Hunting big game with a rifle is not permitted in many parts of the country. Gun hunters in those areas are left to tote shotguns that are usually better suited to dumping grouse at close quarters than collecting venison at longer range. A modern saboted shotgun load is perfectly capable of delivering lethal performance at distances well beyond 100 yards. But can you put that projectile where it needs to go?

Dave Klotz of Da Mar Gunsmiths, a small shop located in Weedsport, N.Y., says you can with some modifications to your shotgun.

Here’s what Klotz did to my Remington 870 at a cost of $487. [ Read Full Post ]

There’s not a turkey hunter among us who isn’t stirred by a ground-shaking gobble from a close-range longbeard. In fact, the most exciting part of a turkey hunt is fooling a bird into range with a call. But sometimes calling just doesn’t work. Hens will often hear yelping from a rival bird and walk their tom in the opposite direction. Cold fronts can shut down gobbling overnight. High winds can drown out even your loudest locator calls.   

Here are some situations when you want to keep the call in your vest pocket and hunt your gobbler in silence. [ Read Full Post ]

If you've ever felt that your voice can't be heard, you might want to tune in to the battle raging over angler access on the Cumberland River. And be ready to click that "like" button.

If you'll recall an Open Country post in December of 2012 revealed that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers intends to close tailrace areas below dams on the Cumberland River to fishing. Its reasoning? "Public Safety." That’s  a curious citation given that there have been just eight boating-related deaths below Tennessee Corps projects since 1978 and only about two percent of all deaths on the river system occurred below dams. [ Read Full Post ]

Not bringing a GPS along when you hunt or fish is kind of like not having toilet paper. Sure, you can do that, but you’re only creating problems for yourself.

While GPS has improved much in recent years, it still has its limits. It's easy to lose a signal in certain areas like mountains with heavy tree cover, at which point you’re blind unless you have some other means to navigate. Then there’s the issue of the vulnerability of the system that depends on satellites (31 of them at last count) that hang in the sky like sitting ducks should someone decide to take them out. This last concern is one that the military has and, should we somehow lose some or all our satellites to an attack, it would have tremendous repercussions around the globe. [ Read Full Post ]

Spawning bass are already difficult enough, what with shallow water and their procreation priority making the fish profoundly nervous. But add in the daily depth fluctuations of a tidal habitat and you'll need to factor the area's ebb and flow into your calculations of approach, distance and presentation.

First consider that bass will establish their nests in spots that retain sufficient depth through mean low tide, so note the low-water marks on shoreline wood, rip rap, docks and seawalls. In the sprawling California Delta, vast stands of tules (tall, wispy vegetation) provides much of the spawning habitat, so anglers note the mud line on stalks as a depth gauge. [ Read Full Post ]

We have been planting food plots for almost 25 years and have learned a thing or two about what works with whitetails and what doesn’t. And, when it comes to planting food plots you can’t beat clover.

Clover is relatively easy to grow, is loaded with nutrition, and whitetails simply love it. A good clover plot will produce 2 to 4 tons (per acre) of easily digestible plant matter and give your whitetails a shot in the arm when it comes to nutrition. [ Read Full Post ]

Crooked Horn Outfitters was launched in 1989, when Lennis Janzen designed a fanny pack for use by the U.S. Forest Service. In 1990, he unveiled a new type of binocular-­carrying system unlike anything seen before.

“People thought I was crazy. They looked at it and thought there was no way anyone would buy them,” he says. “We sold 300 in 1990. The next year, we sold 30,000.” [ Read Full Post ]