Caleb Chen

It was a typical bluebird day of duck hunting. We had a few morning mallards on the game strap but the action had slowed to a stand still. My partner had already gone to his secret trick for bringing in ducks. That dip of tobacco didn’t help our cause on this day. It had been … Read more

I learned the value of scouting turkeys on my very first turkey hunt. A good friend of mine had kept an eye on a flock of turkeys all spring. The night before he watched them go to roost and knew where they would be headed the following morning. We crept out to his scouted hiding … Read more

 Wild Turkey Habits. Wild turkeys roost in trees at night. They fly to their roosts at about sunset and fly to the ground at first light where they feed until mid-morning. They will often roost again for a short period in mid-morning and feeding will resume in the afternoon. Turkeys can cover several miles during the … Read more

The title of this article may seem a little strange, especially to experienced bowhunters. As a responsible archery hunter, I hope you are putting in the time to shoot consistently and know your effective range. But the fact is a deer is not an archery target. Not only do you have to shoot well, you … Read more

One of the first factors that needs to be addressed is whether to buy a left-handed or right-handed bow. Instead of focusing on if you are right-handed or left-handed, a buyer should determine which eye is dominant. Just because you are right-handed doesn’t mean you’re right eye dominant. Dan Ellyson of A1 Archery in Hudson, WI … Read more

Corn is often thought of as a bane for deer hunters. Corn serves as a great hiding place for wily deer. Hunters aren’t going to walk in to standing corn to push them out. They basically have food and cover all in one place. If you’ve ever been in a combine during corn harvest in … Read more

Waterfowl Production Areas, commonly known as WPAs, are federal lands purchased with the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp. According to the US Fish & Wildlife Service, 98% of the $15 cost of the duck stamp goes toward buying these lands. Most WPAs are government property. Some are perpetual easements of private land. Either … Read more

The art of taking the running shot has been lost in political correctness, truth is few can shoot well enough to take advantage of the offhand rifle. My eight years in Germany taught me something about European firearm design as opposed to the Classic American Hunting rifle. When it comes right down to it they just … Read more

From the woods of North Carolina to the Kalahari in Africa, Robert Ruark showed us the way of the proper firearm for hunting. In most of Robert Ruark’s novels and stories there has always been good gun talk. So exciting and romantic were the stories, about how the ducks set their wings coming into the decoys … Read more

Since 1948, waterfowl have been managed by four administrative Flyways that are based on those migration paths: the Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, and Pacific Flyways.Atlantic FlywayThe Atlantic Flyway Council is composed of the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, … Read more

First, before I go any further, I’ll tell you this, to quote an old saying, “It ain’t the Arrow it’s the Indian.” No matter what technology you buy yourself, nothing will take the place of intense practice at the range. I’m about to reveal to you real secrets to shooting excellence that only a few … Read more

Late season duck hunting could be the best hunting of the year. Slob hunters, sky busters, and other miscreants have moved on to other endeavors and ducks that haven’t traveled further south become somewhat patternable. So what’s between a die hard hunter and a loaded up duck strap? In many areas ice is the major … Read more

By now just about everybody has seen someone rattle in a buck on TV. Usually, the hero is demoralized as he sits in his stand and ponders the inevitability of a meal of tag soup. It looks like hunt is all but over when our hero pulls out his rattling antlers and recreates a buck … Read more

While there are still a few holdouts, by now most archers use a release aid of some kind. Releases make it more comfortable to shoot and improve accuracy. I’m not the type of person who overspends on hunting gear. It’s just not in my nature or my budget. Tru-Fire has a great reputation and when … Read more

In my previous article, I discussed how water can act as a natural barrier, but there are many other barriers to deer movement worth discussing. The great thing about barriers is they are fairly easy to identify on a map and deer movement along barriers is very predictable. Remember, deer will skirt the edges of … Read more

Duck hunting is easily the most gear intensive hunting you can participate in. Boats, guns, calls, decoys, blinds, waders, and hunting leases can leave even the thickest wallets empty. The good news is many high priced versions of these items can be substituted with less expensive options. There are several cost saving measures duck hunters … Read more

Bear hunting is quite different from most other hunting. You’ve got to mentally come in with a clean slate as to what you want to do to ensure your chances of maximum success. First off, you start your hunt months in advance. You do your scouting. You check out population density, stuff like that; and … Read more

I often hear hunters debate the best time to kill does. Most are deathly afraid of scaring off bucks during opening weekend and during the rut so many hunters wait until the October lull or until well after the rut is finished. If that is your strategy, you’re not alone. However, in my opinion, any time … Read more

Barnett has been making crossbows for hunters for over four decades and has also been responsible for some very unique inventions and clever innovations within the industry. And like most of the other leading crossbow manufacturers, their products are evolving and getting better with each passing year. This past November, I added a Barnett Revolution … Read more

One of my favorite all time hunts comes courtesy of the small but beautiful wood duck. My buddy and I were hunting Wisconsin’s Chippewa River on a slow October morning. The great thing about our spot was that you could see an honest mile down the river and ducks could easily see the decoys as … Read more

The tell tale red waddles moving down the ridge gave me plenty of time to prepare myself for the shot. After just a few yelps on my box call, these toms answered with a series of gobbles and hotfooted right to my field. I shut down the calling as they approached and let their curiosity … Read more

Reloading ammunition is not for everyone. There are generally two “types” of people who do their own reloading. The first are those who shoot a lot –members of a shooting club, sporting clays, trap, skeet, sport rifle shooting, shooting competitions, hunting guides, avid hunters, or those who just want to help out their buddies. They … Read more

Establishing food plots on your land is not a difficult process and can usually be accomplished in a few weekends with a relatively small investment. When establishing food plots a basic understanding of the wild game food preferences and soil conditions will help make your food plots much more successful. If done correctly, food plots will allow you to attract … Read more

Even a novice deer hunter can easily point out a rub. They’re tough to miss. Scrapes are a little more difficult to spot but a trained eye can pick them off pretty regularly. Bucks create scrapes by using their hoofs to dig at the ground. Once the soil is stirred up, they urinate on the … Read more