Hunting and Fishing News Blog Articles

The elusive herd bull. He doesn’t want to fight. He’ll bugle then push his cows away from you. He’s unpredictable. Not only are herd bulls mature and wise, they are usually the biggest bulls in the area. Getting into bow range is hard enough, let alone getting a shot and punching your tag on a rutted up lady wrangler. Other times, a herd bull can act as dumb as a bag of rocks but still be impossible to kill because of multiple cows and satellite bulls on lookout for him. How, to kill one? Getting past multiple eyes, ears and noses to harvest a herd bull may be the pinnacle of a mountain bowhunter’s career and has been something I’ve become obsessed with.

I’ve been schooled more times than I can count by herd bulls. I grew up bowhunting elk in northwest Montana and watched too many “How To” elk hunting DVDs and figured it wasn’t all that hard to call in a bull elk. I had many failed attempts of blowing on cow calls and bugling at bulls on public land then driving home scratching my head trying to figure out why the bulls I was calling weren’t charging in, snot flying and nostrils flaring. It took me a few years of hunting areas with low densities of elk on public land to change my tactics. The first step was to hunt somewhere else with more elk!

Stalking a Herd Bull

Stalking in on a herd bull is a great challenge and possibly my favorite pursuit in bowhunting. Over the past few seasons I’ve refined my tactics for stalking mature herd bulls. First off, I prefer to hunt elk in open country. I define open country as more open space than thick cover, thick cover meaning any type of cover where elk can disappear. I would much rather hunt elk in the wide open with good stalking terrain any day over playing cat and mouse in the timber.

Calling in a Herd Bull

As I write this I’m awaiting the Wyoming resident draw results for antelope, deer and elk. I’ve only got roughly 432 hours, 16 minutes and 23 seconds before I find out my results, but it’s no big deal. Really. 

Seriously though, that’s exactly the anticipation that most folks who apply for western big game tags experience each year. It’s almost as if applying for tags and waiting for results is as much fun as the hunt itself, almost. 

But what happens when you don’t draw the tags you’ve applied for? Is your western big game season a bust? It most certainly doesn’t have to be. You have options and if you’re anything like my luck inhibited self you’ll need those options to put antlers on the wall and meat in the freezer. 

Guy’s Top 10 Wyoming Antelope Picks (2020)

The antelope outlook for this fall in Wyoming is shaping up to be very strong. With a very mild winter and a warm, dry spring our antelope are headed into summer in very, very good condition. We will however need a somewhat wet summer to finish off the bucks into tip top shape as far as horn growth is concerned. Along my travels throughout the state this spring we have already seen some very solid bucks in my areas throughout the state. There are a few exceptions to this outlook however. The areas in the Southwest portion of the state did see a very tough winter and may be something to avoid when it comes to application choices. I would seriously consider avoiding hunt areas 59, 95, 99 and 112. Short of those four areas, the remainder of the state should see a very positive outcome for this year’s antelope season. The areas in Northern Sweetwater, Carbon, Fremont and Natrona counties should be exceptional if we get those steady summer storms we are all hoping for. 

When I make this list each year, I try to build the very best listing possible given the current situation as if I was choosing antelope hunt areas for myself regardless of preference points. These areas are my best guesses based on the available information at the time of this writing and are geared toward the best areas for a DIY public land hunter to kill the antelope buck of his lifetime. There are a lot of very solid antelope hunt areas in Wyoming that do not take massive amounts of points to draw but can still offer up a good opportunity at a respectable buck antelope. This listing is not based purely on opportunity however, this listing is based on trophy quality as the primary factor as it relates to current conditions as well as an areas historic track record to produce big antelope bucks, those in the 80” and better category.  

You hear it every year, and this one is no different, Wyoming’s deer herd is in pretty rough shape and that has not changed for this year. I do, think we are headed in the right direction over-all however. 

With some help from Mother Nature, we have now had two very mild winters in a row. This winter was very mild in throughout the state with the only exception being the southwest corner in parts of Region-K. Add to this a very moderate spring with warm temperatures and very little moisture and we have a very solid recipe for the beginnings of a rebound. After talking to the biologist in Region-G my confidence is elevated for this fall somewhat. The deer wintered out very well and the fawn recruitment has been very, very strong for two years in a row now. 

Although Wyoming’s deer may not be at historic highs or even close at this point, there could still be some very solid deer hunts to be had this fall in a handful of areas. Most hunters will see plenty of younger bucks but may struggle to find the older mature survivor bucks of the brutal winter of 2016. 

This year I have built out a top 10 listing for Wyoming’s deer hunts with a few additional potentials that could offer up a good hunt for those willing to put in the time and effort without the large preference point burn. 

One of the most interesting and controversial topics we face as conservationists is the management of the grizzly bear. Unfortunately for us, grizzly bear management is 100% political. The lawsuits based on the emotions of environmental groups resulting in federal judges striking down management plans based on facts and numbers has grown increasingly frustrating. Hunting seasons were in place for fall of 2018 after management plans were approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These were blocked by Missoula Federal Judge, Dana Christensen. Later that year multiple bear attacks occurred, one resulting in the death of Mark Uptain near Jackson, Wyoming. Since then, attacks and near fatal maulings have increased, yet the opposition claims there aren’t enough bears, like the 50,000 like Lewis and Clark conservatively suggested and/or that the populations are not continuous up and down the historic range. 

Grizzly bear encounters are on the rise and bears are showing up in places that they haven’t been seen in before. So far the spring of 2020 has been no different. There have been four grizzly bear attacks in Wyoming and Montana. Luckily, none have been fatal. Encountering a grizzly bear in the woods was once considered rare but now it has turned into a common occurrence in core grizzly bear habitat. But the bears are venturing beyond their “core habitat” and paying the price for it. 

In 2018 alone, a sow and two cubs were caught and euthanized near Byron, Wyoming which is described as “way outside” the core grizzly bear habitat area by Game and Fish Regional Wildlife Supervisor Dan Smith. This is one of the many examples of grizzly bear incidents from 2018, which saw 64 documented grizzly bear deaths in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. 45 of those fatalities were “problem bears” which were euthanized. The same year, at least 51 grizzly deaths resulted in the Northern Rockies Ecosystem. Fatalities were from a combination of vehicle collisions, euthanizations, and documented deaths of natural causes. My point? That’s a lot of bears! 

Grizzlies have been federally protected since 1975 under the Endangered Species Act. In 2017, the grizzly was removed from the endangered species list and then Interior Secretary, Ryan Zinke declared that the population had “rebounded from as few as 136 bears in 1975 to an estimated 700 today and meets all the criteria for delisting.” 700 is a minimum estimate for the immediate Yellowstone area but the grizzly’s range is a far larger expanse than that. 

This is very interesting to me and left me scratching my head on how many bears there really are out West since the actual number is not known and backed by hard facts as grizzly bears are probably the hardest animal to get an accurate count on due to the nature of their habits and the fact they are solitary.

Wyoming’s First Lady Jennie Gordon has helped spur a new program to a head that offers hunters a chance to help feed the hungry in Wyoming.

In a release from the Wyoming Game and Fish and The Wyoming Hunger Initiative Mrs. Gordon outlines how, starting in 2020, the Wyoming Hunger Initiative is teaming up with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Wyoming Department of Agriculture, Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies and participating meat processors to make donating game meat from your hunt easier. In the past, well intentioned hunters often met obstacles if they wanted to donate game meat and a lot of food that could have helped, didn’t get a chance to. 

The new Food From The Field Program aims to remove the previous hurdles to donation. Hunters are invited to make a financial contribution to cover processing costs and the Wyoming Hunger Initiative will pick up the rest of the tab. And, if you’re worried about CWD, don’t be, all donated meat will be tested before being allowed to enter the food bank system. In short, the Food From The Field Program is a great option for hunters wanting to share the fruits of their successes. For more information on the program visit https://www.nohungerwyo.org/field

The post Hunt. Donate. Nourish. – Food From The Field Program appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

This review highlights the Steelbanger by Swagger Bipods is a new, light compact rifle bipod for hunting and shooting. This bipod was designed with shooting enthusiasts in mind. The built-in flex and one-handed operation of the Steelbanger makes it perfect for putting a moving target in your crosshairs. Todd Helms breaks down all the features of this shooting platform and shares his experience hunting with this bipod last fall.

The post Innovative Rifle Bipod! Swagger Bipods Steelbanger Review appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

September. The very word should make you elk hunters nearly jump out of your skin. There is no better time of year if you’re an elk hunter!

Big public land bulls have a knack for humbling even the savviest hunters out there. They seem to always be a step ahead of us, barely slipping between our fingers but if you want to consistently harvest big bulls, you need to be the one that is a step ahead. You need to know and understand what the elk are doing and where they are headed. You need to know how the elk are using the terrain to be able put yourself in front of that big six.

There is more to hunting elk than wandering around chasing distant bugles. There is a rhyme and reason to what the elk are doing in the country they live in. Keying into elk feeding, bedding, watering and travel corridors is tapping into the bigger chess game in the elk hills. Knowing how to read elk country starts to tip the odds into your favor. It allows the elk hunter to make smarter, more calculated plays on these wily old bulls. No matter what your preferred method of hunting elk is, from calling to setting an ambush to spot and stalk hunting, knowing the terrain is the difference-maker.

Hunter Bill Parks goes elk hunting with Guy Eastman for his first bull in Colorado. Bill was the lucky winner of Sportsman’s Warehouse elk hunt sweepstakes Go hunting with us at the end of the elk rut as bulls are on the move searching for second-cycle cows to breed.

The post Hunting Colorado’s Elk Rut – First-time elk hunting with Guy Eastman! appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Youth hunters, listen up! Interested in a big game draw where youth ages 12-17 have total preference for Colorado big game licenses? These are not youth licenses; they are regular big game licenses.

That’s right. Colorado’s new secondary draw for licenses left over from the first draw is accepting applications June 5 to July 7. It replaces the old leftover draw and the State decided to give youth applicants total preference over adults. The draw is open to everyone whether they applied in the first draw or not. In addition to deer and elk licenses it also now includes pronghorn and bear.

The post Youth Get 1st Shot at Colorado Leftovers appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

GUEST AUTHOR: T.L. McCoy

Speculation about Oregon’s Fall hunting seasons has been all over social media of late. The May 15 application deadline is rapidly approaching. A number of closures and restrictions on fishing opportunities only served to fuel the concern. On May 5th Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) released a statement about the May 15 application deadline amid the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The post Oregon COVID 19 Update appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Public land hunting for deer and elk, the bread and butter of Beyond the Grid TV by Eastmans’. Hunters John Pickar and Todd Fedor head out to eastern Montana to hunt mule deer and elk DIY. Anyone that has hunted with their dad will find this episode right up your alley. Leave us a comment if you have great memories hunting with your dad!

Dan helps his Dad hunt for his first bull elk. They turn up a 370 giant! Watch now: CLICK HERE

Tag along on another family adventure as a father and son hunt for his first mule deer buck in Wyoming: CLICK HERE.

For more mule deer hunting, head into the high country for a mountain basin buck: CLICK HERE

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Eastmans’ Todd Helms reviews a hunting rifle by Weatherby. The Mark V Weathermark Bronze is the workhorse of the Weatherby’s Mark V line of rifles. This rifle is light and durable. The Cerakote finish makes this rifle ready for the worst weather conditions. The #2 conjured barrel and Triggertech Trigger rifle improves accuracy. This rifle easily met Weatherby’s guaranteed sub-mob accuracy promise during Todd’s range tests.

Want more rifle review videos from Eastmans’? Be sure to subscribe to this channel. Tap the bell and we’ll let you know when we drop a new video!

Todd reviews lightweight Weatherby’s Backcountry TI: CLICK HERE

Go hunting with Todd and the Weatherby Mark V CarbonMark rifle in this review: CLICK HERE.

Catch up on all of Eastmans’ rifle reviews: CLICK HERE

Life is returning to normal for much of the West. Here in Wyoming Covid 19 didn’t have as large an impact on daily life as it did in other parts of the country and for that we are grateful. I went bear hunting this weekend and my drive to a favorite trailhead was surprisingly busy; campgrounds had folks in them, and not just residents, people were wandering the hills looking for antlers and others were driving the roads gawking at the scenery and wildlife – pretty much normal for a spring weekend in Wyoming. 

I’m not saying that life is hunky dory, it’s not, a lot of our businesses are struggling and Wyoming isn’t alone in this regard. All the western states, like the entire country, have and continue to suffer as the economic impact of the pandemic continues to crush business owners across the West and the question arises, what impact will the pandemic and ensuing economic crisis have on western hunting seasons? 

The only concrete answer I have for that is that only time can tell. However, if the reopening measures and quarantine cessations are any indication I’m betting that hunting seasons will not be impacted one wink.

The sign said, “due to shortages, only 2 boxes of ammo per customer please.” This seemed a bit strange particularly for a Wyoming boy. Toilet paper and ammo, what is the world coming to? I thought to myself. 

For the firearms industry, the outlook for 2020 is headed up and fast. Without question, there has been a “run on guns” during the lockdown of our country created by the Coronavirus pandemic. This has no doubt been a very welcome sight to a battered and bruised firearms industry which has seen its fair share of sales challenges coming off of the fear fueled gun runs seen during the Obama administration. 

There’s no question, the Trump administration has been somewhat favorable to the gun and ammo industries on the regulation front, minus a few outlier situations such as Virginia, but when it comes to sales the current administration has marked a very slow sales cycle and oversupply situation coming off of the perception of what was sure to be back to back Democratic presidential administrations. But that has all changed now. 

To put things into perspective, the month of April saw the largest volume of gun sales ever experienced for an April since records of such have been kept. This represents an increase of more than 70% when compared to April of last year. With nearly three million total guns sold for the month, one of the most surprising stats was the fact that handgun sales dominated the volume by nearly two to one versus long guns, which includes AR style sporting rifles. There’s no question that guns move off the shelves at a record pace in the shadow of fear and uncertainty. 

And if you thought the numbers for April were surprising, wait until you see what March produced. Prior to 2020, going back to the beginning of gun sales records keeping, a single month has never surpassed 3 million firearms sales, until this past March. The month of March alone produced a whopping total of 3.7 million-gun sales in the United States. In March of 1999 barely over 750,000 guns transferred hands in this country. The state of Illinois led the pack by far with over 2.5 million guns sold, more than double the next highest state of Kentucky and more than three times that of the firearms hotbed of Texas. According to many reports from gun shop owners, up to 90% of new gun purchases during the pandemic have been to “new gun owners.” If this is in fact true the face of gun ownership in this country could be changing and changing fast. Keep in mind, the last presidential election was won by less than 3 million votes.

This video is coming soon exclusively for TagHub members May 15th! Dan Pickar was charged by a wounded black bear last spring. The experience got him questioning his own preparedness for a bear attack. This video Dan dives into the details of how to defend yourself in a bear encounter. He tests different weapons and holsters on moving targets to see if he can hit the mark. And he breaks out the expired bear spray to see if it’s any good.

SIGN UP For Eastmans’ TagHub TO WATCH THE VIDEO A MONTH EARLY!

The post How To Survive A Bear Attack! Coming May 15! appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Most western hunters know and agree that managing predators is very important when it comes to the North American model of wildlife management. Bears play a big role in the predator pie chart for fawn and calf predation and there are many studies out there that show this. That specifically is why I have the desire to go bear hunting every spring. Between wolves, grizzlies, lions and the black bears out there, I want to save as many calves and fawns as possible! Studies also show that mature boars play the biggest role in calf and fawn predation and are known to “hunt” for calves and fawns. There have been many displays of this dating back to films by Gordon Eastman as well. 

There are three methods in which you can harvest a bear in the western states, the most common are baiting and spot and stalk. The third method of bear management is using hound dogs, which is probably the most productive. However, just a few states allow the use of dogs, the first that come to mind are Idaho and some areas in Utah. 

All three methods are drastically different but the cool thing is that there is a method for every type of hunter out there and I don’t believe any of them are wrong! Let me first say that hunting with hounds and over bait are great management tools. They really up the ante when it comes to predator control. In addition, there are many areas that are too thick, making spot and stalk hunting nearly impossible. When it comes to baiting some people say it isn’t fair chase. I agree with this, kind of. 

Bears are smart animals and giant smart old bruins don’t just come strolling into the bait once they’ve found it. Many are nocturnal and it’s very difficult to harvest a good one over bait. A great thing about bear baiting is it is an excellent way to introduce kids to the outdoors and allows them to observe bears being bears! This is an excellent tool to help spark interest in kids at a young age when so many things are pulling at them in this crazy world that we live in. 

Lastly, let’s talk spot and stalk hunting. This is the method I choose because it is the most difficult and exciting in my opinion. The reason I love bowhunting is to challenge myself and to get close! Spot and stalk bear hunting with a bow is a rush and is hard to beat when it comes to a springtime hunt in the lower 48. Montana is probably the best state for spot and stalk hunting as baiting is not legal there and trophy quality combined with a majority of color phases makes for a hunt that should be on the top of any bear hunters list.

Eastmans’ Elevated podcast host Brian Barney goes DIY bow hunting elk in Montana. He’s hunting in October as the elk rut is winding down. It’s a public land grind, but after several close encounters Brian closes the deal on a nice 6-point bull in this Eastmans’ Hunting TV episode.

The post Closing the distance! Bow hunting Montana elk appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Researchers in the GYE or Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem have discovered that nearly half of the Mountain Lions they’ve tested carry The Plague. The same plague that’s been called The Black Death and killed millions of people across the planet throughout history. 

This discovery has come as quite a surprise as the prevalence of the disease was not fully comprehended. Of the 28 lions studied 43% tested positive for the plague and also showed signs of pneumonia. While one cougar whose blood was tested repeatedly over a multi-year period tested negative then positive and then negative again proving that at least some of the cats are able to create antibodies to the disease. 

Is this a danger to humans? Not likely, unless you’re a lion hunter who handles dead cats. An Arizona cougar researcher died in 2007 from pneumonic plague after conducting a routine autopsy of a dead lion. This tells us that lion hunters should be taking extra caution in the field while handling cats and if they start to feel ill days later they need to see a doctor to rule out the plague or start antibiotic treatments. 

Now for a little editorial. I have to think that these cats are picking up the plague from rodents they are consuming; marmots, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, etc., therefore it stands to reason that other predators consuming the same prey animals could or do carry the plague as well. Wolves, bears, coyotes, foxes, badgers, you name it and I think you get the idea. I AM NOT a biologist and I don’t know nor can I prove this theory BUT I would recommend that handling these animals with gloves and changing, then washing the clothes you wore would be good practice. Also, keep an eye on your health. If after you handle one of these animals, lions especially, you feel sick, go see your doctor! 

Well those are my dos pesos and I’ll relinquish my soap box. However, what do you think? Am I way off base?

In this day and age with the aggressive management work of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, harvesting a trophy bull elk is within the realm of most hunters and finally you have secured a once in a decade tag. It could be your one shot in your hunting career at harvesting a really big, trophy class bull. It might be that each day in the field you’re glassing up a dozen or more satellite bulls along with several herd bulls. Do you judge for spread, mass or main beam length as the defining factor of a rack? Or maybe if he is a six point, that’s good enough. Everyone should have a B&C benchmark before heading into the land of the bull elk. But how do you quickly field judge a bull for that mark? Will you harvest a bull packing a great rack or make a judging decision you will regret for many falls to come?

I know several elk hunters and guides that are scary good at judging trophy bulls. Those men can tell you within two inches on the hoof the net B&C score of any bull. But they spend thousands of hours year-round documenting big bulls and picking up these bulls’ sheds to score. Most of us can’t devote that much time to studying or scoring bull elk. For us, just knowing what class of bull we’re looking at is close enough. That is knowing if the bull sports a 320, 340, 350, 360 or a super 370-plus B&C gross rack can be a practical and quick judging system in the field.

While growing up in the early 1960s, I lived next to the federal elk refuge in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. An estimated 8,000 to 10,000 elk drop in each year to spend the winter. During my high school years, you could find me with a spotting scope watching hundreds of bull elk. Let me tell you, it became quite taxing trying to determine what B&C class rack each bull was packing. However, spending time in those years scoring winter kills and local hunter’s bulls, I developed a general field judging system I call “rack bracketing.” It’s a simple visual way to determine general rack size. And with some knowledge of rack size and a little practice it becomes easy to master. Using it, a hunter in the field can quickly determine if that bull is packing a 320, 340 or maybe a 350 gross rack. It’s pretty simple to use because 90% of the B&C scoring system for elk is made up of inside spread, main beam and point length. However, keep in mind the biggest factor and number one rule is, the longer the points, higher the rack scores…

The post Quick and Easy Field Judging Bull Elk appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.