“bear hunting”

A float through the Minnesota Boundary Waters inspires the author to rediscover a lost art.

Few experiences in a hunter’s life compare with acquiring an over-the-counter tag for an emperor goose, or hunting a flock of 80,000 brant or any other of the myriad waterfowl that live on the Alaska Peninsula. And the fishing here—fuggedaboutit. This is a wingshooting and fishing paradise.

We share our top five affordable big-game hunts in North America so you can expand your horizons without breaking the bank—or moving your pillow and blanket to the dog house.

Sure, everyone wants a bull elk or a record-book whitetail, but these five hunts should also be on your bucket list.

For defense in the backcountry, look no further than Winchester Big Bore. Whether bear-hunting or simply seeking bear defense, Big Bore delivers the penetration and energy transfer needed to stop a big ursid in its tracks.

What it means and how to cope: a dismal but honest look at the current state of Western tag allocations, with ideas for alternate hunting adventures.

Maine is home to a wide range of large and small game and lots of public land on which to hunt it. Could the Pine Tree State be hunting’s best-kept secret?

While it may lack the speed and shapely beauty of modern contenders, this nearly 150-year-old cartridge continues to prove itself in the field. Whoever said nothing lasts forever obviously never met the .45-70 Gov’t.

Maine’s Matt Whitegiver has guided hunters for more than 40 years. Today, he lives to guide Special Operations veterans to Big Woods adventure—and perhaps a path back to peace.