The lights don’t come on until the sun goes down. Competitive raccoon hunting has evolved into a world of six-figure dogs, $100,000 purses, and handlers chasing the next hunt across the Midwest. But beneath the money is a tradition built on great hounds, long nights, and hunters who’d rather be remembered than get rich.

These photos are from “Howl Play: The High-Stakes Game of Modern Raccoon Hunting” by Allie Conti, with photography by Tom Fowlks for Field & Stream. ...

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The timing matters.

A bull bison launched a 65 year old visitor roughly 8 feet into the air after charging through Yellowstone’s Bridge Bay Campground. Wildlife photographer Mike MacLeod captured the encounter, saying the bull had already been acting aggressively before the attack.

The incident came just as Yellowstone’s annual bison rut was beginning. Over the next several weeks, mature bulls shift their focus to breeding. They shadow cows, spar with rival bulls, bellow, wallow, and become far less tolerant of anything they see as competition. It is one of the most volatile times of year to be around North America’s largest land mammal.

Yellowstone is home to the continent’s last continuously wild plains bison herd. A mature bull can weigh nearly 2,000 pounds and run up to 35 mph. Hunters have long understood that during the rut, reading an animal’s behavior matters just as much as keeping your distance.

(Video Mike MacLeod) ...

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Gravity always wins.

According to Matthew Skuse, this boat-over-boat recovery is his go-to way to deal with a swamped canoe. Skuse guides kayak and open canoe expeditions in Norway and teaches bushcraft, winter survival, and sea survival, where efficient recoveries like this are part of the job.

Technique & video: @matt.skuse
Photography: @mvv_photography ...

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The funny thing about Randall knives is that nobody set out to make them collectible.

They became collectible because they worked. Hunters carried them. Soldiers trusted them. Guides wore them until the leather went soft and the carbon steel turned gray. Somewhere along the way, a few men made it their life’s work to learn every stamp, every sheath, every story behind the blades that survived.

Duke McCaa and Mitchell Harrison are the keepers of Randall history, aka the “Blade Runners.” They know which knives matter, where they came from, and why some are worth far more than the steel they’re made from. This is a glimpse into their private collection. At the end of the day though, it’s less about owning a Randall than understanding one.

This is the “Blade Runners: A Look At The Private Collection of Two Randall Knife Traders” story & photography by Andrew Hetherington for Field & Stream. ...

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Nobody called it “making memories.” It was just what you did. You turned over rocks looking for caddis and stoneflies. You watched for the rise and an upstream push. Your tackle box rattled every step, lunch got smashed in the cooler and that’s why we remember it.

Archival Project // @fieldandstream × @yuenglingbeer
#OldSchoolSunday ...

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Living dinosaurs. Texas floodwater. You may remember Chef Will “Clams” Levatino from Field & Stream Fish Camp in Florida, where he turned invasive clown knifefish into an incredible camp meal. This time, he joined us in Livingston, Texas, for a Field & Stream Texas RV Adventure and tagged his first gar.

The Trinity River was flooding, the alligator gar were feeding, and the bite was unlike anything we’d seen. Over the course of the trip, the team landed multiple gar over 6 feet long—including one stretching 6 feet 8 inches, about the height of an NBA forward, and another true giant measuring 7 feet 3 inches.

Along the way, the team caught gar on flies, swimbaits, cut bait, lures, and live-scope presentations, shared breakfast burritos and fried chicken sandwiches around camp, and spent time with The Fish Whisperer, whose Gar Stopper rig is helping reduce gut hooking and improve catch-and-release survival for one of North America’s most iconic freshwater fish.

Full Video Out Now on our YT 🎥 Featuring @clams_levatino presented by @victorinoxnorthamerica
🤝@bogsfootwear  @gorving @thefishwhisperer1 #FSTexasRV ...

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One old weed eater. One bright idea. When the sun goes down, Ty Walker flips on a homemade rig built from an old weed eater and a fish light. The light draws in insects. Instead of getting zapped, they tumble naturally into the pond—turning summer nights into an all-you-can-eat buffet for the trout.

It’s the kind of practical solution you’d expect from the man who brought Virginia’s century-old Smoke In Chimneys trout hatchery back to life. Every trout is raised in cold, mineral-rich spring water flowing straight from a limestone aquifer just yards from the hatchery—about 3,000 gallons a minute with a naturally high pH.

🎥: @smokeinchimneys ...

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Long before Outfitters Supply became a trusted name in the backcountry, Russ Barnett was packing horses through Montana’s wilderness and figuring out what worked—and what didn’t.

Those days on the trail shaped everything that followed. In 1986, he founded Outfitters Supply with a focus on practical gear built for outfitters, hunters, and anyone who depended on horses and mules to reach wild places. Nearly four decades later, that same hands-on approach continues to define the company.

@outfitterssupply ...

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Clock is ticking. This is the final call to enter for a chance to experience Indy Race Weekend with @23xiracing, meet @corey.heim, and go behind the scenes with the 23XI No. 67 Team. #HEIMTIME #INDY ...

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An arctic gamble. Matthew Spears bought a used hovercraft, hauled it roughly 50 miles north of the Arctic Circle, and spent three days hot tent camping in the country that inspired Felix Pedro’s 1902 gold expedition.

The trip had all the setbacks you’d expect from Alaska. The throttle froze. The river started icing over. He ran out of gas after getting caught up exploring and paddled the last stretch back to his van. He even smoked out the hot tent trying to bake cookies. But if you’re itching to see how the craft performed, Spears’ full trip is on his YT.
Story & video: @mattspearss ...

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When his father, Merton Parks, founded Parks’ Fly Shop in Gardiner in 1953, Richard was just 10 years old. Before long, he was tying flies, learning Yellowstone’s waters, and guiding anglers by 18.

After serving in the U.S. Army and co-authoring two fishing books, Parks returned to continue the family legacy while becoming a leading voice for trout conservation. His work with Trout Unlimited and other organizations helped protect the waters that made the shop famous, proving that the best guides don’t just know the river—they fight for its future.

More than 70 years after its founding, Parks’ Fly Shop remains one of Yellowstone’s most iconic fly-fishing destinations, and Richard’s story is woven into nearly every cast made along these legendary waters.

(@parksflyshop) ...

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The best hunting seasons are built months in advance. On his 250-acre West Virginia farm, Kirk Price is putting in the work long before opening day. He’s removing invasive autumn olive, managing his timber, and creating better habitat for deer, turkeys, and the wildlife that depends on healthy ground.

In this project, he’s also setting up the new Field & Stream 600 lb. Steel Deer Corn Feeder and filling it with the Field & Stream Elite Feed Blend to help supplement natural forage as part of his overall property management plan.

How are you getting ready for the season 🤔

If you’re working on your own property this summer, @tractorsupply has the tools, feed, and equipment to help you get ready for the season ahead. ...

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