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Seasonal Stories

Colorado Initiative 302: Hunting Rights on the Ballot

September 1, 2026|Venator Hunting

Colorado's Initiative 302 would constitutionalize a right to hunt and fish and name it the preferred wildlife management tool. It needs 55% in November.

Red Snapper Season 2026: Florida's Bonus October Days

September 1, 2026|Venator Hunting

Florida's Atlantic red snapper season 2026 runs 39 days, including October 2-4, 9-11 and 16-18. The 2025 federal Atlantic season was two days. What changed.

Duck Season 2026: Mallards Down 11%, Ponds Up 14%

September 1, 2026|Venator Hunting

The 2026 USFWS survey puts total ducks at 33.4 million and mallards down 11%. May ponds rose 14% — but that water is in Canada, not on the U.S. prairie.

Can Silver Carp Actually Survive in Lake Michigan?

September 1, 2026|Venator Hunting

A reader argued Lake Michigan is too barren for silver carp. The modeling says otherwise — here's where they could live, and where the science is still open.

Invasive Carp Found 80 Miles From Lake Michigan

August 31, 2026|Aldo Antu

Crews pulled hundreds of 4-to-6-inch silver carp from the Illinois River 80 miles from Lake Michigan, weeks after work on the Brandon Road barrier stopped.

Whitetail bucks and does together in a field during the rut

Buck-to-Doe Ratio and the Rut: What the Research Says

August 27, 2026|Aldo Antu

A reader said buck-to-doe ratio drives rut timing and creates a 3-week 'trickle rut.' We checked the research. He's half right — here's which half.

Roadless Rule Repeal: What It Means for Your Hunt

August 24, 2026|Venator Hunting

USDA has proposed rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule across 44 million acres. Comments close Sept 21, 2026. What's at stake, both cases, and how to file.

2026-27 Hunting Season Dates, State by State

August 24, 2026|Venator Hunting

Archery opens Aug 1 in Florida's Zone A and firearms openers cluster on Nov 14 and Nov 21. Pennsylvania's 2026-27 seasons now include Sundays.

How-To & Skills

Fall Walleye Fishing: Go Shallow, Not Deep

September 1, 2026|Venator Hunting

Fall walleyes push shallow after turnover, not deep. The mechanism, why wind is the key variable, and what Minnesota's proposed six-to-four limit cut signals.

Fall Striper Run 2026: Timing, Tactics and Two New Rules

September 1, 2026|Venator Hunting

The fall striper run moves on water temperature, not the calendar. How to time it, how to fish a blitz versus a picky school, and the two rules changing.

New Hunting Rifles 2026: What the Prices Tell You

August 28, 2026|Venator Hunting

Twelve new 2026 hunting rifles run $399 to $3,200. A specs-and-price read of what launched at SHOT Show — no group sizes, because nobody has fired them.

Calabacita With Venison: A Wild Game Family Recipe

August 24, 2026|Venator Hunting

A grandmother's chicken calabacita recipe reworked for venison — simple, forgiving, and built to use up trim and stew cuts from processing.

When the Whitetail Rut Actually Peaks in 2026

August 24, 2026|Venator Hunting

Whitetail breeding dates are set by day length, not weather or moon phase. Verified peak-conception data by region, plus how to pick your 2026 rut week.

The DIY Elk Reality in 2026: What Changed, the Real Odds, and the Gear That Survives the Mountain

August 15, 2026|Venator staff

OTC tags are disappearing, there are wolves in the woods, and archery success still hovers near 10%. A no-fluff look at what's changed for DIY elk hunters in 2026 —...

Early-Season Checklist: Dove Opener, Archery Prep & Your 2026 Season Dates

August 10, 2026|Venator staff

Fall comes fast. Here's the get-ready checklist for dove and archery season — gear, scouting, and the regulation changes worth knowing before opening day.

Hunt the Front, Not the Calendar: The Biology That Makes Early Teal a Different Game

August 6, 2026|Venator staff

Blue-winged teal are the first ducks out and mostly don't winter in the US — which is the whole reason the September season exists. Understand their migration biology and you'll...

Fall Walleye Fishing: Go Shallow, Not Deep

September 1, 2026|Venator Hunting

Fall walleyes push shallow after turnover, not deep. The mechanism, why wind is the key variable, and what Minnesota's proposed six-to-four limit cut signals.

Fall Striper Run 2026: Timing, Tactics and Two New Rules

September 1, 2026|Venator Hunting

The fall striper run moves on water temperature, not the calendar. How to time it, how to fish a blitz versus a picky school, and the two rules changing.

New Hunting Rifles 2026: What the Prices Tell You

August 28, 2026|Venator Hunting

Twelve new 2026 hunting rifles run $399 to $3,200. A specs-and-price read of what launched at SHOT Show — no group sizes, because nobody has fired them.

Calabacita With Venison: A Wild Game Family Recipe

August 24, 2026|Venator Hunting

A grandmother's chicken calabacita recipe reworked for venison — simple, forgiving, and built to use up trim and stew cuts from processing.

When the Whitetail Rut Actually Peaks in 2026

August 24, 2026|Venator Hunting

Whitetail breeding dates are set by day length, not weather or moon phase. Verified peak-conception data by region, plus how to pick your 2026 rut week.

The DIY Elk Reality in 2026: What Changed, the Real Odds, and the Gear That Survives the Mountain

August 15, 2026|Venator staff

OTC tags are disappearing, there are wolves in the woods, and archery success still hovers near 10%. A no-fluff look at what's changed for DIY elk hunters in 2026 —...

Early-Season Checklist: Dove Opener, Archery Prep & Your 2026 Season Dates

August 10, 2026|Venator staff

Fall comes fast. Here's the get-ready checklist for dove and archery season — gear, scouting, and the regulation changes worth knowing before opening day.

Hunt the Front, Not the Calendar: The Biology That Makes Early Teal a Different Game

August 6, 2026|Venator staff

Blue-winged teal are the first ducks out and mostly don't winter in the US — which is the whole reason the September season exists. Understand their migration biology and you'll...