Hunting and Fishing News & Blog Articles

Hunting dogs are an indispensable part of a bird hunter’s arsenal but more than that, they are part of our families and enrich our lives. Today we say goodbye to a member of the Wingmen family, who helped make Wingmen possible. This video is a tribute to the life and adventures of Mackinaw.

The post All Bird Dogs Go To Heaven | Wingmen Remembers Mackinaw appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

“The Wyoming Range Mule Deer Project was initiated in 2013. Since then, the collaborative project has documented the challenges that fawns face on their first year of life for 745 newborns, documented migratory routes for 600, assessed survival of 181 males ranging from 1 to 11 years of age, documented the vagaries and challenges of life for 463 female deer across 12 years encompassing drought and severe winters including the most catastrophic winter for decades, and investigated 960 mortalities. And along the way, answering questions that heretofore were only a realm of fascination because of what it takes to gain the answers. Daughters learning how to use the landscape from their mothers. Other daughters leaving behind everything they know and walking blindly into the unknown to start new life in another place. The long-term, individual-based work has and will continue to reveal the intimate ties these animals have with their environment, how they are affected by and respond to it, and what our presence holds for their future.”-

Dr. Kevin Monteith
[email protected]

Migration is key to the survival of mule deer and other wildlife. Understanding migration paths is a key to conserving mule deer and other wildlife for generations to come. As our landscapes become more developed conservation of migration corridors is becoming more important. This is the story of Wyoming’s mule deer. Ongoing migration research is setting the standard for mule deer conservation across the West.

In episode #67 of the Eastmans’ Journal Podcast, host Ike Eastman sits down with Former Boston Bruins player, Kevan Miller. This is the second recording that the guys have done together, and this time, they explore various life lessons and changes. Recently, Kevan and his family purchased a property in beautiful Pony, Montana. The guys discuss the life changes that led to this decision and have insightful conversations about how to approach change with your spouse. This is a great and genuine conversation that we know you will enjoy!

The post The Push to Live In Montana with Kevan Miller | Eastmans’ Journal Podcast Ep #67 appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Photo Credit: Wirestock_envato

During the March 5-6 meeting, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Commission reviewed staff recommendations on proposed regulations changes.  After in-depth discussions, the Commissioners approved the following regulation to take effect in 2028. 

Deer, Elk, Bear, Pronghorn & Turkey: Changes to the Primary Draw

Moose, Bighorn Sheep, and Mountain Goat- Primary Draw

Reissue Process

Photo Credit: Jim Clark_USFWS

Recent articles related to the reintroduction of Mexican Wolves have pushed an agenda of placing this species as far north as the Grand Canyon. Special interest groups would like to see the wolves placed into non-traditional habitat for varying reasons ranging from misguided to misleading. 

The reasons include increasing ecotourism in popular destinations, placing additional restrictions on land utilization and romanticized ideals about the American West.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department, who has been an active participant in the Mexican wolf recovery effort, has issued an article outlining what the designated recovery area is and why it exists. Follow the link below for more info on what the future might hold for Arizona’s wolves.

In the meantime, what’s your opinion? 

https://www.azgfd.com/2025/02/28/science-guides-geography-of-mexican-wolf-recovery/

Photo Credit: aduguid

As some of you know, Idaho passed a new law that requires nonresident shed hunters to purchase a Nonresident Big Game Hunting License.  Idaho Code 36-508 states, “A nonresident collecting, possessing, or transporting antlers or horns shed from deer, elk, moose, or pronghorn in this state shall be required to first procure a license entitling the nonresident to hunt big game.”  This law also states that nonresidents under the age of 12 do not have to purchase the nonresident license if they are accompanied by a nonresident that does have the nonresident license.  This would also apply to nonresident children under 12 who are accompanied by a RESIDENT who is collecting sheds.  Nothing has changed for residents.

This law is also tied to Idaho Code 36-507.  Idaho Code 36-507 is the law that gives the Fish and Game Commission the authority to close certain geographical areas to shed hunting to help wintering game during years of harsh winters.  This is something you will have to check on for the area you wish to shed hunt.  This is also only applicable to public lands and “shall not apply to a person who is a private landowner or his designee on land leased or owned by that person.”  This means that if you are on private land shed hunting, get written permission from the landowner to be there for the purposes of shed hunting.  That will keep you out of hot water if contacted by a Game Warden.  

Also new to Idaho in 2025 is the Bear Identification Test.  Effective January 1, 2025, anyone who is hunting black bears in Idaho, must show proof of a passed Bear Identification Test.  This test is not mandatory to receive a bear tag but if you are contacted by a Game Warden while bear hunting, you must show proof of the completed (passed) test.  This change to Idaho Administrative Code (IDAPA Rule 13.01.02.221 [https://adminrules.idaho.gov/rules/current/13/130102.pdf]) was passed by the Idaho Fish and Game Commission in November 2024.  This rule is temporary for this year and will go through the review process by the Idaho State Legislature during the 2025 legislative session. 

Attached below is a link to the Bear Identification landing page.  On that page, there is a link to the test, instruction, and a link for a Bear Identification study guide.  I took this test recently and there are some questions that are not so straightforward.  The test has 15 multiple choice questions, and you need an 80% or higher to pass.  That means you must get at least 12 out of the 15 questions right.  Once you are finished and pass the test, you will get a certificate.  You can save the certificate to the Documents portion of your Go Outdoors Idaho online account.  This only works when you are in cell phone service, so I recommend saving the PDF to your phone and taking a screen shot of the certificate.  This will make access easier if you need to produce proof in the field.   

https://idfg.idaho.gov/hunt/bear-identification

In episode #66 of the Eastmans’ Journal Podcast, host Ike Eastman sits down with Tim Lesser of Leupold Optics. Tim is head of product development and marketing at Leupold. The guys sit down to talk about how Tim started answering phones in the company and moved all the way up into his high role! The guys talk about the NEW VX6- HD Gen 2 rifle scope and some of the features that have been updated. Enjoy!

Rather Listen? Subscribe and listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

The post The NEW VX-6HD Gen 2 Scope | Eastmans’ Journal Podcast Ep #66 appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

What is your strategy for hunting applications? If you’ve read through the Eastmans’ MRS section within the pages of our printed magazines, you might sit back and ask yourself, what do I do with this information? 

It is a large amount of data to consume and can be very intimidating. That may be especially true if you are new to this realm. So let’s break it into bite sized pieces and help you build a customized plan of attack. 

First, let’s create your own hunt filtering system. What are your priorities to build around? For example, my priorities are: 1 – archery season, 2 – public land and 3 – draw opportunity. 

So ask yourself these questions: 

Photo Credit: FabrikaPhoto

Colorado lawmakers are one step closer to passing SB25-003, a sweeping gun ban on semiautomatic rifles, shotguns and pistols. 

Last Friday, the Colorado Senate passed SB25-003. This bill initially called for a ban of virtually any semiautomatic firearm with a “detachable magazine.” But as it moved through the Senate, it was softened up with some amendments, including exceptions to allow for hunters to keep buying some semiautomatic firearms, such as semi-auto shotguns for waterfowl hunting, etc. The exception is for people who complete a training course to be regulated by and offered through the state.

The exemption, tacked on by Democrats in an effort to appease Gov. Jared Polis, represents a significant watering down of the measure. But proponents of the legislation felt it was needed to advance Senate Bill 3. The bill is now before the Colorado House, and if (when) it passes and reaches the desk of Gov. Jared Polis, the governor has signaled he will sign the bill into law.  If signed, it would take effect in September.

To qualify for the exception, a gun purchaser would have to be vetted by their local sheriff through a process similar to what’s required to obtain a concealed carry permit. Then, if they already have a hunter safety certification, they would have to complete a roughly four-hour training course to be offered by a third-party vendor. Without a prior hunter safety certification, a purchaser would have to complete a dozen hours of training over two days.

The course would focus on gun safety and specifically semiautomatic weapons. It would also include information about gun deaths associated with mental illness and Colorado’s red flag law, which lets a judge order the temporary seizure of guns from someone deemed an imminent risk to themselves or others. Eligibility for the exemption would be contingent upon people receiving a score of at least 90% on a test at the end of their training course. Sheriffs would issue cards verifying completion.

Bow hunt wild red stags in New Zealand with Eastmans’ Dan Pickar. Hunting red deer in April is just like hunting elk in September. Maybe even better! After traveling around the world, Dan and his wife arrive at the peak of the red stag roar. The action heats up when the hunters get covered up in stags fighting over hinds in estrous. Dan uses his years of experience from the western elk rut to find success using calling, plus spot and stalk strategies to put three mature, wild, free-ranging red stags on the ground in this episode of Beyond the Grid by Eastmans’.

The post 3 Wild Red Stags in 3 days! Bow Hunting New Zealand | Beyond the Grid Eastmans’ appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Photo Credit: Wirestock

Does this language in a current state legislative bill give anyone else pause besides me?

“The department may not adopt a rule or implement a policy prohibiting or restricting the use of…”

The department in question on this bill happens to be the North Dakota Game & Fish Department, but that is a moot point. So is the topic in the bill related to wildlife management and hunting, in my opinion (bill in question is SB2137) the real sticking point on this and other bills in so many legislative sessions around the country, during this time of year, is that wildlife management issues are continuing to be legislated and/or passed through the ballot box in election cycles. States like Colorado, Washington, and even Wyoming have been involved in nonsense such as this, trying to put wildlife management issues to a vote rather than allowing wildlife management professionals to do their job.

As a former wildlife management professional, I have always taken issue with politics getting in the way of sound wildlife and land management. Part of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation includes educating and trusting state game agency professionals to manage wildlife based on their experience, science, carrying capacities of the landscape, disease outbreaks, etc.

Don’t get me wrong…I don’t ALWAYS agree with agency mindsets, but there is a process for us sportsmen to voice our opinions and concerns and affect change through game & fish advisory board meetings, game & fish commissioners, attending public meetings to ask questions and voice concerns, provide public comment during periods of official public comment on proposed management changes, and so on.

Photo Credit: harrycollinsphotography

You may have read another Eastmans’ Blog about California possibly eliminating coyote hunting. The California Fish and Game Commission Wildlife Resources Committee (WRC) is proposing a change to prohibit the take of nongame mammals except per California Fish and Game code 4152.  This would move the take of coyotes into the “depredation” category which would mean if you’re a rancher you must wait for a coyote to attack your cattle/sheep before you are legally able to shoot it.  

Proposals like this have some folks rightly concerned about Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) recently eliminating a provision which allowed coyotes to be taken without a license during any big game season provided that the hunter has an unfilled big game license for that season and unit. 

Is Colorado following California’s lead to eliminate coyote hunting?  Thankfully no … Colorado is NOT eliminating coyote hunting (or following California’s lead which is almost always bad).

What CPW did was eliminate the provision discussed above allowing coyotes to be taken without a license during any big game season and change: Article I, General Provisions, #304 – License Requirements: to read “A small game license authorizes the take of coyotes, and those species defined as small game, except wild turkey.” 

Here’s how CPW explains, “Removing the ability to take coyotes by a hunter with an unfilled big game license”: For many years, big game hunters with unfilled big game license could take coyotes under a provision allowing harvest during the season with the same method of take as their big game license. Removing this provision will clean up regulation by removing a secondary redundant method, to take coyotes during big game seasons. This is redundant as a strong majority of big game hunters already possess a small game license either as a qualifying license or because of their additional interest in hunting small game. 

Photo Credit: Mumemories

It’s that time again, time to plan your Colorado Hunts for next fall!  The application deadline is April 1st (8 p.m. Mountain Time) for 2025 and Colorado Parks and Wildlife has published the new 2025 Brochures to get you started. 

Here’s a link to the 2025 Colorado Big Game Brochure:  https://cpw.widen.net/s/5wvx7rggrd/colorado-big-game-hunting-brochure

Here’s a link to the 2025 Colorado Sheep & Goat Brochure: https://cpw.widencollective.com/assets/share/asset/z2h9subprn

Be sure to check-out the “What’s New: 2025” on the first page of both brochures to see the changes for this year.

On Saturday, January 18, 2025, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) successfully completed the second year of gray wolf reintroduction efforts as part of Colorado’s Gray Wolf Restoration Plan. CPW now has additional high-resolution photos and b-roll footage of that effort featured in a media kit on its website.  Images can be downloaded easily through the platform and all information such as usage rights, copyright, credit/provider, caption description and alt text for each image is seamlessly provided for each file. 
Click here to view the media kit for the 2025 CPW Gray Wolf Capture and Release Effort.

Range Riders
CPW has received more than a hundred applications and is working to contract 12 range riders for the 2025 on-range season (late April to the end of September). To date, CPW and the Colorado Department of Agriculture have nine range riders who have accepted offers to work in the Northwest Region. Once all positions have been filled, CPW and CDA staff members and any contract range riders will undergo specialized training to create a team of trained range riders with connections to local communities who can be deployed to support producers at short notice.

It’s important to remember that range riding is just one tool in the toolbox available to producers. CPW will continue to work with producers to ensure they have the appropriate non-lethal tools that work for their operation to reduce the potential of conflict where wolf activity is or could be.

Wolf movements
Wolves can and do travel long distances. Recent wolf collar data shows that one wolf has made broad movements into the western portion of Mesa County. Collar data shows another wolf has made movements into Park, Teller and Fremont counties. As wolf population numbers grow, some wolves will migrate to establish new territories. 

Wolves are habitat generalists, meaning they can thrive in a wide variety of environmental conditions and habitats. As long as prey is available, wolves can use a variety of areas. It is anticipated that wolves will expand their distribution throughout the state widely over time. CPW field staff inform local area producers when wolves are spending time in an area and work to establish site assessments to identify and deploy deterrence measures.

CPW relies on sightings from the public to let us know if other wolves are being seen on the landscape that have migrated in from other states. CPW recently confirmed that a scat sample from the northwest corner of Moffat County tested positive for wolf DNA, meaning there is at least one uncollared wolf on the landscape in our population estimate that was not part of the agency’s reintroduction efforts. CPW provides important information for the public to learn how to spot the difference between a coyote and a gray wolf on our website. The gray wolf in Colorado is protected by both the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) and state law. 

CPW encourages anyone who believes they have seen a wolf to fill out the wolf sighting form found on our website. In addition to the wolf sighting form, members of the public can also find information on living and recreating in areas where wolves live.

Additional Resources
In early January, CPW published a Wolf-Livestock Conflict Minimization Program Guide that provides information on a variety of tools and methods available for livestock producers to employ in efforts to reduce the likelihood of wolf-livestock conflicts and establishes a framework for CPW’s response, along with available support from other state, federal and non-governmental organizations. More information about Living with Wolves is available on our website.  

The post CPW Gray Wolf Reintroduction Effort Update appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Photo Credit: harrycollinsphotography

Three Wyoming large carnivore-related bills widely discussed in media and hunting outlets (like the one you are currently reading) died in the Wyoming State Legislative General Session last week. 

The Cowboy State’s legislators voted against the HB0186 – Bear coupons-game and fish on the House side on February 4th. This bill, after amended in Committee, would have provided a grizzly bear tag with every resident elk tag (yes, grizzly bears are still listed in the ESA). The House Travel, Recreation, and Wildlife Committee took no action on HB0286 – Mountain lion hunting season-changes on the 7th of February. That bill aimed at making it open season year-round on mountain lions with the option to trap or snare the large cats. Lastly, SF0170 – Grizzly bear management prohibition did not make it to the floor of the Senate before the cutoff date on February 10th. The Grizzly bear prohibition bill prevented WGFD officials from doing any management, except for depredation analysis for damage payouts related to grizzly bears until the bear is delisted. 

For each of these bills, sporting groups working in the Capital fought to ensure they did not proceed any further on the basis of “ballot box biology”, instead of state-led science based management. The argument has been one on many hunters’ lips for removal of carnivore hunting opportunities, like you saw with mountain lions in Oregon in 1994; in Washington removing spring bear hunting season, and most recently, with a ballot measure to end hunting cougars with dogs in Colorado. However, on the other side of the coin, these bills were aimed at encouraging lower populations of large carnivores, or making a statement to the federal government to delist the grizzly bear.

While it’s impossible to know precisely the intent of the bringers of the bill, from the outside looking in, legislators opted to take no action because these bills were more ingrained in political message to agencies, both federally and at a state-level, regarding large carnivore management, than the actual passage of law. 

Photo Credit: harrycollinsphotography

You’re not going to believe this one! It started in August of 2021 when FWP discovered several large fish at Giant Springs fish hatchery display pond had been speared. Several of the dead fish were left at the scene and other survivors were later euthanized. Sounds like a weird instance right?

Later in September wardens got a report that someone had shot and abandoned a bull elk on a ranch near Cascade. The head and the antlers were removed and the body was left to rot. During the course of the investigation wardens had discovered that three bull elk and one black bear had been taken illegally as well. Tips from the public led wardens to Richard Van Meter and Ty Robert Lewis, who confessed to the crimes. 

The case took two years and each were convicted with Lewis paying $16,000 in fines and Van Meter paying $8000 in fines. Both men will lose their privilege to legally hunt, fish and trap for 20 years. This is one of the stiffer penalties we’ve seen in the last several years for poaching incidences. 

Remember, if you have a tip on a wildlife violation you’re encouraged to visit tipmont.mt.gov for up to a $1000 reward for information leading to a conviction. 

Recently the Wyoming Game and Fish Department released an update on their annual observational flights of the famed Wyoming Range and Sublette mule deer herds. These wintering deer largely make up what nonresidents know as Regions G and H – Wyoming’s classic high-country deer hunting areas. 

The Wyoming Range, in particular, felt the brunt of the losses from the winterkill two years ago with an estimated 80% of the deer lost from December until winter loosened its grip. The estimated number of deer went from 30,000 in December of 2023 to 11,000 the following December (which included a new fawn crop). Luckily, the incredible snowfall and continued precipitation turned into some of the best groceries for those deer to rebound on, and this year’s flights showed it. 

Game and Fish agencies across the West do surveys like the ones in western Wyoming to keep track of how many fawns are growing into the population, as well as maintain a specific buck ratio. In this part of Wyoming, however, surveys and studies have been even more intensive as these iconic deer herds steadily declined from a big peak of around 60,000 animals in the early 1990s. Especially after the hard winter of two years ago, WGFD has kept flying to get a more accurate read on how the deer herd is trending.

While the Wyoming Range herd is far from the numbers of individual deer from the 1990s, biologists say the fawn recruitment was as good as they had seen since the heyday of deer some 35 years ago. The 83 fawns per 100 does they saw from the air was only rivaled by one year since the historic peak in 2000. That means that on the backside of one of the most devastating winters, the habitat in the Wyoming Range provided the best fawn production since those winter ranges got cell service. 

House Bill 353 was recently introduced which starts off calling for a shed hunting license if you want to pick up any kind of naturally shed horn/antler off public land. Dead heads appear to be excluded from this classification. Bighorn sheep are specifically excluded from this classification as long as it is dead with the skull and horns brought out together. The fee would be $10 for residents and $50 for nonresidents. 

A license is not required for a landowner or the family of the landowner nor any employees of a landowner for collecting of natural shed antlers or horn on said landowners land. Considering the price of brown deer and elk antlers these are very small fees in the grand scheme of things. I will keep you updated on future developments of this bill. 

In addition this bill adds the requirement of a conservation license as a prerequisite for any license sale for any shed hunting, application or bonus point purchase, hunting, trapping, or fishing license in the State of Montana. The fee is currently $8 for a resident and $10 for a nonresident.

Link

Photo Credit: harrycollinsphotography

Since September 2023, the California Fish and Game Commission Wildlife Resources Committee (WRC) has been mulling over changes to the take (to hunt, pursue, catch, capture, or kill; or the attempt to do the same) of nongame mammals within California.  The committee has discussed the “concerns with, and the regulatory framework for, the take of nongame mammals” multiple times since September 2023 with the most recent being January 15, 2025.  

At these meetings, the WRC has brought up the “issue” of indiscriminate take of nongame mammals.  They also brought up the “appropriateness of allowing the indiscriminate and unlimited take of native California species.”  Nongame mammals in California (according to the WRC document linked below) include species such as opossums, cottontail rabbits, raccoons, coyotes, red foxes, weasels, moles and ground squirrels.  Right now, The California Code of Regulations Title 14 (14-CCR-472) states “nongame birds and mammals may be taken at any time of the year and in any number”.  The WRC wants this to change.  

The change they are proposing is to prohibit the take of nongame mammals except per California Fish and Game code 4152.  That code states, in summary, that if those animals are found to be injuring growing crops and other property, they may be taken at any time or in any manner in accordance with FGC 4152.  This would move the take of these nongame mammals into the “depredation” category.  If you are a rancher and you see a coyote running across your field, you must wait for it to attack your cattle before you are legally able to shoot it.  This is an UNBELIEVABLY BAD idea and will be detrimental to ranchers/farmers and an already suffering ungulate population.  

In California you can barely hunt black bears and cannot hunt wolves, mountain lions, and bobcats.  To put more protection on a predator (which does not need it) is ridiculous.  You make it impossible for species like mule deer, pronghorn, elk, and other small game mammals to thrive.  California has completely lost its ability to effectively manage its own resources.  This is yet another attack on our hunting.  This will not be the last time this is tried throughout the West.  

Hunt rutting whitetail bucks in November with Ike Eastman and Silencer Central’s Brandon Maddox. The guys have timed their arrival in Montana just right as the rut action is heating up! They are covered up in deer. It becomes a game of patience as Brandon holds out for an older, mature deer on this episode of Eastmans’ Hunting TV. This hunt was hosted by JD Stensland and Circle S Outfitters.

The post Hunting the Whitetail Rut in Montana | Eastmans’ Hunting TV appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.