“alligator”

While Florida may no longer abound with the wild, jungly scenes once depicted in colorful tourism art, enlightened wildlife management has created a new era that’s good for hunters.

At present, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) estimates there are about 1.3 million resident wild alligators, up sharply from a low in the early 1960s that prompted the closure of legal hunting. The alligator population has been on the rebound since, and hunting seasons were reinstated in the 1980s.

Earlier this spring, NRA Pubs' Tom Rickwalder journeyed to Florida to hunt Osceola turkeys with the National Wild Turkey Federation, Bushnell and Federal Premium, among others. After tagging his bird, he was given the chance to hunt a management alligator in the state's swampland. Guided by Justin Guerry of Osceola Outdoors, Tom took his first-ever shot at a gator.

Make no mistake: Poachers are not hunters. Poachers are criminals and should be dealt with as such.

Though not the top of the ticket, there’s some quality eats and some hidden gems to be found at the Great American Outdoor Show if know where to look. Let Associate Editor Jon Draper's taste buds be your guide.

Field Editor Brian McCombie takes a closer look at the Marlin 1895GSBL.

Young Evan Farless joined Mike Tussey of Osceola Outdoors for a nuisance gator hunt in Florida earlier this summer. Armed with the LWRCI Razorback and an EOTech optic, Evan looked to drop his first-ever alligator. Get an inside look at the hunt with this video.

Mention wildlife conservation to folks on the street and they may think of endangered species like the giant panda or black rhino. But fish and wildlife in your local community also require and benefit from conservation. State and federal governments as well as nonprofit organizations all help to conserve fish and wildlife in the United States by following a set of principles called the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.

Bass Pro Shops has opened a new pyramid-shaped superstore, designed to be a national destination experience, in downtown Memphis.