hunting

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Profiles

Casting in The Everglades with Flip Pallot

He calls it “the report card.” It’s the shape of the flyline as it comes over your shoulder on the forward cast, and unrolls out there in the distance, for all the world to see.
“The flyline will tell you all you need to know about your cast,” Flip Pallot instructs. Whether or not you have moved the tip of the flyrod in a straight line. Whether or not you stopped your backcast abruptly enough. Whether or not you applied acceleration at the right time or the wrong time. “Mistakes you make on this end of the rod,” Pallot says, patting the fly reel, “are magnified on the other end of the rod.” Meaning the line, and the fly, and where these two dozen Flip Pallot acolytes hope it lands.

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3 Min
vizla
Profiles

Cardboard Canvases: Artist Frederick Stivers

There is a quiet disarray that surrounds most of Fredrick Stivers artwork. It reminds one of the ripples left on the surface of a stream right after some trout has lunged at a mayfly. You know something arresting is lurking nearby if you know where to focus.

That’s because Stivers is known for sketching hauntingly realistic images of the wilderness he loves on any surface he can find. If you squint your eyes enough, you could swear that the wildlife and characters he encounters along the streams he fishes, the duck blinds he haunts, and the forests he roams are alive in his art. They could turn and give you a knowing smile at any minute.

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5 Min
man carrying pole spear on the beach
How-To's

How to Make a Pole Spear

Just under the surface of the frigid ocean is a bounty of saltwater fish to be foraged. Many an outdoors person would agree that, in a survival scenario, the ocean can often be a far more productive source of food than the land, especially the cold, nutrient-rich waters that circulate around our shores. But how to pursue these fish? Here, we’ll show you how to build a pole-spear, a time-tested, simple tool that is incredibly effective for putting fish on your dinner plate.

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5 Min
Man holding 3 legged folding stool
How-To's

DIY 3 Legged Camp Stool

One of the best items to have on any outdoor excursion is a good seat. A seat can help keep you dry in wet weather, provide a spot to rest your legs for a bit, help keep you warm if it’s cold out, and, let’s be honest, it’s just more comfortable than sitting on hard rocks or snow. One of the simplest forms of a seat is a folding tripod. These are small because they fold when not in use, so they don’t take up much room in your pack or truck. It’s a great option for lunch breaks on the river during a day of fly fishing, a solid place to sit while glassing up wild game, or just a spot to take a load off around the campfire.

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3 Min
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Food & Recipes

Filson Food: Pheasant with Tarragon-Lemon Carrots

“A whole roasted pheasant takes time to pull off correctly. Rush the process and you’ll end up with a dry, lackluster-tasting bird that will make you wonder why you didn’t buy a chicken. But take the time and care needed, and the result will be fit for any occasion. There are few sights more glorious than a properly roasted bird at the dinner table – and few tastes as rewarding as an aged and brined pheasant.”

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3 Min
person in white parka looking out over a vast snowy plain with mountains with rifle over his back
Field Notes

Ski Hunting the Alaskan Arctic

For untold millennia humans have been strapping skis to their feet and heading out to hunt prey. In the Altai Mountains of western China, 10,000-year-old rock art depicts paleohunters engaging in the practice, while 4,000-year-old rock carvings in Norway show the same thing. Its DNA is even found in the biathlon of the Olympic Games.

Hunting for game on skis is not easy. It requires commitment. The weather is often harsh, the trails challenging, and the quarry difficult to find. It’s a more organic way of stalking prey. The advantages that the modern hunter has are fewer. It’s more akin to times past when hunting was much more rugged and dangerous. Skiing into the backcountry off the highway can be deadly, especially in the spring. Storms can blow up unexpectedly, the temperatures often top out at twenty below, equipment fails, and there is no lifeline. You are on your own.

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10 Min
Hunter in high visibility vest with shotgun walking through snowy grassland with river with mountain backdrop
How-To's

Winter Upland Hunting Guide + 5 Game Birds

Many game-bird seasons in the Northwest, Midwest, and Northeast extend well into winter— those cold, even icy days can be great times to hunt. Upland birds often fall into fairly predictable cold-weather patterns, and vegetation and other cover have dwindled. Further, cooler temperatures mean ideal conditions for vigorous walking and dog work. That doesn’t mean winter bird hunting is easy, though. Weather conditions can be challenging, and some species of birds have been hunted for weeks or months, leaving the survivors adept at avoiding human predators.

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5 Min
plane parked on a snowy runway in a pine forest
Field Notes

Rainy Pass Lodge

At age 17, Steve Perrins paid $1 to watch a home movie that rearranged his brain. It was March 1974. The 16mm reel, screened at a New Hampshire high school, was filmed by Buckey Winkley, an Alaska hunting-and-fishing guide, who was there fresh from the backcountry. Sitting in the audience, Perrins was transfixed by the images of bears, Dall sheep, trout, and salmon. Afterward, thirsty for adventure, he approached Winkley. “I’m going to Alaska,” he said, definitively, and he asked the guide for help.

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roasted chukar, lemon and potato in a camp pan
Food & Recipes

Filson Food: Chukars & Sagebrush Recipe

There may be no greater way to enjoy a meal than by going into the bush and cooking your harvest in the field from where it came. Although not native to North America, after being introduced from Nepal and Afghanistan, chukar populations took hold in many western states and Canada. These birds have earned the nickname ‘Red-Legged Devil Bird’. If you relish a challenging hunt, chukar is right up your alley. To cap it off, they make great table fare as well.

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3 Min
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Food & Recipes

Filson Food: Black Bear Currywurst Sausage Recipe

Most people may not know that bear meat is not only edible but also delicious. The meat is similar to beef in appearance and makes amazing stews and sausages. Although wild game meat is generally extremely lean, bear meat tends to consistently have slightly more intramuscular fat than any other game. For this reason, most of my Spring bear meat will find its way into sausages. Currywurst is a young traditional German sausage dish developed post–World War II after British soldiers brought ketchup and curry powder to Germany. This cultural mashup has caught on in a big way and is now served all over. Bear meat can carry a parasite that can be harmful when ingested; however, if it is cooked to a minimum temperature of over 160℉ it is perfectly safe. Be vigilant when handling and cooking bear meat to prevent any cross-contamination.

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3 Min
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Field Notes

Jen Judge: Becoming an independent Outdoorswoman

For me, becoming an independent woman in the outdoors has been about mitigating fears. After all, the backcountry is full of potentially scary things. There are wild and unpredictable creatures, as well as creepy-crawlies. There are existential risks to worry over, including injury (of either myself or others), over-exhaustion, running out of food and water, being stuck out in the elements, or simply getting lost. And then there are fears caused by how society sees women, such as lack of competence or not measuring up.

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10 Min
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Field Notes

One Common Goal: 
Farming & Hunting for conservation

Across the Great Plains region stretches a vast network of protected grasslands and wetlands, from the never-ending grain fields of Kansas and Nebraska to the dusty prairie pothole regions of the Dakotas and Montana. These crucial ecosystems teem with wildflowers and tall swaying grasses, while cattails and bulrushes rustle next to quiet ponds, and throughout it all untold numbers of insects and small animals thrive. Overhead, all manner of birds soar, often stopping here during their crucial summer and winter migration periods to rest and raise new families. But here is the really interesting part of this story: Almost all of this land is privately owned, and if it weren’t for hunters, farmers, and ranchers, none of it would probably be here.

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5 Min
grousemain
How-To's

Ruffed Grouse Hunting Basics

The ruffed grouse is affectionately called the king of game birds by those who enjoy hunting them on crisp autumn days. As their nickname hints, the ruffed grouse is challenging prey for new and seasoned hunters alike. They are swift fliers, wary, and learn by experience the fine art of avoiding predators of all kinds. But by using a few basic principles you can start off on good footing, and with any luck, bring home a few ruffs for the table.

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5 Min
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Food & Recipes

Filson Food: Spicy Duck Wontons

One of the common misconceptions about hunting is that every time a hunter goes out into the bush or the blind, they come home with food for the table. Although this is always our hope, the reality is that we often come home empty-handed or with barely enough to make a meal, as is sometimes the case when duck hunting. When a day of duck hunting only yields two ducks for dinner, a good solution is to use the meat to make wontons that can even stretch into more than one meal. Wontons can be frozen before cooking and make a great appetizer on short notice since they can be simply cooked straight from the freezer. Most of the ingredients in this recipe can be found at any large grocery store; if not, they will have a suitable substitute.

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3 Min