By David E. Petzal

I’m old; I’m helpless; I’m feeble
And the days of my youth have gone by
It’s over the hill to the poorhouse
I must wander alone there to die
—19th century song sung by Flatt and Scruggs, which I find myself humming a lot these days.

But that’s not important now. Recently I’ve found myself writing about a lot of old (early 20th century) cartridges, and reflecting on the fact that most of them are anything but feeble. [ Read Full Post ]

By CJ Lotz

For the first time in 33 years a hunter has been allowed to import a black rhino trophy into the U.S. David K. Reinke, CEO of a laser jet printer parts wholesaler, tagged the animal in Namibia in 2009. He paid $215,000 for the hunt, including a $175,000 contribution to the Namibian government’s Game Products Trust Fund.

[ Read Full Post ]

By David Draper

As black bears search the spring woods for forage after hibernation, they can be a thrill to both stalk and call into range.

Is it Big Enough? To determine if a bruin is worth going after, look for ears that sit on the side of its head and a creased forehead. Broadside, a trophy bear will have a belly that hangs low to the ground.

This month, black bears should be out in full force as they emerge from their dens to refuel on spring greens and the remnants of last autumn’s berries. Spotting these hungry bears is usually the easy part; just look for black spots dotting slides, clear-cuts, and mountain meadows or munching along beaches and logging roads. Once you’ve located a suitable bear, choose from this pair of pulse-pounding tactics—for both bow and rifle hunters—or use both. [ Read Full Post ]

By Ben Romans

Michigan DNR pilot Bill Green and biologist Roger Mech on a forest health flight. Photo: David Kenyon/Michigan DNR.

Flying through the skies in single-engine planes over roaring forest fires, skirting treetops scanning the dense forest for poachers and illegal baiters, seeing wildlife from a vantage point most only view through photographs—it's all in a day's work for the five pilots with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources air division. They're the DNR's eyes in the sky, responsible for the health of wildlife and its habitat as much as for keeping outdoorsmen from breaking the rules, and saving their lives if they get in a jam.

Known mostly for detecting and monitoring wildfires, these hybrid law-enforcement and natural resource officers survey wildlife, aid in search and rescue operations, and spot violators of baiting, spotlighting, and off-road vehicle regulations.

A pilot's view of a wildfire in progress. He circles a fire, looking for ground routes in and out. Photo: Neil Harri/Michigan DNR.

Wings Over Wildfire

Less than a century ago, spotters in fire towers were the front line of defense against forest fires. Though this system was reasonably effective in the Rocky Mountain peaks,... [ Read Full Post ]

By David Draper

After more than a year of anticipation, I finally got my hands on an advance copy of the new "Remington Camp Cooking" cookbook. Chef Charlie Palmer first clued me into the project when I sat next to him at dinner during the 2012 SHOT Show.

As I mentioned in that post, Palmer is one of us, a hunter and all-around regular guy, despite the fact that he’s responsible for more than a dozen restaurants around the country, as well as a handful of wine shops and boutique hotels. You wouldn’t know it by sitting next to him as he relates stories of hunting with his boys. True to that everyman style, the recipes in Remington Camp Cooking aren’t out of reach for most home cooks. [ Read Full Post ]

By Chad Love

Connecticut hunters may soon be able able to hunt black bears for the first time since 1840 if a bill currently under consideration becomes law.

From this story on ctpost.com:
The General Assembly may allow bear hunting in Connecticut for the first time since 1840, and lawmakers are taking a new look at allowing deer hunting on Sundays. The proposed Black bear hunt would be limited to certain areas of the state and hunters would pay a fee to participate in a lottery for licenses. [ Read Full Post ]