Blog Entries for David Webb, Editor of Western Sportsman magazine

Cooking Wild Is Here!

editor@westernsportsman.com — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:00:00 +0100

The long wait is over! The best cookbook ever created for the outdoorsman, Cooking Wild, is in print and shipping next week.

We are so impressed with the way this book turned out. It is truly going to amaze everybody who has bought a copy. Don't have yours? CLICK HERE or phone 1.800.898.8811 to order it for only $24.95.

Written by Linda Gabris, Cooking Wild is a 200-page book that features 180 recipes for big game, fish, small game, birds and native plants, plus tips for harv [...]

The Economic Impact of Hunting

editor@westernsportsman.com — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 08:00:00 +0100

Right now, the Alberta Hunting For Tomorrow Foundation is undertaking a very important project — something that depends entirely on you. And it only takes a few minutes of your time to make your contribution.

It's a survey.

It seems there has been no concrete data compiled on the economic benefits of the hunting industry to the Alberta economy in 10 years... sadly out of date, especially since Alberta has seen not only significant economic growth in that time, but also g [...]

Fraser River Sturgeon!

editor@westernsportsman.com — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 08:00:00 +0100

The staff of Western Sportsman and BC Outdoors magazine met up last week on the Fraser River, near Mission, BC, for a day of sturgeon fishing -- and what a day!

Anyone who hasn't fished for these brutes has to try. Our biggest of the day was 63 inches long; a fish nearly 70 years of age. And that is about half as big and half as old as they get.

These fish are truly amazing: a strictly managed catch-and-release fishery, white sturgeon are North America's largest fre [...]

Who Is Gail Shea?

editor@westernsportsman.com — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 08:00:00 +0100

The federal cabinet was announced, including a new Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Prince Edward Island MP Gail Shea.

And the entire province of British Columbia, home of Canada's largest coastline, rolls their eyes.

I, for one, am going to give Shea the benefit of the doubt -- but really, I am sick of the East telling the West how things should be done. Especially in regards to the fisheries.

One of Shea's opening remarks after being appointed was "We have a [...]

Bear Defence

editor@westernsportsman.com — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 08:00:00 +0100

How can we protect ourselves in the woods?

Every year it happens — a rampaging bear takes another fellow outdoorsman. And every time, it gives me the heebie-jeebies. An instructor at a bear safety course once told me that if the average person knew how many times he has walked past a bear without knowing it, he’d never set foot in the woods again.
Hunters aren’t your average people — we usually are keenly aware of the wildlife in our vicinity. In fact, som [...]

Take 'Em!

editor@westernsportsman.com — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 08:00:00 +0100

It's a great time of year -- and we had a great shoot out near Killam, AB, the other day.

I met up with Dennis Isbister and Dave Dakin from Final Approach Blinds (FA Brand) near Killam, just south of Camrose, and had our blinds and decoys up before first light.

The shoot started off hot, and we were finished before 10:00 am -- just in time to catch and early lunch at Bruce's Place Resturant in nearby Daysland.

I was really impressed with FA's Sport U [...]

Season's Tips

editor@westernsportsman.com — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 08:00:00 +0100

I think the biggest hurdle facing any new hunter is access -- where do you hunt? Once that's figured out, the rest tends to fall into place. A good mentor or hunting buddy becomes invaluable here.

Practice is also key. This means range shooting, whether yoy shoot bullets or arrows. Bow hunters have a leg up here though, as they (we) can head into the hunt areas and shoot at targets (stumps) all we want. It's great real-world practice.

The best advice I've gotten thus f [...]

New Hunters - We're Here to Help

editor@westernsportsman.com — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 08:00:00 +0100

It's really no wonder fishing licences out-sell hunting licences about 5:1 in this country. After all -- a rod, a hook, a wieght and a worm is all you need to go fishing.

Oh, and some water.

Hunting is different. Hunting is more of a commitment. And a hunter is usually gung-ho from day one, whereas weekend warrior fishermen abound.

Not that I'm putting down the Gentleman's Sport of Angle -- I'm a fisherman born and raised. It's just that hunting is - diff [...]

40 Year Anniversary

editor@westernsportsman.com — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:00:00 +0100

In 40 Years of Western Sportsman, what has changed and what has stayed the same?

It never ceases to amaze me when I encounter a reader who mentions he has every copy of Sportsman ever published, dating all the way back to the spring of 1968. What amazing dedication that shows — not only to this magazine, but to hunting, fishing and conservation in general. It’s the ultimate compliment.
Of course, there have been more than a few name changes along the way: Alberta Fish [...]

Arctic Adventure

editor@westernsportsman.com — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 08:00:00 +0100

The Wild West frontier might be a thing of the past, but there is a frontier alive and well in this country -- the North.

I recently had the opportunity to travel to the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, with Plummer's Lodge, on a fly fishing trip for lake trout, Arctic grayling and Arctic char.

Let me tell you -- I thought I knew what "wilderness" was, but until I stood on the banks of the Tree River in Nunavut, 700 km north of Yellowknife, I had no idea. You can l [...]

Rivers Inlet - Home of the Hawgs

editor@westernsportsman.com — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 08:00:00 +0100

Well, I just returned from Rivers Inlet, BC, and Oak Bay Marine Group 's King Salmon Resort.

What a trip.

For anyone who is into big game hunting with a rod and reel, there's no better place than Rivers Inlet. During my five-day stay, six chinook over 40 pounds were brought into the lodge. It seemed like every chinook that bit was a tyee!

According to DFO officers on the water in Rivers Inlet, there had been five fish in the 70-pound range caught this year! And belie [...]

Successful Western Sportsman Fishing Derby

editor@westernsportsman.com — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:00:00 +0100

Rain-soaked though it may have been, last weekend's inagural Western Sportsman & BC Outdoors Salmon Fishing Derby was a huge success!

Held at Shearwater Resort & Marina , in Shearwater, BC, about 25 brave souls ventured out in a classic West Coast Summer storm to troll for chinook and coho and jig for halibut.

The result? Coho to 17 pounds, chinook to 25 pounds and halibut all the way to a monster 78 mouth-watering pounds.

Best of all -- every participant receive [...]

Alberta Draw Results Are In!

editor@westernsportsman.com — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:00:00 +0100

Despite the AlbertaRELM website giving us all some trouble this past weekend, the results are in and online for the 2008 Alberta Hunting Draws.

How many of us are happy? Personally, I'm still waiting on the results for the Archery Antelope, which is the one I was most excited for. I also did not get quite a few, but those were long shots. Anyone out there get bison?

It should be a good season. I'm interested to know if any Western Sportsman readers got some really ha [...]

Free Fishing!

editor@westernsportsman.com — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 08:00:00 +0100

Dust off the rods, this weekend, July 12 and 13, is both Alberta and Saskatchewan's Free Fishing Weekend.

This is a great program that allows everyone in the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan to fish without a licence - no excuses for not getting out there! I hope to see a lot of people with some seriously out-dated, worthless equipment fishing poorly this July 12 and 13.

Why? Because those are the people who haven't fished in a while and may just be considering pickin [...]

Let's Go Outdoors Radio

editor@westernsportsman.com — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 08:00:00 +0100

For those of you who enjoy Michael Short's radio show "Let's Go Outdoors Radio," you'll be pleased to know you can hear more about Western Sportsman magazine on some upcoming shows.

Not a listener yet? Check out www.letsgooutdoorsradio.com to find out more about the show.

While you're there, download out episode 12, where one of our writers, Duane Radford, talks about his article in the July/August Western Sportsman magazine.

Duane is the writer of [...]

The Future of Firearms

editor@westernsportsman.com — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:00:00 +0100

Everyone knows legally owned firearms are not the cause of violence in our streets. So why is the government trying to restrict them so heavily? The answer can be found in one long word: disenfranchisement.

“Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” It’s the simplest argument — and still the hardest to fight. Of course, you can amend it to make some concessions: “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people. With guns. And with other th [...]

Debunking Green

editor@westernsportsman.com — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:00:00 +0100

The road to hell is paved with good intentions and the noblest of goals can have the most tragic of consequences. It happens when we, as humans, look at situations with blinders on. Like a racehorse that can only see the finish line, we too can stumble, fall and break our leg en route if we fail to see all that is around us. Even environmental stewardship, an important cause for any sportsman, can also fall victim to a narrow field of vision. What I’m about to say here might raise a few ey [...]

Western Sportsman TV Commercial

editor@westernsportsman.com — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 08:00:00 +0100

Watch Wild TV and keep an eye out for our brand new television commercial! The 30-second spot will begin airing on July 1, but click the link below for a sneak preview:

CLICK HERE TO WATCH

Breaking News

editor@westernsportsman.com — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 08:00:00 +0100

So you've got the fish, game or birds — now what?

Western Sportsman is about to turn everyone into an outdoor gourmet, with the announcement of the pre-order availability of our first-ever cookbook, "Cooking in the Rough."

"Cooking in the Rough" will feature over 175 recipes for Western Canadian fish, game, birds and native plants , along with numerous tips and advice that range from aging meat to safe handling of fish.

It will be the best outdo [...]

Heritage, Here & Away

editor@westernsportsman.com — Thu, 29 May 2008 02:00:00 +0100

Heritage. Tradition. These are words that pop up a lot when we, as sportsmen, discuss hunting, shooting and fishing. Our fathers hunted, our grandfathers hunted and our great-grandfathers? Well, they probably did, but for most Canadians who don’t identify as First Nations, this is where our heritage starts to get confusing. After all, the heritage of our great-grandfathers, or at least, our great-great-grandfathers is usually set in another country. Therefore, for many of us, our huntin [...]