I have been writing for outdoor magazines in one capacity or another for more than 35 years. As a lifelong hunter who majored in English in college, I got my first dream job (assistant editor for the NRA’s American Hunter mag) in the early 1980s. Somehow, I’ve cobbled together enough low-paying gigs to make a career out of hunting and writing about it. As a kid growing up hunting squirrels and birds with my dad (didn’t have many deer here in Virginia in the 1960s) I could never have dreamed that I would have hunted deer in 37 states and six Canadian provinces; shot a bunch of elk and bears out West; killed sheep, moose, caribou and deer during six trips to Alaska; and even went on safari to Africa. All “work” trips and tax write-offs because I had adventures to pursue and stories to tell.
For more than a decade in the early 2000s I was proud to be whitetail-hunting editor for Outdoor Life, an iconic rag that had been in publication since 1898. It was a sad day for me when several years ago, OL and it’s sister publication Field and Stream, at the time both owned by Bonnier Corporation, ceased print publication and went all digital. I get it, a lot of big New York-based magazines have ceased print and gone all online now. That might be okay for the fashion and home crowd, but for we outdoor types who grew up reading and learning to shoot and hunt with Jack O’ Conner, Gene Hill, Bob Brister and other legendary outdoor writers the death of outdoor print was heartbreaking.
But rejoice, one iconic hunting magazine is about to be back in print!
According to the Tennessean, country music superstars Eric Church and Morgan Wallen, who both grew up hunting and reading magazines like you and me, have purchased and will soon relaunch Field & Stream. Church and Wallen also purchased the retail side of Field and Stream’s trademark from DICK’s Sporting Goods.
“I can remember my grandfather keeping a few of his favorite Field & Stream magazines on the dash of his truck,” said Church. Added Wallen, “There’s nothing I love more than being with friends around a campfire, on a boat, or in a deer stand — and Field & Stream represents all of those to me. Being part of its future is incredible and we want to keep bringing people together outdoors, making memories, for generations to come.”
What will the new Field and Stream look like? According to F&S editor Colin Kearns, “It’ll be better than ever. Bigger than ever, too. The…featured print editions (will be) in an oversized format….The new F&S magazine will measure a whopping 11×14 inches. Inside, each issue of the bi-annual magazine (delivered in the spring and fall) will have 120-plus pages packed with all the great storytelling—expert advice, hard-hitting commentary, adventure narratives, and more, all by your favorite writers—and the stunning photography that’ve made F&S a household name for more than a century.
Welcome back Field and Stream, can’t wait to get my hands on your first issue! Might Outdoor Life be next?
It’s nice to actually see a magazine coming back instead of more of them disappearing. With all the online stuff nowadays. I remember when I was younger. We always had outdoor life and field stream magazines in the house and had some great articles and information. Glad to see it coming back! In fact I might have been in one of those articles before 😉
That’s great news! I used to write for them as well when they dedicated a special section of their magazine to the different parts of the country, I was hired as their Midwest Editor. After working there for many years, I was lured away with a chance to outfit hunting and fishing trips to Russia via an invitation from the Mikhail Gorbachev government! It was the era of Glasnost and Perestroika! Glad to see they’re coming back!