Outdoor Life — The Source for Hunting and Fishing Adventure

I was talking on the phone with my taxidermist the other day and he was telling me about a monster 14 point he had mounted earlier in the year. It’s the kind of buck that would make you call in sick for work all deer season. This giant Kentucky deer was taken on a small farm in Wayne County by longtime hunter Larry Marcum. He had really put his time in hunting this particular buck and was determined to hang his tag on this deer. Over a three-year period, Marcum had collected a number of trail-cam pictures of the deer and had spent countless hours in the field scouting this amazing whitetail. Two years ago he had a close encounter with the buck during an evening bowhunt that ended with a heartbreaking miss after misjudging the yardage. The miss made him even more determined.

Last season, he knew the buck’s daily patterns and was so close he could almost... [ Read Full Post ]

Here’s a quick look at some of the offbeat tales the Outdoor Newshound as been tracking this week.

In Knoxville, Tenn., the winningest coach in NCAA women’s basketball history is recovering from a dislocated shoulder after she had a late-night run-in with a rascally raccoon.

Tennessee Lady Volunteers head basketball coach Pat Summitt said she went to her home’s backyard deck one night last week to see why her yellow Lab was barking. There she found a fat raccoon raised on its hind legs, ready to do battle with her dog, Sally.

Summitt said she used her forearm to smack the big ‘coon off the deck, with such force that she injured herself.

“I was in dire pain,” she said. “I looked down, and there was an indent. I knew (my shoulder) was out.”

Also in Tennessee this week, authorities in Church Hill are continuing to investigate who was responsible for placing an odorous substance in an air-conditioning unit that sickened a roomful of students at Volunteer High School.

Police Chief Mark Johnson said he ‘s pretty certain what caused the big stink, which makes him believe a... [ Read Full Post ]

Historic legislation is headed to the governor’s desk that will make West Virginia the first state in the U.S. to offer a hunting and firearms safety education course as public school curriculum for students in grades 6 through 12.

Supporters of the bill said they hoped the measure would help stem the decline in the growth of hunting in The Mountain State by making the classes more accessible to potential hunters. In the past decade, West Virginia has seen a marked drop in the number of deer-hunting licenses, and, like many similar states, is looking for ways to reverse the loss of license revenue.

In addition, you may remember a report we blogged here last October, in which data from the State Farm Insurance Co. cited West Virginia as having the most deer/vehicular accidents per capita of any state in the country. In a state where a motorist’s chances of engaging a whitetail with a car bumper are one in 57, you can bet that folks would prefer to see the deer population reduced by hunters.

While the legislation passed last week stopped short of mandating the... [ Read Full Post ]

The grainy photos came across my modem like some sort of espionage footage, but it was the screaming tag line “40 INCHER” that caught my attention.

The photo looked like either an elk or a deer caught out in a fuzz storm, but there was something stuck to its head. Was that the crossbar to a clothesline? Or maybe an old-fashioned television aerial?

The email was from my friend Bret Maffenbeier, a hardcore coyote hunter who lives just across the border from me in southern Saskatchewan. I met Bret through mutual friends who described him as the only amateur predator hunter—meaning he doesn’t get a dime from sponsors or any revenue besides what he can fetch for his furs—they know who kills more than 100 coyotes every winter.

Turns out, Bret hunts a lot more than just coyotes. The message that accompanied the photo revealed both the identity of the animal and the origin of the surveillance photo.

“Been hunting a 220-class muley, putting in every second I can to get him,” Bret wrote in his breathless style. “Had two close calls so far, hopefully I will connect!! Hope to talk... [ Read Full Post ]

I just returned from our annual Outdoor Life gun test last week. As usual, we gathered at Jim Carmichel’s where, for nearly a week, our team of experts tested all of the latest rifles and shotguns. We have a very dedicated team of shooters, whose credentials, be they riflemen or shotgunners, are truly impressive. Everyone there really knows his stuff, which is why I feel our gun test is the most comprehensive (and honest) out there. (But I’m not biased.)

Two things struck me about this year’s test. First, just how cold it can get in Tennessee. Conditions our first day on the range was cool and breezy, but at least the sun was out. By day 2, however, heavy rains had set in and temperatures plummeted. By day 3 we were dealing with near-blizzard conditions as winds whipped up snow squalls. Looking through a riflescope reminded me of gazing into one of those snow globes you shake up and watch as the flakes swirl around inside.

Despite the conditions, we managed to get some very good groups shot over the course of several days. What struck me was just how good factory guns (even the less expensive ones) have become and just... [ Read Full Post ]

The two things every deer hunter can remember are taking that first whitetail deer and their biggest buck. As a dad, another memory that will stick with you throughout the rest of your life is experiencing your child’s first deer and sharing this special moment together. Your child’s first deer brings those memories back and you realize the tradition of hunting has come full circle.

One thing is for sure, 9-year old Mason Hancock and his father Justin will never forget the December 29, 2007 Kentucky free youth hunt season. Mason and his father were hunting their small family farm in Union County. Young Mason was hoping to have better luck than he had experienced during Kentucky’s early youth season in October when he received his first hard knock of hunting by missing a doe. Like all good hunters, Mason learned a lot from a painful mistake and was ready to try again. On this late-season trip, a buck that would test the nerves of even the most experienced hunter was about to walk out of a dream and into a cleared shooting lane.

Mason’s father spotted... [ Read Full Post ]

A complex investigation that included river stake-outs, videotaping, undercover work and the implanting of microscopic ID tags into the tails of hatchery trout all contributed to the arrest and conviction of a N. California restaurateur for a string of fishing violations.

Larry Baker, Sr. pled guilty in January to charges of unlawful take of trout, unlawful sale of trout, illegal fish in an eating establishment and littering, all violations of the California Fish and Game Code. He was ordered to pay $5,323 in restitution, sentenced to 30 days in jail, placed on probation and banned from fishing in California for three years.

During a four-month surveillance and undercover operation by the California Fish and Game Department in 2007, Baker was observed exceeding the daily limit of trout from the Sacramento River and then selling them at his restaurant—The River Café--in downtown Dunsmuir.

Joe Powell, the Mount Shasta area game warden who led the investigation into Baker’s illegal fishing activities, worked with a fisheries biologist to implant coded wire tags into the tails of about 300 hatchery trout. The micro-wire detectors contain data and are normally used to track... [ Read Full Post ]