By Keith McCafferty

The great bushcraftsman Mors Kochanski once told me that a man can survive in wilderness with only a knife—but carry an ax and he lives like a king. To complete the woodsman’s toolbox, I recommend adding a bow saw. By packing all three blades in your canoe duffel (or on your back, as their total weight shouldn’t exceed 4 pounds), you can carve, chop, and saw your way to a wilderness throne faster and without nearly as much chance of injury than if you leave one tool behind. Here are the three blades I carry and what I can do with them.

Pictured from left: Helle Temagami knife, Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Ax, 24-Inch Folding Bucksaw

Peel & Shave

As long as you pack an ax and saw for heavy work, a knife is best used for peeling and shaving sticks. Peeled sticks harden quickly, becoming tougher and lighter than bark-on sticks, and can be further shaped into tools like spears, bows, and arrows.

Peel a stick by holding one end and resting the other end against a stump. Keeping your knife arm straight, stroke away from you by moving your shoulder and body, rather... [ Read Full Post ]

By Scott Bestul

High whitetail numbers have been blamed for the spread of Lyme disease for years. But according to the latest research, we might be pointing our finger at the wrong critter. According to this story in a recent issue of Scientific American, a sharp decline in red fox populations may have gone a long way to making Lyme disease go viral in the last decade.

The red fox, as most of us know, is an efficient predator of small mammals like the white-footed mouse; known to be one of the prime hosts of the Lyme-carrying “deer” tick. Red fox numbers are in a general decline across the country, thanks largely to ever-growing coyote populations. Coyotes eat foxes whenever the populations overlap, which is frequently. Though both canines dine on mice, foxes take the greatest toll on the little rodents. So when fox numbers dive, mouse populations climb and ticks follow suit. [ Read Full Post ]

By Tim Romano

Have something to say about your public lands? It could cost you…

My friends over at Trout Unlimited alerted me to a couple of bills that have been introduced to the House that don't sit well with me. I thought I would share.

They went on to say that Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development (SFRED), a coalition of businesses, organizations and individuals led by Trout Unlimited, the National Wildlife Federation and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, has been following this set of bills. And so far, the message isn’t exactly “sportsmen friendly.”

Among the provisions:
- A requirement of a $5,000 documentation fee to protest any lease, stifling a process that is currently free and open to anyone who wants to participate.
- Prioritizing energy development over fish and wildlife on public lands.
- A mandate that leases be issued within 60 days of payment regardless of protests or litigation.
- Requires that a minimum of 25 percent of the leases receive minimal environmental review and no protests. [ Read Full Post ]

By Phil Bourjaily

Shotgunners who play the coyote game have advantages riflemen don't. [ Read Full Post ]

By Phil Bourjaily

Our popular “We (Heart) Guns” target contest is back for the third year. The idea is simple: Shoot the special target insert in the July issue—or download a PDF of the target. First shoot it with a gun. Then shoot it with a camera. Submit the photo, and a panel of judges will pick the most creative shot as the winner.

Once again Smith & Wesson has donated a rifle as the first-place prize. For 2012, S&W have outdone themselves. This is not just any rifle, it is a Performance Center-tuned M&P15 5.56 hunting rifle (pictured here)  so nifty that my first thought on seeing it was: “Where’s mine?” 

Since the contest rules forbid me from entering, the rifle will never be mine but it can be yours. With it, you will be the terror of coyotes, zombies, and zombie-coyotes in your neighborhood. Ammunition isn’t cheap anymore, exactly, but on the other hand, digital "film" is free, so get to shooting and click here to enter your photos.

As always we will post a gallery of the best entries here on the site as we (and by “we” I mean our New York staff, not me and Dave) ponder the winner.
[ Read Full Post ]

By Bob Marshall

Fish, wildlife and sportsmen got good news Friday when Tom Vilsack, the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, announced recent and future sign-ups of 5.65 million acres in the Conservation Reserve Program, keeping that keystone conservation program close to its current authorized cap of 32 million acres.

But in an interview with Field & Stream, Vilsack also urged sportsmen to keep the momentum going by urging their congressmen - particularly House members - not to swing the budget axe on conservation funding in the new Farm Bill currently under consideration. [ Read Full Post ]