Fish Finders – An On-Ice Epiphany
By Nick Simonson I recall clearly many days where an “ah-ha!” moment changed the way I did things forever. One such moment happened on December 26, 2000, and it altered the way I fished through the ice permanently. The converted trailer shack that my buddy Holmes, his cousin Adam and I were fishing out of on the day after Christmas had taken on a distinct chill, and I held my hand out over the flickering propane heater, which sputtered and spit the last fumes from the twenty-pound cylinder on the outside of the house. Being back from Florida for my final holiday ...
Deer Hunting – North Dakota Winter Gathering
by Doug Leier As a biologist I deal with aspects of fish and wildlife behavior on a routine basis. Hardly a week goes by that I don’t get at least one phone call or email from someone who witnessed an odd, strange, or erratic animal behavior, or saw something in an unusual location. Especially when it comes to deer hunting in North Dakota. After nearly two decades in the field, I have learned to “never say never.” Even if I get a call on a pink flamingo in a storm-water retention pond, my initial response would be “could be, you just never ...
Ice Fishing Rigs – Big Bluegills
Ice Fishing Rigs - Big Bluegills By Nick Simonson For the past few weekends, I have been exploring a small impoundment about twenty minutes from home. Rumor had it that big bluegills roamed the basin out from the public access, but all my efforts had produced over the past month was a plethora of puny perch. At the urging of my buddy Randy, we headed back for one more try on the small reservoir, based on a tip a fellow gave us on our way off the ice at the end of our last trip. We ventured off from the point and I ...
Latest Hunting & Fishing Articles
Fish Finders – An On-Ice Epiphany
By Nick Simonson I recall clearly many days where an “ah-ha!” moment changed the way I did things forever. One such moment happened on December 26, 2000, and it altered the way I fished through the ice permanently. The converted trailer shack that my buddy Holmes, his cousin...
Deer Hunting – North Dakota Winter Gathering
by Doug Leier As a biologist I deal with aspects of fish and wildlife behavior on a routine basis. Hardly a week goes by that I don’t get at least one phone call or email from someone who witnessed an odd, strange, or erratic animal behavior, or saw something in an unusual location....
Ice Fishing Rigs – Big Bluegills
Ice Fishing Rigs - Big Bluegills By Nick Simonson For the past few weekends, I have been exploring a small impoundment about twenty minutes from home. Rumor had it that big bluegills roamed the basin out from the public access, but all my efforts had produced over the past month...
Pheasant Feathers for Fly Fishing
By Nick Simonson This year, it seemed that every pheasant was a trophy. Whether it was those early birds on opening weekend with half-colored feathers, or that lone rooster coming late in the season, each one provided a welcome warm meal and a new crop of pheasant feathers for fly...
Our Outdoors with Nick Simonson
Fish Finders – An On-Ice Epiphany
By Nick Simonson I recall clearly many days where an “ah-ha!” moment changed the way I did things forever. One such moment happened on December 26, 2000, and it altered the way...
Read More From Nick SimonsonValley Outdoors with Doug Leier
Deer Hunting – North Dakota Winter Gathering
by Doug Leier As a biologist I deal with aspects of fish and wildlife behavior on a routine basis. Hardly a week goes by that I don’t get at least one phone call or email from someone who witnessed...
Read More from Doug LeierFrom the Hunting & Fishing Article Archives
Make Custom Crappie Jigs
Our Outdoors – By Nick Simonson As winter blankets, and blankets, and blankets the region with snow, it is becoming more apparent that it will be a long season indeed. That’s not a bad thing if you need some time to get your tacklebox ready for one of open water’s early quarries – prespawn slab crappies! If you remember the excitement...
Lindy Rigs – Everything You Need to Know
Lindy Fishing Tackle Lindy Rigging revolutionized live bait fishing in the 1960′s and is still one of the most popular and productive methods for taking walleyes throughout the country. Lindy Rigs can take panfish, walleyes, bass, northern pike, trout and any bottom feeding fish wherever they are–in natural lakes, man-made reservoirs, rivers...
Fishing Rod Building Tips
By Taylor Fitterer Making your own custom fishing rods can be a fun experience. Each rod normally takes about 2-3 hours to manufacture, and the finish drying time can take from a few hours to a few days depending on the type of finish, temperature and humidity. We have learned through trial and error and I hope this will save you a few errors while...
Coyote Hunting – Up Close and Personal
By Jamie P. Olson Jamie sighting in the first dog out coyote hunting It’s Thursday night and I am packing up for an early Saturday morning hunt (of course I am packing Thursday night so I can get some sleep Friday night). I call my hunting partner Jayson Deziel of Artistic Wildlife Taxidermy several times that night going over everything twice. The...