WASHINGTON- Officials from Ducks Unlimited (DU) voiced strong support for the Federal Duck Stamp Act of 2014, a bill introduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate that would raise the price of the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (Duck Stamp) to $25 from its current level of $15. Read more

Let’s face it, sometimes planting in the late summer through the early fall can be tough. Except for the extreme North, the ideal planting time for cool season food plots coincides with three of the driest months of the year, August-October. Much of the country starts seeing the summer thunderstorms dry up around the first of August. With many landowners, hunting clubs, and outfitters planting in August and September, the conditions can be really dry. With the absence of rain in the forecast and soil moisture being almost non-existent, a lot of folks will have fields that are not up and growing until late fall. Not having a nice, lush, tender field to hunt over on opening day of bow season seems like the worst thing to some guys, but don’t give up yet. Late planted plots can be plenty effective for attracting deer and also providing cold season nutrition. Read more

By Glen Wunderlich

When Michigan’s new hunting and fishing license structure was introduced, along with increases in license fees, reactions were predictably mixed.  With jaundiced eyes, many of us took a wait-and-see attitude.

With the cost of food and fuel at all-time highs, who wants to pay more for anything?  Nobody.   Government, on the other hand, likes to employ code words and phrases, such as “investments in the future” to soothe our trepidation.   “Grants” is another word which meets with widespread approval from those on the receiving end but raises suspicion from those funding them – and, in this instance, it’s the outdoors enthusiasts that pay to hunt and fish.

Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has expanded its efforts to do what it said it would do with our money through the issuance of wildlife habitat grants, specifically designed to enhance food and cover for deer on private land.  Again, this is only one means cited in a dizzying array of grant programs available to applicants, but evidence of the new thinking has already materialized. Read more

New Haven, MO – Browning Camping introduces the Shadow Hunter Blind Chair for 2014 offering the ultimate in adjustability and comfort for the blind this fall. This blind chair is perfect for hunting in a permanent blind or to be used in a pop-up hunting blind on the ground The Shadow Hunter blind chair features a silent 360° swivel seat that is equipped with a sturdy base and a TechMesh seat with a backrest for unmatched comfort. When hunting on uneven ground, the Shadow Hunter has independently adjustable legs and large swivel feet to help with positioning that prevents the feet from sinking in. The Shadow Hunter has an adjustable seat height from 17”-23”, and has a weight capacity of 275 pounds. The Shadow Hunter blind chair has an MSRP of $119.99 Read more

Have you ever had a really nice food plot that the deer just didn’t seem to use that much, especially during the daylight? One really easy way to encourage whitetails to use a food source is making them feel safe. The older age class of both bucks and does can be really shy of big, open fields or food plots that are void of close cover. Here are a few suggestions you can try to make your food plots as effective as possible. Read more