Thursday, May 7th, 2026

Breaking News for

Sportsmen Since 1968

Search
Thursday, May 7th, 2026

Breaking News for

Sportsmen Since 1968

Tony Jones

Fighting hybrid cattails with fire proves tough, underscoring the need for expertise

This is not a story of a successful habitat restoration. Instead, this is a chronicle of a less-than-totally-successful operation in which, nevertheless, lessons were learned.
In the middle of Crow Wing County, Minn., land that my family has owned since the mid-1960s sits a 30-acre wetland. When I was a kid, it was a vibrant Tamarack bog with open water in which ducks and geese would land. My mom tells stories of catching largemouth bass in the pond.

Fighting hybrid cattails with fire proves tough, underscoring the need for expertise Read More »

On the ground with the public employees we too often second-guess

On August 12, 1986, during a microphone soundcheck for his weekly radio address, President Ronald Reagan said, “The nine more terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.”
The line was leaked to the press and quickly made national and international news.

On the ground with the public employees we too often second-guess Read More »

Field notes from a mesmerizing spring waterfowl spectacle

I went on my first spring goose hunt recently, and it made quite an impression.
I’ll share those impressions below, but I must start by breaking a rule of journalism. I cannot tell you where I went or with whom I hunted. I’m not the kind of hunter who guards honey holes, but my hosts are. And since I like them and want to be invited back, I’m going to respect their wishes and tell you only that had we been hunting 140 years ago, we would have been somewhere in the Dakota Territory.

Field notes from a mesmerizing spring waterfowl spectacle Read More »

The human factor afield: Lessons on friendship taken from this past hunting season

Last season, my hunting group had a hiccup.
Wait, let me stop right there. I hate euphemisms. It wasn’t a “hiccup.” It was a conflict. Like many Outdoor News readers, I am involved in various crews of hunters and anglers, some of which overlap. But there’s one that’s central: a group of guys who’ve been hunting pheasants together for 15 years.

The human factor afield: Lessons on friendship taken from this past hunting season Read More »

Blood, memories, and the making of an adult deer hunter

My watch disappearing into a pool of blood. Among the many memories of my first deer hunt, that is the most vivid. It happened 10 years ago, when I was 47. I’m what they call an “adult-onset hunter.”
As I chronicled in my recent memoir, I started hunting when I was 40 as a way to survive a brutal divorce and custody fight. My first forays into hunting were ducks, pheasants, and grouse, which are small and non-mammalian. I knew that shooting a deer would be a different story, and it was.

Blood, memories, and the making of an adult deer hunter Read More »

Urban-rural Pheasants Forever partnership connects city and country to build tomorrow’s hunters

When Dave Scherf took over as president of Minnesota’s Metro Area Chapter of Pheasants Forever in 2010, he and the board started planning what they thought was the best way to raise money and activate members: a banquet. They got gun manufacturers to donate firearms, they invited veterinarians to have booths in the exhibit space, they rented the Horse and Hunt Club’s Prior Lake banquet room, and they booked Ron Schara to emcee. Then only 100 people showed up.
“We lost our shirts,” Scherf said.

Urban-rural Pheasants Forever partnership connects city and country to build tomorrow’s hunters Read More »

Catching up with former Minnesota DNR Commissioner Bob Herbst

Bob Herbst has more than six decades as a dedicated public servant and conservationist.
He began his career as a forester in Cambridge, Minn., rose to the level of commissioner of the Minnesota DNR, and was subsequently recruited by the Carter administration to the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C. Along the way he also led the Izaak Walton League, Trout Unlimited, and the Lake Superior Center.

Catching up with former Minnesota DNR Commissioner Bob Herbst Read More »

Get organized with these hunting gear storage systems

You know those guys who have a pickup with a topper, and one of those fancy systems with the drawers that slide out smoother than Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder cruises over the sands of Tatooine?
They’ve got their shells arranged by caliber, shot size, and FPS velocity. You could eat off the bottom of their dog’s kennel. And an array of labeled Rubbermaid tubs store their dog food, first aid kit, warm weather gear, cold weather gear, and waterproof gear. You know those guys? I hate those guys.

Get organized with these hunting gear storage systems 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!

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.

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.

Introducing The Outdoor News Foundation

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!

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.