Thursday, October 1st, 2026
My Account

Breaking News for

Sportsmen Since 1968

Main Menu
Menu
Search
My Account
Thursday, October 1st, 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: Bow bucks from South Dakota and Minnesota a product of adjusting within bedding cover

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 /

I showed up for a short out-of-state bowhunt in South Dakota on the afternoon of Nov. 7 and did a drive around the small property I had gained permission on.
Most of my planning for this trip had focused on a field of grassland. A low-ground area here created some good habitat diversity — a mix of timber, cattails, willows and grasses adjacent to a small creek that bordered an agriculture field. That drive on Nov. 7 quickly revealed a gut-punch. The grass had been mowed, leaving nothing but ankle-high cover around the small slough.

Video: Bow bucks from South Dakota and Minnesota a product of adjusting within bedding cover Read More »

Video: Fantastic buck movement, and why not all pinch points are created equal

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 /

We were sitting in the camper discussing hunt plans for the following morning on the night of Nov. 3 when I mentioned to my dad, Gary Morken, and buddy, Sam Schmid, that mature buck activity was about to pick up. 
I just had that feeling based on the previous couple of days. For years, I have often left Minnesota to bowhunt North Dakota during that first week of November. The deer herd in this area has a more balanced age and sex structure than what I am used to hunting in Minnesota. A good mix of does, and young and mature bucks means competition for breeding, which means bigger bucks on their feet more in daylight.

Video: Fantastic buck movement, and why not all pinch points are created equal Read More »

A strange deer harvest from Minnesota’s gun season: Is it a buck, or is it a doe?

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

Rod Host was sitting in his deer stand within a stretch of timber north of Long Prairie in central Minnesota on the morning of Nov. 4 when he noticed a group of whitetails approaching down a trail. 

It was a typical rut scene in Minnesota’s Todd County during the opening day of the firearms season. There were seven deer, with does and fawns leading the way, a spike buck near the back, and then what Host thought was a 2 1/2-year-old buck following from behind.

A strange deer harvest from Minnesota’s gun season: Is it a buck, or is it a doe? Read More »

Report from onX shines light on important but fragile private-lands access programs

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

Privately-owned land that’s open to public hunting is an important part of creating more access opportunities across the country, but the programs that connect landowners and hunters often are in various stages of fragility.

Report from onX shines light on important but fragile private-lands access programs Read More »

Video gear review: Sitka’s Ambient hoody and jacket are new favorites

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

A person wants to know what they are getting when spending money on high quality hunting clothing. In this video below, Eric Morken of Outdoor News breaks down why the Ambient jacket and Ambient hoody from Sitka have been two of his favorite pieces of gear he has added this year for bowhunting whitetails.

Video gear review: Sitka’s Ambient hoody and jacket are new favorites Read More »

Video: Adjusting after a big buck slips by, and preparing for the rut

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 /

Eric Morken had close encounters with mature bucks while bowhunting mornings on Oct. 15 and 21. In this video below, Morken details that latest encounter in North Dakota, along with how he adjusted based on the way the buck moved on the terrain. He also details what you can take from hunts at this time of year that can pay off in about a week when the rut gets going.

Video: Adjusting after a big buck slips by, and preparing for the rut Read More »

Video: Use a kayak to beat tough winds for whitetail scouting

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

Kayaks are a great tool for whitetail hunters.
They are popular for helping people go deeper into areas as a way to avoid hunting pressure, and for better access into locations without bumping deer out. In this short video below, Eric Morken details how he likes to use his NuCanoe Frontier 12 kayak for scouting in mid-to-late October when west-based winds would otherwise blow his scent into bedding areas if he were to scout by moving through the timber on foot.

Video: Use a kayak to beat tough winds for whitetail scouting Read More »

Bucks teach us something with every close encounter

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

Bowhunters who find consistent success learn something valuable from every big buck they encounter. A hunter can take some solace in that, but it doesn’t make it much easier to stomach in the moment when one of those close calls ends without a shot opportunity. 
I felt that sick feeling during a morning hunt last Sunday – a lesson learned, but, ultimately, frustration given that the way this buck moved put him 5 yards downwind of my location.

Bucks teach us something with every close encounter Read More »

Moose, mountain lions top multiple unusual wildlife sightings in south-central Minnesota this fall

Featured, Home Page News, Minnesota, National News, Nature Page & Night Sky, News /

Stein Innvaer, a Minnesota DNR wildlife manager in Nicollet, reports a spate of unusual wildlife sightings in the south-central portion of the state. 
Mountain lions, a bear, and a moose? All have made surprise visits to the area this fall.
“It’s been the week for cougar reports,” Innvaer said in an interview with Outdoor News on Friday, Oct. 13. “I’ve been involved with taking reports of one over here in north Mankato caught on a house camera. Really good video and obviously a mountain lion.”

Moose, mountain lions top multiple unusual wildlife sightings in south-central Minnesota this fall 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.