Big Game

Javelina are one of the most underappreciated of all our big game species. Their unique history and physical features spark curiosity from hunters and other wildlife enthusiasts. What is not to like about a native pig-like critter that ekes out a living in dry, cactus-dominated Southwestern...

I just kept trying to breathe. The big bull elk was trotting forward with his head down as he chased another bull down the side of the mountain. “He’ll stop,” I said to myself as I did my best to hold down the rising panic I felt fluttering in my chest. He was 350 yards away, and I tried not to look...

This fall, Nick Schmitz, of Grand Forks, North Dakota, killed an absolutely massive bighorn sheep that stands to set the new state record. The story of his hunt began when he drew one of the most coveted tags in North America: a North Dakota bighorn sheep tag, of which North Dakota Game and Fish...

I didn’t expect to kill a buck. Didn’t deserve to. Last year, by the second to last weekend of Montana’s month-long rifle season, I’d gone deer hunting a grand total of zero times. My focus had admittedly been elsewhere: it was my bird dog Gunney’s first season, I was deep in the grips of the fall...

If you’ve hunted elk in the backcountry, you likely know a couple things to be true: it’s fun as hell, and big bulls often like to die in the gnarliest, nastiest places imaginable. While there’s not much you can do about that, there are a few ways you can shorten your packout, and it all depends on...

September is only a few days away, but we can already hear the bugles echoing off steep mountain slopes and the crash of antlers through the brush. To say we’re excited for elk season is an understatement. That’s why we want to see photos of the biggest and baddest bull elk you’ve captured on a...

In 1569, Spanish explorers saw pronghorn and simply recorded them as “goats” in their journal because it was not entirely clear to them what this odd animal was. Its similarity to African antelope eventually resulted in the widespread name “Pronghorn Antelope.” However, further evaluation revealed...

The following is a press release from The Mule Deer Foundation. The Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) today announced significant strides in expanding its conservation work on black-tailed deer and their habitat. MDF has dedicated thousands of man-hours, funding, and conservation work to both Columbia...

I’ve been driving through antelope country my whole life, often on the way to hunt other game. I’d see them out there, walking through the sea of grass, staring blankly into the distant horizon. And not just one, but hundreds. It almost seemed like they weren’t worth pursuing for fear of ease, as if...

Many people hunt hogs nowadays, employing a wide range of weapons and tactics, all of which offer fun and excitement. Still, for hair-raising episodes, wrestling a live hog to the ground might prove to be the most exhilarating—and dangerous. The adventures of a few hunters from forty-five years ago...

I’ve dedicated a full week to hunting black bears for the last three seasons, and I’ve come to a conclusion: this isn’t for the faint of heart. Black bear populations are less dense than elk, they don’t run in herds, and their powerful noses can sniff you coming from, literally, a mile away. That’s...

Mammals differ from species to species, but inside the chest, they are remarkably similar. Here, we’ll take a detailed look at the anatomy of feral hogs to better understand where shots will have the most impact. The following dissection of a hog demonstrates proper shot placement for that species...