Read the latest articles from Outdoor Life (Page 18)

Bow Hunting Gear

The 3 Best Affordable Crossbows: Premium Features and Performance at Budget-Friendly Prices

This crossbows cost under $1,200 and are just as accurate as options costing three times their price

Hunter Recruitment

This Controversial Hunter Recruitment Program Buys Pheasants from Prisons. Now Bird Planting Could Expand to Federal and Private Lands

Montana’s wildlife commission will consider expanding prison-reared bird plants to private and federal lands

Baits, Lures, & Flies

Those Trendy Creature Baits Don’t Really Catch Fish. Here’s Why Traditional Topwaters Are a Better Option

Are all these trendy critter baits truly productive, or just for quacks?

Fishing Reels

The Battle of the DC Reels: Shimano Curado DC vs Abu Garcia Revo SX VoltiQ

I put two of the top DC reels head to head to find out which is the best for bass anglers

Wildlife Management

The Long Campaign to Criminalize Hunting and Fishing With Out-of-State Funding Should Trouble Outdoorsmen

IP28 would criminalize hunting and fishing and likely has enough signatures to end up on the Oregon ballot. Even though it probably won't pass, outdoorsmen everywhere should take note

Optics

Holosun 507 Comp vs Vortex Defender XL: Which Is the King of Big-Window Red Dots?

We test the two top competition red dots for parallax, durability, brightness, and shooting experience

Bluegill Fishing

Fly Fishing for Bluegills: Here’s How to Get in on the Best Bite of Summer

A complete guide to having hours of summer fun slamming jumbo panfish with surface poppers and nymphs

Paddling

I Missed My Father’s Funeral to Take My Daughter on the Paddle Trip of a Lifetime

The author and his daughter travel the remote Thelon River — and rewrite their family's definition of fatherhood

Mule Deer Hunting

In the Good Old Days, We Hunted Giant Summer Mule Deer High in the Rockies

In the 1960s, Colorado's early rifle season offered a chance to chase big mule deer bucks above timberline

Knives

We Tested 8 Swiss Army Knives to Find the Best Options for EDC and the Outdoors

Here are our top six out of the over 250 Swiss Army Knives available

Largemouth Bass

How to Catch More Bass from Your Kayak

Tournament kayak angler Kristine Fischer breaks down six of her best methods to catching big bass on big water

Squirrel Hunting

We Floated into a Hellacious Swamp and Found the Best Squirrel Hunting of All Time

The author and his buddies floated into a nightmare of endless bogs, muck, and Florida swamp. But their efforts were well worth it

Big Game Hunting

Jack O’Connor in Africa: The Locals Nicknamed Me ‘Old Man Who Can’t Hit Pala Pala.’ And They Were Almost Right

Even Outdoor Life's legendary editor Jack O'Connor missed on occasion, as detailed in this African sable hunt from the the archives

Wilderness Survival

How to Not Die in the Backcountry, According to the Trauma Surgeon Who Saved My Life

Dr Caleb Mentzer is a trauma surgeon who sees some of the worst injuries the mountains can dish out. Here’s what he has to say about avoiding injury and what to do if you do get busted up

Saltwater Fishing

Jigging for Squid Is the Ultimate Night Fishing Party

Catching your own calamari is way more fun than you might expect

Camping Gear

We Tested the 9 Best Camping Fans of 2026

Get relief from scorching summer days (and nights) with one of these cool portable units built for outdoor use

Smallmouth Bass

3 Tips for Targeting Wolf-Packs of Smallmouth Bass with Forward-Facing Sonar

These three tips will help you catch those open-water smallmouth using your FFS this summer

Black Bear Hunting

Our First (and Last) Hunt for the Rare White Bear of British Columbia

It was my partner's great good fortune to take the first, and possibly the last, Kermode bear under an ordinary license

Fishing Rods

This Is the Best Fishing Rod and Reel for Toddlers

This rod is toddler tested and dad approved

Grizzly Bear Hunting

I Shot a Grizzly with a 22 ARC — and the Results Were Not Surprising

I killed a big grizzly bear with a 22 ARC. Here’s what it means, what it doesn’t, and why modern bullets have made cartridge size irrelevant for many hunting applications