Happy fall, ya'll! 

It's the best time of year! Aside from my wife's constant pumpkin spice cover scent, things are all hunting all the time around our house. Allie is in the best shape of her life and we are eager to work the upland fields soon. 

Man, am I excited about this issue of The Hunting Wire! 

We have some of the most comprehensive material in the industry in this edition with superb writing from our Voice of Leadership Panel, and up and coming outdoor writer Dan Larsson who writes about stalking a black bear in high grass in Montana with a single-shot rifle. We also kick off The Collegiate Rookie Series - Waterfowl Edition - Sponsored by Benelli featuring the staff and students of Louisiana State University and their outdoor industry partners. Be sure to listen to NWTF's podcast in this issue which features an interview with the LSU staff. But wait, there's more! Jim Curcuruto tells us about some great shooting sports work being done around the country, and Hunting Wire Radio keeps our ears primed for hunting season with news and information. Plus, we have tons of industry news about people, products, and programs!

As always, I really care about making The Hunting Wire the very best it can be. Shoot me a note at jay@theoutdoorwire.com if you have a way we can improve it.

Have a great season everyone, and be safe!

-- Jay Pinsky

By Ryan Hoover – Director, Handgun Hunters International

Venison Neck Tacos: Meat from the smoked neck can be used in various ways, but the author likes tacos best!

It’s time for Americans to readjust their sensibilities about what they eat. For too long, we’ve resisted adding good foods to our diet because our modern brain has found a way to convince us that certain foods are not suitable for consumption. In many other parts of the world, tradition or necessity have kept some of these foods in the local diet. As a hunter, I’m specifically talking about using more parts of the animals we hunt in the kitchen.

It never fails. I’ll describe how much I like to use the organ meat of the animals I hunt to someone, and they’ll immediately make The Face. You know the one. The nose wrinkles, the mouth goes flat, and the eyebrows furrow. It’s a sure sign that whomever I’m talking to thinks the food I’m describing is “gross.” I guess I can’t blame them. You’re not likely to find venison heart or liver on any of the menus of the local restaurants!

All of this is so unfortunate, as organ meats provide delicious and very nutrient-dense meals. Organs are high in protein (obviously) but also contain a host of nutrients like iron, vitamins A, and several types of B, as well as the minerals zinc, magnesium, selenium, and copper - all of which play a role in our body’s health function.

Let me stop here to say that there are some folks for whom organ meat consumption is not a good idea. If you suffer from gout, organ meat can exacerbate that condition. Also, while most research suggests that dietary cholesterol has little to no effect on your body’s total cholesterol, this is not true for about 30% of the population. For those people, their total cholesterol numbers could be at risk by consuming too much high-cholesterol organ meat. I am not a health professional, so I recommend discussing it with your doctor and nutritionist if you have concerns.

Also, you must ensure that any organs (as well as muscle) you consume are from healthy animals. If you notice off colors, spots, or other irregularities, it’s best to discard those pieces. Before you eat any internal organs, check with your local wildlife department to find out if there are any known illnesses or parasites.

How do we overcome the stigma attached to these wonderful pieces of meat? First, realize that organs (and other offcuts) are just as much a part of the animal we’re eating as the backstraps, tenderloins, and further beloved cuts of muscle meat. The second is by learning to prepare them in a way that reinforces that this food is good, not just some type of food medicine you should eat because someone told you to.

When cooking most organ meat, there is only one method to consider - hot and fast. The best and easiest way to cook organs is to fry them in butter. Other easy methods include grilling and stir-frying. There are a few exceptions to this hot and fast rule, but not many. For instance, some more muscular organs (heart, tongue) can be smoked. However, nothing will turn you off organ meat quicker than an overcooked, dry, tough piece. What organs am I talking about? Here’s a breakdown of the most common organ meats I eat and some basics.

Heart: If you want to dip your toe into the world of organ meat, I suggest starting with the heart. It is, after all, another muscle. The heart does not have any mineral taste that most other organs do and has a delightfully snappy texture when prepared right.

The author’s traditional after-hunt meal. Hobo Heart Hash is made with onions, potatoes, and venison heart fried in butter.

For example, it’s my tradition to make what my buddy calls “Hobo Heart Hash” after a hunt. This simple recipe of onions, potatoes, and diced venison heart cooked in butter and bacon fat. Cook the potatoes first until they are just about done, then add the onions and cook for a few minutes. Turn the heat up hot and add the deer heart, cooking for about a minute, and then eat! This is a simple method that I’ve also used to cook liver, kidneys, and testicles.

Kidney: Another excellent option for the fry-in-butter method, kidneys do have more of that tremendous mineral taste. Some must acquire this taste. Others already love it - but you never know until you try. A great way to prepare this is in the famous English recipe, steak, and kidney pie. Just replace the beef parts with venison for a wonderful savory dish.

Liver: The liver is the most famous - or infamous - organ meal. Liver and onions are a classic dish and are quite delicious when prepared right. You can do a couple of things to ensure yours turns out right. First, soak the liver in salt water. This will draw out most of the blood in the liver and clean up its taste. The second - and I know I keep saying this - is not to overcook it. The overcooked liver is not good and will put you off it. Undercooked is much better, but you can search online for the best recipe for you to use.

Tongue: The major exception to the hot and fast rule is the tongue. The tongue must first be boiled to soften and loosen its exterior membrane. Once that’s done, it can be pickled, stewed, or fried. The tongue is another one that does not have a weird flavor. A properly prepared tongue can be like a fantastic pot roast. I love pickled tongue on crackers or as part of a charcuterie board.

Tongue takes the longest to prepare, but it’s worth it! Pickled tongue on crackers with cheese is delicious and a party favorite.

Testicles: While not exactly what I would call a whole meal (unless the whole deer camp contributes), testicles are a delicious snack. A membrane needs to be removed on the outside, but then they can be sliced and sauteed briefly in butter or used to make venison Rocky Mountain Oysters.

When we talk about shrinking the gut pile, remember, it’s not just organ meat that gets underutilized. Large bony parts of the animals we hunt often end up as fodder for the scavengers or just thrown into the grind pile. Don’t forget there’s meat on the neck, head, ribs, and shanks of deer, too! This meat is difficult to remove and get large, usable chunks off but is perfect for low and slow cooking methods that break down toughness and get meat to fall off the bone. Speaking of bones, don’t forget to save yours for making game stock!

This season, I will take my advice and try even more of the animals I hunt. This year, it’s going to be the intestines and stomach. Recently, while helping a buddy butcher hog, I saved the intestines for chitlins. I highly recommend this fatty, crunchy, delicious dish if you have never tried it. Also, one of my favorite foods is a Mexican dish called Menudo. It’s made with beef stomach. I’m hoping to experiment with making those recipes with venison parts!

Venison neck that the author smoked for 6 hours and then left in the oven overnight at 200 degrees. The bone just fell out. 

When you head to the field this season, remember that the animal you are hunting has many delicious parts that you may not have thought to try. Try them! These parts are good for you and help stretch your harvest over more meals, something we are keen on these days. If you’ve been eating these parts for years and have some excellent ideas on how to prepare them, we’d love to hear about it – send your recipes to jay@theoutdoorwire.com, and we’ll post them in a future issue of The Hunting Wire. If you want to try these parts but don’t know how to get started, please reach out, and I’d be glad to offer some tips and recipes. I can be reached at ryan@handgunhuntersinternational.com

Ryan Hoover, Director, Handgun Hunters International, LLC

Ryan Hoover is the director of Handgun Hunters International (HHI), where he passionately works to spread the word about the benefits of hunting with a handgun. HHI is a valuable resource for handgun hunters of all experience levels using giveaways, a well-moderated forum, and upcoming instructional media. Through a series of deeply personal experiences, Ryan has come to believe that hunting with a handgun is a ton of fun and can improve your life by overcoming its challenges. He is always keen to find new hunters who want to try hunting with a handgun and to help them get started. His background includes serving as a US Navy firearms instructor and 15 years as a custom gun builder. He is also involved in issues regarding gun safety for families, nose-to-tail use of game meat, and hunting as a therapy for various mental health issues. He can be reached at: ryan@handgunhuntersinternational.com.

By Fred Bird - NWTF, Host

A digital campfire where the host and guests discuss topics of the day, conservation efforts, tips and techniques to better your experiences afield, and share our member's stories. Turkey Call All Access is the Official Podcast of the Nation Wild Turkey Federation. Hosted by, NWTF's Fred Bird // Engineered by, NWTF's Gilbert Randolph

By Dan Larsson

Skinner Sights and Case Color on the 1885 Courteney Stalking Rifle chambered in 303 British from Uberti

I stepped from Montana into an African safari. With every step, I swiped the grass back and forth, looking for the carnivore I expected to be lying at my feet. The sights had been true, the trigger-squeeze smooth, and the offhand shot felt perfect. The bear stood facing me just over 100 yards. I squeaked with my lips to keep him standing while I took the time to aim and fire. He folded and shot from sight.

This hunt began with planning. The rifle. The ammunition. The time and place. Uberti firearms offered me a cute and quality little rifle modeled after the idea of the famed Selous Courteney’s African stalking rifle. Uberti chamber it in the period .303 British cartridge designed in the 1880s as a black powder cartridge and survives today as a modern chambering. The receiver has a beautiful case-hardened look that I love. Rather than put a scope on the traditional rifle, I put Skinner Sights peep-sights on it. Slim, trim, and accurate. I am reasonably impressed with the trigger quality. It has the right amount of pull weight and is smoother than most.

I rarely shoot factory ammunition as I am an ardent handloader. I have always appreciated RCBS equipment and have used their reloading press for the last 20 years. The RCBS crew recently came out with new models that Bluetooth to an app on your phone. You can save your information and load data, on your phone, for quick and easy repetition of perfect loads. Those loading with the older chargemaster will want to upgrade to the new Chargemaster Link, Supreme, or Matchmaster. I have thrown about 500 charges with the new Supreme model and only seen about three of those that weren’t accurate to the desired charge.

A man's reloading bench is his castle.

I have shot more big game animals with Barnes bullets than any other brand. I reached out to Barnes and got some TSX 150-grain bullets to load for this hunt. They were easy to load and easy to sight in. The recoil is manageable with the comfortable rubber pad on the 1885 Courteney Stalking Rifle.

Barnes Bullets - Tried and True

I have hunted these specific hawthorn trees for the last half dozen years every fall. Bear hunting is all about food. Like a teenage boy, you find bears where there is something to eat. In the spring, we hunt them where the 1st green grass is. In the fall, berries and bugs are the hot tickets. After the berries and apples are gone, the bears wander, looking for food. Elmer Keith wrote that late-season black bears could be found high in the mountains, feeding on mushrooms, on the thickly timbered North-facing slopes.
I wanted to find a bear down low in the early fall season.

It was the opening day of the rifle hunting for bears, and I headed back to my hawthorn trees. My father-in-law and my 10-year-old son accompanied me on this hunt. We were searching the area for bears when we saw a black shape in a tree. I knew it wasn’t a big bear, but my bear lard reserves were running low, and every bear is a potential fawn killer. I was working my way around to the side to get a massive tree behind the bear to stop the bullet, but the bear kept moving back and forth, denying me the shot.

Suddenly, the little bear shot up the big tree behind him and nestled in a limb 50 feet in the air. He kept looking down at whatever had spooked him. Instantly I knew I was about to see a bigger bear. Scanning the trees and grass below the little bugger, I kept vigilant and was ready for a quick shot. Another black bear raised out of the grass and looked in my direction. I know bears usually only stand for a second or so, and I wouldn’t have time to get on him and shoot accurately. I had no rest, and it would be freestanding offhand. I squeaked with my lips to keep him up and looking as I settled the front sight on his chest. I love that a peep sight allows you to forget the rear sight and simplify the sighting process. The front sight settled on his chest, and my finger took up the slack until I was surprised by the recoil. The bear shot from sight.

Dan's father-in-law and son with Dan's bear

My father-in-law and son came over, and we started looking for the bear. He covered me with a Glock while I waded into the grass. The grass was head high. My anxiety rose as all the stories of wounded lions, and cape buffalo came to mind. It was so thick; I was using the rifle barrel to move the grass and look for the bear I hoped was dead. I wished for my semi-automatic 10mm pistol over the single-shot rifle. Selous regularly used huge single-shot black powder rifles when hunting dangerous African games. He survived hunting dangerous game to be shot in the head and killed by a German sniper during World War 1. I gritted my teeth and waded in. It took 10 minutes to find the bear lying in the grass. The Barnes bullet had gone just above his heart and shattered his spine. He was dead before he hit the ground. An epic hunt with an epic rifle.

Classic Uberti 1885 Courteney Stalking Rifle in .303 British

RCBS Interview

1. What sets RCBS apart from other reloading equipment companies in today’s competitive ammunition market? RCBS has a long history of making great products and taking care of its customers. RCBS was started in 1943 and for 79 years has been a leader in the reloading market.

2. Why should a new handloader start with RCBS? RCBS makes field-tested, proven products that get the job done and make reloading enjoyable. New handloaders will have more confidence knowing everything was engineered and manufactured with meticulous attention to detail. Our in-house RCBS engineers are also end users and truly know handloading.

3. When someone is choosing reloading components, what are some guidelines or advice they should consider? Buy the best quality you can. One of the nice things about RCBS is, if for some unforeseen reason your product gets broken, our customer service will take care of you.

4. How does RCBS support new and experienced handloaders, and how can handloaders use this support? In addition to our great customer service, we carry some of the largest assortments of dies, shell holders, presses and powder dispensers and more. When new calibers are SAAMI certified, RCBS will have dies available.

5. How is RCBS innovating the handloading market? We're always working behind the scenes to come up with the latest and greatest. We're all reloaders ourselves, so when we see an opportunity for a product or process to be better, we go for it.

“The appointment of Ryan Busse to the Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Council, a federal advisory committee, is a farce and demonstrates the contempt the Biden administration holds for lawful gun owners who hunt on America’s public and private lands. Busse was listed as “unaffiliated,” but that is not true. He is not an unaffiliated shooting sports interest expert. He is advisor for the Giffords gun control group and has openly advocates to the ban on the most popular selling centerfire rifle in America - the Modern Sporting Rifle (MSR). He has published a book advocating radical gun control policies. Glaringly absent, however, is any representative from the firearm and ammunition industry even though the industry is responsible for the vast majority of conservation funds through the Pittman-Robertson excise tax. To date, the firearm and ammunition industry has provided over $15.3 billion to wildlife conservation since 1937 and over $1.1 billion of the conservation funds apportioned to the states last year was directly tied to taxes paid by firearm and ammunition manufacturers. The Biden administration has politicized this advisory council to legitimize Busse and the far-left gun control policies he and the gun control group he represents. This is a sham and doesn’t come close to representing the interests of lawful gun owners who hunt and are faithful stewards of the precious wildlife resources our nation enjoys.”

Mark Oliva
Managing Director - Public Affairs
National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF)

Episode 2 - What's Unique About onX Versus Other Digital Mapping Platforms?

The Hunting Wire interviewed onX Hunt to learn more about this critical mapping tool for hunters. The 30-minute interview, divided into several episodes, covers everything from how it works and how veteran hunters can improve their hunting skills to how new hunters can learn to use it with no previous digital experience.

Buffalo, MO: Known for its focus on “turning-the-dirt”, at the grass roots, landowner level QUWF is pleased to report another significant year for wildlife habitat. “Nearly 325,000 acres of private lands were worked, hands on work the old-fashioned way with equipment, chainsaws and sweat” states Craig Alderman of QUWF. “Over 100,000 acres were in heavy timber stand improvement (TSI), with the balance in combined grassland successional management. A significant fact, QUWF works with military veteran landowners and their families as a point of focus across the U.S.  “Evasive Specie control of weeds such as Johnson Grass, Serecia Lespedeza and Thistle are becoming a major effort because of the exceptionally high cost of chemicals and the very scarce availability” States Nick Prough, Chief Wildlife Biologist. “Landowners are trying to catch up from the COVID impact which stopped some work completely” Prough points out.

Acres impacted by the work now exceed 6.5 million acres with a value in the multi-millions of dollars and that does not include the high desert guzzlers in the west impacting another 120,000 acres. QUWF volunteer crews install or rehabilitate guzzlers which gather an average of about 800 gallons of water from rainfall. “Where we experience very dry conditions like this year, our chapter and its volunteers obtained permission to haul water to the guzzlers with their QUWF water truck and refill them. The guzzlers provide both small game and large game watering areas” explains Nick Prough.

“Additionally, we are working with 50 large ranches and the Governor in Wyoming for the restoration of the wild sage grouse, experiencing a noticeable decline. That acreage exceeds 2.5 million with some of the ranches reaching over 200,000 acres in size. 20 nesting areas were hand marked/flagged and physically examined by myself for monitoring” states Nick Prough. 20 years of sage grouse nesting site data was manually converted by QUWF to incorporate into the state’s current software by Prough. “On some of the ranches, you can drive nearly a full day to get back to the nesting sites, the trust between the landowners and QUWF was and is key to any successful habitat work” Prough observed. 

QUWF has recently partnered with the American Falconry Conservancy (AFC) to again, enhance wildlife habitat on private lands and educate all on the historic sport with raptors.

About QUWF and the AFC: 

The Quail and Upland Wildlife Federation (QUWF), is the only Veteran founded and managed national conservation organization in the U.S., and the only multi-specie and clean stream national organization including youth fishing teams, based in Missouri. QUWF “turns-the-dirt™” locally and nationally focusing on private landowners with chapters that manage and control their own funds. To join QUWF, get involved or open a chapter locally for upland wildlife and habitat restoration/ clean streams or the new youth fishing teams, visit our web site at www.quwf.net or email ADMIN@quwf.net. QUWF is a proud Conservation Partner of the Bass Pro Shop Cabela’s Outdoor Fund, a member of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and an Endowment Partner with the College of the Ozarks.  The AFC and its members are dedicated to the historical sport of falconry and the preservation of upland wildlife habitat and populations. Visit our website at www.falconryconservancy.org for more information.  

“Preserve the Land and Clean Streams….Build the Habitat….Hunt and Fish for Generations” with QUWF™ and the AFC™.

By Larry Weishuhn and Luke Clayton 

Luke Clayton and Larry Weishuhn

Radio File: Hunting Wire - Episode 48

By Jim Curcuruto

To play baseball you need a field. To practice or compete with a firearm, you need a locally accessible shooting range and state wildlife agencies, including the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), are stepping up to the plate and addressing this necessity.

The need for target shooting ranges has grown as the number of firearms owners increased over the past decade, nationwide, and participants are more diverse than ever. Recent research by Responsive Management in 2021 revealed that participation in target shooting increased 63 percent from 34 million participants in 2009 to 56 million in 2020. Since the start of the Covid pandemic in March 2020, 10 million Americans purchased their first firearm. They are buying rifles, shotguns, and handguns for hunting, target shooting, and protection. Regardless of their use, the owners need local ranges to become familiar and proficient with their new firearms.

To meet this growing demand, state fish and wildlife agencies have, over the last four years, built 42 new ranges and completed 170 range upgrades or expansions that are available for public use. These projects were all funded by excise tax dollars collected from manufacturers of firearms, ammunition, and archery products through the Wildlife Restoration (Pittman-Robertson) Act.

The Fairbanks North Star Borough, South Cushman Shooting Range located in Fairbanks, Alaska, is a fresh example. For many years the range has been a staple for recreational target shooters, hunter education, private trainingclasses, law enforcement agencies, and hunters looking to zero in their rifles prior to moose and caribou hunts. The range is visited more than 100,000 time each year, and with that comes plenty of wear and tear.

The ADF&G and the Fairbanks North Star Borough Parks and Recreation Department (PRD) commenced range renovation planning in 2019 that started with a wish list of improvements. Access and safety figured prominently.

“We knew we had a special opportunity to provide users with a new and improved facility that they would be excited about visiting,” said Brian Charlton, PRD Superintendent. “Our list of enhancements was long, but we focused on improving safety, accessibility, a restroom, and providing sheltered space for classes and year round shooting in inclement weather”.

Renovations include a new rifle range shelter roof, refurbished shooting benches, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant benches, hard surface pathways, new and ADA-accessible parking areas, concrete ADA accessible paths connecting firing lines to the restroom and parking, a concrete vault toilet, side berms at the rifle range to protect those using the pistol range and surrounding areas, and a center berm at the rifle range to create two separate and improved areas for hunter education and other training. Total estimated project cost: nearly $1.3 million.

“Our agency was able to provide 75 percent of the funding by utilizing Pittman-Robertson dollars,” said Eddie Grasser, ADF&G Division of Wildlife Conservation Director. “We needed to come up with the remaining 25 percent in match funds and the Fairbanks North Star Borough was able to provide that. It is a terrific example of how partnerships can get more accomplished than what could have been done individually.”

“With so many hunters in Alaska, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s, Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program is pleased to have been able to assist our partners in making an upgraded and safer range facility available in time for hunting season. The Wildlife Restoration program funds not only shooting ranges, but research and management of thousands of species across the nation – all funded with excise taxes on firearms and ammunition,” said Sheila Cameron, the Alaska Regional Manager of the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program.

The range held its grand re-opening on August 24, 2022 and was opened to Fairbanks community use on August 26, 2022 appropriately, during National Shooting Sports Month. More good news lies ahead. The ADF&G plans to upgrade the Alaska State Parks Stiles Creek Shooting Range in the Chena River State Recreation Area next year.

The supply of shooting ranges must meet demand. Many state wildlife agencies are taking advantage of Wildlife Restoration funds and there are several dozen new range projects nationwide in progress in 2022 and more are planned.

To find a range near you check your state wildlife agency website or visit www.WhereToShoot.org. Be sure to ask someone new to come with you on your next trip to the range.

Jim Curcuruto is the Executive Director at Outdoor Stewards of Conservation Foundation.
jim@outdoorstewards.org

Federal Ammunition has been awarded a 5-year contract to produce the United States Army’s 5.56mm training ammunition valued at $114 million dollars.  

True Knives unveils the Ti Pocket Muti-Tool.