Avoid ground shrinkage and learn how to take the best animal you can — whatever species it may be — that's what field judging is all about. Every hunter who has put his or her time into hunting big game has encountered ground shrinkage. It is...

Most stand sites are good, but a few key ingredients make a deer stand truly great. The problem with stand hunting for deer is that rarely do you find the perfect tree right where you want to bow hunt. How often have you discovered an amazing spot wit...

We all know about rattling for whitetails, but rattling for moose? Brad Fenson tells us how — and why — we should use the rattling technique this fall. Television hunting shows have really helped promote the concept of rattling for white-tailed de...

When ground moose comes to the table as Italian meatballs with spaghetti, you’ve got one heck of a trophy meal. This is one of the first recipes Mom taught me to make and to this day, it is still my favourite way to showcase moose at the table, espe...

Before the introduction of modern treestands, stalking game was the only method of hunting and in some countries this is still the prevalent method of the indigenous people. While it is certainly true that hunting deer from treestands has proven to be...

Venison Goulash: Bring home traditional, hearty Hungarian cuisine with this wonderful recipe. There are hundreds of recipes for plain old goulash but many of them, especially North American versions, are not even faintly similar to the real deal — a...

Big Game Kebabs:  A fun, easy way to serve supper on a stick! With a new hunting season just around the bend, here’s a fun, easy way to put those lingering packages of game meat to delicious use before they expire in the freezer. Everyone loves ...

Pressure-cooking your moose takes the pressure off the same old question, “What’s for supper?” When there’s a pressure cooker in the kitchen and a stash of moose in the freezer, you’re just minutes away from a hot and hearty supper any night...

The Elusive Kill Zone: A look at the fine line between a killing shot and lost game. I don’t know about you, but it makes me squirm every time I hear about “the one that got away.” No one likes to admit it, and, frankly it happens to hunters mo...

If you love a big, juicy burger that’s loaded with flavour, this recipe is for you! When you serve one of these super-sized patties on a bun with all the traditional toppings, it’s absolutely the best burger you’ll ever sink your teeth into. For...

Whether you take to the hills or hunt the open plains, bow hunting for mule deer is a challenging pursuit. Here are tips and tactics to get you started this fall. Beginner Mulie Bow-Hunting Equipment For the beginner bow-hunter, getting a bow that yo...

The best hunters know when not to take the shot. It was day seven of a 10-day hunt with Gana River Outfitters in the Mackenzie Mountains of the Northwest Territories, and we’d put nearly 80 km on our boots already. We were finally looking at th...

[caption id="attachment_1929" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Western Sportsman account manager Chris Holmes with a massive elk."][/caption] Once the animal is downed, the real work begins — here is how to get your game animal out of th...

Here’s an Old World recipe that turns ground game into a trophy meal: Venison Perogies! It’s impossible to pinpoint the origin of perogies as many European countries, especially those in Eastern and Central regions such as Poland, Ukraine, Romania...

Your definitive guide to selecting the correct calibre for the game you hunt.   Undoubtedly, the question of which calibre may be the optimum choice for this or that big game animal has generated more debate and campfire discussion than all bu...

How to hunt pronghorn antelope in Alberta and Saskatchewan.   If I were asked to choose a hunt that I would rate as one of the top “fun hunts” to be found, I would have to rank North America’s pronghorn antelope right near the top of my ...

Straightforward it is, but screw up your draw, anchor, aim or release and shot opportunities can go south in a hurry. Shooting a bow with accuracy requires technical expertise. Several muscle groups are mobilized and it demands both mental and ph...

If you can see the colour of a white-tailed deer's eyes, you’ve probably broken the 20-yard barrier! When we think of close range deer hunting, we typically think of bow hunting. Imperative for the archer, make no mistake, gun hunters too can capital...

I have used spike camps to hunt mountain sheep, caribou, mountain goat, mule deer, elk, bears and even moose. In fact, I have taken my best Dall’s sheep, mule deer, mountain caribou, grizzly bear, and moose with the aid of a spike camp. But what actually is a spike camp? I suspect any number of hunters may describe them in somewhat varying terms but, from my perspective, they are lightweight camps that are usually located in the heart of game country — at times in their very living room, minimally equipped for limited stays, and are readily portable and mobile for quick changes in location to accommodate one’s search for game.

In my book, a perfectly cooked game steak not only needs — but also deserves a special topping to crown it king of the platter! Below are a few cooking tips specially geared for game and some mouthwatering toppers that add excitement and flair to any steak — be it deer, moose, elk, buffalo, bear or other.

I was asked the other day by a non-hunter if I was a “Trophy Hunter."  My immediate, emphatic, unapologetic response was, “You bet I am.” And I am.  I have several sets of trophy antlers at home.  None of them are anywhere close to getting me...

Recipe special: Slow-cooking is the fast way to put supper on the table. What I enjoy most about crock-pot cooking recipes, aside from the fact that slow-cooked foods, especially meats, are extra tender, moist and delicious, is that I can be gone away...

My checklist for elk hunting in the mountains of Alberta and BC has been pared down to the bare essentials with the goal to travel light because elk hunts can be grueling affairs. I now wear full camouflage clothing — fall brown or fall grey dependi...