Learn how to judge trophy elk before you make a stalk or shot. Mike Eastman shares his strategy to field judging elk. Taking these tips to the field could make the difference on the next time you go trophy elk hunting.
The post Easy trophy scoring on the hoof! How to Field Judge Elk with Mike Eastman appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.
In this review hunter, Todd Helms tests out the Lochsa, the first hunting boot made by the legendary White’s Boots. White’s Boots has been a go to boot for wild land firefighters for decades. They’ve applied their experience to build a comfortable and rigid boot specifically for hunting.
The post Brand NEW White’s Lochsa Hunting Boot! appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.
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The post Bow Spider Giveaway appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.
Public land elk rut action! Go elk hunting with Eastmans’ Brandon Mason. The rut turns on and makes for some heart-pounding bow hunting! Then Brandon returns during rifle season to hunt for his son’s first bull!
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The post Public land bonanza! Elk hunting DIY Teaser appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.
This hunting gear review breaks down the features of the BRAND NEW Mountain Optics Harness made by Sitka Gear. Ike Eastman runs through all the features that make this harness more comfortable and versatile than ever! This harness has pockets for days and molly webbing to make it easy to add and remove accessories. The removable bino straps make it easy to share optics between hunting partners.
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The post New 2020 Sitka Bino Harness! appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.
Weather is arguably the single biggest influencer on hunting success or failure. In the short term, it determines how we dress for a hunt, what gear we’ll take along, where we’ll choose to hunt, and even whether or not we even can hunt. Even the most prepared hunters would be foolish to venture out into a blizzard to fill a tag on opening day. But weather has already been at work this year to affect the outcome of our hunting experience this fall. From late-winter snows to spring and summer thunderstorms, the moisture die has been cast to determine where browse will be plentiful and where it will be scarce. The overall long-term weather patterns have been setting up to reveal which areas will have early or late snow, and if cold winter temperatures will arrive early or late.
This is my 40th year working in meteorology. After 20 years in broadcast meteorology, I spent eight in forensic meteorology and two in fire meteorology before working at Cabela’s headquarters for a decade providing long-range weather outlooks and short-term weather threat analysis to help guide decisions about what hunting and fishing gear would be needed where on a seasonal basis. As an avid hunter and angler, I understand the importance and impact of timely weather information on outdoor recreation. I also authored a book in 2008 called “Trophy Bucks in Any Weather” to explain how weather influences big-game animal behavior.
The purpose of this article, which I wrote in June of this year, is to set the table with the meteorological and climatological “lay of the land” as we enter fall hunting seasons in the U.S. Information was gathered from multiple U.S. and global weather agencies to ascertain what hunters may encounter in the field this fall as a result of weather across the U.S. over the last several months, and probability that the pattern will shift into a La Nina configuration during the fall.
Montana: If you’ve drawn a Montana tag, you’re fortunate. From a water and browse standpoint, Montana is faring better than most other western states this year. Rainfall in most drainages and basins is near or a little bit above where it was last year. But the forecast calls for above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation through August across the state.
The areas drying out the fastest are in the southern part of Montana extending from Custer National Forest in the southeast, west through Gallatin National Forest north of Yellowstone, to Beaverhead National Forest in the southwest. These areas along and south of Interstate 90 will be the driest parts of the state. Fortunately, browse conditions entering the critical antler-growing period were still pretty good across most of Montana, so there should be no shortage of decent bucks and bulls to harvest this year….
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The post Williams Gun Sight Giveaway! appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.
Join Guy Eastman as he goes mule deer hunting in western Kansas. Guy is shocked when they turn up a true monster mule deer buck. This is a muzzleloader rifle hunt which means Guy has to get in close to seal the deal on this beast! This buck scores well over 200 inches! Watch this hunt unfold in this classic web episode of Eastmans’ Hunting TV.
The post GIANT MULEY makes Guy Eastman speechless! appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.
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On July 8, 2020, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals filed its ruling on the appeal taken from the US District Court in Montana related to the delisting of the Yellowstone grizzly bear population in the case commonly referred to as Crow Indian Tribe v. State of Wyoming. Since that time, many pro-bear and anti-hunting publications declared the ruling a major victory for stopping the delisting of the bears under the Endangered Species Act. However, nothing further could be from the truth.
If you read the opinion, which is quite dry but informative, it shows how wrong all the groups are that oppose the delisting of Yellowstone’s grizzly population. The opinion–which at times can be dry and difficult to read–is actually well-written and does not side with continued listing of the Yellowstone grizzly population as many would have the common reader believe. In fact, the Ninth Circuit provided a roadmap which if followed would gut any new and arbitrary issues that the people opposing delisting may try to raise based upon science, leaving only emotional reasons to stand in the way of the delisting.
The opinion starts out quoting the University of Montana’s fight song: “And the squeal of the pig will float through the air; From the tummy of the grizzly bear.” Not only is that the best line from any fight song in the history of mankind, but reading it at the beginning of the opinion hints at what is to come. It’s no secret that one big proponent of the delisting of the grizzly bears in the Yellowstone area is the farm and ranch community. After laying out the history of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and its specific relation to grizzly bears, Circuit Judge Mary M. Schroeder (writing the opinion for the three-judge panel) turned to the issues related to the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s long-standing and invested study of the Yellowstone grizzly population. Specifically at issue was the FWS’s 2007 and 2017 comprehensive plan to study the specific population for potential delisting. That’s where things got interesting.
By way of background, FWS first identified in 2007 the Yellowstone grizzly population as a distinct population segment within the meaning of the ESA. After litigation ensued, the FWS was required to consider further issues before being able to delist the specific population, which it did again in 2017. More litigation followed with the same result—the district court judge in Montana vacated the delisting.
The critical oversight made by those that would have readers believe this is a major victory for the anti-delisting crowd is that this opinion did not affirm the Montana judge’s vacating of FWS’s delisting efforts. This opinion merely remanded the case back to the same judge for further consideration on specific issues. The Ninth Circuit held that the Montana judge incorrectly applied certain sections of the ESA and relieved the FWS of the obligation that it must consider the impact of the delisting on the remnant grizzly population. The FWS only need to determine whether the delisting will not further threaten the rest of the population. This is a much easier task.
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In this review, Dan Pickar tests out Leupold’s new RX-FullDraw 4 Rangefinder. This super fast rangefinder was designed with bow hunting in mind. Take the guess work out shots with the built-in Archer’s Advantage software. Enter a few simple bow ballistic measurements into the rangefinder and the built-in Flight Path indicator will mark your arrow’s maximum heigh on it’s trajectory. Dan demonstrates just how effective this technology is in this video.
The post Leupold RX-4 Full Draw Rangefinder Review appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.
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Go bow hunting for public land elk during the rut! Eastmans’ Dan Pickar is surrounded by bugling bulls on this early September DIY bow hunt. When it come to bow hunting, you just never know what can happen! Dan proves that on this backcountry hunt.
The post SCREAMING BULLS IN YOUR FACE! appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.
An Alaska man was recently killed by a brown bear on his property near the Kenai River last week. A Montana man was severely mauled by a grizzly and only survived thanks to his wife’s quick thinking of running the bruin off with their pickup. Unfortunately, if you live in or recreate in bear country these horrific events can happen to you as well.
But Todd, bear attacks are extremely rare, you’ve got more chance of being struck by lightning…. That statistic only counts if you rarely venture into ursine habitat. For those of us who live around bears and hunt, hike, fish, or just spend time in the woods it is only a matter of time until an encounter happens, it’s not if you’ll run into a bear, it’s when. Knowing how to handle encounters and avoid them as much as possible is very important as we approach hunting seasons across bear country.
Here are some tricks I’ve used in over 100 close up bear encounters from Alaska, Canada and Michigan to Wyoming that have thus far kept my hide intact and those with me safe as well.
Stay in the open – travel in the open as much as possible so you don’t bump into an unseen bear and startle it. Bears don’t like to be startled. Hang meat high and in a visible spot – Of course I like to hang my game meat as high as possible to keep it away from bears but keeping it visible from a distance is sound practice as well. On Kodiak Island I’d stash my meat bags on an open tundra knoll with zero brush around it. There were no trees and I could glass those white bags from a long ways off. If they weren’t there, it wasn’t much of a question why. Work fast! – A dead buck or bull in grizzly country is a ticking time bomb. A bear is going to find the carcass and the longer you spend hanging around it the better chance you have of a problem. Hunt as a team – This goes double for elk. Bulls are big and getting an entire elk out in one trip is preferable in bear country (read grizzly). If you don’t have stock, several buddies are the next best thing. Not only will you be able to get a bull out in one fell swoop, you can watch each other’s six too. Stay calm – When you do come face to face with Ole’ Slewfoot losing your cool will most likely not end well for you. Don’t run, don’t yell, don’t overreact. If the bear is flat out charging you it has most likely deemed you as a threat and is doing what bears do when faced by threats, eliminating or neutralizing. If the bear is steadily approaching you it most likely has a predatory intent. Either way this is where bear spray and/or your weapon come into play. Do all you can to deter the bear’s advance. If you cannot it is time to either fight back or play dead. Charging bear? Play dead. Stalking bear? Fight for your life! Reading a bear’s body language – It will tell you If you can back away from an encounter calmly or if you need to yell and appear intimidating. You don’t want to make a bear charge by being aggressive but you also don’t want to look weak. It’s a hard thing to know and my general rule is to talk calmly and firmly to any bear I come across until I can figure out what it’s going to do.I’m no bear expert but I’ve learned how to hunt and recreate in bear country through years living in it and from more encounters than I can count. I’ve been charged, I’ve used spray, I’ve spoken both war and peace to various bears. I’ve always been fortunate enough to walk away unscathed. A lot of that is God’s hand but some of it is knowing how to handle situations when they arise. These are just some of the things I’ve learned from 42 years living with bears.
The post Bear Aware! appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.
Go sign yourself up for the Seek Outside Giveaway. We have used and field-tested Seek Outside products for some time now. They are Eastmans’ Staff approved! You must be a TagHub subscriber to be eligible. Don’t wait… Good luck!
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Sign up at the link below for a chance at a brand new Roadie 24 from Yeti Coolers. This is a new Eastman favorite! You must be a TagHub member to be eligible to win. Good luck!!!
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Learn how to use and practice field shooting positions to be the best shooter and hunter you can be! Todd Helms breaks down the fundamentals of the top 5 field shooting positions. Practice can make all the difference when it comes down to a once-in-a-lifetime hunting opportunity.
The post How to be a more successful hunter! Practice Field Shooting appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.
In this hunting tip learn how making time for e-scouting before hunting season could make all the difference on your hunt this fall. Hunter Guy Eastman shares this favorite e-scouting tips using onX Hunt maps desktop and mobile apps. With only so many days in each hunt season, e-scouting can cut the learning curve especially if you’re hunting a new area.
The post E-Scouting for Better Hunting! appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.
After much deliberation, the official Wyoming Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Plan is here. In March, I detailed portions of the proposed plan and some of my thoughts on the overall CWD topic (you can refresh your memory on by clicking here). You can click here to view the Official Plan, and here is a brief synopsis of some key points.
First of all, I want to commend all of the hard working people who are as concerned about this topic as we are. There is no easy answer to the puzzle, especially when there is no “live test” for the big game animals that are affected by CWD. There are 74 pages to the official plan so you can imagine that I can’t possibly cover it all here. These are just items that stuck out to me.
In the Wyoming Game & Fish CWD Plan it states, “Because CWD is a slow-moving disease with only gradual changes in prevalence, measuring prevalence every five years will provide adequate data to detect trends. Rotational surveillance will follow a set five-year schedule within each Department region…Surveillance efforts for each deer and elk herd unit are based on the feasibility of collecting a minimum of 200 samples from adult male deer or adult elk within one to three years, as well as with consideration of additional Department priorities for monitoring and management actions. The success of sampling efforts is dependent upon a suite of factors including harvest strategy (i.e., general versus limited quota hunting, female harvest allowances, season length, etc.), the overall size of the herd unit, landownership patterns, hunter access, hunter participation in the surveillance program, likelihood of the harvested animal being field-checked, and other demands on Department personnel and resources.” (p. 14 of the Plan, Surveillance and Monitoring).
The samples that are gathered from the Game & Fish comes from various sources, including hunter-harvested animals, road-killed animals, and harvest targeting in “hot spots”. We have all been wondering if the Game & Fish would implement the harvest management strategy of killing mature bucks on the winter range (see Recommendation 5.2, Option 1 (Pg. 120) of the CWD Draft Plan mentioned here: https://blog.eastmans.com/cwduh-be-informed-cwd-management-guidelines/). It appears this is an option that is on the table in the official Plan: “Chronic wasting disease prevalence in mule deer is based on adult males (≥2 years old), a standard metric that allows for comparisons of disease demographics across North American jurisdictions. The selection of males is based on monitoring data that demonstrates prevalence in adult males is significantly higher than adult females within the same herd. Moreover, infection is less common in yearlings, and relatively rare in fawns. In addition, because female mule deer harvest is limited in Wyoming, sampling hunter-harvested adult males provides larger sample sizes for assessment of long-term trends in prevalence. Although the focus is on adult males, assessment of yearling male and adult female prevalence is also monitored in those herds where harvest is sufficient to achieve meaningful sample sizes.”
This concerns me for a couple of reasons. Mule deer doe harvest is greatly limited throughout much of the West due to mule deer numbers declining across their historical range. In addition, due to the difficulty in drawing coveted mule deer tags the harvest by hunters is focused on mature bucks since we probably won’t draw that coveted tag again for many years, if ever. Logic would tell me that since many of the samples tested for CWD are supplied by hunters and many of those hunters are harvesting only mature bucks, then the testing of those harvested deer would show a higher prevalence of mature bucks having CWD compared to does and yearlings. There is no “live test” so it obviously isn’t possible to test live does and yearlings at the rate hunter-harvested mature bucks are being tested. On page 19 of the Plan under the section Hunter Harvest Management, you will see more discussion on manipulating hunting seasons to promote more harvest success on mature bucks, i.e. the rut and winter range.
