Category hunting

Heather and her best friend, Stephanie, hiking in Boise.

It’s always incredibly refreshing to get out of Washington, D.C., and go back West. Rather than my usual Christmas trip, I was able to visit Idaho in August to see family and friends.

This was a shorter trip, so I wasn’t able to get off the grid like I usually hope to (the idea of being out of cell range seems to terrify most DCers but I crave it!) – though I was able to go on a short hike with my best friend. We didn’t leave the city limits and were able to go on a real hike, people. I can’t tell you how invigorating that is.

So as we finish out this day and dive in to the long Labor Day weekend, Whitney and I hope you’re able to enjoy some time outdoors. Go shooting, take your reel out or set off for a hike!

Check out this report from CBS on the more than 6 million women who are taking up shooting as a hobby!

By Jay Gore

This is a story for dog lovers. Well not really. A story for dog lovers that are hunters: well maybe not that too. A story for dog lovers that are duck hunters, oh, not that either. OK, a story for duck hunters that hunt ducks from a boat, preferably a metal boat.

To hunt ducks, one must be very, very quiet and still. Movement and noise scare ducks. Not good! Many folks have dogs. And what do dogs do? They wag their tails and that’s normal. With Labs, they usually sweep the coffee table clear. Woe be that glass of wine!

I have two black Labrador retrievers. And beautiful dogs they are. Normally around the house and other usual places, one, the boy I call Jazz, wags his tail all the time. It’s in constant motion...

  Backcountry Hunters and Anglers is asking the sportsmen community to take the sportsman’s pledge and tell their story… We took the pledge and now challenge you!  Without our wild places our outdoor opportunities will disappear.   THE PLEDGE As a North American hunter and angler, I pledge to speak up on behalf of conservation of the clean water, wildlife habitat, sportsman access, and public lands that belong to all of us. I will defend these values against those individuals, organizations and corporations who would sell or transfer our public lands and erode our habitat, opportunity and freedoms. I welcome new sportsmen and women, young and old, and will lead by example...

Photo courtesy of AL.com

The big news story in the sportsmen world this week? Alabama mother of two Mandy Stokes bagging a thousand plus pound alligator out of the Alabama River.  The gator is big enough it may snag the Mandy the World Record and we think this is awesome! Previous World Record gator contenders have been pulled from Texas and Arkansas but this is the first of its size from Alabama. Check out pictures and more about Mandy and her gator here.