

Like just about every eater (and imbiber), I have my weaknesses: cold fried chicken, bacon, backstrap, bourbon, fish tacos, sharp cheddar and pretzels. And catfish—preferably fried.

So when I saw the recipe for Deep-Fried Catfish in the new Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook, I asked the folks at Lodge if I could have it to share with Wild Chef readers. They obliged, bless their hearts. Enjoy.

Deep-Fried Catfish

Ingredients:
- 1 gallon canola oil
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 cups cornmeal
- 5 pounds catfish fillets, all cut to about the same size
- Garnish with lemon wedges.
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small jar yellow mustard
- Lemon wedges for garnish

The Best Field & Stream Reader Photos From January 2012

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:06:52 -0500

The 50 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos of January.

Contest: Win a New Cookbook and a Dutch Oven!

Sarah Smith — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:02:26 -0500

by Colin Kearns

Every day this week the Wild Chef will feature recipes and tips from the brand new cookbook, The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook. We'll also be giving away some great prizes, including copies of the book, a Lodge cast-iron skillet, and Lodge cast-iron Dutch oven.

How’s this for a day: The other turkey hunters and I crawled out of our tents around 4 a.m. The stars in western Nebraska hung so low, you were tempted to reach for one. My hunting partner, Jim, and I teamed up with Phillip Vanderpoole to hunt from a blind on the edge of an alfalfa field. I killed a tom at 7 a.m. A few hours later, Jim shot a gobbler of his own. We were back at camp by 11 a.m., where the kitchen crew had prepared a champion’s breakfast of eggs, pancakes, and sausage.

How a Sporting Chef Fights Hunger with Wild Game

Sarah Smith — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:49:11 -0500

by David Draper

If you’re even the least bit interested in wild-game cooking—and I assume you are if you’re reading this blog—you’ve probably heard the name Scott Leysath a time or two. Better known as The Sporting Chef, Leysath has built his 20-plus-year reputation on creating delicious and original fare from fish and game.

In addition to appearing on the Hunt Fish Cook and Ducks Unlimited television shows, he also writes the cooking column for DU’s magazine and contributes recipes and cooking advice to a number of other outdoor outlets. Lately, Leysath has been polishing his sterling reputation by hosting HuntFishFeed events, where the Sporting Chef and a team of volunteers prepare donated game meat for the less fortunate.

Virginia Hunters Keep Ban on Sunday Hunting

Sarah Smith — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:36:34 -0500

--Chad Love

Sorry, Virginia hunters. It looks like the "peace and quiet" crowd has come out on top in your state's Sunday hunting debate.

From this story on gazettevirginian.com:

Rural Virginia will enjoy peace and quiet with respite from hunters for at least another year, after a House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources subcommittee voted to table three bills that would have repealed or rolled back the state’s current ban on Sunday hunting. A member of that subcommittee, 60th District House representative James Edmunds, said Thursday there was a “tremendous amount of opposition” to Sunday hunting.

The Best New Knives of 2012

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:04:49 -0500

These are the best new knives for outdoorsmen available in 2012.

NY Hunter Pays $300K for Montana Bighorn Sheep Tag

Sarah Smith — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:57:51 -0500

--Chad Love

How much is a Montana bighorn sheep hunt worth to you? For one New York hunter with deep pockets, it was worth a cool $300,000.

From this story in the Great Falls Tribune:

A New York hunter paid $300,000 for this year's Montana special auction license for bighorn sheep at the Wild Sheep Foundation convention in Reno, Nev., in January. The price, while not a record, ensures that the bighorn sheep tag continues to be the high interest big money tag of all the special auction tags Montana offers.

James Hens of East Berne, N.Y., bought the tag. He will be able to hunt a sheep in any Montana bighorn sheep hunting district this fall. Last year, James Liautaud of Champagne, Ill., owner of the Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwich Shop chain, paid $295,000 for the same tag. The year before, Liataud bought the tag for $275,000. The highest price ever paid for the bighorn tag was $310,000 in 1994.

Contest: What’s Your Best Super Bowl Snack?

Sarah Smith — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:08:53 -0500

by David Draper

There are a lot of great ways to get wild on Super Bowl Sunday. You could paint yourself in team colors, go streaking, and post the resulting video (and arrest) on YouTube. Or you could just dip into the larder and cook up a fish or wild-game inspired dish to share with your friends during the game. I’m not going to encourage you to do the former, but I will help you along with the latter by throwing a Super Bowl Snack Contest.

Post your favorite fish or game dish below in the comments section below, along with a few sentences on why it’s the perfect food for this year’s Super Bowl party. The most creative idea will win a box of assorted cooking/food-related goodies from Camp Chef, Hi-Mountain Seasonings, Cabela’s, and other generous folks. To be eligible to win, post your entry by Saturday, February 4 at 6:00 p.m. MST. I’ll announce the winner next week.

The Debutante Hunters Documentary Shows The Best Side of Hunting

Sarah Smith — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:11:07 -0500

by Hal Herring

(Editor’s Note: The Debutante Hunters won the Shorts Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival after this post was written.)

Sometimes it seems to me that conservation in the American West is like a Rocky Mountain river, wild with snowmelt, tumultuous and dramatic, with some new, obvious, challenge every second. But Southern hunting and fishing, and the conservationist ethic they spawn, seem more like a southern river, broad and slow and deep, shadowed with history and tradition.

Gangs Target Sportsmen in Texas

Sarah Smith — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:36:33 -0500

--Chad Love

The hunting trip of a lifetime ended up as every hunter's worst nightmare for four Mississippi hunters after all their gear was stolen on the way to the airport.

From this story on the clarionledger.com website:

Jacob Baldwin of Canton and three friends went to Texas earlier this month on the trophy deer hunt of a lifetime. Baldwin killed a 150-class buck and a wild hog, and one of his partners got a good buck.

"It was a great get-away trip - good friends, good hunting, great service at the lodge and everything - right up until we were getting ready to fly home," Baldwin said. "Then it went south in a hurry." Five miles from the San Antonio airport, the group stopped at a restaurant for a final taste of the area's local flavor before heading to the rental car return and a return flight to Jackson. By the time the last taco was eaten and the last swallow of cerveza taken, thieves had emptied their rental vehicle of everything.

Can High-Fence Hunting Save the Scimitar Horned Oryx?

Sarah Smith — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:59:18 -0500

--Chad Love

Can hunting endangered African species help save them? That's the question the news segment that aired last night on 60 Minutes is asking.

From this story on cbsnews.com:

The scimitar horned oryx . . . the addax . . . the dama gazelle - three elegant desert antelope that you'd hope to see on a journey through Africa, except that their numbers are dwindling there. Which is why Lara Logan went to Texas -- yes, Texas. There, on large grassland ranches, some exotic species that are endangered in the wild have been brought back in large numbers. But there's a catch: a percentage of the herd is hunted every year by hunters who pay big money for a big catch.

Recipe: Super Bowl Duck Spring Rolls

Sarah Smith — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:53:02 -0500

by David Draper

I know there are a lot of football fans who really care which team wins this Sunday’s Super Bowl. But me, I’m just in it for the food. While the rest of America roots for Peyton Manning’s less-funny brother or the guy who’s married to Gisele, I’ll be grazing the spread of cheese dips, bacon-wrapped goose bites, and sliders at the back of the room. I’ll also be judging friends’ reactions to my contribution to the party’s potluck: duck spring rolls.

I first had a version of these at our annual wild game feed and have been looking for a good excuse to make them myself. The recipe I’m passing along calls for fresh duck breasts, but I’ve found spring rolls are also a great way to use up the crispy-skinned leftovers of a roast duck. The recipe also works with goose, venison, pheasant, or any game meat with just a little modification.

Randolph Engineering: How to Choose the Right Tint for Shooting Glasses

Online Editors — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:47:59 -0500

Randolph Engineering has a variety of tints for its shooting glasses. Learn how to choose the right lenses for your next hunt or shooting competition and check out the company's new HD lenses.

Trijicon TARS: A Powerful Scope for Long-Range Shooters

Online Editors — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:07:31 -0500

Trijicon's Tactical Advanced RifleScope is a power optic that can be used for a variety of applications, especially big game hunting and long-range target shooting.

Using Wolves to Control Elk Population at CO Wildlife Refuge?

Sarah Smith — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:59:37 -0500

--Chad Love

Federal wildlife officials are considering using wolves to control the elk population at Colorado's Baca National Wildlife Refuge.

From this story in the Billings Gazette:

Federal officials are considering using wolves to control the number of elk in Baca National Wildlife Refuge, a proposal that is drawing criticism from hunters and ranchers and support from environmentalists. And a plan that is drawing comparisons to what has happened in Montana and Wyoming since wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone National Park. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service planner Laurie Shannon says the use of wolves in Colorado is not the preferred alternative, but it's an option for controlling elk herds that have taken a heavy toll on the cottonwoods and willows lining stream banks.

The Best Shotguns of 2012

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:56:43 -0500

These are the best new shotguns of 2012.

Dimensions by Jeromy Holmes: One of a Kind Rifle Paint Jobs

Online Editors — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:45:04 -0500

So you have your rifle. There are many like it but this is your own. Now add a paint job by artist Jeromy Holmes and you can ensure no rifle will ever look the same as yours. And his work is not just for looks, it's functional beauty.

Olympic Medalist Kim Rhode on Prep for London Games

Online Editors — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:40:43 -0500

Kim Rhode will be competing in the Olympic Skeet event in 2012, where she hopes to break an Olympic record by winning five medals in five different Olympic Games. She talks with Phil Bourjaily about her practice routine and prep work leading up to the London games.

Do-All Outdoors: Have Fun Shooting These Targets

Online Editors — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:30:35 -0500

Bored shooting the same targets over and over? Try blasting an orange prairie dog or any of these reusable targets from Do-All Outdoors.

Why Wild Game Should Matter in the Mainstream

Sarah Smith — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:51:50 -0500

by David Draper

Last Friday, at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, while waiting for the weekend shift of working girls to deplane, I picked up a bottle of water and some reading material for my flight home. On the rack, there were the usual periodicals that often make their way into my carry-on: The Atlantic (which my swollen head couldn’t fathom at that moment); Surfer (not really the inspiration I needed for a trip home to Nebraska), and Esquire (didn’t want to be seen reading a magazine with a picture of Bill Clinton on the cover).

What I did find was a copy of Saveur, a food magazine whose Jan/Feb issue annually lists their Top 100 people, places, and ingredients for the food-obsessed. The Saveur 100 issue serves as great inspiration in the kitchen and fuels many a daydream for food-related road (and plane) trips should I ever win the lottery. It’s the kind of best-of list where you’ll find meatloaf next to something called mugua ji, or a treatise on the Czech Republic’s microbrews matched with Frito Pie.