Tips & Features
New York reader stories: Close encounters end with a 10-yard shot on a good buck
The 2024 deer season was in full swing and I had been hunting hard for seven days, from sunrise to sunset. I saw and passed on plenty of deer, many up close, but all were
In Minnesota’s southeast and elsewhere, CWD sampling simply part of the hunting experience
A cool breeze was blowing as I began the long hike in the dark to my deer stand. It was opening morning of the firearms deer season in southeastern Minnesota, and I was looking forward
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
Dan Ladd: Hand-loaded ammo ready for whitetail season
When I got into hand-loading a few years ago, like any hunter, the idea was to eventually make my own hunting ammunition. It’s taken awhile, but if I’m fortunate enough to get a crack at
Jeremiah Haas: Recent incident a reminder of the importance of hunting safety plans
Anyone who has read this column over the years knows that I am a big proponent of safety while out hunting. I’ve written several articles on treestand safety, treestand harnesses and other tips for making
A little shotgun maintenance will improve your accuracy this hunting season
A few years after I began shooting semi-automatic shotguns in the 1990s, I started taking my boom sticks to a gunsmith during the period between when summer trap leagues ended and before the bird-hunting seasons
Near-ideal conditions set up promising deer season in many parts of Minnesota
A year ago, wildlife officials with the Minnesota DNR were quick to caution that one mild winter might not move the needle in a big way when it comes to what deer hunters could expect
How to e-scout high-odds ruffed grouse spots for big-woods wingshooting action
The big-game world is obsessed with e-scouting. During the past decade, multiple dedicated apps have hit the scene, and they are a game-changer for whitetail and Western big-game hunters. Upland hunters have adopted some of
Here’s how to effectively jump-shoot ducks
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.
