For some, the definition of a deer rifle is MOA accuracy. Others just want a rifle that goes “boom.” Less negotiable is a rifle’s reliability. The next two cartridges had better feed into the chamber, every time. About 10 years ago, those of us who were once obligated to use a shotgun or muzzleloader for deer hunting were able to use a rifle in Ohio. A pistol cartridge rifle for the most part. But who cared? We were thrilled. Giving little concern that most rifles in those calibers were the least expensive in the manufacturer’s line. Unless you were willing to spring for a lever action. Soon t ..read more

Maybe the spirit of George Palmiter is smiling down on me this spring from the Great Stream in the sky. I could use the help. Palmiter, who died a dozen years ago, was nationally known as the “River Rat” and celebrated for his low-tech, minimalist “green” method of keeping streams free-flowing without the need for bulldozers, backhoes, and other destructive machinery that too often has turned creeks and rivers into channelized, barren ditches devoid of habitat. The post Steve Pollick: Tending to Froggy Bottom Creek a labor of love appeared first on Outdoor News ..read more

Turkey hunting is supposed to be heart-pounding. Gobblers are supposed to march into your decoys and respond to your calling. But that doesn’t always happen. In fact, when dealing with long-shanked, old birds, it rarely, if ever happens. Yeah, it would be nice if all birds played by those rules, but they don’t, so in order to be consistently successful at tagging turkeys, you sometimes have to break from the norm and get a bit spicy. The post Versatility pays off as much as any trait in the turkey woods appeared first on Outdoor News ..read more

A big reason why first-season turkeys are generally easier to kill is because they’re often locked into a destination food source. The post How to hunt toms on an insect heavy diet appeared first on Outdoor News ..read more

In Minnesota and beyond, resource agencies across the country are managing elk and deer populations infected with chronic wasting disease. The post Scientific abstract scrutinizes two human deaths, but there’s no evidence CWD has jumped species barrier appeared first on Outdoor News ..read more

Dunkirk, Ohio — Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever named Austin Roby as the new regional representative for Ohio and West Virginia. With his leadership skills and conservation experience, Roby will work with local chapters to further the organization’s goal of improving public and private lands habitat for pheasants, quail, and other wildlife. “Austin is armed with a steadfast commitment to environmental stewardship and a proven track record of executing impactful initiatives,” said Matt Christensen, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s director of chapter and volunteer services. “He is eage ..read more

A Mahoning County magistrate recently ruled against a lawsuit intended to stop a controlled deer hunt at Mill Creek Metroparks. The lawsuit brought forth by area citizens challenged the way the metroparks control deer numbers on park property. The post Ohio’s Mill Creek Metroparks to proceed with deer culling appeared first on Outdoor News ..read more

Columbus — The Ohio DNR (ODNR) Division of Wildlife invites the public to attend an open house to learn more about chronic wasting disease (CWD) in whitetailed deer. CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer. During the open houses, Division of Wildlife staff will discuss the biology of CWD, test results from the 2023-24 deer hunting season, efforts to slow the spread of the disease, and future management plans. A question-and-answer session follows the presentation. MORE WHITETAIL COVERAGE FROM OUTDOOR NEWS: Ohio Reader Stories: Young hunter shoots big buck in short o ..read more

Northern bobwhite quail and other grassland bird species have declined significantly over the last several decades. A primary cause of these declines, according to the National Bobwhite and Grassland Bird Initiative, is loss of native grassland habitat. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced a new conservation initiative to help overcome that problem. The post New sign-up to benefit quail on hand in Ohio and through range appeared first on Outdoor News ..read more

A controversial bill recently surfaced and was quickly defeated in neighboring Kentucky that would have put that state’s natural resources authority into the hands of the department of agriculture. If this scenario sounds familiar to Ohio’s legion of hunters and anglers, it well should. It wasn’t all that many years ago when there was talk here about folding the ODNR Division of Wildlife into the Ohio Department of Agriculture. The bill was met in Kentucky with the same vigor as the notion was in Ohio: It was a bad idea. The post Ohio Insider: Kentucky bill attempts to put state’s natural reso ..read more