How to Read a Rifle Scope
What the numbers mean—and which details matter when you are choosing your first hunting optic.
Illustrated hunter education · Vol. I
Become a better
outdoorsman.
Practical lessons for the field, thoughtfully written and illustrated for hunters who are just getting started.
New lessons delivered every other Thursday.
FIELD NOTES
No. 07 — Learn the tools.
Then learn the country.
Then learn the country.
For the new hunter•For the lifelong student•For the good steward
Newest publication
Start with the country.
Clear lessons, useful diagrams, and room to make the knowledge your own.
Sportsman’s IllustratedFinding ElkField Guide No. 01Notes for the field
Big Game
Finding Elk
Finding elk is less about secret spots and more about learning to read country. This illustrated guide helps new western hunters recognize the ingredients elk need, narrow down large landscapes, and build a thoughtful scouting plan.
- How to identify food, water, cover, and security
- A simple digital and in-person scouting workflow
- Terrain examples and field-note prompts
$2442 illustrated pages · PDF
Explore the guide →From the journal
Notes worth keeping.
What an Ammunition Box Tells You
A simple orientation to the information printed on a factory ammunition box.
A Beginner’s Scouting Notebook
The five observations worth recording each time you walk a piece of hunting country.
S/I
EST. 2026
EST. 2026
Why we publish
The outdoors has a learning curve. We’re here to make it gentler.
Sportsman’s Illustrated is an independent field-guide publisher for people who want to hunt responsibly, understand their equipment, and feel more at home outdoors.
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