That’s because Travis McKay, a park ranger at Trinidad Lake State Park, was ticketed for poaching a trophy mule deer after hunting hours using artificial light, according to The Denver Post. According to Rick Cables, director of CPW, plenty of people within the organization were upset McKay wasn’t fired. No kidding.

According to The Denver Post, the officer who stopped McKay after his kill noticed it wasn’t tagged properly. McKay then lied to the officer about when the deer was shot, but text messages from McKay’s phone indicated it was well after dark. Eventually McKay admitted to using artificial light, was fined $11,000 and demoted to maintenance worker at another park.

We understand not everyone is as quick to fire a person as Donald Trump, but this is a bit ridiculous. After completely violating everything a park ranger—and a park service—is meant to protect, there’s no way you can keep a person like that on your staff and retain your credibility as an organization. Yes, he got relegated to the Siberia of the parks department, but it’s not enough. The punishment falls woefully short of the crime.

As a result, we at Petersen’s Hunting are presenting McKay with the “You’re Fired!” Award. It’s not quite as good as the real thing, but it’s just about as shameful.

Men are simple. Strip us down to our basic needs and we’re really incomplex. We all LOVE bacon. We all love a good campfire. We all hate shopping. We don’t use shallow new-age tools like Pinterest to get ideas for what to build or make or do or wear—we use our natural, testosterone-infused instincts to craft our masculinity.

Those instincts, of course, can be traced back to the lessons of our fathers—the men who gave us “the talk,” taught us how to cut a steak and change a tire.

This Father’s Day, use the intuition dad gave you to get him something manly. A gift that shows him you care, a small token of appreciation for being the original man’s man.

To help you get started, we put together a straightforward gift guide that contains absolutely no fluff. Enjoy our manliest Father’s Day gifts.

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The Alphabet of Manliness

The Alphabet of Manliness has been called the "Bible of Manhood," and it's hard for us to disagree. Internet sensation and one name wonder Maddox penned this satirical look at the world of men. In it he teaches us how to properly dropkick someone in the face and, more importantly, how to keep our ladies happy. Surely, your dad could use this guide, but if he's already at the height of manliness, he'll still get a few laughs from this literary gem.

Price: $11.99 (paperback)

Baconnaise

Baconnaise, they say, is the ultimate bacon-flavored spread. But how do you properly describe the pioneering awesomeness of this particular product? It's like manifest destiny in a jar, the perfect gift for a dad that wants to make a statement.

Price: $5.99 (single jar)

Beard Pack Men's Grooming Kit

This grooming kit is a must for the bearded dad. Big beard oil, mustache wax and whisker wash ensure your dad's beard is ready for the outdoors and doesn't come back full of the crusty leftovers from lunch. Thanks to the Duck Dynasty boys, beards are in, so if your dad doesn't already have one, buy him this kit in hopes he joins the manly trend.

Price: $39.99

Cabela’s Euro Binoculars

Every man needs a good binocular. That doesn't mean your dad needs the most expensive, German-made glass on the market. He needs something tough, reliable and classic. Cabela's Euro HD binos fit that bill. This offering is housed in an ergonomically designed aluminum-alloy body with a rugged layer of textured rubber armor to reduce carry weight and protect it from rough use. Each pair is completely nitrogen-purged, sealed and guaranteed to be fogproof and waterproof as long as your dad carries them.

Price: $999.99

Cabela’s Alaskan Guide 150-qt. Cooler

You'll hear this a lot when it comes to manly products...it has to be tough. This one is no different. Cabela’s Alaskan Guide Coolers are manufactured with double-wall construction and Ecomate foam work with a .625-inch-thick rubber gasket and insulated lid to chill stuff for days. Molded-in hinges and brass latching system ensure a tight seal and it can hold up to 150 12-ounce cans. Tough is an understatement here.

Price: $499.99

Camp Chef Outdoor Oven

Daughters have easy bake ovens and dads have the Camp Chef Outdoor Oven. Unleash 18,000 BTUs of portable cooking power with this combo stovetop and oven, and you'll have bacon and brats sizzling in the middle of nowhere whenever you're in need. The oven produces temperatures of 400 degrees and is powered by one disposable can of propane which can keep things cooking for up to five hours.

Price: $302.08

Leatherman OHT

Leatherman's new OHT (One-Hand Tool) features slide-out, spring-loaded pliers and eight separate tools—two knife blades, four screwdrivers, a saw blade, and a belt cutter/gut-hook. That's really nothing totally new for a multi-tool but here's what is: It's all deployable using only one hand. That's an innovation that most tool makers can't claim. The tool also has replaceable 154CM wire-cutters, comes with a nylon molle sheath, and will be offered in black or Coyote Tan Cerakote.

Price: $82

USFA ZiP .22

The USFA ZiP .22 is everything a man could want. It's got .22LR firepower and it fits easily in a backpack, truck or cargo pocket, and is a great lightweight survival gun—it's comprised of mainly polymer and weighs only 15.5 ounces unloaded. We picture the American version of James Bond being happy to tote around this little wonder...and we're sure your dad will feel like a manlier version of Sean Connery with the ZiP.

Price: $199.99

Wetterlings Back Country Hatchet

The Backcountry Hatchet is a 1.5-pound Swedish carbon alloy steel head combined with 16 inches of American hickory makes you want to just chop something down. Match a flannel shirt and beard with this piece of cutlery and your dad will be rolling toward the timber Paul Bunyon-style. Don't skimp and go with the bargain basement hatchet from the big box store, pick this one up for dad and he'll be the first one to make use of the fireplace this winter.

Price: $115.95

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HUNTING's Manliest Father's Day Gifts

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But if you ask anyone who’s tried to judge a black bear in the field, it is a notoriously difficult task. A wide-bodied beast lumbering through the woods before your eyes might actually have a relatively small skull, which is what Boone & Crockett measures for its world record book. If anything, that only adds to the appeal of black bear hunting.

It’s in celebration of this kind of hunting heritage that B&C—established by Theodore Roosevelt in 1887—has worked so tirelessly to catalog the crowning achievements of hunters for more than a century now. Only a larger-than-life hunter and adventurer like Roosevelt could understand the lasting importance of conservation and trophy record keeping, which are very near the heart of the club he started.

To help celebrate 125 years of rich hunting tradition over at B&C—and to pay a little homage to Teddy himself—we teamed up with our friends at B&C to compile a list of the 20 biggest black bears of all time. So wax your mustache, pull out your monocle and enjoy the accomplishments of many a great hunter.

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20. Duane Helland

Duane Helland of Chippewa County, Wis., killed this massive 22 11/16 B&C in 2003.

For more trophy records or conservation information, stop by Boone & Crockett.

19. Chad M. Reed

Chad Reed killed this 22 11/16 B&C black bear in Bradford County, Pa. The bear weighed a whopping 604 pounds.

For more trophy records or conservation information, stop by Boone & Crockett.

18. Timothy R. Kiser

Timothy Kiser killed this 22 11/16 B&C black bear in 2011 in Armstrong County, Pa.

For more trophy records or conservation information, stop by Boone & Crockett.

17. Douglas Kristiansen

Douglas Kristiansen killed this 22 12/16 B&C black bear in 2003 Pike County, Pa.

For more trophy records or conservation information, stop by Boone & Crockett.

16. Loren C. Nodolf

Loren Nodolf killed this 22 13/16 B&C black bear in 1990 in Ventura County, Calif.

For more trophy records or conservation information, stop by Boone & Crockett.

15. Joseph E. Mindick

Joseph Mindick killed this 22 13/16 B&C black bear in 1998 in Luzerne County, Pa.

For more trophy records or conservation information, stop by Boone & Crockett.

14. Robert J. Evans

Robert Evans killed this 22 13/16 B&C black bear in 2008 in Riding Mountain, Manitoba.

For more trophy records or conservation information, stop by Boone & Crockett.

13. George S. Mosier III

George Mosier III killed his 22 13/16 B&C trophy black bear in 2010 in Sullivan County, Pa. The illustration to the left shows Theodore Roosevelt in a famous pose—refusing to shoot a chained bear. An event like this demonstrated Roosevelt's passion for "fair chase" hunting, and it's also where the name "Teddy Bear" came from.

For more trophy records or conservation information, stop by Boone & Crockett.

12. Brian J. Coxe

Brian Coxe killed this 22 14/16 B&C black bear in 2003 in Carbon County, Pa.

For more trophy records or conservation information, stop by Boone & Crockett.

11. John J. Bathke

John Bathke killed this 22 14/16 B&C black bear in 1998 in McCreary, Manitoba.

For more trophy records or conservation information, stop by Boone & Crockett.

10. Craig D. Martin

Craig Martin killed this 22 15/16 B&C black bear in 1996 on Kuiu Island, Alaska.

For more trophy records or conservation information, stop by Boone & Crockett.

9. Jesse L. Ritchey

Jesse Ritchey killed this 22-15/16 B&C black bear in 2006 in Bedford County, Pa.

For more trophy records or conservation information, stop by Boone & Crockett.

8. Jeremy Kresge

Jeremy Kresge killed this 22 15/16 B&C black bear in 2004 in Monroe County, Pa.

For more trophy records or conservation information, stop by Boone & Crockett.

7. Kurk A. Mackrill

Kurk Mackrill killed this 23 1/16 B&C black bear in 2011 in Clark County, Wis.

For more trophy records or conservation information, stop by Boone & Crockett.

6. Andrew Seman Jr.

Andrew Seman, Jr., killed this 23 3/16 B&C black bear in 2005 in Fayette County, Pa.

For more trophy records or conservation information, stop by Boone & Crockett.

5. Robert J. Shuttleworth Jr.

Rober Shuttleworth, Jr., killed this 23 3/16 B&C black bear in 1993 in Mendocino County, Calif.

For more trophy records or conservation information, stop by Boone & Crockett.

4. Wade Brockman

Wade Brockman found this Monroe, Wis., black bear in 2010. It measured 23 5/15 B&C and ranks fourth all time.

For more trophy records or conservation information, stop by Boone & Crockett.

3. Pennsylvania Game Commission

The Pennsylvania Game Commission picked up this 23 7/16 B&C black bear in 1987 Lycoming County, Pa.

For more trophy records or conservation information, stop by Boone & Crockett.

2. Robert T. Christian

Robert Christian killed this 23 9/16 B&C black bear in 2011 in Monroe County, Pa.

For more trophy records or conservation information, stop by Boone & Crockett.

1. Cabela's

Cabela's is the owner of this 23 10/16 B&C black bear skull, which was picked up in 1975 in Sanpete County, Utah.

For more trophy records or conservation information, stop by Boone & Crockett.

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20 Biggest Black Bears of All Time

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That didn’t stop Mama June, however, from publicizing her latest stunt via People Magazine, a wedding ceremony replete with camo dresses, blaze orange vests for the men and Honey Boo Boo herself in a pink princess getup. If you suddenly feel sick to your stomach, you’re not alone.

Mama June told People she exchanged vows with Honey Boo Boo’s dad, Sugar Bear, though it’s unclear whether it was a vow renewal service or an official wedding. In epic redneck fashion, Mama June also said she met Sugar Bear in an online chat room 9 years ago.

Mama June told People, “We stayed true to our roots and made the focus on the family and my commitment to Sugar Bear.”

ARs have drawn the most criticism from anti-gunners, but other firearms are in danger too.

After the Newtown tragedy, the topic of gun control has once again reared its ugly head. However, I talk to many hunters who feel that any new gun ban won’t affect them. If you believe this, you are wrong. Any gun ban will eventually affect hunters. Maybe not Feinstein’s current proposed ban, or the next one, or the one 10 years from now, but sooner or later you, your guns, and your hunting lifestyle will certainly be affected.

Disagree? Show me one country that has implemented “common sense” gun laws and then just stopped. You can’t, because it doesn’t happen. The way this works is one law at a time, piling law upon law until the goal is reached.  Hunters and gun owners are fond of saying, “They will never come take my guns.” And they are right, they will never just come “take your guns.” But they will pass laws until some point, 50 years down the road, gun ownership has become too costly, too cumbersome, and too much of an intrusion into life that your grandchildren will simply choose not to own them. At that point, hunting will also disappear for the masses.

I have been fortunate enough to hunt the world, and everywhere I go is in far worse shape than we are when it comes to firearm ownership, for one simple reason: Their hunters compromised. Compromise turned into confiscation in New Zealand. Compromise became gun laws so onerous in England that the vast majority of its citizens have never seen a real gun. In sporting destinations such as Africa, the wait to buy a hunting rifle takes upwards of a year, and you can only own about four rifles—that is, if you have a legitimate reason to own one at all. All of this trampling of rights started with “common sense” gun legislation in the name of curbing violence, but it is no surprise that crime has remained largely unaffected or is worse than it was before.

If you need further evidence of how this game is played, take a look at smoking. If you would have told any American in the 1950s that someday smoking wouldn’t be allowed indoors, on planes, in restaurants, in bars and that even going outside to smoke would not be acceptable—please step 150 yards away from the door, sir—they would have hacked/laughed you out of the room. Any such law proposed 50 years ago would have been quickly run out of Congress in a hail of blue smoke. But one step at a time, one compromise at a time, this is exactly what has transpired. I’m not saying that we should repeal all smoking laws; it simply serves as an example of how much things can change when the game is played an inch at a time.

Right now, it is black guns—and, yes, it is black guns by their very look, nothing more, nothing less—that are being demonized. You may not own one, you may think that there is no sporting purpose for one (an issue I would disagree with, but that is not the point), and you may believe that 30-round magazines don’t have a place in the woods, but what about when they limit guns to 10 rounds? You are kidding yourself if you think they will stop there. As New York lawmakers just demonstrated, they won’t quit—10 rounds are too many for New Yorkers, and they are now limited to seven. What about when they go to five, or two, or none at all?

Allow more gun laws to pass and it will be your semi-auto shotgun, your 10/22, and even your super-accurate bolt-action hunting—or should I say, “sniper”—rifle next. Trust me, they are not just after black guns, they are after all guns, and they won’t rest until they get them.

New for 2013, Sauer launched the new 101 with the slogan: “Old School, New Rules,” and that sums it up well: Old world craftsmanship meets new technology.

At first, the 101 looks like most other bolt rifles, but a second look surprises. A safer sliding cocking lever replaces a traditional safety and a 6-lug, 60-degree full-diameter bolt is incorporated for strength and smoothness. The trigger is set at an ultra-crisp 2 pounds and rivals most custom units

A revolutionary bedded aluminum block with two inset pins secures the barreled action. Available in synthetic or walnut, the biggest surprise is the price—it is the least expensive Sauer ever introduced!

I put several hundred rounds through the Sauer 101 under a variety of conditions from the bench at 100 and 200 meters, as well as running target practice at the Sauer indoor shooting facility. During the test, I noted a couple of things. First the German engineers require this rifle to hold 1 MOA with factory ammunition and not some special high performance “secret load.” Its regular run of the mill fodder and the 101 is expected to perform with a selection of it, not just one manufacturer. Also, they require the 101s to hold MOA for five shots, not just three. Hmm, the test just got interesting.

We shot the rifles with Federal Classic, Federal Fusion, Hornady and Norma. While some rifles liked some ammo better, all of them passed the MOA test with all of the ammo. And our testing equipment was nothing fancy—a solid bench, sandbag rests and a Zeiss Duralyt scope set on 10 power. We would shoot five shots, not let the barrel cool and shoot another group. We did this for hundreds of rounds until the rifle was so hot it would literally burn skin if you touched the barrel. This is something I normally wouldn’t do with my own rifle, but the engineers said, “Keep shooting, this is a good test.”  So we did, taking turns loading and literally burning the rifle up. The result? After hundreds of shots of .30-06, the gun would still hold MOA and there was no perceptible point of impact shift from when we started with a cold barrel. That is a testament to a quality barrel.

As a final test, Sauer’s Julian Wengenmayr said, “I want to show you something that differentiates our bedding system from other systems on the market. Go ahead and fire a three shot group.” I did, and they were right under an inch. Then he broke loose the bedding screws and tuned them several rotations to ensure they were loose.

“Ok, fire two more shots to complete your group.” I looked at him like he was mad; there was no way the shots were going to be anywhere close. I did as instructed and was shocked to see not only were they close, but they were well within the group. “That is the difference between just using a bedding block and using the steel pins in conjunction with a bedding block. The action stays welded to the stock even if the screws were to come loose in the field.”

From the indoor bench range, we headed to the Sauer indoor shooting gallery, which uses videos projected on a screen. Scenes of running boars and other game can be shot at multiple angles and speeds with a computer tracking the hits—and unfortunately the misses. We spent the rest of the day pounding through box after box of ammo. The gun pointed naturally, swung well and felt like the fine piece of machinery it is. The bolt—hot, dry and dirty—still cycled smoothly, and we did not receive one failure to fire, eject or any other hiccup even though we put more ammo through it in an afternoon than most hunters will put through it in a lifetime.

So in a nutshell, what you have with the new Sauer 101 is a great rifle that is safe, handles well, points naturally, is smooth to cycle and is phenomenally accurate. None of this is revolutionary or extremely groundbreaking for longtime Sauer enthusiasts, but what will surprise them is the price; with a street price in the U.S. around $1,400, it is not the least expensive rifle on the gun store rack, but then again, it is not much more than what an average, no frills, American working rifle costs either. All added up, I’d say it is a heck of a buy for a lot of rifle.

He’s hosted his own TV show (Fear Factor), starred on a popular NBC sitcom (NewsRadio) and he currently has one of the most popular podcasts on the planet (The Joe Rogan Experience). When he’s not providing color commentary for UFC fights, he’s also a stand-up comedian, holds black belts in Taekwondo and Jiu-Jitsu, and is a full-time cannabis supporter. You heard right.

But one thing Rogan hasn’t done—at least not until recently—is go hunting. That all changed when Steve Rinella, host of the Sportsman Channel’s MeatEater, invited Rogan and his friend, fellow comedian and actor Bryan Callen, for a five-day excursion into the Montana wilderness.

The two-part episode begins with the premier of part one this Sunday, April 28 at 9 pm ET/PT and concludes with the premiere of part two on Sunday, May 5 at 9 pm ET/PT, exclusively on Sportsman Channel.

“I had always wanted to hunt. I felt like, my whole life I’ve eaten meat and I’d never taken part in actually killing the animals,” Rogan said. “I always knew that was a big disconnect and so I’d wanted to hunt for a long time.”

Once he got used to the isolation and cold of the vast Montana landscape, Rogan said felt right at home.

“Being away, completely away from all the noise of society and cell phones and Wi-Fi, and to be completely away from all that stuff was kind of refreshing. I don’t want to live like that but I wouldn’t mind taking breaks like that. You know I think living like that would suck. If we had to go to the way people lived before electricity I don’t think that would be that fun, but to take little breaks and go camping and to be really out there and really immersed in nature was really fascinating and exhilarating.”

“I really enjoyed it very much. I think it gives you an experience that’s unlike any other kind of camping or even any other kind of nature experience because you’re doing something incredibly primal with your time. You’re not just in nature. You’re in nature and you’re actually doing the things people used to do, you know, back in the caveman days.”

With Rinella as his guide, Rogan said he was surprised how much work goes into hunting. At the same time, he said it was eye opening to finally bridge the gap between field and table.

“You can put yourself into a situation where you’re going and acquiring your own meat in a nature environment like that, like going down to Montana, and I think if you’re going to be a meat eater it’s the ethical way to do it. It’s the right way to do it. I don’t think it’s cruel at all,” Rogan said.

“I think it’s probably the opposite of cruelty because you’re allowing this animal to live a completely, totally free life and then going out and finding it. You go out and get it and in an instant, it’s over. That animal has lived exactly as it would without you ever interfering in its existence and then you’re eating it. That to me is, by far, the least cruel way to eat meat.”

After a missed opportunity at a deer, Rogan finally connected. He was amazed how much work was involved from start to finish of the process.

“It was a pretty wild experience. We began the cleaning, the butchering of the deer. The gutting of the deer, first, that was the first thing we did and we opened it up and Steve took me step by step through all of the different parts of how to open it, how to get the organs out,” Rogan said.

“It was a really powerful experience and I think that if I could, I would like to do this several times a year and get a lot of the meat that I eat in this way. It just seems to me to be the healthiest, and well first of all, it’s fun.”

The advantage of trapping and snaring small game is the same as that of fishing: You can set a series of traps that work while you don’t. Done properly—and in the right situation—these simple devices can add enough sustenance to your diet to keep you going for a while.

In addition to hopefully providing you with food, the other benefit of creating traps and snares is that it is proactive and enables you to feel like you’re doing something to better your situation. Another benefit of traps and snares is that they’re effective anywhere in the world.

There’s strength in numbers when it comes to traps. The more you set, the more luck you’ll have. If you can set 45 rabbit snares, do it. You’ll have to invest more energy at the front end, but you’re also setting yourself up for greater rewards at the back end. Although many people tout the benefits of complex traps and snares, my philosophy is to follow the KISS method: Keep It Simple, Stupid!

The elaborate ones require tremendous effort and expertise and often don’t yield any more than the basic ones. You’ll increase your chances of success if you use bait in your traps and snares. Begin by scattering some of it around your trap. This will encourage the animal to develop a taste for the bait. When the outer supply is exhausted, the animal will likely venture in to the trap; its desire for more of the bait overcoming its natural sense of caution.

If you are lucky enough to snare or trap an animal, remember that you’re not looking for a few choice pieces. In a survival situation, you eat everything on the animal except bowels and excrement.

A basic snare is a simple device: a looped cord or rope that tightens around an animal as it walks through. Getting a snare to work exactly as designed often requires a bit of fine-tuning, though. The loop must be big enough for the animal’s head, not so big that the animal walks through unscathed, and at the right height off the ground for the animal’s head.

Always position any trap or snare in a location where there is evidence of animal activity: runs and trails, tracks, droppings, chewed or rubbed vegetation. Try to disturb the area as little as possible when setting the trap; otherwise, you will tip animals off to your presence.

To build a rabbit snare, use a rope or cord to make a noose and drape it loosely over some foliage growing close to the ground.
Attach the lead rope of the snare to a bowed branch overhead. Then continue the lead rope to a trigger mechanism that will release at the slightest movement. If you’re lucky, the rabbit will walk through the noose but catch the rope with a leg or paw. This releases the trigger, sending the bowed branch skyward and catching the rabbit in the noose.

To build a squirrel snare, lean a long pole or branch against a tree at approximately a 45-degree angle. Loosely wrap three or four wire nooses on the top and sides of the pole. The squirrel will use the pole to climb the tree. Should it feel the noose on its neck, it will try to leap to safety and hang itself.

This story is an excerpt from the book Survive! by survival expert Les Stroud, best known for his hit show Survivorman on the Discovery Channel.

It seems simple, but as any honest shooter will tell you, we’ve all screwed it up more than once. The best way to address problems you’re facing with long range hunting is to examine the most common reasons for long range hunting misses and make sure you’re not committing one of these grievous errors. If you’ve addressed these issues, your problems will be greatly diminished.

You’re Using the Wrong Bullet
Bullets are not all created equal. Just as some bullets are designed to withstand high velocities and expand reliably in game animals, others are also engineered to battle the forces of physics—only a few are designed to do both. Bullets with high ballistic coefficients are better suited for long range work because they are more aerodynamic.

Competitive shooters very rarely use light-for-caliber bullets, which in theory would shoot flatter at long range. In reality, though, long, heavy-for-caliber bullets do a better job resisting crosswinds and retain more velocity and energy downrange. Spitzer-type bullets with boat tail design (to reduce drag) are a good choice for long range hunting.

You Misjudged the Distance
If you aren’t very good at judging distance, don’t despair—you’re part of the majority. Military tests have shown humans just aren’t very good at accurately judging long distances, and unfamiliar terrain only compounds the problem. If you’re planning on taking shots at extended ranges, you need to keep a quality rangefinder in hand.

Some hunters are very good at using their scope to judge the body depth of the animal in regard to demarcations within the scope itself at a certain magnification—a graduated reticle helps—but this technique is still only an estimate at best. There are a number of excellent rangefinders available today at reasonable prices, so pick one up for long range shooting. Why guess when you can know for sure?

You Didn’t Account For the Wind
I’ve known several hunters that could recite ballistic tables for their favorite load like it was their phone number, but when asked about the wind these same hunters stammered and scratched their heads in despair. Judging crosswinds? That’s no fun, because while a bullet’s drop based on gravity over flat ground will remain virtually the same under most circumstances, wind drift is far more dynamic.

Wind gusts and changes direction, and it may be calm at your position with a steady breeze at the target, or vice-versa. Learning to cope with the wind takes practice, and out to about 200 yards normal wind drift isn’t usually enough to throw the bullet completely out of the kill zone. However, at 400 yards that same steady breeze might mean a crippling shot instead of a clean kill.

Most ballistics charts show wind drift with a 10 mph wind blowing parallel to the shooter. Wind coming at an angle will cause the bullet to drift less than direct parallel force. The best tip here is to practice your shooting on windy days when other shooters stay on the couch.

You Rushed the Shot
Long range shooting is as much a mental challenge as a physical one. It requires the shooter to be relaxed and composed, but suddenly getting a shot at a once-in-a-lifetime buck isn’t conducive to relaxation and composure. Long range shooting is precision shooting, and the very best shooters have the ability to keep control of their emotions.

Learning to compose yourself is a direct result of practicing fundamentals on the range again and again until it becomes habit. At that point, even though you are thrilled to see that big buck, you will fall back on your training on the range. Practice controlling your breathing, focusing on your sight picture, good body position and steady, direct trigger pressure. If the animal is moving or angled badly, wait for your chance, keep yourself composed and ready to go when the opportunity presents itself.

You’re Shooting a Gun With Too Much Recoil
Shooting game at long ranges requires precision, and precision requires the shooter to control their fear and deliver the shot without flinching. Most long range cartridges are fast and powerful, but just because a rifle is chambered for a magnum cartridge doesn’t mean it’s automatically going to be abusive.

I’ve shot plenty of magnums that weren’t painful, usually because they fit me well, had a good stock, an effective recoil pad and enough heft to reduce the punch. The key is finding a gun you are comfortable with and learning how to shoot it well. If you’re experiencing pain, it’s time to call it a day, because once you’ve established a flinch it’s a hard habit to break and it will plague your shooting.

You’re Using Ammo That Isn’t Producing Consistent Velocities
Consistency is one of the keys to accuracy, and if your ammo isn’t producing consistent velocities then you’re doomed from the start. It’s well worth buying a chronograph as a diagnostic tool to determine whether or not your ammo is living up to its end of the bargain. Calculating the standard deviation of the velocity of your ammo may initially seem like a lot of work, but if you are serious about shooting well at long range it is certainly worth your time and money to purchase a quality chronograph to check the velocity claims on your ammo box.

Another option is to contact a custom loading company like Superior Ammunition that will load cartridges to your specs (within reason), assuring you that you won’t have velocities that are as scattered as the bullet holes in your target.

You’ve Never Actually Practiced at Long Range
Seems simple enough, right? You wouldn’t try to ski a black diamond after a half-day fundamentals course on the bunny slopes, so why would you try a 400 yard shot when you’ve never shot your rifle farther than 100 yards at the range? I know, I know, you’ve read ballistics charts and you know exactly what your bullet is going to do at 200, 300, 400 yards and beyond. It’s right there in black and white, isn’t it?

Actually, there are a variety of factors that can affect bullet performance at long range. First off, how consistent are your velocities? What length of barrel was used when the ballistics tests were being conducted, and does it match what you have on your rifle? How about bullets with varying ballistic coefficients? How will wind affect your shot? What does a target look like through your scope at 400 yards?

Bottom line, developing confidence at the range will translate to success in the field. The better your grasp on these basic shooting principles and most common long range hunting mistakes, the better chance of success you’ll have when a trophy is in your sights.

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.300 Winchester Magnum

The hunting and shooting market doesn’t need any more .30 caliber cartridges, but it seems like they just keep appearing anyway. The .300 was once considered one of the fastest of these loads, but today it has been eclipsed by several other fast .30s that shoot pancake flat. So why is it included on this list? First, the .300 Win. Mag does shoot very flat, and it produces a level of recoil that is manageable for most shooters, doling out far less punishment than the really hot .30s. The .300 Win. Mag also benefits from a wide selection of premium .308 bullets, with stacks and stacks of available load data. It may not be the fastest cartridge on this list (or even the fastest .30-caliber), but the .300 Win. Mag is no slouch. It’ll push a 150-grain bullet around 3,200 fps and 180-grainers about 3,000 fps. Ammo is available in most sporting goods stores, and there are lots and lots of factory loads to choose from if you don’t load your own.

7mm Remington Magnum

Last year, the venerable 7mm Remington Magnum turned 50 years old, and in that period of time many other 7mm cartridges have been introduced. Still, the 7mm Remington is far and away the most popular, as it remains one of the best long-range cartridges on the market. The Remington drives 140-grain bullets around 3,200 fps, and the heavier 160 grain bullets still travel at better than 3,000 fps. There’s a huge selection of quality .284 bullets available, and the high sectional density of the heavier bullets (.310 for the 175 grain) means deep penetration and excellent retained energy. The 7mm Remington is suitable for everything in North America and has a proven reputation on African plains game. Unlike the 6.5x284 and the .30-378, you can typically pick up ammo for the 7mm Rem Mag at your local hardware store.

7mm Shooting Times Westerner

The 7mm Shooting Times Westerner (STW) was developed in 1979 by outdoor writer Layne Simpson, and although it never reached the popularity of the 7mm Remington Magnum, the STW trumps the Remington cartridge in every other respect. Based on the 8mm Remington Magnum necked down to accept 7mm bullets, the 7mm STW became a darling of western hunters and anyone else who needed a flat-shooting, hard-hitting medium bore cartridge. The 7mm STW propels 160-grains bullets close to 3,200 fps, and this bullet carries more than 2,000 pounds of energy at 400 yards. As an upside, long, heavy-for-caliber bullets don’t drift as much in surging crosswinds. The STW may not be as popular as the 7mm Remington Magnum, but it is a long-range cartridge with few equals.

8mm Remington Magnum

The 8mm Remington Magnum has never been en vogue, but it has a list of loyal and devoted fans that include the likes of Craig Boddington. Developed in 1978, the 8mm Rem. Mag boasted excellent ballistics and made an excellent choice for large game in the States and abroad. The only problem was that it required a long action and there weren’t a lot of .323 bullets around for reloading. The .338 Winchester Magnum was already a popular cartridge, and even at that time there were plenty of fast .30’s from which to choose. As a result, the 8mm Remington Magnum was largely forgotten. However, long-range hunters are still aware of the big 8mm, and there is plenty to like about this cartridge. It fires 180-grain bullets at upwards of 3,300 fps and 200-grain bullets at 3,000 fps, producing better than 2 tons of muzzle energy and shooting flat enough to hunt in open country.

.220 Swift

The .220 Swift is aptly named—it was the first factory cartridge that broke 4,000 fps. The .220 was introduced in 1935 by Winchester, who chambered the cartridge in their model 54 bolt-action rifle. The earliest .220s met with mixed reviews, and many hunters decried it as a barrel burner. However, modern metallurgy makes the .220 Swift a viable varmint cartridge today because barrels are capable of handling the .220’s speed. Federal’s 40-grain Nosler Ballistic Tip load leaves the barrel at a smoking 4,250 fps, and when this load is sighted in 2 inches high at 100 yards it is still 1 1/2 inches high at 200 yards, and only about two and a half inches low at 300 yards. You won’t find many commercially available varmint loads that can match that kind of trajectory.

.30-378 Weatherby

Roy Weatherby’s company name shows up several times on this list because he made a living on speed. In the 1950s, Roy experimented on a .30 caliber load made from necking down the company’s .378 Magnum, and so the .30-378 Weatherby was born. In 1996 it became commercially available, and the initial figures were pretty staggering. The cartridge would send a 180-grain bullet out of the muzzle with a velocity in excess of 3,400 fps and produced a tremendous 4,676 foot-pounds of energy. That same load, when sighted in 2 1/2 inches high at 100 yards, is just over 3 inches high at 200 yards and dead center at 300. If you are immune to recoil and don’t mind spending about $150 on a box of ammo, Weatherby offers several variants of their Mark V lineup chambered for this cartridge.

.270 Winchester Short Magnum

The .270 Winchester Short Magnum (WSM) is based on the unbelted .300 Winchester Short Mag and drives a 130-grain bullet at over 3,200 fps. Thanks to the popularity of the .270 Winchester, there are a bunch of quality .277 bullets on the market. The .270 WSM is inherently accurate and generates enough energy to kill anything in North America except the great bears. In addition, the .270 WSM’s short overall length means that it can be chambered in light rifles with small actions, making it an ideal mountain hunting cartridge. It generates about 10 percent more recoil than the .270, yet retains about 20 percent more energy at 300 yards. It can be used on varmints with light 100- and 110-grain bullets, deer-sized game with 130-grain bullets and the heavier 150-grain loads work well on elk and caribou.

.338 Remington Ultra Magnum

Be forewarned that the .338 RUM, while it has all the credentials to be an excellent long-range hunting round, generates a level of recoil that many hunters simply cannot tolerate. However, this cartridge is capable of delivering a 225-grain bullet at 3,200 fps, which generates about 4,500 foot-pounds of energy and shoots flat enough to be considered a true long-range cartridge. The .338’s case was developed using a shortened .300 Remington Ultra Magnum beltless rebated case with a modified shoulder and necking it out to accept .338 bullets. For the experienced hunter who can handle the level of kick generated by the RUM, it’s a fantastic cartridge for long-distance shots on elk, moose, caribou, and large African plains game like eland, giraffe, and zebra.

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8 Best Long Range Calibers

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It’s not quite the domineering takedown often displayed by wolves or larger predators, but coyotes are one of the most opportunistic predators in North America—and they really like venison.

For most deer hunters, this reality hits all too close to home. Though they aren’t indigenous to areas east of the Mississippi River, coyotes now inhabit each of the Lower 48 states. Their ever-expanding range and dietary adaptability are the perfect storm for depredation. Most experts agree that the coyote’s presence has an ill effect on deer populations nationwide, and most studies back up those claims. With that concrete data in hand, wildlife agencies around the country are taking action.

Many are calling for an all-out war on these mutts. Head over to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources website and you’ll find the following message: “Hunters: Help Control Coyotes and Save Our Deer! Coyotes first appeared in SC about 30 years ago and continue to expand greatly in numbers. Coyotes are negatively impacting our official state animal, the whitetail deer, by preying heavily on deer fawns.”

A multi-year study in the Savannah River Site in Aiken County, South Carolina, that in some ways sparked this call to action, found that 80 percent of fawn deaths were due to coyote predation. Recent studies in Texas have found that the coyote’s diet during June and July consists of 70 percent fawns. And the beat goes on.

But most of these studies have failed to include coyote predation of full-grown deer in their findings. The prevailing idea remains that coyotes prey on the sick, the weak, and the defenseless. There is little solid data to lend credibility to the idea that coyotes can (and will) kill mature whitetails or that we should even be tracking such instances.

Bottom line: We can hypothesize that coyotes primarily affect deer herds by killing fawns, but there are still a lot of holes that need filled in this theory. Do coyotes seek out and kill healthy, mature deer? How do they choose their whitetail prey and why? Should you be worried about that monster buck you’ve been tracking all year?

Checking the Tape
The more you look, the more it becomes clear that there is little concrete data out there to provide answers to these questions. It’s a tricky thing to pin down, just like these mangy bastards. But with the proliferation of trail cams and the ever-present cell phone video, the tides of empirical evidence in this case are turning. YouTube is chock full of clips showing full-grown dogs putting down two- or three-year-old deer with relative ease. Some coyotes go solo, others work in deadly packs, but the deer are always in for a fight.

A video captured by a hunter’s trail camera near Princetown, South Carolina, surfaced in October, showing two coyotes taking down an apparently healthy six-point. The violent script plays out much as expected. The two dogs work as a unit; one latches on to the face of the buck and pulls him down while the other snaps at his hindquarters. The 46-second black-and-white grainy clip ends with the bloody buck being forced to the ground.

Another gem posted on YouTube shows a standoff between a mature buck and his able-bodied foe.

The series of photos, taken in December 2011, displays the pure carnal nature of these attacks. Yet again, we see two coyotes teaming up to take down the velvet-horned buck, but this time the camera catches the attack and the aftermath. Photos show the buck’s carcass being picked at by vultures only hours after he’d been savaged.

The record of this trophy whitetail’s death in particular marks an action point for all hunters. If these coyotes can take down that deer (possibly a 140-class buck), anything is possible. With these videos in hand, we can say for sure that it can happen, but we need to know how prevalent this type of behavior can be.

Talking to the Experts
Al Morris isn’t a scientist, wildlife biologist, or DNR officer; he’s a bona fide coyote killer. Morris, the host of Outdoor Channel’s Furtakers, has long been known as one of the industry’s top predator hunters. He’s a three-time World Coyote Calling Champion, part of FoxPro’s staff, and former ranch manager at the famed Three Forks Ranch in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. This guy lives to shoot coyotes.

“In all my years of hunting, I’ve seen it three times,” said Morris. “I mean, it’s just not something you see much. Coyotes mostly hunt at night, and, of course, we’re not out there hunting all the time. But the times I have seen coyotes attacking deer, it’s been both young ones and adults.”

Morris went on to describe the encounters in length. Two adult coyotes, one male and one female, pushing a doe and her fawn back and forth through a thick stretch of timber, playing cat-and-mouse with both deer. “They would try to split the doe and the fawn and run each of them down,” Morris said, when describing a particular duo at Three Forks.

“It was obvious that one would chase the mother back to the other coyote that was waiting. You could tell that these coyotes had been successful at it and knew exactly what they were doing. They had a program, and they were putting it into play.”

So what happened when they finally caught up to the full-grown doe? “Once they committed to taking the doe down, the big male [coyote] grabbed the face of the deer and just pulled her down,” he said. “He just grabbed on right above the nasal cavity and didn’t let go. The female coyote was inflicting as much damage to the ass end of the deer as it could during the entire fight.”

Having witnessed the brutality firsthand—he once watched 16 dogs pull down an injured elk—Morris was adamant about the capabilities of a pack of determined coyotes. Just like others that have seen these predators in action, there is a level of shock produced by the pure viciousness of the attacks.

“Coyotes are absolutely taking down full-grown deer,” he said. “Every coyote is good for a couple fawns and a mature deer every year, in my opinion. And that’s a low estimate.”

That’s a sobering number to analyze. As this adaptable predator expands into almost every area (they are found in deserts, swamps, tundra, grasslands, brush, and dense forests, from below sea level to high mountains) and refines its scavenger diet, the possibilities for deer kills seem endless.

“When coyotes commit to running that deer down, it’s pretty much a done deal,” Morris said. “They don’t decide between a fawn and full-grown buck right away; they use real-time data to pick their victims.”

As coyotes learn more about their new favorite meals and become successful in their pursuits, it’s likely we’ll see further evidence of mature deer getting killed. It’s an easy equation to solve. We know that they can do it. We know that they will do it. And we know they aren’t going anywhere.