This guide to being a better hunting partner comes from our friend Kolin Quick, who heads up the Wild Fish & Wild Game Club of Seattle, Washington. To be invited by a friend (new or old) into the great unknown to engage with the wild is a tremendous honor, and should be treated delicately.  Here is Kolin's 10 tips to ensure you get invited back a second time... From the mountain top highs of success to the brambly lows of failure, few experiences push the limits of relationships and friendship than being—and having—an outdoor adventure partner. Outside of marriage, only your hunting partner will see you at your lowest—no sleep, soaking wet, bruised ego, covered in bug bites, warts, and all....

I take one last gasp of air and say goodbye to the world of endless breath. I begin my descent, and use the 17 pounds on my weight belt to my advantage. At roughly 40 feet, I become weightless; I am zeroed out. A rush of tranquility shocks my head and slowly seeps into the rest of my body, ending in my fingertips. For the first time in a long time, I feel at home. While trying to cope with old feelings of freedom again, I begin surrounding myself in a school of baitfish. My goal: try to convince these fish that I too belong in the ocean. Now comfortable and curious, the fish begin to swarm me but it’s...

In any quest there is a moment of uncertainty. With any crazy idea, the question of “are you sure?” finds itself tugging at your core. Fishermen and women are defined by the constant tug-o-war between elation and dismay, feast and famine, curse words and joy-filled laughter. I have a friend who says, “I come into fishing with the very highest expectations, only to have my dreams completely crushed.”  Instagram is really good at making it feel as though everyone is catching fish—except you. The sad truth is that act of fishing has, in many ways, lost its art—and I’m not talking about a Scottish fly fisherman throwing beautiful salmon flies on a foggy morning. Fishing has turned into a grip and grin at arm’s length. An...

I was encouraged by how much fresh sign we were seeing, and pleased to have laid eyes on at least one cow elk so far.  This was Day 4 of my 2020 Idaho Elk hunt. Aaron and I had bumped into a local guy this afternoon who was more than happy to relay stories of his past success, trends he had observed in the behavior of the local herds, and dismay that he didn't draw a cow tag this year and was only able to hunt an over-the-counter bull tag. Charlie—as we learned his name to be—was walking fairly slowly through the woods, but nothing about his presentation made you think "ah, this guy is dialed in as a hunter".  He...

Luke Clark and the Rose Bros (Zach and Matt) took a swing at a Southern California turkey hunt this Spring.  They sent me one photo of a turkey from their time in the field—a hen standing behind a fence about 8 feet away from a "No Hunting" sign. Thanks to Mossy Oak for outfitting the boys with gear—can't blame the lack of turkeys on the equipment.  All photos: Luke ClarkGear: Mossy Oak  For those of you who did fill your turkey tag this season, here's a recipe for Wild Turkey Carnitas from Hank Shaw.