Favorite Hunting/varmint magazine?

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saskboy

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Im wondering what everyones favorite hunting, varmint, or reloading magazine is. My subscription of Western Sportsman is up and its not worth renewing. What the best one in your opinion?
 
Check out the magazine section at any of the large chain bookstores, and browse through.

I guess, year-in and year-out, the folks at Sports Afield seem to do the best job of overall hunting/fishing stuff. Field&Stream and Outdoor Life are also good. And then there are the more locally-oriented ones as well...
 
I have browsed the magazine sections but you cannot tell by one issue, the problem I found with alot of magazines is that they just repeat the same articles over and over, just different pics and useless info. :barf: Looking for a non repetative type of magazine.
 
Definitely go browse at Wal-Mart or at Barnes and Noble. Do it for several months and then pick a rag. Since you are online, read the rags online--of course it won't be bathroom reading material unless you have a laptop or a long cord.

I liked Petersen's Hunting in the past, but now I just get American Rifleman. I decided it was neither worth the cost nor the extra paper to subscribe to any magazine--I just read them when I want where I want at stores. If I see one that looks like a keeper for future reference, I might buy it, but more likely than not, I jot down the issue number and download the article when I get home. My money is more valuable than a stack of back issues right now, and there is a plethora of information at our fingertips on the web if you sort it well. Nothing like thumbing through a magazine never knowing what article is next or advertisement for that matter, but I do what I have to do.
 
re

Anything by Wolfe Publishing is the best - good writers, solid content, articles more than 4 paragraphs.

Successful Hunter
Rifle
Handloader

are their magazines.
 
Varmints...Predator Extreme. These guys are the real deal.

Reloading...Handloader Magazine. For anybody that handloads, this is a "must" IMO.

For years and years I was really hooked on magazines. Then I met a few of the writers at some big shows. I figured out that a lot of the writers knew as little or less than I did.
 
I haven't really examined hunting magazines in years and then I was really focused on deer hunting.

And decided the deer hunting writers were largely full of bull.

I don't know if the writers focusing on other types of hunting are or not.

The guys who write books about how to hunt deer are largely full of it, too.

I've got a book here where the first major point is "put your stand by acorns." This guy has obviously never hunted in an area such as mine. This county is 832 square miles. Except for planted pine plantations, most of the woods are full of oaks.

Just went over to Fur & Fish Magazine's site and read a bit on the featured deer article. It sounds good except for one thing...talking about using scents. That might work elsewhere but I've used all kinds in all ways and have never had a deer around here pay a bit of attention to them.

Another thing I'm personally skeptical of is the emphasis on hiding your scent. Not crossing deer trails on the way to your stand, etc. That might be very important when hunting in wilderness areas but it is farm land around here. All year the deer can't go anywhere without smelling humans and hearing humans. Tobacco, urine, people themselves, hearing engines, car door being shut, etc. And suddenly, they're going to pop up and say to themselves,"It's opening day! Between now and January 15th, I must avoid all signs of humans!" Well, first, I don't believe they can reason at that level and second, there are very few places where avoiding such sign of people is possible in this area and the sightings of deer, and sign of deer prove that they aren't limiting their movement to such places.

I've smoked in stands while emptying urine bottles out of those stands onto the ground. One season, while doing those things in the stands in a thirty acre area, I killed two bucks and ten does- the limit in Georgia.
 
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No kidding, Byron. First thing we do at deer camp is get a big fire going. Thirty years ago, someone thought of this bright idea and the tradition is kept alive. The original thought was that the smoke would mask our scent. But after several encounters with deer, I have to say that scent is a minor detail when hunting deer that live around humans. You are right that it might make a difference in the wilds, but for the majority of American hunters it is a scam and a rip off much like a lot of fishing lures--they might not catch fish but they sure catch the fishermen.
 
Deer key on not only unusual scent, but also "normal" scents in unusual places. They may not be alarmed by the smell of cigarette smoke blowing in to that 5 acre woodlot from Farmer Joe putting around the field, they will notice (and be alarmed) if the smoke is originating from Hunter Bob sitting in the middle of that same woodlot.
 
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