Hunting and Fishing News Blog Articles

Joining a hunting club in a new region can be both helpful and challenging. Many hunters move for work, lifestyle, or family changes and want to stay active in the field. In new surroundings, it's hard to know where to hunt, who to hunt with, or what land is even available. Hunting clubs can solve all of that. They often give you everything you nee...

This review features Spartan Forge’s mapping application for mobile and desktop computers. Ike Eastman talks about map features and hunting advantages of using Spartan Forge’s unique tool set with Bill Thompson, Spartan Forge CEO. Not only is this a handy tool for e-scouting and knowing property boundaries in the field, you can access Eastmans’ TagHub for hunt application research before you ever apply for that next dream hunt. It’s an all-in-one hunt research and mapping option including unique map layers such as LiDAR. Light Detection and Ranging, or LiDAR, is a remote sensing method that can visualize through foliage and vegetation to give you an even more detailed look at landscape topography. Spartan Forge even offers a free version of its service to help hunter’s at every life stage.

Start exploring now at https://bit.ly/SpartanForge-Eastmans

The post Gear Lab Video: Mapping for Hunt Research with Spartan Forge appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

PHOTO CREDIT: Mike Eastman Outdoor Photography

What Happened
What initially was reported as a helicopter pushing deer away from hunters, turned into a large-scale poaching operation. IDFG investigated the incident which led them to Karl Studer. Studer was originally charged with 8 felony and 17 misdemeanor charges. This was spread throughout Blaine, Camas, Minidoka and Twin Falls County. Eventually the charges were consolidated to an inditement by the Twin Falls County Grand Jury on seven felony wildlife related charges in early 2025.

The Evidence
Part of the State’s case against Studer were the flight logs from the helicopter along with cell phone GPS data. The cell phone data likely came from a search warrant performed on Studer’s phone. On 06-02-2025, Studer entered a guilty plea in front of Judge Hancock. Studer plead guilty to the unlawful killing of a bull moose as part of a plea agreement with the Twin Falls County Prosecutors. In exchange for his guilty plea, the remaining 6 felony charges were dropped.

The Sentence
On 06-23-2025, Studer was sentenced for his guilty plea. Both the prosecution and defense fought over whether Studer should have a lifetime hunting license suspension in Idaho. The defense argued that Studer was not a greedy man, pushing for only a 5-year license suspension. For me, it does not get greedier than what Studer did. In the end, the state got the lifetime hunting license suspension. Judge Hancock also imposed a fine of $50,000 (on top of court fees and restitution fees to the state for the poached animals), and 5 years of unsupervised probation. Studer also has a suspended prison sentence of 3 years Determinate and 2 years Indeterminate with credit for time he served in jail.

My Thoughts
That is a fancy way of saying, if Studer messes up in the next 5 years, he can end up getting sentence to prison time. Personally, I think this type of a sentence is too light for the crimes that Studer allegedly committed. This is often the case with plea deals. Unfortunately, prosecutors must weigh the cost of a trail with the possibility of a non-guilty outcome. This comes at a cost of a more appropriate sentence. Often with conspiracy cases, plea agreements are offered to the co-conspirators in return with testifying against the other co-conspirators. Studer was not alone when committing these alleged crimes and not much is known about the others involved. Makes me wonder if he is going to testify against the others. That is just speculation on my part as of now, however.

There’s something special about returning to your old stomping grounds on a crisp October morning, elk bugles bouncing off the hills you once called home. For many who grew up in Wyoming, the desire to come back and hunt familiar ground never quite goes away. It’s not just an element of nostalgia, either. It’s been reported that Wyoming exports nearly 70% of it’s youth who have these memories. 

That’s why a new proposal being floated in the Wyoming Legislature has started a conversation last week at the TRW Committee Meeting in Dubois. 

A “nonresident native” tag program is being proposed, one that would grant a pathway for former Wyomingites to return and hunt on more reasonable terms. These wouldn’t be general nonresident tags open to the world. They’d be reserved for those with legitimate ties to the Cowboy State.

On the surface, it’s a heartwarming idea. But for those of us who think deeply about wildlife management, hunting opportunity, and the places that keep us living in Wyoming, it deserves a hard look.

Letting Emotion Override Conservation

Wyoming caps nonresident tags at about 16% of total draw tags for elk, and 20% for pronghorn and deer with residents getting priority on most general seasons. This framework keeps pressure in check and maintains a dang good hunting experience for the half-million people who choose to have wind-bent doors and live in Wyoming year-round.

Ike Eastman and Dan Pickar break down the public land sale in the Senate Budget Reconciliation Bill (Big Beautiful Bill). They discuss what could be lost, how it impacts Wyoming, its wildlife, and the nation, and what you can do to help to stop it.

David Willms – Associate Vice President for Public Lands

Before joining the National Wildlife Federation, David served as a natural resources policy advisor to Wyoming Governor Matthew H. Mead, and a natural resource attorney in both the public and private sector. He also teaches a graduate course on the Endangered Species Act at the University of Wyoming, and writes frequently on various wildlife and land management issues.
David received a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology and Management and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Wyoming. He lives in Cheyenne, Wyoming, with his wife and three young children.

David Willms – Associate Vice President for Public Lands

Before joining the National Wildlife Federation, David served as a natural resources policy advisor to Wyoming Governor Matthew H. Mead, and a natural resource attorney in both the public and private sector. He also teaches a graduate course on the Endangered Species Act at the University of Wyoming, and writes frequently on various wildlife and land management issues.
David received a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology and Management and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Wyoming. He lives in Cheyenne, Wyoming, with his wife and three young children.

Buying land opens up new outdoor opportunities. If you hunt, having your own base gives you control and convenience. A dedicated setup can improve safety, comfort, and success during each hunting season. Turning your new property into a hunting base camp helps you make the most of your land. Choose the Right Area for Camp Setup Look at maps of your...

Collared gray wolf activity recorded by CPW from April 22 – May 27, 2025

The May 2025 Collared Gray Wolf Activity Map is now available, showing the wolves’ movements around the state this month. For a watershed to indicate wolf activity, at least one GPS point from at least one wolf collar was recorded within the boundaries of the watershed within the last 30 days. 

Wolf Movement Updates:

Photo Courtesy of Eastsmans’ Publishing

Mycoplasma ovipneumonia was recently found in Bighorn sheep in Montana’s Missouri River Breaks. This is the first time pneumonia has been detected in area 622 of Montana which led to a sizable winter dieoff and the closure for hunting in the Hunt District. There are herds in Montana that have this type of pneumonia bacteria that have been doing okay for quite some time, which would suggest that herds infected long ago developed herd immunity to this bacteria. 

However, this strain of M. Ovi bacteria has never been sequenced before in the labs. It’s just slightly different. So where did the bacteria come from? According to an FWP disease ecologist, domestic sheep and goats carry many variations that haven’t been documented in wild sheep. 

We do know that the Browns’ ranch in the Breaks began grazing 500 domestic sheep and goats beginning in 2019. What was once a disease-free, isolated, sheep stronghold, is now in peril. Populations have been declining since 2019 with lamb recruitment down to 33 lambs per 100 ewes in 2022 and 2023, which is half of what they were producing from 2016-2021. 

Another culprit adding to the decline of the sheep in the Breaks is the influx of mountain lions. Lions are occupying more of the Breaks now according to Region 6 Wildlife Manager Scott Thompson. 

https://www.dnews.com

This review features Browning’s X-Bolt 2 Speed rifles with the fluted or carbon barrel options. Hunter Brandon Mason breaks down all the features of each model at the rifle range and in the field. Both models feature the Vari-Tech composite stock finished with Browning OVIX camo. This stock allows for a personalized fit for any shooter with easy to adjust comb height, grip angle and length of pull. The ‪Browning X-Bolt 2 Speed Carbon Fiber SR boasts a Preferred Barrel and comes with the Recoil Hawg muzzle brake. Paired with Hornady‬ Precision Hunter ammo, both rifles were shooting tight groups in no time.

The post Browning X-Bolt 2 Speed Rifles Detailed Reviews appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Photo Courtesy of Eastmans’ Publishing

“Hunters flying in to a landlocked spot will have to wait 24 hours before they can legally hunt under the new bill.” 

Using a helicopter to access landlocked parcels of public land is becoming more popular in places like Montana, much to the chagrin of folks without the inclination or money to utilize the method of transportation. Nevermind that folks wanting to access the locked up ground via traditional methods of transportation wouldn’t be able to anyway because it’s landlocked in many instances. 

Nevertheless, Montana has passed SB 106 which places a 24-hour waiting period from time of travel to time of hunt and adds that helicopters must land within “100 feet of a two-track road.” 

Needless to say, there will be folks both applauding and decrying SB 104, as there is with any new legislation, but my take is that Montana could have just made flying a chopper into landlocked public land illegal across the board, but they didn’t. Montana sided with public-land hunters and issued a commonsense law that upholds fair chase hunting standards. 

That said, will I be chartering a chopper to access public-land elk or mulies anytime soon? Probably not, but it’s nice to know that I could if I wanted to. 

Hunters often dream of stepping outside and walking straight into the woods. For many, moving closer to your hunting lease turns this dream into a plan. The idea seems simple. Cut travel time. Increase access. Hunt more often. But decisions like this are never simple. You must weigh time, money, and lifestyle. Time Gained is Opportunity Earned Time...

Photo Courtesy of Eastmans’ Publishing

Nice work to everyone who took the time to send your elected representatives a message, email or made a call to express your opposition to the proposed sale of 1.5 million acres of your public land in Nevada and Utah. That’s how “government of the people, by the people, for the people…,” is supposed to work and it appears that it has indeed done just that. I would also encourage you to send a thank you for listening message as well. 

The proposed sale of public land in Utah in particular was in reaction to growing frustration surrounding the bureaucratic red tape local communities in Washington and Beaver Counties have been tangled up in when trying to acquire usage of federal land for growth, government and infrastructure. I guess Utah Rep. Celeste Maloy, R-Utah, figured it would just be easier to work language into the budget bill that would pave the way for the sale of lands in question. 

However, co-chairman of the new Public Lands Caucus, Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., and his group stood up and were able to get the public land sale language removed from the budget bill. Zinke made this astoundingly common sense remark in response to the language being stricken… 

“There’s a lot of frustration down in the West. I understand that,” Zinke said in response to the amendment earlier this month. “But I prefer the management scheme. And I give an example as a hotel — if you don’t like the management of a hotel, don’t sell the hotel. Change the management. That’s where I sit on that position.”

Photo Courtesy of Eastmans’ Publishing

Modoc, Plumas, Sierra and Shasta county officials have recently declared that the wolves they’ve been forced to live in close proximity to are a threat to the well being of the people. In other words, those folks are afraid that the wolves, who have a penchant for killing livestock in and around homes and ranches, have grown complacent toward humans thanks to California laws prohibiting people from so much as hazing the predators away from homes and domestic animals. 

“These are wolves that have been in people’s back yards, including walking through children’s sandboxes,” Coe told Farm Press. “An elk was killed by wolves literally on the doorstep of a home that had a family in it during the night.” 

Shasta County in particular has declared an emergency on May 13th, as supervisors stated a, “significant threat to public safety from the presence and impact of gray wolves in close proximity to rural residents,” 

Others, including Amaroq Weiss, a “senior wolf advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity,” are downplaying the concern expressed… ‘“People’s enormous fears of wolves attacking and killing humans have no grounds,” she said.”

General Areas Inhabited by Gray Wolves in Colorado – April 2025 Update

The April 2025 Collared Gray Wolf Activity Map is now live, which shows where wolves moved around the state this month. For a watershed to indicate wolf activity, at least one GPS point from at least one wolf collar was recorded within the boundaries of the watershed within the last 30 days.
 

Wolf Movement Updates:

The post Colorado Wolf Update w/Mortality appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Photo Credit: Eastmans’ Publishing

Is it Time to Start Aerial Predator Culling in the Bob Marshall?

Ok, so we’ve recognized that elk herds are at historical lows in the Bob Marshall because of predators. Between wolves, black bears, grizzly bears, and mountain lions, elk numbers have been declining down to very little. Recently, according to studies FWP is counting less than 300 elk in a 50 mile winter range corridor of the South Fork of the Flathead River drainage. This is a 50 year low! I go over the specifics of these claims in the video link below. The same goes for moose and deer in the same locations. The answer is to kill predators. How do you manage such predators in such a remote location? Logistically it is very difficult so it’s going to cost money. There are no roads and it is wilderness. But there is an ANSWER! Alaska. Yep that’s right. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has been culling predators from helicopters for many, many years. 

You see, the predator and prey model is very simple. Do you want deer, elk or moose? Or do you want predators? You can’t have both. Deer, elk and moose populations aren’t declining because of climate change. They aren’t declining because of overhunting by humans. And they’re surely not declining because of less than ideal habitat in the Bob Marshall. The Bob has several burned areas from over the years that have created some of the best unused habitat you’ll ever see for elk and deer that just don’t have any animals.

Enter the Alaska model for predator management for the Mulchatna Caribou herd. According to Alaska Fish and Game, this herd consisted of nearly 200,000 animals in 1997. At that time, the herd provided more than 4,700 animals for 48 local communities. Now, there are only 13,000 animals left in the Mulchatna Caribou Herd which has been closed to hunting since 2021. Calf survival of this herd has declined by about 94% since 1997. Beginning in 2023, Alaska Fish and Game has become proactive on culling predators on critical calving grounds. That year, 94 brown bears, five black bears, and five wolves were killed from helicopters. Following the 2023 removals, staff documented an increase in calf survival through the fall with a caribou cow-to-calf ratio of 44 calves per 100 cows which is nearly double the 10 year average of 23 calves for every 100 cows. 

The numbers don’t lie. THIS IS SCIENCE. Culling predators is the answer. Just imagine what kind of herds we could grow if we implemented some of these same strategies on the calving ground in the Bob Marshall. Bring back the moose, elk, and deer! 

Hunters rely on their environment to track, scout, and plan. When they relocate, their environment changes completely. Wildlife patterns, access points, and local laws shift from region to region. Because of this, every hunter needs a fresh map after moving to ensure they stay prepared, legal, and successful in the field. Local Laws Are Different i...

Bow hunter Dan Pickar, shares how to select a bow sight for hunting. This includes ergonomics, pin type, illumination, sight tape location, and more.

Sights included in this video:

Bow included in this video:

The post The Best Bow Sights for Hunting appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Join Wingmen for an unforgettable spring turkey hunt in Montana. Todd Helms and Scott Reekers team up with Circle S Outfitters to explore the quality of turkey hunting in northeast Montana. The hunt is timed just right and the aggressive toms put on one heck of a show, destroying decoys and displaying dominance. Federal Premium’s Heavyweight TSS absolutely demolishes three gobblers in one action-packed hunt day.

Learn more about Circle S Outfitters or book a hunt here: https://bit.ly/EastmansOutfitters

Thank You To Our Sponsors:

The post Gobbler DESTROYED by TSS! Turkey Hunting In Montana appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Spring is starting to show up across the West, which means one thing to this bowhunter—time to get after the bears! I absolutely love spot–and–stalk bear hunting in the spring. Black bears are apex predators, and hunting them requires that I am at the top of my game. My actions and decisions can have extreme consequences, and I have to be prepared for intense encounters. Bear hunting ratchets up the adrenalin and is something I crave each and every year. Black bears in the West are also extremely difficult to harvest with archery gear. They are a relatively low population density animal, so when I find a good one, success means dialing in my hunting strategy and tactics. When all these factors are stirred into the same pot, the results are an ultimate challenge. When it’s spring in the Rocky Mountain West, give me my bow, big mountains and pumpkin–headed boars, and I know I am in for one heck of an adventure.     

There is still opportunity to hunt spring bears out West. There are draw tags and even OTC opportunities in states like Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and Utah. There are also multiple mountain ranges with robust bear populations. That doesn’t mean the hunting is easy, but there are a lot of good places to go on a spring bear adventure. That said, spring bear hunting is all about elevation. IT IS ALL ABOUT ELEVATION!   

I just wanted to make sure you got that, as it’s the key to finding bears consistently. The snow and new green growth condenses bears at certain elevations. As the snow melts, new green grass sprouts and begins to grow. This is where the bears will want to be. So, when you are studying up on maps or have boots on the ground in a mountain range, look for the green wave that works its way up the mountain. In Montana, it’s different year to year, but below are guidelines I’ve developed over years and years of chasing spring bruins.   

Bear Location by Elevation Guide