Hunting and Fishing News & Blog Articles

Guest Author: Ernest Chavez

I had no cover, so I just stood there, nocked an arrow and tried to catch my breath and compose myself. The bull continued to bugle and started raking the ground with his antlers. To my surprise, he started walking right at me, at 30 yards I drew. At 20 yards, I let the arrow fly and buried it in the sweet spot. It was then that I knew I would need some help.

The post Successful Bowhunters: Ernest Chavez appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Guest Author: Lindsay McQuaid 

After the shot, I heard the bull break a few branches, but didn’t think he went very far. About two minutes later I heard breaking of branches one more time. The forest was then quiet. A couple of texts to family and friends helped to pass the half hour I made myself wait. As I followed the blood trail for a short 30 yards, I was shocked when I came around a willow bush and came face to face with my bull.  He was much larger than I could have hoped for.

The post Successful Bowhunters: Lindsay McQuaid appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Guest Author:  Russ Carlson

It was a foggy Saturday morning, September 9th, 2017. Walking in the dark, I was hoping to get to my spot ahead of where the deer tend to cross on my favorite ridge. I found about six nice deer as the sun came up that were on the wrong side of the fence. I watched them for a while and decided to keep moving. About 800 yards up the trail I spotted another group of bucks. I hit the ground and started crawling. It took me about 30 minutes to gain 100 yards on them. They were slowly feeding away from me, with the wind headed my way. 

They were dispersed amongst the shadows of the pine trees which made it hard to make them out. The big buck I’d been searching for was in the lead and I finally had a shot. I had to calm myself down and focus on waiting for the right time. I ranged him at 45 yards. I sat up and drew as he stepped out from behind a large tree. I released and watched my arrow fly perfectly. Just before my arrow got to him, it took a dramatic turn. I didn’t see the branch right in front of his body. I couldn’t believe it. The arrow deflected and hit below him. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The bucks ran off and I walked over to grab my arrow. I was completely disappointed in myself. All of the preparation and practice, and I blew the shot. 

The arrow didn’t spook them too badly. Luckily, they hadn’t seen or smelled me. I decided to sneak down the valley and see if I could find them again. No more than 30 steps and I froze. There he was, staring me down at 51 yards. I’d practiced at 70 yards all summer and I knew I could make this shot. I drew and released. Impact! I watched my arrow bury just above the center of his chest, exactly where I needed to hit. Immediately he charged straight at me. My first thought was that he was coming to take revenge on me! I panicked and tried to nock an arrow. He ran by me at no less than five yards as I fumbled another arrow onto my bow. He ran another 20 yards and hit the dirt. I heard his final sigh and he breathed his last breath. I threw hands up with my bow in hand. I couldn’t believe that was able to take such a beautiful animal. 

Guest Author: Marty Hamel

My brother, Mike, and I went on our first DIY archery elk hunt in Colorado in September of 2009. It was an amazing experience and one that ignited a desire to continue to hunt elk in the mountains. Since that hunt, life happened, and things got busy. Both of us started families, bought houses and had career changes or advancements. We tried to plan a hunt nearly every year since our first hunt, but it just didn’t work out for one of us. Finally, after building preference points for seven years, the stars aligned, as we both were able to commit to applying for a fall hunt, and better yet, we even drew the tag. We were going elk hunting in Wyoming! 

We hunted hard, and one evening, about an hour before sunset, a nice bull stepped into a meadow we were waiting on the edge of. My brother, unbeknownst to me, had got his rangefinder out earlier and whispered to me that the bull was at 48 yards. I pictured the bone structure of the front shoulder and aimed just behind, knowing that I needed to tuck the arrow as close to the bone as possible. 

My nervousness and anxiety seemed to disappear, and I felt as if everything was in slow motion. I remember squeezing the trigger and watching the arrow fly inch by inch until it impacted the bull exactly where it needed to. It was a surreal moment. The bull turned, and I could see the arrow sticking out the other side. He ran about 30 yards to the edge of the meadow and fell down. He got up, then staggered back and forth before finally falling for the last time. 

Public land bowhunter Jordan Breshears covers country to arrow a herd bull in Montana. This DIY hunt is packed with ups and downs, literally, as Breshears uses elevation to his advantage to locate elk and avoid other hunters. Elk hunting public land takes persistence and grit to get the job done, especially when bow hunting.

The post Bowhunting Montana Public Land Elk appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Anyone who has spent time around kids knows how quickly they can get “bored”. In today’s world of instant gratification, touch screen, on demand, have it your way, more choices than you can shake a stick at entertainment, which is almost all tech based and electronically driven, therefore meaning it’s done indoors, it can be easy to see how a quiet morning glassing for deer could seem boring to our overstimulated youth. Now before you go on a rant about “back in my day…” just hear me out. If we want to hook kids on hunting we have to give them lots of opportunities to find out how much fun it is and we need to approach them on their level and engage them via a medium they understand… technology. 

The Wyoming Game and Fish seems to be plugged into this and has come up with a resource they’ve dubbed Inspire a Kid: it’s for life This resource is designed to help parents and kids discover all that Wyoming has to offer in the great outdoors. Since most kids will automatically turn down an adult’s first offered option the website gives lots of ideas and choices. From tracking migrating ungulates to tooth aging there are a myriad of activities for kids to choose from, meaning that the age old response of “I don’t care” is rendered useless; just go pick something and get outside!

From Where To Go and How To sections right down a recipe section there is something for everyone. So the next time you find yourself with a houseful of “bored” kids send them to Inspire a Kid website and then offer to help them with whatever they choose. Afterall, you never know where your next adventure in the outdoors will lead you and if you’re not careful you may just have some fun while learning something new. Get out there!

Learn how to debone the meat from your next big game animal without field dressing. Public land hunter Brandon Mason breaks down step by step how to remove the meat from a bull elk. Front quarters, hind quarters, neck meat, backstops and tenderloins are all removed and the guts are never disturbed!

The post Removing Hide appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Learn how to debone the meat from your next big game animal without field dressing. Public land hunter Brandon Mason breaks down step by step how to remove the meat from a bull elk. Front quarters, hind quarters, neck meat, backstops and tenderloins are all removed and the guts are never disturbed!

The post Removing Front Shoulder Meat appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Learn how to debone the meat from your next big game animal without field dressing. Public land hunter Brandon Mason breaks down step by step how to remove the meat from a bull elk. Front quarters, hind quarters, neck meat, backstops and tenderloins are all removed and the guts are never disturbed!

The post Removing Neck Meat and Backstrap Meat appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

 Learn how to debone the meat from your next big game animal without field dressing. Public land hunter Brandon Mason breaks down step by step how to remove the meat from a bull elk. Front quarters, hind quarters, neck meat, backstops and tenderloins are all removed and the guts are never disturbed!

The post Removing Hind Quarter Meat and Tenderloin appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Learn how to debone the meat from your next big game animal without field dressing. Public land hunter Brandon Mason breaks down step by step how to remove the meat from a bull elk. Front quarters, hind quarters, neck meat, backstops and tenderloins are all removed and the guts are never disturbed!

The post Debone A Big Game Animal – No Gutting! appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Hunt elk in the thick of grizzly bear country with public land hunter Brandon Mason. Hunting elk DIY is challenging in its own right. When you’re constantly checking your back track for a grizzly, the hunt reaches a whole other level! Mason finds himself in the middle of an early September rut fest and comes face to face with a six-point bull. It’s a man vs. elk. vs grizzly on this episode of Beyond the Grid TV by Eastmans‘!

The post ELK HUNTING with GRIZZLY BEARS! Public Land DIY appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

I finally moved myself over enough to see all of his vitals and felt it was the right time for a shot. I waited until his head was completely turned away from me and his ears were out before I drew. I remember feeling extremely in control of that shot and thought process—smooth draw, anchor corner of the mouth, nose on the string, good level, settle my pin and squeeze. As soon as the shot broke, I saw that arrow arcing right into his shoulder, then it sounded like a branch breaking as he jumped up and took off. Not believing what had just taken place, I sprinted up the hill to my boots where I could get a better look as to where he had gone. I scanned around with my binoculars and found him lying about 150 yards from where I had shot him, expired. My arrow had broken through both shoulder blades on a clean pass through, and it was all over in 20 seconds.

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The post Successful Bowhunters: Jordan Budd appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

Guest Author: BRIAN PANELLI-ELK-NV-DIY-PL

The weather broke from thunderstorms for a small time in the afternoon, and we made our move. We made our way into the wilderness as far away from people as possible. A combination of still–hunting and spot–and–stalk was our plan of attack now, and we planned on not going back to base camp without an elk on our backs.  

After about an hour and a half of hiking, we heard a bugle. We made a beeline toward the bugle and tried some cow calls to hopefully locate him before he got us and be able to put together a stalk. As we came closer to the main bugle, there were three or four other bulls in the same area beginning to bugle back and forth. We finally got to the point where the bugles were close enough to set up a small hideout and see if a call would bring them in. I hunkered under an old pinion pine tree with my dad set up about 20 yards uphill from me. As I was settling in, I noticed about 60 yards in front of me was a huge wallow. This was the perfect place to set up and just wait patiently for them to come to water. 

Time seemed to fly by as I listened to all the bugles going back and forth between the bulls, but with all the excitement came anxiousness as the thunder clouds began to roll back in. I got to watch a couple of herd bulls chase off satellite bulls and listen to bulls scream so close, the hair on my arms would rise. When the thunder from the storm would boom, it would echo in almost perfect harmony with the calling bulls; it was a soundtrack that was unbelievable.  

When I returned the next morning, the deer was expired right where I left him bedded the previous night. I went in to retrieve my trophy and was startled by a black bear protecting the carcass. It looked as if he had chased off a coyote that had started eating the carcass. I quickly prepped and quartered my deer, took it home to the cooler and later returned to hunt the black bear that couldn’t have gone far. With the help of my buddy, R.J., I was able to get an arrow into the bear. Not only had I harvested a great mule deer, but also had a fall black bear to boot. You cannot make this stuff up!

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The post Successful Bowhunters: Chad Cruicksank appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

When the bull stood up I didn’t have a good shot angle on him and wasn’t able to squeeze the release. He got to the bottom of the little bowl they were in and started up the other side. Then he made a deadly mistake, and stopped to take a look back. When he stopped I guessed the yardage and made the adjustment on my aim. The next thing I knew I had my hands in the air, embracing all of the emotions of joy, relief, and thankfulness for having just harvested my first bull elk.

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The post Successful Bowhunters: Brian Schiermeister appeared first on Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals.

This fall I was able to put Outdoor Edge’s first fixed-blade replaceable-blade knife through the ringer on big game. For years, we have been using the Outdoor Edge replaceable-blade folding knives. You’ve probably also seen the various knives from Outdoor Edge in this replaceable-blade folding knife family in our subscription offers. Here is a brief comparison between the two styles so you can see which one you might prefer to have in your pack.

The fixed-blade knife is called the RazorMax. It has the option to interchange the 3.5” drop-point blade (from their popular RazorSafe series) with a 5.0” fillet/boning blade. This is a complete replaceable-blade system knife for virtually all of your hunting, fishing and culinary needs. The total length is 8” with the 3.5” blade and 9.5” with the 5.0” blade. It weighs in at 4.7 ounces with the sheath (2.6 ounces without the sheath) and comes with three of the 3.5” blades and three of the 5.0” blades. The RazorMax is $79.95 at www.outdooredge.com.

The original folding-blade knife that Outdoor Edge came out with is the RazorBlaze. It comes with the 3.5” blades that the RazorMax comes with, but not the 5.0” fillet/boning blade. The obvious benefit of the folding knife is that it takes up less space in your pack, measuring just under 4.5” when closed and has an overall length of 8”. It weighs in at 6.4 ounces with the sheath and comes with six of the 3.5” blades. The RazorBlaze is $56.95 on www.outdooredge.com.

The blade replacement systems are the same when comparing the fixed blade RazorMax with the folding blade RazorBlaze, using the patented RazorSafe technology that allows you to replace the blades, without risk of injury, by the simple push of a button. The blade holder is steel and is black oxide coated for durability and good looks for more years than you’ll be alive to use it.

In today’s society, the desire for instant results and success has exponentially increased as we creep further and further into the 21st century. Being a consistent, successful DIY public land hunter is like any other sport. It takes time and repetition to become skilled at and never can be truly mastered. 

Patience Grasshopper

As life and our society shape and mold us each individually, unfortunately, we are led astray from a trait that is most important in becoming a better hunter—patience. Patience is a general term and covers a lot of bases, but all the years guiding or stalking scenarios I failed in were due to a lack of patience. Patience plays a role in every hunting scenario.

EASTMANS’ FEATURE STORY 

Guest Author: NOAH ALBRECHT-ELK-CO-DIY-PL

Instantly, my heart began racing as I watched a cow sneak down a trail 30 yards through the trees. I immediately thought to myself, here’s your chance, Noah. I drew my bow and settled what I thought was the 30–yard pin on the elk. To tell you the truth, I’m not quite sure what really happened in those moments because after I saw the animal, my adrenaline was flowing so much that everything seemed to be a blur, and who knows if I was even looking through my peep sight when I shot.

The shot broke, and the cow elk ran off. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I missed. I felt horrible! I could see the arrow sticking out of the tree trunk the cow was previously standing next to. Without going through the shot process or thinking through what I was doing, I seemingly shot in front of the cow, missing her completely. I couldn’t believe I screwed it up! I had the chance, and I dropped the ball by not thinking when I should’ve been. After having this gut–wrenching feeling for about 30 seconds, I was starting to stand up when I caught some movement again. 

In the Oct/Nov issue of Eastmans’ Hunting Journal (EHJ) I provided some background and updates on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and how the disease continues to be aggressively monitored and may be spreading across the West. 

In a recent article from the Wyoming Game & Fish Department, they confirm that unit 105 in northwest Wyoming has confirmed cases of CWD.

“A map of CWD endemic areas is available on the Game and Fish website. The disease is fatal to deer, elk and moose. The Game and Fish is concerned about CWD and how it may affect the future of Wyoming’s wildlife. The department is currently working to update its  CWD management plan through a collaborative public process.”

As we’ve done in the past, we will continue to update you when we know more on this deadly disease. Get prepared. Stay prepared. Hunt safe!