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Mark Morrison

High ground, steady wind, close-range bucks: Tips for hunting whitetails in hill country

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Hunting rutting whitetails can be exciting because otherwise-slow days can turn into dynamic action in seconds when a hot doe courses through your hunting area.
While there are so many things that can go awry when a buck finally presents a shot, stand placement relative to wind direction should not be one of them. If you frequent hill or bluff country, or even mountain terrain, discerning sometimes-fickle wind patterns is key to tagging deer.

High ground, steady wind, close-range bucks: Tips for hunting whitetails in hill country Read More »

A first-hand account of trying to obtain a 2026 Minnesota black bear permit

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

In 1992, I harvested my first black bear in Zone 31 near Babbitt, Minn. I was hunting with Mike Bisonette during his fourth year of guiding. I hunted hard for the first week but did not have any solid chances to draw my bow.
I returned the next Friday and hastily camped under the shell of my old Toyota pickup as storms pelted the fiberglass enclosure all night. I awoke to the same weather and spent my time wishing away the rain and lightning and noshing on canned chicken breast and crackers.

A first-hand account of trying to obtain a 2026 Minnesota black bear permit Read More »

A few tips for making the most of Minnesota’s early teal season

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

The oppressive heat dome that has failed to budge over the last few weeks has not stifled me from planning fall hunts, especially waterfowl trips that are only four weeks away if you pursue early teal and geese. With the game dog and waterfowling expo Game Fair happening right now, excitement for these hunts is increasing exponentially.
While I specifically target teal in both Minnesota and South Dakota, I have never pursued the diminutive, feathered rockets during the so-called early teal season. Still, the tactics employed for opening weekend teal will apply perfectly to sports folks who hit the water for the brief teal season.

A few tips for making the most of Minnesota’s early teal season Read More »

From stumps to 3Ds: Summer training for the archery shot that counts

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 /

Right now, as the temperature hovers about a sultry 95 degrees with a dewpoint that makes it feel more like 105 degrees, we’re a far cry from the cool days of early fall that all bowhunters anticipate.
In my case, I would gladly hibernate during summer, shirking the heat to wake when western seasons open. That ideal is not possible, so I make up the time heading afield to practice with my bows often, readying for the one vital shot opportunity that may come with a moment’s notice in a couple of months.

From stumps to 3Ds: Summer training for the archery shot that counts Read More »

A beginner’s guide to building your own hunting arrows

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

No matter what type of bow you use to pursue critters, whether it be longbow, recurve, or compound, it’s the projectile that finishes the job.
A good number of bowhunters derive satisfaction from their arrows, building special shafts suited perfectly to their bow set-up and their personal tastes. As a dyed-in-the-wool traditional bowhunter, I go all in on creating my own arrows, from tapered cedar arrows to aluminum and – the most common shaft material – carbon.

A beginner’s guide to building your own hunting arrows Read More »

Meet Jim Ploen: A bowhunting and target archery icon still shooting strong at 98

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

Last August, I attended a 3-D traditional archery shoot at Cedar River Archers just outside of Austin, Minn.
Glancing at the sign-in sheet, I recognized names of archers who’d arrived before me, and one stood out: Jim Ploen. I hurriedly paid the fee and caught up with Jim’s group.

Meet Jim Ploen: A bowhunting and target archery icon still shooting strong at 98 Read More »

Troubles with Minnesota’s shrinking duck habitat have led to slow hunting, may require controversial solutions

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

Like many other Minnesota waterfowlers, I monitor several of the Midwest’s waterfowling social-media pages. This year, even more so than any other year I can recall, users are consistently bemoaning a lack of birds in their area.
As of this writing, I am right there with them. We just experienced a nice cold front replete with 20-degree temperatures and 20-mph northwest winds that normally would have ushered in a day or two of frantic shooting at new-arriving birds.

Troubles with Minnesota’s shrinking duck habitat have led to slow hunting, may require controversial solutions Read More »

Here’s how to effectively jump-shoot ducks

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

This is a good time to plan hunts for those days when birds are just not moving or are gun-shy from encounters with myriad waterfowling setups due to the hunting pressure of the early season. My solution for this is jump-shooting. It may seem to be a simple plan, but jumping ducks comes with certain requirements for it to be successful.

Here’s how to effectively jump-shoot ducks Read More »

Waterfowl pre-season prep: The time is now to get organized

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

From my perspective, summer had been passing agonizing slowly. The seemingly unending hot, humid streak made autumn appear far way, so I put hunt plans on the shelf.
Until now. I was nearly in shock as I recently realized that bird-hunting seasons are right around the corner. Suddenly, there are myriad tasks to accomplish, such as finishing my Hydro-Turf boat floor installation, organizing decoys and, importantly, scouting for hunting locations and brushing up on low-light duck identification.

Waterfowl pre-season prep: The time is now to get organized Read More »

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