If you’re looking for a fun new way to experience the outdoors during the offseason, try your hand at frog gigging. Frog gigging may sound like a bunch of frogs going on a concert tour if you’ve never heard of it before, but it’s just another way of saying “frog hunting.” The name comes from the act of hunting frogs, fish, and other small game with a gig, which is a multipronged spear with barbs at the ends. Most people have tried to stab a fish in a river when they were a kid, but don’t seriously try it once they get older. Frog gigging is great because it’s simple, easy, and most importantly, fun. In this guide, we’ll detail more about frog gigging and provide some useful tips for anyone interested in trying out this enjoyable pastime. 

Nearly every hunter I’ve talked to has told me one of the biggest reasons they hunt is to reconnect with nature, away from the busyness and over crowdedness of modern society. This is understandable, as the requirements of everyday life can be a bit much—it can feel like everything you do is related to technology, there’s noise coming from every direction, and you are almost always looking at a screen of some kind. Mankind was meant to coexist and interact with nature, but it’s getting more and more difficult to do every year. Even if you live in a more rural area, technology is still invading the world. Of course, technology is great and serves a useful purpose in the betterment of mankind, but sometimes you just need to unplug and go to a place where you can be one with nature. A place where you can’t hear a single honking horn, or the bustle of a street corner, a place where the only light you see comes from the sun or the moon, and not some streetlights or computer screens. If you’re looking for a place like this, then you should go backcountry hunting. 

Kayaking is one of my greatest summertime joys. There’s nothing quite like cruising down a river with a group of friends while enjoying the beautiful scenery passing me by. One great way to add to the kayaking experience is by fishing, and there’s no better tool to help know where the fish are going to be than a kayak fish finder. Having one can be a game-changer, providing valuable insight into underwater structures and fish locations. It’s important to know what’s good and what’s not though, so I’ve compiled a sampler of some great fish finders for your angling adventures—from advanced sonar technologies to user-friendly interfaces, these will help you succeed while on the water.

Seasoned outdoorsmen know that one of the most overlooked pitfalls that can ruin a hunting trip is olfactory in nature. All you need is for the wind to be blowing in the wrong direction and suddenly that buck you’ve been tracking gets spooked by your natural body odor, the scent of food you cooked last night, lingering tobacco product smells, hygienic product fragrances and more.

While there are a lot of products on the market to help mask these naturally occurring human scents, it’s hard to keep your natural musk in-check when living out of a tent at the hunt camp for a week. That’s why we rounded up the top three camping showers to help keep your scent hidden from the harvest you’re after. 

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.

Exploring our country’s beautiful rivers and lakes is a great way to experience the natural wonder of our world. There’s something pristine about being on the water and going with the flow of a river that you just can’t replicate anywhere else, and one of the best ways to get on the water is by kayaking. It’s one of my favorite ways to recreate in the outdoors; in fact, I just did a trip down the James River here in Virginia a little while ago, and it’s the highlight of my year so far. I try to help as many people get out on kayaks as I can and everyone I’ve taken tells me they love it!

Now, you might think kayaking is too difficult or expensive to try out if you’ve never done it before, but I’m here to tell you that it’s actually easy and affordable — you just need to make sure you have the right gear to get started. So, if you want to experience the joy of kayaking, check out the kayaks below to get started.

In January this year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced that conservation efforts with the U.S. Navy made some successful strides on San Clemente Island.

San Clemente Island is nestled in the Pacific Ocean off the southern coast of California and its isolation has nurtured a variety of endemic species. This makes it a haven for rare plants and animals found nowhere else: From the vibrant hues of wildflowers to the melodious calls of rare birds, San Clemente Island's charm continues to captivate all who experience its wonders. Now, thanks to the Navy’s efforts, the San Clemente Island paintbrush, lotus, larkspur and bush-mallow plants, as well as the San Clemente Bell’s sparrow — five species in total — are fully recovered and off the endangered species list.

If you’re going to spend any significant time outdoors, eventually you’re going to need to learn how to start a fire. Otherwise, you had better get used to eating cold meals and even colder nights. Now, you have two different options when it comes to learning how to start a fire: first, you can do it the hard way and learn how to use whatever tools available to create a fire out of nowhere (like I did during my time with the Boy Scouts); or second, you can do what everybody else does and buy a fire starter, making your life way easier. I recommend the second option, as the first is only necessary for emergency situations (but it is good to know). Here are three of the best fire starters available to help ignite the flames of your outdoor recreation. 

Earlier this year, the West Virginia (WV) branch of the Army National Guard (ARNG) received the prestigious Environmental Stewardship Award. This is the highest conservational recognition the Army National Guard can give, and it signifies that the WV branch is performing exemplarily in its duty of environmental stewardship and sustainability. iSportsman understands the importance of conservation in maintaining a sustainable future and ensuring our natural world is preserved for the military, outdoor recreation and more, and we wanted to highlight the great efforts displayed by the WVARNG in helping achieve this goal.

Having a truck bed tent means having your entire camp set up located securely in the back of your truck allows you to camp, hunt, hike or fish at an elevated level with the benefit of mobility if need be. We rounded up our top 4 truck bed tent picks for you to check out before your next adventure.