Game & Fish May 2025

I’m blessed to work with folks who like to hunt turkeys. They understand the difference that a couple pellet sizes or hundredths of an inch of choke tube constriction can make, and they will tell me of their experiences with both. They, too, see the necessity in carrying no less than a dozen calls when perhaps three at most will be used during a morning’s hunt. They know better than to expect I’ll answer my phone before 10 o’clock on a May morning. This spring, three of my turkey-hunting coworkers are joining me on a mission to bag the four U.S. turkey subspecies on a nationwide hunt spanning three months. Kevin Steele, publisher of Petersen’s Hunting, started things off in March by chasing Rios in his home state of California.…

IT’S STILL TURKEY TIME There’s still time to get out there and punch your turkey tag. Check out our “Regional Strut Update” with tons of turkey content to make the spring season a success, in the “Hunting” section. SUMMER CAMPING GUIDE From helpful how-tos on camping setups and reviews of top camping gear to family-favorite outdoor recipes and destinations, our Summer Camping Guide will get you ready for the outdoors. WILD KITCHEN Considered an invasive plant, garlic mustard is perfect for making pesto to add to pasta and more. Find an easy-to-follow garlic mustard recipe and others like it under “Recipes.” FISHING HEATS UP May is a great month to hit the water and reel in a few keepers. Find tips, tactics and the latest tackle for bass, crappies, trout,…

“Hold on hair, never on air.” That’s some of the great advice from Craig Boddington’s latest book, “50 Great Stalks.” Basically, it means do not shoot from so far away you must utilize a shooting technique or tool to compensate for trajectory or wind. Of course, with today’s high-velocity cartridges, precise-shooting rifles and high-tech optics, hunters are shooting at previously unimagined distances. There are several effective techniques for this, but what many don’t realize is the oldest of these is the one you should be most familiar with. Let’s examine the most common distance-shooting techniques and tools, and the pros and cons of each. KENTUCKY WINDAGE This approach has been around as long as we’ve been shooting rifles. Kentucky windage refers to any shooting where you aim at a point…

Nature is full of prompts to remind us what’s happening beneath the water’s surface. As we roll from April into May, lawns are greening, lilacs are blooming, and songbirds are nesting, all of which are signs that it’s time to head to the lake in search of plump panfish. The spring-to-early summer transition finds the shallows absolutely teeming with some of North America’s most popular and tastiest angling targets: bluegills, crappies, perch, white bass and more. Depending on where you choose to fish this time of year, you may find those species in one of three different phases: pre-spawn, spawn or post-spawn. With a little help from this month’s column, you’ll be prepared to catch your limit of those fish, regardless. THE CHILLY NORTH In the cool waters of the…

Whether you’re staying overnight in the woods or just stopping for lunch along the shore, a campfire is the perfect complement to spring and summer outdoor activities. A good fire quickly becomes the centerpiece of any outdoor gathering, providing warmth, sparking conversation and serving as an essential element in a celebration of being outside. Although a fire pairs well with many pursuits, at times conditions can make it tough to build a good blaze. For one, the ground and any wood lying on it may be damp from rain. Combine that with fickle breezes, and tinder and kindling gathered on the spot can be seemingly impossible to light and keep burning. With some knowledge of the best materials to use and attention to key fire-building principles, however, you can count…

One of the hardest parts of being a parent of teenagers is listening to all the ways that they’re right and you’re wrong. A favorite debate strategy of this population—and I say this from experience as the father of three former teens—is doubling down on those few and fleeting instances when a parent admits their teen is right about something. I cringe to say this, but I think our hunting and angling community is increasingly acting like truculent, tone-deaf teenagers. All we want to hear are different variations on the self-validating theme that we saved America’s wildlife, or how our fees fund wildlife conservation in America, or how hunters and anglers deserve special treatment because of all the sacrifices we make for wildlife. Meanwhile, our standing in American society is…