Hunting and Fishing News & Blog Articles

Eastmans’ subscriber Jayden Wallace puts the hammer to public land trophy antelope on a DIY hunt with his dad. This is a family hunting experience that 11 year old Jayden won’t soon forget!

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“What’s in a name?” This popular line from Shakespeare applies to more in life than you might realize. A name or descriptive terminology for something often has much deeper roots than we’ve been taught to believe. Such is the case with the term “Sportsman.” For years I’ve had a problem with us as Americans referring to hunting and fishing as a sport – because it isn’t. Hunting is a lifestyle, a passion – not a sport.

Years ago I was able to hear one of the most recognized wildlife biologists, researchers and biggest proponents of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation speak at a wildlife management conference in Bismarck, North Dakota. His name is Dr. Valerius Geist and he very eloquently put the history of the term Sportsman in its proper context, complete with historical perspective from England and Germany on truly where this descriptor of those loving the outdoors came from.

The fact of the matter is this: hunting is not a sport, it is a passion. In America, for decades we have perverted the term to have competitive connotations because the word sport is in the description. The term Sportsman is in fact an old English term simply describing the relationship between the hunter and other hunters, the hunter and the land and the hunter and the wildlife resources they are helping manage through wildlife conservation. To be a Sportsman meant you were a gentleman and treated other hunters, the land and the wildlife with profound respect. 

Too often we hear stories of irrational behavior exhibited by fellow hunters in the field – someone piggybacking on your hunting spot after you simply shared your story of success with them in passing, another person trying to beat you to an animal in a basin you have clearly been hunting before anyone else, an individual tagging an animal you just shot and claiming it was actually them who shot it when they just saw you shoot the animal and quickly arrived upon the dead animal, tagging it before your arrival. The list goes on and on (notice I didn’t refer to these slobbish people as hunters or sportsmen since they are nothing of the sort – true hunters/sportsmen do not act this uncivilized toward their fellow hunters/sportsmen).

As summer approaches, tags are being drawn, plans begin to form, everyone is getting excited for the season ahead. I was lucky enough to pull a challenging mountain goat tag in my home state of Wyoming, which is going to take me into entirely new country. I’ll be spending a lot of time in unfamiliar landscapes. I already am planning scouting trips to this new country, in hopes of finding legal goats, but also possibly a big highcountry buck or two as well. I know I will be spending my time alone like usual. There is something to be said about solo hunting. For me, it is my preferred method. Though I enjoy sharing time in the hills with friends, I truly enjoy the challenge both mentally and physically of hunting alone. 

The longest solo hunt I have personally done was 13 days straight in the Frank Church Wilderness back in 2007 while pursuing my once in a lifetime bighorn ram. By the end of two weeks without seeing another human, I was at the point of losing arguments with my horses. It was the mental aspect that began to take its toll. Going days without even seeing a sheep made staying positive challenging. I kept focusing on the adventure, and not the hope of success. I was alone in one of the most remote landscapes of the lower 48, and every decision and move I made was mine to choose. In the end, I almost gave up, but forced myself to climb one more mountain, and it was the reason I punched my tag. I have yet to have a hunt challenge me mentally as that sheep hunt did, but it also taught me what I could accomplish if I overcame the feeling of being mentally defeated. 

Sometimes when we are in the outdoors, accidents happen. At that juncture in life we each have a choice on doing the right thing or trying to cover it up.

Unfortunately some hunters make a poor judgement call at times. One such case from the ‘18 hunting season in CO has been in the news recently. A young man 19 years of age was caught and charged with almost $20,000 in fines for poaching a moose. He stated that when he shot, the animal was too far away to be positively identified while he was hunting elk. After realizing he made a mistake, rather than notifying the authorities, he neglected to report it and an anonymous source turned him in. Thankfully he admitted to it, but the damage had already been done, both to his reputation and those of law-abiding hunters in the eyes of the non-hunting public.

Aldo Leopold, often called the father of modern wildlife conservation, stated “A peculiar virtue of wildlife ethics is that the hunter ordinarily has no gallery to applaud or disapprove of his conduct. Whatever his acts, they are dictated by his own conscience, rather than by a mob of onlookers.”

As hunters we are more than just killers. We are sportsmen. What’s in a name, you may ask? In the August/September issue of Eastmans’ Hunting Journal in 2016 I wrote a fairly long article related to this issue. We have so much responsibility as representatives of hunters at large when we are out in the field, and we have a tendency to forget just how much others are watching our behavior. I know I am guilty of this.

In a recent article for Eastman’s, I wrote about the three macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, and fat) and how all three play an important role in your backcountry nutrition plan. Here, I’d like to outline the wide range of foods you can choose from when assembling your backcountry menu. All of these foods will contain nearly 100 calories per ounce or more, so you should be able to assemble 3,000 calories per day in less than two pounds of food.

Carbohydrates

When picking out carbohydrate rich foods for your adventure menu, you want to look for sources of carbs that are complex rather than simple. The reason for this is that complex carbohydrates take longer to digest and assimilate, so you’ll find that your energy levels are more stable after eating. In contrast, eating mostly simple carbohydrates such as refined sugar, can cause a sharp spike in your blood sugar levels, followed by a subsequent blood sugar crash. If you’ve ever felt the 3 pm energy slump, you’ve likely experienced this blood sugar drop.

Hunters Dan and John Pickar put the Sig Sauer BDX system to the test on the prairie dog town. The pair finds the Ballistic Data Exchange system to be easy and fun to use! The BDX system uses Bluetooth technology to communicate between Sig Sauer’s BDX rangefinders and rifle scopes. Set up is quick. Plug a rifle’s ballistics into the app and you are off and shooting with deadly accuracy in no time.

The post The Sig Sauer BDX System – Ballistic Data Xchange appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Guy Eastman shares his tips for how to age elk on the hoof. Antler size isn’t always a good indicator of age. Instead rely on body conformation. Guy breaks down what to look for the next time you’re glassing up a bull. For more videos on elk and elk hunting visit this playlist on our YouTube channel.

The post That Bull Is How Old? Judge A Bull’s Age By His Body Size And Shape! appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

I have various issues with several states and how they do their reporting, but Montana takes the cake. Two of the last three years, the State has not even counted deer or elk hunters, so there are no unit or controlled hunt success rates posted on their web site for 2016 or 2018. We also hear from hunters all the time that they don’t trust what Montana does report.

Montana uses an antiquated voluntary phone survey. Some hunts like deer hunt 103-50 had zero response to the survey last year. People tell us they lie when asked where they shot their deer. In other cases, online data is wrong. Want to know the success for controlled hunt 270-50? In 2017 the regs listed 45 mule deer controlled permit buck tags and everything else was does or a whitetail general license. But the harvest report lists 1148 mule deer hunters. Oh, but wait. In Montana a hunter with a whitetail general license can shoot a mule deer if he chooses. So, every whitetail hunter is a mule deer hunter. It’s a mess, not to mention the general hunt is at the same time as the controlled hunt that takes several points.

Why no hunter numbers or success rates for 2016 and 2018? I’m told the State’s biologists get together every year and say what data they need to manage wildlife and apparently that doesn’t include hunter numbers or success rates, so to save money they skip information you and I do need. 

This is my primary beef with wildlife departments and nowhere is the problem more egregious than in Montana. Even though they are posted, reports are for biologists, not hunters, even though we need them to apply intelligently and we, for the most part, pay the bills. This needs to change.

Sign up here for your chance to win a brand new SIG Optics BDX System! We have 5 combo kits of the  KILO 2200 BDX paired with the Sierra 3BDX 4.5-14X50 mm rifle scope, valued at $1,319.99! We also are giving away 5  combo kits of the  KILO 1800 BDX paired with the Sierra 3BDXT4.5-14X44 mm rifle scope, valued at$1,079.99. This range finding system is packed with lightning fast electro optics technology with great edge to edge clarity and low light glassing ability. The BDX technology is also Bluetooth compatible meaning that with a touch of a button on your range finder illuminations on your scope will pop up, indicating your exact holdover for the shot you are planning to take. Don’t miss out on your chance to win a fantastic optics package! Sign up for this giveaway by filling out the form below. Good luck!

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The post SIG Sauer BDX System Giveaway appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

In my ever present search for supportive, yet lightweight footwear I seem to keep stumbling on to amazing boots/shoes that take comfort and support to the next level. In recent years I have definitely gravitated toward ultralight footwear. To say I have adopted the old adage of “a pound on your feet is like 10 in your pack” would be an understatement.

However, I have also found there is such a thing as too light for what my feet demand to remain pain free. Ounce counting along with support considerations are vital for longevity in the field. This statement seems obvious, but sometimes we get so focused on certain criteria that we forget to look at the whole picture. The good thing is there is a slew of options in the midweight boot category that bridge the gap between ultralight shoes and supportive mountain boots.

In the spring of 2019 I was able to test a range of new boots from various manufacturers, including the Lowa Baldo GTX. The German boot company Lowa has been making quality mountain boots and shoes since 1923. They, like many of their competitors are well known for their rugged mountain boots and have really ramped up the technologies in the ever-evolving lightweight and midweight boot categories.

One of Lowa’s premier features on their boots is their X-Lacing system. This is comprised of a square stud in the middle of the upper tongue that keeps the tongue centered and the laces under consistent tension. This system, along with the roller eyelets help make up a 2-zone lacing setup for all day comfort when hiking or glassing. I’m normally a big proponent of doing a lacing adjustment a few miles into the day in order to keep your boots properly fitted (similar to tightening down a load on a trailer after a few miles down the road from the load adjusting in transit), but with this system I felt no need to adjust on the fly.  I was comfortable all day. The 2-zone lacing setup does what the name implies: it gives you essentially a lower and an upper zone for custom tension on those laces in the different parts of the foot. Too often a boot company will build a boot that forces the user to have the same tension throughout, but this isn’t the case with the Baldos

I have two toddlers and as such I find myself often telling them to keep their hands out of the cookie jar! At their age the jar is just way too much temptation. However, discipline has taught them that they have to say please, thank you and when they don’t follow the rules they will not get a cookie. Here is to hoping that the $15,000.00 fine and loss of hunting privileges for five years is enough to deter others from jumping the gun on shed hunting in closed areas the same way that discipline has worked for my children. 

A Wyoming man named Joshua Anders Rae received his punishment for jumping the gun and entering land closed to shed hunting where he then stashed 104 lbs of antlers for collection later. Rae plead guilty to the charges laid against him. For 104 lbs of antlers he has lost his hunting opportunities for five years and will have to figure out how to pay $15,000.00 to the state of Wyoming!

The question in just about every big game related case is, was the penalty enough? At first glance this punishment sounds pretty significant but is it enough to deter other people from putting their hands in the cookie jar?

The answer is complicated. With the value of antlers on the rise and the popularity of shed hunting at an all time high due to social media it may actually not deter would be law breakers. I have had friends tell me how much money they have gotten for their sheds and it never ceases to amaze me. 

Hunt Montana mule deer with a young Guy Eastman in this classic release from Eastmans’ vault. Guy’s father Mike Eastman narrates the hunt. Hunting mule deer out west takes patience and persistence.

The post Pure Mule Deer – Hunting Montana Mule Deer With Guy Eastman appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

A recent Powell Tribune article attempts to examine the reason that grizzlies in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are ranging further afield from their “core area” or DMA (demographic monitoring area). Last year a sow and cubs was discovered just east of Powell, Wyoming in a farmer’s field, that’s a long way (100+ miles as the crow flies) from Old Faithful but why? Are these bears seeking asylum from an overpopulated GYE or, and this is where the article examines a little different topic, are these refugee grizzlies out of food and expanding their range to fill bellies? 

The answer to this question may lie in the counting method employed by the Wyoming Game and Fish. The Chao 2 method is a notoriously conservative scientific method for establishing game populations and due to its conservative nature, the method garners scrutiny from folks who claim there are a lot more than 700 grizzlies in the GYE, especially within the DMA. Therefore, this conservative population estimate of 700 bruins seems to be knocked askew when compared with the rising number of both grizzly bear fatalities and grizzly bear/human/livestock/automobile incidents. 

Hunt the rut with Guy and Mike Eastman in this classic hunting video from the Eastmans’ vault. The crew rattles in some small whitetail bucks, but then turn their attention to mature mule deer buck. Hunting deer in the rut is as about as exciting as it gets!

The post Eastmans’ Classic: Mule Deer Run Hunt With Guy Eastman appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Yet another elk poaching case has come to light in Montana, this one taking place in Ravalli and Missoula counties. Both cases date back to 2017 and deal with Brady Joe Stamps killing elk illegally on private lands he did not have permission to be on, the second bull being shot after he had already filled his tag during the 2017 archery season and being left to rot because he knew it was on private land.

Now the real story behind this case isn’t the fact that Stamps poached two bull elk, trespassed, wasted a valuable public resource or that he has been found guilty of wildlife infractions in the State of Alaska where he lost his hunting rights for a year. The story isn’t that this joker is a repeat offender or that the State of Montana has chosen to charge him with one felony for illegal possession of a game animal and several misdemeanor counts for his additional nefarious activities. Nope, the real story is the work of FWP warden Justin Singleterry to build a case against Stamps.

Hunter Ike Eastman shares his experience with the YETI Loadout Gobox, the latest release from the durability king. Dust proof, water proof and shock resistant this cargo box was made for riding on ATVS and in truck beds to the trailhead. Ike packs his with hunting accessories including ammunition, optics and other essentials that a hunter shouldn’t go afield without.

Ike shares his technique for packing a YETI cooler: https://youtu.be/kmTfJjU2xKo

Watch Dan Pickar put the YETI Rambler one gallon to the test: https://youtu.be/S0OqWPAc0ag

Check out our new hunting series Beyond the Grid: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list…

The post The New Yeti Loadout Gobox! appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Join elk hunting legend Mike Eastman on a hunt for a trophy bull in the oak brush country of Colorado. In this classic Eastmans’ hunt, Mike shares his tips for hunting elk in this type of habitat and glasses up a variety of bulls, including an old, injured battler.

The post Eastmans’ Classic: Oak Brush Elk Hunt With Mike Eastman appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Ever since I was a university student studying to get my bachelor’s degree in wildlife and fisheries biology, I’ve been amazed at the lack of common sense and on the ground knowledge of some biologists and the general public when it comes to the topic of predator and land management. I recall doing my first research paper on mule deer management, where we reviewed a peer-reviewed paper for a report. I chose one that dealt with overwinter fawn survival and the “ground breaking” conclusion the researcher found from two years of study was that coyotes and other predators had a drastic effect on overwinter fawn survival.

I was shocked that this was shocking to the researcher. Two years of research and resources all to find out that predators have a negative effect on fawn survival. Unbelievable. I brought this up to my professor and was lambasted for criticising a researcher. I quickly learned where I stood and that in order to go far in the wildlife management world you had to keep your mouth shut and do as you’re told and often-times ignore facts. Well, that’s not me and 20 years later I read articles like this from the CBC and see that the trend continues.

British Columbia (or B.C.) has been utilizing cull efforts to help control wolf populations and their decimation of northern caribou herds. Again, the fact that predators left unchecked have  devastating effect on ungulates and other wildlife isn’t earth shattering news, but the rebuttal from the wolf-lover-community continues to blow my mind with the lack of attention to on-the-ground knowledge and results of this effective effort from the province. From the article we read, “Critics have argued that habitat loss and human encroachment are to blame for the decline of the caribou, and say there is little evidence to back up the theory that wolves are the problem.”

Are you kidding me?! Have these “critics” even been to the North Country? Loss of habitat?! Really?! One of the struggles wildlife managers have always had in managing caribou herds is the vast expanses of habitat that make it difficult for humans to tag along with caribou herds to effectively monitor their populations on a long-term basis. It isn’t cost-effective and is sometimes impossible for us to go where they live in certain times of the year. No…loss of habitat isn’t the problem.

Sign up here for your chance to win a brand new pair of Vortex Fury HD 5000 range finding binoculars! These range finding binoculars are equipped with state of the art range finding technology and fit comfortably in your hand for long days of glassing in the high country. The XR Fully Multi-Coated lens paired with the Dielectric Coating make for bright and clear glassing in the field and perform well in low light conditions. Sign up for this giveaway by filling out the form below. Good luck!

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The post Vortex Fury HD 5000 Range Finding Binocular Giveaway appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

A Montana Poaching Case for the Ages.

The dust has finally settled on a Montana millennial who has been convicted and now charged with a very disturbing poaching binge that has resulted in a lifetime ban from hunting and fishing. But does it even matter?

A logical person might argue-probably not, due to the fact that the offender was already under a hunting and fishing suspension at the time.

Last Friday, 23-year old Branden Schuhen was ordered to pay $33,050 in fines and restitution, complete 500 hours of community service and 10 years of probation along with a lifetime ban from hunting and fishing in the state of Montana for poaching three bull elk, a buck deer, two antelope and two turkeys in one season, all while already under a temporary suspension of his hunting and fishing privileges for trespassing while hunting in Montana.