Hunting and Fishing News & Blog Articles

“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.

As you may recall, last spring hunters in Washington lost their spring bear season when the Commission voted 5-4 in favor of not having a spring bear season.  The commission is meeting again on November 18th to discuss development of a spring bear policy.  This despite over 48 years of data supporting that the spring bear hunt does not negatively impact the population.  Interestingly enough, no public comment will be taken at this meeting.  

Spring bear hunts are one of the easiest hunts for the anti-hunting crowd to go after.  Well funded, multi-media campaigns that incorrectly portray what really goes on during these hunts make it easy for the well-organized anti-hunters to make their voices heard loud and clear.  

We as hunters need to stay on top of these various meeting dates and comment periods.  It is more important than ever to make your voice heard even if you don’t live or hunt in the state that is impacted.  The anti-hunters are utilizing technology to solicit huge numbers of comments from people that have nothing to do with the States under attack.  Washington, Oregon and California are the easiest targets right now.  

The National Park Service is reevaluating former grizzly bear reintroduction plans for the Cascade mountains in Washington state. If the plan is approved, Washington’s Cascade Mountain range will see grizzlies reintroduced to the region. 

“…the plan could bring in 5 to 10 bears every year, with the hope of reaching a population of 25 — a “minuscule” number…”

Now, I could offer you an opinion filled diatribe about why or why not this is a good idea. Afterall, I live and recreate in grizzly bear country and know the realities of “coexisting” with the big bears. However, I will defer to the federal government on this one, afterall, they know best. Just look at how much the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is benefitting from its “miniscule” grizzly rehabilitation or its “miniscule” wolf reintroduction. 

“Grizzlies are “nature’s gardeners,” spreading nutrients and seeds and helping the ecosystem, said Kathleen Callaghy, Northwest field representative for Defenders of Wildlife, a conservation group.

A district court judge in Helena has put a halt to the current regulations to a few districts in Montana as of Tuesday. The changes are follows:

According to a release from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the changes outlined in the temporary restraining order are as follows:

Montana FWP director Hank Worsech is prepared to defend that the department has proven they can manage wolves and the state has a stable population of wolves. The state’s management is based on facts and science and will make legal arguments on November 28th. 

Court order changes Montana wolf hunting season, effective immediately (kbzk.com)

In a post covid world my gut says that it is a fair statement to say we are all a little more sensitive to any headline that has something to do with disease. In my circle of friends CWD and Brucellosis are the two wildlife related diseases that tend to get the most attention. Yes, EHD is a big one too, however that tends to be cyclical and the whitetails and antelope recover over time with solid management. 

Along that vein an elk in the Bighorn mountains of Wyoming has tested positive for Brucellosis. Brucellosis was first identified in this region in 2012 but has not  made an appearance since 2016. That is a significant amount of time not to have a positive test, however with this disease’s relationship with cattle it can produce fear fairly easily when positive tests do happen. 

On the bright side, in most areas elk tend to be in different portions of their range when cattle are on it, therefore limiting how much exposure cattle get from elk. I know, many of you are cueing up your pics of elk and cattle in the same areas to roast me on social media. But I submit to you this, elk on their winter ranges don’t typically end up in the same places that cattle are put to pasture for the winter. In the areas where it does happen there have been late season tags that are designed to mitigate interactions. In fact, I have a late season cow tag not far from where this bull tested positive. 

Bearing all this in mind, I would urge all of us as hunters to ask our respective management agencies to keep testing but not make knee jerk reactions that could take years to recover from. What say you? 

Bow hunt public land mule deer with Brian Barney on this episode of Beyond the Grid by Eastmans‘. This is a DIY hunt in the late season in Brian’s home state. Brian is the host of the Eastmans’ Elevated podcast where he shares hunting tips and strategies with a new episode each week. Listen anywhere podcasts are available.

The post Bow Hunting Deer DIY with Brian Barney appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Using llamas for backpacking or hunting can help you go further and faster in the backcountry. @wyomingllamas owner Scott Woodruff and hunter Scott Reekers break down the basic step of how to use a llama for a backcountry adventure.

The post How to Use a Llama for Hunting or Backpacking appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

If you want to hunt archery deer in AZ next year, be sure to set your alarm for 12:00 AM MST on December 1st. Tags are only available online via the following website: http://otcarcherydeer.azgfd.gov/. This will be the first year that non-residents will be subject to a cap on the number of tags available to them.

In August of this year Arizona developed a new harvest threshold system for regulating over-the-counter archery deer harvest. Starting in 2023 non-residents will also have another change to cope with: a 10% cap on the number of over-the-counter permits available for non-resident purchase. Until now, there has been no limit on the number of archery deer tags sold for the state’s general units. However, due in part to a very successful media campaign by the department, there has been a sharp increase in demand for these tags. This increase in participation prompted the implementation of both these measures.

The total number of tags available to NR’s will be 10% of the 5-year average of annual total OTC tags sold. For 2023 that number is 2,890. This is only slightly fewer than the number of tags sold to NR’s in 2020 (the last year for which I have data), which was 3,093. In theory, this shouldn’t put much limitation on those who want to acquire tags. However, we have seen in other states, that when limits are put in place, the perception of scarcity sometimes leads to an increase in demand.

The post Arizona Limits NR OTC Tags appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Animal rights activist groups are at it again in Montana regarding wolf management.  Thankfully, the Sportsman’s Alliance (click here) is on top of it and making us all aware of what is happening.

“WildEarth Guardians and Project Coyote have filed suit in Montana state court to end wolf hunting and trapping under the framework established by the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission.”

“In case after case, what we see is the animal-rights industry using wolves to raise money even though wolf populations are exceeding population targets in nearly all cases across their range,” said Todd Adkins, vice president of government affairs at the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “Filing one frivolous lawsuit after another attacking hunters, trappers, and wildlife managers means big dollars for their radical agenda.”

The Sportsmen’s Alliance is currently reviewing options on how to best assist sportsmen with this latest attack on sound wildlife management in Montana.