Field & Stream April 2016

In “The Slam Man” on p. 66, editor-atlarge Bill Heavey takes a road trip with Jeff Budz, the turkey hunter with 91 grand slams, and three of Budz’s friends. Here are some more stats from the story: 5 DAYS ON THE ROAD 3 STATES HUNTED 1,200 MILES COVERED 1 STUCK SUV O MINUTES HEAVEY HELPED GETTING SAID SUV UNSTUCK 4,307 Times Budz shook his head in disbelief at Heavey’s incompetence—give or take HOURS OF SLEEP EACH NIGHT GOBBLERS KILLED DURING THE TRIP…

ONE OF THE great things about hunting and fishing is you can spend a lifetime participating in these sports and never fully master them. Whether it’s something as simple as tying a stronger fishing knot or as challenging as nailing a 500-yard shot, sportsmen are always hungry to know more, because the more skills you know, the better the experience you’ll have in the wild. And because this is one case in which the learning itself is a lot of fun. That’s why we think you’re going to enjoy our new series of online courses dedicated to helping you become a better hunter, shooter, and angler. Called Outdoor Life University (outdoorlifeu.com), this project is a team effort among FIELD & STREAM and our sister titles Outdoor Life, Sport Fishing,…

Electric Bill Photographer Brian Grossenbacher rarely picks up a rod when he’s working, but on this trip to Costa Rica he reeled in four billfish, including two blue marlin, a striped marlin, and a Pacific sailfish— firsts for him—all before noon. Carter Andrews had enlisted him to be the designated fisherman for an episode of The Obsession of Carter Andrews on the Outdoor Channel after injuring his arm. When a billfish bit, Andrews would set the hook before handing over the rod. “I did the fun stuff,” he says, “and left all the hard work to Brian.” A former flyfishing guide, Grossenbacher found it a real challenge to stay in the boat, crank in line evenly, and still grab his camera occasionally. “The toughest fight was with this fish, the…

FIRST PLACE The Trophy Issue was one of my favorite issues of F&S. Reading about shots taken and hooks pulled reminded me of my first fishing trip with my dad. We went to the local park pond, which was stocked with bluegills. Of course, at the time I didn’t know it was stocked; I just thought that my dad was the greatest fisherman in the world. That day he showed me how to bait a hook and to feel the fish hit. I’ll never forget the rush of cranking in a monster, or the feeling of watching it slip out of my hands and back into the water. My dad has passed and that pond is drained and gone, but my trophy memory will be with me forever. Jared Hirata,…

NEWS AND STORIES FROM THE EXPERTS • THE SEASON • HUNTING • SHOTGUNS • ASK PETZAL • THE WILD CHEF • RIFLES • THE TOTAL OUTDOORSMAN • SPORTSMAN’S NOTEBOOK MY RIG CRASHED the flat water with more splash than a fat kid’s belly flop. There’s no finesse in slinging a pound of tackle in 3 feet of water— but then, finesse is for Madison River dry-fly hatches in July, not the largemouth spawn in Florida. Joe Coogan lounged on the boat’s rear seat, his crusty Topsiders crossed atop the Ranger’s gunwale. He held his reel in his lap, rod tip down. His slackened line coiled on the water’s surface. Shadowed by a hat brim, aviator sunglasses, and a burka-like head gaiter, he would have looked rather suspicious, but I…

WE WEREN’T FOOLING Mrs. Parker. She knew at a glance that Seymore and I had skipped school that morning to go turkey hunting. I’d washed my face with paper towels in the Dairy Queen sink but had missed some black paint around my ears. “Your dang war paint got us caught,” Seymore complained. But those were better times. Mrs. Parker winked and marked our absence as “excused.” A white face glitters like a signaling mirror in the woods. I learned that when I was 10. Dad would hand me a Camo-Compac and tell me to paint up, but I wasn’t quite up to the task at that age. He’d inevitably finish the job himself, bracing the back of my head with his left hand so he could apply enough pressure…