I’ve dedicated a full week to hunting black bears for the last three seasons, and I’ve come to a conclusion: this isn’t for the faint of heart. Black bear populations are less dense than elk, they don’t run in herds, and their powerful noses can sniff you coming from, literally, a mile away. That’s why it’s crucial to dial in your bear-hunting kit. When the bears are staying hidden on the hillsides, you don’t want to be too cold or too hot, fighting tired eyes from an uncomfortable sleeping situation, or nursing sore feet. When that shot finally does present itself, you need to be confident th ..read more

Ryan Watson and Bryan Hagerich didn’t know each other before they got arrested and jailed in Turks and Caicos earlier this year, but now they’re making plans to go elk hunting together as soon as they return to the United States. Unfortunately, that first step–returning to the U.S.–feels like a bigger challenge than bagging the biggest bull in the mountains. “Even to this day, I think I’m going to wake up from this and it’s going to be over,” Hagerich told MeatEater. “But it’s your new reality, and I don’t know if it will ever sink in.” Watson and his wife, Valerie, gained international attent ..read more

Steven Rinella and Cameron Hanes archery hunt for wild hogs in Texas. It's mid winter and before they sit down to record episode #522 of the MeatEater Podcast, Steve and Cameron take advantage of the excessive wild pig population on a south Texas ranch ..read more

Few things rival the sense of accomplishment that accompanies killing your first turkey. This is especially true if you commit a few seasons’ worth of blunders along the way. The season I killed my first bird, I managed to miss or spook a legion of turkeys all in the first two weeks. I put on a masterclass for how not to kill a turkey, and more than a few longbeards honed their survival instincts that year. However, those mistakes made my first turkey even sweeter. So sweet that when I finally ran to grab that 17-pound gobbler, his pencil beard, which might’ve eclipsed eight inches, felt like ..read more

Elk are the largest animals most American hunters will ever have a chance to harvest. For that reason, once a hunter is ready to step up from whitetail deer to elk, the first question they ask is: do I have enough gun to get the job done? We’re here to help you answer that question. The MeatEater crew has harvested their fair share of elk, and our recommendations are derived from years of in-the-field experience. If you go with one of the cartridges below, you’ll have plenty of power on tap to take down an elk–as long as you put the bullet where it needs to go. Jump to: The Elk Cartridges We U ..read more

When Teddy Roosevelt famously advised foreign policy wonks to “speak softly and carry a big stick,” he may have been thinking of this rifle. This giant, .70-caliber Hawken rifle was not only owned by the president who founded the Boone & Crockett Club, hunted for the Smithsonian, and launched the modern conservation movement. It was also, according to the Roosevelt family, owned by none other than Kit Carson. “We hear all kinds of family stories of how some particular item may have made its way into the family or who owned it previously,” observed Rick Henley, Executive Director of Acquisi ..read more

A common factor that turkey killers share is their attention to setups and how they anticipate a turkey will navigate the terrain and vegetation. Head over to YouTube and watch some videos; you’ll notice how folks quickly analyze their position, where the turkey gobbled, and how they need to set up before they ever make a call. That type of analytical thinking will get you one step closer to turkey schnitzel for dinner. Compared to calling strategies, gear choices, and turkey loads, setups are a grossly overlooked factor in the turkey woods. Instead of blaming a lack of success on henned-up go ..read more

As soon as I saw my daughter lift her face up from the shotgun and look at the trigger, I knew what was going to happen. There are just some moments as a parent where you instantly know you’ve made a mistake. Before I could say anything, she pulled the trigger on her little youth 20-gauge and bloodied her lip. In a split second, the house of cards we had built by shooting airguns and .22s collapsed. Getting walloped in the mouth cured her of wanting to shoot any gun with real power, and the hopes of her first turkey blew away on the breeze. And it was all my fault. Recoil Realities The recipe ..read more

When someone contacted me recently to suggest this Caliber Battle matchup, I couldn’t believe we hadn’t done it before. If you ask your average American hunter which big boy caliber he uses, the .300 Win. Mag. and the 7mm Rem. Mag. are the two most likely candidates. And the data backs that up: among the product offerings on Midway USA, these are the two most popular magnum rifle cartridges in the country. The popularity of both cartridges speaks to their efficacy, but if you have to pick one, which is better? That’s the question we seek to answer in the Caliber Battle series, and this matchup ..read more

On this episode, Steve and Cal take out former NFL players and now Bussin' with the Boys podcast hosts, Taylor Lewan and Will Compton, on their first ever duck hunt. First, the team heads to the practice range for a little clay pigeon shooting and waterfowl identification practice. After Steve put the boys through their practice paces, the group head to the field for an incredible day in the blind. Steve and Cal are surprised by Taylor and Will's shooting ability, and are able to round out the day with some of Cal's giblet gravy ..read more