Wednesday, September 23rd, 2026
My Account

Breaking News for

Sportsmen Since 1968

Main Menu
Menu
Search
My Account
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2026

Breaking News for

Sportsmen Since 1968

Main Menu
Menu
Subscribe to Outdoor News

Mark Morrison

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 »

Sporting-clays efficiency equals shotgunning confidence and more birds in the bag

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 /

Summer is fading fast, and that’s fine with me. I don’t have the same passion for angling that I do for bird hunting, so when fall draws near, I concentrate on wingshooting gear and skills.
Chief among those is shotgun practice, which sees me and friends hitting sporting clays ranges with greater frequency. Putting in time on clays courses will pay dividends once bird seasons open. My pheasant-hunting companions all know I loathe missing a pheasant after my dogs worked to flush it in good range.

Sporting-clays efficiency equals shotgunning confidence and more birds in the bag Read More »

Can’t get enough bowhunting? Some Western options remain

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

Summertime can be tough for serious Midwestern bowhunters who would rather be hunting critters than punching paper or foam. It’s also the time when we cross our fingers, hoping for tag draws from other states. 
As Minnesotans, we’re lucky that our western neighbor, South Dakota, has private-land deer and pronghorn tags that are 100% draw for archers. Licenses for that state’s public lands are available through a lottery.

Can’t get enough bowhunting? Some Western options remain Read More »

Hunting Dogs: Here’s why two are sometimes better than one

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

If you’re a frequent bird hunter who targets waterfowl or upland birds, having a pair of game dogs is always better than one. If watching a single dog is a pleasure, then two must be even better, right?
Well, that’s the way I see it.

Hunting Dogs: Here’s why two are sometimes better than one Read More »

Summertime dog training means practicing marks; here’s how to do it

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 /

About 20 years and four Labrador retrievers ago, I was perched in a dense cattail island awaiting the first flights of ducks. It was opening day, and prospects looked good for me and my energetic, 11-month-old Lab, Mercury.
While we passed the minutes waiting for legal shooting time, dozens of blue-winged teal and a few wood ducks sizzled over our decoys, some alighting within the set. Moments after the clock struck legal shooting, I dropped a pair of gorgeous drake woodies, which Merc deftly retrieved.

Summertime dog training means practicing marks; here’s how to do it Read More »

E-bikes change how hunters, anglers reach their spots quickly, cleanly, and quietly

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

Twenty years ago, when I was in better shape, I bought a mountain bike from a professional mountain bike tour racer. The bike was outfitted with every conceivable off-roading option, including 21-speed gearing, technologically advanced shocks, and a host of add-ons.
Riding that rig up steep, loose grades seemed easy compared to my former bikes. Even when I was loaded down with a heavy pack, it coursed through muddy trails and jumped small downfall trees with aplomb. Nowadays, it is rare to see a hunter traversing trails on a regular bike because advances in battery technology have created electric-powered two-wheelers.

E-bikes change how hunters, anglers reach their spots quickly, cleanly, and quietly Read More »

Looking back at the biggest typical bucks in the Boone and Crockett record books

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 /

These days, when folks look to research monster-sized whitetail bucks, they usually turn to the Internet for information. Unfortunately, the web, specifically social media, is rife with giant deer, some grotesquely massive due to being raised and killed on high-fenced ranches.

This can lead neophyte hunters into believing big deer are commonplace and that opportunities abound to harvest genuine wall-hangers.
Truth is, harvesting a Pope and Young (P&Y) or Boone and Crockett (B&C) qualifying deer is difficult. Matter of fact, in my home state of Minnesota, only one in every 100 bucks killed will score 100 Boone and Crockett inches.

Looking back at the biggest typical bucks in the Boone and Crockett record books Read More »

Nebraska provides exciting winter waterfowling action

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

The 2024 Minnesota waterfowl season left me unsatiated – a feeling that nagged at me until I began planning an out-of-state waterfowling foray.
Just like many other Minnesota waterfowlers, the myriad days of stagnant action this past season left me craving more, scheming to extend my duck-hunting days. My first thought was a trip to southeastern Texas to chase birds on vast Sam Rayburn Reservoir, a body of water I know well. However, I had neither the time nor desire to trek 19 hours one way for a waterfowl trip.

Nebraska provides exciting winter waterfowling action Read More »

A downer duck season overall in Minnesota ends with a bang

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

Waterfowling is not supposed to be like bowhunting, where for every successful day there are plenty that have zero action. Unfortunately, Minnesota duck hunters just finished enduring a season so filled with down days that some have permanently hung up their duck gear.
That reaction may be a bit extreme, because no one can control the vagaries of Mother Nature. While more anecdotal than scientific, my observations from spending countless days on vast Swan Lake this past spring and summer were that the upcoming season would be below average.

A downer duck season overall in Minnesota ends with a bang 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.