SPONSORED CONTENT: PURINA PRO PLAN Your hunting dog doesn’t come with an owner’s manual detailing specific guidelines for his or her well-being. It’s up to you to work with your veterinarian to create an optimal preventive-maintenance schedule for your dog. Not only will it keep him or her healthy, it will also give you the chance to catch anything serious before it potentially becomes a major problem. “Regularly scheduled veterinary exams are the foundation of good preventive health care,” says Purina Chief Veterinary Officer Kurt Venator. “Preventive care is especially essential for sporting ..read more

Most of the people we meet slide in and out of our lives without leaving a trace. But “Bubba” Wood wasn’t most people. If you met him once, you never forgot him. Bubba, who died January 5 at the age of 83, defined the term “larger than life.” His given name was Martin, but no one ever called him that. He was Bubba, period, and in the overlapping worlds of wingshooting, sporting art, wildlife conservation and Texas high society, that was all the identification he needed. Kind of like Elvis. He was a member of the Skeet Hall of Fame, too, as well as a member of multiple All-American Skeet Teams ..read more

Embodying a history of family, friendships and choices This began as a drawn-out conversation about refurbishing an heirloom shotgun, and then it swerved sideways and got interesting. Years back, a friend called to discuss a ratty old side-by-side—an Ithaca Flues 12-gauge, Serial No. 369381—that had been in his family since 1923. It had two sets of barrels—long ones choked Full & Modified and short ones that were Cylinder & Improved Cylinder—but as a non-ejector Field Grade, it wasn’t worth much and was all but worn out. Unusable, in fact. Still, there was all this family patina on it ..read more

Lessons from the OSP Shooting School at Milford Hills My shooting, whether in the field or on the clays course, easily could be summed up in one word: mediocre. Yes, there were occasional glimpses of what I’d proudly call near-brilliant hits, but they typically were followed by exponentially more soul-crushing misses. In private, this was frustrating but tolerable; but in the company of others, it was downright embarrassing. Decades of private lessons from professionals and friends along with annual New Year’s resolutions to get serious and hit the clays course had yielded nothing but the same ..read more

For the shotgunner, there are few things as satisfying as smashing a clay target. Figuring out the lead, speed and perfect break point, and then having everything come together and seeing the target evaporate in a ball of dust. It’s the result of a good gun mount and proper shooting technique, and it typically requires plenty of practice—at least to do it consistently. Spring is a great time to get to the shooting ground—or the Back 40—and fine-tune the fundamentals. And the proper gear can help achieve smashing-good results. TOM BECKBE SHOOTING GLOVES For breaking targets at the range or dro ..read more

Combine several styles of hunts into one unforgettable trip From upland and waterfowl hunting to great food and rousing Bluegrass music, there's a lot to love about this Shooting Sportsman Endorsed Lodge. Shooting Sportsman Endorsed Lodge Profile:     Winghaven Lodge Providence, Kentucky Bluegrass music, fine bourbon and mouth-watering Southern cuisine are part and parcel of Kentucky culture, and they are among the many amenities at Winghaven Lodge. First and foremost, however, is great quail hunting. The team at Winghaven works tireles ..read more

SS Endorsed Lodges - 2024 Heritage 1865 This Shooting Sportsman Endorsed Iowa farmstead offers Midwestern pheasant and quail hunting with guides who are both highly skilled and extremely personable. Shooting Sportsman Endorsed Lodge Profile:     Heritage 1865 Promise City, Iowa Hunting upland birds on a Midwestern family farm is a truly classic wingshooting experience. Heritage 1865 is owned by the Ewing family, which settled in southern Iowa more than 150 years ago and now offers hunting for ring-necked pheasants and bobwhite quail on ..read more

SS Endorsed Lodges - 2024 Greystone Walk-up for upland mixed bag, flighted mallards, and European pheasant shoots are all offered at Greystone Castle Sporting Club, a Shooting Sportsman Endorsed Lodge in Texas. Shooting Sportsman Endorsed Lodge Profile:     Greystone Castle Sporting Club Mingus, Texas About 1½ hours west of Fort Worth, Texas, lies the country hamlet of Mingus, home to Greystone Castle Sporting Club. Greystone is a bastion of bird hunting excellence, offering everything a discerning wingshooter could desire. The physical ..read more

SPONSORED CONTENT: BRAYS ISLAND PLANTATION What shotgunner doesn’t dream of having a personal sporting clays course in his or her backyard? To walk out the door with a gunslip and range bag calling, “I’ll be out back!” While this might be a pipe dream for most, having access to just about every type of shooting activity is part of everyday life for the residents of South Carolina’s Brays Island Plantation. Brays might not be the only residential community to offer a shooting program, but it is one of the only places to make the shooting sports a major focal point of community building ..read more

A quick roadside scout on onX, a gas-station burrito and 30 miles of gumbo-ridden roads led me to this new hunting spot. And let me tell you: It did not disappoint! As I pulled up to the base of the mountain, the sun was rising over the hills, revealing a glistening hoarfrost covering the landscape. The air was cold and crisp, and heat emanated from the dogs as they waited for me on the tailgate to put on their collars. I don’t know what it was—maybe the full night’s sleep, the well-rested dogs or the fact that the burrito didn’t do a number on my gut—but it was one of those mornings that just ..read more