KILLSHOT Life

KILLSHOT Life KILLSHOT Life is for those who take responsibility for their food. We believe in ethical hunts, earned meals, and honoring the animals that sustain us.

Hunt good. Don’t suck.

A Montana bowhunter suffered serious injuries in a bear attack yesterday, September 14. We're glad he survived, and we h...
09/15/2026

A Montana bowhunter suffered serious injuries in a bear attack yesterday, September 14. We're glad he survived, and we hope his recovery goes well.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks says he was archery hunting that morning on state-owned land near Elk Creek and Haystack Butte, south of Augusta. His injuries were described as significant but not life-threatening. He drove himself home after the attack, then was taken to Benefis Hospital by private vehicle for treatment.

FWP had not identified the bear's species in its initial statement. Wardens and bear management specialists were investigating and posting signs to warn people of bear activity. There's no basis in those details to blame the hunter or claim we know what set the encounter off.

For those of us heading into bear country this fall, it's worth reviewing the part of the hunt that starts after an animal is down. FWP reminds hunters to pack meat out as soon as possible, approach any carcass left behind carefully, and never try to drive a bear off game it has claimed. That's general advice, not an explanation of what happened to this hunter. And as always, make sure you're packing a suitable sidearm that you're able to get to quickly if needed.

We all want to bring meat home. Getting ourselves and our hunting partners home safely comes first.

Casey Oates had a buck watching him at about the worst possible moment: while he was taking a leak in a deer scrape.In h...
09/15/2026

Casey Oates had a buck watching him at about the worst possible moment: while he was taking a leak in a deer scrape.

In his account of the Ohio hunt, Oates looked up and saw the deer standing roughly 30 yards away. The buck then slipped into a ravine to circle downwind, giving him a chance to get his bow and draw while the deer was out of sight. He picked an opening near a downed oak, and the buck came through where he expected it to.

That's a heck of a deer to have looking at you when your bow isn't in your hand. He had very little time to recover from being caught off guard, use the cover and get ready for an opportunity, but he made it count.

Nicely done, Casey. Sometimes a hunt works out despite the situation you put yourself in.

Have you ever had a good buck catch you completely unprepared?

That crocodile takes up most of the photograph, even with its tail curled around on the ground. identified it as a Kwan...
09/15/2026

That crocodile takes up most of the photograph, even with its tail curled around on the ground. identified it as a Kwando River man-eating crocodile and described the hunt as one of the highlights of his hunting life.

Matt had hunted crocodiles on several African safaris before taking this one. He called it a hunt he was especially proud to have documented on film - looking at the animal beside him, you can understand why it stayed with him.

We support legal, regulated crocodile hunting. Appreciating an animal like this doesn't mean believing it should never be hunted, and supporting the hunt doesn't require treating the crocodile as a villain. The animal deserves respect, and the hunter has a responsibility to understand the rules, make a clean shot and handle the recovery properly.

A photograph can't tell you everything about a hunt. It can certainly make you stop and appreciate the animal, though. The head, the tail and that hide are something else.

Kamila Gray has her first buck on the ground, and that smile says plenty.Her dad, Juan Martinez, said she took her seven...
09/14/2026

Kamila Gray has her first buck on the ground, and that smile says plenty.

Her dad, Juan Martinez, said she took her seven-point buck yesterday. Congratulations, Kamila! There may be plenty more deer seasons ahead, but getting your first buck is something you only get to do once.

It's good to see young hunters making memories of their own in the outdoors. Thanks to the parents, family members and mentors who take the time to bring them along and teach them to hunt responsibly.

Hunter: Kamila Gray. Story shared by her dad, Juan Martinez.

Hunting mountain lions with dogs is one of the most misunderstood forms of hunting, but it’s also one of the most select...
09/14/2026

Hunting mountain lions with dogs is one of the most misunderstood forms of hunting, but it’s also one of the most selective.

A skilled hound team can follow a specific lion’s track through country where a hunter would otherwise have almost no chance of locating it. Once the dogs have the cat treed or bayed, the hunter has time to identify the animal, evaluate its age and s*x, and decide whether to harvest it or let it go. That ability to make a careful decision is a major advantage, especially when wildlife managers are trying to remove a particular problem lion or meet specific management objectives.

Dogs can also help ensure a clean, accountable harvest and make recovery far more reliable. This isn’t a push-button hunt. It takes experienced dogs, knowledgeable handlers, miles of difficult terrain, and an enormous amount of work.

Predator control is an essential part of wildlife management. Mountain lions belong on the landscape, but their numbers still have to be managed alongside deer, elk, livestock, habitat conditions, and growing human development. Regulated hunting gives wildlife agencies a precise tool for maintaining that balance while generating funding for conservation.

And despite one of the most common criticisms, mountain lions aren’t killed simply for a trophy. Their meat is lean, mild, and often compared to pork. Many hunters consider it some of the best wild game they’ve ever eaten.

You can respect the power and beauty of a mountain lion while also recognizing the value of hunting it. Those ideas aren’t contradictory. They’re part of responsible, science-based conservation.

Congratulations to Chris Brunson on this Nevada mountain lion. Who here has hunted lions behind hounds?

Michael James Garoutte's public-land bull puts the size of an elk into perspective. 👀Michael said he'd walked and worked...
09/13/2026

Michael James Garoutte's public-land bull puts the size of an elk into perspective. 👀

Michael said he'd walked and worked hard to find this bull in the high country. It was the only bull he'd seen on public land, and his opportunity came on the second night of third rifle season.

A legal elk taken cleanly, recovered and put to use deserves respect whether it's a bull like Michael's or an animal that never goes near a record book. Keeping public ground accessible gives more hunters a chance to earn those experiences for themselves.

Congratulations to Michael on a heck of a bull. What's the hardest part of your elk hunt: finding one, getting an opportunity or getting it back out?

Hunter and account: Michael James Garoutte.

We love to see it! Jacob Youcha's first archery elk in Northern Colorado came after a calling exchange across two hillsi...
09/13/2026

We love to see it! Jacob Youcha's first archery elk in Northern Colorado came after a calling exchange across two hillsides and a wait for the wind to change.

In his account, the bull first answered a cow call from the opposite hillside. Jacob switched to bugles and got an immediate answer, but the bull wouldn't cross over. He waited until the thermals started moving downhill before heading onto the bull's hill. When he started bugling again and closed the distance, the bull turned and came toward him through the trees.

Jacob described a stressful hour after the shot before finding the bull about 80 yards away. Then came the pack out: more than three miles from the truck, with camp about a mile from the elk. By the time he shared his story, he was back home and nearly finished processing, grateful for the hunt and even more grateful for a freezer full of meat.

The recovery photo is only part of this one. The loaded pack and the work back home belong right alongside it. Congratulations on your first archery elk, Jacob!

09/12/2026

Some thoughts about anchors.

Did you buy your current anchor or find it?

09/12/2026

Slob of a Cobia from ! Where can I find a cousin of this particular specimen? 👀

Ever eaten cobia? It may be our favorite fish - what would you rate higher?

Despite anti-hunting efforts, Florida counted its 2025 bear season as a huge success. The season ran December 6–28, 2025...
09/12/2026

Despite anti-hunting efforts, Florida counted its 2025 bear season as a huge success.

The season ran December 6–28, 2025. FWC issued 172 permits, hunters harvested 52 bears, and agency staff or contractors physically checked every one. Applications and permit sales generated $835,695 for the State Game Trust Fund for wildlife conservation. Those are actual results from last year's hunt, not a prediction for the season ahead.

The participation numbers need some honesty, too. FWC received responses about hunting activity from 138 permit holders. Of those, 98 hunted and 40 didn't. Five of the people who didn't hunt said they disagreed with bear hunting; ten preferred not to explain why. Work, family and lack of time also kept people out of the woods. That survey doesn't tell us the motives of everyone who stayed home, and it doesn't establish how many belonged to an anti-hunting organization. We don't need to stretch the numbers to defend a regulated hunt.

FWC describes Florida's bear recovery as a conservation success, with the population growing from an estimated low of 300 in the 1970s to more than 4,000. Its stated purpose for reopening hunting was to start slowing population growth in the four largest bear subpopulations while allowing hunters access to the resource. The agency based permit numbers on population data, growth rates, other mortality and management objectives.

That's a reasonable basis for wildlife management. Bears belong in Florida, and supporting a healthy bear population doesn't require taking legal hunting off the table. Hunters should be expected to make clean shots, respect the animal, use the meat and follow the reporting rules. Wildlife managers should be expected to explain their decisions and adjust them as better information comes in. Neither responsibility disappears because someone dislikes the hunt.

For anyone looking ahead, the 2026 statewide bear season is December 5–27, with individual wildlife management area dates to check separately. The statewide permit application window is September 11–21, 2026. Applications cost $5 each; standard permit fees for successful applicants are $100 for Florida residents and $300 for nonresidents. Check FWC's current requirements before applying.

Sportsmen need to stay involved in these decisions, because protecting a recovered wildlife population and supporting a carefully limited harvest aren't opposing goals. What would you want FWC to look at when setting the next season's permit numbers?

Image source: MeatEater.

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