Winter 2026

To Southern WINTER, With STEEL AND FEATHER!

Winter has a way of slowing the world down. The days
grow shorter, the air turns sharp, and the land settles into
a quiet hush. Frost clings to the fields at first light, fires
burn a little longer, and every sound feels more deliberate.
In the South, winter isn’t about retreat—it’s about leaning
closer to tradition, to the outdoors, and to one another.
This issue is rooted in heritage and reflection. We mark
the 100th anniversary of the Whalehead Club, tell the
story of a boy’s first mallards in a South Carolina marsh,
and follow a senior dog who still hunts with the heart
of a pup. From Southern traditions to a century of the
.270 Winchester—carried from Alaska’s wild country to
the whitetail woods of home—these stories honor the
moments that shape us.
So set down the phone, pour a glass of something
warm, and step into the season. Winter reminds us that
adventure is still waiting, often closer than we think, and
that the best sto

Welcome to Feathers & Whiskey.

Wildly Refined

Michael Maynor 

Editor-in-Chief