How to Take Your Father Turkey Hunting
Hunting
There’s an old split-rail fence at Mom and Dad’s place that separates the lawn from the horse pasture. I like to lean against it just before dark and owl hoot. Across the pasture, and beyond the creek, is an oak hillside, and in the spring a gobbler roosts there as many nights as not. The […]
The Science Behind Hot Streaks and Slumps in the Pheasant Field
Hunting,
Inside Pursuit
Because confidence gets shooters into the zone—and the zone is a real place. My cousin sent me a note the other day saying he had gone nine for nine so far during pheasant season, and he asked for advice and sympathy in advance of the inevitable slump. I congratulated him on his hot streak and […]
How to Choose the Best Gun and Load for Late-Season Waterfowl
Hunting
Late-season waterfowl hunting presents a pair of good-news/bad-news scenarios, depending on the weather. On mild winter days, any gun should do the job. That’s the good news. The bad news is that wary ducks and geese don’t fly as much or decoy as well in warmer weather. That means your chances are fewer, and your […]
Tough Love: Good Hunting Buddies and Makeshift Gear
Hunting,
Inside Pursuit
The best hunting buddies push you to go farther and work harder than you would on your own It was his jackleg float tube that really drove me crazy. I’d bought a brand-new camo belly boat for duck hunting—one of the first models that involved more than a Cordura-covered truck-tire inner tube—and my buddy Lee […]
Stuck Cartridge Cases and How to Avoid Them
Hunting,
Inside Pursuit
Neck-sized cases, oily chambers, dirt, ice, and powder fouling can all get you in a jam I mentioned stuck cartridge cases in a previous post, and since they can screw up a rifle but good, it’s worth going into in more detail. I think most of the people who get into trouble with this are […]
How To Wash Gore-Tex Hunting and Fishing Gear
Fishing,
Gear,
Hunting,
Inside Pursuit
Learn how to maintain your waterproof clothing so it keeps you warm and dry every season The weather forecast called for sunny skies a high of 83 degrees. Instead, it’s minus-25 and starting to snow, and the wind-chill factor is enough to make a longshoreman blush. Underneath my rain suit, I’m dressed in a t-shirt […]