Hunting is a popular sport in the United States, and many people rely on hunting to provide them with food. If you’re interested in hunting, you may be wondering if Walmart sells hunting licenses.

The fact is: Many people are unaware that Walmart sells hunting licenses. As a major retailer, Walmart is well-positioned to provide hunting licenses to its customers. In this blog post, we will discuss the benefits of purchasing hunting licenses from Walmart. We will also look at the different types of hunting licenses available at Walmart. Finally, we will provide some tips for purchasing hunting licenses from Walmart.

Can You Get a Hunting License at Walmart?

Yes, Walmart does sell hunting licenses. You can purchase a license for many different types of games, including deer, elk, bear, and turkey. Buying your license online is easy and convenient – all you need is a computer and an internet connection. Plus, you’ll save 5% on your purchase when you buy your license online

What Do You Need for a Walmart Hunting License?

In order to purchase a hunting license from Walmart, you’ll need a few things. First, you’ll need to be at least 18 years old. Next, you’ll need a valid form of identification, such as a driver’s license or passport. Finally, you’ll need a credit or debit card to pay for your license. Once you have all of these things, you’re ready to purchase your license!

(Are raccoon rodents? See this post for more)

How Much Does a Hunting License Cost at Walmart?

The cost of a hunting license varies depending on the type of game you’re hunting and the state in which you reside. However, in general, licenses range from $19-$35. You can find more specific pricing information on the Walmart website.

Is There an Age Limit for Buying a Hunting License at Walmart?

Yes, there is an age limit for buying a hunting license at Walmart. You must be at least 18 years old to purchase a hunting license from Walmart. If you’re not yet 18, you can still hunt with a valid hunting license from another adult.

How Do I Get a Hunting License From Walmart?

The hunting license process at Walmart is easy and straightforward. Just tell an employee in the sporting goods department that you want one, and they’ll provide all the necessary forms for completing it.

You need to fill out some personal information like your name or birthday , select different types of hunting activities – uplands/woods, waterfowl season springs turkey ala duck decoying, etc., pay fees according to what kind(s) chosen plus taxes. 

After confirming your identity and collecting payment, the official will give you a tag to carry with you while hunting that has proof of hunting permission.

It’s important to know the laws in your state when hunting, so be sure you’re following them. The cost of a hunting license may vary depending on where and what type of animal it is for but most start around $12!

FAQs

Can You Hunt the Same Day After Buying a Walmart Hunting License?

Yes, you can usually hunt the same day after buying a hunting license from Walmart. However, it’s always a good idea to check the regulations in your state to be sure.

Is There a Limit on the Number of Hunting Licenses You Can Purchase From Walmart?

No, there is no limit on the number of hunting licenses you can purchase from Walmart. However, you can only purchase one license per person.

Do You Need a Hunting License to Buy a Gun at Walmart?

No, you do not need a hunting license to buy a gun at Walmart. However, you will need to pass a background check in order to purchase a firearm from Walmart.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Buying a Hunting License From Walmart?

There are both pros and cons to buying a hunting license from Walmart. Some of the pros include convenience, price, and selection. Some of the cons include limited customer service and restricted hours. Overall, the decision of whether or not to buy a hunting license from Walmart is up to the individual.

Does Walmart Sell Hunting Licenses With Permits and Endorsements?

Yes, Walmart sells hunting licenses with permits and endorsements. However, the cost of these licenses may be higher than the cost of a regular hunting license.

What Are Some Other Places That Sell Hunting Licenses?

In addition to Walmart, you can also purchase hunting licenses from sporting goods stores, outdoor retailers, and state wildlife agencies. You can also purchase hunting licenses online from some retailers.

Can You Get a Hunting and Fishing License Together at Walmart?

Yes, you can usually get a hunting and fishing license together at Walmart. However, the cost of these licenses may be higher than the cost of a regular hunting or fishing license.

Do You Need a New Walmart Hunting License Every Year?

In most cases, you will need to renew your Walmart hunting license every year. However, the rules for renewing a hunting license may vary depending on the state in which you live. Be sure to check the regulations in your state before purchasing a hunting license from Walmart.

Does Walmart Selling Hunting License Holders?

Yes, Walmart sells hunting license holders. These holders can be used to store and protect your hunting license while you are out in the field.

How to Find a Walmart With Hunting Licenses?

To find a Walmart that sells hunting licenses, you can use the Store locator on the Walmart website. Once you have found a store, you can call to confirm that they sell hunting licenses. You can also ask about the cost of hunting licenses and whether or not they sell other hunting supplies.

Conclusion

When it comes to hunting licenses, Walmart is a one-stop-shop. You can purchase licenses for many different types of games, including deer, elk, bear, and turkey. Buying your license online is easy and convenient – all you need is a computer and an internet connection.. So what are you waiting for? Get your hunting license today!

If you’re the type of waterfowler who feeds your family by hunting 60 days per year, you probably already know by now that HEVI-Shot tungsten may not be the stuff for you because it’s not cheap. You can get 5 orders of Peking duck down at the local Chinese buffet for less. It’s expensive because there are very few tungsten mines in the world, and this ultra-dense metal is a commodity coveted for making everything from competitive darts to turbine blades and rocket nozzles. But the fact is it’s simply superior to steel, and even a fair margin better than lead bird shot. How?

Imagine a tennis ball and a baseball both thrown 90mph by Pedro Martinez. Which one would you rather get beaned with? The tennis ball, of course, because it’s much less dense and results in much less energy when it hits you. I.e. it won’t hurt as much. The same laws of physics apply to shotgun pellets.

Heavy Set

HEVI-Shot’s XII load uses tungsten pellets that measure 12 g/cc (grams per cubic centimeter). Compare that to steel at 7.8 g/cc, then imagine a No. 4 HEVI-Shot pellet and a steel pellet each going 1400 fps. The HEVI-Shot load is like a swarm of our aforementioned baseballs speeding toward that duck, whereas the steel is like the tennis balls. But most of us know this already.

The big advantage of tungsten, however, is that because it’s denser than steel (it’s also denser than lead, Bismuth, and most other materials) the shooter can choose a shot size two to three sizes smaller than comparable steel load and still maintain the same downrange energies. So by choosing a HEVI-Shot No. 4 pellets for geese over No. 1 steel load, for example, shooters are afforded many more pellets per load for denser patterns and more wound channels on the bird. Fact is, denser pellets penetrate deeper and kill quicker.

Tungsten Tested

When I tested HEVI-Shot’s new HEVI-XII shell (3”, 1 1/4-oz. No. 4s) here’s what I found: The load contained an average of 166 pellets that together averaged 583 grains, or 1.33 ounces per payload. (That’s more than advertised.) This payload is touted to travel at 1,450 fps, which equals 2,549 ft.-lbs. energy at the muzzle. Although my actual results were very similar, the inputs differed slightly. From my 28-inch barrel I recorded a mean velocity of 1401, that, when multiplied by a payload mass average of 1.33 ozs, equals 2,541 ft.-lbs. But it’s when the individual pellet energies are compared that the heavier tungsten pellets shine like diamonds in a sea of decoy weights: Consider that the average No. 4 HEVI-XII pellet weighs 3.6 grains; when going 1400 fps it results in 16 ft.-lbs. per pellet! Compare that to a 2.4-grain steel pellet going 1,400 fps for 10 ft.-lbs energy and you can understand where your money’s going.

However, this is where HEVI-Shot also gets a little shaky: I had to use a pellet weight average because, due to the process HEVI-Shot uses to make its tungsten shot, the pellets aren’t uniform. A payload of No. 4 shot contains pellets that individually weigh anywhere from 3.4 grains to 6.6. This leads to my second criticism of HEVI-Shot: It is not known for perfectly uniform patterns, which I suspect is a by-product of the varietal shape and weights of the pellets.

Results from my patterning board bore this out. I achieved best results from a modified choke tube. I must add this observation though: Regardless of how non-uniform the patterns look to my eye, ducks don’t seem to mind. All the HEVI-Shot I’ve used in the past have performed admirably on live game.

As for recoil, it’s academic. A 1¼ ounce payload of steel going 1400 compared to a 1¼-ounce payload of tungsten hurts equally bad by producing around 40 ft.-lbs. free recoil energy from a 7.5-lb. shotgun.

Packed to Perform

HEVI-Shot utilizes a healthy load of flaxseed to serve as buffer from the ultra-hard shot that can ding barrels and choke tubes if the choke is too tight or the load is not properly buffered. While I can’t be sure of flaxseed’s performance as a buffer compared to plastics and silicones used in other loads, frankly I’d rather be shooting natural flax seed in my lakes and fields over plastic. Speaking of plastic, HEVI-XII employs a rather simple, 4-petal, 50-grain plastic wad. The load is available in 12-gauge, 20-gauge and, interestingly, 28-gauge in size 2 (12-gauge only) 4 and 6.

HEVI-Shot’s new XII product differs from past HEVI-Shot tungsten shells mainly in that it is packaged in boxes of 25. At around $50 for a box, certainly they cost more than the 10-round boxes, but packaged as such they cost less per shell. Look, I’ve killed my share of ducks, but I also know that regardless of what shell I’m using, sometimes birds refuse to die. More times than I care to admit I’ll empty my gun at a bird only to wing it before it skims down 60 yards out, where I’ll have to shoot it 5 more times on the water. Perhaps you’re better than me, but boxes of 10 just don’t cut it.

In sum, HEVI-Shot’s new HEVI-XII load is far superior to nearly all duck loads that utilize less dense material. If you choose it, you’ll get the added advantage of choosing smaller shot sizes for denser patterns whose individual pellets hit hard. Trust me, you’ll be able to see that difference in the field. You’ll also feel it in your wallet, but that’s just it. New HEVI-XII is expensive to be sure, but in 25-round boxes it’s not as bad as it used to be. What waterfowler can’t appreciate that?

One of the most often-asked questions in bow hunting is what peep sight size should I be using?

Sorry to disappoint, there isn’t a black and white answer that would instantly custom match you with the right peep size for your setup. There are more than a couple factors that you need to consider before you get all gung-ho on going with the smallest or largest size you can find.

Like everything to do with bows, there’s quite a bit that goes into answering this question since it has a lot to do with your setup, hunting style, and vision.

We’ll talk you through the ins and outs of big and small peep sight sizes. By the end, you may be closer to determining what size will do you right in the field whether you’re sticking it out during the day, you’re out at first and last light, in the stand, or long-range hunting.

Peep Sights VS No Peep Sights

You know this has to be addressed. For the many peep users out there, there are just as many that go without. But, what exactly is a peep sight? It’s a string attachment that ensures line of sight alignment between your eye using the peep, sight housing, and the target.

Peep Sight Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Encourages consistent form/anchor point
• Enhance sight picture focus
• Can improve aim and accuracy
• Easy to use
• Inexpensive
• Available in various sizes

Cons:

• Can only use one eye
• Darkens sight picture
• Can twist out of place when string becomes worn

Of course, going peepless also has its own set of benefits. It forces you to become intimately familiar with consistent anchor points so you have the same form when shooting as when you sighted in your bow. You’ll also have instant low light visibility improvement, faster target acquisition time, and obviously you won’t have to deal with any peep sight alignment issues.

However, it takes practice and effort to get used to going peepless and making it an effective move on your part. Heavy emphasis on form can’t be overstated. Like many things to do with bows and shooting, you either like it or you don’t.

A vast majority of bow shooters still use peep sights, and they’re often pre-installed when you purchase your bow. With that in mind, here’s some peep sight sizes that could do it right for your type of hunting style.

Small Peep Sights for Hunting

Peeps with small diameter sizes are known to improve accuracy. Target and competition shooters may sport small peep sights because they offer a narrow aiming window.

During normal lighting conditions that are expected with daylight hunting, a small peep can actually offer better sight picture clarity since the aperture allows for enhanced focus on the target downrange.

However, if lighting conditions were to change such as going from open areas to thick timber with heavy shading or when it’s low light, your sight picture will become dark. Those with vision problems may not benefit from using a small peep right off the bat.

So, it goes without saying that a small peep would be suitable for hunters who require extreme accuracy, say for game with small kill zones. It would only be appropriate for daylight hunting when there’s as much light as possible, and only those with average to excellent eyesight could take advantage of a small peep.

Small peep sight sizes can include 1/32″, 3/64″, 1/16″, 3/32″, and 1/8″ being the largest of this lot.

It’s worth mentioning that long axle to axle bows would pair well with small peeps since the string comes closer to the eye.

Large Peep Sights for Hunting

Peeps with larger diameter sizes may not be as accurate-driven as small peep sights. They’re geared towards allowing more light in for a brighter sight picture in low light conditions or in heavily shaded areas. They’d also be appropriate for close range hunting to take advantage of the full field of view to appropriately aim your pin on the target.

Those with problematic eyesight and vision problems would be better suited with a large peep sight for hunting. Sacrificing the accuracy expected of a small peep size within forgivable boundaries in hunting is acceptable because of the large kill zones on animals such as deer and elk.

However, even if you prefer the larger peep size, you’ll still need it to properly fit your sight picture. If you have too much floating space around the sight housing ring while looking through the peep, you will run into accuracy and form issues.

If you’re a hunter that takes advantage of first and last legal light, may have aging eyes, and may be shooting from a stand and taking close range shots, then you might want to consider a bigger peep size.

Short axle to axle bows also pair well with large peeps since they have sharp string angles that forces the peep further away from the eye.

Large peep sizes can include 3/16″, 7/32″, 1/4″, and 5/16″.

How to Use a Peep Sight

Knowing how to use a peep sight might help you to determine what the best peep sight size will be for your setup. The most popular sizing method is to opt for the peep that fits the sight housing ring. What do we mean by this? There are two different ways to use a peep sight.

Method 1:

At full draw, you center the pin you need to aim with within the middle of the peep sight. Depending on what pin you use, you may or may not see part of the top or bottom of the sight housing within the peep sight view.

Method 2:

The entire sight housing ring must match the peep sight ring. You have an unobstructed view of all pins, full field of view, and the sight housing ring matches perfectly with the peep sight.

Method 2 is the recommended way to use a peep sight since it encourages you to choose the most appropriate peep size for your setup. It also ensures your anchor point remains the same regardless of what pin you need to aim with. Slightly move at the waist to get the right pin on your target’s kill zone.

Method 1 is still used by some, however, it can cause a drop in your anchor point to get your bottom pins centered. Moving your anchor point means inconsistent form, reduced accuracy, and can be a complete miss.

Trying out a few different sizes while at a dealer will also help to narrow down what size works best for your setup. If you plan on using the same bow for multiple activities no matter the time of day or lighting conditions, you can save time finding the right peep sight size and opt for a specialty peep sight.

Specialty Archery Peep Sights

These types of sights may be adjustable in diameter, easily interchangeable to be transferred from bow to bow, and are completely compatible to be used with different bow sights. They are typically more expensive than your average one-size peep, but the cost may be worth it if your needs require the specialty features.

You might also be interested in what peep accessories such as a clarifier and verifier can do for your sight picture.

Only You Know the Answer

Outfitting the perfect peep to match your setup is a personal touch. Your vision is needed to confirm whether a certain peep will work for you.

Although trying out different peeps might be tedious, it’ll be worth it in the end. Taking the time to properly prep your gear for the hunt will improve your odds for success. At the very least, you won’t be one of them who loses the shot for whatever reason because you have the wrong size peep!

Further Reading

• How to Measure Scope Ring Height (With Pics & Calculations)
• How to Adjust a Rifle Scope: 6 Scope Adjustments Explained!
• How to Level a Scope on a Rifle [Step-by-Step With Pics]
• What is a Rifle Scope Ruler (Mildot Master) & How to Use It?
• What is a Prism Scope? Prism VS Reflex VS LPVO!

January 15, 2021

The tune of Mrs. McCottontail was singing out of the X24. My thumb positioned on the volume buttons, ramping the volume of the rabbit cries up and down. My attention was on the grown up fence row that led into a nasty thicket full of briars and treetops. Suddenly a group of birds were frantically communicating with each other straight down the fence row. I thought to myself, “Surely that means a bobcat is on its way.”

All of a sudden a bobcat magically appeared no more that 50 yards in front of me. The bobcat’s eyes were fixated on the call -flipping his tail as he stalked toward the sound. My rifle was already positioned in the direction of the X24. As the cat crossed in front of my gun barrel, I lip squeaked to stop him, settled the crosshairs on his shoulder, and squeezed the trigger. Pew! Thwap!!! There laid a bobcat just feet from the call. I walked up to the cat and was in awe – just like I am of every bobcat that I’ve been blessed to put my hands on.

After several years of calling bobcats in Kentucky, I’ve found that thorough scouting, smart stand selection, and solid calling techniques all work together to increase your odds of tagging bobcats.

SCOUT FOR BOBCATS

Scouting is an important tool to take advantage of for bobcat success. It’s pretty tough to call up a bobcat in a place that doesn’t have them.

First things first, you have to find them. You’ll rarely see a bobcat out in the wide open. Bobcats seem to love the thick stuff. Lots of times the thicker the better. Recently logged areas that have treetops scattered throughout and have grown up in thick briars can be hot spots for cats. Brushy creek bottoms, thick drainages, and even grown up fields can be places that bobcats love to hang out in and hunt.

Get out there and start looking for sign such as tracks & droppings. Probably the easiest way to find tracks is by walking travel corridors after a snow. Looking for tracks in mud and sand along creeks and pond banks can also pay off.

Take advantage of trail cameras. Trail cameras are an excellent scouting method for finding bobcats. Not only will they let you know if you have a cat to hunt, but they can also help you pattern a cat and let you know when you need to be in the area calling.

One thing I’ve learned over the years is if you call a bobcat in an area, there’s a good chance you’ll find success in that area year after year. I have a few stand locations that I can count on to produce a bobcat, year in and year out. There’s actually a couple of locations that I don’t dare call unless bobcat season is in because there’s that good of a chance that a cat will stroll in.

STAND SELECTION

Stand selection is crucial for success. An ideal stand will have you set up tight on thick cover, but be in an area open enough for you to see. Setting up in woods or in thickets can be effective, but you take the chance of a bobcat coming into the call and sneaking back off without you ever seeing it. Plus, there’s a good chance you could spook a bobcat walking in if you push too far into their area.

I personally like to find open areas such as a small field that is adjacent to where I have bobcats scouted. If possible I’ll set up 50-75 yards away from the thick cover and place the FOXPRO out half the distance from me to the edge of cover. A bobcat isn’t likely to cover a tremendous amount of open ground. So you’ll need to set up close enough that a bobcat will feel comfortable to come to your call.

When it comes to wind direction for bobcats, you’ll find that opinions differ. I’ll give you mine – Always Hunt The Wind! I have seen bobcats circle to the downwind side of my FOXPRO on more than one occasion. I have also seen a bobcat enter my scent cone, get nervous, and run off without the opportunity to fire a shot. I have also called numerous coyotes (which never get a pass) while making bobcat stands. It doesn’t matter if I’m calling for bobcats, coyotes, or fox – I’m always hunting the wind.

SOUNDS & SOUND SEQUENCES

I definitely have favorite sounds that I like to use on bobcat stands. In my experiences of calling bobcats, I’ve become a big fan of cottontail distress sounds. That being said, I’ve called cats in on jackrabbit, snowshoe hare, and various bird sounds. I’ve actually had success calling in bobcats on over a dozen different FOXPRO sound files.

A general bobcat sequence that I like to run starts out light and builds in intensity throughout the sequence. I’ll usually run 3-4 different prey distress sound files resulting in a 15-25 minute stand depending on the location (most of the bobcats I call in show up under 8 minutes). For instance, I’ll start out with a sound such as “Bay Bee Cottontail.” I’ll run that sound for 4-6 minutes. If a cat doesn’t show, I’ll pause for 20-40 seconds and then go into an adult cottontail sound such as “Mrs. McCottontail.” Again, I’ll run that sound for 4-6 minutes. If a cat still doesn’t show I’ll pause for 20-40 seconds again and then go into a snowshoe hare sound such as “Snowshoe Hare HP.” If a bobcat still doesn’t show I’ll finish with a few minutes of a jackrabbit sound such as “Lightning Jack.” As you can see, I like to start out light and increase with intensity with each successive sound. I’ve learned over the years that if a bobcat doesn’t show on a sound played, they’ll usually show up rather quickly after the next sound starts up. It’s almost as if they are afraid they lost their chance to claim the rabbit and then charge in when another sound starts back up.

Over the last 2 years I’ve fallen in love with the new FOXPRO sound file “Mrs. McCottontail.” I’m starting to think that it might be the best bobcat calling sound file ever recorded. After watching 8 different bobcats show up while that sound was playing, I’ve henceforth started leading off with “Mrs. McCottontail.” I’ve recently tagged 2 bobcats that each came to the call in under 5 minutes to that sound.

CLOSING

It’s an amazing sight to witness a bobcat come to the call. Sometimes they sneak in, stalking your call. At times they will come running in just like a coyote. Other times one will show up out of nowhere just sitting there scanning the area. No matter how they come to the call you need to be ready to capitalize on the opportunity. I wish you the best of luck on your next bobcat stand.

Shoot straight and shoot often.

When the .300 PRC (Precision Rifle Cartridge) was announced, most shooters scoffed: “Just what we need—another .30-caliber magnum.” It seemed like the proverbial answer to an unasked question.

Then, savvy shooters took a closer look and were impressed. They gave it a try and became even more impressed.

Within three short years, the .300 PRC became the primary .30-caliber magnum challenger to the worldwide king of the .300s: the .300 Winchester Magnum. That’s a meteoric rise in prominence, rivaled only by its own smaller sibling: the 6.5 PRC.

Now that we have both “The King of .300s” and this new high-octane modern challenger, the question must be asked: Which is better?

As a philosopher might say, “The answer is very simple, yet also very complex.” Here’s the short version: Which one is better for you depends…on you.

Each .30-caliber magnum cartridge has advantages and disadvantages. Your needs as a shooter and hunter will dictate which is best—for you. But I suspect you already knew that. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the pros and cons.

Because it’s the veteran, let’s accord the .300 Win. Mag. the respect it deserves and address it first.

.300 Win. Mag. Pros

The .300 Win. Mag. is the worldwide dominant .30-caliber magnum. It’s cleanly taken every big-game animal that walks American soil and probably every legal species of critter that walks the earth—anywhere. That’s including terrorists at some pretty jaw-dropping distances, in the hands of our sniper boys and their British pals.

Although its stubby neck and belted behind are outdated design characteristics that theoretically are not optimal for accuracy, the .300 Win. Mag. has always confounded its skeptics and shot better than it has any right to.

Powder-capacity-to-bore-diameter ratio is on the top side of optimal, meaning it’s on the cusp of being overbored without actually being overbored. As a result, it’s surprisingly efficient, particularly with heavy, aerodynamic bullets in the 200-grain weight range. As a lovely side benefit, such bullets absolutely wallop big game.

On the subject of bullets, you can get factory ammo loaded with a broad spectrum of different projectiles. Light and fast, heavy and tough, heavy and sleek and super-efficient, you name it. It’s easy to find a load tailored perfectly for your purposes, whether that purpose is shooting whitetails way off across a beanfield or moose in an alder thicket or steel targets a half-mile away.

Also, handloading data is widely available and exhaustive in scope. If our selection of factory ammo is broad, handloading potential is truly vast. Pick any bullet from 110 to 250 grains and have at it. Rifling twist rates apply.

Every rifle manufacturer offers myriad models chambered in .300 Win. Mag., so you can be really picky when selecting just the right rifle. Just as important, magazines—whether internal or detachable types—have all the wrinkles ironed out of them. Most .300 Win. Mag. rifles easily contain the advertised number of cartridges and feed them smoothly and reliably.

Because the .300 Win. Mag. is so widely respected and available around the world, it’s an excellent option for travelers—domestic and international—because even if your baggage gets separated in transit and lost, as long as your rifle arrives, you can always find ammo in a local shop.

The combined result of all these advantages stacked up is one of—if not the—best practical choices for hunting any non-dangerous game, anywhere around the world.

.300 Win. Mag. Cons

Okay. Here we go. The grand old king of the .30s does have some downsides, too. Mostly, it’s in the fact that many rifles chambered for it have quite loose chamber tolerances. In such, the demons contained in the short neck and belted case design emerge. They can wreak havoc with accuracy.

An old but proven cartridge design rule recommends that the neck of a cartridge be at least one caliber long, meaning that for a .30-caliber cartridge, the neck should be at least three tenths of an inch long. Designers curtailed the neck of the .300 Win. Mag., gambling that it would prove sufficient and the propellant capacity gained by pushing the shoulder of the cartridge as far forward as possible would pay off.

When manufacturing ammo, whether at the handloading bench or on the factory assembly line, it’s harder to hold tight tolerances when the neck is short. Bullet concentricity is at risk. Neck tension is less consistent. And so forth.

The belts on traditional magnum cases were originally designed to give the long, tapered cartridges of yore a predictable surface to headspace against. Holland & Holland’s .375 H&H and Super Thirty have a lot of body taper and shallow shoulders. This enables cartridges to feed like grease on glass and to extract easily and reliably—particularly important characteristics in cartridges commonly used on dangerous game in Africa and India. Easy extraction was a big deal when cordite propellant was the go-to bullet-pushing chemical of the day; it tended to exhibit pressure spikes in tropical weather conditions. Those cartridges needed the belt.

Our .300 Win. Mag., however, doesn’t need the belt. On it, the belt is just a holdover from the parent case. Had designers owned a functioning crystal ball, perhaps they would have seen fit to lathe-turn the belt off of their prototype .300 Win. Mag. cases, which would have created a really optimal cartridge case shape for the embryonic new round.

Here’s the important takeaway, folks. The belt is outdated, yes. It’s useless, yes. But the belt harms absolutely nothing at all. Performance doesn’t suffer, reliability doesn’t suffer, nothing. So quit griping about the belt.

.300 PRC Pros

Ah…here we go. This is the Ferrari of rifle cartridges. Introduced in 2018, the .300 PRC utilizes a .375 Ruger case necked down to hold .30-caliber bullets. This is a broad-based, non-belted, standard-length (.30-06 length) case originally derived from the .404 Jeffery.

Geometrically, the .300 PRC case is as nearly perfect as mankind and computers can achieve. Neck length is ideal. Shoulder angle is ideal. There’s no belt around the case head. There’s little efficiency-robbing taper to the body.

“Against all odds,” naysayers grudgingly admit, “the .300 PRC has a toehold.”

“Thanks to an ultimate combination of refined characteristics,” acolytes claim, “the .300 PRC is rapidly earning the recognition it deserves.”

Both are right.

When the .300 PRC launched, we already had the .300 H&H, the .300 Win. Mag., the .300 WSM, the .300 RUM, the .300 RSAUM, the .300 Norma, the .300 Weatherby, the .30-378 Weatherby, the .300 RCM…my word, more .30-caliber magnums than a beaver could shake a stick at.

However, not one of this long list of cartridges stacks every characteristic in the “positive” column and none in the “negative.” Many have outdated case design features. Some are overbored. Some are underpowered. Some are efficient, but not configured to shoot high-ballistic-coefficient (BC) bullets with best-in-class aerodynamics.

There are very few cartridges about which one can say, “It has it all.” The .300 PRC is one. The few disadvantages associated with it—and, yes, there are some—have nothing to do with design or performance and everything to do with distribution and availability. But I’ll get to that soon enough.

Let’s start with the most important characteristics and work down. Foremost, at least in this man’s opinion, is the fact that from the ground up the .300 PRC was engineered to provide optimal performance with long, heavy-for-caliber, high-BC bullets.

Hornady’s cartridge gurus (they’ve dreamt up and introduced the three most successful new cartridges of the 21st century) gave the .300 PRC a generous “head height.” Head height is the distance between the cartridge case mouth and the end of the magazine. It dictates how much bullet can stick out of the end of the cartridge case and still allow the whole cartridge to fit into a rifle magazine.

Traditionally, powder capacity was valued more than head height, so bullets were given short, blunt ogives (the curve from the tip of the bullet to full diameter) and seated deep into the case. Cartridge shoulders were positioned far forward so that the case would hold as much propellant as possible. That bullet bases would protrude way down into the propellant chamber was accepted as a necessary evil.

Not necessary, claimed the .300 PRC’s architects.

Case in point (if you’ll forgive the horrible pun): The thunderous .300 RUM and the .300 PRC have nearly identical overall cartridge lengths. Both require true long rifle actions. However, the shoulder on the RUM is much farther from the cartridge base. The RUM holds considerably more powder, yet the .300 PRC will shoot flatter at long range.

How? Because Hornady’s engineers optimized the efficiency of the internal combustion chamber and gave the cartridge plenty of head height. You can comfortably load .300 PRC cartridges with extremely sleek, aerodynamic bullets that have long, fine-entry noses. In the .300 PRC, bullet bases don’t protrude down into powder capacity. Projectiles start slower than the blunter bullets from the .300 RUM but hold their speed better and quickly overtake them. At extreme range, there’s just no contest.

But we’re not here to compare the .300 PRC with the .300 RUM. So how does it stack up to the .300 Win. Mag.? I love the old Winchester cartridge, so it hurts my feelings a little to say this, but the .300 PRC walks all over it, ballistically.

Why? Because the .300 PRC shoots those long, high-BC bullets that won’t fit and feed from .300 Win. Mag. magazines, and it starts them nearly as fast as the .300 Win. Mag. shoots normal bullets.

In addition to cartridge head height optimal for modern, extreme-BC bullets, the .300 PRC features a chamber spec’d with very tight tolerances. You’ll rarely, if ever, see a .300 PRC rifle that won’t shoot due to a sloppy chamber. Plus, the chamber throat and rifling leade areas are engineered for ideal compatibility with those sleek-nosed, high-BC bullets we’re making such a big deal about.

Crucially important in making all these cutting-edge puzzle pieces fit together is fast rifling. Most .300 PRC rifles have a twist rate of 1 turn in 9 inches or faster; some are as fast as 1:8. Either will properly stabilize most of today’s extreme-range superbullets.

The .300 Win. Mag. (and basically all the other .30-caliber magnums) have a 1:10 twist rate that will not adequately stabilize today’s best long-range projectiles.

Let’s move on. In the world of internal combustion, the .300 PRC has a much different chamber shape than the .300 Win. Mag. It contains more gunpowder, so one might think it crosses the cusp into overbore territory.

Nope. Not quite. Thanks to the way it holds that propellant in a broader, slightly shorter cylindrical shape, it burns a tad more efficiently than the .300 Win. Mag. When ignited from one end, a fatter, shorter column of powder burns more instantly and efficiently than a long, skinny column.

Before listing the .300 PRC’s disadvantages, let’s take a look at a ballistic comparison between it and the .300 Win. Mag.

I’ve crunched ballistics using the best high-BC factory loads listed on Hornady’s website.

In the .300 Win. Mag., the 200-grain ELD-X projectile has a G1 BC of 0.597 and a G7 BC of 0.301—really pretty darned good. It’s rated to exit the muzzle at 2,850 fps. It is, candidly, a fantastic load.

In the .300 PRC, the 225-grain ELD Match bullet has a G1 BC of 0.777 and a G7 BC of .391. That’s nearly unearthly, and it doesn’t hold a candle to the extreme-BC projectiles handloaders like me get all giddy about, such as the 250-grain A-Tip.

But I digress. The 225-grain projectile is rated to exit the muzzle at 2,810 fps, just 40 fps slower than the .300 Win. Mag. bullet.

I’ve included a chart to display long-range performance out to 1,500 yards. The ballistics were calculated using standard sea-level atmospherics, a 200-yard zero, and a 10-mph full-value crosswind.

.300 PRC Cons

The .300 PRC’s disadvantages are minuscule and don’t reflect specifically on the cartridge, but they must be considered nonetheless.

Worst is the current very limited selection of factory-loaded ammunition. As I write this, only Hornady offers factory ammo—and just two loads. This is changing fast, and I predict that within a year we will see factory-loaded .300 PRC ammo from Federal, Barnes, Winchester, Browning, and others. Many rifle companies now list the .300 PRC in their top-five sellers, and ammo companies can’t ignore numbers like that.

For now, though, non-handloaders have their pick of…Hornady and Hornady. The good news is Hornady makes great ammo.

For handloaders, the world is their .300-PRC oyster. Dies and data are readily available, and the cartridge shoots well with darn near any combination you put in it.

I can’t even list limited rifle selection as a disadvantage. Not anymore. Most of the big rifle manufacturers and all of the boutique makers worth their salt offer several excellent models in .300 PRC.

How about recoil? Well, that’s subjective. Because the .300 PRC is usually loaded with heavy-for-caliber bullets, it does kick more than the average .300 Win. Mag. load. However, if you load them both with the same bullet weight, the difference is negligible. The way I see it, that extra recoil is symbolic of the enhanced performance you get by shooting those extreme-BC projectiles. But, yes, the .300 PRC does kick.

So Which Is Better?

As I mentioned in the beginning, in the final analysis, only you can decide which cartridge better fits your needs. I can give you a little guidance, though.

If you’re a practical sort, who values proven performance and ready availability, I suspect the .300 Win. Mag. is your cuppa tea.

If you like finessing the last iota of performance out of your shooting setup, and you handload, and you rarely shoot factory ammo anyway, you owe yourself a .300 PRC.

Here’s the good news. As much fun as it is to weigh every aspect and characteristic, however slight, and endlessly debate the merits of one over the other, in the end you can’t go wrong with either.

A lot of people tell me they’re interested in switching their traditional grass lawn over to a clover lawn. Now, a clover lawn could mean you are intentionally adding clover to your lawn, or it could mean you are planting only clover. Usually the people I encounter are considering a lawn made up entirely of clover — no other plants… a monoculture.

When you search Google Images for lawn alternatives you are sure to find some beautiful eye candy showing gorgeous, perfectly uniform lawns made up entirely of microclover, a cultivar of white clover bred to grow to a very short height. The human eye seems to be really attracted to simple, clean, and manicured. They like patterns and uniformity. I’m all for minimalism and simplicity, but nature often is not a fan. Nature wants diversity, chaos, checks and balances.

I think most people find appeal in a clover lawn because it doesn’t need to be mowed. It also would possibly need less watering and fertilizing (though that doesn’t need to be done in a grass lawn either). These points appear at first glance to equate to fewer resources — great! They might also be attracted to the fact that clover simply is not grass, so it’s counter-culture (also wonderful).

But while I applaud anyone looking into lawn alternatives, this particular approach has some major problems.

1. It’s still a monoculture.

Monocultures, cultivation of a single plant in a given area, are difficult to maintain, especially in medium moisture environments where clover thrives. You will be battling weeds if you want to maintain a clover-only lawn. Monocultures are also risky, because you’re putting all your eggs in one basket (or is it “seeds in one packet”?). If your clover fails, there are no other plants there to cover the soil and you’ll need to start all over again attempting to establish something in exposed soil.

2. Grass will show up.

Unless you consistently use a grass-specific herbicide, grass will grow in your clover lawn. If you are trying to maintain a clover monoculture, this means you will either have to spray or pull the grass. Pulling grass, especially in an area the size of a lawn, would be exhaustive or in some cases outright impossible. If you don’t spray or pull the grass, you will need to mow the grass to avoid fines if you live in a city (most cities have ordinances limiting grass/weed heights). All of these options directly contradict many of the reasons most people are looking into a clover lawn.

3. It has less foot traffic tolerance.

Clover isn’t quite as tolerant of foot traffic as grass. For example, if I were to go outside and practice Taekwondo forms in the lawn, and I picked a spot that was more clover than grass, the repetitive spinning and pivoting would completely tear up the delicate clover stems and leaves. In comparison, grass can withstand much more abuse. I can practice for an hour in the same spot on grass, and it’ll just be flattened and spring back to full force within a day or two.

4. It’s less aggressive.

Clover is simply less aggressive than grass in spreading and growing. When you are trying to grow a lawn, this quality is highly desired. That’s why grass is used in high foot traffic areas. It’s a tough plant, but it also grows and spreads like crazy, so even if the plant is harmed, it just rapidly clones and reseeds and all is good again.

5. It dies back in the winter.

Clover also dies back in the winter and needs to grow back from the roots in the spring. So there will be a period of time where there is no ground cover. And what do you get when you mix zero plant cover with spring rain? Yes, mud. With grass, the plant above the soil stays intact but goes dormant. Then it springs back to life in the spring. Even before it’s green, it’s still there, covering the soil in a thick mat and preventing erosion and mud pits.

6. It’s resource intensive.

A clover monoculture lawn will be just as hard to maintain as a grass monoculture lawn. It may require herbicides or hours and hours of labor pulling grass and weeds. And it may need to be watered in times of drought. Plus, if you currently have a grass lawn, you will need to kill or remove the current living plants to sow the clover seeds. Then you will need keep everyone off, water consistently, and battle a major onslaught of weeds who will flock to your exposed soil until the clover is established.

My opinion

What I foresee for people who try to convert to a clover lawn is that they will eventually give up the battle against the grass and start mowing it. What they will end up with is a grass lawn with clover — which is great because clover is a very useful and beneficial additive to lawns (it fixes nitrogen), along with other great plants that tolerate mowing and foot traffic. But, it would have been a lot easier, cheaper, and less painful, to have just started off adding some clover seed into their grass lawns.

The bottom line: If you need a lawn (find out here) use grass, but also allow biodiversity so it’s less boring, cheaper, easier to maintain, and better for the local ecology. Plants that show up in your lawn and stay there, are plants that want to grow in those conditions. As long as they are not considered invasive species let them grow! All plants have evolved to be here because they serve a purpose in their ecosystems. Nature has handed them to you as a gift. Learn what each plant is — most weeds also have human uses, too. They might be edible or medicinal or useful as cut flowers. They might also help fertilize and/or aerate your lawn and give food to wildlife. When you open your heart and your lawn to a variety of plants, amazing things happen.

Want to know the easiest way to catch a big freshwater fish? Put a worm on a hook, attach a few weights, and then bomb that sucker out into the fishiest looking spot you can find. Then, all you need to do is get comfortable and wait.

Fishing With Live Worms: High Passion, Low Production

In the video above, I take my cousin fishing, and go over 3 of the most straightforward ways you can fish a worm on the bottom. What this video lacks in production quality, it makes up for it with it’s honesty and entry level approach.

So, the next time you’re thinking about wacky rigging a Senko in that same old bass pond for the millionth time – instead, find a shady spot, grab a pack of worms, and do some bottom fishing!

Been In The Game For Years Making Worm Rigs

Since I was a kid, I’ve been fishing this way with my dad and brothers along the banks of rivers and ponds surrounding our house. Over the years, interests have changed, skills developed and now I spend more time flipping jigs, burning crankbaits, or looking for that surface strike from a hungry bass choking topwater frogs deep in the summer weeds.As much as I love all of those things, and boy, do I love them dearly, there is something that always draws me back to what I call ”bottom fishing with crawlers”

For me, this technique is not only nostalgic, it’s an easy way to relax on a lazy afternoon while proving to be an extremely effective way to catch big fish. This is especially true for new anglers or people in areas with a lack of species diversity, fishing opportunities, or places generally considered to be ”good fishing”.

Live Worm Fishing: Minimal Assembly Required

Worms, hooks, and weights. Together, they create the simplest rig in freshwater fishing.

Assuming you have a fishing rod and reel spooled up and ready to go (if not, click here), all you’ll need is hooks, weights, and worms to put together these three simple rigs that will catch you a boatload of fish.

Get a sturdy ”Y” shaped stick or a store-bought rod holder strong enough that it can be jammed in the ground and hold up your rod while you sit and wait for a bite.

Keeping the line between your rod and bait taught helps increase your ability to detect bites, and in return, catch more fish.

Live Worm Bottom Fishing Checklist:

1. Fishing Rod + Reel
2. Line
3. Weights
4. Hooks
5. Worms
6. Chair
7. Net
8. Shade
9. Patience!

Nightcrawler Fishing Pro Tips:

• Ask for a paper bag when buying worms and keep them in the shade. A brown bag keeps your worms cool throughout the day and prevents them from drying out.
• Add a clip-on fishing bell to the tip of your rod to help alert you of any bites when bottom fishing
• Keep a taut line on your bottom rod. This will help you detect bites much easier
• Loosen your drag or secure your rod safely when bottom fishing. This will help prevent your rod from getting pulled in the water by a big fish (it’s happened to me twice)

Mushroom foraging has dramatically increased in popularity in the last few years. More and more people are passionate about getting outside and learning about the land they live and work in. Harvesting wild fungi is one way to participate in your local ecosystem, and if you live in Michigan, you are in a prime mushroom-hunting zone. Mushrooms prefer temperate climates with clear seasonal divisions.

Michigan is a great state for mushroom foraging because it has an abundance of forests, regular rainfall, and well-defined seasons. There are over 2,500 wild mushroom species that live in the state, and between 60 and 100 are edible.

Keep reading this article to learn about edible and toxic mushroom species in Michigan. We’ll talk about their growth habits, the conditions necessary for their flourishing, and, if they’re edible, what you can make with them.

14 Mushrooms in Michigan

This list contains both edible and non-edible mushrooms. When foraging is your responsibility to ensure that you properly identify the mushrooms on this list. They are clearly labeled and described with pictures and indicators of whether they are edible.

If you believe you have ingested a poisonous mushroom, seek immediate medical attention. Some poisonous mushrooms have slow-acting toxins.

Edible Mushrooms

The mushrooms in this section are safe for human consumption. Remember that all mushrooms must be cooked before eating, and that it’s your responsibility to properly identify a mushroom. If you’re in doubt, don’t eat it!

1. Hen-of-the-Woods

• Scientific name: Grifola frondosa
• Average size: 6 to 15.5 inches in diameter
• Can be found: in oak forests
• Edible: Yes

The hen-of-the-woods is a tree-growing mushroom species that shares some traits with its relative, the chicken-of-the-woods. They are two different species, however.

In Michigan, go hunting for hen-of-the-woods in oak and hardwood forests during late summer and fall. They live on dead, dying, and living trees.

The cap of the hen-of-the-woods ranges from 6 to 15.5 inches across. It’s wavy and multi-layered because the caps are clustered.

The texture is smooth and dusky brown. When cut apart, the flesh is solid and white.

2. Oyster Mushroom

• Scientific name: Pleurotus ostreatus
• Average size: 1 to 6.5 inches in diameter
• Can be found: in aspen groves
• Edible: Yes

The Oyster mushrooms are highly visible edible mushrooms that grow in the forests of Michigan. In the state, you’re most likely to see them in aspen forests. They have barely any stem and look like a cap is simply growing right out of the tree’s bark.

The light brown or white cap is 1 to 6.5 inches in diameter and they are relatively smooth to the touch. After harvesting this mushroom, don’t eat the stem. The flesh is white and tastes neutral.

They grow in clusters on living trees. Cooking these mushrooms is a simple task. They make a great side dish, especially as the weather gets colder.

3. Honey Mushroom

• Scientific name: Armillaria mellea
• Average size: 1¼ to 4¾ inches in diameter
• Can be found: hardwood forests
• Edible: Yes

The honey mushroom is a hardwood-reliant, tan or white mushroom that grows in forests. Michigan is the honey mushroom’s western range limit. It grows most often near the Great Lakes region in prolific clusters shaped almost like floral bouquets.

The mushroom’s cap measures between 1¼ to 4¾ inches across. The size changes depending on what part of the cluster the individual fruiting body grows in.

They are mild-tasting and have very pronounced fibrous gills on the underside of the caps. Notice a ring around the stem to identify them.

4. Bear’s Head Tooth Mushroom

• Scientific name: Hericium americanum
• Average size: 6 to 7¾ inches long
• Can be found: on living and dead deciduous trees
• Edible: Yes

In Michigan, the bear’s head tooth mushroom can be found in undisturbed forests. It grows directly from dead trees, stumps, and even living trees. While most recorded specimens were discovered on deciduous trees, others have been found on evergreen trees.

Bear’s head teeth have no circular caps like other mushrooms do. Instead, they grow in a linear pattern similar to a tree branch. Most average between 6 to 7¾ inches long.

On the ‘branch’ are hundreds of tiny frondlike spines. The full effect was similar enough to appear like the jawbone of a bear, which is how the mushroom got its name.

5. Golden Chanterelle

• Scientific name: Cantharellus cibarius
• Average size: 1 to 4 inches in diameter
• Can be found: in forests and near recently burned areas
• Edible: Yes

The Golden chanterelle mushrooms are a great starting point if you’re learning to forage. In Michigan, golden chanterelles grow in forests with abundant deciduous trees, such as the upper peninsula and the northern lower peninsula.

The cap of the golden chanterelle is between 1 and 4 inches across. It has wavy edges and the whole mushroom is funnel-shaped.

When foraging for this fungi, you will probably smell it before you see it. Its primary trait is its strong smell. Observers say the mushroom’s aroma is of apricots and citrus.

6. Dryad’s Saddle

• Scientific name: Polyporus squamosus
• Average size: 2 to 12 inches across
• Can be found: in hardwood forests
• Edible: Yes

The dryad’s saddle is a creatively named mushroom that sprouts from the trunks of dead or living trees in early spring. It’s one of the first mushrooms you’ll see when foraging for fungi in Michigan. While looking for morels, it’s a great idea to keep an eye out for the dryad’s saddle too.

Most of this mushroom consists of a large cap that ranges from 2 inches to up to a foot across! The external texture is scaly and its color is light brown or warm tan. They are pretty thin like a pancake and the flesh is white when cut apart.

7. Black Morel

• Scientific name: Morchella angusticeps
• Average size: 1 to 3 inches tall
• Can be found: in forests near dying hardwood trees
• Edible: Yes

If you aren’t looking for a golden chanterelle, chances are you’re probably looking for a morel. Morels are great mushrooms to cook with. They add a wild, nutty flavor to dishes, not to mention a little luxury too.

In Michigan, hunt for morels in the spring. They grow in high-moisture environments near dying hardwood trees.

The caps are taller than they are wide. Most caps measure about 1 to 3 inches tall, but only 2 inches wide.

They are dusky brown and dark inside all of the folding and honeycomb patterning. The stem is chunky for how small the cap is, and sometimes it looks disproportionate.

8. Short-stemmed Russula

• Scientific name: Russula brevipes
• Average size: 2 ¼ to 7 ¾ inches across
• Can be found: under needles in coniferous forests, esp. Douglas Fir
• Edible: Yes

The short-stemmed russula is a mushroom of variety. It adapts to different tree types, can grow alone or in groups, and grows from summer into late fall and even winter, if it’s warm. In Michigan, it can be found underneath piles of pine needles.

The caps measure from 2 ¼ to 7 ¾ inches in diameter. They’re usually tilted in a saddle-like shape. They’re thick and well supported by a robust stem.

While these mushrooms are edible, they need a lot of seasoning because they can sometimes be bitter. Mushroom hunters often let them alone until they transform into lobster mushrooms thanks to infestations of another fungus.

Non-edible Mushrooms

These mushrooms cannot be eaten. Some are inert and can’t be eaten, but some are toxic and have the potential to cause hallucinations or even death. Do not eat any of the mushrooms on this part of the list.

9. Death Angel Mushroom

• Scientific name: Amanita bisporigera
• Average size: 1 to 4 inches across
• Can be found: growing from the ground in mixed forests
• Edible: No. TOXIC

The death angel mushroom is aptly named; it’s one of the most deadly mushroom species in the world. Consumption of this mushroom results in poisoning from amatoxins, which attack the liver and kidneys. In Michigan, find this mushroom during the summer and fall in coniferous or deciduous forests.

Death angels have a cap averaging 1 to 4 inches in diameter. It is smooth and white, as is the rest of the mushroom.

However, there is a baglike volva around the base of the fungus and a small, scarflike ring near the top. They grow in groups and have many closely spaced gills.

10. Panther Mushroom

• Scientific name: Amanita pantherina
• Average size: 1 to 7 inches in diameter
• Can be found: near conifers and pines
• Edible: No. TOXIC

The Panther mushrooms are common throughout the northern United States, including Michigan. Unfortunately, they’re extremely toxic so they should never be harvested or handled. They grow in Michigan’s pine forests because they have a symbiotic relationship with the fungi in the trees’ roots.

A panther mushroom’s cap feels scaly and measures between 1 and 7 inches across. The small scales fall off when touched. They are somewhat bulbous and form a squat figure against the dirt from where they grow.

11. False Morel Mushroom

• Scientific name: Gyromitra esculenta
• Average size: 2¼ to 6 in diameter
• Can be found: underneath conifers
• Edible: No. TOXIC

The False morel mushrooms look similar to true morels so they were named to tell the two species apart. Unfortunately, false morels are poisonous and pose a health risk to humans. In Michigan, you can find false morels in the springtime in pine forests.

Don’t be scared about telling them apart from true morels. It only takes a little practice. False morels have extremely wrinkled, ‘brainlike’ caps 2¼ to 6 inches across.

Their stems are proportionally very small compared to true morels. Lastly, they are reddish, not cool brown like true morels.

12. Eastern Jack O’Lantern

• Scientific name: Omphalotus illudens
• Average size: 2” to 4” in diameter.
• Can be found: in forests
• Edible: No. TOXIC

The eastern Jack O’Lantern’s creative name comes from its bright orange color. This is a sign for all mushroom foragers to stay away: this mushroom is highly toxic. It contains a poisonous compound called illudin, which destroys the human body’s ability to replicate DNA.

Eastern Jack O’Lanterns grow in highly layered shelf-like aggregates. An individual mushroom’s cap measures between 2 and 4 inches in diameter.

The outer edge is slightly frayed and darker orange. Lastly, the mushroom has another interesting trait: it glows in the dark!

13. Autumn Skullcap

• Scientific name: Galerina marginata
• Average size: ½ to 1 ½ inch in diameter
• Can be found: on dying conifers
• Edible: No. TOXIC

The autumn skullcap is known by many names, including the funeral bell and the deadly galerina. The names all describe the same mushroom, which is extremely poisonous. In Michigan, it can be found in dense forests, especially ones with a high percentage of conifers.

The cap is folded inward so that the outer edge is underneath the umbrella of the mushroom. This edge curls outward as the mushroom ages.

Normally, caps range between ½ to 1½ inches across. Be careful when searching for mushrooms similar to the autumn skullcap. Most deaths have been due to cases of mistaken identity.

14. Death Cap Mushroom

• Scientific name: Amanita phalloides
• Average size: 2.25” to 6” in diameter
• Can be found: Oak forests
• Edible: No. TOXIC

The Death caps are extremely toxic mushroom species that grow in Michigan’s oak-dominated forests. They can grow in groups or alone, but they’re almost always around oak trees. If you see one of these mushrooms, leave it alone.

The mushroom’s white or gray cap is about 2 ¼ to 6 inches across. It drapes down like a small umbrella.

There’s also a growth around the base that looks like a bag; this growth is called a volva. The stem also has a crumpled ring that is level with the outer edge of the umbrella.