Author: North American Outdoorsman Staff

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NAO is the window into the outside environment for readers pursuing their passions in hunting, fishing, camping, canoeing/kayaking, rock climbing, and all pursuits in the outdoors on the North American continent. We will present stories, tips and techniques to be a better outdoorsman, and be completely at home in the outdoor environment for a day, week, or a lifetime.

groom-trout-water

Spring is when it all comes to fruition in the brook trout waters of this Country, a period when brook trout enthusiasts are chomping at the bit to find that special lake with trophy-size trout. The problem with this idyllic scenario is that social and environmental forces often conspire to make fishing difficult, especially when it comes to trophy fish. For the ‘Spec hunter’ in search of scalestraining catches, competition from other anglers and copious other factors, can make for tough angling indeed. Finding, and maintaining a brook trout lake that holds potential for trophy fish can seem like an…

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tips-best-hunting-season

As hunters, we are optimists. We’re confident that this is the year that the 10-point buck will walk under our stand, we anticipate hearing an elk bugle through the timber, and we know it’s just a matter of time before we spot that big ol’ ram while glassing. I am no exception, and every year I feel like it’s going to be my best season yet. Of course, I’m usually wrong. However, the stars aligned in 2020 and I ended up filling all six of my Big Game tags here in Alberta. Here are six tips that led to my…

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red-stag-hunting

Escaping our cold Canadian winters for a little holiday is usually on most of our minds over the winter months, but this past year has been hard on all of us with COVID-19 restrictions as well. I have been lucky to have headed off somewhere on a winter hunting destination every year for the last number of years. And, thankfully, our trip to New Zealand happened just prior to this worldwide pandemic, because let me tell you – our red stag hunt was one for the highlight reel! New Zealand is a hunting paradise and worth every minute of the…

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Its always amazing to me the responses hunters give when you ask, “if you could have three tools for managing your hunting grounds what would you choose?” Some respond with illustrious tractors and no-till drills. While some respond that they don’t require any tools for property maintenance and hunting lands should remain wild and untouched. Others just aren’t sure what to choose, and for those that really want a maximum return and lower investment this article is intended to rethink investments and refocus in on what really is essential. When I first started hunting as a boy, I can remember…

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western-elk-hunting

In elk hunting there is preconceived fantasy, and there is reality. Elk hunting is filled with hard realities. Prepare to meet those demands and fill tags Everyone wants to kill an elk these days. Youngsters thousands of miles outside of elk habitat dream of someday hunting them. Intrepid hunters from “Back East” annually pack up and travel days to pursue elk. Those with the means to do so book expensive guided trips into wapiti country. And while many hunters make their dream of hunting elk reality, many fewer actually succeed in filling tags. The old adage of 10 percent of…

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apa-archery-mamba

This spring I had the opportunity to test the 2020 APA Mamba 33 MT. As a die-hard bow hunter, I thought it fitting to test the Mamba not only at the range but also on a 3-week spring bear hunt. I figured that some real-world testing would give bow hunters some insight into not only how the bow performs in controlled circumstances but also how it works in the field, in the weather and under pressure. Technical Specs from apaarchery.com: IBO Speed up to – 353 fps Brace Height – 6 7/16” Let Off – 80% Axle to Axle –…

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chatter-up-bass

When it comes to baits at our disposal, bass anglers have it pretty good. Tackle store shelves are laden with lures in every style and shape imaginable, but can often hook the shopper more easily than the fish. Bladed jigs, although not new to the scene, are a tremendous asset to the largemouth aficionado. An simple bait to toss and work, these vibrating wonders will chatter up a storm that fish find hard to resist – and rightfully deserve a spot in every anglers tackle tray. The Bare Facts The Z-Man ChatterBait lays claim to the title of original bladed…

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monter-bulls

I don’t know if there is anything more exciting than hunting elk in the peak of the rut… I’ve heard my share of elk bugles over the years, but it’s a sound that still gives me goosebumps. There is just nothing quite like that raspy shriek breaking the morning and evening silence, after hearing it once, you’re wrecked for life. Elk have seemingly evolved over the years in many places, becoming less vocal and harder to hunt most likely due to a combination of increased hunting pressure and more people trying to call, especially way before a bull is even…

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fishing

British Columbia prides itself on being the home to a vast variety of native fish species that inhabit the plentiful waterways this province has to offer. Anglers have a seemingly unlimited selection at their fingertips through every season and every method possible. Despite a heavy incentive on maintaining and protecting B.C.’s diverse indigenous populations there are a few non-native fish species that have been introduced and are climbing the ranks within the sport fishing community. There has been pushback against aggressive, illegally introduced, invasive species that threaten important stocks such as salmon and steelhead but one black-jawed, football shaped specimen…

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salmo-river-angler

“I remember thinking: it looked like a good trout river.” So thought James Baxter, a West Kootenay angler, when he first drove over the Salmo River in 1997. Little did he know then that he would come to spend the next 24 years of his life working, playing, and fishing on this river. The Salmo is a 60 kilometre river born from the Selkirk Mountains. It winds through stands of cedar, hemlock, and Englemann spruce, and it is visited by foraging grizzly bears and breeding Harlequin ducks. Prior to European contact, members of the Sinixt Nation — whose name translates…

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