Opinion

Diverse, expert opinions on the biggest issues facing our hunting and fishing community.

Latest in Opinion

walleye cheating
Fishing

The Real Problem with the Infamous Walleye Tournament Cheating Scandal

By Joe Cermele

whitetail deer
Hunting

Don’t Aim for a Deer’s Head

By Lindsay Thomas Jr.

public access
Conservation

If I Were America’s Public Lands Czar, Here’s How I’d Fix Access

By Andrew McKean

hunting by moon phase
Hunting

Why I Hunt the Whitetail Rut by Moon Phase—and You Should Too

By Michael Hanback

Bowhunter from a treestand.
Hunting

What If Grizzly Bears Killed as Many Hunters as Treestand Accidents Do?

By Katie Hill, Alex Robinson

grizzly bear
Conservation

Why Congress Must Pass Recovering America’s Wildlife Act

By Andrew McKean

fly fishing for pike
Fishing

Let’s Get Real About Catching Pike on the Fly

By Joe Cermele

The Tactacam XB has the best picture quality.
Hunting

Is Hunting with Cellular Trail Cameras Fair Chase or Cheating?

By Alex Robinson

screenshot of jabronis posing with shark, edited and blurred
Opinion

Video of Two Men Stabbing a Shark on a Florida Beach Shows Exactly Why Land-Based Shark Fishermen Are Getting a Bad Rap

By Dac Collins

sand tiger shark maryland dnr
Fishing

Will a Few Oblivious Anglers Get Land-Based Shark Fishing Outlawed Entirely?

By Joe Cermele

Freel hunting caribou in the Arctic
Opinion

A Bow Is a Bow: 5 Ways That Shooting Compounds and Trad Bows Are the Same

By Tyler Freel

Take a kid fishing.
Fishing

The Biggest Mistakes Parents Make When Trying to Raise a Diehard Angler

By Joe Cermele

An ugly, painted, old Remington M710
Opinion

My Rifle Is Better Than Yours—and Always Will Be

By Tyler Freel

Jim Zumbo antlers.
Hunting

Why I’m Selling My Antlers

By Jim Zumbo

red sockeye getty
Opinion

This Year’s Record-Breaking Salmon Run in Alaska’s Bristol Bay Proves Why Pebble Mine Is Such a Terrible Idea

By Dac Collins

Largemouth bass
Fishing

Are Fishing Apps Doing More Harm Than Good?

By Joe Cermele

A Marine veteran and bowhunter talks about being an American.
Hunting

To Be a Proud American (Bowhunter)

By Cliff Cadet

A newly-started wildfire in interior Alaska
Conservation

A Firsthand Perspective on Wildland Fires in Alaska, and a Tribute to the Few Who Fight Them

By Tyler Freel

The ultimate hunting playlist album cover art.
Hunting

The Ultimate Not-Country-Music Playlist for Hunters, According to an NYC Bowhunter

By Cliff Cadet

Introducing kids to hunting is a delicate business.
Hunting

Some Kids Just Aren’t Meant to Be Hunters. But All Kids Should Get the Chance

By Beka Garris

Wisconsin deer hunter
Hunting

The Best Advice Dad Ever Gave

By Alex Robinson

Freel with an interior Alaska Grizzly
Guns

Why You Should Never Stop Shooting BB Guns, Pellet Rifles, and .22s

By Tyler Freel

New hunters often get questionable hunting advice.
Hunting

The Worst Hunting Advice I’ve Gotten as a New Hunter

By Cliff Cadet

A brown bear on Afognak Island
Hunting

What Is a Stopping Rifle—and Do You Need One?

By Tyler Freel

Freel with the black bear that became aggressive
Hunting

If You Live in Bear Country, Then You Already Know—Bears Must Fear Us

By Tyler Freel

A turkey hunter with a mouth call.
Hunting

Did Your Turkey Season Suck? You’re Not Alone

By Cliff Cadet

The author and Ethan Powell with a double on Merriam's.
Hunting

What I Learned from Shooting 200 Turkey Loads and One Mountain Longbeard

By Joe Genzel

Why My Son’s Name Includes “Hunter”
Hunting

Why My Son’s Name Includes “Hunter”

By John B. Snow

Why I’m Killing My Lawn and Turning My Yard Into Wildlife Habitat
Conservation

Why I’m Killing My Lawn and Turning My Yard Into Wildlife Habitat

By Scott Einsmann

Turkey hunting relationships.
Hunting

Hunting Creates Bonds Between Friends and Family Like Nothing Else Can

By Beka Garris

hunting the metaverse
Hunting

Hunting in the Metaverse

By John B. Snow

wisconsin deer hunt
Hunting

Let’s Not Forget, the Midwest and South (Not the West) Are the Heartbeat of Hunting in America

By Alex Robinson

The author's Christmas band
Hunting

A Banded Goose Didn’t Save Christmas, But It Damn Sure Helped

By Joe Genzel

Hunting and fishing opinions.
Hunting

The Opinion Pieces You Loved (and Hated) From 2021

By The Editors

A trapper with a beaver.
Hunting

As We Drift Further From the Outdoors, America Needs Trapping More Than Ever

By Skye Goode

Trapping and hunting furbearers is a sustainable practice.
Hunting

Furbearers Are the Ultimate Renewable Resource

By Tyler Freel

Bowhunting through the firearm season is how the author hunts.
Hunting

Why I Bowhunt During Gun Season

By Beka Garris

Plenty of moms hunt with their children.
Hunting

Hunting Mamas: The Trend No One Expected to Take Off. Here’s Why It Did

By Beka Garris

whitetail bowhunter
Gear

Sure, Crossbows Are Legal and Accurate at Longer Ranges, But I’m Not Giving Up My Compound Bow

By Alex Robinson

A New York hunter from a non-hunting family.
Hunting

I Started Hunting a Few Years Ago, and My Family Doesn’t Exactly Support It—Yet

By Cliff Cadet

Minimum hunting age requirements are arbitrary and
Conservation

We Need More Lifelong Hunters? Get Rid of Hunting Age Minimums

By Tony Hansen

The 28-gauge has returned to duck hunting.
Hunting

The 28-Gauge Shotgun Can Kill Ducks as Effectively as a 12-Gauge (At Modest Ranges)

By John Gordon

Whitetail culture has been pervasive for millennia, and across geographic ranges.
Hunting

Whitetails Have Always Ruled the World, and Our Hunting Culture

By Lindsay Thomas Jr.

Hunting seasons are designed so that does who still have fawns with them may be tagged.
Hunting

It’s Okay (and Sometimes Necessary) to Shoot Does with Fawns During Hunting Season

By Lindsay Thomas Jr.

Yes there are New Yorkers who hunt.
Hunting

Things New Yorkers Say When They Find Out I’m a Hunter

By Cliff Cadet

Problem bears in grizzly country are a byproduct of expanding bear populations
Hunting

It’s Time to Acknowledge the ‘Problem Bear’ Reality in the West

By Tyler Freel

spike camp, spike spike camp, hunting, mountain hunting, sheep hunting, tyler freel, hunting spike camp
Gear

Hunters Are Chronic Overthinkers. It’s Usually a Waste of Time and Money

By Tyler Freel

Snook are just one of 300 species of fish in the 'Glades.
Fishing

Why Every Angler Needs to Fish the Everglades for Snook, Redfish, and Tarpon

By Kristine Fischer

Take hunter safety seriously.
Hunting

As Hunters, We Need to Take Field, Firearm, and Bow Safety More Seriously

By Tyler Freel

Still hunting from the ground is a good option for hunters who don't want or have a blind or treestand.
Hunting

No, Hunting Whitetails from the Ground (Without a Blind) Is Not a Lost Art

By Beka Garris

minnesota teal season
Hunting

Minnesota’s Early Teal Experiment: More Opportunity for Duck Hunters or a Threat to Duck Hunting as We Know It?

By Alex Robinson

hunter mentoring
Hunting

The Truth About Hunter Mentoring: Everyone’s Got to Earn It

By Alex Robinson

The Tacoma has a low tow and payload capacity rating.
Gear

Is the Toyota Tacoma a Real Hunting Truck?

By Cody Hooper

Duck hunters are jerks to one another.
Hunting

Why Do Duck Hunters Despise Each Other?

By Joe Genzel

bowhunting range
Hunting

No Shot: The Best Whitetail Bowhunters Are Still Limiting Themselves to 40 Yards

By Tony Hansen

Teaching kids archery doesn't have to start at a certain age.
Hunting

Yes, I’m Already Teaching My 2-Year-Old How to Shoot a Bow

By Beka Garris

Hunting social media has its pros and cons.
Hunting

Is It Time for Hunters and Shooters to Give Up on Social Media?

By Tyler Freel

There are plenty of reasons for rookies to help out other new hunters.
Conservation

Can You Mentor a New Hunter When You’re Still Learning to Hunt Yourself?

By Cliff Cadet

Casual hunters don't have to spend every waking moment hunting to be valued by the community.
Conservation

Quit Expecting Every Hunter to Be So Hardcore. We Need Casual Hunters, Too

By Christine Peterson

Canadian outfitters are in dire straits after more than a year of covid-related setbacks.
Hunting

Jim Shockey on the Real Trouble With the Border Closure: Here’s Why It’s Not So Easy to “Roll Over” Your Outfitted Canadian Hunt

By Jim Shockey

Traditional bowhunting is as ethical as the hunter.
Hunting

So You Think Traditional Bowhunting Is Unethical?

By Beka Garris

Keep it casual and don't get too addicted to snow goose hunting.
Hunting

How to Be a Casual (and Ethical) Snow Goose Hunter

By Alex Robinson, Joe Genzel

Blue, black, and white illustrations of a bowhunter in NYC.
Hunting

How a New Yorker Falls in Love with Bowhunting

By Cliff Cadet

Even the author, a diehard bowhunter, uses modern technology to improve his hunting. But, how much is too much?
Gear

Where Do We Draw the Line on New Hunting Technology?

By Tyler Freel