Hunting and Fishing News & Blog Articles

Grizzly Death Rate is Accelerating

Deaths of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) are on track to set a new record in 2018. Just since September 1, 11 bears have been euthanized, bringing the year-to-date total up to 58 with the high-conflict fall season just unfolding.

The old record was 61, set in 2015, and death rates have been accelerating over the last three decades. During 2000-2009, the average number of bears killed was 27.5. But, since 2010, that has climbed to 48.9. That average could be as high as 50+ once 2018 is finished (see the nearby chart). In fact, 2018 will be the fourth year in a row that grizzly mortality has exceeded 55 bears. That’s with no hunting season.

Too Many Deaths or Too Many Bears?

If you do the math, 55 dead bears out of an estimated population of 800 is about 7%. The reason that concerns people is that grizzly population growth, which around Yellowstone was 4%-7% per year from 1983-2001, has slowed in recent years to more like 0%-2% due to fewer cubs and yearlings surviving. Since 7% is significantly more than 2%, people are concerned that the total number of bears is declining. Of course, that growth rate is after counting mortalities from different causes, but still there is no doubt that fatalities from human-bear conflicts are increasing. Add proposed hunting seasons of say 22 bears on top of that 55 and you have fuel for an intense debate.

Family man and hunter Ike Eastman shares his experience with Liberty Safe. Keeping guns out of unwanted hands is often a foremost concern, but protecting valuables such as optics, passports, birth certificates and irreplaceable family memories provides priceless piece of mind. Liberty Safe’s seamless construction, waterproof seals and fire protection up to 150 minutes can help you sleep easy and allow convenient access to all of your valuables right at home. No more special trips to the safety deposit box at your local bank.

The post Protect Your Valuables- What We Store In Our Liberty Safes appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

This year, if you have a buck deer tag in one of 31 Colorado GMUs listed below you are required to submit the head to a Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) testing station. Here’s a list of CWD testing sites and their hours: https://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/Hunting/BigGame/CWD/PDF/CWDSubmissionSiteSch.pdf

Announcements of the requirement were mailed to all buck license holders in units 3, 4, 5, 14, 15, 18, 27, 28, 35, 36, 37, 41, ​42, 45, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 94, 95, 96, 181, 214, 301, 361, 371, 421, 441 and 951. Mandatory testing started in 2017, but it was for different GMUs.

Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) wants you to bring the head in within 5 days. You must bring the head and 2-4” of the spine below the jawbone along with your license and give them the harvest date and the GPS coordinates of where you shot the buck or identify the location on a map. They want the head wrapped in cheesecloth and do not want it frozen. Don’t bring in your tag, keep that attached to the carcass.

If you are planning to have your deer mounted, that means you cannot just send the head/antlers to your taxidermist. You or the taxidermist must remove the antlers and fully cape the deer quickly so you can take the skull and contents to the CPW station. The CPW site will not cape your animal. That might mean more business for local taxidermists rather than shipping off to an out of state taxidermist. If you cape it yourself, it is much easier if you do it right away, but go slowly and be very careful around the eyes, ears and lips. Watch Eastmans’ Dan Pickar show you how to cape an elk on this video and the procedure is the same on deer. 

Fees for CWD testing are waived or reimbursed if you are in one of these units. You can still have your deer tested for CWD if you shot it in another unit but you’ll have to pay the fee unless it was from one of the following additional units: GMUs 11, 12, 13, 22, 23, 24, 131, 211, and 231  You can have your elk or moose tested, but that is on your dime.

Looking for some instant backcountry coffee that delivers on taste? Here is your chance to win one of three giveaway packages from Alpine Start each valuing over $100.00! Fill out the form below and watch your email to see if you won!

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The post Alpine Start Instant Coffee Giveaway! appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Hunt for a post rut bull with Mike Eastman in Colorado. Watch Eastman harvest a trophy bull to close-out a lifetime of DIY elk hunting. He’s no stranger to trophy elk and his final harvest doesn’t disappoint on this web edition of Eastmans’ Hunting TV. With his son Guy Eastman behind the camera, this father-son hunt is one the Eastmans will never forget.

The post Hunting Elk In Colorado With Mike Eastman appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Go afield in Wyoming with two hunting moms and their kids as they each pursue their first trophy antelope. For Christine Schlenker this will be her young son’s first time tagging along on a hunt. While Melanie Bennett must manage a pair of teenagers and put the crosshairs on a nice pronghorn buck. Watch more from Beyond the Grid TV by Eastmans’: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsCaxOyKjb4rEqH0wImLVDtAxDdL6i4Qi

The post Kids Go Hunting! – Beyond The Grid TV appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Hunter Brandon Mason reviews the solar power offerings from Goal Zero. The Boulder Briefcase 100 and YETI 400 are perfect combination for the off-grid hunting camp. For backcountry users, the lightweight Nomad system will cover all your charging needs.

The post Portable Electricity! Solar Power By Goal Zero! appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Bowhunting big game takes perseverance, patience, practice and of course when to draw and when to release once that buck or bull is in range. After the shot one of the most difficult things for a bow hunter can be deciding when to pursue an animal after making a hit. Blood color can be an important piece of evidence. The blood ring indicator on a recovered Bloodsport Arrow can provide valuable information to help determine the type of hit!

The post Blood Ring Clues And Shot Placement With Bloodsport appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Chronic Wasting Disease, also known as CWD, has taken its toll around the US and Canada. This strange TSE (Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy) was found in 1967 in northern Colorado and was classified as a “wasting” syndrome. Since its discovery CWD has spread to at least 23 states and two Canadian provinces. CWD is best described as chronic weight loss until death – not a pretty picture at all, and one that has caused grave concern for sportsmen and biologists around the country. Without digging too deep into the details, this short description of what we are dealing with is the very reason Idaho Fish & Game (IDFG) has developed new rules to help prevent this disease from entering their state. Please review these closely, as they directly effect all successful hunters transporting game from ANY state or province known to have CWD (see map for reference of known cases).

The new rule bans the import of any carcass or part of wild deer, elk or moose from another state, province or country with ANY documented case of CWD. This rule was placed into effect immediately and is now being enforced.

The first question that comes up is how do we define this? If I shoot an elk in Montana or Colorado can I bring the meat home to eat it? The simple answer is YES. However, there are some hoops to jump through. The disease is known to affect the central nervous system, therefore any of the brain or spinal system cannot be transported. In short, it is OK to transport meat that is cut and wrapped or deboned meat that does not included brain or spinal tissue. Heart and liver are okay, hides without skull are okay, cleaned or dried skulls are okay, etc. So not all bad, but definitely something that needs to be considered. It is no small task to debone an elk and boil the skull prior to leaving camp, and if you are not prepared for it at all then the task becomes much more difficult.

Additionally, IDFG banned the use of natural deer, elk and moose urine for hunting big game.

This is a game-changer for many hunters and needs to be shared abroad. Some of this may seem extreme at a glance, but the states that have been hit hard with this disease have horror stories to share. One thing we can all agree on as sportsmen and sportswomen: we want to see and propagate healthy herds throughout the country. Our hunting future depends on it and the responsibility lies with us to help mitigate and hopefully end this outbreak.

Bad News on Bears

Not only did Judge Dana Christiensen cancel the Wyoming and Idaho grizzly hunts Monday, September 24th, but he also ruled that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (or, “the Service”) exceeded its authority when it delisted the grizzly in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The judge then ordered the grizzly bear to be reinstated to the Endangered Species List across the lower 48 states.

The Ruling

The judge sided with the native American tribes and various environmental groups that brought two charges. You can read the ruling itself here: https://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/2018-09-24_Doc-266-ORDER.pdf but here’s what he wrote:

I’m not sure what Judge Christensen is doing while time dwindles away for the Wyoming grizzly season he halted by issuing an injunction just hours before opening day. It may be that he is watching the Democrats’ desperate, last-ditch effort to stall the Judge Kavanaugh vote until the time before the election vanishes. One cannot help but notice the similarity.

In any case, while the judge mulls things over, he might consider the mounting problem of adverse grizzly interactions in northwest Wyoming.

Exhibit A has to be the recent grizzly attack on Wyoming guide Mark Uptain, who leaves behind a precious family of five and a client that fled the scene as well as the state and who is very likely dealing with PTSD. Being pulled off a horse and mauled by a grizzly is the stuff of nightmares. My heart goes out to the client and to Mr. Uptain’s family. Be sure to remember them in your prayers.

This attack was the most recent in a series that really jumped up the last few years. There have been 12 recorded grizzly fatal maulings recorded in Wyoming. They occurred in 1907, 1916, 1942, 1972, 1984, 2010, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015 and now 2018. Six, or half of the fatal grizzly attacks occurred in the 110 years prior to 2010 and the other half (6) were all in the last 9 years. You can say that statistics can be manipulated, but I think the raw data on this is pretty clear. We have a grizzly crisis in northwest Wyoming.

Want more proof? Here’s a chart of grizzly bear mortalities from the Wyoming Grizzly Bear Management Plan (p. 9) 

Guy Eastman heads north to the arctic to bowhunt Labrador caribou in Quebec. Bowhunting the tundra with little cover is challenging enough, but the unusually warm weather makes this hunt even more difficult. With a stroke of luck Eastman beats the odds and arrows a respectable velvet caribou bull on this web edition of Eastmans’ Hunting TV.

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

The final and perhaps most rewarding step in the pursuit of your western big game trophy of a lifetime is sharing your story with us so we can share it with our readers. There is no other western big game publication that reaches as many people as Eastmans’ Hunting Journals and  no other company champions the ethic of fair chase hunting and conservation like the original, Eastmans’.

If your submission is chosen to appear in an issue of either Eastmans’ Hunting Journal or Eastmans’ Bowhunting Journal you will be automatically eligible for free gear from our fine sponsors. However, the real reason to share your story is to pass along your passion for fair chase western big game hunting to the Younger Generation. It is no secret that as a nation we have lost over 2 million hunters in the past decade. Therefore, it is our responsibility to tell the stories of why we hunt, why we love big game animals and the wild places they call home, so that we can attract new brothers and sisters to our diminished ranks.

As if that weren’t enough, sharing your story celebrates the success of the North American Model of Conservation. No place on earth has been as successful as North America in the management of wildlife and our hunting heritage plays a dominant role in that saga. By recounting your adventures and sharing them with Eastmans’ Hunting Journals family you are spreading the positive image of hunters to a wide audience. We as hunters need to exalt each other and our shared passion if we are going to pass the torch to another generation of hunters and conservationists. Our narratives must resound in the public ear and nothing does that better than the written word with engaging images, both of which you’ll find in the pages of Eastmans’ Hunting Journals.

So don’t wait, subscribe today, begin your research with the Eastmans’ MRS sections, study the best tips and tactics, review the hottest gear and get cracking on your dream hunt and western big game trophy of a lifetime! And after it’s all said and done submit your story and photos for a chance to be featured in the premier western big game hunting publications, Eastmans’ Hunting Journals.

Hunter Todd Helms puts the new hunting camp by Sixsite to the test on a recent elk hunt. Helms tests the Sixsite Blackfoot rain system and Gunnision soft shell system in a mountain rain storm and isn’t disappointed. Designed by a former Navy Seal, this hunting gear by Sixsite is built for convenience and durability. Each piece is made right here in the good ‘ol USA!

The post Made In USA Hunting Gear – Sixsite Clothing Video Review! appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Ever struggled with your binoculars sliding on the center console or struggled to find a spot to keep them in place driving down a dirt road? Binodock has you covered and we have three on the line here! Fill out the form below for your chance to win!

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The post The Bino Dock Giveaway! appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Win the Vortex optics featured in the video above by filling out the form! We have one Razor HD 10×42 Binocular and one Razor HD 20-60×85 Spotting Scope! Fill out the form below for your chance to win!

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

Traveler and hunter Ike Eastman tests the durability of the new lightweight VAULT series of cases by Pelican. Eastman takes a hammer to the VAULT ammo case with impressive results. The VAULT series’ improved claps system, airport-friendly and lightweight design make these cases a versatile option for protecting delicate valuables of all shapes and sizes.

The post Review: Rifle And Ammo Cases From Pelican appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Comb the sagebrush of western Wyoming with Mike Eastman on his annual mule deer hunt. Mike has learned that hunting for a mature buck takes patience, persistence and a lot of time behind the glass. Locating the needle in the haystack pays off for Eastman on this deer hunt.

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The post Sagebrush Mule Deer Hunting With Mike Eastman appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Hunter and backcountry hiker and all around outdoorsman Dan Pickar discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using bear spray or a pistol for defense when recreating in grizzly bear country. Each tool has benefits depending on the situation and what your preferences may be as a hunter. What is your preference? Leave a comment below.

Learn more about how to recreate in bear country: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list…

The post Pistol VS. Bear Spray??? appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Want a a couple pieces of top notch hunting clothing just in time for the October seasons? Here is your chance to do just that from Sixsite! Win a Gunnison Jacket and a Clear Creek pant just by filling out the form below! Make sure you are following Eastmans’ on Instagram for more notices about our gear giveaways and see when post the Sixsite clothing video review!
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The post Sixsite Gunnison Jacket And Clear Creek Pant Giveaway! appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.