Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2024 i Game & Fish East

I had just finished settling into my stand when the ruckus started in the cedar thicket off to my right. Though it was still dark and I couldn’t see what was causing the racket, I just knew the breaking branches and hollow thuds had to be coming from a buck chasing a doe. It was, after all, the second week of November in Virginia, and the rut was cranking. The noise continued intermittently for the next 10 minutes before the cool woods went silent and the darkness turned to gray. When it was light enough for me to clearly see the iron sights on my flintlock, I issued a few grunts from the tube that hung around my neck. Moments later, I heard him coming. The buck, a wide 8-point, sauntered…

Not all that long ago, suppressors were not very common. You likely didn’t know anyone who had one, and you rarely saw one at the range. That’s changed. Suppressors are now one of the most popular firearms accessories, and they’re frequently used for recreational shooting, competition and hunting. If you’re thinking about purchasing a suppressor for hunting, there are some things to consider: namely, legal concerns, your rifle’s characteristics and what you require from your suppressor. LEGAL LOGISTICS Suppressors are legal to own in 42 U.S. states, and legal for hunting in 41. First things first: check your state’s regulations. If you purchase a suppressor in your name, only you can use it; others can only use it if they’re in your company. However, if you purchase through a trust,…

It was opening morning of the Kansas firearm deer season, and there was a very real chance that a whitetail buck larger than any I’d seen in my life stood less than 200 yards away. I had just entered a box blind set on the ground atop a sandy knoll, and if I had spooked any deer at the nearby feeder on my walk in, I hadn’t heard them run off. So far so good, I figured. By headlamp light, I carefully extracted from my pack anything I might need to have close at hand for the duration of the hunt and gently set it on the spare metal folding chair inside the blind. I grabbed the already loaded detachable box magazine, inserted it into my Mossberg Patriot and slowly…

A heavy-bodied, chocolate-racked buck materializes in the oaks. Nervous as a feral tabby in a kennel of Rottweilers, it slowly picks its way down the trail. Eventually, it’s inside of bow range and broadside. Following a quiet draw and a smooth release, the buck is down within sight. That scenario is the stuff of dreams for countless Eastern public-land hunters and an occasional reality for those obsessed with killing bucks on hunting grounds that are open to all. We asked some of the East’s top public-land veterans to share their best advice for hunting pressured whitetails, from gaining access to scouting to proven tactics to adopting and mainting the right mentality. HUNT PRIVATE THAT’S PUBLIC While most of the best hunting land in the East is privately held, public-land hunting…

Watching a trained dog flush pheasants from cover is a cherished pastime of upland bird hunters, and there are several states in the East where they’ll have great opportunities to do just that this fall. These states offer put-and-take pheasant hunting, where released birds are available to hunters during specific timeframes. Ringneck pheasants, known for their size, strength and beauty, are not native to North America, but were introduced in the late 1800s and have since become a favorite among upland bird hunters. An adult pheasant can escape a predator almost vertically; once airborne, they can reach speeds of 40 mph. The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology provides a map showing where ringneck pheasants can be found throughout North America, and most of the New England coastal states are right in…

Shane was just 15 when trail cameras hit the market, but he was already obsessed with hunting big bucks and knew right away that a camera would help him bag a giant. He had to have one. His father, on the other hand, was more skeptical. “I don’t know if I like the idea of having to buy batteries and film for it all the time,” he told Shane. “Well, Dad, don’t you always tell me that a big buck’s best defense is not letting you know that he even exists?” “Yes, I believe that. But you know how you can tell if a buck exists without a camera?” “How?” said Shane, anticipating what his father was about to say. “It’s called scouting. Spending time in the woods. Reading sign.…

BEST STATES FOR WHITETAILS We crunched the data—such as harvest records, trophy potential, season length and public access—to rank the top deer hunting states in the nation. To see which ones lead the list, read “America’s Best Whitetail States.” LIVE FROM THE RUT Things are heating up in the whitetail woods. Our experts provide timely info on whitetail activity to help you tag a buck in our weekly “Regional Rut Update,” running through the end of November. THE FFS DEBATE Forward-facing sonar has had such a tremendous impact on bass fishing that some bass tournament circuits are changing competition rules in response. Find out why in “Pro Bass Circuits Limit FFS Use.” NEW DEER AMMO These hard-hitting loads won’t let you down when that monster 12-pointer comes into view this…

For every chase-filled, buck-laden, rut-crazed day I’ve had while hunting in November, I’ve had probably two dozen that were as dull as televised golf. Truth is, as much as I love bowhunting white-tails in November, I must also admit that it can be one of the most frustrating periods of the deer season. Why? Because the rut, by its very nature, ebbs and flows. It can also be heavily impacted by external forces, with hunting pressure at the top of that list. Over the years, I think I’ve become much more efficient and effective during November hunts because I’ve learned some hard lessons about what to do, what not to do and when to do either. Like most things, I think experience serves as the best teacher. Here’s what…

Amonster buck slinks past a trail camera, and poof, like a ghost, it’s gone again. You recognize it as a deer that briefly visited the property the season before, but it didn’t stick around long then either. You’re left wondering if it’s a deer you’ll ever have a shot at hunting. We call these “drifter bucks.” So how do you hunt these seemingly nomadic bucks? Let’s look at the different types of drifter bucks, why they’re classified as such and how to find them. DRIFTER BUCKS DEFINED “Drifter” is a very loose term for a deer that seems to move from one area to the next. It’s here today and gone tomorrow. Very few deer behave this way, though. By nature, whitetails aren’t nomadic. Instead, most become quite loyal to…

Mr. Around Him was definitely going around him via the road ditch! Our hunting guide, Milton Around Him, a proud Native American from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, took a sliding detour off the road and around a stranded motorist on the ice-covered highway. For the past couple of days, winter’s first attempt had brought a downpour of rain instead of snow, resulting in sheets of ice everywhere. Despite the road of ice before us, I had convinced Milton to show me a new deer hunting location on the opposite side of the reservation. As we sped down the highway at a gripping 15 mph, the car ahead of us started sliding backward down a slight hill, forcing Milton to take the ditch. Luckily, the ice-covered grass provided better traction,…

It was a shock to most of the shooting world when Springfield Armory introduced the Model 2020 Waypoint bolt-action rifle. Unveiled in 2020 (hence the model number), with COVID raging across the world, the new rifle from Springfield was a bit of good news. Later came the Model 2020 Redline with a shorter barrel and minimalistic stock. A few months ago, Springfield announced another version of the Model 2020 called the Boundary, a traditionally styled hunting rifle with a few well-designed twists. The Boundary is built around the same action and comes with the same 3/4 MOA precision guarantee as the Waypoint. This push-feed action features an extractor positioned in the face of one of the bolt’s two lugs. Set 90 degrees to the centerline of the bore, the extractor…

In Colorado earlier this year, the state Senate narrowly confirmed a vocal anti-hunter to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission, the body that governs the state’s wildlife-management agency. The Kansas legislature passed a law this year that gives authority to appoint Wildlife and Parks commissioners to various elected officials, including party leaders of the state’s House and Senate and the Kansas attorney general. Vermont’s state Senate approved a bill in March that would have radically transformed the Fish and Wildlife Board from an independent rule-making body into an advisory board to the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, the very agency that it historically has had the authority to govern. While that bill died in the state House, it revealed surprising support for considering changes to traditional fish-and-wildlife management. In general,…

I In Partridge Shortenin’, a book privately published in 1949 by Gorham Cross, the author, known as “Grampa Grouse,” details the killing of three limits of three grouse each by 11 a.m. Cross, H.G. Tapply (of Field & Stream’s “Tap’s Tips” fame) and the legendary uplander Burt Spiller were the hunters, so you know that they had some serious bird hunting cred. “One at a time, five partridges left those pine tops,” the account goes. “We fired, loaded, screamed and fired some more in frenzied bursts. When the skirmish was over, we hung three fat partridges in the car’s game net and drove north.” By my count, the three hunters killed their nine grouse while moving about 120 total birds in a scant number of hours. These days, 20 starts…

If you’ve never tried porgies before, you’re in for a big surprise because they are truly one of the best-tasting saltwater fish. “We’ve got guys and gals who are regulars on the boat, and they know exactly how to take the best care of their fish, and that does not include burlap sacks” says Capt. Greg Dubrule. “When they come onboard, their cooler is already prepared with an ice-and-salt slurry. When the fish is flipped onto the deck, they bleed it and put it into the slurry-filled cooler. That’s the absolute best way to ensure that you’ll have awesome fish.” According to the Johnson & Wales culinary school in Rhode Island, the best way to treat scup is to gut them, remove the fins, scale them and pat them dry.…

Among hunters, the Zeiss name is synonymous with exceptional optics. The German company relies on nearly 180 years of experience manufacturing various optical systems to produce high-quality riflescopes, spotters and binoculars. Extraordinary glass doesn’t come cheap, and Zeiss optics have an equal reputation for being on the pricier side. Most of Zeiss’ top-end offerings run well above the $1,000 mark. At least that was the case until the new Conquest HDX binocular line debuted this fall. Hunters can now get premium German glass in several classic configurations right around $1,000. The new Conquest HDX series includes seven models: 8x32 mm, 10x32 mm, 8x42 mm, 10x42 mm, 8x56 mm, 10x56 mm and 15x56 mm. The first four come in at or under a grand, while the models with 56 mm objectives…