Hunting and Fishing News & Blog Articles

Michael and Teresa Rinehart along with 30 of their clients have been pinned to a poaching investigation that began in 2011 by the Shoshone and Arapaho Fish and Game and was concluded with assistance from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. 

The Rinehart’s have been found guilty of Lacey Act violations and Wyoming Game and Fish violations due to the baiting of deer and subsequent illegal harvest of deer on their property adjacent to the Wind River Indian Reservation. $60,000 in fines have been issued and the Rineharts face suspended hunting privileges as well. Their 30 “clients” from 11 different states also face various charges. 

Now for my take… I can’t stand people like this. People who use and abuse our state’s wonderous resources to make a buck by calling themselves “outfitters”, all while giving legitimate guides and outfitters a black eye. People like the Rineharts are nothing more than poachers, plain and simple. They should also be treated as such. I don’t think $60k is enough of a fine and don’t get me started on self-supervised probation and suspension of hunting privileges. The Rineharts and others like them need to serve jail time and once they get out, community service, lots of it! 

Until we are willing to get tough on poachers, incidents such as this will continue. Enough is enough, we need stringent and severe, codified poaching sentencing guidelines. Anybody want to help me draft a proposal? I’m all ears. 

https://oilcity.news/crime/2022/05/04/couple-fined-60k-for-illegally-baiting-deer-for-clients-to-kill-30-clients-could-face-charges-in-wyoming/?utm_source=Oil+City+News+Daily+Digest&utm_campaign=a00375bf6a-MailChimp+Daily+Digest&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3c37577534-a00375bf6a-88004395

Photo by: harrycollinsphotography

We recently hit this topic and covered a case that was quite thoroughly prosecuted and the results were a tougher than “normal” sentence being served. For more information you can read up on their article here. Part two of this story covers a higher profile case. In which a father and son duo shot and killed a sow grizzly in east Idaho not far from Yellowstone. Jared Baum of Ashton, Idaho plead guilty to shooting the sow near the Little Warm River in Fremont County, Idaho. 

Jared’s so-called story made a weak attempt to make light of the incident. He stated that he thought he was shooting a black bear and mistakenly killed the grizzly. However, there was no open season for black bear at the time and whether he mis-identified it or not is meaningless to his case. IDFG recovered the bear’s carcass half submerged in the river and found a bullet right away. After further investigation there were 12 bullets removed and some partial fragments as well. To top it off the sow had a known den site nearby at which IDFG officials discovered a deceased male cub. The cub died from starvation as his mother never returned to the den. 

We have previously asked the question, does the crime fit the punishment? The answer in many cases has been no. However, in this case we can yet again see the tables are turning. Jared Baum was sentenced to 30 consecutive days in jail, 3 years of probation, $2,500 in fines (PLUS court fees) 10k in civil penalties and the icing on the cake… a lifetime hunting ban in 48 states! BOOM! Now, that stacks up to a pretty stiff punishment. 

Does the punishment finally fit the crime? Well, what do you think? It definitely fits well in my opinion. As for the father, Rex Baum, he also plead guilty and will spend 3 days in jail, pay $1,000 in fines (plus court fees) $400 in civil penalties and a 10 year hunting ban in 48 states! Rex played a much smaller part and therefore was given a lighter punishment. 

Share your thoughts! Be safe, shoot straight and God bless! -J.B.

Mule deer across the West have been struggling for several years and 2021 was no different. Drought is the number one factor in why deer are on the decline. Habitat conditions have been poor and feed has been minimal, which leads to does that don’t fare very well through the winter, ultimately leading to poor fawn survival. Extreme drought has been affecting the central and southern part of the state for over three years now and that is where we are seeing these tag changes implemented. 

The current management plan calls for 405,000 deer statewide and there are currently an estimated 305,700 deer this year. General season permits will be cut the most, down to 73,075, which is nearly 1000 less than last year. Antlerless deer permits are what impact the population the most so there will be 300 cut from the pool statewide. Management buck deer, and premium limited-entry deer will stay the same as last year at 45 and 184 respectively. Limited-entry deer permits were cut by 50. The DWR is confident that these cuts will help maintain the deer herd with hopes for a wetter year and improved conditions going into 2023. 

Elk on the other hand are affected less by drought but some units were cut and others were increased. Specifically in the northern part of the state where the drought hasn’t been as bad. Limited-entry bull elk permits will increase by 80 total in 2022, while antlerless elk permits were cut by about 300. General spike and general any bull elk permits stayed the same at 15,000 and 17,500 respectively. The reason for the increased tag allocations for elk have mainly been to address private landowners complaining about depredation issues where elk populations are above their objectives. 

Watch over fifty hunting kills in twenty minutes! Elk, mule deer, moose, axis deer, mountain goat, and more crammed into one video.

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

https://www.azgfd.com/archery-deer-hunters-changes-coming-to-over-the-counter-nonpermit-tag-opportunity/

Changes are on the horizon for Arizona archery deer hunters. Beginning this year the Arizona Game and Fish Department will establish a maximum harvest threshold for each unit and require mandatory harvest reporting. Once the harvest threshold is met the unit will be closed at sundown of the following Wednesday for the remainder of the year. This new strategy was developed with the help of the Arizona Bowhunters Association to maintain over-the-counter opportunities while managing harvest. 

Under the previous management strategy, as harvest in each unit increased, the hunt structure was incrementally reduced and eventually converted to a controlled draw. The catch was that harvest reporting was completely optional. This meant that the harvest data being used was largely interpolated from the information voluntarily submitted. Under the new format the department will have more and better data to utilize in management decisions.

What this means for Arizona’s archers is that their ability to hunt specific units is guaranteed . . .until it isn’t. Most units offer three different seasons available via the OTC archery tag: a week season beginning in August, another in December and 4 weeks in January. With the new structure if a threshold is met during the first week of the August season then it would close on Wednesday of the second week and no hunt will occur during December or January.

Historically, the December and January hunts overlap the rut and provide the most ideal hunting opportunities in the state at a time when other state’s seasons are winding down and winter storms are ramping up. For those who have made a tradition out of escaping the wrath of a northern Winter this new structure adds a wrinkle to the planning process, especially during the first year of implementation. However, like any other change, this will open up opportunities for those who carefully evaluate the process, plan well and remain flexible.

Exclusion of the body cam footage earlier this week looked like a severe body blow to the defense. It looked even worse when the judge in this corner crossing case let it be known that definitions for air space in relation to Wyoming law would be sent with the 3 man, 3 woman jury for consideration during deliberations. The deliberations lasted a mere hour and a half and all 4 Missouri men walked out as NOT GUILTY men.

The jury found that the prosecution had not presented evidence that the 4 hunters who had taken 2 elk and one deer on their 2021 hunt were not guilty of trespass or even the alternative theory of trespass to hunt. 

This case has drawn attention due to the 5 million acres of public land that are technically land locked but could be accessed through “corner hopping.” A Gofund me page was established with a goal of $30,000.00 and that figure was well exceeded at a whopping $71,160.00. Sportsmen from across the United States have donated to this fund in hopes that it will help establish a precedent down the road to make the practice of “corner hopping” explicitly legal rather than the gray area that it seems to be now.   

While this case has not set precedent because the language of the law on the books in Wyoming defines air space as belonging to the landowners of the properties where the corners meet. 

So what say you? The federal civil case is next and I’m sure that there will be plenty of discussion around what will happen in that case. There will also now certainly be discussions in Wyoming at least regarding the language of the law about corner crossing and air space. Where that goes will certainly be interesting. We encourage you to write letters to your state legislators if you are a Wyoming resident to let them know how you feel about the law either way.  

This review features Leica’s Geovid Pro 10×32 range-finding binoculars. These compact binos were built with mountain hunting in mind. The built-in Applied Ballistics software, Bluetooth connectivity and Leica’s Class 1 laser make these binos a powerful tool for close and long range shots. Eastmans’ Hunting Journals Scott Reekers breaks down all its feature and tests out its bluetooth capabilities with Leica’s Ballistic app and Basemap.

The post Leica’s New Geovid Pro Range-finding Binos appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Photo By: Mike Eastman

With the Montana Moose, Sheep, Goat deadline fast approaching I want to take a look at the status of each species over the past 10 years and what the strong and weak points are now for 2022. 

Let’s start with moose. They have been proven to be a relatively fragile species in Montana and the numbers of tags allocated for them in Big Sky country has steadily been declining the last 10 years. In 2011, 443 moose licenses were authorized for hunting. 2011 was about the middle of the decline of moose in Montana which really started in the early 2000s when wolves really took off across the state, not to mention the ever growing grizzly bear population. 

Moose are found throughout the state but the western half is the core of moose habitat in Montana. In 2021, there were 326 total moose licenses allocated. That is a decline in 117 over the last decade. Which doesn’t seem like a lot but, but that reflects ¼ of the population vanishing across the landscape. Overall, the largest decline has been in Region 3 and studies have shown it is because of a heart worm. Regions 1 and 2 have experienced slight declines as well with Region 4 on the uptick. That’s right, populations have been on the uptick in north-central Montana where calf survival has been the best. 

Biologists have noted that moose seem to be doing better in newer habitats like Regions 4 and 6 that didn’t historically hold moose compared to moose strongholds that have held moose for several decades like Regions 1, 2, and 3. Also Region 6 has been on the uptick which is the highline all the way into eastern Montana. I suspect moose are trickling in from the West, North, and the East making for an interesting moose hunt in wide open country. 

There are 9 tags available in Region 6 for 2022. The vast majority of moose units drawing odds are 1% or less with a couple touching the 2% chance area. Yes, bonus points do play a role, but due to the fact there are so many applicants, those points really have little effect on your chances to draw a tag. For example, I have 21 nonresident moose points. Last year there were 14 tags drawn by nonresidents. Those points are squared and for the majority of the tags I still have less than a 7% chance to draw a tag and if I am any bit selective on what area I apply for with decent trophy quality, I still have less than a 5% chance to draw a tag. Imagine what your odds are if you have less than 10 points! It’s 2% or less with 10 points for most tags available. For residents it’s a different story. Since Montana allocates 90% of its licenses to residents there were 312 available last year and if you are holding 10 points you will have 5% or less odds to draw a tag. Most of the coveted areas will have 2% or less odds. If you have 5 or less points you have less than 1% chance. 

What a difference a few days can make. With two big spring storms in the rear view and one more yet on the short-term horizon, the moisture situation in Wyoming has improved drastically over the past ten days. We can now say, this spring has been much more wet that last year’s spring so far, which is a much-needed slice of good news. 

The statewide snowpack is now estimated at just shy of 98% of normal levels, a drastic improvement over the paltry 79% we saw only two short weeks ago. With yet another storm on the horizon near the end of April this should for all intents and purposes put us “over the top” to a normal snow pack year in most regions of the state. 

As it sits now, the Black Hills (140%) region and the Northern Bighorn Mountains (111%) are well above 100% of normal snow pack levels. The two regions which were suffering the most as drought areas only a few weeks ago I might add. This welcome improvement all happened in one single spring storm that lasted the better part of an entire week. Add to that the fact that many of the largest mountain ranges in Wyoming are now at or above historic snow levels. The ranges of the Bighorn Mountains (105%), the Laramie Mountains (101%), the Wind River Range (101%) and the lower Absaroka Range (102%) are all slightly above their bench mark snow levels. The crucial ranges of the Teton (89%), Salt (94%) and Wyoming (92%) ranges are slightly below but there is still time for late spring weather to top off these ranges due to their historic tendency to get pounded by snow in the month of May at the highest of elevations. 

Suffice it to say, we are now in very good shape when it comes to spring run-off, reservoir levels and spring green up conditions for wildlife. 

As for herd conditions, I believe our original predictions are in even better shape at the possibility of coming true at this point. For antelope, I would look at the historic areas of the Red Desert and upper Sweetwater units as being possible big buck producers for this fall. Those would be areas in the 50s, 60s and 90s in unit numbers. I personally like antelope hunts in areas 53, 57, 58, 60, 92 and 96 to be very solid bets for this fall’s hunting season. 

The New Mexico hunting regulations go by four-year rule cycles with the NM Department of Game & Fish, (G&F) calendar year beginning April 1, 2022 thru March 31, 2023 for the current hunting season. Of interest, is the fact that this year is the end of the current rule and the public comments for the next rule cycle are now open.

With that being said, there are organizations and individuals that are voicing their opinions to anyone that will listen. Of primary concern are the license allocations to non-residents for bighorn sheep and the current ePlus system for private landowner vouchers for elk. The NM Wildlife Federation, (NMWF) recently led the charge to eliminate non-residents from being able to apply for ANY Bighorn Sheep tag in NM. Their argument is that the current regulations require an 84/6/10 split of licenses for all big game species by hunt code. What this means is that if there are 100 tags allocated for the draw for a particular species, 84 percent of the tags would go to residents, six percent would go to non-residents and 10 percent would be allocated to outfitters. The NMWF has always fought to eliminate the 10 percent that is allocated to the outfitting industry with false claims that these are for non-residents thus creating 16 percent of the allocated tags to non-residents. This is not true, because residents have the same opportunity to apply through an outfitter as non-residents do and, in many cases, have better odds.

Because none of the current bighorn sheep ram hunts have more than 5 tags by hunt code, the argument by the NMWF is that all of these should go to residents by following the 84/6/10 split. The way that the current structure is set up by the G&F is that all of the Rocky Mountain ram tags and the Desert ram tags are pooled into one hunt code for each. This creates a pool of 26 Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep ram tags and 24 for the Desert bighorn sheep. This structure now allows for the 84/6/10 spit. The NM Attorney General’s office recently reviewed the challenge brought forth by the NMWF via a NM State Representative and their opinion ruled in favor of the G&F advocating that the current process for bighorn sheep is lawful and is not violating any laws or policies. This is clearly a win for non-residents but the battle is not over until the next rule cycle has been established, and the NMWF has not given up the fight and is putting pressure on the NM Game Commission to provide one hunt code for each hunt area thus eliminating the pooling of tags into one hunt code. 

With the current rule cycle open, the NMWF has been and is still pushing the Commission to open the ePlus system for private land vouchers for elk to change the process. The G&F and the Commission currently have no intentions of modifying or changing the process and have not opened it up for discussion. Under the current system, landowners have to apply to the G&F for their elk voucher allocations and based on a survey(s) by the G&F, the vouchers that are allocated are based on ranch size and habitat improvements for wildlife. This process evolved over time many decades ago when elk were doing destruction to landowner’s properties and the G&F would have to pay for the destruction. Under the current system, if elk are doing damage to private property, that landowner has the option of requesting a voucher as compensation for the destruction caused by elk. The argument by the NMWF is that the current system is taking away the opportunities for elk tags for residents, even though many residents purchase landowner vouchers every year. Part of the argument is that the wildlife belongs to the State and not the landowners. While true, there would be no hunting opportunities if landowners choose to close their properties to hunting. 

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently published a 2022 “Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 2” Scientific Investigations Report. The 156-page report goes into detail on how ungulates such as elk, deer and antelope must migrate seasonally and the impact rapid human growth across much of the western United States has had on their migration routes. 

Wildlife managers and biologists use global positioning system (GPS) collars to document seasonal migrations with great precision, allowing researchers to visualize year-round movements of ungulates. Tracking datasets often reveal migrations to be longer, more diverse, and more expansive than previously recognized. Among other things, research revealed a growing human footprint is limiting animals’ ability to undertake seasonal movements with increasing threats from roads, urban areas, and other man-made blockages to historical migratory routes (Lendrum and others, 2012; Sawyer and others, 2013;). The picture that emerged from this body of research is seasonal migration is a behavior essential to the health of many herds but is increasingly threatened for many ungulates throughout the United States (Kauffman and others, 2018; Tucker and others, 2018). 

Many state wildlife agencies across the west have been collecting GPS tracking data revealing a wide diversity of migrations. In 2018, USGS forged a collaboration with participating western states to map ungulate migration corridors and winter ranges from 42 herds across 5 Western states. This was later expanded to include migrations and seasonal ranges from an additional 65 herds across most western states. Because such maps can identify key landscapes the majority of animals move through, they can be used to readily identify both existing and potential future barriers to movements and the conservation solutions to mitigate such threats (Kauffman and others, 2021). 

The post Mapping Migration Corridors Provides the Foundation for Science-Based Management and Conservation appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Recently the United States Forest Service made a decision on e-bike usage on roads and trails. This decision has been long awaited by the public, especially since the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) had already concluded how they planned to define and regulate e-bike usage on BLM land a couple of years ago. 

In an article on the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) website, “the Forest Service announced its final internal guidance on how e-bikes will be managed on national forests and grasslands. The long-anticipated update reaffirms the existing policy that e-bikes are now, and will continue to be, managed as a motorized use—that is, e-bikes will be allowed on all currently authorized roads and trails open to motorized use and not allowed on roads and trails closed to motorized use, seasonally or otherwise. 

“At the same time, the guidance also outlines a process for the agency to evaluate requests for expanded e-bike access and establishes a new “e-bike only” trail category.”

Over the past few years I’ve had the opportunity to test and use various e-bikes from companies including Bakcou, QuietKat, and Rambo. I’ve learned their strengths and weaknesses in various situations and various types of hunts.

The e-bike discussion over whether or not they should be allowed is understandable on the surface, yet once you’ve used them and really understand what they can and cannot do, the argument over their usage quickly fades.

Bow hunt elk in grizzly bear country with Eastmans’ Hunting Journals subscribers Paul Clock and Bob Legasa. This is a backcountry, horseback hunting adventure for a public land bull. It’s September, and the elk rut is on!

The post Bow Hunt Elk w/ Eastmans’ Subscriber appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Spring bear season is upon us in Montana and there are a few new things to keep in mind. The big news from last year is that running bears with hounds is now legal so be sure to keep that in mind for the non-houndsman that are out there hunting. Hound hunting season is April 15 – May 25th and hound training season is May 26th – June 15th. Hunting season dates haven’t changed. Hound hunters must have a valid black bear license or a Class D Hound license. Hound hunting for bears is illegal in grizzly country which includes Region 1 and many other areas including the east side of Glacier and districts around Yellowstone. Check the regs for specifics. Hound training permits are limited in each area as well so be sure to check regulations for specifics.

Some other new items this year are you have 48 hours to report your harvest which was whittled down compared to 10 days to report in the past. However, in Region 1 you don’t have to check your bear in person. You must submit a premolar to FWP in person or have it postmarked within 10 days of harvest including the form available online. There is a new black bear season in region 6 with a quota of 4. For more details be sure to check the FWP website. 

Be safe out there bear hunters, hunt for a nice boar, and watch out for grizzlies!

Due to legislation in 2021 there have been some changes to free landowner elk tags and after the changes, there has been a jump in interest by landowners. There have been free landowner tags in place for the last ten years but just a few have taken advantage of them because for every free landowner tag, they had to allow four public hunters access to their property to hunt. The tags are good for any season but not for special game damage hunts. There is no acreage requirement in the statute, the property just has to be large enough in the department’s determination to accommodate successful public hunting. FWP selects success tag holders from a list to be contacted to participate in permit areas. Districts for general areas will have a list sign-up period following the draw. 

Now, with 454 being modified last year, it has gained more interest from landowners. For every free landowner tag, they only have to allow three public hunters access with the landowner able to pick one of the three hunters. Last year 13 landowners applied for the tags and some were awarded after the season had started. Free landowner tags are only good on the landowner’s property. 

There is a cap on these free landowner tags and they will be limited to 10% of the permit or license quota for that hunting district. If a district has 100 permits, 10 new permits will be available for qualifying landowners. If the requests for permits or licenses are more than 10%, FWP would hold a random drawing for the landowners. 

The post Free Landowner Elk Tags in Montana appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Spring turkey hunting by boat! Join Todd Helms and friends on the Yellowstone River for a spring surf and turf adventure. Between turkey hunts, the guys load up on catfish for a fish fry. Todd’s river bottom gobbler boasts some incredible spurs on this episode of Wingmen by Eastmans’ Hunting Journals.

The post Jet Boat Turkey Hunt! appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Photo Credit: Mike Eastman

The general synopsis of the Wyoming winter conditions for 2022 would be, “mild,” very, very mild up until just recently. In fact, up until this week the outlook for snow pack and spring run off was almost scary. However, a large spring storm has sent the Cowboy state a snowy wallop and the outlook is beginning to improve dramatically. 

Before the storm the snowpack level statewide was sitting around the 65-70% range of normal. After the storm Wyoming’s mountain ranges are now averaging out to about 84% of normal snow water equivalent at this point. The Bighorn Mountains and the Laramie Mountains are the standouts with nearly 100% of normal snowpack while the lagging regions seem to be those in the Black Hills of the northeast corner of the state clocking only about 60% of their normal snowpack so far. 

The historically snowpack heavy regions of the Absaroka, Teton, Wind River and Wyoming ranges are all a little bit below average with about 80% of normal snowpack. With some additional moisture and cold temperatures on the near-term horizon I am hopeful the outlook will continue to improve over the next few weeks, during the remainder of the month of April and put the western regions of the state back on track to a snowpack in the 90% range for the final readings of the year. 

As for the wildlife outlook, the winter has been extremely mild for our deer, elk and antelope herds this year. With very little extreme cold and light moisture, I think it suffices to say that our herds are in good shape coming out of the winter months. Barring any real freaky weather events at this point, I think we should see some very solid improvements in our herds post winter, but that might not be saying much either. 

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

Photo Credit: Mike Eastman

The Wyoming Game & Fish Department is looking at intentionally managing our struggling mule deer herds in the state by considering adding more aggressive elk management and predator management to the mix. 

To date, the Wyoming Game & Fish Department has a separate ongoing project “which focuses on improving habitat, adapting hunting seasons and developing science to attempt to conserve deer herds throughout the state.”  Thankfully controlling elk herds in certain areas and black bear/mountain lion populations in certain areas are tactics being thrown into the mix.

It is common knowledge that mule deer and elk don’t exist in large numbers together in the same range. Where you find large numbers of elk, you generally won’t find large numbers of mule deer and vice versa.

The same can be said of predators and I’m very glad to hear that targeted management of black bears and mountain lions may increase to help our crashing mule deer herds.

Mule deer are the icon of the West and they are quickly fading from the landscape. As a lifelong mule deer junky, it pains me to see the downward spiral they are on, and it pains me to see how long it has taken to arrive at some of these management decisions. However, it appears there is management light at the end of the tunnel and these tactics are a step in the right direction.

As the bull fed toward the timber I was running out of time, racing the rising sun that would send the elk into his daybed like Dracula returning to his coffin. The only shot he offered me was an extreme quartering away angle that would require my bullet to penetrate a couple feet of mature wapiti, including a stomach full of masticated and digesting food. No simple task but impossible for the bullet I was shooting and I resigned myself to a long day’s wait to see if the bull would feed out into the open during the waning hours of the day and offer me a less severe angle. 

That scenario was several years back and it changed my mind about bullet performance on large, heavily built animals like mature, trophy, bull elk. I’ve since begun loading and shooting monolithic copper bullets when I’m headed into a high stakes hunt where I need to be able to capitalize on any chance I’m given. 

The Hornady CX replaces and upstages the company’s tried and true GMX monolithic copper bullet and does so by taking advantage of the latest advancements in bullet design like Hornady’s heat shield tip and optimum groove geometry making the CX the best performing, most accurate monolithic bullet the company has created. Not to mention it’s “California compliant” meaning you can use it wherever you need a lead free projectile for hunting.