Author: Braxton Taylor
Oklahoma has seen an increase in mountain lion sightings in recent years. Now, photos have led the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODFW) to confirm the “first instances of possible reproduction of mountain lions within the state” in the agency’s history.According to a press release, two separate lions were found with kittens in different parts of the state. In October 2024, an adult mountain lion was recorded with two half-grown kittens in Osage County. Then, in December 2024, a different lion was captured in photos with three small kittens in Cimarron County. Both counties are on the northern edge of…
Derya has just announced the launch of its new Turkish-made Melik Gold 9mm pistol, a full-size pistol based on the classic locking–block Beretta 92 design. Like the original Beretta 92, the new Derya Melik Gold 9mm pistol includes a locking-block action, but also the traditional Beretta-pattern open-top slide. Unlike a regular Beretta or similar clones, this model has an eye-catching, nickel-plated surface finish along with trove gold polished PVC accent pieces including the barrel, rear sight, takedown lever, trigger, decocker/safety and magazine catch. “We are honored to unveil the Melik Gold 9mm, a testament to Derya’s dedication to artistry and…
Texas based Bond Arms, known for its modern derringer designs, has just announced the launch of the new First Lady derringer, a special-edition firearm that will be made in limited quantities. Following the launch of the Bond Arms DT47, the over-under model that Bond Arms launched last year to commemorate the second term of President Donald Trump, Bond Arms is now doing something similar with the new First Lady derringer. The right side of the derringer features a laser-engraved profile of First Lady Melania Trump wearing the iconic hat that the nation witnessed back in January 20, 2025 during President…
Will Israel attack Iran soon? CBS News reported the possibility Wednesday, just a few short days before the next U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations are set to take place in Oman on Sunday.America’s diplomats and its top military officer in the Middle East seem to suspect an attack is possible, “with the State Department authorizing the evacuation of some personnel in Iraq and the Pentagon green-lighting the departure of military family members across the Middle East,” the Washington Post reported Wednesday evening. Central Command’s Gen. Erik Kurilla even postponed congressional testimony set for Thursday, citing new tensions in the Middle East, according to…
House Republicans are on track to allow job cuts at the Pentagon and Department of Veterans Affairs to proceed in the annual spending bills for each department.The House Appropriations Committee’s fiscal 2026 defense appropriations bill includes a cut to civilian personnel funds that Republicans said accounts for the Pentagon’s plan to slash about 45,000 civilian jobs. The full committee is debating the bill Thursday after it was advanced out of the defense subcommittee earlier this week.Meanwhile, at a full committee debate Tuesday night about the fiscal 2026 VA appropriations bill, Republicans rejected a Democratic amendment that would have pumped the…
It’s deja vu all over again.A mere three weeks after hunters, anglers, and conservationists successfully defeated a provision in the U.S. House that would have sold 500,000 acres of public land, an even worse amendment was added to the Senate version of the “one, big, beautiful budget bill.”Spearheaded by Utah Senator Mike Lee, a longtime opponent of federal public land, the Senate selloff could put as many as 3 million acres on the auction block.“As a hunter, angler, and father of two young boys, I am immensely disappointed in the news coming out of Washington, D.C. this week,” said MeatEater’s…
CZ has announced a one-of-a-kind opportunity for U.S. collectors and enthusiasts to own the CZ 75 RAF Limited Edition. They are available exclusively through a limited-run online auction. The pistols are crafted to honor the legacy of the Czechoslovak RAF squadrons that served in the Royal Air Force during World War II. The CZ 75 RAF limited edition features bespoke engravings, hand-finished details and a limited production run of only 56 pistols worldwide. “This limited-edition model blends heritage, craftsmanship and historical tribute in a way few firearms can,” said Tom Taylor, chief marketing officer at CZ-USA. “We are proud to…
“Perfection” seems like an excellent marketing term. The problem arises when your patent runs out. If your product is perfect and the patent expires, along with your exclusive rights to the design, what do you do? Well, you admit that your product wasn’t quite perfect, that it could stand improvement, then proceed to demonstrate same by making a better version of that original product, acquiring new patents and staying a step ahead of the competition. The above, of course, describes Glock. The Austrian pistol was the game-changer in the second half of the 20thcentury. Yes, the patents on the uber-popular…
Like most rebellious teenagers, I wasn’t much for rules. But the Thanksgiving weekend of 2007, I played it by the book. My dad gave me strict instructions not to leave my hunting blind until dark, especially if I shot a deer. And, Buddy, did I keep that bucket seat warm.My ears were still ringing when I peered through the new hole in the blind’s shoot-through mesh. The buck I shot dropped in its tracks, and I could see its white underbelly lying in the clover patch. I didn’t have a cell phone back then, so I just sat there shaking…
A Wisconsin hunter tagged what is now the Boone and Crockett record for the largest grizzly bear ever killed by a human.Brian van Lanen shot the giant bruin last fall near Norton Sound, Alaska. He knew after skinning out the head that it would be a top-10 giant, but after a 60-day drying period, the Boone and Crockett Club just confirmed that it’s the largest hunter-killed grizzly in the world.MeatEater’s Randall Williams had the chance to see the skull in person at B&C’s 32nd Big Game Awards, and he says it caught his eye even before he knew it was…