Hunting and Fishing News & Blog Articles

Moose 

Region 1

Region 1 has the most tags to offer in the state and has the highest density of moose. I grew up hunting this part of the state and never have drawn a moose tag but many of my friends and family have. Overall, moose quality has been slowly declining over the years due to predators. 20 years ago there were no where near the number of wolves that there are now or even 10 years ago. Grizzlies have always had high densities here which play a role in calf mortality. Moose are browsers so they rely on mountain maple, willows, and other shrubs to eat, especially in the winter. Logging units make for some of the best habitat for moose as the climate up in the Northwest portion of the state suits it the best. However, when thick overstory dominates, sunlight can’t reach the ground and most browse is drowned out. When logging units are established, brush flourishes and so do moose. Logging units that are one to seven years old really attract moose. This is ideal moose habitat and the best tip for locating moose in the Northwest portion of the state. Trophy quality is down compared to what it used to be and multiple reports from hunters have said it’s hard to locate moose let alone a big bull. Most of the moose that I’ve seen being harvested are between 30 and 37 inches wide which is just average in the grand scheme of things. Moose that have been found have been in isolated areas meaning you can go miles without seeing sign of moose to seeing a jackpot of a few cows and calves with a rutting bull.

Of course the habitat coverage keeps moose concealed and the nature of moose hunting where glassing is difficult gives it its own difficulty. Lakes that have plenty of vegetation for feed attract moose so checking lakes is always a tactic to keep in mind. There are two main types of tactics here that are highly effective. Given the season is so long you have plenty of time to hunt them. Calling is your best friend here so I encourage you to hunt during the rut and if you can, concentrate your time around the last week of September to the first week of October. Knowing and understanding moose calls and using the terrain to help project your calling can be really beneficial. If you are in a bind and find yourself into November without harvesting a moose then wait for fresh snow and hunt for a track. By this time bulls are mostly by themselves which can make this tactic very straight forward. Follow the track until you hunt them down. This is not a desired tactic because you can end up farther from a road than you want to be but is a last-ditch effort tactic that is effective.

2021 is here and application season is in full swing! What makes this year unique is that TagHub is now one year old and we have made some very cool refinements, one in particular that you will enjoy, a 30 day free trial that will let you see the 2020 harvest data incorporated into the data sorting tool. TagHub has been updated with the latest information from the 2020 season. 

The other TagHub feature that I am excited to tell everyone who is hoping to be lucky enough to draw a coveted tag in Nevada is our drought layer. With the incredibly dry summer that most of the West saw in 2020 this is on everyone’s mind. With a quick look through the feature I can tell that we are looking at a fairly dry winter thus far. Antler growth starts NOW and that is something to keep in mind if you are sitting on a lot of points. When the bucks and bulls don’t start well overall quality can be a challenge. Watch for an update on western drought conditions at blog.eastmans.com. 

Other than the drought map looking rough, what is the overall condition of big game hunting in Nevada? Based on my research and contacts in the state there is no time like the present to hunt Nevada. Sure, you may have drought and all the associated challenges but with all the weird going on across the country we all need a little sanity. What better way to find it than looking for the best hunting opportunities in the state of Nevada and gambling on a chance at a great buck or bull? My name will be in the hat this year, may the odds be ever in your favor!

As always scouting will be the difference between success and failure for most hunters and with the drought likely playing out through the summer find that water! The animals will be moving to and from water supplies so dial up those guzzler and spring locations in your mapping tools and scout them hard. This is key in Nevada in a normal year will be even more important heading into the next year. 

Now let’s move on to the draw! Nevada hasn’t made any significant changes to their system or price structures for 2021. Residents will pay $38.00 for a license and non-residents will pay $155.00. Make sure you take a look at the other assorted fees that are associated with applying such as the $1.00 processing fee, the $3.00 predator fee per application and the $10.00 application fee. These are the little fees that can add up quickly so be prepared and take a look at the chart on this page to make sure you know the prices for the tags themselves.

This rifle scope review features the Amplus 6 built by Leica. Eastmans’ Todd Helms takes this new hunting specific rifle scope to the range. Todd was impressed by the wide field of view, optical clarity and unique turret covers. This scope is rugged and paired with Leica’s no-questions asked 10 year and 30 year warranty, this is a piece of equipment that will last a lifetime.

The post Affordable European Rifle Scope! Leica’s Amplus 6 Review appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

News on the homefront this morning is that a new pack of wolves has been recorded in Wyoming where only the occasional wolf passed through before. A central Wyoming outfitter has shared footage he took while hunting the Medicine Bow National Forest last fall. If this is a trend that continues, one of the last remaining wolf free National Forests in Wyoming will be home to Canis Lupus. 

The Medicine Bow National Forest lies extremely close to Wyoming’s largest population hub and butts up against the now wolf-reintroducing state of Colorado. Wolves here are most likely an inevitability and the popular hunting units that lie within its borders are sure to suffer from the lack of game that units in the northernwestern portion of the state have been enduring for the past decade or more. This is to say nothing of the impact a burgeoning wolf population will have on livestock producers in the region. 

Speaking of livestock producers and wolves; Idaho has just moved a bill from its Senate to its House that would expand the harvest of wolves across the state on private property. Senate Bill 1211 proposed to nix the 15-wolf tag limit in place and extend wolf trapping season on private property year around. The bill still has to make it through the House before it would arrive on the Governor’s desk, so there are hurdles yet in play but if passed SB 1211 has the potential to shake things up for wolves in the Gem State. That said, there is still a minimum number of wolves that Idaho must maintain or the risk losing management to the Feds. 

One thing is for sure and certain, the wolf debate is increasing in both scope and intensity… the only question remaining… is there any middle ground left when it comes to wolves in the West? 

For more information https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article250850629.html?fbclid=IwAR2MTtHuE32A1JXz6CEqDs8o-09xMywh9rIK8IVCFE4ed-uMGfyrtW9tkG8

BRIEF OVERVIEW    Every 5 years in the Arizona game and fish department starts to reevaluate the overall health of wildlife in the state and makes adjustments to hunting quotas and season dates. This Practice is common through out all different states when it comes to wildlife management. These proposed changes coming up for the stat...

This how to video from Fieldcraft Survival is all about knot tying. Kevin Estela breaks down the basics of how to practice and learn common knots. These knots have a wide range of uses from hunting to camping and basic survival skills. Learn how to make a knot as strong as possible.

The post How to Tie Knots – MOST USEFUL knots for HUNTING with Fieldcraft Survival appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

The grizzly topic never seems to die down out here and this article shows the polarizing impact apex predators can have on a local community and state. There are a lot of dynamics that come into play when wildlife, people, and politics butt heads.

I’m curious to know your thoughts on this one…lots of “he said, she said” going on.  What say you?

ARTICLE: Rancher defends $339K award for stock he claims grizzlies killed

The post Grizzlies Kill over $300,000 of Livestock on 1 Ranch? appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

And so it begins, Charles “Carl” Mock is officially 2021’s first negative encounter with a grizzly bear in Yellowstone country. If it feels a little early for conflict with the grizzled bruins, well historically it is, as most negative encounters take place in late summer and into the fall when bears are looking to put on the fat for their long winter slumber. Elk gut piles are an easy way for them to do that and Yellowstone country produces elk(albeit in lower numbers in recent years.)

Mock died as a result of the injuries he sustained to his head during the attack. He was fishing and as an experienced guide he had his bearspray with him. According to the USA Today article referenced in the links above it isn’t clear if he was able to deploy it. 

This is an unfortunate and unfriendly reminder to always be prepared for the worst in grizzly bear country. Here are a few things to make sure you always do to stay on top of your situation in bear country.

Unfortunately with the outdoors being the most popular place of activity during the covid era, conflicts are likely to be on the rise. For more on the grizzly’s endangered status, check out my article last week covering that subject. Stay safe and be bear aware this summer!

The post Already…Happening – Grizzly Bear Confrontations appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Having trouble drawing an antelope tag? There may be no help in sight.

On April 15th the Wyoming Game and Fish Department announced a substantial reduction in the antelope tag quota for the upcoming draw and 2021 hunting season. The total proposed reduction will amount to 3,650 buck antelope licenses and 5,775 doe/fawn licenses. Based on last year’s quota numbers this would be an overall reduction of about 10% for the coveted “any antelope” buck tags. This reduction would be in addition to a past reduction in buck antelope tags of nearly 4% seen the prior year.

The state contends, the massive spring storm seen in the southern half of the state in March was a major factor for the decision along with the substantial effects of the drought that our wildlife endured during the summer and fall of 2020. 

I expect the majority of the tag reductions to be in the antelope areas inside of the counties of Carbon, Sublette and Sweetwater. These areas would be those in the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 90s. Keep this in mind if you are applying for units in these regions, you might want to make sure you have one or two more points than these areas took last year to draw successfully.  

“We believe that offering some conservative hunting seasons proposals this year will help each of those herds stabilize, and allow pronghorn populations to bounce back,” said the Wyoming Game and Fish Information Officer, Sara DiRienzo on Wednesday. 

This Eastmans’ review features In-Rut Rifles custom built Full Curl rifle chambered in 6.5 PRC. Hunter Scott Reekers tests the accuracy of this rifle straight out of the box at 1000 yards! Then Scott sits down with Mark Lembke the owner of In-Rut Rifles. Mark is all about precision and accuracy. He personally shoots and sights-in every rifle built in his shop. When you’ve finally drawn that lifetime hunting tag, you want a rifle you can count on. The custom rifles produced by In-Rut Rifles could be just the tool you need to notch that tag when your dream hunt becomes a reality.

The post First shot at 1000 yards! Custom In-Rut Rifles Review appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

If you have been patiently waiting for that tag of a lifetime, don’t get your hopes up.

There is little question that we are living in a different world than we got accustomed to only 18 months ago. One area that has continued to change drastically in the past year is the demand for big game hunting tags and licenses throughout the western half of our continent. Very little foreign hunting opportunity as well as a continued up-swing in hunting participation seem to have created a demand for big game tags that we have not seen in our lifetimes. 

The massive demand blew out the state of Colorado’s server system the week before the application deadline causing the state agency to postpone the application deadline for the better part of a week. To say this is almost unprecedented would be an understatement. A very reliable source has indicated that the Colorado draw system saw an incredible increase of more than 35,000 additional applicants this year versus last year, which again was a record setting year.  

In the Big Sky Country of Montana, our sources in Helena are saying they have seen application demand for both limited and general hunts well beyond what was experienced last year, which was up over 10,000 additional applicants and has stood as a record up to this point in time. Last year, for the first time in recorded history, Montana FWP had zero nonresident elk and deer tags available after the draw. This year the Montana draw system has seen another substantial rise in big game applicants which equates to a 38% increase over the record setting 2020 application demand. 

At this point it is very hard to put actual numbers to the demand quotient until the actual draw is conducted and the results posted to the public. But we can go back and build somewhat of a trend based on the demand for Wyoming’s coveted nonresident elk tags. Wyoming is one of the highest demanded elk states in the country. With Wyoming’s nearly perfect trade-off between quality and opportunity, Wyoming is a very good gauge on what is going on in the hunt draw system for the entire western region of the US. 

How to tune your bow for hunting broadheads, the easy way! No paper tuning required in this how to tune your bow video. Eastmans’ Hunting Journals Dan Pickar breaks down his method for tuning your new bow for broadhead accuracy in less than 30 minutes.

Products featured in video:

Bow – Mathews V3 (31″) – https://www.mathewsinc.com/product/v3-31/

Rest – ULTRAREST INTEGRATE MX – https://www.mathewsinc.com/product/integrate-mx-rest/

Let’s face it, grizzly bear management is a hot topic. Because it is a hot topic the biggest challenge is piecing together ALL the facts to make solid recommendations. Well, it seems that Wyoming Game and Fish is at odds with the US Fish And Wildlife Service on management plans for the apex predators. 

According to the USFWS Five-Year Status Review the grizzly bear should remain protected under the Endangered Species Act. With this review and the all too familiar 9th Circuit Court review it seems that delisting for the Greater Yellowstone grizzly bear population is too risky due to foreseeable genetic diversity issues.

On the other end of the spectrum we have the states that hold the Greater Yellowstone grizzly bear population who are frustrated that their states cannot manage the populations effectively. This has reached the point where legislators from Yellowstone, Wyoming and Montana have been working together on a bill that would remove the grizzly bear population from Endangered Species Act protections and let the states manage them properly. 

Both the Wyoming House and Senate overwhelmingly voted to reduce the legal age to hunt big game in Wyoming to 11 if the youth in question will turn 12 before the end of the calendar year in which the hunt occurs. For example, if one of my children wanted to hunt antelope in 2021 but wasn’t going to turn 12 until after the season ended, say in late November, they could now legally hunt. 

It’s news like this that makes me even more proud to be a resident of the Cowboy State! By easing up on the restriction that would keep some kids out of the field for another season, Wyoming has created a bridge for engaging our youth in the grand heritage of hunting. There has never been a better time for this than right now. With attacks on hunting coming from all sides we need changes such as this one to help us pass the torch. Way to go Wyo! 

The post Wyoming Lowers Minimum Age To Hunt Big Game! appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

More good news this week on the wildlife management front! The National Fish & Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) partnered with the Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) to support MDF’s Migration Corridor and Winter Range Initiative, to the tune of $395,000.  The grant will also “be matched by $756,000 to implement habitat projects that focus on big game migration corridors and greater sage-grouse core areas.”

It is nice to see non-profit organizations (NGOs), federal agencies, state agencies, media companies, ranchers, energy industry companies, and private citizens working together to manage the complex sagebrush landscape.

In case you missed it, the video is below to a recent film we did on the mule deer migration corridor topic, called IMPERILED. More projects like this are in the works and we’ll get you the latest and greatest information on these projects as they are unveiled.

As Theodore Roosevelt once said, “The wildlife and its habitat cannot speak, so we must and we will.” The Good Lord gave us dominion over His creation to manage wisely for sustainable use. I, for one, am glad to see these joint efforts come to fruition. For too long groups have tried to make a difference on their own rather than work together. Unification under a common cause such as this is necessary for future sustainability of our natural resources.

Spread the word!

2020 and Covid 19 saw hunting participation increase by a significant percentage. While the woods, mountains and plains were more crowded last fall that’s good news for the future of hunting. IF we can hold onto those new recruits. 

Sure, tags are harder to draw and yes, there are strangers camped in “your” spot or glassing “your” ridge but that’s a good thing. Hunting’s future has been dimming for the past decade and we needed this shot in the arm. We also need to make sure those numbers continue to grow, but how? Here’s a list of things to remember. 

There’s no doubt that in 2020 hunting’s future became a bit brighter but it’s up to us, the vanguard, to keep it trending so that our heritage, traditions and the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation can live on, benefitting our animals and the health of our ecosystems. After all, as hunters we are more than torchbearers for hunting, we are stewards of the land and animals and we need future stewards who care as much as the past generations have if we are to have anything left for the future. 

Council Report Highlights Hunting License Sales Increases in 2020

(Washington, D.C.) – “License sales were up in 2020 and we’re ready to focus on Retention in 2021,” commented Dr. Steven Leath in response to the recent insights garnered from the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports (Council) research into hunting license sales during the COVID-19 pandemic. Leath, who serves as the Executive Director of the Council, shared the highlights of the study during the 2021 North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference earlier this month.

The Council initiated the study in early 2021 to document the changes in hunting license sales during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hunting, along with other outdoor activities, became a way throughout 2020 for Americans to get outdoors, connect with nature, and escape daily stresses. Now we have a better understanding of how hunters reacted during the pandemic as well. Study results indicate that license sales increased by approximately 5% nationwide, with growth rates varying by region. A full report is available on the Council’s website.

Go public land bow hunting spot and stalk style for antelope in Wyoming on this web episode of Eastmans’ Hunting TV. Dan Pickar scours the open country for a record book quality pronghorn antelope buck.

The post UNBELIEVABLE spot and stalk bow hunt for antelope appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Mike Glover sits down with Ike Eastman and Scott Reekers from Eastmans’ Hunting Journal to talk about wildlife conservation. Ike discusses where and how Eastmans’ Hunting Journal got started in 1987. They also talk about their experiences in hunting and how they compare to today, in terms of how social media has changed how the general public views hunting in modern times. From the perspective of social media, many people only see the trophy hunt photo after the hunt, but they don’t see the hard work that goes into the process and the beauty that comes out of it.

The post Talking Conservation with Fieldcraft Survival appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

We are one week from Colorado’s deadline for all species. For many this is THE state that has been an investment for years, especially for mule deer. Hold your excitement though, there may be a few things to remember that are happening in the fine state of Colorado. 

First and foremost is the massive date changes that have been implemented for hunting mule deer. To quote Dave Hoshour from his write up in the Colorado MRS, “If you have been building points, this is the year to use them.” Second season will run from October 30-November 7 and their season will be squarely in the rut with a November 13-19 season. For more information on this particular issue give Dave Hoshour’s full write up a read inside of Eastmans’ TagHub in Colorado’s Expert Analysis section. 

Colorado is maintaining it’s elk herd and by extension opportunity. In many areas you can walk into a store and simply buy a license to hunt elk during the archery season and many times during 2nd and 3rd season rifle hunts. TagHub has all of these hunts listed, for detailed statistics on every hunt the data is at your fingertips. 

Consider this your final countdown, Colorado’s big game deadline is coming for all species. If you need to research your options, take advantage of the free trial in Eastmans’ TagHub. If you stick around as an Elite member your name will also be in the hopper for a pile of gear and so far we have given away five hunts. One elk, two antelope and now two mule deer.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS COLORADO DATA IN TagHub

Rest easy- Your hunting licenses will not be increasing by 85%, for now.

Keeping with tradition, the odd years in Wyoming bring odd and sometimes tired old retreads of legislative bills gone by the wayside from the past legislative session. Senate bill SF0103 is one such case. This bill has been refined from the last time it was introduced but still lacked any real serious support at the state legislative level. The bill failed miserably to emerge from the senate TRW (Travel, Recreation and Wildlife) committee by a vote of 1-4, meaning this proposal was far from favorable once the Committee looked further into the repercussions of such a bill on the Game and Fish Commissions fiscal responsibilities to the state’s sportsman and the department as a whole.

On a bit of a side note, Wyoming is a very traditional and conservative state by nature. Bills like these have a very, very tough road to reality in Wyoming. When it comes to wildlife related legislation, the state has a very guarded approach to wildlife related bills that do not have the full support of the Governor’s Game and Fish Commission. Wyoming sees wildlife management through ballot measures and stiff-arm legislation as a true threat to their system. I do not see our Governor ever signing a piece of wildlife related legislation without the full consent and recommendation of the Game and Fish Commission, period. The Governor appoints the commission at his discretion for a reason. There are lessons to be learned from the Colorado wolf reintroduction debacle. 

The details of this bill are somewhat straightforward which is surprising for politics these days, but this is Wyoming after-all. In a nutshell, this bill aimed to cut the nonresident tag allocation for big game licenses to less than 10% from the historic norms of around 20%, depending on the species (moose-16%, sheep-25%, deer, elk and antelope-20%). The original bill introduced a few years ago was very simple and straightforward to that change. But the bill quickly ran into a brick wall regarding funding concerns given the fact that nonresident hunters contribute a massive haul of more than 77% of the total licensing revenue generated by the state of Wyoming. In addition, nonresident applicants in Wyoming contribute more than $12,000,000 worth of preference point fees each and every year to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s budget, while resident applicants only pony up an anemic $100,000. Plain and simple, slashing nonresident hunting licenses by half did not sit well with Wyoming legislators, Game and Fish Commissioners, Outfitters or our Governor. The original bill died quickly.  

With the bloom of another legislative year brings another opportunity at a run for this bill as a more refined version including a funding realignment component that would, according to the bill, actually increase revenues to the state Game and Fish Department. This new retreaded bill, Senate Bill SF0103 again sought to cut the nonresident tag allocations by more than half, but also sought to nearly double the cost of what tags were left to nonresident hunters and applicants. In addition, the bill seeks to increase application fees slightly for both resident and nonresident hunters ($5 to $7 for resident, and $15 to $17 for nonresident) alike. The bill would also eliminate nonresident applicants from any hunt that garners less than 10 tags in the quota altogether and would create a $500,000 wildlife crop damage fund with the increased license fees, obviously a landowner crumb thrown in to increase potential legislator support.