Ken Perrotte
Dec 5, 2024
Wild Turkey on the Rocks - A Spring Hunt in Maine to Remember - Make Mine a Double!
The late Paul Harvey used to conclude some of his famous radio broadcasts, “And now you know the rest of the story.” Here's the rest of...
Ken Perrotte
May 14, 2024
Hunting Wild Turkeys - An Almost Stereotypical Screw-up -- Still, Cap’n Hooks Squires his Last Feathered Maiden
Prologue - Busted! Three hours of comfortable sitting in a low-profile “strutter” chair at daybreak had the jumbo-sized coffee I quaffed...
Ken Perrotte
Feb 2, 2024
Virginia Wildlife Board Voices Displeasure After Committee on Hunting with Hounds Again Fails to Act
Note: a version of this article reprinted (below) ran in the Feb. 2, 2024 online edition of The Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star. This has...
Ken Perrotte
Jan 1, 2024
Historic Delta Marsh Research Laboratory Serves Up Superb Waterfowl Hunting and Delectable Duck Dishes
Historic Delta Marsh delivers incredible hunting mixed bag, lessons in conservation and wildfowl cooking mastery courtesy of Chef Amanda.
Ken Perrotte
Oct 11, 2023
Custom Waterfowl and Turkey Calls an Investment in Both Hunting and Keepsake Collectibles
Individually crafted calls, signed by the maker, offer hand-tuned performance Buying turkey or waterfowl calls can be daunting for novice...
Ken Perrotte
Sep 6, 2023
Turkey Hunting Adventures in Idaho Panhandle with NWTF Co-CEO Kurt Dyroff
I had one state left to check off my list of states I had yet to visit – Idaho. Figures I’d save one of the very best for last. But...
Ken Perrotte
Jul 4, 2023
Buck Knives Factory Tour Shows How Iconic Knife Manufacturer Gets an Edge on the Competition
Sparks flew in the Idaho panhandle as three greenhorn bladesmiths, including me, attempted to create a razor edge to a Buck Knives Model...
Ken Perrotte
Jun 6, 2023
Make Wild Turkey Hunting Success Photos Pop -- Add Props, Color, Habitat, Kids, Dogs & More
The May-June 2023 issue of the National Wild Turkey Federation's Turkey Call magazine is loaded with good information and features. If...
Ken Perrotte
Mar 5, 2023
Honored, Humbled to Receive National Recognition as NWTF's Tom Kelly Communicator of the Year
Press Release from NWTF - February 18, 2023 Perrotte Receives National Recognition as Top Communicator NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Ken Perrotte...
Ken Perrotte
Jan 26, 2023
Michigan Man Serving Jail Term for Dangerous Hunter Harassment Incident - Cut Tree Stand Straps
Note: This is a Jan. 26, 2023 media release from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The photos are courtesy of the department....
Ken Perrotte
Jan 21, 2023
Landowners Demand Action from Virginia Wildlife Board; Passions High Regarding Dogs and Deer
Some Virginia property rights proponents are skeptical of a unanimous vote Jan. 19, 2022, by the Board of the Virginia Department of...
Ken Perrotte
Jan 4, 2023
Hunting Invasive, Green Iguanas with Pellet Rifles - Pervasive, Destructive & Surprisingly Tasty
if someone said to me 30 years ago, "Ken, someday you’re going to South Florida just before Christmas and you’ll use high-powered air...
Ken Perrotte
Dec 31, 2022
New Year's Eve Bucks - When Late Season Deer Made My Year - Especially One Twilight Encounter
The temperature took a noticeable dip as the afternoon sun sank low, its light and warmth fading to the west on this New Year’s Eve....
Ken Perrotte
Nov 12, 2022
The Rookie Series: Novice Hunters Experience Virginia Deer Hunting with Outdoors Rambler
As the old song goes, two out of three ain't bad. So it was last deer season in Virginia as I had the privilege of introducing three...
Ken Perrotte
Nov 12, 2022
Renaissance Man in mid-50s Takes Up Deer Hunting -- Bourbon Steward Takes It Outdoors
In a time when many newcomers to any pursuit want or, even, expect success to come in extremely short order, George Braxton says patience...
Ken Perrotte
Nov 12, 2022
Nurse Anesthetist Brings a Lifetime of Outdoor Passion to the Woods as a New Deer Hunter
“Where did you find this girl?” Bruce Lee asked after Jessica Kelley’s second hunting trip with me to his Kinloch Farm in Essex County,...
Ken Perrotte
Nov 12, 2022
Cool Hand Kimberly James Savors Newcomer's Success, Tagging Her First Deer with Skillful Shot
Late November winds were blowing steadily, and the peak of Virginia’s first white-tailed deer rut was at least a week in the rear-view...
Ken Perrotte
Sep 25, 2022
"Outside the City Limits" Article for NWTF Wins "Best of Show" Honors at Outdoor Writers Conference
The ol' Outdoors Rambler was very humbled and honored when his article titled "Outside the City Limits" was awarded Best of Show at the...
Ken Perrotte
Jun 10, 2022
Virginia Spring Turkey Hunters See overall Success, But Numbers Along I-95 Corridor Falling
Spring 2022 turkey hunters did well overall, registering 19,711 birds. According to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, this...
Ken Perrotte
May 23, 2022
Feds Renew Effort to Ban Lead Ammo -- New Hunting Proposals for Refuges Outline Prohibition
Note: This article originally appeared in my May 12, 2022 outdoors column in the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star. Update: Here is link to...
Ken Perrotte
Apr 14, 2022
Tick-Borne Diseases on the Rise, Some Rapidly Transmitted With No Current Treatment Options
Diseases often aren’t transmitted until a tick has remained attached to a person for at least several hours, but recent research is...
Ken Perrotte
Mar 25, 2022
Newfoundland Moose Hunting Gear – Go-To Clothing and Hearing Protection Options
A couple of trips hunting "The Rock” – Newfoundland, Canada – provided profound experiences related to hunting clothing successes and...
Ken Perrotte
Feb 15, 2022
Moose Hunting on “The Rock” – Scenic, Rugged Newfoundland - Persistence, then Redemption
By Ken Perrotte Note: Be sure to scroll to the end for additional video and images One thing I pledged to myself as I loaded my Ram 1500...
Ken Perrotte
Jan 21, 2022
Jim Crumley, Godfather of Modern Hunting Camo, Enjoying Life on Idyllic Virginia Mountain Retreat
Almost a half of a century has passed since an Alexandria, Virginia, schoolteacher named Jim Crumley began percolating an idea based on...
Ken Perrotte
Dec 16, 2021
Could 2022 Finally See Sunday Hunting on Public Land in Virginia - or will Politics as Usual Prevail
The Last 'Blue Law' A bill to allow Sunday hunting on public land was prefiled in the Virginia General Assembly in early December 2021 by...
Ken Perrotte
Nov 23, 2021
Gravy Hunting Gone Wild - Stoking Grandson's Imagination with a Hammer, a Bag and some Rope
Note: A shorter variation of this tale about a Thanksgiving post-dinner expedition into the woods behind the author's house was published...
Ken Perrotte
Nov 13, 2021
A Benelli LUPO, Steiner Predator 4 Scope and Hornady 200-Grain ELD-X Ammo a Sweet Trio
When three shooters can pick up a previously unfamiliar firearm and, except for minimal diopter tweaks to focus eyes to the scope’s...
Ken Perrotte
Oct 14, 2021
Virginia Fish & Game Chief Takes a Shine to Daughter's Hunting Rifle - Get Your Own Dad!
Note: This article appeared in Whitetails Unlimited with a shorter version also in the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star. Virginia teenager...
Ken Perrotte
Aug 27, 2021
'Bufftail Soup' -- Who Knew an Old Cape Buffalo Could Taste So Good! - Recipe and Video
No matter what type of hunting adventure I go one, eating the local foods and, especially, any wild fish or game taken, is always high on...
Ken Perrotte
Aug 16, 2021
Ancient Bull Sable, Iconic Gemsbok & Impressive Blesbok Round Out Incredible South African Hunt
Note: This article originally appeared in The Hunting Wire, a great publication and news delivery service. We were minutes from calling...
Ken Perrotte
Aug 14, 2021
Virginia Black Bears Suffering Second Consecutive Year With High Levels of Sarcoptic Mange
Few things cause more intense, persistent discomfort than coping with chiggers, those miniscule mites that attach to your skin and bite,...
Ken Perrotte
Aug 2, 2021
'Dugga Boy' Cape Buffalo Crossed Off Bucket List; Mossberg Patriot .375 Ruger, GPO Optic, Hornady
Hunting African buffalo has been on list for more than four decades, ever since the author read tales by Roosevelt, Hemingway, Ruark and...
Ken Perrotte
Jul 21, 2021
Preparing for a South African Safari Involves Planning and Gearing Up - Here's the Lowdown
Post-COVID-19 Travel Hurdles, Gear Choices, Practice & Perspectives Note, much of this content in this ultimate safari preparation guide...
Ken Perrotte
May 30, 2021
Tagging Merriam's Gobbler with Mossberg .410 Prompts Discussion about the Toughest Turkeys
Note: a version of this article appeared in The Hunting Wire. Blog includes a video. Concluding any quest is often, at once, joyous and...
Ken Perrotte
May 7, 2021
'Highly Virulent' Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease has State Wildlife and Agriculture Agencies Scrambling
A deadly and highly virulent disease that devastated rabbit populations in some countries is now in the United States -- mainly the West,...
Ken Perrotte
Mar 6, 2021
New Weatherby 18i Shotgun - Tested in Virginia Waterfowl Hunts: Marsh, Mud, Snow & Sleet
Note: This review also appeared The Hunting Wire of March 1, 2021 There is something special about being in a duck blind during the...
Ken Perrotte
Feb 11, 2021
Special Youth & Veteran Hunting Days Create Conservationists and Promote 'Giving Back'
Note: This article also appeared in the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star. Some photos provided courtesy of Chip Watkins, Monquin Creek...
Ken Perrotte
Jan 21, 2021
Sunday Hunting on Public Land Again Defeated; Flip-Flop Politicians & Archaic Virginia Blue Law
Hunting on Sunday remains curiously contentious in Virginia. After nearly a decade of acrimonious debate, it was finally allowed on...
Ken Perrotte
Nov 18, 2020
Duck Cannons of the Chesapeake – When Punt Guns Spoke, Waterfowl Markets Sang
Imagine a time when nighttime duck assassins stealthily maneuvered low-profile skiffs toward vast rafts of dozing ducks and geese,...
Ken Perrotte
Oct 29, 2020
Soggy Early Season Turkey Hunt in New York Vineyards Yields No Birds, But Offers Insights
Click on photo for article in NWTF Turkey Country magazine An early May excursion to Chautauqua County in far northwestern New York along...
Ken Perrotte
Oct 22, 2020
Virginia Nabs $3M Grant to Boost Private Land Access; Much Going to 'Watchable Wildlife' Efforts
Note: A newspaper column about this issue ran in the Oct. 22, 2020 issue of the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star. Be sure to read the full...
Ken Perrotte
Oct 13, 2020
The 'Fabio of Hunting Dogs' Finds His Luxurious Locks are Magnets for Burrs & Other Fur Foulers
Jameson, our Boykin Spaniel, loves bird hunting. His luxurious fur, though, is a magnet for every sticky piece of vegetation in the field.
Ken Perrotte
Aug 24, 2020
'Blast From the Past' - Old, Souvenir Video Revisits an Epic Morning in an Eastern Shore Duck Blind
Sometimes it is fun to go through old video footage that you shot for fun, never intending to record any finished product but instead...
Ken Perrotte
Aug 15, 2020
Get Me Moose! Save the Rib Section and Create Eye-Catching, Thick, Tasty Tomahawk Steaks
We demonstrate how to cut a thick, tasty tomahawk steak from a Newfoundland moose carcass.
Ken Perrotte
Aug 12, 2020
Story about Novice's First Deer Hunt Wins Prestigious Outdoor Media Group's Pinnacle Award
“Do you think you made a good shot?” I asked. “Yes. I think so,” she responded, somewhat hesitantly.
Ken Perrotte
Aug 11, 2020
'A Burning Issue' - Check Out Article in USA Today Hunt & Fish about Need for Fire in the Forests
Link to Full USA Today Hunt & Fish 2020 Magazine Conservation and land management issues are among my favorite things to cover. In my...
Ken Perrotte
May 28, 2020
Pandemic Results in Big Increases in Wild Turkey Harvest Across Multiple States - Prompts Concern
Most turkey hunters hunt hard. When they achieve success, it's a sweet moment to be savored and celebrated. This year, many hunters were...
Ken Perrotte
Apr 28, 2020
Jolly's Book 'Memories of Spring' Chronicles the Good, the Bad & the Crazy about Turkey Hunting
I don't know if it's good or bad luck to publish a book just as America was a month away from "lockdown" as a means of slowing the...
Ken Perrotte
Apr 23, 2020
Turkey Hunter Survives Being Shot in Face; Virginia Game & Inland Fisheries Investigating
Note: A shorter version of this story ran in the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star on April 23, 2020. Most turkey hunters with Facebook...
By Ken Perrotte
Nov 21, 2019
Newfoundland Moose Hunt Affords Ample Opportunity to Test Guns & Gear
A rainy, late September Newfoundland moose hunt this year offered challenging conditions and ample opportunities to try out some new...