Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2025 i Game & Fish West

I’ll just come right out and say it: August makes me anxious. Some of the blame goes to the godforsaken heat that comes with it. I grew up in the Northeast, where the end of summer was typically far more temperate than it is in my adopted home state of Kansas. If you know anything about late summer in the southern Great Plains, you know that the heat and humidity will conspire to make any time spent outside in the daylight hours fairly miserable.That doesn’t mean folks here don’t get out on the water or scout for deer. It just means we need to bring a lot of extra water and a change of clothes for when we sweat through the first. The other reason August makes me anxious is…

There was a time not all that long ago when I had a plan. Once August rolled in, I’d start running trail cameras, scouting travel corridors and checking for fresh sign. I’d block off a couple weeks in November and dive into my favorite tracts of public ground like they were my own personal playgrounds. Public land was my go-to for many years. It was accessible and productive. It wasn’t always easy, but it was rewarding. It was mine—not in a legal sense, of course, but in the way every hunter who puts in the miles and hangs stands in the dark eventually claims a little piece of wild ground as his own. Now, those days are over. WHAT CHANGED? Somewhere along the way, the game shifted. Drawing tags has…

“Use enough gun.” Robert Ruark coined that phrase and used it as the title of a book on African hunting, but the sentiment holds true today whether hunting the Dark Continent or North American big game. It especially holds true when elk are your target. Elk are big and tough and live in some of the roughest terrain of any of the deer species. They are the second-largest member of the North American deer family, trailing only the moose. Cow elk can push 650 pounds, while bulls can exceed 800 and even 1,000 pounds in some regions. For the sake of clarification, a “large” caliber is any in the .30 group (or very close). Top contenders include the 7 mm Remington Magnum, 7 mm PRC, .308 Winchester, .300 Winchester Magnum,…

Mention salmon fishing in the West, and most folks envision big water and big boats festooned from bow to stern with the latest electronics, downriggers, rod holders, multiple outboards, high-dollar rod-and-reel combos and a slew of baits, lures and other terminal tackle. However, there’s another side to Western salmon fishing that doesn’t involve a boat at all. Indeed, many salmon anglers stick to terra firma and catch all the hard-fighting, fresh-from-the-ocean kings and silvers their arms can handle. But there’s a bit more involved in shore-based salmon fishing than randomly choosing a spot on a jetty and slinging the first thing you grab from the tackle box. In fact, there are some perhaps surprising similarities between bank and boat fishing, and if you’re looking to consistently capitalize on salmonids from…

The grind was brutal, with switchbacks so steep that at some points on the talus trail we gained 1,000 feet of elevation in just a half mile of gritty, grunting hiking. But when we finally topped the ridge and looked down, the view was as invigorating as the prospect of downhill travel. Way below, a jade lake twinkled in the mountain sun, inviting us to its cool, mysterious waters. The invitation was consummated an hour later with jewel-bright Yellowstone cutthroat trout, soaring out of the aquamarine depths to snap at almost every fly my kids and I presented to them. We caught hand-sized trout on grasshopper imitations. We caught large spawners on weighted Woolly Buggers. And we caught as many fish as we could on deep-running hardware until we lost…

Austere, forlorn, unembellished. All are descriptive of Wyoming’s Red Desert, in which the state’s most iconic big game species—the pronghorn antelope—resides. It takes a unique character to embrace the wind-blown and dusty desert, even more so to pursue its keystone species. Drawing a coveted speed goat tag in a Red Desert unit feels like getting away with a stagecoach robbery. At least that’s how I felt guiding my wife, who held her first antelope tag in nine years. True to both the nature of the desert and the pursuit of pronghorns, cursed spirits mounted following several blown stalks and diminishing weather. Then, just as quick, I caught a glimpse of a white-and-tawny silhouette meandering toward us on an elevated sagebrush flat at 225 yards. Hidden among the seafoam-colored abyss, we…

To hunt in California, you are required to use ammo loaded with a lead-free projectile. That’s okay; there are plenty of good copper/alloy options available. Time was short, but a bit of shopping turned up exactly what I wanted: three boxes of 150-grain .308 Winchester Copper Impact ammo. With a muzzle velocity of 2,810 fps, these loads hit hard, penetrate deeply and expand aggressively—qualities ideal for these vineyard deer. The rifle I chose for this hunt was a compact and handy Mossberg Patriot chambered in .308 Win. For stalking through vines and crawling along the rows, this choice proved excellent. Most shot opportunities were expected to be 200 yards or less, so I zeroed the rifle two inches high at 100. After smacking a vital-sized steel plate several times at…

FOR THE RECORD BOOKS What’s the heaviest crappie or bass caught in your state? See the latest updates on records for freshwater and saltwater fish under the “Fishing” section. RANGE REPORT: MARLIN MODEL 1895 Get the full report on Marlin’s reintroduced Model 1895 lever-action rifle. Find the rundown on the rifle under the “Gear” section. WILDLIFE CONSERVATION NEWS Check out the latest in conservation efforts and issues, including voter initiatives, fair-chase ethics and best practices for using public-land resources under the “Hunting” section. GO HOG WILD WITH BURRIS THERMAL OPTICS As boars become more nocturnal during the hotter months, Burris’ economically priced thermal units provide hunters the ability to control pig populations. AROUND THE OUTDOORS If you’re looking for the latest in hunting, shooting and fishing content, you can find…

Randy Ferguson describes deer hunting as a social service. He’s not talking about hunters’ mutually beneficial relationship with farmers in his native Pennsylvania, or the social and economic fabric that’s knit by hunters and their traditions in rural communities around the country. Instead, he’s talking about the million pounds of venison that Pennsylvania hunters have donated to public food banks in the Keystone State over the last 5 years. “We’ve been breaking records every year with the donated portion of the deer harvest,” says Ferguson, executive director of Pennsylvania’s chapter of Hunters Sharing the Harvest (HSH) program, now in its 34th year. “Last season, hunters donated 262,000 pounds from about 6,900 deer. That’s an all-time record for us, topping the 235,000 pounds from the year before. When you compound the…

NASELLE RIVER: A pretty little tree-lined stream, the Naselle flows into Willapa Bay just a few miles west of the town of the same name. There’s shore access not far from Johnson’s One Stop; the hatchery on North Valley Road offers more. COWLITZ RIVER: Predominantly a boat-based fishery, the Cowlitz provides bank anglers willing to travel upriver from Longview and Kelso with opportunity, particularly above the confluence with the Toutle River and east of the town of Toledo in the direction of Blue Creek. LEWIS RIVER: There is shore access to the Lewis near Woodland, Wash. Some of it is public, but more of it is private and worthy of some door-knocking. Many salmon hunters head upriver to what’s affectionately known as the Meat Hole off NE Etna Road near…

The Red Desert is primarily BLM-administered land, so dispersed camping is widely available. The northern Red Desert is chock-full of interesting geological features, such as the Killpecker Sand Dunes and the Boar’s Tusk, as well as Oregon and Honeycomb buttes. The sand dunes offer camping spots with vault toilets and fire rings. If nearby, stop at the Atlantic City Mercantile for a history lesson and a home-cooked meal, or hit the Farson Mercantile for a sandwich and locally made ice cream. Rock Springs and Lander offer more amenities within reasonable driving distance. The Lander Bar and Cowfish are excellent options for food and libations. The southern Red Desert is more remote, but Adobe Town is a paleontological and geological site that’s worth seeing. Rawlins and Rock Springs are the closest…

Little about the SIG Sauer Cross bolt-action rifle is classic in form. Indeed, not a lick of wood or blued metal can be found on the gun. However, after extensive range testing and in-the-field use, I’m confident even my late grandfather would appreciate what the Cross offers hunters. While not a typical bolt-action hunting rifle, the Cross offers undeniable capability. If you enjoy lightweight rifles that get on target quickly, feature a sub-4-pound match trigger, a fully adjustable folding buttstock and a threaded barrel, and are chambered in a round that punches above its weight, you’d be wise to consider the SIG Cross. THE CHAMBERING With personal defense, law enforcement and military-centric products such an integral part of SIG’s business model, many were surprised when the bolt-action Cross, a blend…

With summer winding down and the baseball team eliminated from the tourney, Shane suddenly found himself with one last free week before school started. He planned to make the most of it. “Mark,” said Shane into the telephone, “losing might have been a blessing.” “What do you mean?” replied Mark. “Have you looked outside lately?” “It’s nice. Much cooler than usual.” “Exactly,” said Shane. “And it’s supposed to hold for the next few days.” “What are you getting at?” “The fish will be hammering. Plus, most of the other schools started back this week, so when we hit the river for a couple nights of camping, we might have it all to ourselves.” “You thinking Smith Fork?” “Yup,” said Shane. “You in?” “Yup,” said Mark. “I’ll bring my canoe, you…

The .22 Long Rifle cartridge has been training new shooters and satisfying everyone else for well over a century. But as prolific and perfect as the .22 Long Rifle cartridge might seem, it has a design flaw—one that, in the world of modern cartridges, limits its performance. Winchester designed the .21 Sharp to correct that flaw, and you could argue it’s also partly the product of government regulations. But is the .21 Sharp a cartridge you need, and should you ditch your favorite .22 Long Rifle for one? Let’s take a closer look. AN UNFORTUNATE FLAW Have you ever looked at a .22 Long Rifle cartridge beside a .22 Magnum or .17 HMR cartridge? There’s a distinct difference. The bullets on the .22 Magnum and .17 HMR cartridges are smaller…

With my hand behind my back, motioning for my pal Joe to stop, I whispered hoarsely at a barely audible volume. “Don’t move.” Joe likely thought I had momentarily gone insane since we were walking slowly in total darkness, and seeing anything ahead to stop abruptly for was questionable indeed. If that was his thought, he was wrong. By nature’s design, my eyes were dilated and the photoreceptor cells in my retinas were already working overtime to pierce the darkness. What they detected were the two tan forms standing out in the otherwise complete black of the Wyoming backcountry. I lifted my binocular to my eyes in slow motion and whispered my next insight to Joe. “Bulls.” I had spied the bulls while summiting a small rise ahead of Joe.…

Like those numbered balls in a lottery drawing, quail bounced and bumped under the brush, not risking a flush and driving my dog ballistic. The dumbest (or smartest) one finally launched, others following suit in drips and drabs. My wirehair broke like a thoroughbred when the bell rings and the gate opens. Running off cliffs, busting singles downrange, low shots and running dogs, unmarked down birds … the horror show never ends. Bottom line? A dog that holds still is safe and productive. An “unbroke” dog is an accident waiting to happen. “Steady” means different things to different people, from breaking at the flush to waiting for a shot to holding still until the dead bird drops and the dog is given a “fetch” command. Whatever your expectation, here are…

From the natural current that occurs in a river system to the current in a lake that’s produced by wind or some type of funnel, moving water plays a big role in how bass position themselves. If you’ve ever caught one bass after another on a particular spot, only to return the next day under the same weather conditions and with the water at the same level and not get a single bite, a change in the water’s current was likely to blame. Changing currents on a body of water can impact bass positioning in different ways. For example, if the current in a given spot goes from present to non-existent, bass will move to a different spot where feeding comes easier. Alternately, a heavy rain or an increase of…

CALIFORNIA: California’s general fall bear season opens with their general deer season in select zones. The northwest portion of the state boasts good bear numbers and public-land access. The general season runs September 20 to December 28 in Hunt Zones B1 and B2, and August 23 to December 28 in Zone B4. COLORADO: Colorado offers a range of general-season fall bear hunts, from early September to late November. The Front Range and Gunnison Basin are known for holding good bear numbers. IDAHO: New this year, anyone hunting black bears in Idaho must pass a bear identification test. General black bear seasons are August 30 to October 31, running through November 30 in other GMUs. The Clearwater National Forest, Frank Church Wilderness, Salmon River drainage and Selway and Lochsa river regions…

Dawn came over the vineyards, the air fresh and crisp and carrying just a faint hint of the distant Pacific Coast. I checked the chamber of my rifle and set it in guide Ryan Newkirk’s pickup. In every direction stretched vast fields of verdant green vines loaded with grapes. Perfectly ordered rows roller-coasted over the undulating hills. I felt like I was hunting in Paradise—a far different experience than the hardcore backcountry territory I usually hunt. Full morning light was upon us as we climbed into the truck, dropped it into gear and slowly motored away from Steinbeck Vineyards’ headquarters. Turning into a lane bordered on either side by grapes, we eased up the road, looking carefully down the length of each row of vines. I was astonished at how…

For a long time, low-power variable optics, or LPVOs, were usually 1–4X riflescopes. But time and technology march on, and the magnification range of LPVOs increased to 1–6X and then 1–8X. LPVOs typically have an eyepiece and a straight tube at the objective end instead of an objective bell, keeping them more compact but also limiting the size of the objective lens. As such, these sometimes stubby looking telescopic sights are great on rifles used for close-range hunting, AR-15s, lever-action rifles and even shotguns. This brings us to the latest addition to the Trijicon Credo HX lineup, a 1–10x28 riflescope in the LPVO configuration. This newest Credo HX is a little powerhouse of a scope, giving shooters a functionally true 1X at the low end, a sizable mid-range and 10X…