fishing Archives

Total Outdoorsmen: Eat, and Share, What You Kill

by Pursuit | Feb 3, 2024 | Hunting, Inside Pursuit

No matter if it’s a gourmet feast or a rustic camp supper, a family meal of shared wild game has always brought hunters together

The dusky grouse came from the big slopes of the Flathead and Kootenai national forests, behind Tom Healy’s house in the Northern Rockies. When Fast Eddie, Healy’s wirehaired pointing griffon, locked up along an edge of pines, Healy knew instantly and intuitively that it was no ruffed grouse. “The big duskies like that sunshine, that open ground in the big woods,” he says, standing in the deep shade of a wall tent, stirring a mixture of grouse meat, elk meat, and wild rice. “I knew what was coming.”

Healy harvested this wild rice too, with his wife, in a canoe deep in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters. Now he stirs the dirty rice in a black iron pot as he describes arrowing through the dense rice stalks in the canoe, knocking the grains loose with short wooden batons so they fell into the boat.

There is elk heart in Healy’s dirty rice mix too, and elk sausage from a cow he killed eight days into a Big Hole Valley backcountry hunt. He had a .270 in camp, he recalls, but he carried a slug gun that day. “I wanted to force myself to get a little closer,” he says. “Make it a little more real.”

I glance around the tent. Nearby, a tall, bearded, cowboy-hatted guy sears mallard breasts from a Rocky Mountain spring creek. Another outdoorsman debones a Bristol Bay salmon. There is snowshoe hare and Idaho chokecherry sauce and goose confit in the works. On an open fire outside the tent, skewers of lynx meat sizzle. Getting closer to the heart of the matter seems to be the dish of the day. I’m in Boise, Idaho, at what is arguably the world’s most impressive wild-game meal: the Backcountry Hunters & Anglers field-to-table dinner, held during the group’s annual Rendezvous. Each year, some of the country’s best wild-game cooks put on a fundraiser feast so fine, it’s been written up in gourmet-cooking magazines.

I wander from camp stove to fire pit, sampling beaver meatballs and smoked Lahontan cutthroat trout. I quiz the chefs about each dish, but what I hear most isn’t the merits of wild plums versus the grocery-store variety, or why jackrabbit is underrated on the table. Instead, everyone tells me a story about the harvest. I hear how warm it was that January day on the Boise River when the trout were biting, how the moon lit the trail on the tough hike out with the elk quarters.

It’s been this way, always. This might be one of the fancier wild-game gigs I’ve ever attended, but I’ve felt this same kinship in Cajun squirrel camps, Yukon duck camps, and my deer camp back home. It’s what we do. The earliest art, religion, and connections between human communities were all rooted in the things we chase, kill, and eat. And share.

Spice of Life

Here’s another story: A few years ago, my wife, Julie, and I had new friends over for dinner. I smoked a chunk of pronghorn backstrap and served it with Gouda cheese and red peppers blackened on the grill. It was not terribly different from our normal wild fare. To our guests, though, antelope was the most exotic meat they’d ever eaten. They gushed about its tenderness and sage-tinted bite. They wanted to know where I’d killed it (Wyoming) and how (arrowed from behind a decoy). They asked about my other hunts. They were surprised to learn that I butchered my own deer and aged ducks in the refrigerator’s vegetable crisper. They were unaware of the modern hunter’s connection to this ancient cycle, that wild meat still nourishes soul as much as body.

I asked if they’d like to meet their meal, since the antelope’s head was hanging on my office wall. They politely declined, but still, that one simple meal sparked a conversation about hunting, sustainability, and the honesty of eating what you kill. They still talk about it. Not every wild-game dinner is a conversion experience, to be sure. Sometimes you just want to chew on a squirrel leg. But there’s no doubt that a grilled backstrap is as fine an argument for hunting and fishing as any philosophical treatise.

At the BHA chow-down, I hover over Idaho chef Randy King as he works up a dish of spring rolls stuffed with goose confit. Always a sucker for a good goose dish, I’m about to ask for the particulars of the dish, but King tells a different story. “This is kind of funny,” he says, “in sort of a bad-funny way.” He tells me that he and his 12-year-old son, Cameron, hunted these geese from a southwestern Idaho farm ditch last winter. Cameron was shooting a single-barrel 20-gauge, the kind with an exposed hammer, and with the first shot, the hammer bit the boy on the cheek hard enough to require stitches. Blood gushed. “I felt awful,” King says, “but he is so proud of that scar, you wouldn’t believe it.”

But I would, of course. What hunter wouldn’t? It’s the kind of story that seasons a meal and life long after the hunt, and makes every day on this Earth a sweeter bite of life.

Gear Tip: Cooking by the Book

Time to make some room on your bookshelf. Randy King’s collection of recipes and essays, Chef in the Wild: Reflections and Recipes from a True Wilderness Chef is pretty close to sharing a cooking fire with the Idaho icon. And the latest cookbook from award-winning food author Hank Shaw, Pheasant, Quail, Cottontail: Upland Game from Field to Table, elevates gamebird and small-game cookery to its rightful status.

Written by T. Edward Nickens for Field & Stream and legally licensed through the Matcha publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@getmatcha.com.

Featured image provided by Field & Stream

What’s next for AI and Machine Learning in Hunting and Fishing

by Pursuit | Sep 19, 2023 | Conservation

The worlds of hunting and fishing have long been pursuits that blend human skill, patience, and an intimate knowledge of nature. However, in today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are set to have major advancements these time-honored traditions. From improving conservation efforts to enhancing the effectiveness of hunters and anglers, AI and machine learning are ushering in a new era for outdoor enthusiasts.

AI for Conservation

One of the most critical applications of AI and machine learning in hunting and fishing is in conservation efforts. These technologies enable the collection and analysis of vast amounts of data, helping scientists and conservationists make informed decisions about wildlife management and habitat preservation.

1. Species Monitoring: AI-powered camera traps and drones can monitor wildlife populations, track migration patterns, and detect endangered species, aiding conservationists in their efforts to protect these animals.

2. Ecosystem Health: Machine learning algorithms can analyze environmental data, such as water quality, temperature, and vegetation, to assess the overall health of ecosystems. Any concerning changes can be addressed promptly.

3. Poaching Prevention: AI can be used to detect and prevent illegal poaching activities by monitoring protected areas in real-time and alerting authorities to potential threats.

Enhanced Hunting and Fishing Experiences

AI and machine learning are also enhancing the experiences of hunters and anglers by providing valuable insights and improving success rates while respecting ethical hunting and fishing practices.

1. Weather and Location Analysis: AI can analyze weather patterns and predict optimal hunting or fishing locations and times, ensuring that enthusiasts are in the right place at the right moment.

2. Animal Behavior Prediction: Machine learning algorithms can predict the behavior of target species, making it easier for hunters and anglers to anticipate movements and make well-informed decisions.

3. Safety Enhancements: AI-powered devices can enhance safety by monitoring vital signs, tracking locations, and sending alerts in case of emergencies, especially in remote areas.

4. Catch and Release Ethics: AI can help anglers estimate the age and health of a fish, making it easier to decide whether to release or keep the catch, contributing to sustainable practices.

Improved Gear and Equipment

AI-driven advancements are not limited to data analysis; they also extend to the development of cutting-edge gear and equipment for hunting and fishing.

1. Smart Gear: Smart fishing rods and hunting rifles equipped with AI can adjust their settings based on environmental conditions and the user’s skill level, increasing accuracy and efficiency.

2. Bait and Lure Optimization: AI can suggest the most effective baits and lures based on the target species and location, increasing the chances of a successful catch.

3. Fish and Game Identification: Mobile apps and devices powered by machine learning can identify fish species and provide information on their habitat and regulations, helping users make ethical and informed decisions.

Ethical Considerations

While AI and machine learning offer numerous benefits to hunting and fishing, ethical considerations must be at the forefront of their implementation. It is crucial to strike a balance between technology and preserving the traditions and ethics associated with these activities.

1. Sustainability: AI should be used to promote sustainable practices, ensuring that hunting and fishing remain viable for future generations.

2. Fair Chase: The use of AI should not compromise the principles of fair chase in hunting. It should enhance skills rather than replace them.

3. Data Privacy: The collection of data for conservation and sport should respect individuals’ privacy and adhere to data protection regulations.

AI and machine learning are opening up new horizons for hunting and fishing enthusiasts. They are not replacing human skills and intuition but rather complementing them. These technologies can be powerful tools for conservation, improving success rates, and enhancing safety. However, it is essential to embrace them responsibly, with a focus on sustainability and ethical considerations, to ensure that the traditions of hunting and fishing continue to thrive in harmony with the natural world.

Madness, Obsession, and the Hunt for the World-Record Tarpon

by Pursuit | Jul 8, 2023 | Fishing, Inside Pursuit

In Lords of the Fly, Burke takes a deep-dive look into the world of tarpon fishing and the town famous for it. In the 40-plus years since Tom Evans, a New York City stockbroker, first caught a world-record fish in Homosassa, Fla., in 1977, he has returned to the area and landed six more record tarpons in the surrounding waters. His success made this small town the hub of saltwater flyfishing in the 1970s and ’80s, and attracted professional anglers, such as Stu Apte, Lefty Kreh, and Billy Pate, as well as fishing enthusiasts including writers Jim Harrison and Thomas McGuane and landscape painter Russell Chatham. Burke wonderfully captures their stories as well as those of their unsung guides, detailing the alliances and rivalries. Enjoy this sneak peek. —The Editors

Tom Evans was one of the few regulars at Homosassa who was not from South Florida, and he was the sole Yankee (at the time, he lived in New York City). He was not a famous angler, as Apte, Williams, Pflueger, Lopez, and Pate were. He was also one of the few who had an actual nine-to-five job. He felt he was viewed as a latter-day carpetbagger, a bit like an outcast, even though he was allied with the Keys-based guide, Steve Huff. And yet, early on, he and Huff—the former collegiate nose tackle paired with the wiry guide—were the team to beat in Homosassa.

They were on the water, idling out of the Homosassa River, every morning at 5:30. Even when other guides and anglers were up earlier, they’d often wait for Huff to leave and follow him out, because he knew how to navigate the tricky river and its mouth. Evans and Huff were nearly always the last boat in, as well, tying up close to eight at night. “It seemed like we never saw the dock in the light of day,” says Evans.

Every day was an endurance test for both angler and guide. “It was an athletic event. We’d kill ourselves, torture ourselves,” says Evans. “Steve never wanted to go back in until we were dead. That made him happy.” They were both on their feet for around eleven hours a day. Huff learned the flat slowly and painstakingly, one plunk of the push pole at a time, pushing into the fifteen- to twenty-mile-per-hour winds that always seemed to arise in the afternoon off the Gulf. He would never start the engine if fish were around, even if he and Evans were leaving for the day. Instead, he’d pole out of the area, which sometimes added another forty-five minutes to the trip home. “The tarpon were lying around, doing their thing. This was their house. It was disrespectful to blow them out,” Huff says.

They stayed out on the water even in the worst of thunderstorms—”some horrible shit,” says Huff—dropping a few anchors, hitting the bilge pumps, and lying down in the bottom of the boat like Egyptian mummies as waves crashed over the bow. The lightning and the thunder would “scare the hell out of us,” says Evans. But then it would inevitably pass, and the sun would come out and the water would go slick, and the tarpon would start pouring in. Evans always waited for his graphite rod to stop humming from the leftover electricity in the air before he picked it up and started fishing again.

Evans concentrated only on the biggest fish he saw on the flat, the Rocquettas, as he called them. In a string of tarpon, the largest fish were usually found two to three places behind the lead fish, or maybe two or three spots from the back of the line. If the fish were in a daisy chain, he and Huff observed it for a bit and would “look for the fattest face,” says Evans. When that one was identified, Evans cast the fly toward the tail of the fish directly in front of it.

When he hooked a tarpon, Evans immediately fell into a trance of concentration, getting into the flow of the fish, reading its body language. If the fish was leaping or on a blistering run, he did nothing but hold on to the rod. But as soon as the tarpon began to slow down, Evans pounced, trying to “own the head,” as he called it. He never pulled without purpose. Everything was done to keep the fish off balance. “Every fish is different. But they all tell you what to do if you pay attention. If you don’t pay attention, they can easily ruin your day,” says Evans.

That’s because of the second, third, or fourth wind that a big tarpon can get during a fight if an angler relaxes. “If you’re resting, you’re losing,” Evans says. “If you had a fish on for two to three hours, you were wasting the day.” He once had a tarpon landed, exhausted by the side of the boat after a thirty-minute fight, when a fellow Homosassa angler motored up and asked if he could use the tarpon for a film he was making. Evans said sure and handed him his rod with the fish still attached. It was 4:30 in the afternoon. At nine that night, the fellow angler showed up at a local restaurant and ran into Evans. The fish had revived and the man had fought it for another three hours and failed to land it.

In the evenings, during the first weeks of their trips, when they were still fresh, Evans and Huff would go for a four-mile jog after fishing, and then out to dinner. Back at the house, they would make new leaders, using a micrometer to ensure they were legal. One year, they went through six hundred yards of leader material. They tied and re-tied flies, reusing hooks from chewed-up flies.

But as the trips wore on, nerves began to fray, legs and eyelids grew heavy, and things started to go a bit sideways. They skipped the jog. Huff’s hands got stuck in a clench and went totally numb from poling all day. He slept with them over the side of the bed to try to get the blood back in them, and it still took forty-five minutes in the morning to get full feeling back. His fingernails grew at an angle toward the pole, and still do to this day. (Dale Perez, a fellow guide, had to get operations on both of his hands after years of gripping the push pole.) One evening, Evans went out to get a pizza. He came back, put the pizza on a table, and began to tie leaders as Huff tied flies on the couch. Suddenly, Evans got a cramp in his leg and pitched forward, falling onto the pizza and breaking the table in two. “Huff just sat there and didn’t say a word and kept tying flies,” says Evans. “There is no way humans can be civil with each other with no sleep.”

Huff was demanding, on himself and on Evans. He’s often said that if he ever writes an autobiography, it will be called Just Shove It, which works for both the poling he’s done for a livelihood and his lack of patience for bullshit. He has never been a yeller, like Apte was when he was a guide. But this was a team sport. He’d pole for forty-five minutes to get Evans in a position to cast. If Evans missed, Huff would remain quiet for half an hour, and then utter, out of nowhere, “Well, you f—ed that one up.” Sometimes when Evans missed badly on a cast, Huff would say, “That fly was closer to the fish before you cast.” He poled so hard sometimes that Evans fell out of the boat and into the water. They began to call the little casting platform on Huff’s boat “the launching pad.”

And yet, Evans loved it, even craved it. He had found a guide who was very much like a demanding football coach who brought out the best in him. “We were taking it all to the absolute extreme,” says Evans. “I used to get so excited out on the water that I couldn’t breathe.”

By the late 1970s, “the sky was the limit,” says Evans. “We were doing incredible things, hitting our stride, and I was excited because I thought we could do even more incredible things as a team.”

That, as it turned out, would not be the case.

Buy Now

Written by Monte Burke for Field & Stream and legally licensed through the Matcha publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@getmatcha.com.

Howler Bros, The Beacon of Outdoor Adventure

by Pursuit | Jun 28, 2023 | Conservation, Fishing

Two adventure-loving friends named Chase and Andy based in Austin, TX, shared a passion for the great outdoors and spent their weekends surfing, fishing, and exploring the rugged landscapes of Texas. Their hearts beat with a deep love for nature and a desire to create a brand that reflected their adventurous spirits.

One sunny afternoon, as they sat around a campfire after a long day of surfing on the Texas coast, inspiration struck them like a bolt of lightning. They realized that they wanted to create high-quality outdoor apparel that not only performed well but also captured the essence of their adventurous lifestyle.

With their idea burning brightly, Chase and Andy embarked on a mission to create their dream brand. They named it Howler Bros, after the howler monkeys they encountered on a trip to Costa Rica, which reminded them of the untamed spirit of the wild. The duo was determined to build a company that celebrated the outdoors and the community of like-minded individuals who shared their passion.

Chase and Andy poured their hearts and souls into designing their first collection of clothing. They wanted to create garments that were both functional and stylish, allowing outdoor enthusiasts to feel comfortable and confident in any adventure they undertook. Each piece was carefully crafted with attention to detail, using durable materials that could withstand the elements.

Howler Bros was about more than just apparel; it was about fostering a sense of community. Chase and Andy believed that the outdoors had the power to bring people together, to inspire them, and to create lifelong friendships. They wanted their brand to serve as a rallying cry for adventure seekers everywhere.

As Howler Bros gained traction and grew in popularity, the duo remained committed to their core values. They partnered with environmental organizations to support conservation efforts and give back to the wild places they cherished. They organized beach cleanups, river restorations, and educational programs to raise awareness about the importance of preserving nature for future generations.

With each passing year, Howler Bros expanded its product line and touched the lives of more outdoor enthusiasts. From rugged flannel shirts to technical fishing gear, their offerings were beloved by adventurers worldwide. The brand became synonymous with quality, style, and a deep respect for the natural world.

But through all their success, Chase and Andy never lost sight of their initial vision. They regularly spent time in the great outdoors, seeking new adventures, and connecting with fellow adventurers. They understood that staying true to their roots was crucial to their company’s continued success.

Today, Howler Bros stands as a beacon of outdoor adventure, inspiring countless individuals to explore the wild, to seek thrill, and to embrace the untamed spirit within. The company’s apparel continues to push boundaries, combining innovative design with a timeless sense of style. And behind it all, Chase and Andy remain at the helm, guiding the company with their unwavering passion and dedication.

The story of Howler Bros is a testament to the power of chasing dreams and staying true to one’s values. It serves as a reminder to us all that when we connect with nature, we connect with something larger than ourselves—a force that ignites our spirits and fuels our desire to explore the world around us. And as long as there are adventurers yearning for the thrill of the unknown, Howler Bros will be there, ready to outfit them for their next great journey.

Heed The Call

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Hidden Values of Hunting and Fishing Licenses

by Pursuit | Jun 13, 2023 | Conservation, Fishing, Hunting, Inside Pursuit

Words by Joe Starinchak

Today, outdoor recreation is a big business that includes multiple activities, different sectors and an annual contribution of $889 billion to the country’s economy. However, in spite of the sector’s size and diversity, the government is only involved in a few of these activities through licensing and registration processes. More specifically, participants in hunting, fishing and boating either are required to buy licenses or submit annual registrations to government agencies.

What is interesting about government-run licensing and registration processes is that not much has changed over time. Today, hunters, anglers and boaters can do much of the same things needed to get their licenses or registration online through agency websites; however, the perception of having to endure a bureaucratic process still exists. Additionally, the unspoken values that a customer gets in return for purchasing a license or registering his or her watercraft remain vastly under promoted. Besides securing the legal right to hunt, fish and harvest an animal or to use your watercraft, anglers, hunters and boaters also receive a bundle of lesser known rights, values and responsibilities – we call this bundle the hidden values of a hunting, fishing and boating. Unfortunately, these agencies have not effectively communicated about these values, which helps to create an ethically driven culture compelled by conservation behaviors that protect the environment, species and habitat.

Hunting and fishing all create impacts to the environment and the licensing/registration processes represent a critical part of a longstanding user-pay model that has funded conservation for over eighty years to help offset these various impacts. This federal-state-industry partnership has been a very powerful collaborative conservation model.

When hunters, anglers and boaters engage in a transaction with a state fish & wildlife agency, they exchange money to secure a legal right to hunt, fish or boat and harvest an animal or fish. Included within this right is the basic acknowledgement of a state’s authority to manage fish, wildlife and waterways and to abide by the various regulations that govern these activities. While this partnership has been very successful over the past eight decades, a lot has changed and now is the time to improve the partnership and maximize the hidden values of these activities to help elevate conservation.

The impacts that hunting, fishing and boating all create, their foundations are grounded in an ethical framework. While the framework differs between activities, the overall focus is on safety and conserving the environment. Unfortunately, with today’s culture of busyness and a lack of time; these processes have been reduced to financial transactions and the ethical conservation frameworks have become an afterthought.

Regardless of this reality, obtaining a license or registration is still key touchpoint to engage prospective customers in conservation. With the transaction’s exchange of legal rights for money, this specific interaction represents an ideal opportunity to promote conservation’s ethical framework. At the end of the day, these licensing and registration processes not only generate money, they also provide a critical opportunity to communicate with customers – in essence, these bureaucratic processes have an embedded communications platform that can be maximized to promote conservation.

Since we are now living in the age of internet, information has become much more accessible and technologies like smartphones have changed how we consume information and interact with one another. The federal-state-industry partnership that has been so successful in funding conservation needs to adapt and use this new technology to sell licenses, promote boater registrations and elevate the ethical culture that is so important to these activities.

Fortunately, a forward-thinking company, Pursuit has focused on these processes and has developed a refined smartphone application that allows state agencies to sell licenses, promote boater registrations while also elevating conservation’s ethical framework. Besides helping the states, the Pursuit also helps hunters, anglers and boaters by simplifying the licensing and registration processes with an organized license utility and real-time field-mapping program for mobile devices.

This new smartphone technology makes these processes much more accessible and the Pursuit app’s multi-purpose functionality and its communication capabilities can be leveraged as a targeted conservation messaging platform that helps sportsmen remember their obligations and ethics while in the field or on the water. Research shows that when organizations deliver repetitive messages at key points, the receiver is more likely to answer the call to action. With technology being part of our everyday lives, now is the time to take advantage of smartphone technology to help with the licensing and registration processes and elevate the ethical foundation for interacting with nature by pushing out the critical conservation messages.

Besides registering your boat and buying your license, hunting, fishing and boating all have specific and important conservation principles that influence these activities. Fair Chase, an ethical approach to hunting big game animals where the animals are wild and free-ranging, and not confined by artificial barriers is one of the more influential principles for hunting. In a similar vein, the practice of catch & release influences anglers to use this conservation practice to unhook and return to the fish to water. This maintains healthy fish populations and allows anglers to catch fish again. With boating, stopping aquatic hitchhikers is another influential conservation practice. Boats can inadvertently move non-native species to other waters, so it is important for boaters to clean, drain and dry their equipment and prevent the spread of these harmful species. Ultimately, with a growing population and interest in the outdoors, these ethics must be practiced vigilantly to help conserve game species and their habitat.

In addition to the conservation-driven values, a host of other values and benefits exist that a person gains access to when they purchase a hunting or fishing license or register their boat with their respective state agency. To effectively position this communications platform and to elevate the conservation ethics, it is important to highlight these other features. Below is listing of some of the other values and benefits that people can access when they buy a license or register their boat.

Access to awe – Nature is incredible and by purchasing a license or registering watercraft, people purposefully choose to access the outdoors, whether it’s the mountains, rivers, open space or wildlife populations. This choice gives us access to Nature, its beauty, healing powers and connectivity.

Improved mental and physical health – Whether you fish, hunt or boat, these activities require you to be fit and skillful in your engagement of Nature. Also, with incredible therapeutic value, Nature gets us out of our heads and into a world where we are part of something larger. Harvard and other research institutions show that Nature interactions are very beneficial to our mental health and hunting, fishing and boating get us into Nature and create connections to life all around us.

Stronger family and friend relationships – One of the best things about choosing to engage in hunting, fishing and boating are the relationships we have and the value that these experiences can create for them. With Nature, we see each from a different perspective and strengthen our relationships with each other.

An escape from everyday life – Modern day life is hectic and chaotic. We are under pressure to make money to feed our families and pay our mortgages. These pressures mount and create undue amounts of stress. By engaging in Nature, we can escape this chaos and rejuvenate ourselves with our escape from modern society.

A spiritual connection with other living things – Activities like hunting and fishing require concentration and skill. Once this mental stamina is built and the skills are realized, hunters and anglers begin to notice things around them, like the rise of a trout sipping a mayfly, the majesty of a moose in the wild or the wind whispering through the aspens. These experiences help you to appreciate Nature, it’s vibrancy and all of its creatures and it makes you want to share these experiences with others, because you begin to realize what is truly important.

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