Hunting and Fishing News & Blog Articles

This review highlights the Steelbanger by Swagger Bipods is a new, light compact rifle bipod for hunting and shooting. This bipod was designed with shooting enthusiasts in mind. The built-in flex and one-handed operation of the Steelbanger makes it perfect for putting a moving target in your crosshairs. Todd Helms breaks down all the features of this shooting platform and shares his experience hunting with this bipod last fall.

The post Innovative Rifle Bipod! Swagger Bipods Steelbanger Review appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

September. The very word should make you elk hunters nearly jump out of your skin. There is no better time of year if you’re an elk hunter!

Big public land bulls have a knack for humbling even the savviest hunters out there. They seem to always be a step ahead of us, barely slipping between our fingers but if you want to consistently harvest big bulls, you need to be the one that is a step ahead. You need to know and understand what the elk are doing and where they are headed. You need to know how the elk are using the terrain to be able put yourself in front of that big six.

Yellow is ridge lines, green is feeding, orange is bedding, used water is blue, red is vantage points, used trails are lines.

There is more to hunting elk than wandering around chasing distant bugles. There is a rhyme and reason to what the elk are doing in the country they live in. Keying into elk feeding, bedding, watering and travel corridors is tapping into the bigger chess game in the elk hills. Knowing how to read elk country starts to tip the odds into your favor. It allows the elk hunter to make smarter, more calculated plays on these wily old bulls. No matter what your preferred method of hunting elk is, from calling to setting an ambush to spot and stalk hunting, knowing the terrain is the difference-maker.

 

Hunter Bill Parks goes elk hunting with Guy Eastman for his first bull in Colorado. Bill was the lucky winner of Sportsman’s Warehouse elk hunt sweepstakes Go hunting with us at the end of the elk rut as bulls are on the move searching for second-cycle cows to breed.

The post Hunting Colorado’s Elk Rut – First-time elk hunting with Guy Eastman! appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Youth hunters, listen up! Interested in a big game draw where youth ages 12-17 have total preference for Colorado big game licenses? These are not youth licenses; they are regular big game licenses.

That’s right. Colorado’s new secondary draw for licenses left over from the first draw is accepting applications June 5 to July 7. It replaces the old leftover draw and the State decided to give youth applicants total preference over adults. The draw is open to everyone whether they applied in the first draw or not. In addition to deer and elk licenses it also now includes pronghorn and bear.

The post Youth Get 1st Shot at Colorado Leftovers appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

GUEST AUTHOR: T.L. McCoy

Speculation about Oregon’s Fall hunting seasons has been all over social media of late. The May 15 application deadline is rapidly approaching. A number of closures and restrictions on fishing opportunities only served to fuel the concern. On May 5th Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) released a statement about the May 15 application deadline amid the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The post Oregon COVID 19 Update appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

 

 

Life is returning to normal for much of the West. Here in Wyoming Covid 19 didn’t have as large an impact on daily life as it did in other parts of the country and for that we are grateful. I went bear hunting this weekend and my drive to a favorite trailhead was surprisingly busy; campgrounds had folks in them, and not just residents, people were wandering the hills looking for antlers and others were driving the roads gawking at the scenery and wildlife – pretty much normal for a spring weekend in Wyoming. 

I’m not saying that life is hunky dory, it’s not, a lot of our businesses are struggling and Wyoming isn’t alone in this regard. All the western states, like the entire country, have and continue to suffer as the economic impact of the pandemic continues to crush business owners across the West and the question arises, what impact will the pandemic and ensuing economic crisis have on western hunting seasons? 

The only concrete answer I have for that is that only time can tell. However, if the reopening measures and quarantine cessations are any indication I’m betting that hunting seasons will not be impacted one wink.