Roger Wiltz

A few weeks ago I spent the better part of a pleasant day with my nephew, Andrew, in Chicago. Andrew's world is a whole different universe than mine, and when he said, "Uncle Roger, do you enjoy going out and killing animals?", he really gave me something to think about. The answer...

Handguns and the ammunition to feed them may currently be the hottest selling goods in America. It's not just a "man" thing. Women are serious buyers. Though self-defense is a factor, recreational shooting is very popular. Handgun hunting is growing in popularity, and many handguns...

During the past year, I've written about wind turbines, pipelines, and livestock confinement units. Were it not for a growing population with a gluttonous appetite for food and energy, there might be easier answers to these issues. As it is, all sides have reasonable arguments.

How receptive are you to eating wild game? Most of us would probably fall into a "shades of gray" category. A recent experience has left me wondering exactly where I am on the gray scale.

Recent changes in the world of hunting have affected some of the places I've been. Another touches my recently booked British Columbia moose hunt.

Occasionally I read a book I just have to talk about, and Peter Aughton's Endeavor is such a work. Aughton chronicled Capt. James Cook's initial three year around the world expedition that included the discovery and limited exploration of Australia. Cook set sail on the HMS Endeavor...

Have you ever felt like you wanted a change in scenery for a few days? After church on Sunday April 10, Betsy and I headed for the Black Hills. We took the scenic route by heading west on State Highway 44, crossing the Platte-Winner Bridge, turning north on Highway 47 at the Lone...

In early October, hunting partner Mike Hall and I will head to British Columbia for a moose hunt. We plan to drive. Other than experiencing some incredible landscape, we will be able to take home our moose meat if either or both of us are successful. We will also be able to avoid...

As you probably know, our eight South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks commissioners are appointed by our governor to four-year terms. I have sometimes wondered about our GF&P commissioners. Are their appointments political favors? Are they themselves fishermen, hunters and campers? Do their...

I've recently encouraged you to chase walleyes beneath the Fort Randall Dam or the Big Bend Dam with a jig and minnow. While the stretch between Chamberlain and Fort Thompson was good advice, the action at Randall has been almost non-existent. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has...

It was about 48 years ago when Betsy and I drove to Olivet in order to change our voter registrations from Democrat to Independent. It probably had to do with gun control, as I had recently become of life member of the National Rifle Association. Politics-wise, we were like many young...

While I attempt to keep this column relevant for all ages, I sometimes reveal my age and such will be the case today. Back in January, I admitted that a doe I had dropped with my muzzleloader got up and ran off. I had apparently nicked the top of its spine and momentarily stunned...

I've never really done much of what I'm going to talk about today, but I do have a hunter friend who is constantly "rolling the dice," so to speak. I'm talking about Jerry Hnetynka. I would guess that he has been applying for various hunting licenses for the past 45 years. Like South...

The most important thing going on in my life right now relates to my wife Betsy's latest fall. She broke her femur just below the screws and hardware that are part of a hip replacement. It will be nurse Roger and therapy for a few months. I can write about grizzly bears and crocodiles,...