Free Republic

My brother, who is a superb hunter, tried out a new turkey technique this morning.  I got his call at 8:30.Turkey populations in Wisconsin have boomed in the last 15 years.  There were none in the state when I was growing up in the 60’s.   When I was taking care of my mother, I saw a flock of two dozen of them wander about the house.  The property borders the St Croix/Namekagon wild river national park.  I recall reading articles about how hard wild turkeys were to hunt, but my brother has had excellent success. This year he decided...

There are many hog facts, some for hunting, some for conservation issues, but these are good to know during a cocktail party or just to put more porkers on the table. 1. Wild hogs have roamed America since Hernando de Soto introduced them to Florida in 1539. 2. Male and female wild hogs have tusks. They have extremely sharp edges because the upper and lower tusks overlap. The constant gnashing of teeth sharpens the tusks, which make formidable weapons. 3. Wild hogs are just that, domestic pigs gone wild for several generations. Javelinas or collared peccaries are an entirely different...

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife enforcement division has a limited number of wardens available to cover the entire State. There are approximately 400 wardens responsible for protecting our natural resources from poachers. Considering that there are over three million sportsmen in California, wardens are definitely outnumbered in maintaining order in the outside world. A few years back I decided to pick up a deer tag down in San Diego County, very near my office at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Early the next morning I met Jason at the parking lot near the hunting area. We...

You read the headline correctly: Namibia took a giant step forward for hunters yesterday when the country’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism said it will officially oppose any calls to restrict hunting and export wildlife products. Chalk one up for common sense as the Namibian government got around worldwide anti-hunting extremists seeking to stop hunters’ critical conservation efforts—and, in turn, destroy the economic benefits hunters provide... the cabinet voted to go on the record as a pro-hunting nation, opposing any and all hunting bans-and to campaign against any bans proposed in the future. ... You may recall that the rhino...

Have a look at this Hillbilly Gopher Trap. Take a moment before you watch and say a prayer for gophers everywhere. Once you see this Hillbilly 5000 in action, you'll want one. All you need is some electrical tape, some boards, and a shootin' iron. Add some fishing line, strap 'em all together and you've got a gopher-killing machine. Ingenious, ya'll. See the Hillbilly 5000 in action here.

On 26 February, the Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act of 2015, also known as H.R. 2406, passed the U.S. House of Representatives and was sent to the Senate.  It was a party line vote; 230 Republicans voted yes, 4 Republicans voted against the act.  161 Democrats voted against H.R. 2406; 12 Democrats voted for it.  30 representatives did not vote; 17 were Democrats, 13 were Republicans. The bill contains numerous reforms, primarily to clarify and reform previous legislation, much of which is being abused by bureaucratic rules, or state and local governments. While the bill is not a...

Hunters and outdoorsmen have been known to be a very literal and straightforward group of people. Perhaps that’s why rescue should be very specific with instructions, otherwise you end up with someone taking what they say quite literally and end up making the wrong choices, look at this video here.

Feral swine are considered pest species in many countries, including the U.S. They reproduce fast and destroy billions of dollars worth of agriculture and live stock each year. Now more than ever, hunters are trying to kill wild pigs as fast as they can. But there are some dangers. Wild pigs are exactly that - wild. They can be very aggressive, and when hunters get too close, they'll charge fast. If they make contact with a hunter, they'll often bite hard with their razor sharp teeth. See the wild pig video here.

For a nature photographer, capturing a scene of epic predation is akin to winning the lottery. Yes, it isn't pretty. But it depicts the real and very much raw struggle to survive that takes place daily in the animal world. A professional photographer Christopher Martin was touring Banff National Park, when he happened to come across an elk uneasily moving back and forth across a railway overpass, he knew he was in for a scene that portrays real-world wild life struggle for survival. See the rest of the story here.

If you like to hunt and fish you better pay attention to this proposal. The feds are creating their own little fiefdoms on Alaksa refuge lands. The proposed regulations grant too much authority to refuge managers. They literally have dictatorial powers. It certainly sets up the right environment for corruption. They are even trying to make it difficult for the public to testify. The environmental extremists showed up at the Fairbanks meeting in force. It appears their plan is to get these regs passed and install their man as manager. (It makes one wonder what the Bundy's issues were in...

Check out this great website for hunting and fishing enthusiasts. Willie Robertson endorsement under "the Man for the Job". Lots of volunteer sponsors maintain this website.

Watch how close this Leopard comes to ripping this hunter apartTrue there isn't any leopard hunting in Cali, but you may come across a cougar. Hunting any type of cats is very dangerous, but after seeing footage like this, it might just be the deadliest. So I guess, if you're into this type of adrenaline pumping hunt, this is it. So imagine being there in a similar environment. Dogs barking, your adrenaline is pumping and you know that cat is hiding somewhere in the brush watching you. Yet you continue on, step by step, closing in on what you know...

Hello "Fellow" FReepers; Since I was asked to help out on this page, I have been figuring out how do we discuss Prepping with out going over board? So now let us gather 'round and discuss with calm cool head/s & level thoughts. What are we prepping for. [Just remember to use Operational Security Rules (OPSEC), keep your mouth shut on your specific gear] Not everyone here is friendly to our/your cause or self! So now, what are we worried about, storms, economic collapse, civil unrest, grid down, earth quakes, pandemic, or what. I have several nightmare scenarios, that keep...

<p>MADISON -- Wisconsin deer hunters will now be able to wear blaze pink instead of blaze orange after Gov. Scott Walker signed a bill into law Thursday morning.</p> <p>Walker's office says the governor signed 21 bills. Most of the legislation was passed by the Assembly and Senate with bipartisan support.</p>

Yes, hunting deer with eagles is a real thing in Hungary. Indeed they do, and the eagles are the perfect tool for the job. The apex bird of prey anywhere just has to be the eagle. With massive power and large sharp talons, this magnificent bird of prey has all the tools it needs to down big game. These hunters in Hungary have teamed up with eagles to pursue deer. With amazing gracefulness, the eagles descent upon their prey and make the kill. Human partners move in quick to make sure the eagles are safe. Then the eagles get the...

No, this isn't the one that you see on youtube of an eagle attacking a small deer. It's another one out in the open field, not sure exactly where. You'll see the eagle come screaming across to nab the deer and they both tumble with the eagle taking a dominant position. Have a look here.

As a massive hockey fan as I am, I have become fascinated with the penalty box, the Ryker's Island of sports, in reality a jail cell where offending hockey players are sentenced in two- to 10-minute increments for charges ranging from cross checking to hooking, slashing to holding the stick (no jokes intended). When you are guilty of said crimes, your pays the price and has to trudge on - a man down mind you – while the player must sit and watch in timeout in a tiny, isolated space. It's one reason why I enjoy hockey so much. Think...

Is this really Hunting?Deer season is pretty much done for most of us across the country. We know the real struggle of it, too. Sitting out there through the wind, snow, ice, and all around terrible weather conditions hoping to fill our freezers can be rather daunting. But isn't real hunting all about roughing it out in the wilderness cold? However, there are some that hunt out of luxury deer stands that don’t share this pain. These hunters, the other half, sit on sofas and watch TV while hunting. If it starts to snow, they grab a blanket, turn the...

Taking 12ga to a whole new level of destruction. 12ga slugs have been rightly known as good stoppers on dangerous game, but tend to over-penetrate in hominids. OATH Ammunition has two new designs that solve over-penetration along with greatly improving reliability in box-fed shotguns. Above is their 1.25oz 1600fps all-copper slug designed to expand to an incredible 2.5" and penetrate just enough to punch through a hostile human with little energy left to harm anyone downrange. If you've ever heard the expression: "a hole big enough to toss a cat through," consider that cats can fit any opening larger than...

Here's your Happy Friday video for you hunters. You've heard of the debate gun vs a knife in close quarter battle. The twenty-one foot rule comes to mind for those in the LE role, which means at that distance you should have ample time to react and draw your pistol. The main thing about it is when sh!t hits the fan, and the guy with the knife is upon you, you must fight hand to hand prior to having to pull out your pistol. Man vs CatThe excerpt image above from a video shows this fella defending against a leopard....