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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.

SHOT Show 2012 From The Floor: Day 2

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:34:22 -0500

Photos from the floor of SHOT Show 2012, Day 2.

Ray: Planning for Next Season

Online Editors — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:52:41 -0500

Rut Reporter Brandon Ray is an expert on the region. Ray was born in Dallas and shot his first deer with a bow in Central Texas at the age of 15. The full-time freelance writer manages his family’s Texas Panhandle ranch, is a licensed New Mexico guide, and last year took a 184 gross P&Y non-typical trophy. States covered: TX, OK, NM.

I'm already thinking about next year's deer season before the current one ends. And as we prepare to say adios to the 2011-2012 season, here are two things worth doing.

Because of drought across the region in 2011, winter forage is even more reduced than normal in the southern and middle sections of the region. In the northern extremes, where crops like wheat often help deer through the winter, production is way down. To help deer, and specifically rut-weary bucks, through the cold and stressful days of a long winter, I keep my bait areas and corn feeders running until spring.

SHOT Show 2012 From The Floor: Day I

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:48:40 -0500

Photos from the floor of SHOT Show 2012, Day 1.

Vibration and Hand Shock from Compound Bows in Super Slow Motion

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:39:01 -0500

by Dave Hurteau

If you saw David Maccar’s recent post “High-Speed Video: .308 vs. Soup Can” (if you didn’t you should) then you know that we recently had the use of some spectacularly sophisticated high-speed cameras.

For this video, we wanted to see something that is normally only felt: hand shock and vibration from a bow. At 19,300 frames per second, two things jump out at me:

The Best Field & Stream Reader Photos From 2011

Dave_Maccar — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:15:14 -0500

The 60 best photos submitted by readers in 2011.

Field & Stream's Best Photo Galleries and Blogs of 2011

Dave_Maccar — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:53:52 -0500

The 25 best online stories from F&S in 2011.

The NBA Has A Hunter: Hornets Center Chris Kaman

Sarah Smith — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:50:34 -0500

--Chad Love

We all know there are a ton of professional football and baseball players who love to hunt and fish, but what about the NBA? Are there any professional basketball players who are also avid hunters? There's at least one, according to this story in USA Today:

Seven-footer Chris Kaman was acquired in the trade that sent Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers. Kaman, from Grand Rapids, Mich., with dual citizenship in Germany (he has grandparents from there), has the most NBA seniority on the Hornets' roster and is the only All-Star (2009-10). He played in only 32 games last season and 31 in 2008-09 because of left foot injuries. Kaman talked to USA TODAY's J. Michael Falgoust: During the lockout you spent a lot of time hunting and posting pictures.

The Best Field & Stream Reader Photos From December 2011

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 09:44:10 -0500

The 50 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos of December.

First Shots Photo Collection

Online Editors — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 10:59:48 -0500

A collection of jaw-dropping hunting and fishing photos from Field & Stream's "First Shots" magazine section.

Ray: Hunting Through the Weather Extremes

Online Editors — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 11:38:07 -0500

Here is more proof that the weather and the rut can be at opposite ends of the spectrum in Texas. Last week, on Dec. 20, it was 25 degrees in the Panhandle town of Amarillo. The wind was out of the north at 25 mph and the wind chill was nine. A blizzard came through northeastern New Mexico, the top of Texas and western Oklahoma the night before, dropping up to 10 inches of snow in some parts. If you were hunting bucks at the top of the region then, you should have been hunting the food.

The 75 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos From November 2011

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:13:59 -0500

The 50 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos of October.

The 50 Best Photos from Round II of the 2011 F&S Fall Trail Cam Contest

Online Editors — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 14:51:21 -0500

The Best 2011 Round 2 Trail Cam Photos

Bow Shooting Tip: Float the Pin and Squeeze

Sarah Smith — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 14:43:01 -0500

Many an expert rifleman, our very own David E. Petzal included, will tell you that because you cannot hold a rifle perfectly still in the field, you should not squeeze the trigger so that you’re surprised when the rifle goes off, but rather pull it at the precise moment when the crosshairs are where they should be.

Long-Range Practice Improves Bow-Shooting Form

Sarah Smith — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 16:21:55 -0500

by Dave Hurteau

Video Editor Mike Shea paid me a visit recently, and now you must suffer the consequences. This tip is about long-range archery practice, which not only makes shots at typical hunting ranges seem like gimmes; it also practically forces you to shoot with good form.

A few notes:

1.) Watching myself shoot reveals that I could stand to work on a couple aspects of my form: I’m grabbing at the handle too quickly after the shot, and I could improve my string-arm follow-through.

A 170-Class Louisiana Typical: From Trail Cam to Cape

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 09:06:47 -0400

Chris Evans followed this bruiser on trail cam photos until he tagged it Oct. 7.

Heroes of Conservation Winner Announced!

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:58:38 -0400

At a time when the U.S. government is being asked to do more with less, conservationists all over the country are doing more without waiting to be asked. These efforts were recognized at the sixth annual Heroes of Conservation awards gala, sponsored by Field & Stream and Toyota. "It's a critical time, budgets are tight, and it is possible that essential projects to restore and protect America's wildlife and lands will be shelved due to lack of funds," F&S Editor Anthony Licata said at the Washington, D.C. event. "But there is hope. We are humbled by and incredibly grateful to people like our heroes, who are willing to work even when there isn't a budget."

Video, Interview: Mountain Biker Clobbered by Charging Antelope

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:31:20 -0400

by Dave Maccar

Charging wildlife isn’t the first thing on a mountain biker’s mind in the heat of a race, but the animals don’t know that.

Evan van der Spuy was racing in the 38 km Time Freight MTB Express mountain bike race at Albert Falls Dam, 20km outside the city of Pietermaritzburg in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa for Team Jeep South Africa over the weekend.

His teammate, Travis Walker, was in third place with a GoPro camera mounted on his bike, and captured this amazing footage below of Evan, who was in second place until this red hartebeest (a member of the antelope family) had something to say about it.

Yes, the hit was as hard as it looks. Evan was stabilized with a neck brace and taken to the hospital for overnight observation. He sustained a minor concussion, whiplash and some bruising on his head where his helmet imploded on impact.

F&S spoke to Evan today to get his take on the events behind this video, which is rapidly going viral.

Evan said he is recovering well, and feels extremely lucky.

“Luckily I walked away with just a bit of whiplash and a concussion, considering what happened,” he says. “I saw the animal moving to cross the road in front of me, but when I saw how close it really was, I was shocked. Then, from the moment it hit me I was unconscious. I actually don’t know what happened from then.”

Pro Skier Tags 200-Class Colorado Velvet Muley

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:30:08 -0400

Pro skier Drew Rouse tagged this 200-class Colorado velvet muley in late August.

Heroes of Conservation Ep. 8: Heroes in Action

Sarah Smith — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 12:54:58 -0400

Shoot Me Down: Speed Kills

Sarah Smith — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 12:00:48 -0400

by Dave Hurteau

Bowhunters who pooh-pooh arrow velocity are fond of saying, “Speed doesn’t kill.” They reference the slow-but-deadly bows of yesteryear as proof. The term “kinetic energy” gives them a terrible rash.

They are right to a point. Deer are not hard to kill. A knitting needle at 200 fps would probably do the job if perfectly aimed. But there’s the rub. Some arrows are not perfectly aimed in the real world of bowhunting. While additional kinetic energy and momentum may be wasted on a double-lung pass-through, you’ll do well to have more of them should you hit the front shoulder, the spine, or God forbid the ham. And speed gives you that.

I like to shoot one pin out to 30 yards. With a moderately fast bow, I can do that with a 375-grain arrow, all set up to hunt. But with a smoking fast bow, I can do it with a 425-grain arrow, sporting a heavier broadhead, which boosts momentum for better penetration when needed.

Alabama Angler Finds New Giant Gator

Sarah Smith — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 11:03:47 -0400

--Chad Love

'Tis the season, apparently, for giant Alabama reptiles. First, Alabama got a new state record gator now comes word of another large alligator, this time from Lake Eufaula.

From this story on myfoxal.com:

It is all the buzz around the Valley: a local man pulls a massive alligator from the waters of Lake Eufaula, and it was his first time gator hunting! News Leader Nine spoke with Zach Moore about his first big catch, and what the people of Eufaula think of this monster swimming in their waters. "We shot him one time and he came up on the bank and he was standing up and that's when I realized how big he was, and it knocked my socks off because I didn't believe he was that big," said Moore.

Do You Cheat Low with a Bow?

Online Editors — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:21:40 -0400

by Dave Hurteau

The 30 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos of May 2011

Online Editors — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 13:45:32 -0400

These great photos are our editors' picks for the best shots entered into our Trophy Room last month.

The 40 Best Reader Photos of April 2011

Online Editors — Tue, 03 May 2011 08:27:38 -0400

These great photos are our editors' picks for the best shots entered into our Trophy Room last month.