Hunting and Fishing News & Blog Articles

Before you roll your eyes and keep scrolling, let me explain. . . I don’t mean that Covid 19 has directly affected bear behavior via infection, I’m talking about the effects Covid had on outdoor recreation and the ripple effect all those extra people in the woods and mountains had on animal behavior. 

In 2021 there were 5 bear-caused fatalities in North America. 2022 recorded 7 attacks before June and that doesn’t count the famous mauling of the Wyoming college wrestlers in the fall. Those numbers are alarming and higher than the historic norm. So what’s changed? 

There is little debate that over the past two years more people than possibly ever sought solace in the great outdoors. The aftermath of Covid 19 restrictions was a flood of folks who wanted nothing more than to get out and recreate. An awful lot of this recreation took place in areas frequented by bears and the result has been bolder bruins who aren’t as afraid of people as they should be, even seeing them as a food source, either directly or indirectly. 

I pitched my elk camp this past September in a mountain range that sees its fair share of human traffic. There are black bears there but they are seldom seen. . . on a normal year that is! Being privy to a lot of hunting information thanks to my job as Managing Editor for Eastmans’ Hunting Journals I got to read two separate  hunting submissions from the same mountain range my camp was in and both featured not only bear sightings but bears that were openly curious and even aggressive to the hunters in the stories. Odd, but whatever, bears are unpredictable. 

Sitting in a deer blind isn’t my thing. I remember as a kid reading hunting articles about hunters in the Midwest who would sit in a ground blind or a tree stand from sunup to sundown and wondering what kind of super humans they must be. The thought of sitting in one place that long makes me squirm, even in simple ponderance. 

Growing up, we drove, hiked, glassed, and hiked some more in the familiar pursuit of high-country mule deer. My cotton, blaze orange hoodie dragging on the ground as I tried to keep up with the grown-ups was what dreams were made of. The crisp Fall air and smell of sage bring back great memories of misery and joy that are difficult to articulate, just as seeing a wide muley buck does. Mountain mule deer hunting was and is home. Always moving, always searching, conditions ever changing. Sitting in a blind looking at a soybean field all day wasn’t. 

However, a few weeks ago you’d never believe where I was… sitting in a deer blind overlooking a clearing in north Idaho. While it wasn’t a soybean field in Tennessee, I found myself surprised by the joy I had as I waited patiently for a mountain whitetail to make a mistake. Whitetail hunting is a new passion of mine, dating maybe five years back or so. Although I’ve taken a couple good bucks, and I really enjoy it, it will never replace mule deer hunting. This is where I was when I received an email requesting I write an article on a “conservation topic of my choice.”

Hunt backcountry elk with Guy Eastman and Eastman’s subscriber Brad Shurtliff. Late season hunting presents a different set of challenges. Learn tips and tricks to hunting November bulls on this episode of Beyond the Grid by Eastmans’.

The post Giant Bulls on Public Land! Backcountry Elk Hunt with Guy Eastman appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Dale Hajek, Public Information Officer
623-236-7215, [email protected]

Download new Arizona E-Tag mobile app before 2023 pronghorn, elk draw

Allows hunters to electronically tag their harvest in the field

PHOENIX — In preparation for next month’s opening of the 2023 pronghorn and elk draw, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is encouraging hunters to take advantage of an innovative mobile application to modernize the tagging process.

Dale Hajek, Public Information Officer

623-236-7215, [email protected]

AZGFD aims to meet elk objectives beginning in January

PINETOP, Ariz. — The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is seeking to bolster its pool of hunters who apply to be randomly selected throughout the year for specific population management hunts.

Population management hunts enhance the department’s ability to meet population and habitat management objectives when traditional harvest strategies are not meeting these objectives. At this time, a number of population management hunts for antlerless elk, and any elk, are planned for January and February in portions of Game Management Units 3A and 4B North, near Snowflake, Ariz. The proposed hunts will run for 10 days each between Jan. 6 and Feb. 19.

Talk about a sticky situation. . . corner crossing namely. The latest happening in the now famous case of 4 Missouri men who moved from one section of public land to another by corner crossing comes in the form of an Amicus brief filed by BHA. The brief references cases from as far back as the 1880s and claims precedent that what the four hunters did was not a crime. 

On the other end of the spectrum the plaintiff’s in the civil case filed their own amicus brief making the case that precedent has not been set, but rather individual states set property law. Agriculture is a tough business and from the perspective of the ranchers adding more people recreating very close to their borders is challenging to say the least. 

Wyofile has done an excellent job laying out the details of the case in their ongoing series so I won’t rehash what they have done well. This case has now been in the public eye for months and as such the upcoming civil trial, that we have talked about at length, as well as the referenced journalism from Wyofile, has done a good job talking about the many details and developments in this case. 

With every development the sides involved will continue to dig their heels in. It is human nature to fight for preservation, whether it be a way of life or otherwise. With that in mind it is tough to see this settling outside of court, but rather going all the way through a trial by jury with the promise of a precedent setting verdict on the line. 

This review features the Leupold Optics BX-5 Santiam HD binocular in 10x42mm and 15x56mm. Todd Helms breaks down all the features on these rugged, bright binos. The Leupold BX-5 Santiam HDs are built to be lightweight and ergonomic. Leupold’s proprietary lens coatings give you high definition clarity plus scratch and smudge resistance. When you pair the 10x42s with the 15x56s you can cover all the country you need on your next hunt.

The post Leupold’s BX-5 Santiam HD Binoculars (Review) appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

“Three men were charged with more than 100 wildlife violations in one of the largest poaching cases in Wyoming history.”

https://wgfd.wyo.gov/News/Three-men-convicted-of-numerous-charges-in-one-of

“In a prolonged killing spree dating back to the mid-2000s, the trio illegally took moose, bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, antelope, pheasants, turkeys and a bobcat, according to Game and Fish.”

https://cowboystatedaily.com/2022/12/12/three-out-of-staters-nailed-in-one-of-wyomings-largest-poaching-cases-ever/

“For decades, FWP staff have worked with federal, tribal, and local partners, along with communities and landowners, to recover and then manage grizzly bear populations across much of Montana,” said FWP Director Hank Worsech. “This plan will put that experience into action and provide a framework for comprehensive management of grizzly bears in the state and ensure the populations remain sustainable and healthy into the future.”

The new plan would replace two prior plans, those for western Montana and southwest Montana, to one, statewide plan in which FWP will maintain long-term viability and prioritize human safety. Montana has petitioned the USFWS to delist grizzly bears much like Wyoming did a handful of years ago because both states have far surpassed recovery goals. The draft would also address how bears will be managed outside the federal recovery zone. The state is looking for public input online and will be holding an FWP webinar on Dec. 15 via Zoom. The plan will be open for public comment until January 5th here. 

Once the comment period is up, FWP staff will review and make appropriate changes necessary and then the department will present the plan to the Fish and Wildlife Commission for their review and endorsement. 

If you’ve got skin in this game be sure to give FWP your dos pesos. 

The last Utah elk management plan implemented in the state of Utah was from 2015 with an update in 2020. Just a few days ago the Utah Wildlife Board approved a new 10 year statewide elk management plan which includes a huge amount of changes to elk hunting. 

“The demand for elk hunting in Utah has continued to grow over the years,” DWR Big Game Coordinator Dax Mangus said. “In 2014, the over-the-counter any bull elk permits sold out in 77 days, and the spike-only elk permits sold out in 84 days. In 2022, the any bull elk permits sold out in five hours and the spike elk permits sold out in only nine hours. We want to implement several strategies to respond to these dramatic increases in demand for general-season elk hunting opportunities, as well as find ways to address continued ‘point creep’ in the limited-entry system.”

As you can see, the demand for tags in the state of Utah has exploded like every other state out West so this is the tactic Utah has chosen to keep up with demand and public input. The state will manage limited entry hunts for younger age class animals compared to the past which means more tags. There will be new hunts and the department’s goal is to increase opportunity while maintaining quality, through increased challenge and creativity; think December archery hunts on limited-entry units. For more on the detailed changes on the elk management plan in the state of Utah please check back to TagHub in the coming weeks for everything you need to know. 

wildlife.utah.gov

Go duck and goose hunting on the ‘X’ with Wingmen on a New Year’s Eve smash! Todd Helms has located a feed and is taking full advantage. With the help of Western Waterfowlers, a dozen shotguns and a heated blind, the crew hammers honkers and mallards to celebrate the coming New Year!

The post We Shot a Pintail! ? Hunting A Huge Feed appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

I wrote a blog a few weeks ago about the judge in Helena named Chris Abbott that restricted wolf harvest and trapping because too many could be killed this winter after receiving pressure from environmentalist groups. Abbott granted a temporary restraining order which limits wolf hunting to just two animals outside Yellowstone because there were 23 harvested last year outside Yellowstone. Governor Gianforte continues to argue that if wolves leave Yellowstone and enter Montana, they can be hunted under state law under the quota system. Abbott also limited the number that can be harvested near Glacier Park and temporarily banned the use of snares state wide during trapping season. 

Gianforte criticized Just Abbott saying he overstepped his bounds to align with extreme activists when he granted this restraining order. The groups that filed the lawsuit are Wildearth Guardians and Project Coyote who argue that the states wolf hunting quota system was based on a flawed population estimate and the state hunting laws amended the states 2002 wolf plan. Montana FWP argues that the wolf plan is not an administrative rule and the population estimate process is a more accurate version than the previous process that the organizations never challenged.

https://oilcity.news/associated-press/2022/11/28/montana-officials-urge-judge-to-lift-limit-on-wolf-kills/?utm_source=Oil+City+News+Daily+Digest&utm_campaign=4b8cf096f0-MailChimp+Daily+Digest&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3c37577534-4b8cf096f0-88004395

Recently the Wild Harvest Initiative released results of a Wyoming Wild Meat Sharing survey. Yep you heard that right, a survey on how many people share their fall bounty with family and friends. Some may find a survey like this pointless but I do find it quite interesting! 

Out of 4,641 respondents, the data showed that 74% were successful in harvesting  wild meat through hunting. 54% harvested a single species, 27% harvested 2 species. Of the successful hunters 93% harvested big game and 24% have harvested small game. 47% of these hunters harvested their animals only on public land while 17% only harvested on private land. 

Results show that 93% of successful hunters in Wyoming share a significant portion of their meat with others and more than half of the beneficiaries are outside the hunter’s household. This illustrates the societal benefits and importance of recreational hunting because hunting in Wyoming and much of the West is much bigger than just a recreational opportunity but feeding families and giving the state food security from a healthy and renewable resource. 

www.theoutdoorwire.com

The post Arizona OTC Final Deadline – TONIGHT appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Hunt mule deer with Ike and Guy Eastman during an October snowstorm. The guys are hunting in prime big buck habitat; open sagebrush country and aspen pockets. The weather should get deer up and moving out of the deep cover on this web episode of Eastmans’ Hunting TV.

The post Hunting Big Bucks – Deer Hunt with Ike and Guy Eastman appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Hunt bull elk with Pro Membership Sweepstakes winner Toney. This is a late season hunt in Utah. Toney’s first elk hunt doesn’t disappoint! Learn more about the Pro Membership Sweepstakes here: www.promembershipsweepstakes.com

The post Big Bulls in the Late Season – Elk Hunting appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t at least crack a smile when more ground is opened up for hunting. Well, anyone worth knowing anyway… relax, that was a joke. I know I openly applauded when I read about Wyoming’s recent acquisition of almost 3K acres in the Bighorn Mountains. 

The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission recently approved the acquisition of the “Ellis Ranch” and the property will be managed as a WHMA (Wildlife Habitat Management Area). That means that the new property will be open to the public for hunting and fishing and that in fact is the exact intent behind the purchase. 

“Maintaining and expanding access for hunting and fishing is a top priority for Game and Fish,” Brian Nesvik, Game and Fish director, said. “This property not only provides the public with access to previously landlocked, federal land, but it also allows us to effectively manage big game in the area.” 

My family and I will definitely be taking advantage of this new opportunity in the coming year and I rejoice in the fact that my home state makes things like this a priority. For those of you who hunt and fish this area be sure to check your onX Hunt App for updated information on this new property in the coming months. 

A draft bill in the Wyoming legislature is proposing to give more authority to Wyoming game wardens in issuing trespass citations. As it stands currently a Wyoming sheriff’s deputy must issue trespass citations. In Wyoming this can be cumbersome to say the least as quite often sheriff’s deputies can take over an hour to respond to the scene of an infraction due to the state’s extremely rural nature. 

To be clear, the proposed legislation would only grant citation abilities to wardens when a person is “traveling through” private property without permission. This is intended to steer clear of the current “corner-crossing” issue in Wyoming as traveling through would be defined as physically occupying the surface area of private property. 

So, my question to you… Is this proposed legislation a good thing or do game wardens already possess all the power they need? 

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This review features BlackOvis.com. It’s a one-stop shop for all of your backcountry, outdoor gear. Boots, optics, clothing – you name it, they have it. Ike Eastman shares all his favorites, including their Rewards Points System and Arrow ID Customizer. Be sure also to check out all of the Black Friday deals they have going on for the ENTIRE MONTH!

The post Black Ovis Review – All The Hunting Gear You Need! appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is investigating the illegal poaching of a desert bighorn ram off Highway 141 between Gateway and Grand Junction near the Gunnison River. Wildlife officers responded when a rock climber spotted the ram and found a mature desert bighorn. A rifle bullet was recovered from behind the front shoulder of the ram. The investigation is ongoing.

“The ram was shot and left there with nothing removed from it,” said CPW wildlife officer Kevin Duckett in their news release. “There is a desert bighorn sheep hunting season in that unit, but it does not start until Nov. 1, and this ram was killed prior to the season and left to rot.”

There are very small numbers of desert bighorns here in Colorado with their total population estimated at only 540 statewide. CPW offers extremely limited opportunities for hunting these sheep with only about a dozen tags available annually. These tags already have extraordinarily small draw odds, and poaching reduces the herd size which may result in even fewer available tags in the future.

Duckett said the ram had a ⅝ to ¾ curl of its horns. Fines could exceed $25,000 for the illegal take of a bighorn ram over half-curl. Willful destruction of a big-game animal is a felony in Colorado and can result in a lifetime suspension of hunting and fishing privileges. Convictions could result in fines and jail time, depending on the charge. Personally, I hope they throw the person that did this in jail and let ‘em rot, just like they left this ram to rot.