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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.

Fun in the heat at Youth Outdoor Activity Day in Alexandria, Minn.

Featured, Fishing, Hunting, Minnesota, National News, Nature Page & Night Sky, News /

Those who were paying attention to the weather forecast in much of central Minnesota leading up to this past Sunday heard plenty about the potential for heat and humidity.
Cloud cover kept some of that intense warmth at bay, but that warning likely had an effect on total participants at the annual Youth Outdoor Activity Day that ran from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Alexandria Shooting Park. This year’s event drew almost 4,300 people, including 2,112 kids. That was down from the 2,785 youth who came during a perfect weather day a year ago.

Fun in the heat at Youth Outdoor Activity Day in Alexandria, Minn. Read More »

Curious about single-bevel broadheads? Some thoughts after four years of hunting with them

Featured, 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 was a couple of hours into my first sit of the 2020 archery deer season when I noticed movement down a ridge near the creek crossing.

A big-bodied 9-pointer stopped to scan the area when he was to my left at nearly eye level. The buck lowered his head to continue down the trail before I had to stop him in order to get a shot. He was a little over 15 yards away, and slightly quartered toward me. I had always passed up this type of shot over the years, but I’d made a switch to my arrow setup before the 2020 deer season.

Curious about single-bevel broadheads? Some thoughts after four years of hunting with them Read More »

Video: Breaking down an early-season archery setup for whitetails

Features, Hunting, Minnesota, National Hunting /

The early archery season for whitetail hunters is often about understanding where deer want to bed and feed, and then doing what one can to get close to those areas. It’s a time of the season when bucks are not covering the same kind of distance as they do during the rut.
In this video, Eric Morken breaks down a specific spot and why he likes it as an early-season setup — from multiple bedding locations close by, to good food sources, security cover and quality access into the tree. All of these characteristics factor into what makes for an ideal location during the first part of a bow season.

Video: Breaking down an early-season archery setup for whitetails Read More »

Scouting tip: Never underestimate the power of natural foods to pull in whitetails

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 /

Late in the day of July 23, I made a spur-of-the-moment decision and headed afield. That action paid off with information that I’m confident could help me this early archery deer season.
My wife and daughters were in town that evening. Not one to sit around, I grabbed my new spotting scope and jumped in the truck. One problem: The public areas near me lack soybeans or other food plots that we consider prime deer feeding areas in ag country. What I have to work with are properties that feature good bedding cover on public land adjacent to private agriculture.
I was headed to watch one of those fields from a perch on public land, but did not make it that far. After walking less than half a mile from the truck, I peeked over the top of a hill and saw a young buck below. He was feeding heavily, but not on any kind of planted crop.

Scouting tip: Never underestimate the power of natural foods to pull in whitetails Read More »

The right light settings, and other factors to help get in and out of the deer woods undetected

Featured, Featured, 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 /

Anyone who has hunted whitetails long enough knows the feeling. You’re almost to your treestand after moving slowly through the woods in the dark when the sound of an alarming blow and scattering hooves running through the leaves break the silence.
Many hunters wrestle with the best ways to get in and out of a hunt location without being seen or smelled by deer, and for good reason. You may get away with more during the rut when bucks throw caution to the wind and travel longer distances, but entrance and exit strategies are critical to consistently filling tags.

The right light settings, and other factors to help get in and out of the deer woods undetected Read More »

Who will partake in this year’s Minnesota governor’s deer opener event?

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

The 2024 Governor’s Deer Hunting Opener in Minnesota is about four months away, but planning for the annual event that highlights the state’s deer-hunting tradition recently began.
This year’s firearms deer season opens Nov. 9. Last year’s Governor’s Deer Hunting Opener featured a two-day schedule of events in southeastern Minnesota with part of the focus aimed at listening sessions and recruiting new hunters, as well as highlighting the importance of hunting and fishing to conservation efforts in the state. The location for the 2024 event has not been announced, but plans are focusing on a general region of the state.

Who will partake in this year’s Minnesota governor’s deer opener event? Read More »

Perfect scores wrap up Minnesota’s state trap shooting tournament at Minneapolis Gun Club

Featured, Minnesota, National News, News /

The top trap shooters from the Minnesota State High School Clay Target League met at the Minneapolis Gun Club in Prior Lake on June 21 with individual and team titles on the line during the Minnesota State High School League’s State Tournament.
The nine-day championship shoot in Alexandria that ran from June 10-18 this year was a team-qualifying event for this state tournament in Prior Lake. The top 40 teams from the entire championship qualified for the state shoot last Friday. Each year, the top 100 male and top 25 female shooters in the league based on regular-season averages also qualify to compete for individual titles in both male and female divisions at the final state tournament. 

Perfect scores wrap up Minnesota’s state trap shooting tournament at Minneapolis Gun Club Read More »

Two different paths to perfect rounds at the Minnesota trap shooting championships

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

Senior Joshua Gilbert of Champlin Park High School in Minnesota provides a case study for what youth trap shooting leagues offer kids.
With very little shooting experience, Gilbert joined the Minnesota State High School Clay Target League four years ago. The spark started when his dad inquired about his interest in hunting, but first they wanted to see how he liked busting clay targets.
“(My dad) asked if I wanted to go hunting, and I said, ‘No, I just want to shoot trap,’” Gilbert said. “The rest is history.”

Two different paths to perfect rounds at the Minnesota trap shooting championships Read More »

Interested in bowfishing? Conditions this June make it a good time to try in Minnesota

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

For anyone who has considered trying bowfishing, there may be no better time than the present in Minnesota.
June is a prime month for those who seek rough fish in the state’s waters via bow and arrow. Rising water temperatures make fish visible in the shallows during early summer, and heavy rains across parts of Minnesota this spring actually have improved conditions.
“This is probably my favorite time, and honestly a lot of bowfishers’ favorite time to go out,” said Cody Klaus, of Lakeland.

Interested in bowfishing? Conditions this June make it a good time to try in Minnesota Read More »

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