Read the latest articles from Outdoor Life (Page 26)

Testing straight wall scopes
Rifle Scopes

The 5 Best Scopes for Straight-Wall Cartridges, Tested and Reviewed

These scopes bring a new level of precision to your straight-wall rifle

44 mag vs 45-70
Ammo

Lever-Gun Shoot-Out: .44 Remington Magnum vs .45-70 Gov’t

These iconic straight wall rounds have much in common, but excel at different tasks

elk hunting
Elk Hunting

Lessons Learned from a Lifetime of Elk Hunting Adventures

The author has been on some epic elk hunts over the decades. He’ll be the first to tell you each and every encounter made him a better bowhunter

Wade Tackett holding two crabs
Survival

The Bizarre Disappearance of Wade Tackett Still Haunts Southeast Alaska

The search for an Ohio teen who vanished years ago turned into one of Alaska’s stranger and most enduring missing-person cases thanks to a baffling combination of psychics, spirits, and eye-witness sightings

A blue illustration of bighorns.
Sheep Hunting

I Drew a Rare Desert Bighorn Tag, and Killed One of the Biggest Rams in the State

A conservation miracle in New Mexico’s San Andres range sets the stage for a rare opportunity to hunt wild sheep alongside four other lucky hunters

A black bear walking on a gravel road.
Animal Attacks

‘It’s Just Unheard Of.’ Arkansas Just Had Its First Black Bear Attack in Decades

The young bear attacked an elderly man while he was working on his tractor

A photo of pronghorn on BLM land with oil and gas infrastructure.
Policy & Legislation

Americans Already Agreed How to Balance Energy Development on Public Land in Their States. The House Just Voted to Undo It

Clearing the way for massive energy development and potential chaos, the House just voted to repeal BLM management plans in North Dakota, Montana, and much of interior Alaska

A kid lying beside a giant halibut that is the new junior world record.
Record Fish

This Kid Just Wanted to Catch Something Big. He May Have Caught a World Record

After joining an overnight party boat, the 13-year-old deck hand fought an Atlantic halibut that's now pending world-record recognition

Bear Adapt 2 HP
Bow Hunting Gear

Bear Adapt 2 HP Review, the Best Budget Bow We’ve Shot

This bow is fast, accurate, and costs less than $600

bassmaster tournament
Largemouth Bass

Bassmaster (Partially) Bans Forward-Facing Sonar for the 2026 Season. Fans Love It — and Hate It

Forward-facing sonar takes another hit as Bassmaster implements new restrictions around its use in tournaments next year

A blue illustration of a big cougar fighting a dog while a scared boy falls nearby
Cougar Hunting

I Faced Off with a Cornered, Wounded Mountain Lion by Myself. I Was 12

I had always wanted to hunt lions. When I finally got my chance, I was still just a scared kid armed with bird shot and two dogs

whitetail drone research
Whitetail Deer Hunting

Podcast: This Thermal Drone Project Is Revealing the Surprising Behavior of Mature Bucks

Derrick Dixon spent his entire hunting season following mature bucks with his thermal drone. His takeaways are fascinating — and they could help you this fall

Testing an Outdoor Life Knife
Knives

4 Things You Can Do with a Pocket Knife (and 2 You Shouldn’t)

Can a pocket knife be an all-around outdoors blade? We did a series of cutting tests to find out

The third-largest public-land gator ever taken in MS.
Big Game Hunting

‘It About Snatched Me Out of the Boat.’ Hunters Tag Giant Gator That’s Nearly a State Record

The two hunters from Mississippi had scouted a great 12-foot gator just ahead of the opener. Then another gator made a hair-raising roar

Pintails flying in a courtship dance.
Wildlife Management

Pintail Numbers Increase, Mallards Are Stable, and Other Takeaways from This Year’s Duck Survey

With persistent dry conditions in the Prairie Pothole region, biologists expect fewer younger ducks in the flyway due to poor breeding conditions this year. There are a few bright spots, though

Evaluating the best hunting rifle scopes
Rifle Scopes

The 10 Best Rifle Scopes for Hunting, Tested and Reviewed

These versatile rifle scopes can take on everything from big woods whitetails to western big game

Four anglers hold up a giant striped marlin in Oregon.
Saltwater Fishing

We Just Caught a Giant Striped Marlin Off the Oregon Coast. That Almost Never Happens

“So my dad got on the radio … and this guy responded, ‘Yeah, right. I’d like to see pictures of that’”

A photo illustration of four vintage photos scattered on a table.
Mule Deer Hunting

Most of My Buddies Weren’t Tough Enough to Hunt Velvet Bucks at 13,000 Feet

A trusty pack string, sharp-eyed buddies, and an emergency oxygen tank don't hurt either

Fisherman Jimmy Fee holds up a bowfin to the camera.
Freshwater

Quick Strike Podcast: This Is the Secret to Catching More Bowfin

Ready to battle a living dinosaur? All you have to do is put a little stank on

dove hunt
Upland Bird Hunting

Dove Shooter’s Fever on an Old-School Opening Day Hunt

“Some 3,500 shots were fired by 57 gunners who bagged a few less than 500 doves”