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This fall, the Department of Natural Resources wants to say “thank you” to Michigan hunters. The DNR’s Hunter Appreciation: Deer Drop-In Mondays are happening at locations across the state, and all hunters are invited to drop-in and say hello. Harvested deer are welcome but certainly not required!

Each Deer Drop-In Monday offers the chance to bring in a deer or lower jaw for aging, pick up free hunting swag* like patches, stickers, hand warmers, field-dressing gloves and more, and connect with DNR staff and fellow hunters and talk about the season. We hope you’ll stop by and share your story with us.

Mark your calendar and drop in at a location near you!

*Swag may vary by location, while supplies last.

Remaining event dates – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. the following Mondays:

• Nov. 3.
• Nov. 17.
• Dec. 1. Read more

Frenetic Feeders

Hardcore Waterfowl’s Rugged Series Full Body Mallard Decoys exude authenticity in looks and deeds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfv7ZPHNYEk&feature=youtu.be

MUSKEGON, MI – Waterfowl hunters often choose favorites when it comes to how and what they hunt. Loosely stated, there are goose hunters and duck hunters. Some prefer to hunt over water, too, while others love to field hunt. And many hunters are equal opportunists who do a little bit of everything. But, at the end of the day, what waterfowlers really want are ducks and geese locked up and finishing over decoys for easy shots. Read more

Idaho will hold its first-ever drawing for nonresident deer/elk tags in December

Nonresident deer and elk hunters interested in applying for general season deer and elk hunts in the first-ever Nonresident Tag Drawing can see what tags are available for 2026, and apply for those tags in December.

The Nonresident General Deer and Elk tags brochure lists tags for elk, regular deer, and white-tailed deer available by elk zone or hunting unit. It is to be used as a cross reference with the Idaho Big Game Seasons and Rules brochure, which specifies hunt seasons and boundaries, rules, and other information.

Important dates for 2026 nonresident general deer and elk tags Read more

The ruffed grouse and American woodcock seasons are well underway, and we want to hear how your season is going so far. Share information on your hunt and submit flush counts through the new Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock Dashboard.

The dashboard lets you quickly record the number of grouse and woodcock you flushed and view near-real-time results from fellow hunters statewide. It’s simple, quick and helps everyone track how the season is shaping up.

How to report

1. Open the Michigan Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock Dashboard.
2. Click Submit a Report.
3. Add your hunt details: date, county, hours hunted, whether you used dogs and flush counts for each species.
4. Submit, and then check the dashboard to see statewide flush rates and county-by-county trends.

The data in the dashboard changes as more hunters submit reports. By sharing your results, you help other hunters make the most of their season.

Find grouse and woodcock season details in the 2025 Michigan Small Game Hunting Regulations Summary.

Report Flushes

Last month, HuntStand, the No. 1 hunting and land management app in the country, announced the launch of HuntStand Ultimate. This all-new membership tier unlocks advanced tools not only for whitetail hunting but also for western big game animals, including mule deer, elk, and black-tailed deer.

Developed with input from leading wildlife biologists based on real-world research and data, HuntStand Ultimate offers all the powerful features of the original HuntStand Pro subscription, along with several exclusive tools that help users hunt smarter, including the following: Read more

More to the Score—Volume 20

Drop Tines, stickers, and kickers. Whale-tails and Wild country. We’ve got all that and more in this installment of More to the Score. 

Presented by Fiocchi 

We receive hundreds of field photos every year, and some of them are truly outstanding. The whole point of More to the Score is to showcase fair chase hunters in the field, filling their freezers, making memories, and bringing home a little something for the bragging board.

All data compiled using B&C’s Big Game Records LIVE! Click here to learn more about searching our online trophy database.

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Want to see the score charts too?

It’s easy. First, you’ll need to register on B&C’s website. It’s FREE and takes less than a minute to complete. If you already have an account, simply login to gain access.

 

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NON-TYPICAL WHITETAIL

B&C SCORE: 253-3/8 B&C points
LOCATION: Nickle Lake, Saskatchewan
YEAR: 2024
HUNTER: Kim R. Brady

 

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NON-TYPICAL WHITETAIL

B&C SCORE: 297-6/8 B&C points
LOCATION: Boone County, Indiana
YEAR: 2024
HUNTER: Wes W. Nicley Read more

Vermont is one of the most rural states in the country, and Vermonters have a proud heritage of living close to the land. Hunting is highly regulated and provides a way to connect with the land, connect with nature and connect with a healthy, sustainable food source that is rooted in Vermont.

Making the most of the meals provided by deer taken in hunting seasons starts with processing them quickly and correctly which is why the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has three online videos demonstrating how to process deer. Finding the videos is easy on the Fish and Wildlife website. Click on “Hunt” and then “White-tailed Deer” and “Processing Your Deer.”

The educational videos are titled Field Dressing a Deer, Skinning a Deer and Butchering a Deer.

“Correctly processing game can make a big difference in the taste of the meat,” said Hunter Education Program Coordinator Nicole Meier with the department. “Taking the time to do it correctly assures that you and your family will have many enjoyable meals ahead.”

The point of this quick and dirty elk hunting forecast is to help guide hunters who may be picking up the rifle or muzzleloader later in the season.

Sure, some might argue that the peak of elk season spans the first and last days of September while you traipse around the woods with a compound bow in your hand, listening for bugles. I’m not going to dispute that; however, there are several opportunities throughout the fall to go after elk, and the point of this quick and dirty elk hunting forecast is to help guide hunters who may be picking up the rifle or muzzleloader later in the season.

For those looking for regional-specific elk info, head to the bottom of this article—but hold off just a second. While elk conditions and populations can vary from region to region, there are a few general truths to elk hunting I’d like to highlight before diving into more localized information.

First off, a little background for context. Read more

The hunter called the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office as soon as he was able to report the incident.

On the morning of Oct. 18, a big game hunter shot and killed a male grizzly bear in self-defense after it charged him from a short distance away while hunting in the North Antelope flats area of Island Park on the Caribou-Targhee National Forest.

The hunter was hiking through thick timber when the grizzly came out of the brush, charging directly toward him. The man used the hunting rifle he was carrying to shoot the bear, killing it before contact was made.

The hunter called the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office as soon as he was able to report the incident. Idaho Fish and Game was notified and immediately responded to the report. After conducting a thorough investigation, it was determined that the hunter acted in self-defense as he was being charged by a bear from a close distance. Read more