Hunting and Fishing News Blog Articles

The past winter was hard on the deer herds. Snowfall in most areas was well above the average, and the storms made more difficult browsing for the deer. In response, each spring, Idaho Fish and Game captures and collars does and fawns across the state. This monitoring provides vital, real-time information allowing biologists to react to changing herd sizes quickly. Fawn mortality was expected to be extremely high in some areas.  In response, Fish and Game eliminated antlerless general season hunts in the following units: 48, 49, 52, 66A, 68, 70, 71, 72, 73, 73A, 74, 75, 76, 77 and 78.

Idaho Fish and Game seemed to fear the winterkill would devastate deer herds. These fears were well founded, as fawn survival rate was the second-lowest seen in 20 years. However, the mortality was much lower than early projections.

About 30% of radio-collared fawns and 90% of collared does survived the harsh conditions last winter with deep snow and frigid temperatures on low-elevation winter range.

In the past 19 years, the lowest survival rate was in the 2010-2011 winter, when only 26% of collared fawns survived. Over this period, the average survival rate has been 57%, almost double the survival from this past winter. Although not the worst season on record as some expected it to be, last winter definitely did some lasting damage to mule deer herds going forward.

This will be welcome news if you missed the May 1 trophy species application deadline. In years past, you would be out of luck and a year behind. However, with this change, hunters can purchase bonus points for any species that they did not apply for that year. The purchase window is July 3 to September 30.

This new feature at Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks was set up by House Bill 623, introduced by Rep. Kerry White during the 2017 Legislature.

The legislation also does away with the expiration of bonus points. In the past, if a hunter failed to apply for more than two years, he would forfeit all his accumulated points. The new law eliminates point expiration, allowing hunters the flexibility to keep their points through sustained application gaps.

The fee to purchase a bonus point without applying for a license is $15 per species for residents. Nonresidents are charged $25 each for elk, deer and antelope and $75 each for moose, sheep and goat. If purchasing online, transaction fees will apply.

Every fall we have the great privilege of taking hunters from across the United States on once in a lifetime hunts. Many trophy bull elk call southern Colorado home. For one lucky Eastmans’ Bowhunting journal subscriber a hunt for rutting bulls in Colorado with Guy Eastman filming the whole experience for Eastmans’ Hunting TV is always one of our favorite hunts. This fall we have added an antelope hunt in Colorado for a lucky Digital Journal subscriber. This will be the first time that we have ever offered a hunt as a prize for subscribing to the Digital Journal.

For subscribers to the Hunting Journal, we take them to Eastern Montana to hunt rutting mule deer on the open prairie. We have had many hunters harvest quality bucks and made many new friends through the experience. Give this video a watch! We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed taking Mike Irwin to Montana for a trophy mule deer hunt with Sizzlin S Outfitters!

 

Yeti didn’t technically ask us to torture test their new One Gallon Jug but their marketing artwork more or less challenged us to do it. Not being people who like to shirk our responsibility as Yeti’s partners we thought that it was important to test the “we dare you.” That dare was enough to get a few of our appetites for destruction salivating. 

So we threw the jug out of a one ton Dodge Ram at 90 MPH into an asphalt paved emergency turn off. The double walled jug survived the fast tumble, not once but twice. The only damage to the jug was some scuffing and some road rash on the handle.

*** No interns were harmed while the water filled jug bounced down the pavement, but they were tested in advance for their dodging ability. Raises were also discussed after the event.***

Needing to up the stakes it was decided that Ken Griffey Jr. imitations were needed to see if the side walls would hold their quarry and if the bottom could stand up to blunt force impact. Yeti’s latest offering held and held the water. Which brought us to the final two integrity tests for the Yeti Rambler One Gallon Jug: The bow and arrow and shotgun tests.

To see how the jug faired you will need to press play on the video below and give it a watch. Hopefully you have as much fun watching as we did putting the Yeti One Gallon Jug through the paces.

From the Office of Matt Mead:

Governor Mead Hails Decision to Delist Yellowstone Grizzly Bears

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced today that grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) have sufficiently recovered and will be returned to state management. There are approximately 700 bears in the GYE which includes Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. Governor Matt Mead praised the decision.

“Grizzly bears have met or exceeded recovery objectives since 2003 and have long warranted delisting. In 2013, I asked Secretary Salazar to delist the grizzly bears and much work toward this end has been done. I appreciate that the FWS is proceeding now with the delisting,” Governor Mead said. “The Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, which includes the FWS and Wyoming Game and Fish, must be commended for its years of great work. Thanks to the team effort, grizzlies will be managed appropriately by our experts at Game and Fish. I thank all involved in the delisting effort.”

Knowing the right ways use your truck while hunting vast tracks of land can be a huge benefit. Nearly all of us hunters own a truck, but are you using it to its full potential? Now, I am not saying to drive around and hope that monster buck or bull steps out. Driving around aimlessly glassing from every pullout will not produce consistent results. Today everyone owns a pair of binos and a scope and can stick them out the window on a dirt road. On the other end of the spectrum, you have hard hunters that will hike mile after mile through country that is devoid of game. You want to be somewhere in the middle – using your truck to learn vast areas, access country and base camp out of, then busting your hump in the right game-rich country. That’s a recipe for success.

The Big Picture
You have to know the layout of the country you will be hunting. You need to have maps of the road systems and mountain ranges. Before you ever leave on your hunt, you should know where all the access points, main roads and closed roads are. You should know the layout of the mountain ranges, ridges and valleys.
Early in my hunting career I would just head up a dirt road, not really knowing what direction or part of the mountain I was on. I would take off hunting not really knowing where I was headed or what features I was going to be looking at. Heck, half the time I would hike hours thinking I am getting away from pressure only to find another road I did not know existed. Nowadays, I know what features I am hunting and know where the roads are. That way when I take off hiking for a couple hours, I know I am getting away from the pressure.
I start with a state gazetteer map showing the whole state and then get the national forest or state lands map. The national forest maps will show which roads are open and which are closed. Then I like to get topo maps of the area to be able to see the big picture of what the land is doing. I go over them in detail before a hunt to get ideas of where I will go. Once I am in an area, I immediately start using my maps as a marking board. I start marking closed roads and start taking notes on anything I see of interest. I will mark good vantage points, water, game sightings; I will even mark hunting pressure. It does not take too long in an area to start to see the big picture of what’s going on.
I do a lot of hunts that are in high-pressure areas. Seems game is always where the hunting pressure is not. Game animals have a knack for finding these spots. But, even in high-pressure areas there are places like that. I look for tracts of land that are void of roads or void of trails. I look for spots that have tough access and you may have to walk for a while to get into. Another tactic I use is to look for a few sections of public land that sits amongst private. These spots are tougher for guys to find and usually hold game.

Honing In
When you arrive in a new hunting location the first thing to do is get a feel for the area. I will usually scout in the summertime or show up a couple days before the hunt to put eyes on the country. Even if the hunt is already on, it still pays to take a day and scout. Now I will have a few spots circled on my map that I want to check out and I will head to those first. I will use my truck to travel and look from different vantages.
Like I said earlier, everyone can stick a pair of binos out the window, so you need to take it a step further. Have canyons that are hidden from view from the road. Have short hikes that will lead you to a high knob or overlook that gives you a good vantage point. This is where having a good topo map of the area pays off big time. You can see where the roads go and see where the best vantage points are. Take some time here and look at your best bets first and during first light. In the middle of the day you want to check out country, getting a feel for what will be best to look at during prime time. Take note of any animals you see while driving or from your vantage points.
Another technique I use is to glass extreme distances. I will pull off or park where I can see an immense amount of country. The distance varies from a mile to 10 miles. A lot of times it is where no one would stop to glass like a main highway or down off the mountain. I usually choose to pick the hillside apart with my scope, trying to pick up critters. Now you can’t tell how big of buck it is from this distance and sometimes you can’t even tell if it is a buck. What you will see is where populations of game are living and then you can hone in from there.
Where there’s one, there’s more. You very rarely see every animal in an area from one vantage. So if you start to see animals in an area it is a sign there are more. Where I see animals is where I will start to hunt. I will make a push into country and see what’s living in there. I will make hikes showing me more country and different vantage points. I will focus my effort in a location and find out what is in there. Sometimes one hunt is all it will take and sometimes I will hunt a location for five days straight. It just depends on how much game and sign I am seeing.

Powder Day
Good snow is not just for skiers, it also helps us hunters immensely. Animals always move after a storm and are easier to spot with the white background. The biggest advantage is that you can see where critters are hanging out. There is now a record of where every animal has moved through or where animals are feeding. You can glass great distances for tracks and for feed marks. Tracks show up best with good sun so hunting in the middle of the day can be super-productive.
After a big snow storm there is no place I would rather be than behind my glass. I will use my truck to travel around and then take note of everything I see. No matter if I am hunting mulies or elk, I use the snow to see where populations are. I then will focus in on these areas and hike in and hunt them. There is no better tell-all in the woods than a fresh snow.

Being Mobile
The biggest advantage a truck gives you is being mobile. It allows you to change areas if where you are hunting is not productive. It allows you to cover country and pick and choose different vantage points with minimal effort. Put your base camp in the right spot and you are set up sweet. Set a base camp in the wrong spot and it will be an anchor. It keeps you from moving locations and keeps you out of game. I am not saying you can’t have a nice camp but be willing to move if the hunting falls off. Be willing to drive and scout other areas and move your camp if necessary.
Most of the time I will run a mobile truck camp, throwing out a pup tent or canvas burrito. I use a piece of canvas and then blow up my air mattress, set up my sleeping bag, then roll up the canvas around me. Every day I wake up before light and pick up my camp and then have it in the truck with me. It allows me to be super mobile and throw out my camp where ever I end up. I make day hikes into different locations and then my truck is my base camp.

For years Tecnu has been making products that keep you safe while outdoors, no matter the activity. Tecnu Original, developed during the Cold War to wipe of radioactive dust from skin has evolved into a multi-use product from everything to poison ivy, oak, and sumac treatment to removing pitch from coniferous trees that gets on your gear. It also removes skunk oils from those on their trap lines or the family pet.

As the years go by I am amazed at just how much I discover poisonous plants in the West, especially now that I know what I’m looking for. Poison oak for example, exists in many waterways in the dry, arid landscape here in Wyoming – not the state you’d normally think to look in for this type of plant.

Thankfully Tecnu Original can also be used to remove oils from tools, pets and clothing. Since poisonous plants are more prevalent than what you may think, including Tecnu in your first aid kit is something to seriously consider.  Watch this video for more info on this unique product from one of our sponsors.

As much as I love the stage, touring, and performing to crowds, being able to sneak away and become secluded with just the wilderness and myself is something my heart, mind, and soul needs in order to operate cohesively. I’m either on stage nearing the end of a tour, anxiously thinking about getting into the mountains with my bow in hand or I’ve punched my tag after an awesome hunt and am anticipating the adrenaline of being onstage in front of thousands of fans somewhere in the world. It’s an awesome life to live but like all of us I need to keep it balanced.

Now that touring is over and the year ahead looks to be lending itself to spending more time in the field, one of my big hunting adventures is taking me to Idaho for archery elk with hopes that my time in the mountains lands dead center in the heat of the rut.
Now is the time to sketch out a plan of action to get back into hunting shape. I’m grateful to have been able to maintain a consistent workout pattern during tour last year that resulted in a solid fitness foundation. I can now stack a workout plan on that foundation that should make me much more efficient on my hunt this year.

When it comes to getting into hunting shape, my mindset switches from typical “gym rat” physique building, to focusing on functional strength. It’s about making the transition from training in a controlled gym environment to being able to perform in mother nature’s realm. It’s kind of like taking a highway ready 4×4 pickup and giving it a lift, beefing up the weaker areas on the frame, and putting tires on to handle whatever obstacles, elements, and workload you put it under when using it off road.

The same goes for the human body when it comes to training for the tasks and challenges at hand when mountain hunting. Always expect the unexpected and anticipate making adjustments. I want to be as prepared as possible for anything that may change with my mind and body under taxing workloads.