By Kim Hiss

     It's always great to see a kid in the field. At various points, Field & Stream has celebrated that fact with different stories on introducing young people to the sport. The most ambitious effort was in the December 2005 issue, when an entire cover package was devoted to kids and hunting -- it was full of stories about kids, expert opinions on dealing with topics such as morals and death, and a poll in which kids shared their views on field sports.

     In Field & Stream's current December issue, there's a different kind of coverage on kids -- although, this time it's not about tips and advice. It's portfolio called Young Blood by photographer Erica Larsen. Erica is a fantastic person, who's infinitely curious about human nature, and endlessly respectful of all field sports. She spent over a year going on hunts with kids and capturing images of what young passion for hunting is all about.

    Whether you have kids or not, it's impossible not to be touched by the images Erica collected--and encouraged about the future of our sport. There are almost 40 images at the link above, so when you have a... [ Read Full Post ]

By Scott Bestul

Usually, I don't publish photos of me with dead animals, but this unfortunate creature, who breathed his last in Montana on November 3, reinforced a couple of shooting precepts that have always been at the top of my list.

I had this fellow in the crosshairs for a full half-hour before I was able to pull the trigger. I was lying on top of a high dirt bank next to an irrigation ditch, and the deer was between 170 and 200 yards away in a herd of bucks and does, moving between trees and brush so that I could not get a shot. He had no idea I was around. I waited, and had faith, because deer are constantly in motion, and if you're patient, you'll almost always get the shot you've been waiting for.

And when the moment came, I shot right away, because constant motion works both for and against you. When the time does come, all you are going to get is a couple of seconds. Speed and deciseiveness count for much.

I killed him with the 6.5x55 of which I've written recently. The 130-grain Swift Scirocco took... [ Read Full Post ]

By Scott Bestul

The photo that follows was sent to me from F&S readers Jay and Rob, who live in Kimberley, B.C.. They photographed this gnarly buck on the ski hill near Kimberley. Jay and Rob are primarily whitetail hunters, and they were curious about my opinion on what this buck’s antlers would score. I am far from a mulie expert (my lack of success the primary evidence--see my previous post), so any guess I make would be a wild stab indeed. So I’m asking for Buck Tracker readers with more mulie acumen than I to submit their field-judging estimates. Let’s give Jay and Rob some numbers to ponder!

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By Kim Hiss

     Shannon Schwenke of Grand Rapids, MI! I'd mentioned that last week was the end of the giveaway before it went on hiatus, and that I'd wanted to go out with a bang by announcing more than one winner for the weekend. I didn't hear back from Shannon right away because it turns out she doesn't have internet access on the weekends because she and her husband are still remodeling their spare room. They're still remodeling their spare room because they keep getting sidetracked waterfowling -- at least it's a great excuse!
     Anyway, Shannon will be receiving a pair of Foxy Huntress signature print camouflage pants. They're a heavy-duty field pant that I was sorry I couldn't keep for myself!
     Okay, so now the giveaway is officially going on a brief hiatus -- for real this time. Hopefully it won't be long before we're back to finding good homes for good gear. --K.H. [ Read Full Post ]

By Kim Hiss

     Is it going as well as this photo? A toledoblade.com story earlier this week talked to Vicki Mountz, head of the information and education section of the Ohio Division of Wildlife, and proud new owner of a whole lot of venison.
      Her comments about scent reminded me of our conversation a little while back. The story states: 

Mountz said she does not wear a special scent-locking suit and was not using a ground attractant or cover-scent. But she carefully washes her hunting clothes in nonscent soap, showers with nonscent soap, and stores her clothes in a plastic bin with apples and acorns.

     So we know how things are going in Ohio, but how are things going with you? Sightings? Near hits? Meat for the freezer? At the very least, maybe you’ve gotten a lot of reading done in the blind. Feel free to send stories, updates—even your feelings about crossbows (apparently, that's what Vicki used).

    And if you're lucky enough to have a recent harvest to show off, I’m happy to brag on your behalf. Email me... [ Read Full Post ]

By Scott Bestul

Well, I just finished a really enjoyable week in the deer woods…and I barely hunted! Helped two friends—FS special projects editor Dave Hurteau and bowhunting icon Dwight Schuh—as they chased whitetails on our Minnesota property. Sent Dave home deerless, but Dwight managed a gorgeous 9-point buck, which he rattled in on a windy, windy day. Nothing I love better than seeing a good friend tag a great buck! I hated to see my buddies go, but I’m off to Iowa for a bowhunt now, so that should help me deal with the loss…

With the rut in full swing, great photos and stories keep coming in. This one comes from Iowa, where this father/son duo of Brad and Carter Wieck teamed up on an awesome Hawkeye State bruiser. Apparently, the two were tucked in a ground blind when the giant buck—check out those incredible forked G-2’s—strolled in mere yards from their position. Brad urged Carter to blow a grunt call to stop the deer, and dad managed to hold it together and make a great shot. Think Carter is hooked on deer hunting?

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