2026 Black Lake sturgeon season results announced

Leave a comment

Feb. 9, 2026
Contact: Neal Godby, 231-340-2621 or Tim Cwalinski, 231-340-0276

Anglers and onlookers view the sturgeon harvested during the 2026 Black Lake season at the sturgeon pole.This year’s sturgeon season on Black Lake (in Cheboygan and Presque Isle counties of Michigan) ended at 8:48 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 7. The season, which included spearing and hook-and-line fishing, was scheduled to run Feb. 7-11, or until the harvest limit of six lake sturgeon had been reached – but just 48 minutes turned out to be enough time.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources set the harvest limit for the season at six fish, though anglers were allocated a season quota of seven sturgeon by agreement with tribal governments. This limit was placed to accommodate the expected number of anglers and anticipate the possibility of near simultaneous harvest of more than one fish, as occurred in 2025.

There were 679 registered anglers this year. The harvested sturgeon ranged in size from 52.9 inches to 67.2 inches long and weighed 40.4 pounds to 79.4 pounds.

  • The first fish was a 61.5-inch male that weighed 50 pounds.
  • Fish number two was a 64.1-inch female that weighed 78.4 pounds.
  • Fish three was a 52.9-inch male that weighed 46.6 pounds.
  • Fish four was a 67.2-inch female that weighed 79.4 pounds.
  • The fifth fish was a 58.1-inch sturgeon that weighed 40.4 pounds.
  • The sixth fish was a 62.5-inch female that weighed 58.4 pounds.

Only one of the harvested fish had not been captured before by Michigan State University and the DNR during spring spawning runs in the Black River or during past surveys of Black Lake. The sex of the fifth fish, which was not previously tagged, will be determined using DNA from fin clips collected when the fish was registered. Read more

Fishing

Outdoor Oklahoma Adventures Raffle Tickets Available

Leave a comment

Tickets are available now for the newest slate of Outdoor Oklahoma Adventures raffle prizes from the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Foundation (OWCF). This year, you can put your name in the hat for unforgettable trips like a three-day bull elk hunt, a spring turkey hunt, or a guided fishing trip. You could even win an off-road camper, a Polaris ATV, a custom knife set, or a lifetime combination hunting and fishing license. Tickets are on sale now for just $10 each, and there’s no limit to how many you can buy! Read more

Contests, Hunting

Limitless Chances at the Hunt of a Lifetime in Arizona

Leave a comment

Wish you could have unlimited chances to go on the hunt of your dreams? Conservation First USA has opportunities for you! Just $10 a ticket enters you to win one of 17 Arizona Special Big Game Tags, and there’s no limit to the number of tickets you can purchase.

Here’s the breakdown of this year’s opportunities:

Three winners each for the following hunt permit-tags:

    • Bighorn sheep (2 desert sheep and 1 Rocky Mountain)
    • Bison (1 Kaibab, 1 Raymond, 1 House Rock)
    • Elk
    • Pronghorn

Read more

Contests, Hunting

ZeroTech Expands the Thrive HD Lineup with the Thrive HD 1-8×24 LPVO Featuring RAR Illuminated Reticle

Leave a comment

Nashville, TN — ZeroTech continues to push the boundaries of low-power variable optics with the launch of the Thrive HD 1-8×24 LPVO RAR Illuminated, engineered for shooters who demand lightning-fast engagement at 1x and confident precision at extended distances.

Designed around versatility and speed, the optic delivers a true 1x experience with a generous 124.8 ft field of view at 100 yards, allowing for rapid target acquisition and fluid transitions in dynamic environments. At 8x, the HD optical system and fully multi-coated glass provide crisp resolution and reliable target identification when precision matters.

Built for Modern Rifles and Real-World Use

The Thrive HD 1-8×24 LPVO features a robust 30mm maintube and is machined from 7075-T6 aircraft-grade aluminum, offering excellent strength without unnecessary bulk. Its streamlined form factor and low-profile turrets make it a natural fit for AR and MSR platforms, whether for duty, competition, or field use. Read more

Optics

Vintage Hunting Gallery—Volume 19

Leave a comment

 

From the Boone and Crockett Club

 

Vintage 19 cover

The Packout

Most hunters know that the fun stops once an animal hits the ground for good. Sometimes that means dragging a whitetail a couple of hundred yards. Other times, that means breaking down 1,000 pounds of hide, bone, and meat into manageable chunks. The best stories usually happen the farther you are from your rig. This slideshow features old rigs, pack horses, and plenty of sore backs.

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 log in to gain access.

 

Chandler Moose

SHIRAS’ MOOSE  

B&C SCORE: 205-1/8
LOCATION: Fremont County, Wyoming
KILL DATE: 1944
HUNTER: Arthur Chandler

In Fremont County, Wyoming, guide Frank Tettering put hunter Arthur Chandler on this Shiras’ moose still in velvet in early September. That moose is the second-largest Shiras’ in the records. Check out the number on that old license plate.
Read more

Hunting

Understanding Bullet Construction and Margin of Error

Leave a comment

Courtesy of the Boone and Crockett Club

Bullet construction

Why bullet design matters almost as much as practice and proficiency
By Chad Carman

Discussions around bullet selection rival debates over net versus gross and even caliber choice itself. Any online forum, Facebook group, or campfire conversation will offer endless testimonials of animals killed at extreme distances, steep angles, or with equipment that appears mismatched to the task. Those stories are real, and they matter. As a good friend of mine puts it, not many animals survive a bullet placed in the right spot. A well-placed shot through the heart and lungs will kill, regardless of construction. That truth has not changed.

Make no mistake, shot placement remains king. However, bullet construction determines what happens when things don’t go as planned.

Despite the ever-increasing number of hybrid bullet designs on the market, nearly all modern big-game hunting bullets fall into three foundational categories: cup-and-core, bonded, and monolithic copper. You will find combinations that blur those lines, especially as manufacturers apply polymer tips to nearly every option. Even so, understanding the underlying architecture remains critical to making ethical shot decisions in the field, based on conditions, distance, and the animal pursued.

The best bullet is not the most expensive option on the shelf or the one with the highest advertised capability. It is the bullet a hunter is willing to practice with, understands intimately, and can place with confidence when conditions are imperfect

Cup and Core

cup and core
Cup and core bullets consist of a lead core seated inside a copper alloy jacket that is mechanically joined but not bonded. This is the most traditional and widely used hunting bullet design in North America, and for good reason. Lead is an ideal material for controlled expansion. In cup-and-core designs, thinner jackets allow the bullet to upset rapidly upon impact, creating large wound cavities and efficient energy transfer. These bullets are typically accurate, affordable, and highly effective at common whitetail distances. Read more
Ammunition

Ongoing study seeks answers to Michigan’s stagnant moose population

Leave a comment

Researchers work to collar a moose in Marquette County in the winter of 2024-2025.

DNR, partners to launch second moose capture in UP

By ANDY HENION
Communications representative, Wildlife Division
Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan wildlife researchers are preparing to conduct the second phase of a collaborative study that aims to figure out why the Upper Peninsula moose population remains stubbornly stagnant.This month, researchers from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and Northern Michigan University plan to capture up to 43 moose from the animals’ core range in the western U.P. and outfit them with GPS tracking collars. In the project’s first phase, in early 2025, 20 moose were captured and collared.Check out previous Showcasing the DNR stories in our archive at Michigan.gov/DNRStories. To subscribe to upcoming Showcasing articles, sign up for free email delivery at Michigan.gov/DNREmail. Read more

Wildlife

Winchester’s Super Suppressed Ammunition Available at Retailers Nationwide

Leave a comment

CLAYTON, MO — Super Suppressed® is a premiere line of subsonic ammunition offered by Winchester®. With offerings in centerfire handgun, rimfire, and centerfire rifle, Super Suppressed is one of the most comprehensive subsonic ammunition product lines in the industry. Consumers can find Winchester Super Suppressed products at all major outdoor retailers carrying firearms and ammunition as well as local gun shops and ranges.

For those looking to maximize the performance of their suppressors, subsonic ammunition is a must. Winchester Super Suppressed® ammunition offers clean and reliable performance. It is engineered to keep suppressors cleaner by nearly eliminating lead vaporization from the bullet base. The jacket of the open-tip rifle bullets fully encapsulates the bullet base, while handgun bullets use a unique brass disc that encloses the base of the bullet, both features protect the lead core from high temperature exposure that can cause lead fouling.

Intended for target and range shooting, Winchester Super Suppressed® ammunition pushes velocities below the speed of sound to reduce decibel levels. Pairing subsonic ammunition with a suppressor optimizes noise reduction creating a safer and more enjoyable shooting experience. Read more

Ammunition

Warne Introduces New MaxLite MSR Scope Mount

Leave a comment

Warne® announces the release of the new MaxLite™ MSR Scope Mount, a lightweight, value-driven optic mounting solution designed specifically for modern sporting rifles.

The MaxLite MSR Scope Mount is precision-machined from 6061 aluminum, delivering a strong yet lightweight platform. Purpose-built for MSR platforms, the mount features robust construction, proper MSR height, and an ideal forward cantilever to help shooters achieve correct eye relief when running LPVOs and other modern optics. The MaxLite mount is available in both 1-inch and 30mm tube sizes, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of popular scopes. Read more

Firearms

FPC Files Fifth Circuit Brief in Lawsuit Challenging Federal Ban on Interstate Handgun Sales

Leave a comment

 

Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) filed its opening brief with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in Elite Precision Customs v. ATF, which challenges the federal laws prohibiting licensed firearm dealers from selling handguns to out-of-state buyers. FPC filed its appeal after the district court wrongly upheld the ban.

FPC is joined in this case by Elite Precision Customs LLC and two individual FPC members. The plaintiffs are represented by David H. Thompson, Peter A. Patterson, and William V. Bergstrom of Cooper and Kirk, PLLC, along with Cody J. Wisniewski of FPC Action Foundation and R. Brent Cooper of Cooper & Scully, P.C.

The brief was filed at the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which is based in New Orleans and covers Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Read more

Gun Control
1 … 7 8 9 10 11 … 2,022