Press
FUN IN FOND DU LAC, WI
I recently had the opportunity to spend a few days in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. As host for the 2013 Conference for the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers, Fond du Lac, located on the south end of Lake Winnebago, didn’t disappoint. Before the conference, I got out on [...]Read more
EARLY RUT IN THE MIDWEST?
As I recall in 2011, the whitetail rut came early, and it looks to repeat that trend again this year. Reports from several bowhunters are backing up this projection. In addition to the physical attributes like this buck arrowed by my buddy Rick Drapak last Saturday night, there [...]Read more
5 Great Tips for Dove Hunting Success
They have been called the Gray Ghosts of September for a reason. There is a certain allure that doves have for wing-shooters. They are challenging to hunt, more specifically, challenging to hit. The season opens when it’s still t-shirt weather so you don’t have to [...]Read more
HILLBILLY HANDFISHING IN SOUTHERN IL
Who says you need a fishing pole to catch catfish? Not the boys from Southern Illinois. When Jason and Craig Miles from Crappie Masters Guide Service invited me down to Rend Lake in Southern Illinois for some handfishing, I jumped at the chance. Handfishing for catfish, or [...]Read more
MORE MORELS
This spring is definitely one for the record books — record high and low temps as well as record rainfalls. With spring coming late, all plants were about 2 weeks late to bloom, including the morels. We found a good bunch in Southern Illinois during the third week of turkey [...]Read more
TURKEYS AND TORNADOES
I probably should have taken the semi-trailer flipped over on Interstate 57 as a sign, but I kept on driving south. With some good friends, my son Kyle and nephew Matt, I was heading to southern Illinois in pursuit of the grand slam of the spring — wild turkey, crappie, wild [...]Read more
HUNTING WITH DAVE WATSON AT THE BONEYARD
2012 deer camp was once again a great experience. I had my son Kyle and a couple good buddies hunting with me at the Boneyard Outfitters in Southern Illinois. Dave Watson was also there filming an episode for his show Mathews TV, which added to the excitement in camp. His crew [...]Read more
DIVING DUCK ACTION ON REND LAKE
It’s 3:30 a.m. The air is cold and brisk, and the parking lot is full of boats and camo-clad hunters. It’s something only hard core, seasoned waterfowl hunters can appreciate, one of which I am not. But I’m getting there. I had an opportunity to hunt with my [...]Read more
JUST LIKE CLOCKWORK- FALL MUSHROOMS ARE HERE
I love being right when it comes to mushrooms. On September 9th, just like clockwork, there were the mushrooms. Sheepshead (or Hen of the Woods) are Fall’s gift to the shroom-lovers of Illinois. This tasty fungus runs a fairly close second to the treasured spring morel [...]Read more
FISH NOT BITING? TRY FROG GIGGING
As the sun settled down behind the horizon, not far from the DesPlaines River, we heard our first “Barooomp, baroomp” echoing across the lilypad laden backwaters. Before jumping out of the truck I ran through my checklist— bug spray, cooler, knife, flashlight, and [...]Read more
