How-To & Skills

The October Lull Is Real. The Deer Aren't Causing It.
The October Lull Is Real. The Deer Aren't Causing It.
Four GPS-collar studies, one manipulated-pressure experiment, and the three-to-five-day cost of sitting your best stand. What to actually do in late October. Read more...
The Texas Bull Red Run: Timing, Tides and Tackle
The Texas Bull Red Run: Timing, Tides and Tackle
October is the peak of the Texas bull red run. The biology, the tide, the tackle, and the release handling a 15-year-old spawning fish deserves. Read more...
Hunting and Fishing Gifts 2026: A Value-First Guide
Hunting and Fishing Gifts 2026: A Value-First Guide
ICAST 2026 gave Best of Show to a budget spinning combo. Here is a hunting and fishing gift guide built around that signal, sorted into honest price tiers. Read more...
Fall Walleye Fishing: Go Shallow, Not Deep
Fall Walleye Fishing: Go Shallow, Not Deep
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. Read more...
Fall Striper Run 2026: Timing, Tactics and Two New Rules
Fall Striper Run 2026: Timing, Tactics and Two New Rules
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. Read more...
New Hunting Rifles 2026: What the Prices Tell You
New Hunting Rifles 2026: What the Prices Tell You
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. Read more...
Calabacita With Venison: A Wild Game Family Recipe
Calabacita With Venison: A Wild Game Family Recipe
A grandmother's chicken calabacita recipe reworked for venison — simple, forgiving, and built to use up trim and stew cuts from processing. Read more...
When the Whitetail Rut Actually Peaks in 2026
When the Whitetail Rut Actually Peaks in 2026
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. Read more...
The DIY Elk Reality in 2026: What Changed, the Real Odds, and the Gear That Survives the Mountain
The DIY Elk Reality in 2026: What Changed, the Real Odds, and the Gear That Survives the Mountain
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 —... Read more...
Early-Season Checklist: Dove Opener, Archery Prep & Your 2026 Season Dates
Early-Season Checklist: Dove Opener, Archery Prep & Your 2026 Season Dates
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. Read more...
Hunt the Front, Not the Calendar: The Biology That Makes Early Teal a Different Game
Hunt the Front, Not the Calendar: The Biology That Makes Early Teal a Different Game
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... Read more...
Golden crispy fried fish served with fries
The Only Fried Fish Batter Recipe You Need for Your Fresh Catch
A crispy, golden, foolproof beer batter that works on any white-fleshed fish — walleye, crappie, catfish, panfish. Simple pantry ingredients, one big flavor payoff. Read more...