Wild Foraging

On the hunt for morels, fiddlehead ferns, and ramps

By Jim Edlund

Another winter has departed from the Upper Midwestern landscape. Stream trout season is open; turkeys are gobbling; crappies have moved into shallow bays; and thousands upon thousands are chasing willing walleyes on rivers.

I can remember learning as a kid that blooming lilacs and oak leaves the size of a squirrel’s ear signaled two springtime activities: shallow-water crappie fishing and morel mushroom hunting.

With a bead on the weather, you know it’s morel hunting time when night-time temps are consistent in the high 40s to low 50s at night with daytime temps in the 60s, occasional rain, and a return to soil temperatures between 45 and 50 degrees.

If you’ve never hunted morel mushrooms, it’s a great excuse to explore the woods and waters. And it’s hard to put a price tag on potential bounty, although fresh morel mushrooms can fetch between $20 to $100 a pound depending on availability.

At the same time you’re hunting morels, there’s a good chance you’ll stumble into delicate fiddlehead ferns and wild ramps, especially near streams and creeks. Read more

Wildlife

The Headrest Safe Company Participates in $5K Jacob Grey Spring Giveaway

The Headrest Safe Company™, LLC, innovators of the ultimate discreet vehicle safe storage system, is proud to announce their participation in the 2024 Spring Shooters Giveaway with your chance to win the ultimate Jacob Grey Firearms package including a Headrest Safe Vulcan bundle, a $599.00 retail value! The contest runs until May 31st, 2024. Join the Headrest Safe and Jacob Grey Firearms for the most exciting collaboration of the year.

This landmark collaboration brings several of the shooting sports industry’s most renowned brands together to offer this incredible opportunity. This exclusive giveaway not only promises to elevate your shooting experience, but also to kit you out with some of the finest gear and accessories available on the market with a prize value of over $5,000! To enter, simply “click here”. Read more

Ammunition, Firearms, Promotions

Motor City Walleyes

Tips and tricks learned on the Detroit River can play into your walleye fishing hand.

Among bucket-list spring walleye fishing destinations, the Detroit River is legendary. With both trophy potential and numbers, the river draws scores of anglers each year, many partaking in the run as an annual rite.

One of those anglers is Judson Rodriguez, who escorted Whitewater Fishing staff on the metro moving waters, all in search of big, photo-worthy fish. Below, Judson offers his advice for anglers thinking about fishing the Detroit—including the when, where, and how of it.

“In early April, the water temp was between 43.3- and 43.8 degrees. As we got into a little more stained water, the water temp came up a bit. We fished a lot of those water areas where clear water met dirty and found fish there, which is typical,” says Rodriguez.

“There was a good mix of spawning females with lots of smaller males in the mix. We started fishing at 6:30 a.m. each day so we could see what we were doing. The best bite is typically around daybreak, so we had about an hour to pluck big females. Then, the rest of the day, it’s sorting males until about 6 p.m., and then you’ve got a shot at another big one.” Read more

Fishing

Sign Up for CMP’s 2024 Talladega D-Day Event, Now Featuring Shotgun

Mark your calendars as the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) hosts the annual Talladega D-Day event, set to be held June 6-9, 2024, at Talladega Marksmanship Park in Alabama. Registration is currently open, so sign up now to join this commemorative occasion!

This year, the Talladega D-Day event will honor the 80th anniversary of the Allied Forces landing at Normandy Beach in France. Guests will be able to celebrate the heroes of the World War II generation through diverse marksmanship competitions and activities scattered throughout the 500 acres of Talladega Marksmanship Park.

New for 2024 – D-Day will include a special shotgun tournament on Talladega’s 15-station Sporting Clays Loop! The competition will take place on Saturday, June 8, and will include 200 clays for two-person teams. Register for the D-Day Shotgun Tournament at https://app.scorechaser.com/tournament-PAKQN0CJWGM0X1. Read more

Firearms

Share Your Thoughts with the DNR at Upcoming Meetings

The Department of Natural Resources is committed to providing Michigan residents the opportunity to share input and ideas on policy decisions, programs and other aspects of natural resource management and outdoor recreation opportunities.

One important avenue for this input is at meetings of the public bodies that advise the DNR and, in some cases, also set policies for natural and cultural resource management. Frequently check the DNR boards, commissions, committees and councils webpage for updates.

The links below will take you to the webpage for each group, where you will find meeting details such as location and agenda (when finalized). Please check these pages often, as meeting details may change and sometimes meetings are canceled. Read more

Firearms, Hunting, Wildlife

Hornady Manufacturing Reloading App

The Hornady® Handbook of Cartridge Reloading, the most comprehensive and trusted reloading reference for decades, is available in app form.

Like the bound and eBook versions, the new Hornady® Reloading App provides everyone from the novice to the seasoned handloader everything needed to successfully reload a variety of rifle cartridges from the 17 Hornet to the 50 BMG and handgun cartridges from the 22 Hornet to the 500 S&W.

The convenience of a mobile app, paired with the Hornady® catalog, brings power and knowledge to reloaders while browsing at a sporting goods store, practicing at the range, or trading at a gun show. Read more

Ammunition

SAF Travel Advisory: Avoid Turks and Caicos Islands

To all U.S. gun owners Do Not Travel to the Turks and Caicos Islands, a British Overseas Territory located southeast of the Bahamas, and if you have already made plans, reconsider your destination.

SUMMARY: Since November 2022, at least eight American tourists have faced “firearms prosecutions” for inadvertently having ammunition in their luggage. In the past, tourists had been able to pay a fine, but as of a judge’s ruling in February of this year, violators are subject to severe prison time.

Firearms and ammunition are strictly forbidden in Turks and Caicos. Read more

Firearms, Gun Control
1 … 89 90 91 92 93 … 1,840