Hunting and Fishing News Blog Articles

The 300 PRC is a BRAND NEW cartridge from Hornady. Hunter Todd Helms tests and reviews this new load at the range shooting a Horizon rifle. This ammo is meant for hunting and competition shooting alike. Helms isn’t disappointed when he slams steel at 1000 yards on the first try. Get custom reload accuracy off-the-shelf with Hornady’s new 300 PRC available in Precision Hunter and Match.

The post The New 300 PRC From Hornady – Ammunition Review! appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Top LE Mule deer hunts

Idaho is a strong mule deer state that offers hunts with high quality and high harvest success. As with most LE hunts, draw odds for Idaho mule deer tend to be tough, but in this case, worth the wait. Southeast Idaho is seeing a notable downtrend due to several severe winters. Keep in mind that southwest Idaho is also trending lower than usual. However, many of the central hunts are still holding strong and worthy of a closer look. For more detailed information on these hunts and many more be sure to subscribe to our Eastmans’ Hunting and Bowhunting Journals. Information like this and much more is all at your fingertips with Hardcopy or digital additions. Visit Eastmans.com or call us at 1-800-842-6887 for more information.

Archery

Unit 44 – Holding steady on the charts, this is one of the best nonresident opportunities, tag allocations are high, harvest success is top notch and four point or better is up there as well. Hunter pressure is the major drawback here. The unit is not huge and there are hunters crawling all over it. Trophy quality will reflect this pressure and therefore hunters are not as likely to find a cranker buck.

Unit 45 – Offering a decent nonresident opportunity and much lower hunter pressure, this area is a solid contender for sure. Public land access is decent and trophy quality is solid, bucks in the 160 plus range can be found. Both of these units are also chart toppers for the any-weapon hunts as well.

Top LE Elk hunts

Elk hunting is a pursuit that many hunters hold sacred in their annual lineup of fall adventures, and limited entry elk hunting is a whole level up from OTC. Many apply and few are chosen, yet year after year, with odds mounting against us we apply anyway and when the scales tip in our favor all other hunts fade into the background and our priority has been set. Elk and Idaho go hand in hand. We see amazing populations in many units, marginal trophy quality when compared to B&C standards but overall reasonable drawing odds for a truly unique hunt choice. If you are after a solid bull on a hunt with lots of elk to look over, then look no further, Idaho has a bunch of those, and a few with solid trophy quality as well. Below is a list of a few top hunt choices. For more detailed information on these hunts and more be sure to subscribe to our Eastmans’ Hunting and Bowhunting Journals! Information like this and much more is all at your fingertips with hardcopy or digital additions! Eastmans.com or call us at 1-800-842-6887 for more information.

Top Any-weapon Units

Unit 30-1 – This unit is solid across the board, nothing to get excited about for trophy potential, but harvest odds and the reality of harvesting a mature bull if you draw are very good. Access is excellent, terrain is moderate to rough depending on where your travels take you. For a fun hunt with the possibility of a 300-class bull or slightly better, this is a great hunt choice.

Unit 31 – lacking slightly on the access panel, this hunt choice is a bit rough but still far from extreme. Trophy potential is standard for Idaho and harvest odds are great. Definitely a noteworthy choice.

Top LE Pronghorn Units

Trophy pronghorn and Idaho are two things that most hunters don’t throw into the same category. However, for opportunity at a solid buck, and with very high harvest odds to boot, Idaho can stand behind that. Not to mention the unlimited hunts for archery tackle. If you haven’t chased a prairie speedster with a stick and string, this is a great hunt choice to consider. You will be hard pressed to find a more difficult foe for spot and stalk method. Any way you look at it the Gem State offers up some solid hunts, the following write-up captures a few of the more sought-after choices, good luck in the draws!

Top Archery Units

Unit 40-1 is a strong contender for the bowhunter. Harvest odds are solid and the average buck for the early season is over 13” and the average buck during the unlimited season is over 14”! That is actually an incredible stat. As to be expected archery hunting these animals is no joke. If you choose the spot and stalk option like I do you will likely find yourself on a rollercoaster of emotion. There are few hunts that sharpen your stalking skills better, and for that reason plus the fact these critters are wonderful on the dinner plate, I choose to start my year out chasing these guys across the desert flats.

Unit 54 and 51-1 are broken down more in the any-weapon section, but these hunts are excellent choices. 55-1 has unbelievable harvest stats for a bow hunt, and the trophy quality is solid as well.

We are giving away two brand new replaceable blade knives from Tyto Knives to help Wingmen enjoy spring turkey season! Fill out the form below and receive one of the lightest knives on the market!

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The post Wingmen Tyto Knives Giveaway! appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Hunt Wyoming mule deer with Mike Eastman in this video straight from the Eastmans’ vault. Mike is hunting aspens pockets and deep sagebrush for a trophy buck. He passes on a young deer with extras before taking a nice typical with more mass.

The post Classic Mule Deer HUnt With Mike Eastman appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Photo taken by Mike Eastman

In early April, the Colorado Secretary of State received a ballot proposal – Initiative 79, that would require the State to reintroduce wolves to western Colorado by the end of 2023. The initiative needs 200,000 signatures in order to be placed on the ballot. That should not be difficult.

According to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF), “extreme environmentalist groups behind I-79 foresee a [wolf] population of at least 1,000 and are firmly against hunting and trapping.”

As usual, the push is coming from outside the state. The Sierra Club, Ted Turner Foundation and others are supportive of this, and Montana senator Mike Phillips, a director of the Turner Endangered Species Fund is advising the two Colorado partner groups behind the initiative, The Rocky Mountain Wolf Project and the Rocky Mountain Wolf Action Fund. The latter group is funded by the San Francisco-based Tides Center.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) came out with a statement in 2016 opposing any intentional introduction of gray wolves to Colorado based on “potential conflict with the State’s livestock industry and current big game management efforts” and citing the conclusions of the Colorado Wolf Management Working Group’s study published in December 2004 in which the group said that natural migration into Colorado was likely to occur.

Bow hunter Dan Pickar reviews the 2019 Vertix by Mathews. This compound hunting bow has an all new built in QAD rest and integrated quiver. Pickar chronographs the Vertix to analyze it’s speed and performance.

Compare the Vertix to the 2018 Triax: https://youtu.be/1DUz8PQIg98

The post Bow Review: 2019 Mathews Vertix appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Bow hunter Dan Pickar breaks down how to shoot big game animals. In part 2, Pickar examines black bear, elk and deer bow hunts. Learn about black bear anatomy and how that affects shot placement and success.

WATCH PART ONE

The post How To Shoot A Big Game Animal: Part Two appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

That Didn’t Take Long…

Spring is here and everyone is chomping at the bit to get outdoors and enjoy the nice weather. Shed hunting, hiking, fishing, camping, are all on everyone’s minds.

Fresh on the heels of a deadly fall hunting season in regard to grizzly bear attacks in 2018 out West, and on the heels of a liberal judge’s decision to shut down our first grizzly hunt in a very long time last fall, the first major reported story of a bear attack didn’t take long to hit the press already in the spring of 2019.

A 17-year-old out shed hunting south of Ennis, MT on April 7 was attacked by a grizzly bear and was able to deploy bear spray after being pinned to the ground by the bruin. This deterred the bear, allowing the teen to get to safety for his minor wounds to be treated.

This isn’t a good sign for the start of the 2019 field season for those of us that enjoy our country’s public lands in the Rocky Mountain West. Grizzly bear numbers are over the carrying capacity for the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA) according to the plans laid out by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Bow hunter Dan Pickar breaks down how to shoot a big game animals. Get a breakdown of archery shots on elk, deer and moose. Pickar closely examines his previous archery kills, what went right and what went wrong. Learn about elk anatomy and how that affects shot placement and success. These hunting tips to better understand archery shot placement could make all the difference on your next bow hunting trip. Watch for the full article in the next issue of Eastmans’ Bowhunting Journal!

Leave a comment below and let us know what your favorite shot angle is!

The post How To Shoot A Big Game Animal – Part One appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Come pronghorn antelope hunting with Guy Eastman on the prairie of southern Colorado. He’s hunting an area known for producing Boone & Crockett bucks. Guy turns up a unique antelope buck with forward leaning horns and the hunt heats up on this web edition of Eastmans’ Hunting TV.

The post Hunting Colorado Antelope With Guy Eastman appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Join Mike Eastman on an elk hunt during the peak of the rut in southern Colorado. From muddy bulls to deep growlers, Mike encounters a wide variety of 300+ inch bulls while hunting for a 350s class trophy. Enjoy this classic Eastmans’ hunt straight from our vault.

The post Eastmans’ Classic: Elk Rut Hunting With Mike Eastman appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Photo taken by Mike Eastman

On January 10th, 2019 Christian J. Cosby of Rock Springs, Wyoming was convicted of the illegal taking of a bull elk from Wyoming elk hunt area 30. Cosby’s elk license for the year of the violation, 2017, was valid for area 93. Cosby claimed to have taken the bull in area 93 with archery equipment, he also entered the elk in a local contest where it was recognized by several photographs as a bull that had lived in area 30 far to the South of area 93. This is where the situation began to unravel for Cosby as Wyoming Game & Fish Warden Andy Roosa and Wildlife Investigator Jim Gregory began an investigation into the details surrounding Cosby’s claims.

Cosby initially claimed that he took the bull in area 93 on September 27th but the investigation revealed that his whereabouts put him in area 30 on that date. As the evidence mounted it was discovered that Cosby had also taken a mountain lion with an illegal caliber rifle as well. Ultimately, he plead guilty to all charges and was sentenced to upward of $5000 in fines and  suspension of hunting license privileges for two years. The elk antlers and the bow and arrows used to take the animal were also confiscated.

But now for the real question… does the punishment fit the crime? Let us know what you think.

For complete and detailed information on all Wyoming elk areas and draw information see Guy Eastman’s breakdown in the Wyoming MRS available to Eastmans’ subscribers both in print and digital versions.

The post Trophy Wyoming Elk Poached appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Need more of the best information on Wyoming and Nevada to help you make your application choices? No problem, Guy Eastman and staffer Scott Reekers have been working hard to update the MRS for each of those states as new and more information has come out, specifically harvest stats for 2018. Nevada information will be live inside the April/May journal on Wednesday April 3rd and Wyoming’s will be updated in the same issue later in the month. Why is that important for you? Making decisions on what units to apply for in any state can be a daunting proposition, that is why EASTMANS’ gives you as many data points as possible to help with your decision and harvest data is one of the most important.

I for one would want to know what the harvest was for 2018 before applying for Wyoming pronghorn or Nevada elk so I could base my decision on where the highest likelihood of success lies, not sure I’d waste my time applying for a unit or area where the harvest success for 2018 took a massive nose dive… information is a large key to success out West and nobody gives you better information than EASTMANS’ HUNTING JOURNALS.

This updated and expanded material is only available in the digital version of EASTMANS’ HUNTING JOURNALS. If you don’t have a digital subscription you can get one here https://www.eastmans.com/hunting-journal

The digital editions of the Journals not only offer you expanded MRS content but they bring it to you in a fully portable and customizable format. Are the tables, charts and maps a little tough to read? No problem, with the digital edition you can make them as large as you like. Away from your print magazine and need to make a decision on applying for Wyoming deer? Pull up your digital edition to remind yourself what Guy had to say about the unit you’re interested in. It’s an exciting time to be a consumer of print and digital media as it’s truly a best of both worlds scenario.

Hunt public land elk with John and Dan Pickar. John is after his first bull elk after decades of big game hunting. The father-son duo has to compete with other DIY hunters, but patience and persistence pays off. After several days of locating average bulls, they glass up a true giant! But they have to hustle before the opportunity slips away. John threads the needle to seal the deal on a once-in-many-lifetimes monster bull. It’s an unforgettable father and son hunting adventure on this webisode of Beyond the Grid by Eastmans’.

WATCH EVERY EPISODE OF BEYOND THE GRID TV!

Watch The Latest Episode Of Beyond The Grid!

The post Dad’s First Bull – Beyond The Grid TV appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Ike Eastman and Eastmans’ staffer Scott Reekers are ditching the heavy backpacks for llamas on this DIY public land high country mule deer hunt. These hunters are retracing the footsteps of Mike Eastman, Ike’s father, in this Beyond the Grid by Eastmans’ webisode. Hunting backcountry bucks with horses is challenging in mountain basins with little water. The llamas prove to be a low maintenance solution and entertaining to boot. Early scouting and patience work to their advantage when a week long hunt wraps up on day three.

WATCH EVERY EPISODE OF BEYOND THE GRID TV!

The Latest Episode:

The post Backcountry Llama Drama- Beyond The Grid TV appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Climb on a helicopter for an archery elk hunting trip! Hunting checkerboard public land takes creativity. Bowhunter Dan Pickar drops into elk camp from above with the help of a helicopter. Armed with a Mathews Triax, Pickar has both elk and deer hunting licenses in hand ready for any opportunity that presents itself. Swirling winds blow an optimum deer stalk, but on the way back to camp Pickar encounters a trophy bull and is quick to capitalize on the opportunity. After a double-lung hit, the bull practically dies at Pickar’s feet on this Beyond the Grid by Eastmans’ webisode.

Watch the latest webisodes next!

Hunting High Country Deer: http://bit.ly/HuntingHighCountryDeer

Watch Every Episode HERE!

The post Beyond The Grid- Heli Drop Archery Elk Hunt appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

I grew up hunting on public land as a kid and have continued to do so now for nearly 40 years. My family has guided and outfitted on public land, forests and wilderness for decades. I understand better than most that public land recreation is a special opportunity granted to us all. Recently our public lands have had heavy loads of much needed publicity, and that’s a good thing. However, we believe there is another area of our hunting and fishing opportunity that has not received as much publicity but is a very key component to our outdoor heritage; public access on and through private land holdings.

The “Access Yes” program in Wyoming is without a doubt the gold standard for public access programs through a full spectrum of individual custom-tailored concepts such as the “Walk-In” program and “Hunter Management Areas.” Through these programs in 2018 the Wyoming Game and Fish opened up nearly 2.8 million private acres to hunting and fishing access. While that number may be staggering to some, we believe we can do even more and we have a plan.

Through the months of April and May we will donate a large share of the proceeds from subscription sales for EHJ or EBJ to the Access Yes program in Wyoming. For each subscription, we sell or renew during this time, we will give $5 to Access Yes, opening almost 16 additional acres of precious hunting access with each donation.

My personal goal for this program is to open up more than 100,000 additional acres of public access in sixty days. I know this is lofty, but I honestly think we can get there together. I don’t often ask for your help, but I am now.

“The sheep rifle should above all be portable, handy, and relatively light, as the sheep hunter carries a rifle a lot more than he shoots it.” Jack O’Connor

The IN-RUT Full Curl rifle has all three of these and more. Each Full Curl tips the scales naked between 6 and 6.5 lbs. Ours came topped with a Vortex Viper lashed down with one-piece Talley rings which made the rifle tip the scales right around 8lbs. This is about perfect in my eyes as it’s light enough to carry in the mountains but heavy enough to shoot accurately which this rifle did incredibly well.

Every Full Curl that leaves the facility is promised to shoot ½ MOA in sub-.30 caliber rifles and 1 MOA in .30 caliber or larger rifles with select factory or custom-loaded ammunition, they’ll even send you a copy of the target your rifle shot as proof. IN-RUT prides themselves so much on accuracy that they will not ship your rifle unless it prints the guaranteed groups. A cut-rifled Match Grade stainless barrel, Defiance action, recessed target crown, custom pillar glass-bedded sporter stock and a superb Jewell trigger promised great accuracy.

The rifle is purpose-built to perform under these extreme conditions and was Minute of Ram with every single trigger squeeze. Very impressive results given the ridiculous conditions I was shooting in.

To read the full review on the Full Curl by IN-RUT be sure to subscribe to EASTMANS’ HUNTING JOURNALS. You can also see a video review of this rifle on the EASTMANS’ YouTube channel, while your there be sure to mash the subscribe button and turn on your notifications so you get all the hottest EASTMANS’ content the minute we release it.