Upon discovering my hunting pack, loaded and stashed for the morning, my 3 year old ignored the knife, the saw, the lighter, the rope, the Snickers, the Fritos, the laser range finder, the flagging tape, the camelback, the .30-06 cartridges and other tempting tools of mess and mayhem. He went instead, straight for the, Read More
I didn’t see it coming, until it hit me like a freight train. The Yeti is to sportsmen what the Rolex is to suburban businessmen. In what seems like overnight, Yeti Coolers have become the new status symbol for hunters and anglers. Yeti managed to make coolers cool. I’ll admit, I fell for it too., Read More
Steven’s been running. As his friend, this worries me. It’s out of character. And arriving as it does hot on the heels of his move to Bozeman, I can’t help but wonder what other lifestyle shifts I’ve missed. Does he do hot yoga now too? Has he retained a veterinary herbalist for the dogs?, Read More
I started running. You would think I became a vegetarian by the looks on my friends faces when I told them the news. Exercise in the form of running, going to the gym, or other organized workouts has never been my cup of tea. Time in the mountains, on the water, and the occasional, Read More
I can no more explain why I hunt than I can explain why I read. I have reasons – because others must die for me to live, and I’m resolved to do my own killing; because it’s the most sensually vibrant and emotionally complex way I know of to experience the natural world; because, Read More
I’ve got a garage full of gear. Enough to outfit a small army for anything from mountaineering to horsepacking, canoeing to big wall climbing, not to mention hunting and fishing. Despite the raw volume of stuff, that at times is overwhelming and probably warrants a garage sale, there are a few pieces of gear, Read More
“So there I am,” said Jeremy, leaning across my kitchen table for emphasis “right above them on this hillside, maybe sixty yards away. They’re thrashing around in the brush. I can hear their antlers banging and clashing together. The wind was perfect, just like it had been all day. Then… ” Between birds, big, Read More
Hands down it’s the best time of year. So make the most of it. Chase elk, birds or go fishing. It’s hard to go wrong. Seek solitude by taking a solo hike with your bow. Load up the whole family and take advantage of some of the years best fishing. Cause a ruckus with, Read More
You left the house at 4 a.m. By 5 you were hiking through the frozen darkness. 6 found you prepared, your body and your gear positioned just so. The blackness is absolute, the limestone at your back cold and sharp. A favorable wind brings imagined smells to your nose, half-heard noises to your ears, Read More
Quivering uncontrollably, he lets out a barely audible, yet pathetic, squeal. Remaining steady by a whisker, I heave the bumper into the high mountain lake. Like a shot from a cannon, he releases on his name and begins churning water. We are long overdue. The dogs are perhaps as fit as I can remember for, Read More