The October Issue

October has always felt like the beginning.

The mornings finally start getting colder. Leaves collect along logging roads. Deer begin moving differently. Duck season doesn’t feel quite so far away. And somewhere, hunting camps that have sat quiet most of the year begin coming back to life.

That makes October feel like the right place to begin The Journal.

We built The Journal for the parts of hunting that don’t always fit inside a thirty-second video or an Instagram post.

The stories.

The traditions.

The lessons learned after years in the woods - and sometimes after a single hunt.

The meals that taste better because you know where they came from.

And the people, places, dogs, camps, and memories that make hunting mean more than simply filling a tag.

Some of what you’ll find here will look backward at traditions worth remembering. Some will come straight from the field. Some will teach. Some will simply tell a good hunting story.

That’s the idea.

Because hunting has always been about more than the moment the trigger is pulled.

It’s the anticipation before opening morning. The coffee before daylight. The drive to camp. the stories told afterward. It’s learning from the hunters who came before us and leaving something behind for the ones who haven’t arrived yet.

There are plenty of places to scroll.

We wanted to build somewhere worth staying a while.

So pour another cup of coffee.

The woods are changing.

Hunting season is here.

Welcome to the October 2026 issue of The Journal

- Dead Head Outdoors