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Cheers & Jeers • OPENING-DAY DREAMING, UNWASHED MASSES, AND THE LATEST CARTRIDGE CRAZE
WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE? • There’s no better time to enjoy the outdoors than fall
CONTRIBUTOR
FIRST SHOT
KING OF THE MOUNTAIN • An autumn heat wave in the Colorado high country makes for challenging conditions but ultimately leads to a scorching finish
SCAREDY CATS • When conditions are just right, the fall flathead action is so good, it’s frightening
ASK PETZAL Q & A • David E. Petzal answers your questions about guns, shooting, hunting, and life
WILD DOVE ESCABECHE • This South American–inspired dish brings big flavor to small birds
BISMUTH IS BACK • New nontoxic loads will have you dusting off your classic shotgun for the duck and goose blind
OPEN SECRET • Hunting public land on the duck opener can be a fiasco—unless you have a hidden hotspot
FAMILY MEAL • No matter if it’s a gourmet feast or a rustic camp supper, the sharing of wild game has always brought hunters together
SON OF A GUN (WRITER) • Reflections on my boy’s stellar fall
BEST DAYS OF THE RUT • Fifty expert tips for hunting every phase of the rut, including 2018’s must-hunt dates
OFF THE RAILS • RAIL HUNTING WAS ONCE DESCRIBED AS THE “SPORT OF KINGS” AND ENJOYED BY THE LIKES OF ROOSEVELT AND RUARK. WHILE THESE ODD MARSH BIRDS ARE NO LONGER AS POPULAR AS THEY ONCE WERE, THEY’RE STILL INSANELY FUN TO HUNT
THE UPLANDERS • From the wide-open fields of the West to the North Woods of Maine, there’s no better or harder-working bird hunter than man’s best friend
THE ALLIES • As the fight for our federal public lands intensifies, two businessmen with two very different customer bases are coming together for the sake of American hunters, anglers, and our sporting heritage
DOWN (under) HOME • HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD, ON A CHAMOIS AND TAHR ADVENTURE IN THE WILD BACKCOUNTRY OF NEW ZEALAND’S SOUTH ISLAND, THE AUTHOR FINDS A FAMILIAR SERENITY IN THE HUNT
TOUGH GLASS FOR RUGGED COUNTRY
THE STEEL DEAL • CAUGHT THE CHROMER BUG? MAKE YOUR FLY REEL SCREAM LOUDER THAN EVER WITH OUR CRASH COURSE IN CRUSHING IT ON THE GREAT LAKES TRIBUTARIES
Field Test • PALACE OR PUP TENT, backcountry or back 40, as long as you’ve got some critters to chase and some buddies to razz, it’s hunting camp. Good food helps, and, well, maybe a drink or two after the hunt. But you also want the right gear—the stuff that will let you put all your focus on filling your tag and having a blast. This stuff.
A Sportsman’s Life • RUT SECRETS REVEALED
Goosey Honkers • Nine expert tricks for outsmarting the spookiest late-season geese
Stand and Deliver • A portable stand-up blind is fast, deadly, and way more comfortable than a layout
The Spin Doctor • How a noted waterfowl guide brings in flocks of ducks, geese, and cranes with a spread of spinners