By Anthony Licata

My instinct was telling me not to pull the trigger, but the guide was hissing shoot, and I could feel the eyes of seven guys behind me, surely asking what was taking me so long.

I was five minutes into an elk hunt in eastern Oregon. The plan was for two guides in two trucks to drop the hunters off where we could hike and glass, looking for elk moving through the country. But as soon as we pulled onto the ranch, David, the guide, barked, “Get out!” In seconds I was on shooting sticks, the crosshairs of my scope wobbling over the chest of a bull standing in dark timber 280 yards up a steep hill.

“He’s a good bull,” David said. “Shoot.”

Here’s the thing: I didn’t care if it was a ­record-​book bull; I didn’t want to shoot. I was excited about a weeklong hunt in the mountains, and I didn’t want it to be over before it started. But more important, jumping out of the truck and shooting a bull before I got my boots dirty is not how I wanted to kill my first elk—or... [ Read Full Post ]

Everyone loves a story. But as outdoorsmen, we appreciate a good one more than most.

We'll let you get away with the yarn about the trout you took into the backing—even though the fish gains a pound with every retelling. We'll still act surprised that the buck you'd been chasing for ages suddenly appeared in the last minute of the last day—even though we already know the ending. We'll happily listen, and as soon you're finished, we'll tell one of our own.

A wonderful thing about hunting and fishing is how, if you spend enough time in the wild, stories will find you. We keep them, share them, and savor them when we can't be in the field. This month, between seasons, is one of those times. So we asked our best writers and wildlife photographers for the tales that they tell when they're sitting by the fire with other outdoorsmen. Most were inspired by a list of one word themes we provided them, because the best hunts and most memorable fish teach us something about who we are and how to live life. Other stories included show the small moments that capture the friendships, humor, and joy... [ Read Full Post ]

By C.J. Chivers

Chris Ott knew the enraged grizzly was coming back to finish killing him. Knocked flat, half-scalped, blinded by his own blood rushing over his brow and down his face, he sifted facts from surprise. Seconds before, the big sow had exploded from undergrowth and hit him, slashing open his head and biting his face and neck as she forced him down. He had spotted her only seconds before she landed on him and her slobbering maw smacked his, transforming him from a fit 42-year-old man to wounded prey in the predator’s grip. Now he was experiencing what sometimes happens to people as they die. It was mid-attack. Time seemed to slow. The momentum of the bear’s lunge had carried her past. This was his stay—the time a grizzly requires to stop, spin, and pounce back on broken prey. It stood to be the rest of Chris’s life. [ Read Full Post ]

By David Draper

Whether you’re an old hand at throwing Super Bowl parties or hosting your first, it’s always a good idea to turn to the professionals when planning the perfect party menu. To make things easier on you, I’ve rounded up expert opinions on some must-have game day snacks—and added a Wild Chef take on another classic to give you five fine options for this Sunday’s Super Bowl.

Meatballs: There are dozens and dozens of variations on the popular meatball, as the guys at New York’s Meatball Shop can attest. Don’t be afraid to rotate deer, elk, or antelope sausage or ground meat into any of these recipes to add your own Wild Chef twist. [ Read Full Post ]

By Hal Herring

There was a lot of hubbub around the West when NASA revealed the beautiful “Black Marble” satellite images of America and the world, showing the intensity of our settlements through the brilliance of our electrical lights. So much of the eastern and southern U.S. is lit, and the lights only began to fade as you reach the northern Great Plains, and then look to the northern Rocky Mountains, which remain fairly dark. [ Read Full Post ]

By David Draper

Tell people that you not only eat bear meat but that you also love it, and most will grimace and postulate second-hand opinions about how bear is not only inedible, but also disease-ridden. Cooking bear, the uninformed will righteously tell you, not only results in a bad meal, but also causes everything from severe nausea to death. Mention that you also render bear fat for cooking, and you can almost see their brain seize up. It’s actually quite entertaining—not unlike telling a redneck that Toby Keith votes Democrat. 

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