Hunting and Fishing News & Blog Articles

From the Office of Matt Mead:

Governor Mead Hails Decision to Delist Yellowstone Grizzly Bears

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced today that grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) have sufficiently recovered and will be returned to state management. There are approximately 700 bears in the GYE which includes Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. Governor Matt Mead praised the decision.

“Grizzly bears have met or exceeded recovery objectives since 2003 and have long warranted delisting. In 2013, I asked Secretary Salazar to delist the grizzly bears and much work toward this end has been done. I appreciate that the FWS is proceeding now with the delisting,” Governor Mead said. “The Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, which includes the FWS and Wyoming Game and Fish, must be commended for its years of great work. Thanks to the team effort, grizzlies will be managed appropriately by our experts at Game and Fish. I thank all involved in the delisting effort.”

Knowing the right ways use your truck while hunting vast tracks of land can be a huge benefit. Nearly all of us hunters own a truck, but are you using it to its full potential? Now, I am not saying to drive around and hope that monster buck or bull steps out. Driving around aimlessly glassing from every pullout will not produce consistent results. Today everyone owns a pair of binos and a scope and can stick them out the window on a dirt road. On the other end of the spectrum, you have hard hunters that will hike mile after mile through country that is devoid of game. You want to be somewhere in the middle – using your truck to learn vast areas, access country and base camp out of, then busting your hump in the right game-rich country. That’s a recipe for success.

The Big Picture
You have to know the layout of the country you will be hunting. You need to have maps of the road systems and mountain ranges. Before you ever leave on your hunt, you should know where all the access points, main roads and closed roads are. You should know the layout of the mountain ranges, ridges and valleys.
Early in my hunting career I would just head up a dirt road, not really knowing what direction or part of the mountain I was on. I would take off hunting not really knowing where I was headed or what features I was going to be looking at. Heck, half the time I would hike hours thinking I am getting away from pressure only to find another road I did not know existed. Nowadays, I know what features I am hunting and know where the roads are. That way when I take off hiking for a couple hours, I know I am getting away from the pressure.
I start with a state gazetteer map showing the whole state and then get the national forest or state lands map. The national forest maps will show which roads are open and which are closed. Then I like to get topo maps of the area to be able to see the big picture of what the land is doing. I go over them in detail before a hunt to get ideas of where I will go. Once I am in an area, I immediately start using my maps as a marking board. I start marking closed roads and start taking notes on anything I see of interest. I will mark good vantage points, water, game sightings; I will even mark hunting pressure. It does not take too long in an area to start to see the big picture of what’s going on.
I do a lot of hunts that are in high-pressure areas. Seems game is always where the hunting pressure is not. Game animals have a knack for finding these spots. But, even in high-pressure areas there are places like that. I look for tracts of land that are void of roads or void of trails. I look for spots that have tough access and you may have to walk for a while to get into. Another tactic I use is to look for a few sections of public land that sits amongst private. These spots are tougher for guys to find and usually hold game.

Honing In
When you arrive in a new hunting location the first thing to do is get a feel for the area. I will usually scout in the summertime or show up a couple days before the hunt to put eyes on the country. Even if the hunt is already on, it still pays to take a day and scout. Now I will have a few spots circled on my map that I want to check out and I will head to those first. I will use my truck to travel and look from different vantages.
Like I said earlier, everyone can stick a pair of binos out the window, so you need to take it a step further. Have canyons that are hidden from view from the road. Have short hikes that will lead you to a high knob or overlook that gives you a good vantage point. This is where having a good topo map of the area pays off big time. You can see where the roads go and see where the best vantage points are. Take some time here and look at your best bets first and during first light. In the middle of the day you want to check out country, getting a feel for what will be best to look at during prime time. Take note of any animals you see while driving or from your vantage points.
Another technique I use is to glass extreme distances. I will pull off or park where I can see an immense amount of country. The distance varies from a mile to 10 miles. A lot of times it is where no one would stop to glass like a main highway or down off the mountain. I usually choose to pick the hillside apart with my scope, trying to pick up critters. Now you can’t tell how big of buck it is from this distance and sometimes you can’t even tell if it is a buck. What you will see is where populations of game are living and then you can hone in from there.
Where there’s one, there’s more. You very rarely see every animal in an area from one vantage. So if you start to see animals in an area it is a sign there are more. Where I see animals is where I will start to hunt. I will make a push into country and see what’s living in there. I will make hikes showing me more country and different vantage points. I will focus my effort in a location and find out what is in there. Sometimes one hunt is all it will take and sometimes I will hunt a location for five days straight. It just depends on how much game and sign I am seeing.

Powder Day
Good snow is not just for skiers, it also helps us hunters immensely. Animals always move after a storm and are easier to spot with the white background. The biggest advantage is that you can see where critters are hanging out. There is now a record of where every animal has moved through or where animals are feeding. You can glass great distances for tracks and for feed marks. Tracks show up best with good sun so hunting in the middle of the day can be super-productive.
After a big snow storm there is no place I would rather be than behind my glass. I will use my truck to travel around and then take note of everything I see. No matter if I am hunting mulies or elk, I use the snow to see where populations are. I then will focus in on these areas and hike in and hunt them. There is no better tell-all in the woods than a fresh snow.

Being Mobile
The biggest advantage a truck gives you is being mobile. It allows you to change areas if where you are hunting is not productive. It allows you to cover country and pick and choose different vantage points with minimal effort. Put your base camp in the right spot and you are set up sweet. Set a base camp in the wrong spot and it will be an anchor. It keeps you from moving locations and keeps you out of game. I am not saying you can’t have a nice camp but be willing to move if the hunting falls off. Be willing to drive and scout other areas and move your camp if necessary.
Most of the time I will run a mobile truck camp, throwing out a pup tent or canvas burrito. I use a piece of canvas and then blow up my air mattress, set up my sleeping bag, then roll up the canvas around me. Every day I wake up before light and pick up my camp and then have it in the truck with me. It allows me to be super mobile and throw out my camp where ever I end up. I make day hikes into different locations and then my truck is my base camp.

For years Tecnu has been making products that keep you safe while outdoors, no matter the activity. Tecnu Original, developed during the Cold War to wipe of radioactive dust from skin has evolved into a multi-use product from everything to poison ivy, oak, and sumac treatment to removing pitch from coniferous trees that gets on your gear. It also removes skunk oils from those on their trap lines or the family pet.

As the years go by I am amazed at just how much I discover poisonous plants in the West, especially now that I know what I’m looking for. Poison oak for example, exists in many waterways in the dry, arid landscape here in Wyoming – not the state you’d normally think to look in for this type of plant.

Thankfully Tecnu Original can also be used to remove oils from tools, pets and clothing. Since poisonous plants are more prevalent than what you may think, including Tecnu in your first aid kit is something to seriously consider.  Watch this video for more info on this unique product from one of our sponsors.

As much as I love the stage, touring, and performing to crowds, being able to sneak away and become secluded with just the wilderness and myself is something my heart, mind, and soul needs in order to operate cohesively. I’m either on stage nearing the end of a tour, anxiously thinking about getting into the mountains with my bow in hand or I’ve punched my tag after an awesome hunt and am anticipating the adrenaline of being onstage in front of thousands of fans somewhere in the world. It’s an awesome life to live but like all of us I need to keep it balanced.

Now that touring is over and the year ahead looks to be lending itself to spending more time in the field, one of my big hunting adventures is taking me to Idaho for archery elk with hopes that my time in the mountains lands dead center in the heat of the rut.
Now is the time to sketch out a plan of action to get back into hunting shape. I’m grateful to have been able to maintain a consistent workout pattern during tour last year that resulted in a solid fitness foundation. I can now stack a workout plan on that foundation that should make me much more efficient on my hunt this year.

When it comes to getting into hunting shape, my mindset switches from typical “gym rat” physique building, to focusing on functional strength. It’s about making the transition from training in a controlled gym environment to being able to perform in mother nature’s realm. It’s kind of like taking a highway ready 4×4 pickup and giving it a lift, beefing up the weaker areas on the frame, and putting tires on to handle whatever obstacles, elements, and workload you put it under when using it off road.

The same goes for the human body when it comes to training for the tasks and challenges at hand when mountain hunting. Always expect the unexpected and anticipate making adjustments. I want to be as prepared as possible for anything that may change with my mind and body under taxing workloads.

Most of us started hunting when a relative or friend invited us to come along for the first time. If we were to narrow that down even further to the relative that was most likely to take us hunting it would probably be a father, or a father figure. It only seems fitting that the week before Father’s day we share a video on YouTube that has proven to be one of the most popular hunts from Eastmans’ Hunting TV year after year! Mike Eastman, founder of Eastmans’ Hunting Journals, and his son Ike have been hunting southwest Wyoming for mule deer for 20 years. Mike passed his knowledge of mule deer behavior and western hunting tactics on to Ike who has used it to harvest many trophies in multiple states year in and out.

The knowledge base grew for Ike and over the course of time the hunt in southwest Wyoming has turned into a family reunion with a healthy competitive nature as to who will kill the bigger buck. Follow along as the Eastman family celebrates their hunting heritage and the camaraderie that only family and friends know around the hunting campfire!

For those of us that make bowhunting a lifestyle, preparation for next season begins the day after archery season ends. For others, it might be a casual hobby or maybe you’re a weekend warrior. There’s nothing wrong with any intensity level of bowhunting as long as you’re a bowhunting! As preparation levels differ for each individual and hunting intensities differ, we all have one thing in common… the desire to have ice water flowing through our veins during the moment of truth. The perfect shot at the perfect moment for a perfect kill. Just a few seconds can define months of preparation, work and your whole season. No pressure right?

Don’t Overthink or Overwork Yourself

During the first few years I started bowhunting as a teenager, I figured if I worked hard success would follow. That’s how I was raised and it worked for me. I figured if I hunted hard enough and covered enough country I could catch up to the better odds and get an arrow bloody. Unfortunately, in the life of a bowhunter busting my butt didn’t always translate into success. That very statement is what got me hooked on bowhunting at a young age in NW Montana. It was a challenge that didn’t have a clear-cut equation of success. I became quickly submersed and enthralled in a lifestyle that was mine to define with success controlled by fate.
As my first few seasons went by I notched whitetail doe tags and turkeys. But my primary goal was a bull elk. All I could think about was elk. That’s all that mattered to me.

The era of the four-blade broadhead is here. It’s been over a decade in the making but they have begun to really gain popularity, especially in recent years. Why? The answer is simple. More total cutting area, designs built for accuracy and most importantly, hard-hitting modern bows to drive them home. About 15 years ago when my archery career began I went straight to four blade heads. That’s about the time companies began emphasizing short profiled, four-blade heads like Muzzy and shortly thereafter, Slick Tricks. Now, there are multitudes of effective fixed, hybrid and recently, fully expandable heads available.

Over the past three years I’ve tested as many types and variances of four-blade broadheads as I could get my hands on. During that time I’ve shot roughly 50 animals ranging from javelina to giant wild brush bulls across the West and Hawaii. Results have varied from disappointing blood trails to jaw-droppingly awesome performance. On top of that, our arrow flight performance testing using Doppler radar by Labradar makes this review the most comprehensive and detailed broadhead review ever published to date.

The Labradar:

The Labradar is a first of its kind tool for measuring velocities of arrows during their entire flight path using Doppler radar technology. In our groundbreaking testing, we have been able to actually measure the drag of any given arrow/vane/head combination along its entire flight path. The results of our testing showed some dramatic results. We concluded that vane orientation (degrees of offset or helical) plays a larger role in drag than the broadheads do. And another big take away we found was all of the broadheads are equal in velocity loss when compared to each other meaning the drag amongst the fixed blades is equal.  

As bowhunters, the important thing to note here is you need to find the ideal balance between stability and speed to maximize your rig’s potential.

This is an update to the Colorado MRS and Dave Hoshour’s Hidden Gold Article from December

There have been several changes so far in 2017 for returned and reissued licenses. Some were announced well after the original announcement. Changes published after the Colorado MRS was written are indicated by NEW below. See the CPW page on reissued licenses at http://cpw.state.co.us/refunds .

Returned Licenses
1. If you return a license you may have your points restored or receive a refund, but not both.

2. You must turn in your license at least 30 days before the season starts – exceptions for extreme medical circumstances of the license holder only (like death or coma) or military deployment.

Stay On Top Of Your Game!

Let’s face it; everyone wants to be a great shot. We all dream of drawing back on the animal of our dreams and watching the arrow disappear tight behind the shoulder. For some, this consistently becomes a reality, but for others, it will remain a dream unless they put in the time and work for it.

There is one small difference between the hunter that consistently executes perfect kill shots and the hunter that regularly sends poorly placed arrows downrange. That one difference is preparation. You can shoot a lot of arrows over the course of a year, but if you’re not properly preparing for that one shot, you’re wasting your time. Preparation involves mental training, physical training and being sure your equipment is ready for your opportunity.

Year round shooting is a key element to successful bowhunting. It’s not enough to pick up your bow three weeks before season and expect to be a great shot. As a matter of fact, putting minimal effort and time into shooting before going hunting is considered unethical. We owe it to the animals we pursue to do what is required to ensure a quick clean kill from an arrow that is guided with precision rather than luck.

I am somewhat of a nostalgic, the type of person that loves to recall a memory while looking at a picture or thinking about what places a piece of gear has traveled with me. Recently I was asked to review the Crispi Valdres boots and that brought back memories from one of my favorite pairs of boots from year’s past – the Crispi Hunters.

It took over 1000 miles on the trail for the Vibram soles of the Hunters to need resoling and they maintained their comfort level throughout one of the worst pack outs I have ever been a part of (and there have been a few). Brandon Mason and I decided that some unseasonably warm weather dictated a VERY heavy packout was in order to get the entirety of my 2014 bull out of the six mile deep ridge where I killed him. The boots bear the scars of that trip on the sole and the 1” rubber rand.

The new GORE-TEX lined 8 “ Valdres aren’t as tall as the Hunters and are my choice for early season hunts and the Crispi Crossbow Frame is a welcome feature on summer scouting trips. Trekking comfortably between high country basins can be the difference between finding the buck of a lifetime or going home empty handed.

With 100+ miles of use on the Valdres so far, the Anatomic Fit and Flex 3 features are positives in the world of mountain boot break in. Like most upper end, minimum stitching boots with 1” rubber rands, breaking them in takes time and sometimes brutal effort. The Crispi Valdres were stiff enough for me to trust their ankle support but flexible enough for a comfortable break in period.

With the wrath of the worst winter in nearly 40 years finally behind us, the Wyoming deer herd has suffered tremendously, particularly on the Western side of the state. The regions of G, H and K have taken the brunt of the winter losses. Along with that historic limited quota go to areas for many such as 102, 141/162, 130 and 105/106/109 have seen very serious winter losses for their mule deer populations. As an example, the state of Wyoming had 99 mule deer fawns from last year (yearlings) collared for a study mostly from Regions G and H. Of those 99 only one single fawn survived the winter. Not a very good scenario to say the least. With that said, the options are pretty slim this year, and even at that, these are what I believe to be the best mule deer options available at this time in the state of Wyoming, which may not really be saying much.

1. Area 87-1: Right in the heart of the famed Carbon County and clear of the epicenter of the winter danger zone this area is a very solid bet for a high point holder who really wants to hunt deer this year. An increased quota, limited hunting pressure and high success make this area a very high quality hunt for Wyoming. Public land access can be a bit problematic here, so do your research.

2. Area 89-1: A solid producer and an expanding mule deer herd put this hunt on the list this year. This deer area has one of the highest buck to doe ratios in the entire state and one of the only mule deer herds that is over objective population levels. A great hunt for good bucks, but true monsters can be hard to come by here. A great bowhunt.

3. Area 101-1: This area has very limited hunting pressure and tons of country to hunt in. Although this area is in the winter danger zone I think the limited amount of tags and the excessive moisture from this winter and spring could really benefit the survivor bucks in this area. Probably the best bet in the state for a true monster of a buck this year, but could be a bit risky with decreased deer herd numbers.

Generally speaking, antelope do tend to fair somewhat better during a rough winter than the mule deer do. Antelope are notoriously hardy critters given their size. I do think the antelope have managed to fair slightly better than the deer did this past winter mostly due to the relatively mild spring we have seen this year. Even with that said, I would be very leery to burn a bunch of preference points on the historic big buck hot spots in Sweetwater and southwestern Carbon Counties. Historic hot spot areas such as 90, 96, 92, 59, 58, 57, 61 and 62 would probably be a huge gamble this year. Since antelope grow their horns during the winter months, even a very luscious spring, like we are now seeing may not be enough to boost the horn growth above and beyond the average most heavy point holders are usually looking for. A few exceptions could be these five antelope areas which should be free and clear of the heaviest of the winter damages.

1.Area 67-1: In the heart of Fremont County, this area has seen solid moisture this year but was somewhat clear of the worst conditions winter dealt to the areas just to the West. Monster bucks are definitely a possibility here, particularly on a year like this. Probably the best bet in the state this year for quantity and quality of bucks.

2. Area 114-1: This area is a very solid big buck producer and has been for decades. With the increased moisture levels this winter and spring, coupled with plenty of protected agriculture fields to winter on the antelope in this area should be as good as ever.

3. Area 75-1: A very solid and steady producer this area has plenty of antelope and can have some big bucks on a good year. This year should be good with the very wet spring and somewhat average winter here.

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