Author: Kevin Wilson

Becoming the victim of a bear attack is a nightmare come true. The very prospect of confronting an aggressive, or even predacious black bear or grizzly bear is enough to keep many folks out of the woods. Despite their ominous reputation, grizzly bears and black bears are relatively reclusive, even timid at times. For the most part, they want nothing to do with humans … unless of course, they get some type of food reward. Statistically, over the past couple decades, grizzly bear attacks are on the rise across North America. But the good news is that we’re getting smarter…

What do you need to know about buying, transporting and using bear sprays? Every year, hunters, anglers, backpackers, and other outdoors enthusiasts venture into remote wilderness areas with bear spray in hand. Almost every outdoors person has taken the plunge and bought a canister of bear spray repellent. For most, the acquisition is quick and simple … but did we really understand what we were buying? We visited our nearest outdoor store, quickly looked at what the retailer had in stock, grabbed one, and went on our way, thinking we had checked the box for acquiring the best bear spray…

If you’ve never tried hunting bunnies with beagles, you’re missing out! In the distance I could hear beagles barking and bellowing! “Get ready, here they come!” whispered by friend Jerry. Waiting on a narrow trail, I readied. Sure enough, as the ruckus got louder, soon I saw a white Snowshoe Hare racing through the tangled woods. Shouldering my .410, I swung, gave it a lead, and pulled the trigger. The bunny disappeared and I have to admit, I thought I missed. “Great shot!” exclaimed Jerry! Running up to it, he met the dogs, walked another 10 yards inside the scrub,…

We’ve all stood on the bank of a stream, creek or river and studied it. Either confident in our ability to evaluate, or bewildered and not knowing where to begin, we try to figure out the best lies. After all, fish like structure, and it shouldn’t be all that difficult, right? Frankly, for fly fishermen and women, it’s an exhilarating part of the game. It is indeed a science and, once you learn where and why fish hang out in certain places, finding them becomes a lot easier. If you’ve yearned to wet a fly line but didn’t exactly know…

A dank familiar aroma filled the air. It’s one that goes hand-in-hand with willow-laden muskeg bogs and the moose rut in Alberta. Accompanied by yellow leaves wafting to the ground and the promise of calling in a big bull, this scene put a spring in my step. I’d already invested several days with little to show for my efforts, but experience had taught me that things were about to change. It was September 29, and one of my four favorite days to hunt moose. Why? Year over year, I’ve learned that where I hunt, the estrus kicks in at this…

Top 10 Firearms from SHOT Show 2024 So many guns, and so little time. Such is the life of an attendee at the annual NSSF – the Firearm Industry Trade Association – owned Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show). Reporting the highest number of exhibitors to date, the tone at SHOT was electric. While the noticeable absence of a few key players like Sig Sauer and Weatherby, the show itself has been described as the largest to date with From self-defense to hunting, virtually every type of firearm known to man can be found at this annual industry…

Wing shooters across North America flock to mid-western Canadian provinces each fall, for an opportunity to hunt pothole mallards and pintails. Find an active puddle and, nine times out of ten you’re in for a treat! Toss out a spread of a few dozen floaters, add a spinner to mix, and ducks will literally bomb into your hole without a second thought. Mostly a mid-west prairie phenomenon, mallards and pintails generally puddle before swarming the fields to feed, and this creates a world-class opportunity for wing shooters. Slowly cruising the gravel road, I noticed a small group of mallards in…

For the first open-water action of the year, look to bull trout for serious April angling fun. Winter can seem long, especially in the frigid northern states and provinces. By the end of March, most of us have had our fill of probing the hardwater and we’re more than eager for some open-water action. The problem is, in a lot of jurisdictions, April lands smack dab in the middle of no man’s land. Depending on where you live or where you travel to fish, many mainstem rivers may not even open until April or later. Such is the case in…

Tips From a Wildlife Conflict Mitigation Expert North America’s bear populations are on the rise. Between increasingly restrictive hunting regulations and protective laws, grizzly bear numbers, especially, are escalating. What does this mean for you? The risk of a bad encounter is going up. Are you prepared? Where regulations allow, many hunters run bear baits each spring and fall. Although they may be surprisingly rare, I can tell you both from personal experience and from hearing secondhand stories that bear conflicts do occur around these manmade attractants. But what about all of our other hunting and other outdoor activities? As…

In bear hunting, it’s vitally important to understand anatomy and shot placement Cautiously easing our way down the trail, we saw two black bears gorging themselves on the lush green clover just out of archery range. Just 10 minutes earlier, my wife Heather and I had spotted them in the distance and we were now getting close. For our spot-and-stalk bowhunting, we hoped to get within at least 40 yards. The hidden trail was well off the beaten track in Northern Alberta’s boreal forest. We were hunting in early June so spring rains had already affected the grasses and the…