Sidebars Archives - Page 59 of 194

June 21, 2026

Trail cameras set up around supplemental feeding locations during the winter when natural food available is at its lowest ebb can give hunters a great idea about how many and which bucks survived the previous season.

Dead of winter is great time to inventory surviving bucks

After seeing many bucks on camera and on stand throughout deer season, there is always concern how many actually come out alive on Jan. 1. Technology, provides plenty of answers. […]

Full-choked shotguns and large, heavy loads of non-toxic shot are the norm when targeting snow geese.

Snow geese require special shot choices, sizes and shotgun chokes

Jeff Burleson

Snow geese travel thousands of miles to reach their southern wintering grounds. After hunters study the flocks and finally get a group to creep into shotgun range, the hard part is over, and hunters need to use their equipment to bring them to the dirt. […]

Fully camouflaged layout blinds are a great option for hunters looking to hide from snow geese out in the open among decoys.

Full-camo, layout blinds or all-white are snow goose concealment options

Jeff Burleson

As soon as duck season ends, a choice few waterfowlers will pack away their duck decoys and layout boats and unload masses of white decoy shells for the snow goose conservation season. […]

Anglers are allowed to keep one red drum per day between 18 and 27 inches.

Commission’s tight regulations have revived red drum

Craig Holt

In the 17 years since the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission defined catch standards to prevent overfishing, and the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission published a fisheries management plan for the species that set more-restrictive limits for commercial and recreational fishermen, red drum have thrived in North Carolina waters. […]

Disking between rows of pines after prescribed winter burning will generate plenty of new growth and wildlife habitat.

Disk between rows of pines after prescribed burning

Jeff Burleson

On average, pine plantations comprise nearly 25 percent of the forested cover in the Carolinas. Since a quarter of those are in homogeneous stands with uniform rows, the rows left empty after thinning can be manipulated through disking or harrowing to create corridors of beneficial wildlife habitat. […]

Using planer boards allows fishermen trolling lures or slow-trolling live baits to cover a much wider area on either side of the boat.

Planer boards adapt well for striped bass

Craig Holt

Maynard Edwards is one of North Carolina’s supreme tinkerers when it comes to discovering new and effective fishing techniques. […]

Late winter, during the coyote mating season and before fawns are born, is prime time to trap and try to control coyote populations.

Kill coyotes before fawns arrive

Jeff Burleson

Coyotes continue to plague the Carolinas, eating small game and small fawns during late spring. […]

Warmer weather might move crappie up and into brush piles, where deep-jigging with a single curlytail is productive.

In January, think cold for long-lining Badin Lake crappie

Dusty Wilson

Although long-line trolling is the goal when suspended crappie are the target, it is always possible that a mild December or a series of warm fronts could cause crappie to hang up in the deep brush they’ve been calling home rather than transitioning to open water. […]

Guide Joe Dennis seines shallow water on Lake Moultrie for big crappie, paying close attention to cover that may hold fish.

Not all shallow water is created equal

Terry Madewell

Guide Joe Dennis consistently catches crappies in shallow water in January, but he said not all shallow water is productive. […]

Vertically tight-lining minnows and jigs from the bow of the boat allows anglers to target in extremely deep water.

Tight-line for tough Badin Lake crappie

Dusty Wilson

“l’ll do whatever I need to do to catch crappie in winter,” said guide Maynard Edwards, and if January turns off bitter cold, that might just mean chasing them all the way to the bottom of Badin Lake. […]