Columns
A real matchstriker, finally
One of the greatest shots I ever made was with a bolt-action .22 Magnum. […]
January 2014
Fishing
Humminbird touchscreens
Two years in development, Humminbird’s new ONIX and ION models offer anglers something different in marine electronics.[…]
Columns
Facts behind the fiction
In November I traveled to Colorado with a couple of friends for an elk hunt. Two of us are retired wildlife enforcement agents and one is still on the job with a few years to go before “graduating.”[…]
Columns
More than just photos
A couple of months ago, here in Happy Trails, I discussed whether or not the use of trail cameras actually diminishes or takes something away from some people’s overall hunting experience.[…]
Columns
David and Goliath
One of the lures of kayak fishing is the ability to launch in remote places and fish areas generally not accessible to powerboats.[…]
Columns
Lunker Frog
There is a soft-plastic frog so lifelike in detail that the legs possess a kicking motion no self-respecting bass can resist, a soft-plastic frog that captures the confidence of bass anglers everywhere and also reigns supreme as the ICAST Best Soft Lure of 2013.[…]
Other Hunting
Shot selection
Swamp rabbits are larger than their upland cousins, and the habitat they reside in is some of the toughest terrain you’ll ever walk and hunt in.[…]
Bass Fishing
Where to fish for prespawn bass
Bassmaster Elite Series pro Cliff Crochet described the prespawn zone as those major stopping points bass utilize before heading into their spawning areas. It’s difficult, he said, to define a specific depth because the range varies by location and habitat.[…]
Other Hunting
Swamper table fare
Rabbit meat is some of the most-delicious meat you can harvest. While some claim they don’t care for the gamey taste, I’ve found quite often is it’s all in the handling.[…]
Bass Fishing
Adjust when bass fishing late-season cold fronts
When late-season cold fronts put prespawners in a foul mood, just remember that, despite the interruptive nature of a temperature drop and the dreaded bluebird post-front day, the fish still want to eat.[…]
Other Hunting
It ain’t like it used to be
“When I was a kid, squirrel hunting was a big traditional thing, like deer hunting is now,” Bob Childress said. “Men would schedule their time off around squirrel season.[…]
Freshwater Fishing
Time to Troll
A veteran long-liner, crappie tournament pro Mark Williams likes to mix things up and dial in what the fish want.[…]
Other Hunting
The gem of Louisiana
Kisatchie National Forest is a gem for Louisiana hunters and fishermen, one surprisingly little known beyond the Shreveport to Alexandria corridor where most of its lands lie.[…]
Freshwater Fishing
Casting call
Unlike those shoulder-straining full-size umbrella rigs designed for largemouth bass, the crappie versions won’t send you to the chiropractor after a weekend on the lake.[…]
Recipes
Old-fashioned squirrel gravy
Squirrels have some of the sweetest and whitest meat of all game animals. Here’s Bob Childress’s recipe for Old-fashioned squirrel gravy.[…]
Freshwater Fishing
Ups and downs
Working single jigs over brush piles boasts a long history of crappie success, but consider this: For a hungry predatory, if one bait is good, then two is great and more is — well, you get the picture.[…]