Daryl Kirby's GON Blog

Few events are more distressing than waking up to the news of some deranged idiot shooting people at a school or mall. Is there a solution—a magic wand move that would make it 100% certain we never wake up to that news again? The answer is no. But if we’re going to do something to…

It’s a sad day in America when a good man passes away yet we have to worry about labels like environmentalist and conservationist as being bad words. Long before there were terms to describe what we were doing, it was hunters and fishermen who protected and enhanced our lands and waterways. Regardless of the word…

Time to put a period on 2022 and turn the page on what we pray is a better New Year—that’s always that hope and promise this time of the year. Long-time readers have a treat this month, an excerpt written by GON founder Steve Burch, whose monthly musings in this space are certainly missed now…

Is it just me, or does it seem like nothing works quite as well as it did five or so years ago? From something as simple as ordering a meal and expecting to get what you ordered, to something big, like expecting the service department of a car dealership to actually fix your car.  I’ll…

Look on the bright side… hearing that can be annoying at times, especially when there is lots not to like about the current state of affairs.  You don’t need me to tell you that inflation is a serious issue. It’s affecting all of us, some of us profoundly. But for the hunting industry, and for…

One thing we learned during the craziness of COVID is how quickly everything can go to hell in a bucket.  The two top stories in the news on April 3, 2020, was no toilet paper in the stores and an absolute meltdown of outrage because the Georgia governor said it was OK to take a…

Deer season is here. For GON, that means another year of the Truck-Buck contest. We love Truck-Buck entries because we get to see so many great Georgia bucks and so many familiar faces. Week 17 last season was extra special. As the entries rolled in, there were some familiar names.  There was Ritchie Sharian, who…

Who is your favorite outdoor writer? My favorite changes depending on whether I’m diving into some classic from my bookshelf or reading something in a current issue of GON. Think about your favorite outdoor writer whose name doesn’t appear in GON, and insert them in this question… “Why doesn’t ‘so-and-so’ write articles for GON?”  Spend…

If someone called you a prepper, would you take offense? I do believe the intent was derogatory, so when I responded with a simple “Thank You,” I got a curious look. I wasn’t offended. Preppers are getting ready for something. The ones on the TV shows are flat-out preparing for the worst. We’re talking nuclear…