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Axis deer are threatening parts of Texas and other areas in the United States. The axis deer, also known as the chital deer, is regarded as one of the most beautiful breeds of deer, and they’re a far cry from the native Texas whitetail deer. What are Axis deer? Axis deer sport an orange coat dotted with white spots, not unlike a whitetail fawn, and white patches on their throats. Their antlers are unique to this deer species, as they are thin but long, and often branch out into several impressive points. Similar to the elk but with a much smaller body length, these spotted deer are also extremely vocal, letting out distinctive sharp, alarm calls to communicate. How did they get here? Originally from southern India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, the axis deer was introduced to Molokai, Hawaii in the 1860s, Maui years after that, and Texas in 1932, intended as a game animal. The primary threat of the axis deer lies in the fact that, large as Texas is, there simply aren't enough open areas for two thriving species of deer. The axis deer and the whitetail must compete for resources. As is common with invasive species, the axis deer also have few natural predators. While coyotes and bobcats will go after them, they are powerless to make a significant dent in the axis deer population. Axis deer hunting The best way to manage the axis deer is also the simplest. You can hunt them whenever you like! In the state of Texas, non-native and exotic game don’t have a limited hunting season. So, unlike whitetails, you can bag an axis deer any time you like. For more check out WideOpenSpaces.com

A buck shedding velvet is a sight to see. 1:1, 2016, Buck, Deer, Hunting, JHOFER, Outdoors, WOS, Wide Open Spaces, antlers, wildlife

Despite years of intense hunting and trapping, Texas is losing the war on feral hogs. Since Texas Parks and Wildlife first began removing wild boars in 1982, the hog population in the Lone Star State has dramatically increased and there are now more than 10 times as many hogs in the state as there were then. Unfortunately, the evidence is clear: Texans are losing the war on feral hogs. Texas has very permissive regulations regarding hog hunting, and hunters may pursue hogs all year long with no bag limit. You can hunt them over bait, trap them, hunt them at night and from aircraft. As a result, it is estimated that over three quarters of a million hogs are taken by recreational, commercial, and government hunters and trappers each year in Texas. Unfortunately, though, it isn't enough. Hunting for Hogs in Texas Even though hunters and trappers are killing approximately 30 percent of the hog population in Texas annually, hog numbers are still growing by about 20 percent each year. Biologists and wildlife managers estimate that 70 percent of the hogs in the state will have to be killed each year just to maintain the population and even more must be killed to actually start reducing their numbers. Yes, you read that right: 7 out of every 10 hogs in the state must be killed just to keep their numbers where they are now. So why are wild hog populations experiencing such explosive growth in this portion of the United States? The main reason is that hogs breed almost as quickly as rabbits. They become sexually mature before they are a year old and can produce as many as 2-3 litters of up to 6-8 piglets every year. Another reason they are difficult to control is because feral pigs are very intelligent and resilient animals. They quickly respond to hunting and trapping pressure by changing their habits or just leaving the area for greener pastures when things get too hot. Since they are known to roam over extremely long distances in search of food, this makes long term hog control measures difficult and complicated. [embed_recommendations] Landowners and biologists have been relatively successful in controlling feral hog populations in small areas. However, these are usually short-term successes that only last until a new hog sounder moves in and the cycle starts over again. While wild hogs are fun to hunt and provide some very tasty table fare, they also cause all sorts of problems. Their diet normally consists of things like roots, acorns, tubers and other plants, they will eat literally anything they can find or catch. Crops, snakes, insects, ground-nesting birds and even deer fawns aren't safe from a hungry hog. Wild pigs are a textbook example of an invasive species and are causing significant damage to native wildlife and ecosystems in Texas. In addition to competing directly with deer for food, they damage vegetation that quail and turkey need to thrive. They also are carriers of a number of nasty diseases and there have even been cases of drinking water sources being contaminated by droppings from feral hogs. So, what can be done about the hog problem in Texas? Trapping Feral Hogs The good news is that for all their strengths, hogs aren't invincible. Indeed, just about any rifle capable of taking a whitetail deer will probably also work very well as a hog hunting gun. While they are indeed very intelligent, they aren't geniuses, either, and trapping is a viable option for hog control virtually wherever they live. Unfortunately, hog hunting and trapping are already going nearly full bore in Texas. Right now, these operations are taking less than half the number of hogs necessary to stop their explosive population growth and it's doubtful this can be achieved by those with trapping and hunting alone. Poison has been touted as one potential way to turn things around in the American war on feral hogs. However, the use of a feral hog poison on a large scale is a very hotly contested idea. Among other issues, researchers have really struggled to find a poison that'll quickly and reliably kill hogs without harming other wildlife. For instance, proponents of hog poison experienced a big setback when nearly 200 birds died after consuming sodium nitrite poison intended for hogs during field testing in northern Texas. The Texas state government has enacted several measures in recent years to encourage feral swine removal like legalizing hunting hogs from aircraft and hot air balloons. In 2019, Texas Governor Greg Abbot even signed a bill into law that removes the requirement to possess a valid hunting license to take feral hogs on private land in Texas. When added on top of the already very permissive regulations for hunting feral swine in Texas, those measures certainly help to a certain degree, but they probably won't be enough on their own. Only time will tell what the future holds, though. Like what you see? You can read more great articles by John McAdams on the Big Game Hunting Blog. Follow him on Facebook & YouTube and subscribe to his show: the Big Game Hunting Podcast. Visit us at WideOpenSpaces.com

The Ruger Hawkeye FTW Hunter Rifle gets tested and reviewed in this video. 1:1, 2016, Guns, Shooting, WOS

Some school programs already offer it, but do you think firearm safety should be taught as part of physical education classes?

The SIG SAUER CROSS rifle could be the do-it-all gun we've all been waiting for. As the shooting industry continues to expand, the variety of firearms widens as rapidly the quality improves. However, they tend to fall into two separate categories: tactical and hunting. While hunting firearms are still fun to shoot at the range, and tactical firearms are still capable of hunting, firearms usually serve their designated purpose. SIG SAUER decided to bridge that gap, however, with a tactical bolt-action rifle equipped for true backcountry hunting. Not only do you get the best of both worlds, but also top-tier quality for each purpose. For starters, it only weighs 6.5 pounds, making it one of the lightest long-range rifles on the market. And, it features a fully adjustable, folding stock, making it easy to carry deep into the wilderness. Spring-loaded for one-handed operation, the stock is fully adjustable for comb height and length of pull in the field without the use of any tools. An adjustable, two-stage match trigger optimizes the CROSS' spot-on precision, as does a stainless steel, rifled barrel, a free-float M-LOK handguard, an ambi-safety and a three-lug bolt design with a 60-degree throw and an interchangeable bolt handle. Additionally, a one-piece aluminum receiver strips the need to bed the action. Available in both black anodized and First Lite camo finishes, the CROSS comes chambered in .308 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor and 277 SIG Fury (coming soon). A full-length Picatinny rail creates allows hunters to mount 0 MOA and 20 MOA optics, too. If you've always wanted a rifle to exhaust at the range and also pack into your hunting bag, the SIG CROSS bolt-action rifle is finally here to grant your wish.

Though they don’t come without shortcomings, a home-defense shotgun can be incredibly tool for defending your family. However, like any tool, you need to use the right one for the job. Yes, you can drive a nail with a screwdriver, but a hammer is a much better choice. By the same token, a shotgun specifically designed with home-defense in mind is a much better choice for that sort of work than your trusty turkey or duck hunting shotgun. A good shotgun is a powerful defense tool when in the right hands. Here are our picks for the best home-defense shotguns. 
 First up on this list of the best home-defense shotguns is the Winchester SXP Defender. The primary feature of the SXP (Super X Pump) series of shotguns is their inertia-assisted action, which Winchester markets as one of the fastest and smoothest pump-actions currently available.

 The Benelli M4 has a self-regulating gas system that is specifically designed to reliably function with a wide variety of shotgun shell length and power levels. 
 No list of the best home defense shotguns would be complete without a Remington 870. The pump-action 870 is the best-selling shotgun of all time for good reason: it works. That's why it is such a popular shotgun for hunters, police and people who want a reliable shotgun to defend themselves from both 2 and 4-legged predators. 
 The Mossberg 590A1 Tactical is currently in use by the U.S. Army because of its rugged durability and reliability. The base model has an 18.5-inch barrel with a fixed-cylinder choke, a seven-shell (6+1) magazine capacity and a synthetic stock that can store an additional four shotgun shells. 
 Like the Benelli M4, the Remington Versa Max Tactical is a semi-automatic shotgun specifically designed to reliably operate with a wide variety of slug and buckshot loads. The Versa Max Tactical's special gas-operated action combined with a high-quality recoil pad also dramatically reduces recoil, making the Versa Max much easier to shoot rapidly and accurately. For more check out WideOpenSpaces.com

Did you know you can hunt pythons in Florida with shotguns? 1:1, 2018, WOS, Wide Open Spaces, florida, snake

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is asking citizens to stop releasing balloons for the sake of our wildlife.

Want a simple, lightweight gobbler gun with minimal recoil? The Stevens 301 Turkey makes a fine choice.

Sportsmen from all over can glean tips and tricks, not to mention an overall outdoors-oriented attitude, from these historic hunters, shooters, and anglers. 1:1, 2017, Fishing, Hunting, Outdoors, WOS, Wide Open Spaces, conservation, list, sportsman

Special video contributor NicTaylor00 brings the Beretta 92 to the shooting range, and fires 100 rounds per minute. 16:9, 2016, Guns, NICT, Shooting, WOS, Wide Open Spaces, beretta, handgun, shooting range

The CEO of Outdoor Sportsman Group spoke with us at SHOT Show 2019 about the importance of telling the hunting story the right way to help preserve it.

Military surplus guns are cheap, fun to shoot and make great additions to any gun collection. Armies of various different countries adopted these guns because they were rugged, easy to use and well-built. Since most of the military surplus guns on this list are over 50 years old (some individual guns may even be more than 100 years old), they also offer great opportunities to possess a piece of history. Because millions of these guns were produced, most of them (and their ammunition) are still widely available in the United States for a reasonable price. While they aren't all as affordable as they used to be, there are some good deals on this list. If you're a serious shooter who wants to own some history, continue reading to see the eight military surplus guns every shooter should own. Mosin-Nagant Russian soldiers and communist forces used these rugged, inexpensive and easy-to-use rifles were in dozens of third-world countries during the Cold War. The Mosin-Nagant is chambered in the potent 7.62x54mmR round, which owns a reputation for its fierce recoil. Additionally, soft- or hollow-point ammunition is available in the United States, which makes this rifle a good choice for a hunter on a budget. Lee Enfield The Lee-Enfield rifle is a great military surplus rifle, and it's chambered in the excellent .303 British cartridge. These rifles are very common in countries with a lot of British influence, like Canada, South Africa and Australia. Many deer, bear, moose and kudu have fallen to bullets from Lee-Enfield rifles over the years. SKS The SKS is the first semi-automatic rifle on this list of military surplus guns. And, along with the Mosin-Nagant and the Kalashnikov, it's another Russian contribution to conflicts all over the world. Like the AK-47, the SKS also shoots the 7.62x39mm cartridge. Comparable in power to the .30-30 Winchester, the 7.62x39mm cartridge is wonderful for short-to-moderate-range shots at many species of big game. M1 Carbine Millions of M1 Carbines were produced in the United States during World War II. Since then, many of those rifles have made their way into the hands of gun collectors and shooters all over the country. Though it shoots the anemic .30 Carbine cartridge, the M1 Carbine is very popular because it's lightweight, easy to shoot and carry and has mild recoil. 1898 Mauser Immediately after its introduction, the Mauser 1898 revolutionized the firearms world. Since then, it's been the standard that all bolt-action rifles have been measured against, and many modern sporting bolt-action rifles incorporate a Mauser-style controlled feed system. The Germans used the Mauser 1898, and its subsequent variants (such as the Karabiner 98k), in World War I and and World War II. Most of the military-surplus Mauser rifles on the market today are chambered in 7.92x57mm, which is a great cartridge for hunting medium-sized game, such a deer, bear and hogs. 1903 Springfield The 1903 Springfield was the American answer to the Model 1898 Mauser, incorporating many of the features that made the Mauser such a revolutionary rifle. The 1903 Springfield was a very successful rifle and was widely used by American Soldiers in World War One & Two. Chambered in the ubiquitous .30-06 Springfield cartridge, the Springfield is a very accurate rifle and, with a competent shooter, is capable of hitting targets at long range. CZ-52 The CZ-52 fires the extremely potent 7.62x25mm Tokarev round. The CZ-52 was replaced by the CZ-82 in the 1980s. As a result of this, thousands of surplus CZ-52 pistols eventually flooded the American market. At one point they were so common that you could purchase a CZ-52 pistol, 2x magazines, and a military issue holster for less than $100. M1 Garand George Patton called the M1 Garand “the greatest battle implement ever devised.” He was right: the semi-automatic M1 Garand with its eight-round “en bloc” clip was a quantum leap ahead of the standard bolt action rifles used by the other belligerents in World War II and the Korean War, giving American Soldiers a significant advantage on the battlefield. What do you think about our choices for the best military surplus guns every shooter needs to own? Did we miss any? For more check out WideOpenSpaces.com

Fred and Michele Eichler are great spokespeople for the hunting community, and they've got a message we all need to hear.

We got to check out the 2019 RANGER XP® 1000 EPS Back Country Edition while maintaining our own Daryk Ganske’s deer hunting property in the Texas Hill Country. Daryk was familiar with the Polaris Ranger's older models, and I'd driven my share of the side-by-sides too. We were eager to see how the high-performance machine built for the back country handled the necessities of a typical hunting rig, as well as the tough terrain found around the property. Using sport utility vehicles as tough as the Polaris Ranger XP is a serious advantage, and we proved it. Features of the 2019 RANGER XP® 1000 EPS Back Country Limited Edition It’s got an 82 horsepower ProStar 1000 engine, a Polaris Pro winch, the industry’s largest stock front bumper. The 13-inch ground clearance is the best in this class of side by sides, and we needed the full length if we were really gonna send it through these off-road trails and two-tracks. There were rocks, big divots, small creeks, and steep hills to handle. The heavy-duty tires did it all with no problem. The A-Arms are exceptionally high, angled more sharply than we’ve ever seen, and that made a big difference. And hunting-specific stuff? There’s plenty to take advantage of. We dug the Polaris Pursuit camo, and we could cover the ground easily to fill feeders, tend to stands, haul brush, and even do more heavy duty stuff if need be. For more, check out WideOpenSpaces.com

The best turkey hunting joke you'll hear all year has arrived, in convenient video form. 1:1, 2017, Humor, Hunting, WOS, Wide Open Spaces, joke, shotgun, turkey hunting

A young hunter goes deer hunting and harvests his first buck, but the story doesn't end there. 1:1, 2016, Animals, Buck, Deer, Hunting, WOS, deer hunting, hunting license, hunting season, young hunter

A Palomar knot is used for attaching a hook or lure to fishing line, and is tough to beat. http://www.wideopenspaces.com/knots-to-know-the-palomar/ 1:1, 2016, DIY, Fishing, How-to, Hunting, Knots, Knots To Know, Palomar, SQUARE, WOS, fishing hook, fishing knot, how to tie fishing knots

A young fan shoots his first deer in this hunting video. 16:9, 2016, Deer, Fan Video, Hunting, Shooting, User Generated Content, WOS, Wide Open Spaces, deer hunting

Check out this montage of full-auto fun with the AA-12 shotgun!

Handguns for women with a self defense focus can be easier to find than you'd think. 16:9, 2016, Guns, Shooting, WOS, Wide Open Spaces, glock, gun ownership, guns for women, handguns, self defense, smith & wesson, women

The greatest recipe for Apple Pie Moonshine is now yours. Use it wisely. 1:1, 2016, Apple Pie, Booze, Cocktail Recipes 1:1, DIY, Drinking, Food, Moonshine, Recipes, SQUARE, WOE, WOS, Wide Open Spaces, recipe

It's usually a good idea to be well armed when out in bear country. These are the best bear-defense guns for the job. When you head into bear country, be it the Alaskan wilderness or your Florida backyard, you must accept that you are no longer at the top of the food chain. Luckily, most bears usually do not want any trouble and will leave the area as soon as they detect you. However, this is not always the case and you should be prepared for self-defense if you get in a tight situation. A good bear gun should be a part of your defense plan. That said, an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. By using your brain and taking a few basic precautions out in the woods, you can dramatically reduce your odds of encountering a bear attack. Give any bear that you encounter (especially a sow with cubs) plenty of space. Make lots of noise so that any bears in the area know that you are there and carry bear spray. Firearms should only be used as a last resort to defend yourself from a bear. A charging bear can move extremely fast and only a hit on the bear's central nervous system (brain or spine) is guaranteed to stop a bear in its tracks. Even on the biggest brown bears or grizzly bears, the central nervous system is not a large target, so stopping a charging bear with a gun makes for some very challenging shooting. Because of this, you should practice shooting your chosen gun extensively. If you use a handgun, then buy a good quality holster and practice drawing it. Remember: even the biggest and most powerful bear-defense guns aren't guaranteed to stop a charging bear if you don't make a good shot. By the same token, even a smaller handgun will get the job done with good shot placements, good bullets, and a little luck. We suggest some well-known bear guns, made by the likes of Ruger, Taurus, and Smith & Wesson, plus some lesser known or unthought of firearms, like big bore rifles, 12-gauge shotguns, and even a lever action for old time's sake. They're all good for close range bear protection when it's needed most. For more, check out WideOpenSpaces.com

While we were at Industry Day at the Range prior to SHOT Show, we got to shoot a ton of guns, and these pistols were our three favorites.