New England's Premier
Hunting, Fishing &
Outdoor Magazine

The Gregarious Grouse

By David Minton   Any upland bird hunter will tell you that the Ruffed Grouse, aka partridge here in New England, is one of the hardest upland game birds to hunt. It can fly through the densest woods and conifer forests, takes off when the hunter is least ready to make a shot (stepping over … Continued

Survival: Deer Hunt Gone Bad

BY Mark Cote When we arrived at our Anticosti deer camp it rained a lot overnight. My plan for the first day was to hunt the coastline on the East side of the territory, which meant crossing the Martin River by ATV. Nobody has been able to hunt there for weeks so I knew it … Continued

The Bear Buck

By Ben Wilcox The conclusion of hunting season is a time to look back at the successes and failures of the past year. In my computer I list the deer I killed and note any important lessons. While doing so, I saw my PA public land 8 point listed and recalled the crazy story that … Continued

The Togue Hunters

By Stu Bristol   These men and women are a rare and hearty breed, for sure. They travel Maine from end to end, in snowstorms, ice and rain, sometimes for hours at a time in a single day. Armed with modern ice fishing gear they search for the Togue (Lake Trout) honey holes looking for … Continued

Kids: Pickerel Passion

BY V. Paul Reynolds I know of no better way to get kids hooked on fishing than to expose them to an action-packed pickerel pond on a sunny day in late February of early March. They say first impressions are lasting. Not so, though, with fish. Take the chain pickerel. By rights I should loathe … Continued

Blackpowder Mistakes

  By Al Raychard Sometimes we take things for granted, or just neglect to do things which in the pursuit of whitetails with a muzzleloader can prove a major mistake. I dare say most muzzleloader hunters these days hunt with in-lines and load up with one of the available blackpowder substitutes. There are good reasons … Continued

The Hunter’s Moon

By V. Paul Reynolds Many sportsmen count the November deer hunt as the highlight of all of their outdoor passions. It is a special time. Frosty mornings and quiet moments in a tree stand with hand warmers, a thermos of hot coffee mixed with the anticipation of a big buck in the cross hairs is … Continued

Buck Fever

BY Tom Kelly We have all heard the term, “Buck Fever”. Most of us have at one time or another even experienced it. This malady doesn’t just afflict deer hunters. In fact, I have frequently seen experienced deer hunters become victims of target panic when they see their first bear in the woods sneaking into … Continued

Legendary Maine Bucks

BY V. Paul Reynolds Maine has long been famous for its “monster” whitetail bucks. Of course, the most fabled of these is the 1955 Horace Hinckley buck, a big-toed bruiser that field-dressed at a jaw-dropping 355 lbs! No other buck has since come close to this famous buck,when it comes to sheer weight. But weight … Continued

November Grouse

By Paul Fuller      Is November the new October?  With climate change, everything changes.  Let me explain.      As I’ve written many times in this column, there are two ingredients that control a grouse life:  food and shelter.  Conifers are the main source of shelter for the ruffed grouse.  And, that source of shelter remains … Continued

Reader Feedback

The Northwoods Sporting Journal is the largest hunting & fishing magazine in the Northeast.