DU CEO Dale Hall waiting with Bo Whoop for his chance at a mid-morning mallard.

Mike Boyd used Buckingham's gun to knock down a pair of mallards and a gadwall.

My new little friend.

Great Gifts for Fishermen: Fishpond Drifty Boat Caddie $100 • http://fieldandstre.am/mGbncZ Don’t let the name throw you. While it does feature hooks designed to attach to a traditional drift boat’s gunwale, the Drifty Boat Caddie also has adjustable straps that let you rig the bag on a raft frame, or bolt it permanently to your cooler. —Joe Cermele

Venison Hash Hash is the classic next-day meal, and an overnight roast in the slow cooker makes preparing it easier than ever. Throw together this recipe before hitting the sack, then wake up to a hearty, succulent breakfast on your way out the door to the deer stand. Ingredients: 4 cups leftover venison roast, diced 4 cups potatoes, peeled and diced 2 carrots, peeled and diced 1 medium onion, diced 1 Tbsp. thyme 1/4 cup venison or beef stock Worcestershire sauce Eggs, fried Directions: 1. Add venison roast and vegetables to slow cooker and toss to combine. Sprinkle thyme, kosher salt, and pepper over the hash and pour in stock. Add a few dashes of Worcestershire to taste. 2. Cover and set the slow cooker to low. Cook until the potatoes and carrots are tender for about seven or eight hours. 3. Transfer hash to a plate and top with eggs fried over-easy. Recipe by David Draper. Photographs and styling by Tess Rousey

A celebration dish for deer camp: chislic Come butchering time, the guys gather around the meat pole. A few wield knives, turning the animal into meat. Others pass cold beers, or a bottle. And someone is manning a pot of bubbling oil. As steaks and roasts are flayed and wrapped, chunks of the trim meat go into the fryer. There’s no preferred cut; whatever is getting sliced at the moment will do—shoulder, brisket, even a scrap of loin. Chislic was imported from Eastern Europe by South Dakota’s early immigrants and is now a deer-season staple across much of the U.S. Cooked until crispy on the outside, yet pink in the middle, the morsels are typically picked from a glistening pile with a toothpick or calloused fingertips. A hit of flavor comes next—maybe a little garlic salt or Lawry’s seasoning. A dip of ranch dressing isn’t unheard of, or a dash of Tabasco. But never ketchup! Make that gaffe, and you’ll be the new target of the camp’s pranks. Read about more camp essentials in our new feature, "Deer Camp Tales.": http://fieldandstre.am/CHISLIC By David Draper

Own the Point: By Ready When That Covey of Bobwhites Explodes at Your Feet A bird dog locked on point has done its job. The rest is up to you. Walking in to a point requires a quick analysis of shooting scenarios and safety considerations. Wade Meacham, head guide and dog trainer at North Carolina’s Webb Farm, details the game plan for holding up your end of the bargain. Forward Thinking Getting your feet into a good position is tough in heavy cover, but if possible, shift your weight forward so you’ll lean into the rise. That way, recoil has minimal effect on your second shot. Trust the Nose The human nose has about 6 million olfactory receptors. A dog’s? Up to 300 million. “Always trust the dog, and work every point like it’s going off live,” Meacham says. In the right conditions, a good dog can point a bird from 50 yards away, but most birds will be within 10 yards. Figure the Wind Don’t just jump out of the truck and start hunting. “The easy place to enter a field might not be the best place,” Meacham says. You want the wind in your face or crossing, never at your back. “It’s worth taking the dogs through the woods for 10 minutes to enter a field with a favorable wind.” Hold the Line “Approach the point together with your hunting partners, and stay in line so that no guns are too far forward,” Meacham says. Your safe shooting arc extends straight ahead and out 90 degrees away from the opposite gunner. For safety, decide beforehand if the group will shoot birds that fly behind the line. End Game Be prepared for the tail-end Charlie—that one bird that frequently sticks around after the flush. Have your shells accessible. “The guys who kill the most birds,” Meacham says, “are often the ones who reload quickly.” Watch the Back When one dog sees another dog on point, it should point as well. That’s called backing a point, and it prevents the second dog from bumping the birds. Try not to walk too close to or in front of a backing dog; you could break its concentration. Plan the Shot Most birds will fly to heavy cover, winging with the wind if possible. Anticipate the flight path and visualize where you’re going to stop for the shot. “You don’t want to post up in brush where you can’t swing or with a big tree close,” Meacham says. “Birds know to put a tree between you and them pretty fast.” One at a Time Most people rush their first shot. “Quickness counts,” Meacham advises, “but you do have some time, so tell yourself as you walk up: Relax. Find one bird and shoot one bird.” Don’t switch birds until the first one falls. By T. Edward Nickens. Illustrations by Illustrations by Steve Sanford. Read the full story here: http://fieldandstre.am/P5lYdN

How to Build a Deadly Duck Load for Your Blackpowder Shotgun Modern waterfowling is heavy on face paint and autoloaders. Bring some class back to the blind with a blackpowder shotgun. Picking up a mallard from the decoys is never more satisfying than when you’re surrounded by a cloud of white smoke. Most replica shotguns are safe for use with steel shot, too. Here’s how to create an excellent pattern. Powder Down Opt for Goex FFg black powder, since modern blackpowder substitutes can generate too much pressure and blow the pattern. One hundred grains is usually about right for a duck load, but you may experiment with 10 grains on either side of that to get the best results. Cushion the Blow A thin piece of cardboard over the powder creates a tight gas seal to push the shot out of the barrel, while the fiber wad protects the shot cup from the initial blast of ignition. Get a Cup A plastic shot cup makes for tighter patterns, but just as important, it protects the barrel from the abrasion of steel shot. Use the ramrod to seat it firmly against the wad. Go 50-50 As a rule, the best load for all blackpowder shotgunning is equal measures, by volume, of shot to powder. For ducks, fill the powder measure with 100 grains of No. 4 steel shot and pour it down the barrel. Gently tapping the buttstock against the ground will settle the pellets into the shot cup. Seal the Deal Slip another piece of cardboard down the muzzle and press it firmly against the shot. This serves the same purpose as a shotshell crimp, sealing out the elements and preventing your duck load from rolling out the end of the barrel. Finally, place a percussion cap on the nipple, and you’re ready to smoke some feathers. Read the full piece: http://fieldandstre.am/XhnAfX By David Draper. Photographs by Dan Saelinger. Prop styling by Birte Von Kampen.

You Don’t Need Downriggers—or Even a Boat—to Hook Big Late-Fall Lake Trout Fishing for lake trout usually goes hand in hand with big boats, downriggers, and cannonball-size trolling weights. But if you’re not armed for big-water battle, you’re in luck, because there’s no better time than now to hook lakers from shore. 1. Map Quest A lake contour map is a must for success at catching lakers with your feet on land. Locate a stretch where deep water cuts in close to the shoreline. Although lake trout can be anywhere in the water column at this time of year, hitting a spot where the fish have fast access to deep water is a smart move. Focus on sandbars and rocky points along your target stretch, as these bottom structures hold more heat, thereby warming the water and attracting the baitfish the lakers are hunting. 2. Long Range The farther you can cast the better, so opt for a medium- to heavy-action spinning rod that’s at least 8 feet long. The rod should be rated to bomb lures weighing as much as 1 ounce. I prefer to spool with 8- to 12-pound-test monofilament for its abrasion resistance in rocky areas; however, braid will earn you a little more casting distance. No matter which line you choose, lakers are wary, so adding a 2-foot fluorocarbon leader to lower visibility is never a bad idea. 3. Early To Rise Lake trout feed closest to shore early in the morning, and then slide deeper as the sun gets higher. Start out casting smaller, lighter spoons or spinners such as a Blue Fox Vibrax, close to shore. These lures hit with minimal splash, so they’re less likely to spook trout in skinny water. As afternoon approaches, switch to a Little Cleo, which is heavier. The higher the sun, the farther you should cast. At sunset, scale back your lure weight and start fishing closer again. By Mark Modoski. Photo by David W. Skok. Read the full piece here: http://fieldandstre.am/NaL5HF

Not only was this my first mule deer, but it was my first time hunting with a muzzleloader. I shot the buck with a CVA Muzzleloaders Accura V2.

Jake Edson

Fighting big pike is hungry work. A shore lunch of fried pike hits the spot.

Last month, I traveled to northern Manitoba for a week of pike, walleye, and lake trout fishing. As you can tell from the photos, the bite was not too shabby. Here are some highlights from the trip. —Colin Kearns, Senior Deputy Editor

Last month, I traveled to northern Manitoba for a week of pike, walleye, and lake trout fishing. As you can tell from the photos, the bite was not too shabby. Here are some highlights from the trip. —Colin Kearns, Senior Deputy Editor

Cool! Design for the first Federal Duck Stamp at DU headquarters. Great place to visit after a morning of snow geese in the Arkansas fog. #snowgeese #pyramidpreview

Review: 2015 Honda Foreman Rubicon 4x4 Check out the details here: http://bit.ly/1ykCpKb

If you haven't been using mouse flies or lures for trout, now is the time to start. This 19-inch rainbow caught in Alaska had 20 shrews in its stomach: http://bit.ly/1eMuoVW

Watch Hero of Conservation finalist and western Maryland trout fisherman Doug Hutzell illustrate how Beaver Creek's brown trout fishery is steadily improving, thanks to the habitat work he has been spearheading for 14 years, and shares his love of fly fishing with a new generation of outdoorsmen. http://bit.ly/14AESWF

Check out Catchbook user Budbassman57's near state-record crappie, caught in Cecil County, Md. This fish weighed 4.65 pounds, just half an ounce shy of the Maryland record caught in 2004. Weather Data For This Catch: 9 percent cloud cover; Temperature: 78 degrees; Barometric pressure: 29.94 inches and falling; Winds: WSW at 15 mph. Great shot, Budbassman57! Check out our Catchbook fishing journal app for the iPhone to keep track of your fish this season. http://bit.ly/16eVvXb

Which is the better walking gun for deer and hogs: A Glock Model 20 10mm or a .357 Marlin 1894c? http://bit.ly/11IbHyn