Goodbye Old Man Winter

posted on April 7, 2014
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
feature_image_moultrie.jpg

Old Man Winter has finally departed. With spring in the air and the turkeys gobbling, I have been itching to get out to my leases to see how the properties faired the late winter here in Virginia. Our hardwoods suffered one of the worst hard-mast crops in Virginia history, along with a back-to-back pounding from Mother Nature-a perfect storm of bad variables.

A phone call from the landowner two weeks ago left me heartbroken when she mentioned howling at all hours of the day and carcasses lying around the farm-a product of the quickly growing coyote population taking advantage of highly stressed and weak deer. I know its nature’s way of thinning the herd and keeping a healthy balance, but as game manager I despise of these situations.

On a brighter note, last week the folks at PRADCO Outdoor Brands stopped by with an array of product ranging from game cameras to tree stands to duck calls. You may not know PRADCO as a name by itself, but you likely know many of its brands like Moultrie Feeders, Summit Treestands, Knight & Hale Game Calls, Code Blue, and others. I was pleased to see and smell Code Blue’s newest offerings-Swine Wine, a wild-hog attractant and my personal favorites, Raspberry Jelly Donut, Savory Bacon, and Blueberry in its line of bear attractants called Bear Magnet. My office still smells like a wine tasting that took place inside a donut shop.

Well, the weekend's forecast looked amazing so I figured I would take a ride and set up a few new game cameras to monitor the coyote activity, do a bit of scouting for spring gobbler season, and hopefully find some antler sheds. Thanks to the meet and greet I was left with several products to demo and write about so what better way than to tie it all in with my weekend afield.

This is my job…

Latest

Taurus Expedition Rifleman Review 1
Taurus Expedition Rifleman Review 1

Rifleman Review: Taurus Expedition

Taurus entered the bolt-action rifle market with its Expedition, a Remington 700-pattern design that's built to be versatile and affordable.

New For 2025: Charter Arms Pathfinder II

Charter Arms updated one of the oldest models in its lineup with the new Pathfinder II, which features a lightweight 7075 aluminum frame, making it more well-balanced and easier to carry.

Review: Kimber 2K11

The 2011-style pistol was designed to address the capacity limitations of the single-stack M1911 platform, and Kimber's approach to the concept is its 2K11, a competition-ready offering with several notable features.

Favorite Firearms: A High-Flying Hi-Standard “A-D”

Manufactured in New Haven, Conn., in late 1940, this Hi-Standard pistol was shipped as a Model “A,” but a heavier Model “D” barrel was installed later to replace the original, light barrel, leading one American Rifleman reader to call it a Model “A-D.”

Ruger Helps Families In Need Through The Kids & Clays Foundation

In the effort to help tens of thousands of critically ill children and their families across the nation through local Ronald McDonald Houses, Ruger is among some of the industry’s foremost Platinum-level sponsors of The Kids & Clays Foundation.

Unlocking The Future: Smith & Wesson's "No Lock" Revolvers

The future is shaping up to be a good one for fans of Smith & Wesson revolvers. The iconic American company had released 14 new models thus far in 2025 at the time this was written mid-year. And, with one exception, they have all shared a common feature—no internal lock.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.