Outdoor Life — The Source for Hunting and Fishing Adventure

Don't sleep on Hawaii as a hunting destination. These days the beauty of the island and its natural resources are at risk as a result of a seemingly harmless act. Axis deer were illegally introduced to the island and like most deer have had no trouble adapting to the landscape and climate of Hawaii.

The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources is now trying to protect the The Big Island from the impacts of the axis deer (these deer have been living on Maui for decades). The deer have become known pests within the agricultural community and are threatening native and culturally significant plants on The Big Island, many of which are endangered to begin with.

Last year a partnership was formed between conservation groups and agricultural groups to address the threat of the axis deer on the Island. On April 11, 2012 as part of an official program to eradicate the invasive axis deer, the first axis deer was taken during a hunt on the Big Island, according to Big Island News.

The DLNR provided proof of the kill in a photo showing the hunter with the... [ Read Full Post ]

It can happen fast. You hear footsteps in the leaves. It might be that gobbling turkey you raised checking out your position silently, looking for the hen you pretended to be. Key on the sound of footsteps while also being safe — turkeys and hunters walking make similar noises at times.

Always identify your target. Listen for these other sounds to lock in on a gobbler that might have you in his sights rather than the other way around:

Clucking: It might just be a single cluck: pock. Still if you hear it, you’ll be ready for that turkey to appear. Or you can cluck back. And you can reposition if the gobbler clucked and moved off. [ Read Full Post ]

If you spend as much time outside as I do, sooner or later you’ll get caught in the rain. So what can you do when the weather turns foul, and you forgot your rain gear at home?

Trash Bag Poncho

The basic and multi-use trash bag is a hero when it comes to survival tasks. Lay a trash bag in a hole and catch the rain. Cover the roof of your shelter with it to minimize leaks. If it’s the standard black trash bag, you can even use it to melt snow for drinking water. [ Read Full Post ]

It's no secret that the world is a different place since a pair of jetliners guided by cowards slammed into the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

We can all agree that some added measures of security in places of obvious interest to lunatics intent upon reaping destruction make sense. But where is that line drawn? And at what price?

And how does a rural dam fit in? A dam that lies about 14 miles from any semi-major point of human population and seems unlikely to be much of a target for anything other than a day spent casting a line.

Enter Fresno dam. Located on Montana’s Milk River about 14 miles from Havre (population 9,700) the plunge pool below the dam was once a popular spot for anglers looking to target the abundant pike, walleye and perch populations. [ Read Full Post ]

You’re exploring a canyon when all of a sudden the air rumbles like a subwoofer. Then you see it: a wall of water churning with felled trees and boulders. And it’s headed your way. Here's how to survive... [ Read Full Post ]

When bass are holding tight to cover, short, accurate casts and nearly noiseless lure presentation are critical for more hookups. If you practice, the underhand roll cast will quickly become a favorite when you need to snake a bait under limbs and high boat docks. “It was a real important cast for me at the Southern Open on Toho in Florida a couple years ago,” says Swindle. “It was too windy for the overhand cast, so I sneaked in behind some cover, threw a lipless crankbait, and won the Open.” [ Read Full Post ]