After ultralight fishing for many years, I wanted to see if the grass was greener on the other side of the fence. I desired to be one of the guys casting a monster lure with a beast of a rod and reel, hauling in ginormous fish. I paired the Abu Garcia Beast 200 low-profile reel and the Abu Garcia Beast casting rod to launch a giant glide bait, umbrella rig, and other big lures while searching for a big ole bass this winter. What I discovered about this rod-and-reel combo surprised me. The Beast rod and reel were in my…

Two major gun-rights organizations have filed a reply brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in a case challenging Illinois’ ban on the carry of firearms on public transportation. On March 3, the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) filed the brief in support of the cert petition in the case Schoenthal v. Raoul, which was originally filed in 2022 and challenges the state’s complete ban on carry on public transportation. According to the SAF, in order to legally carry a firearm in Illinois, residents are required to obtain not only a Firearm Owners Identification Card (FOID), but…

When it comes to rescuing people buried in an avalanche, time is of the essence. The vast majority of victims don’t survive more than 2 hours. So, it’s near-miraculous that Washington skier Michael Harris survived 4 hours after an avalanche hit him while cruising in-bounds on the Big Chief Bowl of the Stevens Pass Ski Resort on Feb. 26. Ski patrollers only became aware of his situation when Harris’s wife used Find My iPhone to locate him, and noticed that his position hadn’t changed for 3 hours. He was skiing alone, in-bounds, in an avalanche-controlled area. Harris’s wife gave the…

The Trump Administration’s strategy of expanding oil and gas production by drilling on public lands in Alaska took a hit this week. The first of six auctions for gas and oil leasing in Cook Inlet received zero bids. The Origins Cook Inlet stretches roughly 180 miles from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage. It is a major site for commercial salmon and herring fisheries, and is also a popular outdoor recreation site, with ample opportunities for fishing, kayaking, and whale watching.  The One Big Beautiful Bill, passed in 2025, required that there be a series of six sales from now…

In the Supreme Court case regarding gun ownership for marijuana use, the government’s position mostly hinges on laws that took guns from drunks. The argument is that habitual drinkers weren’t safe to own guns; the Founding Fathers understood that, and thus disarmed them. Under the Rahimi standard of historic analogs not having to be a one-to-one analog, that should be enough to justify disarming marijuana users. Of course, from my experience, people who just use marijuana are more likely to be a danger to the snack food aisle at the Circle K than anything else,…

The United States was behind a strike on an Iranian school that killed 168 children and staff members. The February 28th strike on the Shajarah Tayyebeh girls’ school came on the first day of the unprovoked U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran. This strike was a part of the initial “preemptive” attack that also killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khemeni. Iran Has Confirmed The Death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei In an analysis done by the New York Times, which was based on newly released satellite imagery, verified social media posts, and geolocated videos, the media outlet concluded that the school…

Last month, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced plans to build a border wall in state and national parks in Texas, sparking outcry from public lands advocates and locals. In a quiet modification of online plans for the wall, the agency reversed course, eliminating the physical barrier and instead opting only for surveillance technology. The Original Plan In February, then-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced that the agency would waive 28 environmental and historic preservation laws to build a “Smart Wall” (a physical barrier with surveillance technology) in Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park in Texas.…

Two new bills introduced in the Rhode Island legislature are taking aim at legal gun owners, and one of them could easily turn lawful gun owners into criminals overnight, simply for maintaining possession of the firearms they legally purchased.  Each of these bills, by themselves, represent a major infringement on the right to keep and bear arms, but taken together they pose an existential threat to the Second Amendment rights of Rhode Island residents. Who would have guessed that a sales ban would turn into a possession ban?Everyone.The Rhode Island House has introduced H8073, an update…

In the ongoing debate over public lands in Congress, one national monument has received an outsized amount of attention. For 3 decades, multiple administrations and politicians have sparred over the size and fate of Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument in Utah. This week, the controversy reached a new phase when Republican legislators introduced a resolution to throw out the resource management plan for the land that was adopted in the last days of the Biden presidency. The ultimate use and size of the monument will affect multiple stakeholders, including local communities, Native American tribes, and livestock owners. What Is Grand Staircase–Escalante…

With the World War II veteran population dwindling, it’s a rare occasion to see two former soldiers from that era come together much less than 10. But thanks to Myia Barton, a dedicated social worker, that’s what happened Wednesday in Beaumont, Texas. Barton brought 10 members of the Greatest Generation – all over age 100 or will be reaching the century mark this year – together for a special birthday celebration at a Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in Beaumont. Barton has planned and coordinated the event for the past couple of years, ignited from an idea and a passion to help veterans…

Springtime in southern Utah is the most magical time for outdoor exploration. It’s when the desert comes alive. Lush green foliage and wildflowers burst from barren rocks seemingly overnight, and snowmelt that transforms sandstone formations into dramatic waterfalls. It’s a veritable hiker’s paradise, with the added bonus of mild temperatures that won’t limit your mileage. While spring is our favorite time to experience the desert’s enigmatic beauty, be warned that it isn’t exactly a secret — especially at the national parks known as the Mighty 5. But even the most popular hikes are still well worth doing, especially because crowds…

Washington D.C.’s highest local court has delivered a major win to Second Amendment supporters by ruling the District of Columbia’s ban on “large capacity” magazines a violation of the right to keep and bear arms.  The decision in U.S. v. Benson, authored by Judge Joshua Deahl, makes mincemeat of the specious arguments that have been deployed in defense of bans on commonly owned magazines (and firearms like the AR-15) in courtrooms across the country. Some judges, for instance, have ruled that, magazines aren’t “arms” protected by the Second Amendment, but are instead more akin to gun…