By Mike Calabro

I captured this image a few years ago while on a multi-day tour of the Rubicon Trail. In case you’ve never heard of the Rubicon Trail, this 22-mile stretch of rocks ascends through the Sierra Nevada Mountains just west of Lake Tahoe, Calif., and about 80 miles east of Sacramento. It is known as the toughest OH V trail in the U.S., if not the world. [ Read Full Post ]

By Lance Schwartz

2013 Polaris Scrambler XP 850 H.O. and Scrambler XP 850 H.O EPS LE
MSRP: $9,499 (base) - $11,999 (Limited Edition)

In a financial climate that’s sent many companies to the brink of disaster, Polaris has somehow found a way to continually redefine their brand by persistently bringing exciting new products to the market year after year.  For 2013, in addition to the all-new Polaris Ranger XP 900 that we gave a sneak peak on a few weeks ago, the sporty new Polaris Scrambler 850 H.O. arrives as both a base and a Limited Edition model.  In late August, I got the opportunity to test the Scrambler on an amazing 13,000-acre cattle ranch in Great Falls, Mont. My initial impression left me very satisfied and I look forward to spending additional time aboard the Scrambler 850 when I secure one in my long-term fleet. [ Read Full Post ]

By Lance Schwartz

I had the opportunity to attend the 5th annual Fisher's ATV World reunion at Rock Run Recreation Area in Patton, Pa. This family-friendly event centers around Brian Fisher, the host of Fisher's ATV World show that appears on The Outdoor Channel. The weekend was chock full of trail rides, free autograph signings, competitive events, vendor displays, demo rides from manufacturers like Yamaha, Can-Am, and John Deere, and some fantastic concerts.

As the parent of two young kids, the thing that I appreciated most about this event was how well the Fisher's crew catered to the kids. Fisher took the time during his Meet and Greet sessions to rap with the kids and their families and sign autographs on shirts, hats, helmets and sometimes their quads. I heard Fisher comment repeatedly about how much returning kids had grown in the past year, and he often joked about them now being taller than him. The kids really looked up to him. It impressed me how well he positively played that role, while also promoting responsible riding.

Trail riding was permissible all weekend, with special rides happening periodically. Fisher... [ Read Full Post ]

By Mike Calabro

This photo was taken during a weekend ride in Silver City, Idaho. It is a great place to ride, and has lots of varied terrain.
 
When
Silver City can get a little crowded during events and on weekends. If you want seclusion, go off-season or during the week. The Fourth of July is a big family event with old-fashioned games and such. Little Billy and Susie would be better off staying at home, ya dig?
 
Where
The Idaho Hotel was first built in 1863 in nearby Ruby City, but a few years later the hotel was moved a mile away to its current location in Silver City. Haul your quad there and stay a few nights. I recommend making reservations in advance by calling (208) 583-4104 or hit the net at www.historicsilvercityidaho.com. Tell them Mike Calabro sent you and they just might charge you extra (I mean less)... it’s doubtful, but worth a try.
 
[ Read Full Post ]

By Chad Love

The brilliant cyberpunk novelist William Gibson may, or may not (it's attributed to him, anyway) have once said, "the future is already here - it's just not evenly distributed yet." Why, you may ask, am I leading off this ostensibly hunting and/or fishing news blog post with a quote from a semi-obscure cult sci-fi novelist? Because the future of game camera technology is here - it's just not evenly distributed, nor is it quite tailored for hunting...yet.

From this story in the Boston Globe:
They are better known as stealthy killing machines to take out suspected terrorists with pinpoint accuracy. But drones are also being put to more benign use in skies across several continents to track endangered wildlife, spot poachers, and chart forest loss. Although it is still the ‘‘dawn of drone ecology,’’ as one innovator calls it, these unmanned aerial vehicles are skimming over Indonesia’s jungle canopy to photograph orangutans, protect rhinos in Nepal, and study invasive aquatic plants in Florida...Relatively cheap, portable, and earth-hugging, the drones fill a gap between satellite and manned aircraft imagery and on-the-ground observations, said Percival Franklin at the University of Florida, which has been developing such drones for more than a decade.

[ Read Full Post ]

By Dave Hurteau

I say surprising not because the new Heli-M is a pleasure to shoot—that, I expect from Mathews' top-end bow—but because I did not expect such a short, light bow to shoot as well as it did.

But first, after reading the review I posted here last month of the new Bowtech CPX and CPXL, in which I described the bow’s performance and listed my shooting results at 30, 40, 50, and 60 yards, a reader asked: “But do you like it?” It’s true, I never really addressed that. So, the answer is: Yeah, sure. Quiet, smooth, fast, well-built—what’s not to like? The CPX’s draw cycle is a little more aggressive than what I prefer for hunting, and because a longer bow doesn’t typically present a problem for me in the field, I like the smoother-drawing CPXL a little better, which shot exceedingly well all the way out to 60 yards. But that’s just me. You might have no trouble with the CPX’s draw and might love the blazing 355-IBO speed. [ Read Full Post ]