Thursday, December 2, 2010

Dream Hunts

                       Steve Hickoff writes for Realtree.com
                  
                     (Steve Hickoff photo: Devils Tower, WY)

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Call Fall Gobblers Too

Click on the link below for fall turkey tips:
                     Steve Hickoff writes for Yamaha Outdoors

Monday, September 27, 2010

The Other Turkey Season

(Steve Hickoff photo)


Click link for the full article:
                           Steve Hickoff on Yamaha Outdoors

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Friday, July 23, 2010

Woodcock Numbers, 2010 Report


(Steve Hickoff photo)

             Woodcock Numbers, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Report

Steve Hickoff on Yamaha Outdoors


(Steve Hickoff photo)

                        Waterfowl Pre-Game Projects (click here)

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

This Just In

Hen where I took my opening day Maine longbeard (May 3: 10-in. beard; 1-in. spurs) now with poults.

--S.H.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Does Beard Width Matter?


We call 'em longbeards traditionally. What about "fatbeards" too?

I consider the issue on the Outdoor Life "Strut Zone":

http://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/strut-zone/2010/05/does-beard-width-matter

(Copyright Steve Hickoff photo)

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Monday, April 26, 2010

Friday, April 23, 2010

Hung Up?


My article "Hung Up?" in the May 2010 issue of Outdoor Life magazine includes ways to get that cement-footed gobbler to budge and come your way. On newsstands everywhere . . .

--S.H.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Spurs: California Longbeard

Spurs from my California longbeard taped 1.5625 inches. That's no. 2 for CA Rio spurs all-time according to the NWTF registry (tied with an '01 Golden State gobbler). Translation: Good bird.
--S.H.

(Steve Hickoff photo)

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Kickin' It: California Turkey Camp 2010

I don't usually fish all that much until after turkey season, but this California black crappie says otherwise. -S.H.
(Van Holmes/Yamaha Outdoors photo)

"10 Vest Items You Really Need"


Did a gear piece for the 2010 Turkey Hunters Equipment Guide (F+W Media). You can find it on newsstands in turkey country.

Steve Hickoff on realtree.com

Realtree Turkey Site (click here)

California Longbeard


Just in from California (April 2-6).

Great hunt with Jim Martinez of Santa Lucia Outfitters, and Chad Wiebe, taxidermist & guide (Central Coast Taxidermy). Everybody killed gobblers. A big boar was also taken on the last day. Highly recommended operation.

Did some research, and the big Rio I shot with Wiebe scores no. 7 all-time for California Rios. Cool bird: 11-in. beard, 1.5-in. spurs, and 21 pounds. I can still hear the close-range drumming in my ears. --SH

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Steve Hickoff in the March 2010 Outdoor Life


Check out my Outdoor Life article "Good Call" where you'll meet D. Marlin Watkins and Scott Basehore, custom call makers, and hardcore turkey hunters. --S.H.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

The View From Here

Great seeing some of you at the ASA/Eastern Fishing & Outdoor Exposition in Worcester, Massachusetts last weekend.

Mud season here in New England but it might just be a tease. Temps over freezing most days lately. Word of ice anglers in sketchy situations, sinking vehicles.

Work for outdoorlife.com, realtree.com, Yamaha Outdoors and Foster's Sunday Citizen this week (reports on the NWTF Convention this weekend), plus managing two online media class sections and teaching The Writing Process face-to-face. Heavier "writer who teaches" load than usual, but the commute for the duo media sections is great (to my laptop). Just one class come spring for obvious reasons.

Look for feature articles in Turkey & Turkey Hunting and Outdoor Life soon.

Six states on the spring turkey schedule.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Update from Maine

Busy, the way I like it, after returning from Vegas and the 2010 SHOT Show.

Highlight there--apart from seeing my outdoor industry friends, and meeting with NFLer Chad Pennington (great guy; one serious bass angler)--was three-plus-hours at Emeril's "steakhouse" with my buds from Yamaha Outdoors. I always wondered what it was like to experience true "flavor profiles," the kind they talk at length about on the Food Network. Excellent evening. Even the dinner roll had character.

Old truck passed inspection this morning so it's feeling like a glass-half-full day. Cold front sweeping in like a freight train. Windy all night; now. Sunny, bluebird sky--we bottomed out at 12 degrees F overnight. Busy here in the home office, surrounded by our two setters Radar and Luna(tic). Both nap to my laptop's keyboard rattle. Plotting spring turkey hunts, and the schedule is set. Even California is on the calendar, a first as turkey hunts go.

As for new writing, I just hit send yesterday on a feature article that will appear in the April issue of Turkey & Turkey Hunting.

Elsewhere since the SHOT Show:

I've blogged for Outdoor Life (The Strut Zone).

I've made Turkey Site posts for Realtree.com.

I've written a weekly tip for Yamaha Outdoors (runs Feb. 1).

I've drafted and sent a column for my Foster's Sunday Citizen, and fosters.com space ("Last Call for Waterfowl"). Look for it Jan. 31.

I've added content to the Waterfowl Report and Gear Review.

I've taught (I'm really a writing coach) my two online Granite State College media courses. Also doing an evening writing course once a week.

--Steve Hickoff

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Steve Hickoff in Print


"Calling Isn't Enough," my feature article on why reading the terrain helps you call wild turkeys more successfully, appears in the February 2010 issue of Turkey & Turkey Hunting.

--Steve Hickoff