Hunting and Fishing News & Blog Articles

Eastmans’ family friend and trophy tour pioneer Roger Selner measured more big game trophies in his lifetime than any Boone & Crockett scorer. He traveled the country with his elk and deer tours for over 30 years covering one million miles. Known as the “trophy whisperer” and Uncle Rog to those who knew him best, Roger Selner left us in December 2020. He will be sorely missed.

The post Saving Hunting History! Roger Selner – The Trophy Whisperer appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Go black bear hunting with a father and son team. Eastmans’ subscriber Johnny Hamilton is helping his son Travis hunt for his first trophy bear. There’s no shortage of bears on this web episode of Eastmans’ Hunting TV. The pair gets more than they bargain for when they find four bears in one drainage and one boar appears at only 10 yards away!

The post TWO Bears in 5 Minutes! Father, Son Black Bear Hunting appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Sometimes lofty expectations can all but ruin a sheep hunt. Sheep hunting is not exactly a value type experience no matter how you cut it. Expenses can pile up fast and almost always swell beyond predetermined levels. Unless you live in Alaska or Canada, most of us are in the same boat – buying points and applying for bighorn hunts while trying to scrimp together enough dough to head North for the thin-horned variety. On these hunts, being in the know is usually the best antidote for cost overruns and expectation loft. Knowing what you are getting into, what you can expect and how much it’s going to cost are all part of the plan when it comes time to book a northern sheep hunt. 

These five questions will help you minimize the risks and maximize the rewards of your next sheep hunt. 

1) What type of hunt is this? There are basically four ways to kill a ram in the very northern reaches of this continent, fly-in, backpack, horseback and float hunt. The first is by far the most common mode of transport to thin-horned ram country- the fly-in. 

Help us keep wild sheep on the mountains. Wildlife conservation can’t afford to take a year off. Wild Sheep Foundation’s annual Sheep Week will go on! This year’s 2021 hunting and conservation expo will be a virtual experience like no other. Visit with outfitters and manufacturers, join the live auction, chat with your friends and more from any internet-connected device. Bighorn sheep, Dall’s sheep, Stone sheep and wild sheep across the world depend on this fundraising.

The post Wild Sheep Conservation Can’t Stop! Join Us at 2021 Sheep Week appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

In this review, Luke Washington puts the YETI Panga dry bag to the test on the river and on dry land! Watch this review if you are in the market for the ultimate dry bag! CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO PURCHASE!

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR PANGA

The post Yeti Test GONE WRONG! Dry Bag For The Outdoors (Eastmans’ Review) appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Eastmans’ Dan Pickar breaks down how to use onX Hunt to understand and read terrain when you’re hunting or scouting for an upcoming hunt. Toggling between aerial, topography and hybrid views can give you a wealth of information to help you make good decisions on the stalk or before the hunt.

CLICK HERE TO AN onX Hunt PURCHASE SUBSCRIPTION 

The post onX Hunt Aerial Imagery Hunting appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

I am blessed to know many of the finest mule deer hunters in the country. Some of them you have heard of, like Brian Barney and Guy Eastman. Then there are some that you haven’t and probably never will because trophy mule deer hunters are often a secretive group who don’t want their names drawing attention. Which brings me to what I consider the best perk of my job, it is learning about how these consistent killers have grown over the years and regularly put big bucks on the ground. This article is all about the tactics that I or some of the best I have ever met employed to kill mature, grey faced, strong scoring mule deer almost every single season. 

Tactic 1- Live with the Deer!

Every good mule deer hunter does their best to live with the deer. They scout in the summer, they hunt them in the fall and they go to winter range to find out which grey-faced brutes lived through the deadly game of high country hide and seek. Finally, they spend the spring watching the transitional ranges to learn their travel routes to help find bucks when the snow gets deep and it’s time to leave the high basins. 

On December 20th an Ohio wildlife officer was shot in the line of duty while investigating three men allegedly poaching deer in Clinton County, Ohio. Officer Kevin Behr is expected to make a full recovery but the event is alarming to say the least. 

Yes, Ohio is a long way from Wyoming and the rest of the Rocky Mountain West but this story isn’t so much about where this shooting occurred as it is an eye opener for what all of our Game Wardens and Conservation Officers potentially face every day they are in the field working for you and I. The uncertainty of every single encounter wildlife LEO’s have on a daily basis is very much the same as police officers with an added caveat; almost every person they come in contact with during hunting season is in possession of a deadly weapon. This should serve as a reminder to each of us that these men and women do this job willingly and devote themselves to the preservation of our natural resources, often at great personal peril. 

The folks who dedicate themselves to be the protectors of America’s greatest national treasure, its wildlife, deserve to be held in as much esteem as their peers who wear the blue. In addition to treating them with the respect they deserve, we need to be actively helping them in the field. 

This help can be something as simple as policing our own ranks to make sure our hunting companions are above board and in compliance with state and federal game laws. Or, it can be taking the time to report misconduct as we experience it or witness it. I know most of us talk a good game when it comes to condemning poachers and law breakers but I’m willing to bet that when push comes to shove, we don’t follow through when the rubber meets the road. It’s simple, these officers are tasked with incredibly difficult jobs and are often asked to enforce game laws and investigate cases in areas that are enormous. Park County, Wyoming is nearly six times larger than the entire state of Rhode Island and we have only a couple game wardens to patrol the entirety of it. Without honest hunters policing our own ranks and willingly aiding the enforcement of our game laws, poachers have an undeniable advantage. 

I know what you’re thinking, “I don’t want to snitch on someone.” That someone gave up the privilege of you turning a blind eye the minute they chose to violate the law and they are counting on others doing nothing about it. 

This is a DIY public land mule deer bow hunting adventure! Join Eastmans’ Elevated podcast host Brian Barney as he hunts for an open country buck with his good friend Dan Heavrin. They both have licenses to tag and are working together to get it done on this episode of Eastmans’ Beyond the Grid.

The post Bow Hunting Open Country Bucks – Self-filmed DIY Mule Deer appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

This bow review dives into the new features of G5 Prime’s latest bow, the Nexus. This bow is 50% quieter than the Prime Black series! And a new insulated grip that gets warmer as you hold it. Without trade shows to visit, Dan Pickar decided to visit directly with the engineers at behind this new hunting bow. Prime shooter Jason Matzinger joins to share his experience elk hunting with the Nexus during the 2020 season.

The post NEW Prime Nexus – 2021 Bow Review appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Guest Author / Hunter: BRAD SHURTLIFF

It was late February when I received a call from a friend of mine asking if I had seen the draw results from the Salt Lake Hunt Expo. When I told him that I had not, he couldn’t hold back and exclaimed that I had drawn a Paunsaugunt Utah Archery Buck tag! I had heard a lot about the unit, but I had never been fortunate enough to draw a tag. Living almost 500 miles from the area and having very little experience there, I knew that I would need to employ some help, so I spent the next day or so researching outfitters. David Virostko—owner and operator of Virostko Hunts and North Rim Outfitters—seemed to be speaking my language.

David had repeatedly told me that we would hunt the biggest deer that we felt that we could kill. With that theme in mind, we focused our efforts on two deer that had been running together— “Clunk” and “Ugly.” Clunk was a huge non-typical with a frame unlike any buck I had ever seen. Ugly was a giant typical framed deer with three small cheaters on his left side.

David knew the watering hole where these bucks watered, so with 100-degree temperatures, we focused more of our efforts there. David had another hunter, Tim, who had actually sat the water hole on the opener, but to no avail. Day two found Tim in the blind again. As the morning drew on, Clunk couldn’t resist the urge to drink, and with one great shot, Clunk was claimed by Tim. And with that, my guide, Justin, and I were off to chase Ugly.

Learn how to clean your next trophy big game skull at home. This quick guide to a DIY European mount will save you time and money with professional results.

The post Skull Cleaning – Do-It-Yourself Big Game European Mount appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

TagHub from Eastmans’ is the hunting research tool you’ve been asking for! TagHub gives you next-level research ability in a customizable, sortable, 24-7, digital platform that’s at your fingertips. It also includes material not found in our print editions. A TagHub Elite membership includes… PLUS access to discount codes to your favorite brands AND all access to our NEXT LEVEL giveaways!

The post ELITE MEMBER Now Available On TagHub! appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

In October of 2019 we brought you an update on the CONTROVERSIAL FEED GROUND ISSUE in western Wyoming. Our Wyoming Game & Fish Department is still working through the process relating to their feed ground sites and have been conducting public meetings (click HERE to watch these recordings and get updated on the talking points). Written comments can still be submitted by January 8, 2021 by clicking HERE.

In addition, there is a Q&A session online at 4pm, January 5th, 2021. More info to follow in the coming days on the details of this session.

As Wyoming Game & Fish Department director Brian Nesvik STATED IN THIS RELEASE from the department, “People may be familiar with feedgrounds as it relates to their interests but don’t know the ‘why’ behind the Game and Fish decisions. This is an educational effort.”

Education and being familiar with the historical side of this issue is so vital to making an informed comment as members of the general public. Director Nesvik also mentions that the department is not considering closures in the short and mid-term, and intends to support the western Wyoming practice that has been in place for over 100 years. 

100 years of feed ground activity is a long history when it comes to wildlife management, disease transmission, winter ranges being eaten up by human encroachment, large predator management strategies that have had disastrous consequences on non-predatory wildlife, and many more issues must all be taken into account during the decision making process.

Brandon’s Pack

I’m a minimalist at heart and try to keep my pack as light as possible for the specific hunt I’m on.  However, there are essentials that I have in my pack on every hunt and these items include:

Todd’s Pack

I like to keep things pretty basic on my hunts and of course different hunts require different items but here are six things that are always in my backpack no matter what I’m hunting or where I’m hunting it. 

Learn how to use filters inside Eastmans’ TagHub to find the best hunting opportunity to fit your hunt needs. Dan Pickar breaks down how he uses TagHub to narrow down deer hunting options in Montana. Regulations vary widely between states, but the filters in Eastmans’ TagHub make it easy to narrow down the best hunting options for you.

The post FIND Your BEST Deer HUNTING Unit! How to Use Eastmans’ TagHub Filters appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Go bow hunting for a mountain goat on backcountry public lands. Take a horse ride into camp with Eastmans’ Dan Pickar and Kelly Burr for a once-in-a-lifetime bow hunt in the rugged, cliff country that mountain goats call home.

The post Mountain GOAT with a BOW! Backcountry Hunting appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Go deer hunting in Colorado for a trophy buck still in its velvet. This 2020 mule deer hunt was auctioned by Eastmans’ Hunting Journals and all the funds donated to efforts to conserve Wyoming’s mule deer migrations. This is a unique opportunity to rifle hunt for a buck still in velvet.

Journey with Guy and Ike Eastman as they follow in the migration path of one of Wyoming’s most famous mule deer, Popeye. Watch “Imperiled” Below!

The post Hunting VELVET Bucks with a Rifle! appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Do you know how to survive a bear charge in an attack? Grizzly bears and black bears are both dangerous. Outdoor enthusiast and hunter Dan Pickar has experienced charges from both types of bears. He puts his skills to the test with a simulated, head-on bear charge.

WATCH THE FULL FILM BELOW!

The post Face a head-on charge! How To Survive a Bear Attack (Grizzly or Black Bear) appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Eastmans’ reviews Killik’s K2000 and K2800 hunting backpacks in this video. Todd Helms tests the load shelf on the K2800 by packing out a whitetail deer, whole! Both of these packs are built with organization in mind with built-in pockets of different shapes and sizes. Easily attach a rifle or bow with the integrated weapon scabbard. The increased capacity, built-in load shelf and removable waist pack make the K2800 a versatile, meat-hauling day pack for any hunting adventure. A bucket-style design makes the K2000 perfect for the tree-stand hunter. check out these packs in person at your local Sportsman’s Warehouse store or at www.sportsmans.com.

The post Killik Hunting Backpack Review – K2800 Load-out shelf test appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.