Best States for the Biggest Elk

By PJ DelHomme 

Using the most up-to-date data from the Boone and Crockett records, we compiled the entries from the last ten years to bring you the states (and counties) that give you the best shot at killing the bull of a lifetime.
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Elk of any size are fascinating creatures. Sneak in close enough to hear the mews and chirps of cows and calves and call that a memory. Get between a herd bull and his harem, and you have a real hunting story. Being within earshot of a record-book bull is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many of us. Sometimes, we get lucky and win the tag lottery. Other times, we burn 20 years’ worth of points to hunt a trophy area. And some hunters pay top dollar to hunt the best areas for the biggest bulls. Regardless of your journey to the record books, it’s always an exciting ride.

The Boone and Crockett Club recognizes four distinct categories of elk: tule, Roosevelt’s, and non-typical and typical American elk. Roosevelt’s and tule elk are found only in western North America, and tule elk are found just in California. Typical and non-typical American elk are found across North America, including east of the Mississippi River.

The Best Elk State Overall Read more

Hunting

Fishing Boat Seized After Walleye Tournament Scandal Sold in Auction

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife announced that the fishing boat seized from Chase Cominsky, 37, of Hermitage, Pa., was sold through an online auction Tuesday. Cominsky and Jacob Runyan, 44, of Ashtabula, were convicted in May 2023 of felony cheating and misdemeanor animal ownership charges.

The forfeited boat, a 22-foot Ranger, was sold in an online auction that closed on Tuesday, July 23. The winning bid for the boat was $82,000 with a final price of $96,288.50 including fees and taxes. The boat was offered for sale with its motors and trailer.

With this money, the Division of Wildlife will purchase a new Lake Erie law enforcement patrol vessel for Ohio Wildlife Officers.

In 2022, the Division of Wildlife received a report of individuals cheating during a walleye fishing tournament in Cleveland. The resulting investigation seized a boat, motors, and trailer and penalties included a three-year fishing license revocation for both individuals. Read more

Fishing, Poachers

Help Shape the Future of Michigan’s Managed Waterfowl Hunt Areas

Calling all waterfowl hunters! Join the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Saturday, Aug. 3, 3:30-6:30 p.m. at the Saginaw Bay Waterfowl Outdoor Festival to learn about planning efforts for the DNR’s managed waterfowl hunt areas, or MWHAs.

The open house will be hosted in the auditorium of the Saginaw Bay Visitor Center located inside Bay City State Park, 3582 State Park Drive in Bay City.

Michigan’s MWHAs were created to offer exceptional waterfowl hunting opportunities and are managed to provide quality waterfowl habitat for nesting and migration and for the benefit of other wetland wildlife. To clarify habitat and recreation management priorities for these Wetland Wonders, the DNR Wildlife Division formed a planning workgroup to establish goals and objectives for the next 10 years for the six areas within the Managed Waterfowl Hunt Program: Read more

Hunting

Benelli Announces Migration Madness Sweepstakes 2024

Accokeek, MD – Waterfowl season is on the horizon. Get ready for the ultimate showdown of the season with Benelli’s epic Migration Madness Sweepstakes!

This year, Benelli is doubling down with over $30,000 in prize packages, and the madness kicks off at the 2024 Delta Waterfowl Duck Hunters Expo from July 26-28, 2024, at the Raising Cane’s River Event Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. You can swing by the Benelli booth (#261) in the Champions of Delta row to dive into the action. But if you can’t make it to the Expo, no worries! The Benelli Migration Madness Sweepstakes opens to everyone on July 26, 2024 and runs wild until September 30, 2024. Enter at your local Benelli dealer or head to the Benelli Migration Madness Sweepstakes hosted by Shoot ON.

The Grand Prize is a jaw-dropping prize package worth over $17,000 that features a set of three Benelli SBE3 shotguns in 12-, 20-, and 28-gauge, an amazing Benelli gear and apparel collection, a $1,500 Banded/GHG online shopping spree, Migra ammo for all three shotguns, and an epic hunt for two at the Strait Lake Lodge in Arkansas with the legends from Benelli, Banded, and Migra. And that’s not all! There are four additional Flyway Prizes worth over $3,000 each, loaded with a Benelli SBE3 12-gauge shotgun, a $500 Banded/GHG shopping spree, and a case of Migra 12-gauge ammo.

For all the details, terms, and conditions, check out the Benelli Migration Madness Sweepstakes on Shoot ON—your go-to source for everything firearms and shooting sports. Winners will be announced on or around October 7, 2024. It’s time to dominate this waterfowl season and discover the best in premium shotguns and centerfire hunting rifles at BenelliUSA.com. Get ready to unleash the madness! Read more

Contests

Wildlife Research Center Launches Trail Cam Photo Contest

Wildlife Research Center, the industry leader in the research and development of advanced hunting scent and human scent elimination products for hunters, is excited to announce the launch of the company’s 2024 Trail Cam Photo Contest. The contest runs from August 1 through December 31, 2024, so there is plenty of time to get your most outstanding trail cam photos entered for a chance to win bi-weekly prizes or the Grand Prize Package.

Entering the contest is easy. Simply submit your choice trail cam photos throughout the season that include one of Wildlife Research Center’s popular scent kits in use. These include the new Golden Rope Scent Rope Kit, the Active Branch Mock Scrape Kit, or the whitetail hunter’s perennial favorite, the Scrape Dripper.

The contest is hosted by Shoot ON, the industry’s authoritative source for firearm reviews, DIY gun tech, and all things shooting sports and personal defense. Just visit the Trail Cam Photo Contest page to enter and upload your photos. This contest allows participants to upload up to one photo per day throughout the contest period.

This year’s Grand Prize Package will include several products from Wildlife Research Center as well as products from other top brands in the hunting industry: Read more

Contests, Wildlife

Rise in Bear Populations Calls for Hunting

How hunting is key for responsible wildlife management

Many states throughout the continental U.S. are seeing a rise in black bear populations. Population growth pushes bears into human-dominated areas that are unsuitable for wildlife, precipitating a comparable increase in dangerous conflicts with humans, pets, and livestock.

Undoubtedly, this warrants a wholesale reevaluation of population management strategies. Bears play an essential and unique place in our ecosystem, but they must be managed at a level coincident with human populations.

Only feasible tool

Regulated hunting is the only feasible tool for this aspect of wildlife management. While most U.S. states have implemented regulated bear seasons, some have not and should strongly consider this as an option.

The state of Louisiana recently approved its first black bear hunting season in 40 years, a move supported by the SCI Foundation. Maria Davidson, SCIF’s Large Carnivore Program Manager,(pictured) has been instrumental in this decision, having previously worked for the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Department on black bear recovery. Read more

Wildlife

Davidson’s Exclusive Pietta “Clementine” in 22LR and 22WMR

PRESCOTT, Ariz. – Davidson’s, one of the nation’s top firearms, ammunition, optics, cutlery, and accessories wholesalers, has collaborated with Pietta, Italy once again to produce a unique and desirable exclusive single-action revolver.

Pietta is known worldwide for their authentic historical firearms reproductions. Davidson’s is pleased to partner with an Italian firearms company that has such a rich history and continues to develop exclusive firearms with them.

This new exclusive Pietta single-action is the first rimfire revolver Davidson’s has offered in their extensive 100% Italian-made Pietta collection.

The Clementine comes with both a .22 LR and a .22 WMR cylinder. Both fluted cylinders have a ten-round capacity. Read more

Firearms

Pietta and Sports South Trump Revolver Collaboration Continues

Pietta Firearms, the leader in refined, historical firearm reproductions and quality, innovative, modern firearms have once again collaborated with one of their long-standing partners, Sports South to create not one, but two highly sought after 2024 Trump single-action revolvers.

“It comes as no surprise that we’ve been getting a lot of requests for Trump products,” said Jared Long, Merchandising Manager at Sports South. “In 2020, we had great success with the first Trump edition and due to the political climate now, we’re anticipating even greater successes with this edition. We’re anxious to let our valued dealers have the opportunity to purchase these exclusive guns.”

The “Trump 2024” Collection consists of two single-action revolvers that can either be bought as a set or individually. Both revolvers are adorned with engraving throughout, including the Presidential Seal on one side of the grip and a map of the USA with the American flag on the other side, Trump himself is depicted on the cylinder, “Donald J. Trump” on one side of the barrel and “Keep America Great 2024” on the other, and several other Trump specific engravings. Individually, customers have the choice of an all-black revolver (including grips) or a nickel-plated revolver w/ ultra-ivory grip. Available in either .45LC or .357 Magnum. Regardless of the election, these revolvers, whether bought separately or as set, are sure to become collectors items. Read more

Firearms

Henry Repeating Arms Donates 50 Custom Rifles for 10-Year-Old Florida Girl’s Cancer Treatments

Henry Repeating Arms, the world’s leading lever-action firearm manufacturer, announced today the release of a limited-edition series of fifty “Team Baylee” lever-action rifles to raise funds for the family of 10-year-old Baylee Rish of Wewahitchka, Florida. The donated rifles, which are now available for purchase while supplies last are a continuation of the company’s ‘Guns For Great Causes’ charitable efforts, focusing primarily on pediatric cancer cases and children’s cancer hospitals.

In December 2022, Baylee was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), a rare and aggressive form of blood and bone marrow cancer. Treatment is intense, with some weeks consisting of up to four consecutive days of chemotherapy treatment, spinal tap chemo injections, and spinal bone marrow sampling, and there is still more to come as her course of treatment runs through March 2025.

Available exclusively through Henry Repeating Arms’ website, all proceeds from the “Team Baylee” rifle sales will be given to the Rish family to help offset mounting insurance copays and the out-of-pocket expenses associated with traveling 2.5 hours each way for treatment.

Additionally, the first and last rifles in the collection, serial numbers TEAMBAYLEE01 and TEAMBAYLEE50, are up for auction to allow collectors the chance to enhance the fundraising effort. Total proceeds should exceed $40,000.

“There are few things in this world more unfair than a childhood cancer diagnosis,” said Anthony Imperato, Founder and CEO of Henry Repeating Arms. “To endure what these kids go through during treatment and still be able to crack a smile that lights up the room is nothing short of awe-inspiring. The opportunity to help these families is a part of our business that I deeply cherish, and I’m sending a big hug to Baylee and her family.” Read more

Firearms

Whitetails Unlimited Grants Over $191,000 to 4-H

In the last fiscal year, Whitetails Unlimited has granted over $191,000 to 4-H groups in multiple states that are providing kids with a sense of community, mentors, and learning opportunities to develop the skills they need to create positive change in their lives.

Head, Heart, Hands, and Health are the four Hs in 4H, and they are the four values members work on through fun and engaging programs. Whitetails Unlimited is the nation’s premier nonprofit white-tailed deer organization and a strong supporter of educational programs and shooting sports.

With their DEER Program (Developing Educational & Environment Resources) that focuses on outdoor education, Whitetails Unlimited partners with 4-H, a U.S.-based network of youth organizations whose mission is “engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development.” Environmental and wildlife education programs such as shooting teams, focusing on safe handling of firearms, and clay target shooting by 4-H certified coaches can help youth develop a sense of responsibility, initiative, and self-worth, and build life skills such as confidence, independence, resilience, and compassion. Read more

Hunting
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