Hunting and Fishing News & Blog Articles

It seems this topic gets very little attention and I must admit that I don’t know much about the actual impact the wolves are having on game animals in Arizona and New Mexico. That said, I’d love to hear your opinions on this wolf recovery program and the effects it is having on the ungulate population of the Southwest. 

Mexican Gray Wolves have expanded their population by 24% since last year and now total an estimated minimum of 163 animals. An interagency aerial count combined with tracking collar studies and other field research revealed that the wolves are distributed quite evenly between Arizona and New Mexico. 

The wolves have expanded for the second year in a row with more breeding pairs raising more pups and agencies aiding in the expansion of established packs via “cross fostering” a practice that takes pups from other areas or packs and plants them in other packs to be raised. 

Growth for this wolf population has been progressive over the past decade with more and more wolves populating the landscape of the Southwest every year. This growth is due in large part to the science based conservation efforts of an inter-agency task force called the Interagency Field Team or IFT. The IFT is responsible for monitoring wolf populations, encouraging and aiding dispersal of genetics, and a captive breeding program that supplements established wolf packs and expands wolf range. The IFT operates under the Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan, whose goal is the return of the Mexican Wolf to populations that can be “accommodated with the subspecies’ historical range in the southwestern United States and Mexico.” 

Hunter Todd Helms reviews the brand new all-in-one hunting rifle cope from Vortex Optics. The Razor HD LHT is a lightweight all-in-one scope. This features an HD optical and APO systems for a crystal clear sight picture in a light conditions. The elevation turret has a zero stop so you don’t have to worry about accidentally bumping the dial no matter what terrain you’re hunting.

The post Vortex Razor HD HRT Review appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Take your hunt area research to the next level with BaseMap’s brand new Eastmans’ hunting research layer. Learn how to use this new research tool in this video. Scott Reekers breaks down where to find the layer, how to access the data and why you need this tool to maximize your hunt potential! This layer is available to any Basemap subscriber.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE LAYER

The post NEW Hunt Area Research! How To Use Eastmans’ BaseMap Layer appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Tough time finding the extra money to buy your license and tags? Well hold on, because costs are going up and some permits are skyrocketing! Idaho has been a fair priced state for hunting licenses for decades, and most of us blue collar hunters really appreciate the below average fees associated with hunting the Gem state. After Montana jumped through the roof nearly a decade ago, it was a breath of fresh air to have Idaho “hold on for the little guy”, or so it seemed until now. Legislative sessions are coming to an end in Idaho and as the dust settles, one of the major changes we see for IDFG is the new nonresident license and tag fee structure. Idaho hasn’t bumped prices for roughly 10 years, and when they last bumped them it wasn’t anything to write home about. That doesn’t appear to be true this time around. Although costs are not as high as they could be, prices for the more prominent tags jumped up substantially. If you ask most residents and many other sportsmen around the West they will tell you that this move is way overdue and many are welcoming the change. However, nonresident fees make up for 57% of IDFG’s budget in 2019. Yet, new structured nonresident caps are well underway as per the commission’s newly adopted plan to “…authorize the Commission to restrict nonresident participation by proclamation in general season big game hunts to reduce the hunter congestion.” IDFG was expecting a 5-9 million dollar loss due to lack of NR funds. Thus, HB 330 was presented and passed “…just to stay even” according to Rep. Clark Kauffman who voted in favor of the bill. Or as the statement of purpose for HB 330 says: “The increased fees in the bill are necessary to compensate for the reduced levels of nonresident participation, allowing the Commission to maintain a balanced budget that can support existing services. The bill, in combination with the Commission’s desired reduction in nonresident tags, will improve management of nonresident participation and maintain quality, diverse general hunt opportunities for residents.” 

In an attempt to simplify the busyness of this, here is the shorter version: Resident hunters have been overrun in many units and are making this known to IDFG. Thus, the Commission has instituted a new NR cap that no longer is a statewide blanket/allocation and will now be managed unit by unit or as IDFG sees fit to best manage hunter pressure with the goal of protecting resident hunter’s experience. This new unit by unit NR cap will reduce funds as many nonresidents will either not be able to obtain their tags or may choose not to hunt based on the changes. Thus, a prediction of loss of funds and a price hike to help pick up the tab! Clear as mud? 

So what is the nonresident take-away? Let’s hear your thoughts! I have hunted Idaho for most of my life, and I am a nonresident hunter there. I totally understand the concerns with hunter pressure and have experienced them firsthand. Also, I can see a benefit to a more evenly distributed nonresident tag allocation. However, raising costs of Jr. mentored tags more than 600% or boosting my archery or muzzleloader permit up to $80 is a bit much if you ask me! For a full list of the new pricing structure click here. These changes will NOT impact your 2020 hunts, as they do not go into effect until Dec. 1st 2020. Is this a time we decide to put our money towards another hunting adventure? Idaho has a lot to offer, but with these changes they are nearly status quo with Montana and Wyoming, this creates a split in the road for many hunters and until we see how IDFG changes the unit by unit NR quotas a big question mark stands in the gap for 2021 hunts.

The post Idaho Nonresident License Fees go up! appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Another mountain lion attack in Colorado hit the news yesterday, this one was once again in broad daylight, on an adult human male but this time it was in Denver, well a part of Denver anyway, to us folks from Wyoming Denver starts once you head south from Cheyenne and cross into Colorado. 

Watch the video here… https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/mountain-lion-shot-in-larimer-county-after-attacking-civilian-deputy

But I digress, what the hell is going on down there and how long will the folks in Colorado put up with predator management run amok? For crying out loud, three known attacks by cougars in the last year? I don’t think there have been three cougar attacks in the past decade in states that manage lions effectively, even if we lump them all together! 

The point is that without proper management of predators we all know that they get overpopulated, outstrip their food supply and begin viewing humans as prey. I cannot fault the cats for this, only the people responsible for letting this happen. Someone is going to be killed and eaten down there, and you mark my very sad words, it will most likely be someone’s child. 

“How did he die?”, I asked my parents when a beloved uncle died in the 1980s.

“Oh, he died of ‘natural causes’,” they responded.

That sounded completely logical to me at the time. In fact, that was a logical response to the death of someone you knew until the last 20 years when our medical advances have increased exponentially. Now we are accustomed to knowing what, exactly, is ailing someone and what they die from. No more guessing or ignorant statements of “dying of natural causes”.

Guest Author: Dan Turvey, Jr.

Archers are tinkers by nature. Even the old dyed in the wool guys that are set with their gear, get caught in the trance of the newest and latest every now and again. As with all things in life, in the early stages of new product introduction comes resistance from the status quo. Mechanical broadheads were no exception and hotly contested in the early years and rightfully so in many cases. To this very day their use is still debated amongst archers and it’s this debate that has almost caused the fracture of some relationships in my hunting circle.

So the question lies in the fact that should there even really be a debate anymore? I mean with the advancements of modern mechanical broadheads should it be a factor? I realize I have the burden of proof with this one so with that, Dan Pickar and I will dive right in….

Do you want to become a better bowhunter and produce consistent trophies with stick and string? If this describes you, this offseason is your chance to become more efficient and really improve your skills. Pick a sport – the guys that choose to work on their jump shot, work on conditioning or watch extra film are the guys that come back better the next season. So if you are one of the hardcore guys that think constantly about making bowhunting dreams a reality, the offseason is time to get to work.

“Destiny is not a matter of chance; but a matter of choice. It’s not a thing to be waited for, it’s a thing to be worked toward and achieved.” ~ William Jennings Bryan

Mindset

I believe the biggest key to producing consistent results is mental strength. The first step to harvesting a trophy is setting your mind to it. You have to decide what you want out of your hunting and then decide what you need to do to achieve it. Once you set your mind to achieving, stop at nothing until you get there. Mental strength is not something that comes easy, it is a process learned through overcoming challenges. It is a badge of honor earned through perseverance, trials and tribulations. 

Bow hunting spring black bears means spot and stalk hunting on the ground. It gets exciting for bow hunter Dan Pickar. He has two close encounters with protective mama bears and baby bear cubs, but eventually finds the jet black bear of his dreams!

The post Bow Hunting BEARS UP CLOSE! Spot & Stalk Spring Black Bears appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Missouri is known as the “Show Me” state, and Wyoming may well be known as the “Go Big or Go Home” state if the latest revenue diversification plan on the table is adopted. The state of Wyoming is in the process of possibly purchasing the largest single land mass by a government in over 150 years-since the purchase of the state of Alaska in 1867. 

The Governor and legislators of Wyoming have the very difficult decision and unique opportunity to purchase over one million acres of private land holdings from Occidental Petroleum in southern Wyoming. This forty-mile-wide swath of checker-boarded public/private land runs East to West along the railroad right-of-way just North and South of Interstate 80 nearly across the entire state. 

The purchase would encompass over one million acres of private land holdings which entangle another one million or more acres of BLM and state lands. This acquisition would open up more than two million total acres to hunting and general public recreation, a land mass equivalent to the size of Yellowstone National Park and more than the entire state of Delaware. 

The purchase would be used as a revenue generating function for the state as the it also includes the mineral rights on more than 4 million acres total. Much of which is already in production and generating large sums of cash in the form of various types of mineral royalties. The land is also thought to be under-utilized for grazing and further mineral explorations including coal and rare earth minerals. The rare earth mineral side of the equation could be a huge market in the upcoming years as these unique elements are in higher demand for the production of cell phones and missile guidance systems. 

Get paid to shoot a wolf? Well, not quite, but it’s the next best thing. If you are planning to hunt or trap wolves in Idaho you can take advantage of this program and get a reimbursement of up to $1,000 per wolf if you are successful! That’s right, keep your receipts, successfully hunt or trap a wolf and get a check to reimburse your costs! The Foundation for Wildlife Management or F4WM was launched back in 2012. While this is nothing new to many of us, it is worth taking note of, especially since wolves are more prevalent in many of the places we hunt, and for some of us wolves are at or near the top of our big game hitlist. This foundation is funded for big game conservation with funding from organizations such as the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Mule Deer Foundation and even IDFG contributing. Idaho has plenty of wolves; with well over 1000 canis lupis statewide, there are many reasons for a group like this to exist, and the benefits from their success speak volumes. Participants have been reimbursed for over 700 wolf harvests through this program, and total payouts are only $430k! When you break this down by unit cost, it amounts to just over $600 per wolf which is incredibly low, especially when you compare it with the cost of 7-9k per wolf that state agencies such as IDFG pay for the same result. Not only do hunters and trappers come out with an extra incentive, but we as sportsmen and conservationists are winning as well. Anytime we can manage these predators and keep costs down, it’s a win-win across the board. What is the catch? Well, you’ll have to join up and become a F4WM member before you harvest a wolf (*when funding is available from IDFG this is not required, see website for details). The cost is $35 per/year and MUST be done prior to harvesting your wolf. After that you hunt or trap and when you are successful you submit your harvest slip along with receipts and the area/region of which you shot the wolf and you will be reimbursed for your hunt! If you check out the system online it is pretty straight forward. There is a sliding scale for payment which is calculated by region and the need for wolf removal therein. For example, a wolf taken in “any region” statewide is reimbursable up to $450 however, if you hunt or trap a wolf in the Panhandle unit 1 or Lolo units you can receive up to $1,000 or if you knock one down in the Panhandle in any unit not meeting elk population objectives it is reimbursable up to $750.
Wolves have a place in the chain, that is not being questioned here, that is a topic for another day. However, wolves left unmanaged will multiply as much as 40% annually, and currently with hunting and trapping efforts we still see wolf populations growing by roughly 25-30% annually. This means we are not keeping up with the reproduction rate! If you look at elk population statistics, especially in areas such as the Lolo region in Idaho or the Gardiner/Yellowstone elk herd in Montana you will find a story of devastation and unsustainable loss. Don’t take my word for it, dig in and read the stats yourself. The wolf is an amazing apex predator, cunning, beautiful and more effective at killing than we could have ever imagined. While the beauty of these creatures is one to behold, we also must strive for balance. As mentioned previously, when we as hunters keep populations in check we save money, elk, deer and livestock and create a sustainable hunting economy for ourselves and future generations. F4WM makes this process easier and rewarding; it is definitely something to check out and add to your options if you plan to hunt or trap in Idaho. 

The post $1,000 for shooting a wolf? appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

With all the buzz in Idaho surrounding the topics of depredation and government spending. We see more of the same in Montana. Although numbers pale in comparison to Idaho’s crop payouts for elk depredation, we still see a substantial up-tick in the amount of money state agencies such as the Montana Livestock Loss Board are having to dole out to ranchers due to predator impacts on livestock. This number continues to increase and has been on the rise since the introduction of the Grey wolf. In fact, the MT Livestock Loss Board was created by the state legislature to specifically address losses from wolf predation in 2007. Although much of the blame lies at the feet of these apex predators. Statistics are showing a substantial increase in Grizzly bear predation as well. Between wolves killing for food, sport and whim and Grizzlies with an appetited to back up their waistline; depredation issues are not likely to slow anytime soon. According to the Montana Livestock Loss Board they surpassed last years (2018) losses by the time deer and elk season opened in the Treasure state. And with payouts just north of $260k, 2019 marks an all-time high for the Board of Loss. We can expect to see more of the same in 2020. Additionally, the total loss to sheep farmers in Montana was pretty much status quo in 2019, however, a new statistic that catches the eye is that of depredation on sheep from bears. Out of the $2.85 million dollars in predation losses coyotes account for $1.75 million, this comes as no surprise, but the bear numbers are up by a whopping 280 percent! That means bears killed 1,400 more sheep than last year! Bottom line, predator management is key, we as sportsmen and sportswomen must continue the pursuit of conservation. This money doesn’t magically appear, it is primarily funded by hunters, yet animal rights activists continue to force introductions of wolves, block delisting of Grizzlies and place a pile lot of red tape around management criteria for state agencies. All the while, we are picking up the tab!

The post Montana Grizzly and Wolf damages reach record high appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Did you hear that? The eerie restless noise coming from the location of Theodore Roosevelt’s grave? It is the sound of our beloved 26th President “rolling over in his grave.” I couldn’t help but think this when I read this recent article on the Yellowstone National Park bison herd (click here).

Many that are familiar with Yellowstone National Park, being the crown jewel of the National Park System, know of the abundance of wildlife in and around its borders. What many aren’t familiar with is how the National Park System was set up and what the actual intentions were when Theodore Roosevelt pushed for set-aside/refuge areas to preserve American lands from development and overhunting. 

Notice the last word in the previous sentence. It wasn’t two words spelling out ‘no hunting’, but it was overhunting. What many have forgotten is the status of our wildlife resources at the historical juncture of the late 1800s and early 1900s. In the midst of overhunting and uncontrolled market hunting at that time, wildlife resources were decimated across much of the country. Theodore Roosevelt and others recognized this and established the most successful wildlife management model the human race has ever seen, historically. The Boone & Crockett Club and the National Park System were both parts of this new strategy for managing and protecting our wildlife and land resources.

Fast-forward to 2020 and our federal employees tasked with managing the National Parks System, along with so many misinformed and fanatical antihunters, plus misinformed members of the public that don’t have a strong opinion either way on hunting, are making decisions that are cost-prohibitive and in opposition to the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.

In some areas, nearly half of Colorado deer and elk hunters reported seeing mountain lions or tracks while they hunted last year. One CPW supervisor told me an outfitter with 18 camps said that every camp reported seeing lions or lion tracks.

When hunters are seeing mountain lions, there are way, way too many lions. The problem is that it is not politically feasible for CPW to hire professionals to cull the lions and so they have to rely on hunters to do it but they are not seeing the harvest of lions they want to see. The result? Many areas with big reputations are not keeping their older deer class high enough to justify the points. 

For example, Unit 44 is one of the areas where seeing a lion is a real possibility. It takes a lot of points to draw 3rd and 4th season but the decline in trophy bucks in 44 has been much greater than people realize. The culprit seems to be too many lions, with bears not far behind. 

The official mountain lion estimate is 4,000 – 5,000 mountain lions in Colorado with a density of one lion for every 10 square miles (a square 3.16 miles long and wide). Not only is that probably low, but you can bet that the number in good habitat is much higher and if you glassed a mile or two in every direction, there were probably two lions in that circle.

It’s that time of year again, time for Montana elk and deer applications again. The deadline has been March 15th for many years until this year. It will be bumped back two weeks to April 1st. The good thing is that the results will be available two weeks after the deadline! No holding on to your money for weeks and weeks anymore. This is a win-win for applicants and if you apply for multiple states out West, you will have the ability to plan your Montana hunting before nearly any other state results are available. 

In addition, you will be able to apply for all the species in Montana at one time. Once again, due to the workload relief from omitting paper applications, drawings and results will be easier and available sooner than years past. Also, Montana no longer offers paper applications. This gives FWP the ability to save massive amounts of time and money and get the draw results to you quicker. There still are two ways to get your applications in, one being online, inside your FWP portal and the second is electronically in person at any FWP office. 

Another change you will see is the transition away from mailing you your licenses and permits. Now, each person will be able to print their carcass tags from home on regular paper. If you are successful in a drawing, you will receive a link in your email to print your tags one time. 

These are huge money and time-saving changes for FWP but the hurdle I see is the downfall of waterproof carcass tags. When you print off your carcass tag I would highly suggest you store your tags in a sealed Ziploc bag and when you do harvest an animal, notch your tag, put it back in the Ziploc then attach it to the animal. As you know, computer paper won’t hold up to inclement weather, so keep your tags protected which will keep you protected if you get checked by a warden and have a tag that isn’t legible. I have yet to hear how they will prevent any counterfeiting from going on but I imagine this could be a hard one to regulate. 

In this hunting rifle review Todd Helms pulls the Alpine Hunter rifle out of the box and is smacking steel at 1000 yards with only seven shots! The Alpine Hunter built by Snowy Mountain Rifles is a premium rifle with plenty of options to upgrade. The Alpine Hunter is guaranteed to shoot at 1/2 MOA or better! The rifle in this review features a Proof Research carbon barrel, Defiance Deviant Hunter action, Trigger Tech trigger and a custom SMR muzzle break.

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The post Rifle Review Snowy Mountain Rifles appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Hunting involves rain, snow, and dirt! Is your hunting ammo up to the job? In this hunting gear review, Todd Helms puts the new Hornady Outfitter Ammo to the test on a cold Wyoming day. See how this weatherproof ammo performs after landing in the snow. Be sure to subscribe to our channel for more hunting gear review videos. Tap the bell to get notifications so you never miss a video from Eastmans!

The post NEW Outfitter Ammunition from Hornady appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

With the push to protect migrating wildlife during the throes of their arduous journeys, Gov. Mark Gordon created an Executive Order around the Protection of Migration Corridors. With this order comes a focus on mitigating the estimated 6,000 big game animal deaths each year in Wyoming caused by vehicle collisions.