So far, this season has been a tough one for me. I had my target buck come in after dark during bow season. The last time I saw him was a month ago… that is until the other night when he showed up on someone else trail camera six miles away!
Although no one can control what animals do, we can control how we prepare and how we react in the moment. If you can avoid making these three common hunting mistakes you will be well on your way to enjoying a successful hunting season.
Don’t get me wrong, I eat what I harvest and I love getting more meat for the freezer. But I believe that hunting is not just “getting meat for the freezer”, it is about so much more than that - so why do I hunt?
First off, if you know anything about me or have followed me on social media for a while you know that turkey hunting is hands-down my favorite type of hunting - there’s just something about a beard that I dig! Just kidding, but I do love how interactive it is and the fact that it is a great way to introduce new hunters to the sport is icing on the cake!
From brown bears to blacktail deer and everything in between, Alaska puts the “Big Game” in the Winchester Expedition Big Game Long Range lineup.
Turkey season has finally arrived in New York state which makes me EXTREMELY happy and a little bit sleep deprived — I apologize in advance if I happen to nod off in conversation!
On Saturday, April 27, during the 148th NRA Annual Meetings, Winchester Ammunition and the Indy Honor Flight paid tribute five distinguished veterans who courageously served the United States in World War II.
“He's going to come right underneath us. Can you see him?” I ask.
“No, I can't,” she says.
"Shoot him! Shoot him!" I say as a 500-pound interior grizzly bear walks directly under our tree stand.
What goes up, must come down. It’s the main mission when you’re a waterfowl hunter. As ducks and geese soar overhead, perfect aim isn’t the only priority for a hunter…it’s just the start. The finish is all about having the perfect ammunition, designed to penetrate the birds with precision and power.
Winchester ambassador and Alaskan native, Austin Manelick, reflects on his wife Jordan’s first mountain goat harvest. In his latest short film, Importance, Austin and Jordan navigate the harsh Alaskan landscape in search of the elusive mountain goat. Join this husband and wife duo on this epic adventure.
Hunters often flock to the Lone Star state to dial in on whitetail deer and mule deer. When the Winchester crew visited Texas in January, they had their sights set on antlers. But the hunters got a firsthand look at the wild pig problem in Texas…and got the chance to take a shot at swine.
I’ve run on and off for all my life and wanted to list some must-haves and some leave-at-home-suggestions for those of us who like to run outside. Too, today more than ever before, safety is a huge concern for runners and really anyone who enjoys the outdoors.
Some of these are no-brainers while others are little hacks I have picked up on when I lived in the city. Please feel free to leave any of your suggestions in the comments below as it’s always good to share safety ideas with one another.
If you’re like me and always struggle with gift ideas, I put together some of my FAVORITE items that have changed hunting for me…and they may do the same for you.
Many lessons are learned from our own mistakes, but you don’t always have to make a mistake to learn. For example, so many issues can be avoided by simply being prepared. This means putting in the time before the season to ensure you have given yourself the best possible chance at success.
It’s heartbreaking for a hunter to land the shot, but not locate the buck. We know the scene: The blood trail stops. The search slows. You finally have to admit to yourself that maybe that bruiser is gone……and steals some of your pride and ego right along with it. The trek back to the truck empty-handed can feel like a walk of shame. But there’s no real shame in it, because it happens to the best of us.
The time has come.
When the rut is on, it’s on. A flip is switched. The big bucks move, while you stay still in the stand…hoping all of your hard work will pay off. If you’re shooting Winchester, reliability and power will be delivered every single time. But you need to make sure you’re in the stand when those bucks are on the move.
I can’t count the number of times people ask for advice on this topic so I decided to write a blog about it addressing what I do and have learned to ask over time.
The skills involved in safe shooting, whether at paper or steel targets or flying clay ones, are the same as those prized in many other athletic disciplines: concentration, hand-eye coordination, breath control. Those, along with the wish to acquire the knowledge to handle and shoot firearms proficiently, are what make the thought of shooting so attractive to so many who have yet to give it a try.
Are you ready for hunting season?
Now there is Foster and Matt Bartholow, the Hardy Boys of the Amateur Trapshooting Association.
If you compare the Bartholows to the Hardy Boys as they shoot their way to singles-, doubles-,*handicap-*, and team-championship fame, then the event where they have had the most spectacular impact, the Grand American World Trapshooting Championship in Sparta, Illinois, a summertime institution for more than a century, could be thought of as the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally of trap–an appropriate analogy for two brothers from Rapid City, South Dakota, only 30 miles from Sturgis.
Exhibition shooting has a strong history in America. The sport continues to evolve and grow. Legendary exhibition shooters have helped paved the way for professionals nowadays, including brothers Steve and Aaron Gould.
Passion is packaged in all different ways. The Gould Brothers’ passion comes in the art form of precision: shooting exactly when and where they want, and doing it in style. Their impeccable, show-stopping shooting skills have earned them the reputation as the “World’s Best Exhibition Shooting Team.”
If you’re going to be the best, you need to use the best…which is why the Gould Brothers use Winchester.
You don’t need experts to teach your children about everything. Parents teach safety when it comes to everyday situations, like the swimming pool or crossing the street. Parents start their children down the correct path in life in these areas and many others.
We know where the squad car keys are, we know how to start it. We keep it free from snow when Mark is gone in case another trooper needs it. In Wisconsin, this is funny because sometimes in winter, it seems futile.
This year, my eldest son Tim who is 19 has worked instructing in pistol and carbine courses in Utah with Tactical Performance Center. Not only has he taught competition shooters, but also brand new shooters, law enforcement and military. While some kids get a job at their local Dairy Queen, there are jobs out there that can help a youth grow not just his or her bank account, but skills with people and situations that most young people won’t ever have to tackle.
Winchester Ammunition has been recognized as the choice of champion shooters for generations. Shotgun competitors have depended on the quality of Winchester AA shotgun shells since 1965, while Winchester has been proud to see the heights to which those shooters can ascend with the brand’s’s ammunition in their guns.
Frank was born in the “Cornhusker” state of Nebraska in 1988, and he was nine when he began shooting with his dad. When Frank’s passion for shotgun shooting began, Frank was particularly attracted to sporting clays.
This is the basic principle, but while using this formula, we realize there are different types of sight picture. Each has a place, depending on the target and style of shooting. From close paper targets we see in some competitions, to refined shots requiring accuracy and finesse, there are different ways we use sights. There is a need to understand what YOU need to see to make those shots.
The question then becomes, home much are you willing to spend in effort? Dry fire can help even the newest shooter because they will learn safe gun handling habits, how to move with a firearm, how to change magazines, transition, “see faster” - all without the need for ammo or travelling to and from the range. So grab your empty gun, mags, holster and mag holders and let’s check out some simple dry fire exercises to help you improve your handgun shooting.
.ashx?w=400&hash=36613E3CF291D1A8AC302EA91E084EDD9DC72DE6)
Paul Sawyer snagged a 2-for-1 deal when he hit a duo of gobblers across Kansas state lines. He fed the long beards’ a dose of Long Beard XR. The takedown was one for Paul’s history books.
When it comes to turkey hunting, every step counts. One forgotten move could be the difference between bringing home a fan of feathers or letting that gobbler live to see another day.
As outdoorsmen, we like to take control of the factors that impact the hunt.
The Keefers use the innovative Winchester Pattern Board App to get a clear picture of their shot pattern.
Birds of a feather flock together….until one steps out of the pecking order. During Paul Sawyer’s wild turkey hunt in Oklahoma, he witnessed what happens when the bird’s natural instincts come into play.
The signs are there: The snow has melted. The mercury is slowly—but surely—rising. The days are longer, the monthly calendar has flipped to April, and the faded brown grass is brightening back to green.
If you haven’t hunted for turkeys yet or are a beginner, you have come to the right place. However, I must warn you…once you hunt for turkeys you will be hooked! Hunting wild turkey may look easy on TV shows but it is no easy feat to get an gobbler to follow your plan. From gobblers running to your setup right off the roost, or struggling to get that big gobbler to commit to coming into gun range…each hunt is different and comes with its own set of excitement and challenges.
Two of the biggest areas where you can make the most improvement are in the stance and grip. How you stand and how you hold the gun will have a much bigger impact on how you shoot the gun than almost anything. Start at the ground, build up & lean into it.
I’m going to talk about them each in relation to competition to help you figure out if the gun YOU have at home is one you could take out and compete with.
One of the reasons I love hunting new places and with new people is because it allows me to experience different styles of hunting and learn new tactics. Being able to connect with people and approach conversations not only with an open mind and a willingness to learn, but also an eagerness to learn is what makes my hunting experiences fun!
…drinking behavior until Memorial Day weekend. I don’t think that the majority of us really know what is involved with “corning” a hunk of meat.
You may not know that “corning”, or more accurately called “pickling” can be done with any antlered game meat or waterfowl. Actual corn plays no part in the process.
Below I am going to walk you through three of the most popular treestand styles and some of the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Every single mount has a backstory, an adventure, a memory that I will cherish forever. But when space becomes limited, I decided to start looking for alternative methods to hang mounts. Lowering the number of animals I mount would be one option, but I was still hoping for an alternative- and I found it.
I serve people snow geese often, but I don’t tell them it’s snow goose until after they’re just about done eating it. I did have one guy tell me that snow goose was, by far, the best tasting goose out there. He told me about how he cut the breast fillets into little strips and then marinated them in teriyaki sauce for 2 days. After that he wrapped the marinated goose in jalapeno, cream cheese and bacon. I’m fairly certain that you could do the same thing with a piece of your shoe and it would taste about the same.
Why put so much effort into practicing an exercise that appears as easy as putting a barbell on your shoulders and squatting down?
Two simple reasons: 1.) safety and 2.) effectiveness. The barbell squat is a powerful compound exercise that can pack on muscle in the legs, glutes, core, and even upper back. It can also be utilized as a conditioning movement to help burn off those holiday calories. It is also one of those exercises that if done improperly, can lead to injury (but this can be said about pretty much anything we do in the gym!).
He and his friends would harvest tons of coyotes each season with my brother and I being pulled through fields in a sled with dad on snowshoe. This was what we loved and this is what I still love it to this day. Even though the tradition of coyote hunting in our family hasn’t changed, the ammunition and technology sure has.
What’s a sounder? It’s a large group of hogs. I was going to go with a “pack,” but I knew that wasn’t correct. They are sexually mature at 6 months of age and they have between 1 and 2 litters of 5 to 6 little piggies each year. They have no real natural predators and they reproduce faster than we can kill them. They also cause billions of damage every year in the United States. So, what’s the solution to the wild hog population explosion? I think the answer is obvious.
Winchester has employed their shot-lok technology enabling you to get the most out of your ammunition. I was lucky enough to test it out at this year’s SHOT Show Media Day in Las Vegas. Needless to say, I was very impressed. What is your favorite gun/ammo combination for tom turkey? Want to see how it works…click on the video!
It’s just not my thing. Go there the day before or after and choose from their normal menu and there’s probably no waiting. A few years ago, we started our own holiday tradition of inviting another couple or two to our house for Valentine’s Day. The steak and lobster is at least as good as any restaurant and the wine is considerably better.
The reason I often procrastinate is because I want to buy the perfect gift that I know they will love but often come up short of what that gift should be. This year I decided to get ahead of the game and thought I’d share with you some of the best tools I use in the field that can serve as a perfect gift for the hunter in your life…male or female!
Two questions I often get asked are why do some people seem to find all the sheds and how can one be more effective? This comes down to a few important aspects in my book.
First, shed hunt where the animals are.
Fortunately, the darker-fleshed ducks can still make great table fare with just a few extra steps and some additional time to tame the more “pronounced” flavored game meat.
Lean, dark-fleshed ducks and geese have a deeper, earthier flavor as compared to an otherwise fat and lighter-fleshed mallard or pintail. It should come as no surprise that ducks and geese are what they eat.
I am active on many social media channels. My job in marketing revolves around the use of the Internet and social media. However, I always feel life would be simpler and people would truly connect more with the outdoors if they didn’t have access to the world at the tip of their fingers at any given moment.
This time, I won’t be the one hunting however. Two young South Dakota boys will be taking part in the late-season youth-hunt for does. Quite frankly, I can’t wait! South Dakota participates in the Youth Deer Mentored Big Game hunt. I’m a huge proponent of programs such as this.
…some animal parts manage to last a year or two longer than they probably should. Of course, the purpose of putting a label and a date on everything that goes into the freezer is so you know what the heck it is after it has been packed along with 100 other packages.
The one thing that came unexpected were the comments I received from fellow hunters questioning why on earth I would ever need or want a suppressor on a hunting rifle. I understand that everyone seems to have an opinion online, but I didn’t expect this from hunters.
It is also becoming more popular among hunters. This means that it is an easy to find factory load with more options all the time. Wanting to learn what all the buzz was about, I decided to order my own Winchester 6.5 Creedmoor to see if it lives up to all of the hype.
Not that you have to be a hunter to know how to prepare wild game. I’ve never killed a cow, but I can cook one, although preferably not the whole animal at once. If the recipe author mentions “catching” wild game, he or she doesn’t hunt. OK, maybe they’re trappers, but I don’t think that’s the case.
Figure out how to beat the weather, and the non-stop action of coyote hunting will truly amaze you.
Having the right gear is always helpful, but sometimes it takes a little hard work and suffering before knowing what gear is truly helpful. I’ve put in a lot of time and learned the hard way on things that make a difference in the field. So, skip a little of the heartache and add some of these items to your gear bag to make your season more comfortable and successful:
I just finished packing my gear to head south for my last hunt of the season in the Texas panhandle. I checked in my bags at the airport counter and made my way through security. As I boarded the plane and the wheels lifted off the runway I happily waved goodbye to frigid below zero temperatures and looked forward to landing in warm Texas.
It adds moisture, flavor and mellows out, not disguises, the natural flavor of waterfowl. I do not cook a duck or goose without first soaking it overnight in brine.
Those of us who have discovered how much better the Thanksgiving turkey tastes after a brine bath for 24 hours know that the bird will not only cook a little faster, it will also bemore moist and flavorful than an unbrined bird.
The last thing you want to do when the temps drop and the hunting heats up is stay at home because you aren’t prepared for the chilly temps. I’m not saying everyone has to go out and buy all new arctic gear and apparel, but there are a few easy tips you can do to stay warm and make your hunts more enjoyable.
…sharing some easy step-by-step progressions for some exercises that have become staples of my training.
For starters, let’s start with arguably one of the best back and arm exercises: the pull-up. For those of us who are pull-up challenged and looking to improve, here are some simple progressions to get you on track! Depending on your fitness level, you may be able to skip over some steps.
OK, but let’s say your waders are getting a little snug and your fridge is full of odds and ends that won’t quite make a family meal, but when combined, could be loaded onto a platter and served at a New Year’s Day ball game party. It’s a good opportunity to use up holiday leftovers and stock up with healthy stuff to start the year off right.
Try some of these tips to end your season with a strong finish and make the most of those days in the blind.
Ducks
Hunt Big Water—Smaller bodies of water are freezing up so ducks will head for larger rivers and lakes where water is still liquid. Hunt from a boat blind, set a layout blind on a sandbar or set up on a finger of land jutting into the body of water and set your decoys close.
Here’s a closer look at the Creedmoor and a comparison with the well known 270 Winchester and 243 Winchester. Come along on this video blog form Winchester World of Whitetail host Ron Spomer to learn more.
Hunting has become less and less about the animal, the hunt, or even the location. Now I reminisce about the people I was with more than anything. This is what I now look forward to the most.
Last year I was super fortunate to take several friends and family in the field with me, but one hunt stands out in particular. I got the privilege to take Grandma Rose on a mule deer hunt in Southern Colorado.
For me, most of those memories were formed in my home town in Western New York; and more importantly with my dad.
Every year, my dad and I put out trail cameras in hopes of getting pictures of good bucks. This year was no different. After pulling the cards and scrolling through hundreds of pictures, I came across a tall 8 with good mass. At that moment I knew which buck I had my sights set on for the season.
Perhaps you may have learned that the legs and thighs from pheasants and turkeys are tough, sinewy and unfit for table fare. In some respect, you’re right, but it is probably because you cooked whole birds and discovered that, if the breasts are just cooked and not overcooked, the other parts aren’t fit to eat.
And why not? Not only does the hunter see these creatures as competitors for the game animals they wish to keep in abundance, but the varmints also present an opportunity for additional time in the woods by hunting them year-round in most places, night in most places and can sometimes even get them access to lands that would otherwise be closed to them for other types of hunting.
Those, in turn, gave me days of hunting adventure you can’t tie a bow around or put under a tree. Cottontails in the woods. Fox squirrels raiding the corn bins. And — best of all — big, white-tailed jackrabbits racing over the pastures and cornfields. South Dakota’s winter landscape was the ultimate rifleman’s training ground, and those 22 Long Rifles made it all possible.
Winchester has devoted an incredible amount of time and energy to help hunters and shooter be the most effective they can possibly be. One of the most noticeable changes is the extensive range that’s been proven to be effective for turkey hunting with LongBeard XR. This also goes for waterfowl hunting with Blind Side and continues on through with DeerSeason XP, Varmint X, AA TrAAcker, and the list goes on.
Snow is on the ground, Christmas lights are up, and reindeer are on roof tops. Speaking of deer… Here are 3 ways to use antlers when decorating for the holiday!
And as many times as they had all made the exact same dishes, they relied on well-worn recipe cards to make sure that everything was cooked just right. When I mentioned that they could probably get the job done without the recipe cards, they gave my future mother-in-law a look that said, “We don’t really like this kid.”
Because it will make you a better shot. And it could save the day if you’re faced with a puzzling set of shooting conditions. Ballistic calculators are computer programs based on physics. Scientists have long known what happens to projectiles thrown through the atmosphere.
If that person is an avid shooter or hunter, then Winchester-branded merchandise is the perfect solution sure to bring that special person in your life a smile to their face on Christmas day. Here are some top choices for this holiday season.
Getting feathers to fall can be a hard-core task when it comes to waterfowl hunting. As the weather shifts from bad to worse, waterfowl warriors know it's time to scan the skies. Sleet, snow, rain, hail, and cold push the birds to use their wings, and hunters head out to bring them down.
And many times, the hubs or bars are also damaged. Usually I don’t like to take blinds out of the field until the season is completely wrapped up. That can be late Dec or even mid-January depending on the state I’m hunting. Once a blind is up, deer get used to them so the last thing I want to do is take them down to avoid snow damage.
One of the great things about fresh, never frozen meat is you can prepare easy freezer meals for those days when you are in a rush but want to have a delicious breakfast without all the time it takes to make it. Here are 2 quick and easy meals you can prepare in advance for breakfast when you are on the go.
Add some onions, celery, carrots and any other vegetables that make you happy. Top the whole mess with a pile of whipped potatoes and pop it in the oven. In about thirty minutes, it’s dinner. Mom used to make something she called “Hamburger Pie.” It was a big hit with dad and the three boys.
Unlike a handgun, with its short sight plane, a longer shotgun is much easier to aim, particularly by less skilled shooters during a stressful moment. A shotgun also throws a wider pattern than a single projectile, allowing for poor aim, likely to be made poorer by a stressful situation such as a home break-in or defensive situation.
Ever since the advent of the first metallic cartridge (the 22 BB Cap in 1845,) hunters have demanded rifles, cartridges and bullets capable of terminating everything from ground squirrels to elephants. This is why the world has seen the creation of — literally — hundreds of rifle cartridges.
This is a list that I used to purchase gifts for my own family and friends and hope there may be something that could spark some interest for that hard to buy for person in your family.
S4 Gear Bino Harness– This is a binocular harness that keeps optics dry, clean and at the ready. It fits most styles of binoculars and not only makes it much more convenient, but also keeps binos snow and water-free so you can see regardless of weather conditions.
When it comes to sealing the deal, there are a few tricks I keep up my sleeve to utilize when the time is right.
Never let deer know they are being hunted
It may sound like a no-brainer and pretty simple, but it takes discipline. After gun opener, deer seem to be on edge. So, I keep the location I hunt low pressure and take every precaution to be stealthy in hopes that deer use my section of property as a safe haven.
My hunting partners don’t look favorably at late arrivals. Whether I like it or not, parties happen and it’s usually best to make a contribution beyond a bag of chips and store-bought salsa. Here are a few of my favorites.
Maybe we can clear some confusion if we take a hard look at the old 300 Winchester Magnum and the newer 300 Winchester Short Magnum to gain a clearer understanding of what they do. First, both of these powerful magnum rounds exist for the extra reach and punch many shooters demand. North America and Africa harbor good to excellent numbers of large, tough, antlered or horned animals.
If desperation is setting in, don’t let it. Instead try one of these tricks to save your season before it’s over.
Break Your Pattern – You and your fellow hunters hitting the property every weekend like clockwork, maybe Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday then everybody is back home until next weekend? Work the weekend and take a Tuesday or Wednesday off. Deer pattern us and our activity in their environment as well, if not better, than we do them.
I’ve always been a huge fan of late season hunting for whitetails. This can be a very productive time of the year. Below are four proven tips that I’ve used to find success as seasons begin winding down.
However, visions of big bucks dance through my head along with hearing my dad’s voice say, “You’re not going to shoot anything if you’re not out there.” So, I gear up and head out. Through trial and error, I have found some simple yet inexpensive and effective ways to fend off the cold and hunt comfortably in the field for longer durations. Here are my tips and tricks to stay warm in the field this late season:
If you’ve ever taken a bite into a fresh, unsweetened cranberry, you know that the taste is nothing like what you get from something that’s been made with cranberries. Cranberry sauce, chutney, relish and, of course, the cranberry juice that occasionally floats on top of a vodka drink have all been sweetened or they would taste sour.
Think about it, the bullet only has a few inches of barrel to travel down so the slightest dip in the barrel or flinch of the shooter can alter the trajectory drastically in just a few short yards of travel. To improve your ability to fire a handgun accurately, focus on these three aspects of grip for better trigger control and, ultimately, a better aim.
But not the 308 Winchester and 300 Winchester Magnum. Here there is such a performance differential that one must seriously consider what each does and which hunting applications each handles best. So let’s dig in. Both these popular and vastly different cartridges throw .308-inch diameter (30-caliber) bullets. The big difference is their powder capacity.
In many sports, training includes some aspect of learning to focus exclusively on the task at hand, filtering out distractions. In endeavors such as putting, basketball free-throws, billiards and pitching, athletes practice blocking out all distractions and using visualization…
I put in so much time during the off-season training and throughout the season scouting and hunting that when the moment of truth comes…I want no excuses. Winchester introduced Deer Season XP because they wanted to ensure deer hunters had something specific to their needs. This round was designed with only one thing in mind: dropping big deer in their tracks.
With so much to do and so little time, I like to have recipes on the back burner (pun intended) that I can turn to when I am in a time crunch. Here are a few quick snacks that the entire family will enjoy. The best part is both recipes share the same 3 core ingredients!
Let’s face it, we’ve all had some pretty funky venison. Hopefully, any unpalatable dishes you prepared in the past resulted in a learning experience. Sometimes we gain as much knowledge by making mistakes as we do by our successes, a concept I’ve reminded my 20-year old son about for years. In my formative years as a wild game cooker, I had some remarkable culinary failures.
Big on Optics: Quality optics, both in the form of binoculars and a scope, are your best friends in low light scenarios. A good pair of binos in the 8x to 10x range, but with a larger objective, can help gather more light and make creatures almost invisible to the naked eye easily identifiable in low light.
The result is you can hold the crosshair in the right spot, but it could really be pointing an inch or more off that spot at 100 yards. This isn’t a big deal, but as distance increases, that one-inch difference expands to 2 inches at 200 yards, 3 inches at 300 yards, etc. For precision, long range shooting, a tiny big of parallax in a scope can result in significant misses.
The rut. An instinct-driven, chaos-filled craze. The time of year when whitetail bucks have one thing on their mind, and one thing only. They seek a willing doe-in-estrus. The need propels them through the fields and forest with persistence.
Don’t be a hobbyist in the area of defensive skill development. It is great if you gain pleasure from knowing that you are better able to defend yourself or your family if you need to. But, if the only reason that you train is because you enjoy it, you will inevitably start compromising your training… you’ll start deferring to techniques that you perform best in the training environment, not the ones that would serve you best in a fight.
I’ve been in camps where everyone is so exhausted by the time dark comes that food preparation is the last thing anyone cares about. When this is the case, I’ve found a great solution: freeze dried meals. Most people think that freeze dried food would be a last resort or something that is less than desirable to eat. This may have been the case years ago, but this is an area that has really come a long way!
For me, determining a buck’s age beyond 4.5 years old becomes more difficult due to variations in genetics. Therefore, I am going to break down bucks into a couple different age groups: fawns, yearlings, 2.5 year olds,3.5 year olds, and 4.5 or older. Whether you are new to aging bucks or just want to brush up on your skills before heading to the tree stand, here are a few tips and body characteristics that you should pay close attention to.
It’s true comfort food that greets you with an inviting aroma as you open the door. No waiting for dinner. Let’s eat! The bigger challenge is to roast a venison hindquarter and have it come out medium-rare like sliced roast beef that you might put into a sandwich. Cooking lean venison isn’t nearly as forgiving as fatty beef. It requires more time and attention, but the end result can be just as delicious as any thin-sliced beef you may have had in a French dip.
Whitetails, mule deer, elk and even small game such as squirrels and rabbits are crepuscular, meaning they feed primarily at dawn or dusk (twilight hours) when night is transitioning to day and vice versa. For this reason, much of a hunter’s time—for sake of this blog, a deer hunter’s time—is going to be spent in the woods, most likely on a stand during…
In this era of laser-measured ranges, turret dialing scopes and multiple-stadia-line reticles, wind remains the biggest roadblock to precise targeting. That’s because wind, unlike gravity, isn’t constant. You can’t depend on its velocity or direction. Inside of 200 yards or so, this isn’t generally a big problem, but as distance increases and/or wind speed increases, so do your chances for missing.
Have you thought about how you can improve your safety by planning to work together with other armed people during a defensive event? Have you considered that not being prepared to interact with other armed people could put you at risk? Here are some tips to help you be safer and be better prepared to deal with threats when there is more than one armed “good guy” on the scene:
Another important aspect is keeping yourself warm and comfortable and using the best gear possible. The more prepared you are for the weather conditions, the more you’ll enjoy the hunt. First, when calling or setting decoys remember you’re probably hunting pressured birds. With this, the adage “less is more” holds its own weight. I try to setup in locations where the birds naturally want to be or will be going through. As far as calling, this is absolutely true.
November is finally here! We have waited in anticipation all year for these next few weeks. The rut is heating up in many parts of the country and bucks are beginning to build aggression – this means it is time to break out those rattling antlers!
As for the millions of deer hunters across North America who dropped a deer using it in the field, they were convinced. Now it’s been confirmed by one of the most prestigious magazine titles in the hunting and shooting world; Guns & Ammo has named Winchester Deer Season XP as its 2017 Ammo of the Year.
One of my most frequently reoccurring rants concerns the amount of whole muscle game meat that gets ground into burger. I think it’s because ground meat is easier to prepare, it’s more forgiving than steaks and roasts, especially when it’s a bit overcooked. Ground game usually ends up in tacos, meatloaf and, most often, chili.
Let’s face it, even though live-fire drills are critical to becoming a skilled shooter (and are much more fun), the cost can add up quickly for a lot of people making it difficult to put in the training time needed. Dry-fire drills can be done every day in the privacy and convenience of your home and best of all, they don’t cost a thing. But safety first.
BC might sound like a bunch of hooey, but it’s really at the heart of bullet performance. With the right BC you can make a light bullet hit with twice the kinetic energy of a bullet twice its weight because doubling a projectile’s velocity quadruples its energy. Doubling its weight only doubles its energy.
Across America, hunters have pursued wild game for decades with Winchester. They have made choices on the perfect caliber, bullet type, bullet weight … choices that have then been proven in the field, when the moment of truth presented itself. They have stepped out beyond their own backyards to find diverse backdrops and hunt thick-skinned, powerful, and challenging opponents.
Time of Year – Over the years, I’ve had the most success with rattling during the peak of the rut. However, that’s not the only time it works. Pay attention to what is happening, and take of your surroundings. Study the behavior of the deer you’re hunting while on stand. See how they interact with each other and take note.
Being new to waterfowl hunting, I decided to turn to hunting guide and Owner of Goose Creek Outfitters and Retrievers, Matt Peel, to help me explore some new tactics to help get more birds on the ground this year.
The stuffing allegedly draws out the evil spirits and adds a fruity and, um…vegetably flavor to the cooked bird. I’m not buying it. Oh, I’ve tried stuffing my turkey and ducks a number of times. It just didn’t seem to make a difference. I know some of you are going to keep doing it the way you’ve always done it. For the rest of you, I’ll continue.
One of the main reasons for this requirement—at least in many areas is the perception that the limited range shotguns possess when compared to rifles makes it safer when hunting is taking place in close proximity to human-inhabited areas. Centerfire rifles are not permitted in the big buck states of Illinois and Iowa, as well as all or portions of East Coast states like Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia. Limits exist in many other areas, too.
The happy truth, though “bigger hammer” enthusiasts hate to admit it, is that plenty of mild recoiling rifles have proven deadly on deer for decades because most of us can shoot them more accurately without flinching. Here’s why:
Come along on this video blog by Winchester Deadly Passion’s Melissa Bachman to learn how to do it. It’ll take a little sweat-equity, but will surely pay off in spades down the line. We will give you a few hints: cover, food and water. Check out his video to learn more.
Have you ever been so close to a deer or turkey that you could reach out and touch them while out hunting? I have had serval of these experiences when hunting from blinds, there is nothing quite like being “one with nature” and seeing animals up close and personal in their natural habitat! First we must first consider where and what type of game we are hunting. This is key when deciding on the type of blind and camouflage pattern that would be most effective.
My utensils included a fire pit for heat and an assortment of iron, clay and wood pots. It’s not much different than deer camp today, except for the coolers full of ice, sound systems, propane stoves and 500-watt lighting. The few pigs that were brought over the Atlantic Ocean stayed fairly active, growing in numbers to a thousand or more that were maintained at nearby Hog Island.
The whitetail rut one of the most anticipated times of the year. Don’t miss out on this golden opportunity, and don’t flub your chance at a monster when the moment of truth arrives. But to make that moment arrive, try these tips this fall.
For this match, I helped my friend Cyndi get her rifle zeroed and a little practice in, then we headed to the match. First, we checked out what vendors had to offer at side stages with her mother in law Jane. Them we got Cyndi shooting a pistol for the first time since she was last at a ladies event. Then we got ready for the match with things such as loading mags and organizing gear, listening to stage briefs with the other women in our squad, and then shooting.
Take Winchester Blind Side for example. The amount of time, energy and innovation that has been put behind ways to make a waterfowl load better is truly mind boggling. Winchester took something that most people thought was just fine and made it more effective than most people could ever imagine.
Being new to waterfowl hunting and not having a dog of my own, I decided to turn to gun dog trainer, hunting enthusiast and president of Lone Duck Outfitters, Bob Owens, for some knowledgeable insight on what it takes to get a dog ready for the season. We touched on everything from strategies for good conditioning, proper nutrition, and “must have” products to help keep a dog safe and performing at their best while out in the field this fall.
How you slice any hunk of meat can make a big difference at the dinner table. You’ve heard about slicing meat “across the grain.” If you haven’t heard, then you’re probably just not paying attention. Take a close look at a piece of meat, the bigger the better. Notice that the muscle fibers run parallel to each other in long bundles or strands.
Ah, but whack that golf ball with a 100-miles-per-hour club swing and you might change your mind. A basic rule of physics is that double weight doubles energy, but doubling velocity quadruples energy. This is what enables us to terminate 1,000-pound moose with bullets weighing less than a half-ounce! Knowing this does little, however, to clear up the confusion over various bullet weights offered in most cartridges.
That is a byproduct of correctly adjusted parallax, but it does not explain the phenomenon nor will merely turning the ocular to bring the reticle into focus correct it. Parallax occurs when the target and reticle are on different planes within the scope.
This list is something I’ve come up with over the years that I personally use before the season starts to ensure I’m prepared for as many obstacles that may be thrown my way. I can’t count the number of times I’ve run to my truck and grabbed one of these items which allowed me to repair or get out of a sticky situation. All because I have had the necessary tools.
Nothing is worse than missing birds and then deciding to pattern the gun just to find out that the shot pattern is not hitting what you expected. Finding the right ammunition and choke for the gun you intend to shoot is critical to success in the field. When I am unable to get to the woods one of my favorite things to do is to hit the range, or in my case a nice hilly farm field to sight or pattern guns for the upcoming season.
Barley’s full of fiber and it’s supposed to boost your immune system. It’s also a complete protein that also regulates blood sugar. Why someone hasn’t come up with an infomercial selling barley capsules as a miracle cure for anything that ails you is a mystery to me.
So forget the perfect, all-round bear cartridge. Instead, let’s concentrate on a good black bear round. This is assignment enough because black bears can grow to weigh more than 700 pounds! Most, however, are going to fit into the 150 to 400-pound range, and that’s doable for a great number of cartridges. Before we dive into those, however, let’s pay homage to something even more important — the bullet.
But wind is inconsistent and hard to measure, and as a result, can throw even the best aimed shot off by feet—even yards—depending on the distance of the shot and the speed of the wind. It would be hard to adequately tackle every aspect of judging and accounting for the wind when shooting at targets 500 yards out and beyond, but here are some tips to help you stay on target when the wind is up.
- Quality decoys- Just like turkey or deer decoys, waterfowl decoys can make a huge difference on the overall success of a setup. Quality decoys may take time to purchase but you’ll be very happy in the end. Once you have everything you need, keep them in good shape by cleaning them each year and taking care of them both in and out of the field.
Yes, if you show me a picture of a duck I can identify it immediately. However as with most things in life, learning about it through books and actually testing knowledge in the field when birds are flying at various distances and lighting conditions, it is a whole different ball game! My first couple of trips to the blind resulted in me being more of an observer; watching and learning how to identify each duck as they flew past our setup.
Come along on this Winchester video blog with Becky Yackley to learn how to easily and quickly clean your AR platform rifle. Deer season is fast-approaching…you’ll be glad you did.
Some of us tend to grind up way too much of our good game. There are other options. Before you go grinding up both hindquarters, consider turning the better muscles – sirloin, top round, bottom round – into steaks or roasts. Take a sharp, thin-bladed knife and separate each muscle from the hindquarter. Trim away anything that is not muscle. Give one of the cuts a good soak in olive oil, red wine, garlic and herbs.
But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use enough gun. The confusing thing about elk is that one bull collapses after a single lung shot from a 243 Win. 95-grain Ballistic Silvertip at 100 yards while the next one takes three 180-grain AccuBond CT slugs through the shoulders inside 50 yards — and keeps walking. Yes, elk are big and notoriously durable, but they’re also known to give up the ghost with what most shooters would deem “minimal persuasion.” Does this mean you should load up your 243 Model 70 or 30-30 M94 for your big bull hunt-of-a-lifetime?
Not only are distances away from the shooter and speed of the targets factors a hunter must consider, but having the right shot size for the size of the ducks or geese likely to be encountered is a critical consideration. Common shot sizes used for waterfowl (from smallest to largest) are No. 4, 3, 2, 1, BB, BBB and T shot. Naturally, smaller shot sizes are best suited for ducks, while the larger shot is better for geese and swans.
Ah, but whack that golf ball with a 100-miles-per-hour club swing and you might change your mind. A basic rule of physics is that double weight doubles energy, but doubling velocity quadruples energy. This is what enables us to terminate 1,000-pound moose with bullets weighing less than a half-ounce! Knowing this does little, however, to clear up the confusion over various bullet weights offered in most cartridges.
Although I don’t get much time to hunt with my family anymore, this season I’m getting the best of both words. I’m heading to Saskatchewan at Buck Paradise Outfitters with my dad for an early goose hunt. So what makes these early hunts so great? In my opinion it’s tough to beat hunting with family and hunting birds that have had little to no pressure is a blast.
If mean, if I can’t keep calm when people are watching, what I am I going to do when buck fever kicks in? Luckily for me, I was in the beautiful mountains of West Virginia so a sense of peace filled my veins. As I wrote last week, I was taking a long range shooting course taught by Phil Conklin. Phil is an accomplished instructor who had me hitting long range targets, calculating wind compensation and elevation changes in just a few hours. Most certainly a testament to his teaching ability all on its own.
The type of recipes best suited for a particular kind of stock depends on the critters you used to make the stock. For instance, a reduced stock made from lighter-fleshed upland game is ideal as a replacement for chicken broth or stock. Darker-fleshed waterfowl and antlered game stocks are an upgrade from canned beef broth.
But for many buyers a lot of questions surround not only which firearm to purchase, but primarily, what caliber it should be. Here’s a look at the pros and cons of many of the top defensive handgun calibers available.
Most hunters understand that steep shooting angles alter where bullets strike. If your rig is zeroed at 200 yards on the level and your target stands 200 yards up a steep mountain slope, your bullet will strike lower than usual, right? And if its below you, you’ll shoot high? No? Well, at least half no.
Take a peek at some shooting and scenes from a weekend match. This match was the Generation III Gun Championship in Lake of the Ozarks, MO. The event is a fundraiser to support youth who compete in 3 Gun, and they even had a shoot-off where juniors (kids under 18) picked adults to shoot a head-to-head stage with them while competitors waited for scores from the match to be tallied. Out of the 209 shooters, there were 31 juniors and 23 ladies competing in this match.
I like to do this at 30-yards as it’s a great way to test out the gun, choke, and ammo combination to ensure perfect patterns when it’s time to hit the field. I always recommend shooting from a lead sled on the bench because it really helps reduce recoil and ensure that shots are consistent, and human error has been taken out.
She described the details of the course to me and how it helped drastically improve her ability to fire long range shots accurately and elevate her overall shooting confidence. As she filled me in on the course, my first thought was how unconfident I would be to put an animal down at anything over 150 yards, let alone 600-800 yards!
From the hides to the nether regions, nothing was wasted. By comparison, think about how much of your wild game gets thrown in the trash. Based on a lifetime of talking to others about how they prepare their harvested game, I’d guess that only a very small percentage of them make the most of their critters. I’m not talking about making coin purses out of venison scrotums, but the tasty shanks and flanks are often discarded.
Veterans of the syndrome recommend all hunters begin their anti-buck fever training as soon as possible. A great way to begin is by working with your rifle until you can operate it with complete function and confidence in the dark. Figure out how you’re going to carry it, get it off your shoulder and into shooting position.
But where the country opens up and mountains rule the terrain, most certainly out West, taking shots uphill or downhill, and sometimes at fairly long ranges, definitely comes into play. Compound that with the interest—and modern capabilities—of shooting longer ranges courtesy of technological advances in optics, firearms and ammunition (think Winchester Big Game Extended Range) and you have a world where considering angles when shooting becomes critical.
The blind keeps weather from becoming an issue if it’s raining or snowing allowing you to sit longer. Last but not least, it’s pretty tough to beat being eye-level with a big buck only steps away from the blind. With all these benefits, it does however take a little work to make them as effective as a treestand, but it can be done by utilizing a few simple tips.
There are many variations of kits, you can buy one that will only have the tools for your specific gun or you can purchase one that includes attachments for various different guns. If you have a kit that has several bore brush sizes, be sure to match the appropriate cleaning brushes with the gun you are cleaning to avoid damage and ensure you have a clean gun once finished!
Team USA, powered by Winchester Ammunition, is off to a great start having earned four medals and five top-10 finishes thus far. Ashley Carroll (Solvang, California) and Derek Haldeman (Sunbury, Ohio) have led the charge as Carroll finished sixth in Women’s Trap and Haldeman finished fifth in Men’s Trap. The two then went on to earn a bronze medal in the Mixed Team Trap event Monday. The Trap Mixed Team event will make its debut as an Olympic event in Tokyo in 2020.
Leaving a dead or mortally wounded animal on the ground in hot weather happens, but we’d all prefer a solid kill shot with an animal that drops dead immediately. Fortunately, we found this one before it got too hot. Since this was a “TV hunt”, part of what it is that I am supposed to do is to show viewers how to cook it, or at least part of it.
A thick slab of fatback bacon sizzles on a well-seasoned cast iron griddle. A trusty Model 94 30-30 waits for the sunrise at the front door, alongside a notched up .270 and a walnut-stocked 30-06. The woods are still quiet, but the camp is starting to wake to the sound of hot grease, and the sweet smell of early morning at deer camp. Behind the spatula is an artisan of sorts. A specialist in the nuances of rustic dining. A seasoned stove operator who wants nothing more than to follow up the bacon breakfast with a backstrap supper. It’s The Camp Cook, and every deer camp has one.
Despite all the hype in this day and age over larger game such as whitetail deer and wild turkeys, for many hunters who grew up prior to the Millennial generation, small game is what we first hunted—with much of that focus on squirrels and rabbits. Long a perennial favorite firearm choice for these smaller critters has been the .22 LR. The .22, with its low recoil, minimal cost per round and light weight of most rifles chambered in that caliber, makes it a favorite.
Practice shooting from field positions using prone, sitting, kneeling and standing positions with and without assistance from bipods, monopods and the like. Come along on this insightful video blog from Ron Spomer to learn more.
Come along on this video blog from Becky Yackley to see just how simple cleaning a pistol cab be. From disassembly, to an entire cleaning regime to putting the pistol back together…you will see all the steps that go into it. We hope you enjoy this latest video blog from Winchester.
Most accidents happen going in and out of the stand before people are safely strapped in. The good news is this can be avoided simply by using a lifeline. The idea behind a lifeline is to keep you connected from the moment you leave the ground until the moment you return. This eliminates the chance of falling from the tree on the ascent or descent; plus it make things easier when you get into your stand because you’re already connected.
Tall grasses, cornstalks, pine, and cedar work great if they occur in the landscape you are hunting. When collecting materials you will need a folding saw for the larger branches, pruners, and some zip ties for holding everything in place. When covering the blind don’t worry if you cover the windows as you can use the pruners to cut any obstructions out of the way once you get into your blind.
I’m headed to the central coast of California to shoot a blacktail deer on their opener, the second weekend in August. I’m told that it’s the earliest rifle season in the country and I can’t find any evidence to the contrary. The temperature is supposed to be right around 100 degrees, which is about 40 degrees warmer than what I’m used to on an early deer hunt. So, what’s the best way to handle a warm weather animal in the field?
Training with an empty rifle helps shooters forget about recoil and concentrate on proper form and trigger control. They can see where their sights were when the firing pin clicks. So load for the shooter behind his back. When she’s doing everything right, slip in a live round and score!
The Canada goose population in the East and across the rest of its migratory range has exploded. Not to the point of snow geese, but certainly, what they tend to call “resident birds,” those that have adapted to staying put in areas of warmer weather and abundant food and nesting conditions, are quite plentiful.
Training at realistic distances will help you gain an accurate understanding of your ability to do so. Your most likely defensive shooting distance is influenced by where you spend your time while armed or with access to a defensive firearm. If you only have a gun staged in your bedroom, then you can predict the distance you would be shooting if someone broke through your secured bedroom door to a high degree of certainty.
As a young girl growing up in Central Minnesota, teal hunting is something we always looked forward to. Sure they’re fast as can be, but what a great way to get back in the swing of things to kick of the season. A few tips to make your hunt more successful and enjoyable for early season teal usually involve bringing a couple key items to make your time in the field more comfortable.
With every bite it always takes me back to my grandma’s home cooking! Presume the same is true for you as well. I really love how that it only takes a few ingredients that I usually have on hand. I just mix it all together and throw it in a pan for a quick and easy healthy meal!
I’m all for rewarding my dogs, but they feel equally rewarded with a good scratching or maybe a rawhide chew. For me, one of the best rewards is a slow-cooked deer shank bathed in a tasty sauce. Discarding venison shanks is about the same as throwing away bones and carcasses that could be used to make a stock that is infinitely more flavorful that something out of a can or a bouillon cube.
However, beyond the opening day hubbub or the groups of hunters gathering on those first few warm (often still downright hot) Saturdays, some hunters like to sneak out after work or even before, once the season permits, and oftentimes, they find themselves without the benefit of the other hunters to keep birds moving around.
Heck, even veteran hunters are susceptible to buck fever. And sometimes doe fever. We overthink, worry, hyperventilate, get the shakes, rush our shots, panic and miss, miss, miss. But we don’t have to. It’s possible to train to keep cool, shoot straight and score. It isn’t necessarily easy, but it can be done. Here’s how:
The physical variables that give bodies with larger muscles and longer limbs an edge are a matter of physics. Even in this modern day where girls are told not they can “do anything,” there are certain things that certain individuals cannot physically do. A 5′ tall person will not be able to reach something that a 6’3” person can, without artificial help.
There are several reasons for this. First, it’s usually beautiful weather and a great way to spend a morning or afternoon. Secondly, it’s a fun hunt that can be very social. Third, I believe it’s a great way to get in some much needed real life practice which will help you for the upcoming waterfowl season.
Whether it be camping with the family on the 4th of July or spending a week at hunting camp with the gang, don’t limit yourself from being able to squeeze in a quality workout! Workouts don’t need to last multiple hours and involve loads of equipment – think minimalistic! In this case, I’m going to demonstrate how something as basic as a cooler can double as your on-the-road fitness center! First I will go over some basic exercises and then follow those up with some simple ways to throw them together for a quick yet effective workout.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and other major industry manufactures, including Winchester, are supporting this initiative to showcase the positive benefits the shooting sports contribute to communities across North America. Online, messaging promoting the month is being noted with#LETSGOSHOOTING.
But then, so does setting up trail cameras and scouting for good animals, but both of those activities are more fun than thawing out your freezer and deciding what is worth saving. Look, I know that you’ve been planning on doing something with that trout you caught last year, or was it three years ago?
For close shots on birds such as released quail or other tight sitting upland game that present close shots, a more open choke such as skeet, cylinder bore or most likely, improved cylinder are best. For late in the season ducks and geese, where birds are reluctant to decoy and will likely flare at the edge of range, a much tighter full choke is better.
In this video our field reporter Spomer explains not only how to clean a barrel, but how often in his latest Winchester video blog. It’s not as often as you might fear. Nor as difficult.
In our Intuitive Defensive Shooting Courses, we spend 15-20 minutes just talking about the concepts I am about to share with you and then spend a lot of time engaging in the reality based application of those concepts into our live fire drills. First, let’s define “Assessment:” Collecting and Processing Information.
Some people keep things like this locked up or under glass, but in our family we like to take them afield. This keeps the stories going and adds to the history. In our family, a particular heirloom is a Winchester 30/30 that my grandfather had. He was a guy who loved Winchester, and was so proud of this particular gun. It was then passed on to my father, and now my brother and I both get to use it.
But, what happens if you find yourself in a survival situation while hunting in the backcountry? Do you carry the appropriate fire starting materials with you and would you know where to begin? The foundation of starting a fire is in proper planning. There is nothing more frustrating than getting a flame started just to have it go out due to a lack of preparation.
But Winchester Life isn’t centered on taking every shot when you see any opportunity walk your way. It’s knowing the difference between the right opportunity and the wrong timing. It’s effective discernment. Most of all, it’s patience.
We’ve all heard tales of lips, ears, glands and all things gristly that, once passed through a meat grinder, get crammed into a casing and loaded into boxes destined for your local market. And while there are plenty of sausage horror stories, most them are just that…stories. Make your own and you’ve got nothing to worry about. “Hey, has anyone seen my Band-Aid?
It’s near the end of firearm season, and Paul Sawyer heads to Oklahoma to dial in on a 9-point he has his heart set on. When The Big Nine makes an appearance in the field, the Model 70 is warm and the Deer Season XP is ready…and Paul learns that patience really does pay off.
To determine which ammunition your rifle likes best with minimal fuss, try this system of initial 3-shot group testing combined with careful record keeping.
To Navy pilots practicing touch and goes on a carrier deck, and a surgeon doing years of residency to perfect his art, the only way to get better at anything is to practice it over and over. And along the way, some good instruction is critical. Shooting is no different.
Paul Sawyer immerses himself in the everyday worlds of whitetail deer. Bucks’ bedrooms span across the country, and Sawyer has seen it all. Near creek bottoms. Across golden fields. Within thick timber.
Both Rob and I agree that you generally don’t want to try shooting and moving at the same time during a defensive gun use: Plant & Shoot! But, what about the times that you are not actually shooting? When you are drawing your gun, when you are reloading or if you have to clear a malfunction, it probably makes a lot of sense to be moving.
For youth, the promise is that for time spent shooting with supervised qualified Range Officers who adhere to safety measures that govern competitions, groundwork for being a lifelong gun owner with safe firearms handling skills is laid. Furthermore, what is established are good gun habits that will be passed down for generations.
One thing many people forget about is practicing for wing-shooting! I shoot my bow and rifles year round, but many people forget about taking their shotguns out to shoot clay targets. Not only can this be a lot of fun, you’ll find it’s super helpful to improving your wing-shooting this fall.
But, I am not alone in realizing the many drawbacks to having seemingly endless technologies available at our fingertips 24/7, 365 days a year. These drawbacks become especially present in regards to our developing youth and a growing disconnect with nature and the environment around them!
Rarely does the most expensive wine get the most votes. It’s usually somewhere in the mid-price range. One time, a $7 bottle of Smoking Loon Cabernet Sauvignon beat out the competition. Boy, were the wine aficionados all worked up about it. Fun to watch. I’m guessing that there are as many people reading this that are wine lovers as there are those who don’t really care for wine or would just rather drink something else.
But then the size of your game, range at which you hope to shoot and more enter into the equation. Here’s how to decide whether to zero at 100, 200, 250 or even 300 yards and whether to bother with BDC reticles or turret scope dialing.
Twelve of the USA’s best junior shotgun athletes have made their way there to compete in the lone World Cup dedicated specifically to Junior shotgun athletes in the ISSF season. For most of the U.S. team, it also serves as a warm-up for the ISSF World Championship for Shotgun in Moscow, Russia starting later this month.
First, think about what type of hunts you have planned for the fall and decide what ammunition will be best. What I love about Winchester is they have done such a good job of making specific ammo for specific needs. For example, I’m shooting DeerSeason XP in preparation for several mule deer & whitetail hunts this coming fall.
Remember to get comfortable using your full-body safety harness with your treestand at ground level before climbing into the tree and never leave the ground without wearing your full body harness! Safety first, safety in the middle and safety at the end makes for a great and memorable outing.
The rest is divided into smaller batches, cooled and packed for the freezer. When I’m short on prep time, I can quick-thaw the basic red sauce and throw in a few fresh ingredients like mushrooms or diced tomatoes and dinner is served in less than an hour.
Envision the target or if actually using something as a target, bring the butt of the gun smoothly to the shoulder, swing the gun from behind the target catching up to it, and the eye should automatically align down the barrel and looking at the target.
By eliminating as much human error as possible via a solid anchor, you can determine what your rifle and ammo are doing without worrying that YOU may have pulled a shot. Here’s what you need.
She was confused, said yes, and as she pulled away, realized what he was doing – helping an elderly man who was out mowing his lawn. The number of shares and comments highlighted how out of place it’s become for young people to help the elderly and for people to just be decent to each other. To put themselves aside and think of others.
First on this list would be prairie dogging! In many areas prairie dogs have become a huge nuisance and can be difficult to get rid of. There towns cause big holes that cattle can step in, and they also carry tons of disease. On a recent trip to the Rosebud Reservation in SouthDakota with my good friend Ben Bearshield, we took an afternoon off to hunt prairie dogs with little Miss Pork Chop.
So, before heading out to hunt this fall, be sure to look at the contents of your pack to ensure that you have basic survival tools that would help you if you were unable to make it back home. My pack contents vary depending on factors such as: where,when and for how long I will be away. However, here are the staple items that I always keep in my pack.
It’s basically a cooking method that slowly and evenly cooks things like venison steaks and roasts and holds them at a precise temperature. You know how you like how your slow-cooker cooks your dinner while you’re away from the kitchen all day? It’s pretty much the same with sous vide, only different. A slow-cooker uses relatively low heat and moisture to transform lesser cuts into pot roast tender stews and more. If you have a tough hunk of meat, throwing it onto a hot grill won’t do anything to make it more tender.
The Grand American World Trapshooting Championships (known simply as the Grand American to competitors) kicks off Aug. 2 and will run for 10 days through Aug. 12. It is the 118th year of the Grand American as the first one was held in 1900. The championships feature more than 24 shooting events in which shotgun competitors to go head to head including events for singles, doubles, handicap and even sub-gauges.
After all, the bullet is the reason for the rifle, case, primer, powder and scope! The bullet gets the game, does all the work. All the rest is just the launch pad. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, ammo and bullet makers like Winchester have done the hard work for us. By testing and modifying and retesting bullet after bullet, they have freed us from even thinking about this critical ingredient.
Proper handgun fit will make it easier for you to hold the gun, aim the gun, shoot the gun, manage recoil, reload the gun and clear malfunctions. If your gun doesn’t fit your hand as well as possible, it will compromise your performance in one or more of those areas. Proper Handgun fit starts with making sure that you can hold the gun in a way that deactivates any grip safety and allows you to actuate the trigger while the first knuckle of your strong hand thumb is positioned to the weak side of the frame of the gun.
Most of my days were spent chasing grass carp, however the many locations including the Illinois river are now flooded with Asian carp that have become a real nuisance. Regardless of where in the country you live, usually if there is water nearby there is some sort of invasive species that you can shoot with a bow.
In situations like these, it is important to be mindful of a few practices that will aid in navigating your way back to safety. One practice that we should always be aware of is being able to accurately keep a pace count. Keeping track of a pace count gives us the ability to estimate our distance traveled and hopefully provide us with the confidence to orient ourselves.
One man’s delicious burger just might be another man’s bland and dry one. And based on the huge quantity of deer meat that is ground into burger, it seems appropriate to add a twist or two to the grind without compromising the deliciousness of a properly cooked burger. If you’re not overjoyed with the way your venison burgers taste, here are a few tips to make them better next time.
Heck, there was no 270 Winchester either. No 270 WSM, no 7mm WSM or 243 Winchester or…Last time I looked, the Winchester ammo catalog offered ammunition for 66 different centerfire rifle cartridges. I didn’t even count the handgun options. Sixty-six is more than enough to choose from for this big gamehunter. Obviously, some rounds like the 17 Hornet and 458 Winchester Magnum are easy to brush from consideration. But that leaves plenty for a dilemma: which cartridge do you pick for your deer rifle?
The AIM (Academics, Integrity, Marksmanship) 2017 Grand National Youth Trapshooting Championships will take place July 27-Aug. 1 at the World Shooting Recreational Complex. The event will feature competitions in registered skeet, registered trapshooting and registered sporting clays.
They also meet adults, see new faces and places. But there’s a sport that will not only introduce them to new people nearby, but new people all over the country and world. That sport is shooting. Since 2012, our boys have seen most corners of the US, as well as Italy and Russia. They’ve seen America first-hand. Not from geography books, but with their own eyes.
Rifles and shotguns are often more powerful than handguns and increase your ability to hit your target under circumstances beyond two arms reach, especially for those with less training and practice. In any case, be sure that you have trained to use your firearm under dynamic circumstances and stage it responsibly in your home to prevent unauthorized access.
Unfortunately, in the last 10-years, I haven’t been able to do as much of it as I would like to. However there is still no reason not to practice to ensure good shooting should the opportunity arise. Many people don’t have the ability to shoot trap in their backyard like I did when I was a kid, me included today. So what’s a great way to practice and still have some fun this summer? Join a trap league!
This video will give you a visual of what the choke patterns look like and help you to decide what choke is best for the type of shooting or hunting you will be doing. I hope this video gives you a better understanding of what choke you should use before heading out on your next adventure!
Remember that these tactics revolve around protecting yourself or those you care about inside of your house or apartment, not protecting your belongings or the home itself.
The Keefer Brothers and longtime friend Jason Brown made cherished memories while hunting Merriam’s wild turkeys in South Dakota. Though they traded the Midwest timbers for the golden prairies of the west, the crew never leaves home without Winchester. For good reason.
In fact, some of the nation’s first open deer seasons—in both South Carolina and California—are but a month away. So, without any further hesitation, here’s what you need to do to get your deer season ball rolling.
In many ways, choosing a scope these days is harder than selecting a rifle. You have to decide among 1-inch, 30mm and 34mm main tubes. Will the objective be 36mm, 40mm, 44mm, 50mm, or 56mm? Parallax adjustment dial or not? BDC reticle, duplex, fine, post, heavy, illuminated? Dialing turrets?
VIDEO – Jan “Boland” Coetzee, owner of Vriesenhof Winery near Cape Town, South Africa. Jan is a legendary professional rugby player, food and wine lover and hunter. Jan demonstrates a typical marinade and style of cooking for kudu and oryx loins. Of course, if you’re out of kudu, you can always substitute whitetail.
Usually I have everything from fish, to pheasant to deer and elk with the assortment of other game along the way as well. Although I may have some specific go-to recipes, I’m always looking to try new things and prepare wild game different ways. I’m a firm believer in learning from the best so you’ll often catch me browsing through Scott Leysath’s website, the Sporting Chef, for new ideas and recipes to try.
Note: I used the Big Game Rub by Traeger and cooked them on the Traeger to add a smokey flavor! You can also use a marinade of your choice and cook them in the oven. If you are using a marinade, place the pheasant in a bowl and let it marinade overnight in the refrigerator for extra flavor!
For many years, I believed in the “bigger is better” theory of defensive handgun rounds. About a decade ago, I started paying more attention to the engineering and performance of modern 9mm rounds and I made the switch. I have no lack of confidence in the 9mm round when I recommend to students or carry for the protection of myself and those I care about.
Hunting is a beloved past time rooted in America’s history. Life-changing lessons and cherished memories made with Mother Nature are stamped in the minds of outdoorsmen since childhood.
Research from organizations like Southwick Associates repeatedly reveals that access is one of the biggest challenges facing sportsmen today. With that in mind, unless you own your own land, searching for a place to hunt really isn’t something you can afford to concern yourself with just now or when you need a new place to hunt, but rather should be an ongoing search every year, always working leads to improve your odds of finding decent spots to recreate.
Learning with play while engaged in an activity we are interested in is a strong way to learn. You can turn summer play time into a way to teach firearms safety. Let the kids practice with BB guns, squirt guns, rubber band guns, marshmallow guns… They will learn firearms safety with simple toys.
Recently, I was able to grant Pork Chop a wish come true. Her very own hunt in South Dakota with my good friend Ben Bearshield on the Rosebud reservation. We went into this thinking the squirrel hunting would be a slam-dunk, but unfortunately things always come up along the way.
To continue the celebration of the Games, The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) has instituted June 23 as “Olympic Day.” Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO., the USOC serves as both the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States. It is responsible for the training, entering and funding of U.S teams for the Olympic, Paralympic, Youth Olympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games, while serving as a steward of the Olympic Movement throughout the country.
Here are five steps to help you prepare for deer season and ensure that you are ready for opening morning!
For many, booking a guided hunt for the chance to seek a trophy in one of our nation’s best game units, is often the culmination of years of planning and saving money. Even preparation for a self-guided hunt is not without planning time, expense and the need for physical conditioning. As part of preparation for the hunt, a sportsman often purchases or makes sure he has the best firearm he can afford along with a top optic.
All last fall I took little Miss Pork Chop on almost every single hunting adventure. She sits in the blind patiently with me from sun up until sun down. Of course I bring her treats, toys and keep her busy, but I’m assuming it’s not all fun for her. Well all that’s about to change on this next hunt!
By adding in an overhead element to this exercise, you will not only work the muscles in your lower body but also challenge the muscles in your shoulders, back and core.
When wild turkey season arrives, the woods whirl with the melodies of turkey calls. Excited outdoorsmen employ several call tactics to encourage hearty toms to make a move.
However, according to most experts, the two terms can be used interchangeably. In fact, Hiram Percy Maxim, who invented the suppressor, named his original device, the Maxim Silencer. Regardless of what you call it, confusion and information abounds around this device that is heavily regulated in the United States, but can be purchased over the counter in Europe where it almost considered rude to shoot without one.
For quick cleaning, I usually do three things: clean the action, clean the slide, clean the bore. This isn’t a deep clean, but just a quick going over. This is what I do during a competition; at the end of the day before I go to bed. If it’s a shotgun, I also clean the magazine tube. I Look over my gun, wipe out the action and clean under the extractor (q tips, brush, rag, paper towel). Add oil. Run a bore snake. Run a dry patch to wipe oil and carbon out. Oil where appropriate. Check gun sights and mag release, reassemble.
If someone knows an individual has a lot of guns or ammunition you could inadvertently become a target if you leave them in plain sight. The next reason is by far the most important – and that’s to keep kids safe. Growing up in Central Minnesota, we were taught never EVER to touch a gun unless our parents were around, but not all kids have this kind of training. Organizations like Project Childsafe have done an incredible job at educating people on the importance of locking guns and ammo up.
Winchester Life co-host Nikki Boxler gives us 3 tips for setting up for trail cameras.
The popularity of the latter has been largely driven by a climbing interest in home defense and concealed carry. So, what are the most popular tactical calibers out there today? Let’s take a look:
Winchester: A tried and true name that represents much more than quality hunting and shooting products. It is an American symbol of a beloved past time. Every barrel boasts a story.
Luckily, they didn’t stop with this mindset when they moved to the world of self-defense. There is a huge rising number of Americans buying guns for the first time with personal defense in mind, and many of these new shooters are female. Understanding this, Winchester realized there needed to be a streamlined process when choosing the best ammunition for personal defense and training with it. When looking at an ammunition shelf it can be truly overwhelming trying to decide what ammo is best to protect yourself and your family.
Luckily for hunters, there are plenty of opportunities for us to get outside and sharpen our shooting skills, doing some pest control, and have fun while doing so. Here are 4 reasons why you should hit the fields and woods this summer!
When the company’s second lever-action rifle, the iron-framed Model 1873, which would come to be known as the “Gun that Won the West,” was introduced in 1873, it was originally released in .44 Winchester Centerfire, a new cartridge that was the first to carry the Winchester name. It included a 200-grain bullet that left the muzzle at 1,250 fps powered by 40 grains of blackpowder.
It’s not what one would usually think of when they hear “sport.” This sport takes mental and physical agility, focus, and strength. Young and old, male and female, can compete in it. This sport is competitive shooting. Competitive shooting can vary from low-impact, static disciplines, like NRA smallbore, air rifle, or sporting clays, to ones that demand stamina and explosive power, such as practical pistol and shotgun competitions under USPSA and IPSC governing bodies, to true marathons of skills put to practice in 3 gun and multigun.
The number of coyotes has increased all across the country, but as hunters we understand the need for a balance. To accomplish that balance it takes a hunter willing to go the extra mile to outsmart these predators. They use every advantage possible so we need to ensure we are doing the same! Here are few tips about how to become a more effective predator hunter this year in my latest video-blog…come along.
So this summer be sure to visit your local range and get together with your friends to have some good old fashioned fun! If you do this consistently you’ll be a better shot this fall! Add some Winchester AA Ammunition and break some clays!
Many stores limited buyers to no more than two boxes of the rimfire ammunition at a time and even other stores were left to simply tell their customers to search elsewhere. As a result, prices also went up. The ammo was still relatively cheap when compared to larger caliber centerfire loads, but it was no longer the bank account afterthought that many outdoor writers had once waxed poetic about for its availability and low cost.
I knew most shots would be close as we were calling, so I decided to just bring my shotgun. Before heading out however, I wanted to do a little test at the range to see what changes needed to be done to get my SX3 ready for hunting all three. The first thing I did was get my turkey gun all setup with the LongBeard XR using 3 1/2 inch 5 shot. Once that was dialed in, I switched over to the Varmint X in BB, and swapped out my extra full choke for a full choke.
Did you have a successful turkey season? Then save those turkey feathers and use them to spruce up your home with this quick and easy-to-make rustic turkey feather wreath!
Sure, you can still enjoy all of those fun activities as well, but there is no need to leave your shotgun or rifle neglected in the gun safe, just waiting for the fall to return. There are still ample summer hunting opportunities out there as long as you don’t mind the heat and insects. Here are some of the top hunting opportunities you will find, many in a location near you.
But it’s okay, because that cradle-rocking hand can’t do it from a pedestal – women who work and impact those around them are in the trenches. They’re not up on a pedestal, inaccessible – they’re covered in baby burps and the 1,001 things that need to be done when they get home from work at night.
If you’re looking to get someone new into hunting or just prefer to tone that recoil down a bit, a 20-gauge is a perfect solution. Earlier this spring Winchester announced the addition of LongBeard XR in 20-gauge so everybody can experience the Shot-Lok technology regardless if they’re shooting a 12 or 20 gauge.
Here is a great video blog from Winchester Life co-host Nikki Boxler who will explain and show just how to properly go about stretching and saving artifacts from your successful outing. Grab some salt (or borax), stick pins and a sheet of cardboard and come along. It’s not only fun to keep a journal of your hunts through the years, but to also save some of what tome once was.
And while the motivation for many of these permit holders is to improve their opportunity to protect themselves in the event of a violent crime, it is fortunate many of these people will never actually need to defend themselves with a firearm. Think of it more as insurance.
One of the first tips I will try late season while hunting turkeys is to get out of the blind. The more mobile you are, the better off you’ll be in the long run. Also try to use any vantage points to your advantage so you can potentially see what’s going on. If the birds are talking use your eyes to find them and make a plan.
Here are a few basic (and simple – yes!) exercises I use and would recommend to you as a great pace to start. I’ll show more in this video blog, but here is a rundown on them. Come along on this video and learn more!
Most shotguns today utilize screw-in choke tubes to change the constriction at the muzzle end of the barrel. The purpose of the choke is to improve the pattern of shot delivered when fired from the shotgun—primarily through achieving better range and pattern density.
When it comes to bringing kids out hunting, going after turkeys is one of my favorite places to begin. Turkey hunting is an interactive experience and lends itself well to hunting with kids.
Tip 1: Start by hunting out of a blind. This helps with the early mornings and allows them to lay on the ground and take a nap until the action heats up. A few things to keep in mind is mornings can be pretty chilly. Make sure they’re bundled up enough with layers so they can be comfortable. Nobody likes to be cold and it’s all about making this a fun experience.
Give this recipe from Winchester Life co-host Nikki Boxler a go. It’s quick and delicious – turkey and stuffing casserole may just become a new favorite. To learn more and how easily you can make it, come along on this video blog from Winchester. Bon appetit – enjoy!
Hunters may be hitting the turkey woods, but for many competitive and recreational shooters, the skeet range is where they cut their clay busting teeth and the skeet range is where they return to perfect the wingshooting skills that make this and other competitive clays games so challenging and so much fun. To improve your game on the skeet range this year, follow these basic tips:
It is critical to get comfortable not only with your gun as the season approaches, but also determine the best load-choke combination. In this video blog Melissa shows just how great (and how lethal at long distances) LongBeard XR is and then stretches it out for some long-distance patterning.
These are super-quick and super-delicious, and a great thing to do with your wild turkey this spring and summer. Come along on this video blog from Nikki Boxler to learn more…really, these are fun to make!
Canada represents the most spring black bear hunting opportunities by far with British Columbia offering a two-bear limit to hunters and some of the best spot-and-stalk hunting anywhere. Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba also rank high though the style of hunting is decidedly different. Because of the thick, evergreen forests of these western and central provinces, sitting over bait remains the primary method for hunting bears here.
Spring. A season where the senses are heightened.
The colors are brighter.
The air is fresher.
The sounds are louder…a cacophony of change.
That was 120 more students than the previous year, making it one of the largest collegiate clays shooting competition held each year. The event was held March 28-April 2. Shooting competitions were held for International Skeet, International Trap, American Skeet, American Trap, 5-Stand and Sporting Clays. Lindenwood University out of St. Charles, Mo., proved to be big winners at the event taking top Division 1 American Skeet and American Trap, Division 1 International Skeet and International Trap, and Division 1 5-Stand and Sporting Clays honors.
Unfortunately many of the things I’ve learned have been by trial and error so I decided to put a video together highlighting some of the tactics I utilize to get that stunning video. Maybe you’re filming just to show family, for Youtube, or you’re looking to start a TV show.
Here’s why: the key feature behind Long Beard XR’s long-range capability is the shell’s Shot-Lok technology. Instead of traditional buffering materials, Shot-Lok is injected as a liquid resin into the hull among the lead shot during assembly. The resin hardens to keep pellets locked in place until the round is fired. When fired, Shot-Lok immediately fractures into a micro-buffer that protects the shot deformation caused by set-back forces.
To begin with: Make Sure Your Rifle Fits—Being able to control your rifle and maintain consistent attachment and form with every shot is key to repetitively making long, difficult shots. To do this, a shooter needs a rifle that fits them perfectly, with adjustable combs set so each time they place their face against the stock and line up to shoot, they are in the same position.
Sometimes this can be caused by weather, bad luck, or just simply running out of time in states where the season closes at 1pm – like Illinois. When that day comes and you have a turkey hang up, know that you now have options. In the past, long-range turkey shots were simply out of the question for most. Though, the development of Winchester’s Long Beard XR will enable you to make much longer shots with extreme downfield lethality.
However, what are some of the staples you need in regards to turkey Gear? Vest? Clothing? Boots? Gloves? Yes to all. Come along on this video blog from Winchester Life co-host Nikki Boxler to learn more.
As the gobblers make an entrance, the Keefer brothers receive a reminder that communication is key.
But to make sure the optimism transfers into actual success, a hunter has to have his game plan down and make the most of the moment. Don’t leave opening day up to random chance. Here are five tips to help you punch that turkey tag on opening day.
One question I often get from people is what kind of call is best? I guess that really depends on the situation. I’m one of those people who prefer to just have a variety with me at all times so I have whatever I could need. Box calls are probably the easiest to use
in my mind. I have an incredible sounding box call that I absolutely love.
While I am constantly learning and often making mistakes, this experience makes me a more proficient turkey hunter. Here are some tips and tricks that have helped me to become a successful turkey hunter. I hope they may help you as well:
Sure, there are some off brands with off-sizes, such as No. 7s or duplex loads with a mix of 4s and 6s, but generally we are talking about one of those first three when it comes to buying turkey loads.
When standing at the ammo shelf at your local gun shop trying to decide which turkey load is the best size shot, many hunters simply hedge their bets with the obvious compromise and pick No. 5s. Not a bad choice, but let’s consider what’s good and maybe not quite as good between one shot size and the other.
Turkey hunting odds can be easily increased or decreased depending on the amount of work you put into your hunt both before and during. For those who want to increase their chances of success, here are a few simple tips to make you a more effective hunter.
First, do your best to get out to where you plan to hunt and do a little pre-scouting. If you can’t be there all the time, put out your Cuddeback cameras and let them do the work for you! I use cameras for turkeys just as I would for deer so I know what time the turkeys frequent what field.
While Winchester’s Longbeard is lethal at longer shots up to and beyond 60 yards, I like to shoot most of the turkey I have a whack at closer in – around 30 to 40 yards. It is super-important to choose a good combination of ammunition, gun and choke to ensure a clean kill shot. In this video I am shooting Longbeard in 12 at both 30 and 40 yards to test the pattern of the gun, load and choke. I am using a full choke and Longbeard 3” in #5 shot.
And so on and so forth. Whenever the 9mm crowd and .45 fans begin debating the merits of each caliber as a defensive round, while both cartridges have their merits, two things are undeniable. One, is that the .45 certainly delivers an abundance of stopping power. The second is that having been created more than 100 years ago, it remains one of the most popular, and enduring handgun cartridges still today. Here’s why:
Get to know your best gun/load/choke combination before hitting the woods or prairies this spring. Too, another great idea is to check out Winchester’s Ballistics Calculator online at winchester.com. Come along on this video blog from Melissa Bachman to learn more.
I do not have a shed hunting dog, therefore I am covering a lot of ground on my own two legs and always have to be on top of my game if I want to find sheds. Below are the areas that I look at first and a few things to keep in mind that help me find sheds.
With so many people involved in shooting shotguns for fun, it’s no surprise, with their technology leading shotshells, Winchester has been a big part of the fun as well. Leading the way is Winchester’s AA line of shotshells—without doubt one of the most versatile and unique collection of offerings for any shotshell line available. Here’s why:
An incredible amount of research and development is put into creating products that put we hunters at the top of our game. This goes for everything from Deer Season XP to Longbeard XR to Varmint X, but it doesn’t stop there. Let’s take Varmint X for example.
With regards to our bodies, mobility is simply the ability of our body to move freely or be moved freely at all joints. Over time, activities occurring in our daily lives tend to result in a lack of mobility in our major joints which, over time, may lead to further health drawbacks down the road. For instance, my full-time job often times involves extended periods of sitting and being on a computer Perhaps much like yours.
When you factor in that this crowd includes clay target shooters, rifle and handgun competitors, self-defense practitioners, weekend plinkers and even those who own a firearm and maybe only shoot it once or twice a year at most, you can quickly see how pinpointing a precise estimate of recreational shooters can be such a moving target.
I would love to tell you that this year will be amazing as little Miss Pork Chop and I are teaming up to look for sheds, but her flat nose doesn’t exactly lend itself to that of an amazing sniffer. With that being said, there are a lot of people who are now training dogs to find sheds and the results can be incredible.
Come along on this video blog with Winchester Life co-host Nikki Boxler to find to how easy this is to do. Plus, it’s collapsible so you can easily take it with you in the back of the truck on outing away from home.
Along the way, I will share my training tips as well as give you a glimpse into my workouts, and talk about why and how they will prepare me for hunting season.
I’ve put together a few tips that can be helpful when looking for a new place to hunt this fall so you can ease land owners’ minds so they let you on their property. Don’t wait until the season is ready to begin! Get out there now to make some new friends and start building relationships. A big part of someone letting you on their property comes down to trust, helpfulness, safety and respect. This is a HUGE first step with any land owner – they must see these sincere qualities in you.
We want to recognize Leo for his contributions to Winchester, to its historic NILO Farms hunting preserve, and to conservation and the shooting sports. Leo became manager of Winchester’s NILO Farms preserve in 1961 and carried that responsibility for the next 30 years. NILO Farms is a world-renowned hunting preserve located near Brighton, Illinois, where guests can enjoy hunting ringneck pheasants, chukar partridges, and mallard ducks, and also shoot trap, crazy quail, skeet, Riverside skeet, sporting clays, 5-stand, and the tower.
As the sun shines down on the hills of Barksdale, Texas, the Winchester Life group heads back to the blinds. It’s their final day at the H5 Trophy Ranch.
From there opening days proceed northward with Georgia, Alabama and others following just a couple of weeks later. Even if you’re in the wild turkey’s most northern United States (or Canadian) ranges, where seasons don’t open until May and run even into June, now is the time you need to turn your attention toward getting ready for your warmer weather pursuit of America’s favorite gamebird.
The H5 Trophy Ranch in Barksdale, Texas, is dotted with an array of animals for hunters to stalk. Today, the Winchester Life crew continues their mission to hone in on hogs.
Rekindle your love for hunting for the mere sake of hunting and spending time outdoors—try a late-winter small game season. And while most small game hunting articles point sportsmen toward the merits of the 22 Long Rifle or other tack-driving, rimfire calibers, I’m still a fan of the all-purpose scattergun. But no need to go in over-gunned with the ubiquitous big-bore 12 gauge.
It was at my great grandfather’s house and they came into his yard. We thought they were the coolest thing ever, and were mesmerized while watching the birds. Now…fast-forward 20-years and we have an abundant supply of turkeys right in the backyard we grew up in. I’ve even had the privilege to hunt with my parents on our property for turkey and will never forget the memories made each spring.
To help ease the feat of finding that perfect way to show your love and affection for that special someone this Valentine’s Day, I’ve created a sportsman-friendly gift guide. I think you’ll find the ideas below are sure to pair well with your Valentine’s Day plans…especially if those plans include target practice in the days to come.
A crater stretches across the soil. Five feet wide by three feet deep, the ground looks tilled by tractors. Tracks are imprinted in the mud. River beds are destroyed. Crop fields are devoured.
In fact, every year at SHOT Show, the largest tradeshow in the shooting and hunting industry, there have been more companies introducing new suppressors. To meet the needs of today’s suppressed shooter, Winchester, always on the cutting edge of shooting developments, has introduced new ammunition designed for suppressed shooting enthusiasts looking for heavy-for-caliber projectiles to maximize performance from their firearms while minimizing sound.
No Super Bowl party would be complete without dishes upon dishes filled with treats for friends and family. Why not head to the wild side and create dishes with wild game that is perhpas still in the freezer from last season? Not only will this serve as a freezer-dump, but will be a great showcase of the many things you the cook can do with wild game…and will certainly add a spark to the party!
As a hunter, we must make sure we know what we are shooting to help ensure proper harvest limits and avoid wantonly wasting any undesired birds. I’ve found that learning to identify different ducks adds to the enjoyment of waterfowling. Sometimes I find myself bird watching and observing nature rather than shooting…it must be the beginner in me! Here are some tips I’ve picked up so far:
From elk, moose and mule deer in North America to kudu, eland and Cape buffalo in Africa, the ammunition line is built for use on the toughest hunts around the world and was introduced in a range of popular big-game calibers. That range of calibers will expand in 2017 with the introduction of six new additions built specifically for long-range accuracy, trajectory and terminal performance.
Winds blowing through the Nebraska sand hills often whisper promises of whitetail and mule deer. Hunters hear the call toward the prairies.
Too, trail camera photos are a huge asset to understand what deer are doing this time of year. Come along on this video tip with Melissa Bachman to learn more.
Winchester is a way of life, a life that has the stories to back it, and a bright future ahead. It is a life to be proud of, built on heritage, family traditions and some of the most innovative products ever introduced for hunters and sportsmen around the world. To celebrate this heritage and capture it visually in a way that has never been done before, Winchester has created Winchester Life, the first all-digital series in the brand’s history and aired regularly at WinchesterTV.com.
Known as America’s breadbasket, the golden plains of Kansas provide prime conditions to produce more wheat than any other state in the nation. The Sunshine State is also known for producing an abundance of whitetail bucks that attract hunters from near and far.
The truth is, there are certain instances where each can be incredibly helpful depending on what is most important. I’ve created a list of benefits and attributes of each to help make the decision easy.
Shotgun- I’m a big fan of using a shotgun in areas where the coyotes have very little pressure. I recently completed one of the best coyote hunting trips I’ve ever been on in Mexico at El Chaparral Ranch.
This is why I wrote out 3 simple steps to help you make and keep your resolutions. These steps have helped me to stay on course to accomplish my goals and I hope that they will help you as well! Being fit as a hunter is paramount to success. Really, better physical fitness will allow you to keep doing what you love to do more frequently (hunt of course) and will enable you to be more focused when “the” moment is upon you.
Don’t let pressured ducks keep you from filling your brace. Try these tips to score big before the season winds up.
Ah yes…good questions indeed. Do know that I am extremely excited to become a regular blogger for Winchester Ammunition. My objective here will be to share some tips and some experiences on how to get more enjoyment from our great sport! Like you, I have a full-time job. I work as a marketing director in Buffalo, NY. I try to balance my full-time career with my full-time passion for hunting, fishing and just about anything the outdoors has to offer.
Don’t miss out on the hottest hunting action to be found this time of year. Grab your calls a rifle and some quality Winchester ammunition and don’t miss out on the best pelts of the season.
Alberta, Canada is known as the Mecca for waterfowl hunting. Casey Keefer witnesses why this province holds its world class reputation. As the skies fill with feathers, Casey and his crew see success with his Winchester SX2 shotgun and Super X Xpert ammunition.
This means some of those bruisers you only had nocturnal pictures of during the fall, will finally show themselves during daylight hours. It’s not just for the love of the ladies like it was during the fall, it’s for survival.They need to put weight back on and it can’t be done just at night. With all these factors, the hunting can be great. However, aging the deer can be a little more difficult during this time of the year.
As fans of the company have come to expect each year, the Big Red W once again is delivering a host of great new shooting products and ammunition line extensions to make your shooting more fun and productive whether you competitively shoot, hunt or simply plink targets on the farm. Here’s a snapshot of what is fresh from the development teams at Winchester:
Although many people know and understand the best methods for taking care of big game in the field, waterfowl field-preparation is an incredibly important step to ensure a stunning mount. The skin and feathers of waterfowl are very thin and can be damaged easily unless proper care is taken. Here are a few steps that should be taken from the moment you have a bird down that you think could be one you want to mount.
I’ve seen all too often the harm over abundant coyote populations can cause on deer, and also the cruel way Mother Nature takes care of over population. Diseases like mange leave coyotes with little to no hair left as they freeze to death during the cold winters. As a hunter I’m a firm believer in helping control the predator population and have some fun while doing it too. However, just like with anything, there are a few things you can do to help increase your odds of success.
But what about the ammo? Do you give much thought about the best way to store your ammunition over these extended periods of time? You should. While most modern ammunition fortunately doesn’t require too much care to ensure it stays as ready to fire as the day you bought it, it does require some care. For any load, moisture and high heat, are the primary enemies. Here are just a few key concerns to keep in mind when storing your ammunition for the off-season.
This can be extremely fun, but many times I see people frustrated, as their usual techniques may not work. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you become more successful this late season.
Straddling the Kansas and Oklahoma state lines, The Box Ranch is one of the oldest original ranches in the area. These sprawling acres were used exclusively for cattle ranching prior to owner Pete Alfano’s purchase of the property five years ago. Nowadays, The Ranch is prime whitetail hunting land during the fall and winter months. Equipped with Winchester firearms and ammunition, outdoorsmen are able to set their eyes on the prize. Trophy bucks.
Come along with us on this most interesting video with Cody Firearms Museum curator Ashley Hlebinsky to see just what Winchester has been up to since 1866.
The Winchester Model 1866 “Yellow Boy”, made in 1871 and chambered for the original 44 Henry Rimfire cartridge, will go to the highest bidder, with the auction closing at 11pm central on December 24, 2016. Visit qtego.net/qlink/foldsofhonor for more information and to place your bid now!
This online store offers a host of official Winchester logo gear, including 150th anniversary collectibles. There are also hats, shirts and other clothing for men, women and children; hunting gear, signs and banners; gifts and accessories; and even special products for law enforcement.
Over the years I’ve had almost better luck taking big bucks late season. They finally become a little more predictable this time of year. They need to eat and they’re run down, so brave the cold temps and get out there before the season draws to an end. You never know, late season could become your favorite time to hunt big bucks!
America’s Heartland is full of history. Country miles square off massive sections, each with their own story to tell. The Box Ranch outside of Protection, Kansas, is no exception. As one of the oldest original ranches in the state, The Box Ranch has grown into a whitetail Mecca, where heavy tracks are made in the soft Kansas dirt…and dreams come true.
It could arguably be the most popular western of all time. This video reveals the one-of-a-kind Zane Grey model 1895 lever-action Winchester. It was manufactured in 1917, and customized in gold. Incredible, and all part of Winchester’s 150 years of innovation and American history.
In many areas across the whitetail’s range, the winter is turning cold, maybe even some snow is on the ground, and that buck tag is still burning a hole in your wallet because it’s yet to be filled. Here are five tips to help you finish the season strong.
The Winchester Life crew heads to the sporting clay range at Nilo Farms, eager to share a popular pastime. Near and dear to sportsmen across the country, the clay-target shooting range at Nilo is an exciting and important part of the overall Nilo experience. Each guest arrives ready for the opportunity to shake off the rust, receive world-class coaching by Nilo staff, and most importantly…have fun. There’s nothing quite like pulverizing a floating orange disk into dust with a locked and loaded Winchester.
From the early days of capturing the latest innovations to make shells better (think smokeless powders and later plastic hulls) to the modern wonder, BlindSide, which utilizes stacked hexadhedron-shaped steel shot and Winchester’s patented Diamond Cut wad. But even with the best shells ever made loaded in your shotgun, it does you no good if you don’t follow proper shooting technique and fail to properly lead the fast flying target ducks and geese present.
Nilo Kennels was founded by John Olin in 1950, just two years prior to the establishment of Nilo Farms. Since the very beginning the world class retrievers of Nilo Kennels have played a vital role in the overall success of the facility. Every hunting adventure on site is enjoyed alongside a crew of canine conservationists and Winchester wielding sportsmen.
It should be no surprise that at this time, as there was increasing interest in meeting the ammunition needs of a growing legion of sportsmen, that Winchester shotshells first found their way into the duck boats of waterfowl hunters along the Mississippi River as well as along the Eastern Seaboard. Subsequent ammo introductions quickly followed, including Winchester’s Star line, which coincided with the appearance of the lever-action 1887 shotgun that same year.
The anticipation and excitement of opening day never waivers, regardless of age and experience. Each generation passes these treasured traditions on to the next.
However with all that said, there are some tactics that are pretty effective across the board. Below are my 3 favorite whitetail tips & tactics that I feel are most beneficial in the field.
Oliver Winchester went on to purchase this technology and…well, the rest is firearms history. But don’t let us spoil the story…push “play” and learn more. But one more teaser before you go – there is mention of the Henry rifle here as well. Ah…
The early morning autumn mist encroached from the plains into the bustling sidewalks of town, as the fine folks of Comanche County greeted the day. On the outskirts, a world of whitetails was also waking. It was clear that the Heartland had it all figured out. This quaint town is the poster place for The Winchester Life. The Way Life Should Be.
On Vancouver Island, the logging industry has carefully paved its way through old growth forests for decades, creating manageable routes for big game hunters like Casey Keefer. Canada’s wild rivers have carved a dangerous maze through the mountains, giving free roam to one of the highest concentrations of black bear on the continent. Both industries, logging and hunting, are better off because of one another, working in harmony, while each respecting the preservation of one of the world’s most diverse ecosystems.
During Elizabeth’s training, she shot at tin cans with a 22 and after several tries, made her first hit. She declared, “I plinked it”. After and forever, she was known as Plinky Toepperwein. Ah yes…a little more fascinating Winchester history. Come along on this video as we celebrate our 150th Anniversary.
But as the company delved deeper into the production of ammunition, the creation of new calibers and the manufacture of firearms capitalizing on emerging technologies and their own innovative gun designs of the time, Winchester came to develop firearms far removed from those original lever actions. In fact, two of the most famous Winchester model firearms in history, are the Model 12 shotgun and the Model 70 bolt-action rifle.
Many times I feel like a little kid experiencing the same anticipation as I once did for Christmas morning. As deer season arrives, I am as excited as ever. One thing I’ve learned over the years, is deer season is far too short! There never seems to be enough time in the day to hunt, scout, and fit in work and family time during the fall months. Although I haven’t found a secret recipe to adding hours to the day,I have learned that being prepared can make fall much smoother, and alleviate some wasted time that could be better spent sitting on stand.
With resident elk expert and guide Ramone leading the way, Nikki quietly begins her trek through the rocky terrain at daybreak. The morning hike was encouraging as the team spots elk and other game far off in the meadows below. As elk do not typically graze in the open during hot daylight hours, Nikki and Ramone decide to break for lunch, nonetheless confident in there plan and tactics for the evening chase.
Winchester tradition was to present special rifles to American presidents. They are called Presidential Presentation Rifles. Come along as Winchester TV host Ron Spomer and Cody Firearms Museum curator Ashley Hlebinsky share more on this very special firearm.
Accordingly, hunters are taking vacation days and kicking their time in the woods into high gear as well as this is definitely the best time of the season to be hunting. Regardless of whether your locale limits you to stick and string this time of year or you can reach out a little farther with a muzzleloader or even a modern firearm, the following tactics will help you make the most of this exciting time of season.
He has monster bucks, big bear, and incredible waterfowl hunting.
Growing up, we spent many weekends hunting ducks and geese on local public land near my home. The youth day hunts were exceptional as it opened a weekend before the regular opener, but I had never really experienced anything like what Canada has to offer.
It’s a modest story, with humble beginnings. But sometimes even the humblest beginnings lead to the grandest finales.
John Olin at one time owned Winchester and was a critical figure in its growth and history. Come along and learn a little more history on the American Legend – Winchester.
For over 150 years, attention to detail and continued development of innovative technology in the world of ammunition and firearms have made Winchester a household name. Winchester Life, on the other hand, is about entertainment, storytelling and developing an emotional connection with our viewers, and customers. This original series delivers robust storylines, beautiful cinematography, and state-of-the-art production techniques with a mainstream television feel to connect with audiences that can relate to each unique town or hunting experience.
And when it comes to shooting, both candidates and the media more often lose sight of the big picture of the role firearms play in the sporting lives of millions of Americans. Here is a quick look at recreational shooting and firearms ownership in America by the numbers.
Second, I’m not around very much and this can be a great way to spend quality time with my mom, dad and brother that wouldn’t normally happen in the fall because of my rigorous schedule. Third, I can’t even explain the joy it gives me to see my own family experience something for the first time. I still absolutely live for hunting, but it really makes me smile to see their excitement.
As the company burst onto the scene in 1866, they would go on to change the way soldiers fought and sportsmen pursued game and play a key role in the settling of the West. Here are three of the most iconic firearms of that time—all of them lever-action rifles. Lever-actions represented the cutting edge in repeating rifle innovation during the second half of the 1800s.
Many of these tips can be used for any type of spot & stalk hunting, but I find them especially effective on mule deer. I’ve always been a huge fan of hunting mule deer, but this year turned out to be what I decided would be called “The Year of the Mule Deer.” I opened the season with a velvet mule deer hunt in Colorado, then moved onto Nebraska. After that, I drew a tag in Arizona after 10-years of applying for the Kaibab which should be an incredible hunt.
In fact, more than 40 states permit some sort of either sex turkey hunting in the fall and winter providing abundant opportunity across much of the wild turkeys’ nationwide range. Winchester makes a host of great turkey loads for today’s big bird hunter, so grab yourself a box, load the shotgun and get into the autumn woods. Not only is it a beautiful time to hunt, but with more turkey hunters focused on spring (or at this time of year, deer) the fall turkey hunter can find himself in the midst of hunting a lot of unpressured birds. Here are some tips to ensure you foray this autumn is productive and fun.
The tags are generally cheap, the hunt will be an experience, and the memories are sure to last a lifetime. This is such an easy way to spread the love of the sport, while finding new ways to enjoy the outdoors on your own as you watch it through a new hunter’s first experiences. As a young girl growing up in Central Minnesota, my passion was always hunting.
Where deer, waterfowl and many other large beasts such as elk and pronghorn can only be hunted in the fall, turkey hunters can enjoy going afield nationwide in the spring and in more than 40-plus states across the country in the fall. If you haven’t tried fall turkey hunting, you’re missing out on a time of year that was originally viewed as the classic season for hunting wild turkeys.
The ivy literally covered the ground in some locations for as far as the eye could see. If hunting this area, it was completely un-avoidable. I would never say there’s a deer worth getting covered in poison ivy, but if there were…this buck would probably be it. We were chasing a huge 3×4 mule deer with triple brow tines. He had a ton of mass, huge frame, and just an overall stud of a buck. Unfortunately, he lived in a 2-mile by 2-mile area that was just littered with poison ivy.
Many of Mr. Olin’s personal guns are kept at the Cody Firearms Museum in Cody, WY. If you’re traveling through that area, make certain to stop in – you will not be disappointed. If you can’t make it, come along on this video to learn more. Make sure to check into our Live the Legend blog from time to time to see more historic 150th Winchester Anniversary content.
But while trigger sessions at the range are a fine way to make sure your big game gun’s scope is on and that you still have a steady enough hand and breathing technique to chew up a bulls-eye at 100 or even 200 yards, there’s an even more exciting way to make sure you are prepared for the big moments this autumn holds. That way is small game hunting.
This can be the case, but you can also use these winds to your advantage as well. First, when you experience high winds one of the reasons game is usually spooky is because everything is moving. This can be used to your advantage if you’re in a treestand as you will usually get busted less. If something catches a little movement from you, just sit tight and let the wind blow everything around you and the deer will usually go back to feeding.
In many places, hunters plant fields of sunflower, millet and corn and can charge up to a $100 a day or more for hunters to bring their shotguns and dove buckets and sit in strategic points in an effort to shoot their daily limit. Dove hunting is allowed in 42 states and according to an article in the Bangor Daily News, more than 20 million of them are harvested each season. It is unequivocally the most popular game bird in North America and still its range and numbers keep expanding.
However, one bad encounter with a rattlesnake can turn a hunting trip into a complete disaster. I’m no expert on rattlesnakes coming from central MN where they are few and far between, but luckily I spend a lot of time around people who are. I’m constantly asking questions and learning everything I can, especially now when I’ve added my new side kick Pork Chop to the mix.
Pretty darn great! Matter of fact, Mr. Parsons was the behind-the-scenes shot maker and technical advisor for Jimmy Stewart’s 1950 movie – “The Winchester 73”. Come along on this Winchester 150th Anniversary video to learn more.
In fact, the original Model 1873s were chambered in this first metallic centerfire cartridge manufactured by Winchester. It wasn’t long before the round received double utility as a handgun cartridge as well when Colt began making their Single Action Army revolver chambered for the round. As both a long gun and short gun cartridge, the .44-40 Winchester soon became a favorite among cowboys and frontiersman of the day.
For years I’ve been shooting some of Winchester’s latest and greatest guns, but on this hunt I was going back to the basics. Everyone in my entire family has had a chance to shoot a Winchester 30-30 lever action gun that has been passed through the Bachman family, but now it was my turn. Thecool part about the entire experience was the fact that this gun originally was used in Russia for boars, and now I was bringing it to Texas for a hog hunt as well.
Gladwell illustrates his point using such icons as the Beatles, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. He well could’ve added famed outdoor personalities Mark and Terry Drury.
A new animal I hadn’t tried calling to until this year was hogs. As most people know who’ve hunted hogs, they often come out at night when the temps cool down. This can make it difficult to find success during the day and can be downright frustrating. Recently, I planned a trip to Texas to hunt hogs in the smoldering heat of August. Temps were topping off at113 and my Cuddeback’s were showing only nocturnal activity by the hogs.
In case you missed it the other week, given NBC’s—and the major media’s in general—challenge in adequately covering the breadth of events taking place during the Rio Olympics, Winchester-supported shooter Kim Rhode, 37, set a new world record when she finished third in the women’s skeet shooting event. Only Italian luge legend Armin Zöggeler has won as many consecutive individual Olympic medals.
Start Scouting—I’m not talking about just starting to scout game just yet as much as scouting out your hunt locations. Whether public land or private, it it’s been last season since you’ve been out there, check out what changes have taken place during the warm months. Make sure timber stands haven’t been cut, see what has been planted in agricultural fields to know whether it will attract deer or other game you might be hunting, and check stands and blinds and make any repairs.
To help get started, I recommend going online and checking out the new Winchester Patternboard. This is a great way for you to do some amazing comparisons from the loads you’re currently using and see if there is a better combination available for your setup. It allows you to pick your gauge, choke, shell length, pellet size, Winchester brand, anddistance.
In fact, for deer hunters, the first firearms deer season to open in the United States—in the South Carolina Low Country—begins August 15. Whether your favorite hunting is for the king of game animals, the white-tailed deer, or you are more of an elk, waterfowl or small game hunter, here are some things you need to start doing now in order to be ready when the season begins.
This means tightening each screw a couple of times over and over, keeping it even. If you don’t do this part correctly, you will have a very difficult time trying to get everything dialed in later on and wonder what the problem could possibly be. Once everything is evenly tightened, to add a little lock tight to the screws to ensure nothing can get loose in the field.
Go hog hunting.
Hogs, maybe just short of coyotes, are one of the most rapidly expanding species in the country, moving into new areas at a ridiculous rate. “The wild pig is the most prolific large mammal on the face of the Earth,” according to Texas A&M’s Agrilife Extension. They average between five and six pigs per little and have approximately 1.5 litters per year, though they are perfectly capable of having more litters and larger litters.
It’s sparked families to share Winchester stories, new traditions to begin, and this anniversary has given us all a chance to reminisce about what’s really important.
The one seen in this video is a model 363 which was made in Germany for Winchester. Almost 20,000 of these guns were made between 1969 and 1975…kinda cool. Join us in this video from Winchester’s 150th Anniversary to learn more.
Paper hulls would frequently swell when soaked from rain, water in duck blinds or excessive humidity. They could even swell to the point where they wouldn’t chamber in a shotgun or would fail to extract when fired…if it fired. Then, in 1964, under the Mark 5 shotshell banner, Winchester changed the game with the introduction of compression-formed plastic hulls.
I love to shoot my guns, bows, get my gear organized, make lists of things I may want for the upcoming fall, but I also am super-interested in the growth and patterns of whitetails on property I hunt. Even though bucks are not yet at their full antler growth, I still love putting my Cuddeback’s out nice and early to watch them grow.