Read the latest articles from Outdoor Life (Page 86)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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’”

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

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

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”

Hunting Rifles

Jack O’Connor’s Opinion of the Indestructible .30-06

OL’s legendary shooting editor gives his perspective on this iconic big-game cartridge

Black Bear Hunting

A Black Bear Killed Hundreds of Sheep Over the Years. My Dogs Finally Caught Up with Him

Most dogs were no match for the smart old boar

Big Game Hunting

Locals Said My Way of Hunting Mountain Goats Was Madness. I Did It Anyway

The locals told me I was crazy for climbing the mountain to hunt the goats on their own turf. Attempting it with a bow was even worse. I did it anyway

Deer Hunting

I Hiked Too Far While Hunting Early-Season Deer and Lost My Mind from Heat Stroke

My late-summer deer hunt turned into a fight for survival when I got separated from my buddies and had to crawl my way out of the canyon

Policy & Legislation

You Have Just 3 Weeks to Object to the Roadless Rule Rollback, Which Will Affect 45 Million Wild Acres Across the U.S.

Huge swaths of National Forest land could be opened to widespread road development under the latest Trump administration proposal

Hunting

I Hunted Giant Iguanas in Old Mexico. They’re Tough to Hunt and Good to Eat

I got more than I bargained for when one of my new neighbors taught me how to stalk the big lizards — and why I would even want to in the first place

Wildlife Management

Alaskan Guide Sued for Ripping Off 32 Moose Hunters Has Already Booked Trips for 2025

A lawsuit filed by the state accuses Clint Miller of pocketing more than $660,000 from hopeful hunters in 2023 and 2024

Hunting Gear

The Top 10 Deals of Cabela’s Labor Day Sale

Save hundreds on hunting gear during the Cabela's Labor Day sale

Natural Disaster Survival

16 Powerful Photos of the Sportsmen and Game Wardens Who Helped Rescue Hurricane Katrina Survivors

Twenty years ago, in the wake of one of the country’s biggest natural disasters, hunters, anglers, and conservation law enforcement from all over the country poured into New Orleans and the surrounding area to help where they could

ATVs

The New Can-Am Defender XT Is an Off-Road Spaceship

We took this technology-packed side-by-side for a test drive