Lake Texoma is a unique striper fishery located one-and-a-half hours north of Dallas, Texas, in the Red River and Washita River watershed. Salt domes 40 miles upstream on the Red River create enough buoyancy to keep striper eggs tumbling downstream during the annual spring spawn. This creates the largest, most dependable natural striped bass spawn of any lake in the country.
Backcountry hunting offers an unparalleled opportunity for adventurous hunters to immerse themselves in nature and pursue elusive game in some of the most remote and scenic areas of the United States. Here are four top destinations that promise thrilling experiences for backcountry hunters:
There’s something special about fly-in fishing in Saskatchewan, Canada, at a remote lake. From the instant the float plane touches the water until your trip ends, you are in a wilderness that will keep calling you back. Whether you are casting a spoon to a giant northern pike, back trolling a ‘harness rig’ for walleye that have never seen a hook or dropping big jigs down to trophy lake trout — you are in fishermen’s heaven.
Fort Cavazos Army post (formerly known as Fort Hood) is taking a big step toward enhancing their recreational offerings for service members and their families. Through a strategic partnership with iSportsman, the base will leverage the comprehensive iSportsman service to elevate its recreational opportunities starting Aug. 15.
The big hunting season might be over but there are still many opportunities to get outdoors and hunt during the summer months. Whether you can’t wait until fall or want to practice maintaining your shooting skills, it’s important to keep yourself busy during the off season. One of the best options for doing so is to try hunting prairie dogs. Sure, they might not be as prestigious as some more exotic game, and they definitely won’t fill your freezer as quickly, but you might be surprised to learn that prairie dogs offer some of the most outstanding hunts available during summer months. And if you’re going to hunt prairie dogs, Kansas offers some excellent opportunities.
Every hunter and fisherman should head out to an expo to meet like-minded individuals and stay up to date on all the latest gear releases. They are a wonderful experience to have in an increasingly digital world—it’s nice to meet other enthusiasts in person. Fortunately, the team here at iSportsman has rounded up some of the best hunting and fishing expos happening throughout the rest of June. Give expos a chance and see if you can make it to one of these many locations—you won’t regret it.
When you meet people who enjoy and love the same interests as you a lifelong friendship is sure to follow. Upon meeting Sean on a spearfishing trip, he took to the Big Island (Hawaii island) it didn’t take long before we were sharing old stories and we couldn’t stop talking about how we needed to get into the woods with bow in tow during the next axis deer rut on his home island of Maui. The months couldn’t fall off the calendar fast enough, but it was time to get packed and fly over. I invited my dad, who at the time was working so much and wasn’t able get to spend as much time out of the office than he would’ve liked. I threatened him with a good time and said “You have to go, no ifs, ands, or buts!!” and thanks to my mom’s words of encouragement we went.
If you’re an avid deer hunter looking for a new challenge, try your hand at axis deer. They are a highly sought after exotic species, and extremely difficult to hunt: They tend to stay in thick cover and have excellent eyesight and sense of smell. Not only do they have incredible trophy potential, due to their majestic nature and rareness, but they also have the best tasting venison in the world. On top of that they also have different yearly cycles compared to other deer, with peak rut in the middle of the summer, and are usually available to hunt year-round due to their status as an invasive species, making them a good option for the typical off-season.
Summer fishing season is right around the corner, and there’s no better time to get a fishing license or renew an old one. It’s important to find the best deals when it comes to fishing licenses, and many active-duty servicemen and veterans don’t make use of all the benefits available to them. Did you know that nearly every state offers some form of discount or exemption for fishing licenses? We’ve gathered some of the best deals accessible to those who served in our distinguished military.
It was mid September in the high alpine mountains of Alaska’s remote interior and I laid frozen in a blueberry patch, watching over a giant grizzly grazing across the ravine. My heart felt as though it would pound out of my chest. The excitement was not from fear, nor how close the bear was, but because I recognized the bear’s unique blonde coloration and impressive size from previous years. In the past I had only found tracks or caught glimpses of the great bruin as it slipped into the forest. Until today, I never had an opportunity to close the distance. Now the bear was upwind, distracted while intently gorging on blueberries, and in an ideal location to stalk. My only dilemma was that I had already drawn a coveted brown bear tag for Kodiak Island later that fall and was only allowed one grizzly/brown bear per year. The memory of reluctantly walking away from the big bear will forever be seared in my mind.
