The Friday Hunting Briefing — Issue #18

The Bargain Blind

50% off · NAP Spitfire MAXX 100 Grain Broadheads 4PK · $24.99 · $49.99

Half price on a broadhead that's been a bowhunter staple for years — that's the deal here. The Spitfire MAXX is a proven mechanical with a solid reputation for reliable deployment and deep penetration, and at $6.25 a head you can stock up without wincing. Season's closer than it feels right now.

Field Report

• Louisiana Declares CWD Emergency — Louisiana has 55 confirmed CWD-positive deer and the state isn't messing around — formal CWD Management Zones are now in effect, along with conditional changes to baiting rules. If you hunt Louisiana or plan to this fall, read the new regulations before you do anything else.

• Illinois Public Waterfowl Blind Drawings Return to Normal in 2026 — After a few years of adjusted sessions, Illinois DNR is running traditional blind drawings at more than a dozen public hunting areas this July. If you're a waterfowler in Illinois, the schedule is out now — worth checking before spots fill.

• What Farmers Can Teach You About Food Plots — A hunter who's been working a one-acre food plot for a decade shares what he learned by watching the farmers around him — soil prep, crop selection, and the mindset shift that changed how he plants. Practical stuff, not theory.

• Montana Voters Reject Gun Control Candidate — Again — Ryan Busse, the former firearms industry exec turned gun control advocate, ran for office in Montana and lost — again. Montana voters have been consistent on this one, and NSSF has the breakdown.

• Virginia's Anti-Gun Policies Are Costing the State Jobs — Rideout Arsenal is leaving Virginia for Georgia after the state's legislature pushed through a gun control agenda that made the business environment untenable. It's a real-world example of what happens when policy runs ahead of the people it's supposed to represent.

• Brady Group Sues DOJ and ATF to Revive 'Name-and-Shame' Program — The Brady organization is suing to force DOJ and ATF to continue a dealer-disclosure program that the current administration has shut down, arguing it violates federal law in doing so. Worth watching — it has implications for how FFL dealers are regulated going forward.

• MeatEater Ranks the Worst Hunting Rifles Ever Made — A former gun shop employee with a few years of handling thousands of rifles gives his take on the worst hunting rifles ever built. It's opinionated, occasionally funny, and the kind of read that's best with a cup of coffee on a Saturday morning.

• Words of Wisdom From Our Dads — A Father's Day piece from MeatEater on the hunting and fishing lessons passed down from dads — the kind that stick with you longer than any gear tip ever will. A good one to read this week.

The Watch List

MidwayUSA · Hawk Helium Gen 2 Climbing Sticks 30" 3PK · $99.99 · 33% off · Cabela's · Kershaw Labyrinth Assisted Opening Folding Knife · $19.98 · 28% off · Cummings Family Firearms · Inland Monocore Suppressor .30 Cal 7.5" — $428.99 · $428.99 · N/A · Palmetto State Armory · Ruger Mark IV 22/45 .22LR 4.4" Pistol — $329.99 · $329.99

State Line

UPDATE · Louisiana

CWD Emergency Declaration is now in effect. New management zones and conditional baiting restrictions apply statewide in affected areas — check the specifics before season.

UPDATE · Illinois

Public waterfowl blind drawings are back to the traditional format in 2026, with more than a dozen sites hosting July drawings. Get the schedule from DNR now.

Trail Tested

Ep. 1044: Foundations — Why You Should Plan for Good Enough in the Deer Woods

Tony Peterson makes a case I've heard before but rarely laid out this cleanly: chasing the perfect setup is often what gets in your own way. If you've ever talked yourself out of hunting a spot because it wasn't quite right, this one's worth 45 minutes of your commute.

Ep. 1046: Foundations — How Big Bucks Make People Really, Really Stupid

Peterson covers both poaching cases driven by trophy obsession and the more relatable fumbles experienced hunters make when a giant walks in. It's equal parts cautionary tale and self-aware comedy for anyone who's ever frozen up at the wrong moment.

Get Custom Land Management Plans with Gregg Farrell — Deer Talk Now Ep. 203

Tactacam has apparently built a tool that generates custom whitetail habitat plans without the consultant price tag — Gregg Farrell explains how it works. If you manage any amount of ground, even small parcels, this is worth a listen before you do any more summer habitat work.

Planting This Week

We're in the final stretch of the lablab planting window across most of the country — if you've been putting this off, the clock is running out, especially in the North where the window closes June 30.

Lablab (North) · May 15 – June 30

Get it in the ground this week — lablab needs warm soil and enough season ahead of it to establish before summer heat peaks, and you're almost out of time in northern zones.

Lablab (Mid) · May 1 – June 30

You're still in the window but don't push it much further — inoculate your seed before planting to maximize nitrogen fixation and early growth.

Lablab (South) · April 1 – June 30

Southern planters have the most runway left, but planting now gives the vines time to climb and produce maximum tonnage before bow season opens.

Get personalized planting alerts for your property.

The Sign-Off

"The older I get, the more I believe that the best trophy is the experience itself." — Fred Bear

That's the week. Louisiana's CWD news is the one to bookmark and share with your hunting partners before fall — the more hunters who know, the better. Enjoy the weekend, and if you get outside, make it count.