Tuesday, June 30th, 2026
My Account

Breaking News for

Sportsmen Since 1968

Main Menu
Menu
Search
My Account
Tuesday, June 30th, 2026

Breaking News for

Sportsmen Since 1968

Main Menu
Menu
Subscribe to Outdoor News

Eric Morken

Eric Morken is a writer and web editor for Outdoor News who lives in west-central Minnesota with his wife and two daughters. Morken graduated with a journalism degree from Augustana College (now Augustana University) in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 2007. He has worked in the journalism field ever since, and his outdoor work has been in print and digital publications across the country. When not writing about the outdoors, Morken is an active participant in them. He can be found doing some casual fishing in the summer and chasing turkeys in the spring, but his passion is centered around bowhunting whitetails. It’s a year-round commitment of scouting and hunting different regions of Minnesota and surrounding states on public and shared-private lands every chance he gets. Contact Morken at emorken@outdoornews.com. Follow him on Twitter @EricOutdoorNews or on Instagram @elmorken.

Video: Easy steps to finding great whitetail setups

Featured, Featured, Features, Home Page News, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, National Hunting, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin /

With so much information at our fingertips today as whitetail hunters, it’s easy to take in a ton of information. Sometimes, especially for relatively new hunters, this can lead to a lot of second-guessing in the woods and ultimately cost us deer.
In this video, Eric Morken goes through the three main ingredients that come together to create a great setup within security cover on a river bottom property he hunts.

Video: Easy steps to finding great whitetail setups Read More »

Proctor sophomore wins first-ever shoot-off to earn title at Minnesota clay target state tournament

Featured, Home Page News, Minnesota, National News, News /

Laine Graves had never shot in a moment quite like what he faced last Friday at the Minnesota State High School League’s Clay Target State Tournament, but to say he was completely unprepared for the pressure he faced would be disingenuous.
Graves just wrapped up his sophomore year at Proctor High School. He was one of the top 10 shooters in the Minnesota State High School Clay Target League by season averages this spring. He’s now competed in four state tournaments, making it each year since seventh grade.

Proctor sophomore wins first-ever shoot-off to earn title at Minnesota clay target state tournament Read More »

Eric Morken: Gear that stood out from the 2025 hunting season

Featured, Gear & Gadgets, Home Page News, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, National Hunting, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin /

I bowhunt whitetails in multiple states from late August through December. There’s pheasant hunting with my black Lab, Gus, from October through January and turkey hunting multiple states in the spring.
That covers a wide range of weather and hunting conditions in the Upper Midwest. Here are some gear items that stood out from this past year after hundreds of hours in the field.

Eric Morken: Gear that stood out from the 2025 hunting season Read More »

Survey details how Minnesota turkey hunters feel about wide range of topics

Featured, Home Page News, Hunting, Minnesota, National Hunting, National News, News /

Turkey hunting is as popular as ever in Minnesota and a recently-released survey from the 2024 fall season and 2025 spring season sheds light on how hunters feel. The survey covers a wide range of topics related to turkey populations, regulations and season structure.

Survey details how Minnesota turkey hunters feel about wide range of topics Read More »

Dedication, community support build the top youth trap teams in Minnesota

Featured, Home Page News, Minnesota, National News, News /

For many kids in the Minnesota State High School Clay Target League, the nine-day championship in Alexandria takes on a different feel from what they might expect.
Some of the top shooters travel to big regional and national shoots across the country, but the Minnesota Trap Shooting Championship has a reputation as the world’s largest shooting event. For many, this will be the busiest atmosphere in which they’ll participate. Hundreds of people are at the park each day.

Dedication, community support build the top youth trap teams in Minnesota Read More »

Silent entry and close encounters: Kayak tactics to help you kill more deer

Featured, Featured, Featured, Features, Home Page News, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, National Hunting, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin /

Winds were gusting to over 40 mph on the afternoon of Nov. 2 last year as I slipped quietly up the river in my kayak for an afternoon bowhunt.
These types of winds are not a reason to stay home. They are an opportunity to get close to whitetail bedding areas undetected. The plan that day was to take advantage of the conditions and set up in a tree 20 yards off the river in thick cover. This would require using the kayak to slip past a primary bedding area.

Silent entry and close encounters: Kayak tactics to help you kill more deer Read More »

Minnesota turkey hunters take third most birds in state history

Featured, Home Page News, Hunting, Minnesota, National Hunting, National News, News /

Minnesota’s spring turkey hunters killed almost 1,650 fewer birds than last year, but 2026 was still one of the top harvest years in state history.
Based on preliminary numbers, this year’s total harvest for the season that ran from April 15 through May 31 finished at 15,245 birds. That’s down about 10% from 2025 when hunters shot a state-record 16,903 turkeys. This spring’s total is the third highest harvest in Minnesota history, with the 2024 season falling second on that list when hunters tagged 16,714 birds.

Minnesota turkey hunters take third most birds in state history Read More »

GET THE OUTDOOR NEWS DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

Sign up for the Outdoor News Weekly Newsletter and get 2 months of FREE access to OutdoorNews.com – packed with hunting, fishing, and conservation news. No Catch.

This offer includes digital access only (not the printed edition)

Email Address(Required)
Password(Required)
Name
What outdoor activities interest you?(Required)

PLEASE READ

Accessing Your Full Subscription Just Got Easier. Introducing Single Sign On.

 We’ve simplified things. Now you only need one password to access all your Outdoor News digital content.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Click Continue below.
  2. You’ll be taken to the OutdoorNews.com sign-in screen.
  3. Don’t have an account yet? Create one—it’s quick!
  4. After signing in, click the E-Edition Login button again. When the pop-up appears, just click Continue.
  5. You’ll either:
    1. Land on the e-edition selection screen (you’re in!)
    2. Be sent to a help page if we didn’t detect a subscription.

If you hit the help page, follow the directions so you don’t miss out on any of our great content.

One login. Every edition. Easy.

Let’s get you reading!

Continue...

PLEASE READ

 We’ve simplified things. Now you only need one password to access all your Outdoor News digital content.

Here’s how it works:

• Click Continue below.

• You’ll be taken to the OutdoorNews.com sign-in screen.

• Don’t have an account yet? Create one—it’s quick!

• After signing in, click the E-Edition Login button again. When the pop-up appears, just click Continue. You’ll either:

  1. Land on the e-edition selection screen (you’re in!)
  2. Be sent to a help page if we didn’t detect a subscription.

If you hit the help page, follow the directions so you don’t miss out on any of our great content.

Continue...

Help Shape the Future of OutdoorNews.com!

We know you love the outdoors—now we want to make OutdoorNews.com the ultimate destination for all things hunting, fishing, and conservation.

Take our brief 3 minute survey to share your thoughts, and help us build the best outdoor website on the planet. As a thank you, we’ll send you a special offer!

Together, we can make OutdoorNews.com even better.

Take the Survey

Introducing The Outdoor News Foundation

Donate Today

For a limited time, you can get full access to breaking news, all original Outdoor News stories and updates from the entire Great Lakes Region and beyond, the most up-to-date fishing & hunting reports, lake maps, photo & video galleries, the latest gear, wild game cooking tips and recipes, fishing & hunting tips from pros and experts, bonus web content and much, much more, all on your smartphone, tablet or desktop For just a buck per month!

Sign Up Now

Some restrictions apply. Not valid with other promotions. $1 per month for 6 months (you will be billed $6) and then your subscription will renew at standard subscription rates. For more information see Terms and Conditions. This offer only applies to OutdoorNews.com and not for any Outdoor News print subscriptions. Offer valid thru 3/31/23.

Already a subscriber to OutdoorNews.com? Click here to login.