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Author

Patrick Durkin

Patrick Durkin
President at Wisconsin Outdoor Communicators Association
Patrick Durkin is a lifelong bowhunter and full-time freelance outdoor writer/editor who lives in Waupaca, Wisconsin. He has covered hunting, fishing and outdoor issues since 1983. His work appears regularly in national hunting publications, and his weekly outdoors column has appeared regularly in over 20 Wisconsin newspapers since 1984.
Latest Articles
big buck in field looking
CWD Assumptions

Is CWD being taken seriously enough in states like Wisconsin? Here's a look at the numbers and statistics. You make the call.

bowfisherman with gar
Bowfishing: Gar Often Get Bad Rap

Gar often get a bad rap among anglers and bowfishermen. But is bowfishing gar a good or bad idea when it comes to species management?

meat and antlers
Wisconsin DNR Gives Alternative Facts on CWD

Pat Durkin checks in on the facts and fiction regarding CWD in the Wisconsin deer herd. Do you know the facts?

turkey flock in field
Man Lobbies for the Wild Turkey

Butch Koch keeps working to get Wisconsin lawmakers to designate wild turkeys as the state game bird. Here's a look at what he's up to and why.

cwd-vs-ehd-buck
Deer Biologists: CWD Remains a Challenge

During a recent meeting by the Southeast Deer Study Group deer biologists, veterinarians and others remained concerned about the future of CWD in deer

dead buck in snow
Spring Cleanup Sparks Sad Memory

Along with all the great hunting memories from our past, come hunting memories that bring back a sad time in life as well.

Alabama Hunt Club Stirs Historyโ€™s Ashes

Hunt club memories always stand the test of time, faithfully taking us back to some of the best days our minds will ever recall.

Deer Hunting Conspiracy Theories

Get out your tinfoil hats and tune in to IKOD (Iโ€™m Kooky Over Deer) Radio for deer huntingโ€™s latest rumors and deer hunting conspiracy theories.

Zinke a Good Choice as Interior Secretary

Hunters, anglers and other conservationists who value public-lands recreation support the pick of Ryan Zinke for Interior Secretary. Here's why.

Whitetail buck rub
Buck Rubs Never Fail to Fascinate

The author reflects on his fascination with buck rubs encountered on hunts across the country. Every one of these buck rubs tell a story.

Grumpy Hunters

Is Grumpy Hunter Syndrome real? Some Wisconsin hunters tend to rank the deer season as less than what the facts show it to be.

Dairy Farmer Makes Time to Hunt Big Bucks

Aaron Knutson enjoys hunting early November, but most years this Wisconsin dairy farmer is done bowhunting big bucks before the rut ever arrives.

Treestand Accidents More Common in Bowhunting

Every year people die or get crippled because they leave themselves vulnerable, becoming victims of treestand accidents.

Top 10 States for Deer-Vehicle Collisions

It's a fact of life. Deer-vehicle collisions peak during the whitetailโ€™s breeding season from late October to December. Here's where it happens.

Packing Out Elk: A Fun Misery

Pat Durkin shares the story of the painful pleasure that comes with packing out elk.

Rare Second Shot Bags the Bull

You typically get one shot at a given animal when bowhunting. But every once in a while you get a rare second shot at that bull or buck.

Protect Hunting by Keeping Federal Lands

We as stewards of the land must fight to protect hunting by keeping federal lands.

cougars
Cougars Havenโ€™t Yet Recolonized the Midwest

A book called โ€œHeart of a Lionโ€ is giving some folks hope that cougars dispersing from South Dakotaโ€™s Black Hills will soon recolonize the Midwest.

Gary Clancy: A True Giant in Many Ways

Reflection, photos, and a tribute to outdoor industry legend, Gary Clancy.

Wolf Hearing Will Solve Nothing

Here's a look at the current situation on wolves in WI and plans for September's wolf hearing.