OL's resident mountain hunter Tyler Freel separates fact from all the fiction surrounding backcountry gear, prep, and execution. Here's what matters, and what to do when it all goes sideways. Read the full story here: https://www.outdoorlife.com/hunting/hunting-west-diy-reality/ This episode is brought to you by Federal Terminal Ascent. Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor in chief Alex Robinson. Produced by executive editor Natalie Krebs. Guest is staff writer Tyler Freel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some of the best bass fishing in America is happening on the college circuit. And as these leagues have expanded, they’ve become the ultimate proving grounds for professional bass fishing. In this episode, news editor Dac Collins sits down with Garrett Smith and Andrew Blanton of Lander University, who won the 2024 Bassmaster College National Championship over the weekend. Here's how they think about the competition, the strategy they need to succeed, and what's next. Read more: https://www.outdoorlife.com/fishing/college-fishing-bass-pros/ Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Guest hosting by news editor Dac Collins. Produced by executive editor Natalie Krebs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To be a Fudd, you simply have to hold onto an old idea no matter how much new and better information contradicts it. This mindset has always been a part of hunting culture, and everyone is probably guilty of being a Fudd from time to time. Here are the most common examples that we all need to move on from. Read the full story here: https://www.outdoorlife.com/fudd Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor in chief Alex Robinson. Produced by executive editor Natalie Krebs. Guest is staff writer Tyler Freel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Animal-rights activists have gained permanent ground in Australia in the fight to shut down recreational duck hunting. Much of what’s happening in Australia can absolutely happen in the U.S. Some of it already has. Read the full story here: https://www.outdoorlife.com/australia Reporting and editing by executive editor Natalie Krebs. Mixed and mastered by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.J. Reilly has been reviewing bows for Lancaster Archery Supply since 2016 and that historical context makes him one of the most knowledgeable bow reviewers in the game. He just conducted a test of six budget bows that shot impressively well. Here’s what you should know if you’re trying to find a nice bow (including used compounds) without breaking the bank. Read the full story here: https://www.outdoorlife.com/budgetvscompounds Read Reilly's reviews here: https://outdoorlife.com/budgetbows24 Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by executive gear editor Scott Einsmann. Produced by executive editor Natalie Krebs. Guest is OL gear writer and LAS technical writer P.J. Reilly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most people walk away from the range with a “near-o” rather than a zero, as one of shooting editor John B. Snow's precision rifle buddies aptly puts it. And often that’s good enough. If all you need is minute-of-deer at 100 yards, your zero can be pretty elastic. But if you want to really know where your gun shoots, and how well it shoots, listen up to these simple steps. Read the full story here: https://www.outdoorlife.com/rifleaccuracy Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor-in-chief Alex Robinson. Produced by executive editor Natalie Krebs. Guest is shooting editor John B. Snow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Highly-coveted statewide big-game hunting tags have traditionally been auctioned to the highest bidders. But the idea that opportunities to pursue public wildlife are being sold to wealthy hunters and highest bidders conflicts with an expectation that wildlife is available to all. That's why more states are considering raffles, which have their own pros and cons. Read the full story here: https://www.outdoorlife.com/conservation/montana-raffle-mule-deer-tag/ Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor-in-chief Alex Robinson. Produced by executive editor Natalie Krebs. Reporting by conservation and hunting editor Andrew McKean. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the years Scott Haugen has hunted plenty of dangerous game animals, including man-eating lions and crocodiles in Africa and a man-eating tiger in Sumatra. In 1990, he tracked down and killed a man-eating polar bear in Alaska’s high Arctic. Hunting big predators is a passion. Hunting cougars close to home is a treat. Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor-in-chief Alex Robinson. Produced by executive editor Natalie Krebs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is it so hard for deer hunters to believe that deer love mushrooms? We asked deer hunting and mushroom food plot evangelist Matt Williams about this, and how to grow a mushroom food plot. You can read the full story, and see videos, here: https://outdoorlife.com/hunting/mushroom-food-plots You can reach Matt at https://myco-habitat.com/ Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor-in-chief Alex Robinson. Produced by executive editor Natalie Krebs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The forever chemicals known as PFAS are in everything from takeout containers to your favorite breathable, waterproof rain gear. They're also getting banned in California and New York starting in 2025. This week we talked to staff writer Laura Lancaster about why PFAS are a problem, why they're so useful in your favorite waterproof gear, and why you're going to have to start taking better care of your rain gear. Read the full story at outdoorlife.com/PFAS Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor-in-chief Alex Robinson. Produced by executive editor Natalie Krebs. Reporting by staff writer Laura Lancaster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If there’s anything redeeming about the February incident in which a wild wolf was run over by a snowmobiler, then muzzled and paraded around a Wyoming bar before it was killed, it’s as an opportunity for hunters to define ourselves against a rising narrative that equates the wolf abuser with restrained and purposeful hunting. Read McKean's full story at outdoorlife.com/wyomingwolf Read McKean's Q&A with the DOI's new wolf mediator: outdoorlife.com/hunting/wolf-management-mediator/ Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor-in-chief Alex Robinson. Produced by executive editor Natalie Krebs. Reporting by hunting and conservation editor Andrew McKean. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2024 Outdoor Life Gun Test introduced us to sweet-shooting rimfires, a pile of impressive centerfires and handguns, and what might be the best bolt-action hunting rifle ever made. This episode is brought to you by Brownells. You can read the Sako 90 Adventure review at outdoorlife.com/sako90 Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor-in-chief Alex Robinson. Guests are shooting editor John B. Snow and staff writer Tyler Freel. Produced by executive editor Natalie Krebs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As bow season approaches, you might be scrambling to get everything on your setup perfectly dialed. Instead, re-center and think about what actually matters: making a good shot, and worrying only about the gear that's going to make or break your hunt. Here's what matters this season, according to our in-house archery coach and resident gear nerd, executive gear editor Scott Einsmann. This episode is brought to you by Bowtech. Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor in chief Alex Robinson. Produced by executive editor Natalie Krebs. Guest is executive gear editor Scott Einsmann. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2024 Outdoor Life gun test showed us just how relevant the lever gun still is, and that some gun makers are devoting the time and attention to crafting the highest quality production lever-action specimens we’ve ever seen. These guns are made better, incorporate more user-friendly features, and are more versatile than ever.  This episode is brought to you by Brownells. Read the full story here: https://www.outdoorlife.com/guns/podcast-lever-guns Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor-in-chief Alex Robinson. Produced by Natalie Krebs. Guests in this episode include shooting editor John B. Snow, staff writer Tyler Freel, and gun test team member Matt Foster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In hopes of shedding some light on this very dense, wildly expensive, and unnecessarily controversial pellet material, I sat down with Adam Moser, the director of product engineering for shotshells at Federal Premium. Federal, after all, was the first major ammo company to offer TSS loads to the mass market. I also caught up with my fanatical turkey hunting buddy Josh Dahlke, the VP of content for HuntStand. Dahlke has witnessed more than 100 turkeys get shot with TSS loads. If anyone can explain the physics behind TSS, it’s Moser. If anyone can detail its turkey killing capabilities, it’s Dahlke. This episode is brought to you by Alabama's Beaches. Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor-in-chief Alex Robinson. Produced by Natalie Krebs. Full stories on testing TSS turkey loads here and here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Turkey hunting at its very best is a close-range game. Few people know this better than Mike Hunsucker of Heartland Bowhunter, who hunts spring gobblers almost exclusively with a bow. Here, Hunsucker shares some tips and lessons about getting gobblers in close. This episode is brought to you by Alabama’s Beaches. Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor-in-chief Alex Robinson. Produced by Natalie Krebs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The OL bow test is the most rigorous in the industry. We shoot all the flagship bows and crossbows for accuracy over the course of three days at Lancaster Archery. This year the most accurate bow was a true marvel, and it turns everything we thought we knew about bow design on its head. This episode is brought to you by Alabama's Beaches. Read the full story here: https://www.outdoorlife.com/gear/best-compound-bows/ Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor-in-chief Alex Robinson. Guests are Scott Einsmann and P.J. Reilly. Produced by Natalie Krebs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thermal devices have gotten more capable and less expensive as technology has fueled what an access evolution. Suddenly, thermals are more affordable and ubiquitous, and American hunters are hungry for additional ways to use them. This episode is brought to you by Alabama's Beaches. Read the full story here: https://www.outdoorlife.com/gear/will-thermals-change-the-way-we-hunt/ Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor-in-chief Alex Robinson. Reporting by Andrew McKean. Produced by Natalie Krebs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 22 ARC blends new bullet technology with Modern Cartridge Design to get .22-250 Remington performance from MSRs. That's cool ... but do we need it? This episode is brought to you by Alabama's Beaches. Read the full story here: https://www.outdoorlife.com/guns/22-arc-review/ Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor-in-chief Alex Robinson. Reporting by shooting editor John B. Snow. Produced by Natalie Krebs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some onX users wonder where all their data is stored, if we’re being tracked in the most remote spaces in the country, and if our waypoints could one day be sold. This episode is brought to you by Alabama's Beaches. Read the full story here: https://www.outdoorlife.com/conservation/the-onx-effect/ Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor-in-chief Alex Robinson. Reporting by Christine Peterson. Produced by Natalie Krebs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's peak rut and all your carefully planning isn't panning out. Maybe you missed a buck. Maybe your neighbor shot him. Maybe you're just getting a little too serious. This week, we talked to Lindsay Thomas of the National Deer Association about how to set that stuff aside and focus on what deer hunting is supposed to be: fun. This episode is brought to you by Moultrie Mobile Edge Pro. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should you be hunting cold fronts? Does wind direction matter less than wind speed? Who's still paying attention to the moon phase? Researcher and dedicated deer hunter Dr. Grant Woods addresses all these common weather-related questions in this week's episode. This episode is brought to you by Moultrie Mobile Edge Pro. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Craig Harper has published more than 200 peer-reviewed journal articles, extension publications, books, and manuals. But here's the important thing: He's also a serious deer hunter and he understands better than most how deer relate to habitat during the rut. This episode is brought to you by Moultrie Mobile Edge Pro. Read the full story on outdoorlife.com here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We headed to Grinnell, Iowa, to test the newest field of sporting and hunting shotguns, plus an entirely new field for this year: tactical shotguns. Shooting editor John B. Snow explains how we test shotguns, why it's necessary, and what you need to know about the latest crop of duck guns, double-barrels, and home-defense models. This episode is brought to you by Bowtech. Read more at outdoorlife.com/shotguns24 Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor in chief Alex Robinson. Produced by executive editor Natalie Krebs. Reporting by shooting editor John B. Snow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Want to have more success on pressured ground while hunting the rut? Then start patterning other hunters. This episode is brought to you by Moultrie Mobile Edge Pro. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An archery coach is just what the bowhunters of America need right now. This episode is brought to you by Moultrie Mobile Edge Pro. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hunsucker had several years of trail camera pictures of Floppy—an old buck with drooping, injured ears—and he’d hunted him for multiple seasons. Even though Floppy would show up on trail cameras during daylight, Hunsucker was never able to truly pattern him the way he had with so many other mature bucks over the years. So when the buck showed up on his 300-acre Missouri property again last season, he decided to go all in. Here's what he learned. This episode is brought to you by Moultrie Mobile Edge Pro. Read the full story here: https://www.outdoorlife.com/hunting/how-to-hunt-mature-bucks/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We assembled more than a dozen shotguns that are new for 2023, which we tested over the course of an intense week of trigger pulling. Read the full story at outdoorlife.com/shotguntest Testing facility: Minnesota Horse and Hunt Club Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The OL gun team takes over the podcast to discuss staff writer Tyler Freel's M1 Garand project. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The drop in public support for legal field sports comes after nearly 30 years of increasingly favorable attitudes. What gives? Read the full story at outdoorlife.com/huntingsurvey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who was Townsend Whelen? The soldier and backcountry big game hunter was one of OL's earliest shooting editors. Read the full story on Outdoor Life Related stories: Two Rifles for the Ages, Chambered in .35 Whelen The Story of Carmichel’s Benchrest World Record Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Outdoor Life staff writer Tyler Freel knew how his hunt would turn out, but he did it anyway. Read the full story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We asked our gear staff writer and resident thru-hiker Laura Lancaster what hunters can learn from ultralight backpackers. Then we compared notes with staff writer and expert sheep hunter Tyler Freel. Gear tests and reviews mentioned in this episode: The Best Ultralight Tents The Best Ultralight Backpacks The Best Backpacking Quilts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"You had fun turkey hunting, right? Why did you agree to take us squirrel hunting all those years ago? Do you even like hunting?" In this episode of the Outdoor Life Podcast, our editors asked our very own non-hunting moms all kinds of questions about what it was like to raise hunters. Hosted by Editor-in-Chief Alex Robinson. Edited and produced by Executive Editor Natalie Krebs. Music by Benjamin Peter McElroy, via APM Music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s no more polarizing topic in the fishing world right now than forward facing sonar (FFS). At this point, it’s foolish to deny its effectiveness, as professional anglers who have perfected its use have left everyone else in the dust. It also makes the sport hard to watch. This week we're talking to Derek Horner, OL's manager of audience development and the former captain of Penn State's bass fishing team. Here's his take. Read more at outdoorlife.com/ffs Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor in chief Alex Robinson. Produced by executive editor Natalie Krebs. Guest is manager of audience development Derek Horner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a lot of low-quality information about new guns out there. A combination of evaluators with questionable skills, limited resources, and a desire to please sponsors and advertisers results in a pile of ballistic drivel. The Outdoor Life Gun Test is an antidote to that. Read the full rifle test here. Read the full handgun test here. Read the full 1911 test here. Video: The Best Cheap Guns of 2023 Video: Weatherby Mark V Backcountry 2.0 Ti Video: The Weatherby Mark V Backcountry 2.0 Ti in .338 Wby. RPM Video: The Best Handguns of 2023 Video: The Best 1911s This episode is brought to you by Vortex Optics. Read more about the new Defender CCW red-dot for EDC in our article, How to Choose the Ultimate Concealed-Carry Gun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The turkey hunters of America need a biology lesson. There are so many things we don’t fully understand. Like why exactly do toms gobble at owls? Does the camo pattern we wear even matter? And what about the bigger questions: Why are wild turkey populations seemingly declining in so many places? What should game agencies and hunters do about it? We sit down with Dr. Mike Chamberlain, a professor at the University of Georgia who has been researching (and hunting) wild turkeys for the past 30 years. Related Links Wild turkey vision What do wild turkeys eat? Wild turkey population declines Chamberlain x Mossy Oak Wild Turkey Lab This episode is brought to you by Vortex Optics. Read more about the new Defender CCW red-dot for EDC in our article, How to Choose the Ultimate Concealed-Carry Gun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part six of our Masters of the Rut series, shooting editor John B. Snow busts the most common myths deer hunters believe about rifles, cartridges, shot placement, and more. Masters of the Rut is brought to you by Moultrie Mobile Edge. Read the full story on OutdoorLife.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part five of our Masters of the Rut series, year-round bowhunter Billy Phillips explains all the pros (and very few cons) of switching to a tree saddle to hunt deer. Masters of the Rut is brought to you by Moultrie Mobile Edge. Read the full story on OutdoorLife.com. Find more from Billy Phillips at hunturban.co or the Hang and Hunt podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part four of our Masters of the Rut series, Kip Adams of the National Deer Association talks about how hunters can age deer, and why we might want to. Masters of the Rut is brought to you by Moultrie Mobile Edge. Read the full story on OutdoorLife.com. Find more from Kip Adams at DeerAssociation.com Show notes: How to age deer (NDA video) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part three of our Masters of the Rut series, Grant Woods talks about how hunters can use their trail cameras a little more scientifically and become a better deer hunter. Masters of the Rut is brought to you by Moultrie Mobile Edge. Read the full story on OutdoorLife.com. Find more from Grant Woods at GrowingDeer.tv Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part two of our Masters of the Rut series, Dan Infalt talks about his approach to consistently tagging big public-land bucks by hunting their bedding areas. Masters of the Rut is brought to you by Moultrie Mobile Edge. Read the full story on OutdoorLife.com. Watch Dan Infalt's videos on YouTube. You can learn more about Infalt's treestands and climbing sticks at HuntingBeastGear.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part one of our Masters of the Rut series, Shane Simpson talks about what he’s learned as a tracking dog handler, and how that intel can help more hunters recover their deer. Masters of the Rut is brought to you by Moultrie Mobile Edge. Full story on OutdoorLife.com. You can follow along with Shane and Callie's tracking adventures on YouTube. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“There is no half way. After his first exposure, a man is either a sheep hunter or he isn’t.” —Jack O’Connor Read Tyler Freel's essay yourself, right here. Sheep Hunting in Alaska by Tony Russ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Hirschi just might be the best public-land trophy mule deer hunter on the face of the earth. And he’s ready to share (some of) his secrets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we sit down with staff writer and PCT veteran Laura Lancaster to explain our recent ultralight backpack test, why hunters might be interested in this new gear, and why traditional backpacking is on the way out. You can read more on ultralight backpacking gear at outdoorlife.com/ultralight Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor in chief Alex Robinson. Produced by executive editor Natalie Krebs. Reporting by staff writer Laura Lancaster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rue Mapp’s calling is to get more Black people involved in the outdoors. Her newest personal challenge? Learning how to hunt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Free-roaming horses and burros are dying hard deaths on Western rangeland that’s already taxed by drought, wildfire, and habitat loss. So why don’t we do something different? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kristine Fischer risked it all just to make it as a pro kayak tournament angler. Now she just might be the rising star the sport needs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

...and why you might want to enter your buck in the record books anyway. See photos of McKean's Missouri whitetail here. Read the full story about scoring and the record books here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices