It’s been a fairly quiet spring and early summer for grizzly bear incidents around Wyoming. In fact, a bit too quiet. (Not that maulings are a good thing) About the time those of us who recreate in grizz country start to possibly get a bit complacent we are jolted back to reality with an unfortunate incident like this mauling not far from the Eastmans’ home base and in an area that is very popular with local recreationists. I have personally been on the exact peak where this incident took place. 

An unidentified non-resident hiker was life-flighted to a Billings hospital yesterday after surprising and then being mauled by a grizzly in the Francs Peak area south of Meeteetse, Wyoming. The hiker had zero chance of deploying bear spray or a firearm, a reminder that neither defense option is always feasible. 

Wyoming Game and Fish is investigating the incident but has no plans for management action at this time. 

As I stated in my opening paragraph. This incident is a solid reminder that grizzly bear encounters and altercations can happen anywhere in grizzly country and most often when we least expect them. Being prepared to defend oneself with bear spray and or a firearm is smart but as we’ve learned from this unfortunate mauling, deployment may not always be possible. That is why making noise and staying out of thick cover while moving through bear country is vital. 

All of us here at Eastmans’ are praying for a full and speedy recovery for this unfortunate hiker and would like to remind everyone planning adventures in grizzly bear habitat to follow proper bear safety protocols and always be bear aware. We’ve included a link to some bear safety guides for your reference. 

I’ve got some very positive news coming in from western Wyoming in regards to mule deer population and herd trends. Based on what we are currently seeing, a mule deer rebound could finally be taking shape in the famed Wyoming mule deer Region-G. 

The Wyoming Game and Fish management team historically shoots for a minimum goal of 30 bucks per 100 does for the Region-G deer herd. As of this past spring the herd is running right about 45 bucks per 100 does. This is a very good sign for the health of the herd and its future viability and reproductive potential into the near future. This equates to a 50% increase in buck to doe ratio since the 2017 winter where the herd clocked a near 20-year low. A low that is only matched by the drastic all-time low of 25:100 that was recorded in the aftermath of the 2004 winter. 

In addition, the fawn survival numbers from this spring are yet another positive sign for us to place our hope into. The fawn mortality from the 2021-2022 winter was estimated to be right around 20% which is a very low number, particularly when compared to the all-time high tof 86% set during the 2017 winter. For the past five years and counting the fawn survivability has been well over 70% for this deer herd. This should bode well for the future population growth of the deer herd over the next few years if current conditions continue. In a nutshell, there are a hell of a lot of younger bucks on the ground in this region right now. 

A fact that may surprise some is the hard fact that this deer herd is currently being “under-hunted” by most historic measures. In 1992 nearly 13,000 hunters, resident and non-resident alike, hit the hills of this mule deer rich region in search of their buck of a lifetime. This fall barely 4,000 hunters will get the opportunity to head into the rugged country of this region hoping to strike mule deer gold. This represents a net 67% decrease in hunting pressure on this deer herd over the past 30-years and counting. Although the hunting pressure in this area can still feel very constricting, mostly due to the much shorter season duration under current management strategies, but also the fact that this deer herd is roughly half of what it was thirty years ago. 

This review features the brand new 6K rangefinding binoculars by @SIG SAUER, Inc. These feature packed binoculars are more compact and lightweight than ever! Eastmans’ bowhunter Dan Pickar breaks down all the features of the 6K and compares them to Sig Sauer’s 10K and Kilo3000 models.

The post BRAND NEW: Sig Sauer 6K Rangefinding Binos appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Dan Pickar of Eastmans’ Beyond the Grid shares his 2022 hunting bow setup. This Mathews V3X bow has been a performer on three hunts in Wyoming and Hawaii. Leave a comment with questions for Dan about your bow set up.

The post Dan Pickar’s Mathews V3X Bow Set Up appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

This is a personal article written by Jaden Bales and is not a reflection of any views, beliefs, or perspectives of the Wyoming Wildlife Federation.

You may have seen an increase in interesting hunter headlines coming from the Cowboy State lately. Part of the hubbub is related to the deeply complex, and controversial issues the Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce is tackling in their 18-month tenure.

These eighteen Wyomingites originally were rounded up in the wake of bills brought to the legislature and issues brought to the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission that caused significant conflict between all of the sporting community in the Cowboy State. The goal of the Force is presenting conclusions and recommendations to the Wyoming Legislature, Game and Fish Commission and governor to support decision-making on Wyoming’s wildlife resources after digging into the weeds to study each issue.

As the Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce enters their final five meetings before disbanding, they are ramping up their efforts to tackle the most controversial issues that led to their creation in the first place – largely the dispersal of resident and nonresident hunting opportunities.

Photo Courtesy of ODFW

Three Oregonians get this week’s moron award for poaching AND I’d like to give a round of applause for the anonymous informant who called in the tip to ODFW to kickstart their investigation into the poaching. Here’s how it went down…

Lionardo Munoz, Matt Wilkinson and Rachel Hallett killed the bull in question in Oregon’s Santiam Unit, the bull was a mature branch antlered elk and Munoz only possessed a spike elk tag. They brought the animal out whole, loaded on a trailer, not even field dressed. This is where it gets good…

The animal subsequently made an appearance on social media where the tipster spotted it, thought it suspicious and informed ODFW. Senior Trooper Brent Ochesky concurred with the tip and an investigation began. 

Ultimately Munoz, Wilkinson and Hallett were arrested and pleaded guilty. Munoz was fined $15,000, received a suspended hunting license for three years and will serve 18 months of bench probation. Wilkinson and Hallet were also assessed similar punishments but will each have to perform 40 hours of community service. 

At this year’s Hunt Expo in Salt Lake City a Utah state representative and mule deer aficionado bought the Antelope Island mule deer tag, arguably the best mule deer tag in the entire country for a whopping $310,000. A win for Utah conservation, but then he did something that was even more unthinkable to most- he turned around and gave it away! 

And who did he give it to? Well, this is the best part. Representative Shultz is giving this highly coveted mule deer tag to a more than deserving disabled Utah veteran named Tyler Jones. 

As most of you know, I have been somewhat of an outspoken critic of these auction tags in the past, but I can honestly say, this is one case where I am on board 100%. 

We all look forward to watching Tyler’s mule deer rut hunt on Antelope Island in November. Maybe he will even submit his story to the magazine. That is one mule deer buck we would be more than ecstatic to plaster on the cover of EHJ. 

According to local reports, on Friday the US Fish and Wildlife Service made an announcement that the Yellowstone Bison is being considered for listing to the Endangered Species List under the United States Endangered Species Act, a US Statute that grants very strict and regulated management and protections for the country’s most endangered and threatened wildlife species.

What once roamed the plains and mountain-scapes of the West is now reduced to very limited pockets of bison populations throughout the western Mountain States. Mostly relegated to State and National Park areas such as Yellowstone and Teton National Parks in Wyoming and Montana, Custer in South Dakota, Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona and various mountain ranges and parks in Utah in addition to many Tribal lands are the most common spots to find plains and mountain buffalo populations. 

This possible listing is somewhat troubling to many in the West, most notably the livestock growers who fear the possibility of disease outbreaks and competitive grazing from current and proposed wild bison populations. 

Wild bison herds are very difficult to manage and even harder to control once released into wild landscapes as their movements and migrations are virtually unimpeded by common wire fencing solutions that currently exist for cattle and sheep grazing. 

Needless to say, an endangered species listing could be a catastrophic move for many reasons for our cattle ranchers and food producers in the Western portion on the United States. This move shows further evidence that the Endangered Species Act continues to be used as a weapon to destroy many elements of our Western way of life in states like Montana and Wyoming. 

In a world that is seemingly falling apart more and more each day it can be good to take a few minutes to read about less impactful news than skyrocketing gas prices, record inflation, wildfires and devastating floods. For example, what about Polar Bears in Maine? Or a case of mistaken identity in Colorado wolves? 

Let’s start with the Colorado Cujo as I’ve taken to calling them… 100 miles south of Denver, Colorado a pack of “wolves” were spotted earlier this spring. Reports from the area were of a pack of large canines hovering around a group of elk. Now this would be very newsworthy since wolves have not existed on Colorado’s “front range” for almost a century. It is true that some wolves from Wyoming have made their way into western Colorado and that the state of Colorado is transplanting wolves as well but wolves south of Denver? 

Well it turns out that this “pack of wolves” was nothing more than a group of St. Bernards out for a stroll. However, this wasn’t fully determined until the State sent officials from the Department of Parks and Wildlife up in a plane to look for the “wolves”… Oooops!

Another interesting story comes out of eastern Canada, on the Gaspe Peninsula to be exact, about 200 miles from Maine. A polar bear was recently dispatched by Canadian authorities when it wandered into the small community of Madeleine-Centre. Normally polar bears don’t stray nearly that far south and this particular animal found itself in hostile territory where it was simply not feasible for it to remain. 200 miles is not far in the bear world and it is totally feasible that if this bear ventured so far south that others can and will repeat the trip and possibly wind up in Maine. Now that’s a wild thought… polar bears in Maine!  I guess they aren’t concerned about gas prices. 

As most of you heard by now we have had a wet late spring and early summer in much of Wyoming and Montana. And when I say wet it has been wet, I mean to that of disastrous proportions. Montana has been affected the most as excess water from rains and runoff in Rock Creek has destroyed the entire town of Red Lodge, Montana. Highway 89 south of Livingston to Gardiner has seen catastrophic results to record setting Yellowstone River flows. Roads were washed out, bridges gone, and multiple houses swept away. The north entrance to Yellowstone is closed indefinitely and the entire park is closed at this time until conditions improve. The effects will surely be felt all the way down the Missouri River to the east where flooding will continue throughout the spring as many areas seem to be getting plenty of rainfall. The power of freestone rivers (without dams) are jaw dropping and uncontrollable. Of course many of the largest rivers in the western United States have dams on them that can hold back such devastating power and harness the power of water to make electricity. After seeing everyone affected by this recent natural disaster, including people I know, I now have a new respect for hydroelectric dams and how important they are across the country. 

As the cool and wet summer continues, snowpack continues to be high and most areas in Wyoming were well over 100% for the year and Montana is not far behind. Before traveling out West do your homework on road reports and closures as many landslides and flooding has occurred that have affected smaller areas. 

The prairie is in excellent condition this year. Lots of green and lots of rain, which will make for excellent antler growth and fawn recruitment unless something else crazy happens! Does this mean that all areas will produce bucks and bulls to their maximum potential? Probably not but this year will be as good of a year as any after coming off a mild winter and wet spring to produce some excellent animals in 2022. It’s hard to predict if the summer will be hot and dry for us here but I do know there is a lot of snow in the high country still so I expect things to be green and lush well into August and September in the high country with a lower fire danger than we’ve seen in years passed.

The post Disaster in the West appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Hunt for a trophy mule deer buck with Eastmans’ hunt winner Larry Zellar and Guy Eastman during a November blizzard. It’s the peak of the rut and there is no shortage of deer in the area on this web episode of Eastmans’ Hunting TV.

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

This Tuesday, June 14, is the deadline to apply in Arizona’s second draw cycle of 2022. Participants in this draw cycle can apply for controlled deer, bighorn sheep, fall turkey and bison hunts. This is also the only time that bonus points for these species may be purchased. Fortunately for all the procrastinators out there we have everything you need to know listed below:

Who: Both residents and non-residents must apply by June 14 to participate in any of the hunts listed above. 

What You Will Need: AZ hunting license valid as of 6/14, Social Security Number, AZGFD Customer ID (if you login through your AZGFD portal this is auto populated) and a method of payment for the application fee ($13 Resident / $15 Non-resident).

When: The deadline for applications is 11:59 PM on Tuesday June 14th.

Where: Apply via the AZGFD website – https://draw.azgfd.com/

Access is king here in the West for anyone who enjoys outdoor activities. Most of us who live here don’t own larger parcels of property to hunt and fish, which means public land is where we spend our time. Many nonresidents come out West for adventures that they have saved and planned for for years because the hunting systems are so different from the places they call home. Public land has become a centerfold in both cases and because of that, access is king. Gains in public access are celebrated then because of the opportunities they present. 

This week it was announced that through a joint partnership between the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation(RMEF) and the Bureau of Land Management(BLM) using RMEF grants and BLM access to funding through the Land and Water Conservation Fund access was gained to 75,000 new acres for recreation. The acquisition only actually purchases 35,670 acres from the Marton family whose land will now be conserved for future generations to use through this process.

Front and center on this particular piece of public is the 8 mile stretch of blue ribbon fishing on the North Platte River. In year’s past the only way to access the fishing here would have been by boat coming in from upstream. Now access to shore fishing will be possible. This 8 mile stretch will also offer the opportunity for waterfowl hunters to enjoy more of the North Platte.

Many in the Eastmans’ audience are probably wondering if this will be land that they can burn an elk, deer or antelope tag on? The answer is yes, with a little bit of luck in the draw as all of the hunts there are part of the limited quota system, in particular for elk. This area is one of the more sought after tags in the Cowboy State by residents and non residents alike. 

While many are talking about the now famous corner crossing case playing out, this type of action may be the answer to some of the conundrum posed by checkerboard public land or even 100% landlocked swaths of public. Acquisitions like this open up not just the land purchased but also the public land that has been inaccessible for years. This may be a strategy we see in the future to alleviate tensions between the public and private landowners who both have stakes in the discussion. 

Yan ‘Bo’ Fong | Courtesy Independent Record

Here’s an interesting case you don’t see too often. Yan Fong of Pocatello, Idaho was sentenced to 10 years with the Montana Department of Corrections with all but 100 days suspended and was fined $25,000. He also lost his hunting, fishing, and trapping privileges in Montana and 46 other states for six years. 

Back in 2017 and 2018 he bought 11 bear gall bladders, four black bears, 24 black bear paws, three mountain lions, two mule deer, one elk and seven bobcats in Montana and brought them back to Idaho. He was charged with a felony count of unlawful sale of a game fish, bird, game animal or fur bearing animal and a felony count of unlawful possession, shipment, or transport of said animals. 

He is also facing similar charges in Idaho and California. Of course these odd animal parts have significant value in Asia which is the driving factor for this business much, like poaching in Africa for horns. These penalties are more substantial than we see in many poaching cases around the West and hopefully will set a precedent. I’m guessing that having six years of no hunting or fishing won’t affect Mr. Wong but, for not being the trigger man that is a solid penalty. I would like to see more stiff bans like this in the future for the convicted poachers out there, especially the chronic poachers. Especially increased jail time. It seems that all too often poachers get away with fines and suspended hunting privileges, which doesn’t mean much to someone who doesn’t hunt legally anyway, and little if any jail time. 

Cases like Mr. Wong’s are a good reminder that poaching is a worldwide problem and one we should be taking very seriously! 

In this review Eastmans’ Staffers Dan Pickar and Todd Helms compare five popular spotting scopes for western big game hunting. The guys break down what to look for in a scope and offer advice on how to pick your perfect spotter.

The post The Best Glass Money Can Buy! – Spotting Scope Review appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Another Montana application season in the books with no successful draws to mention. To my surprise, I received a General Elk license in the mail yesterday along with a refund in another envelope! This had me scratching my head as logged in to MyFWP once again to check my drawing status because I was sure that I hadn’t successfully drawn the nonresident elk combo. Sure enough, nothing had changed, unsuccessful was listed. I have never seen anything like this before and got a good laugh at receiving an elk license and a refund for said license. Jackpot!!

Well, it was too good to be true as a statement released by FWP stating that “This week Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks discovered what amounts to a clerical error in distributing some non-resident elk licenses.

About 1,200 non-resident combination licenses were erroneously printed and mailed to non-resident hunters who had successfully drawn a license but elected to return them for a refund when they didn’t draw their chosen permit. For non-residents elk hunters who want to hunt in Montana in a hunting district with limited permits, they first need to draw a non-resident big game or elk combo license. The application process allows hunters to choose an 80% refund on their license if they don’t draw their elk permit. Applicants also have the option to return their elk license and keep only their deer license if they are unsuccessful in the elk permit drawing. These 1,200 hunters had chosen one of these options.

“The licenses erroneously mailed to these hunters are not valid and cannot be used to hunt in Montana.”

Tags will be requested to be mailed back by FWP in envelopes that the department will provide in the coming days. The department is owning the human error and everyone that successfully a tag or permit on their MyFwp account is good to go.

Eastmans’ Dan Pickar is bow hunting elk on the public lands of Wyoming. He’s hunting in a general unit during the September rut in this web episode of Eastmans’ Hunting TV.

The post Bow Hunting Public Land Elk appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

How to NOT stoke the fire of extreme animal rights movements!

Do you remember the Oregon petition that was floating around a while ago calling for an end to traditional animal husbandry, forms of animal training, and of course, hunting and trapping? 

The petition, originally known as Initiative Petition 13, would have removed exemptions related to animal abuse, animal neglect, and animal sexual assault that would make many aspects of our daily lives criminal. This would alter food acquisition, animal ownership, and how we maintain functioning ecosystems, like any sort of wildlife management related to hunting and trapping. 

After abandonment in 2021, a similar petition titled “Petition 3” or “P3” was recently filed with the State of Oregon to accomplish the same end goals on Oregon’s 2024 ballot. Within the bill are measures to remove any animal breeding programs, restrictions to training methods, and of course, an end to hunting.

 As we draw near the end of application season many states already have results out and only a couple places are still open for applications, you guessed it, Idaho is one of them. Idaho OTC hunts have become all but extinct (at least for a post draw season opportunity) thus, many of us are forced to jump into the draw if we want the chance to hunt the Gem State. Draw odds are steep, but there is a lot on the table for offerings and overall some really good hunts to be had. Idaho does NOT run on a points system. Thus each year you are flush with the world and go in with straight odds like everyone else. If you have taken the time to run the numbers you will agree this is the best system out there. To help things even more, IDFG requires applicants to stick with one species. You may only apply for deer, elk OR antelope. Pick one and you’re done! After that it’s all up to the odds and for a lucky few the results will come back successful and the work really begins, such as scheduling time off, map and satellite research and hopefully boots on the ground opportunity to scout your area. Not to mention get your gear tuned up and ready for the hunt! A process worthwhile but a process nonetheless. 

          Idaho elk are doing quite well in many areas. We have seen some sub-regions take a heavy hit and change the way we apply. But for those simply looking for the cream of the crop the following hunts should get you started in the right direction. Good luck in the draws and keep us posted!

Any Weapon

Wyoming Conservation License Plates help fund wildlife overpasses like the one in the background near Pinedale, WY along key migration corridors.

I remember the first time that I saw the giant overpasses outside of Daniel, Wyoming on my way North to do a little sightseeing in Yellowstone country. I hadn’t been to that country in quite a while and was quite surprised to see overpasses with forage and high fences crossing the highway. In those days the cell service was spotty at best and “Googling” the project wasn’t in the cards for a few days. Once home the digging began and I was quite impressed with how much work had been done to get those built.

In the few years following I noticed that the area had much fewer dead deer along the highway; there seemed to be an uptick in animal tracks and trails using the overpasses instead. I was skeptical at first that it would be used but ungulates proved me wrong and I was happy that they did. The high fences that funnel the animals help dramatically as well. 

Fast forward a few years and much discussion about wintering bucks and bulls later to where we are now. Research on the relationship between migration routes and herd health has overflowed across the state of Wyoming and now major wildlife crossings as I previously reported are happening around Kaycee and now a 15 million dollar project is scheduled to open at  Dry Piney in southwest Wyoming.

This is another key area of industrial travel that will help mitigate the state’s roughly 6,000 wildlife related collisions every year. Most of those collisions are mule deer related, putting strains on populations of deer that are already struggling through winter every year.