Compared to a modern semi-auto shotgun, with all its firepower, a break action gun looks archaic — obsolete, even. And it’s true; break actions have changed very little in the past 100 years. But 100 years from now, they will still be here. Break ...
Small Game
Squirrel Hunting to Build Big Game Skills: This Is the Way
For many of us, squirrel hunting was the gateway drug, a fuse that ignited a deep-seated passion for the outdoors and an unquenchable urge to pursue larger game. Like many dedicated big-game hunters, my initiation into the sport came in the ...
HOUSES Act Aims to Build Apartments on Public Hunting Lands
If you think you've heard it before, it's because you have. A trio of western Senators have picked up a bill that's died two or three times, brushed it off, given it a catchy name, and are trying to peddle it yet again. Meet the newly-minted Helping ...
How to Make a Rabbit Snare: A Simple Survival Skill You Should Have
It’s rabbit season…duck season…rabbit season…duck season! The argument between Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck is one of the most classic cartoon scenes in the history of the world. But what season is it really? Well, to take a more serious turn, if you ...
The Perfect Hasenpfeffer Recipe With Homemade Spaetzle
If you’ve only ever heard of one rabbit recipe, it's probably hasenpfeffer. Hasenpfeffer is a German rabbit dish characterized by a tart sauce and heavy use of spices. Loosely translated to “pepper rabbit” (hase meaning hare, and pfeffer meaning ...
A Deep Dive Into the Redesigned Sitka Jetstream Jacket and Vest
Sitka’s Jetstream collection has been on the top of the company’s sales charts since it was introduced 14 years ago. The jacket and vest are hailed as one of Stika’s most versatile pieces of gear, and for good reason: They're warm, durable, block the ...
Hands-On Mountain Man History Lesson: DIY Tanning Beaver Tails
A few weeks ago, my landlord came knocking at my door on a Tuesday morning. When I answered, he said, “I’ve got a dead beaver out here. You want it?” What are you supposed to say to that? “Sure, I’ll take it!” The words fell out of my mouth ...
Wolves in Northern Minnesota Helping Moose, Eating Beavers
When it comes to keeping their friends close and their enemies closer, research shows moose in northern Minnesota are seeing a life-saving benefit by co-existing with wolves. On the other hand, beavers in the north woods are becoming a favorite wolf ...
Recipe for Rabbit: Spice Up Wild Game Meat Tandoori Style
Most of us were introduced to tandoori cooking through Indian restaurants and buffets. Tandoori refers to food cooked in a tandoor, which is a large cylindrical oven, often made of clay or metal. Tandoors and similar ovens are an integral part of ...
The 8 Greatest Hunting Dog Breeds of All Time
When it comes to flushing birds, retrieving waterfowl, treeing big cats, or tracking wild game, every hunter has a dog in the fight. Many hunting dog breeds are absolute killers when it comes to the chase that’s coursed through their veins for ...
How To Cook the Perfect Fried Squirrel
Sorry pork, squirrel is the other white meat. Squirrel meat is tender and lean with a mild flavor, and it’s a fantastic wild game alternative to pork and chicken. Plus, it can often be prepared using many of the same techniques and recipes. While ...
Hunters Arrested for Squirrel Poaching After 471-Critter Missouri Hunt
The Missouri Department of Conservation has arrested 16 non-resident hunters on squirrel poaching charges for killing 471 squirrels during two days of hunting, according to local news. The group was 151 squirrels over the legal limit. Squirrel ...
How to Trap Critters in Cages
Trapping in my home state of Colorado looks a bit different than it does in many other states. Body grips, leg holds, and snares were outlawed back in 1996, so trappers are confined to using exclusively cage traps. Having been born in the year they ...
An American Classic: How To Make Squirrel Potpie
Potpie is the definition of American home cooking. While traditionally made with chicken, squirrel is a fantastic wild-game substitute. The meat takes well to a variety of recipes and cooking techniques and it can be used in place of poultry, rabbit, ...
Starter Kit: How To Hunt Rattlesnakes
Over the years, I’ve found myself hunting almost year-round — turkeys in spring, bugling elk in September, whitetails and bears in fall, and predators in winter — but there’s always been a lull during summer. Then, I found rattlesnake ...
How To Start a Gun Dog
Once you hunt over a gun dog of your own, hunting birds without a dog, or hunting over anyone else’s dog, doesn’t feel like hunting anymore. It’s just walking around trying to shoot stuff. A bird dog connects you to the unseen world of scents in ...
Becoming the Squirrel: Hunters vs. Vegans on Social Media
Maybe hunters and vegetarians — and even vegans — aren’t all that different? Biologist, explorer, and filmmaker Donnie Vincent raised this question in a recent chat he had with Evan Hafer on the Free Range American podcast. “I don’t like the ...