It’s been a while sense I’ve checked in. Had some work done on my bad knee and I’ve been a bit laid up the last few weeks.

It’s bear season and I’ve been poking around looking for the old black bear that I have been hunting last two seasons. Talked to some timber workers this morning and they spotted him four days ago. I know it’s the same bear because of his size. The bruin is as big as a good grizzly! Now these lumberjacks have spent enough time up here to know the different between the two species.

Opening the Road above the House for Black Bear Hunting

Speaking of grizzlies, I came rolling back into the homestead after hunting this morning, and Bertie was out doing some yard work. As soon as she saw me she blurted out “did you see the grizzly this morning”? What grizzly?  That was all it took for her to start laughing. While you’re out running around the forest a brown colored grizzly wonders thru the country. I had just missed him by 20 minutes this morning when I left the house. I found out the place just above me had a brown bear two days before eating lawn grass. I’m thinking it’s the same bear he just moved down the creek away. I haven’t seen much bear sign this spring on the creek. I think because the elk didn’t winter on my creek this year, there’s no winterkill to attract the bears.

At the head of the creek is a natural saddle from one drainage to the other and a lookout

If you have been reading my blog, I wrote last winter about the two bull moose wintering on my creek. Good news! This morning I spotted both bulls feeding in the swamp, plus a cow with a yearling. The one bull already has good paddles! Wolfs didn’t down those old boys. What luck! I haven’t seen them for at least a month, then, here they show up. I might pack my still camera with me tomorrow while bear hunting. If I can get a photo of the old bull, I will post it so you can see him in the first stages of his antler growth. He’s living in a swamp just above the house.

Guy, Ike and I were invited to hang out at the grand opening of Cabela’s in Billings, Montana store this Saturday. As I was heading down the creek to the main highway I ran right in to a male and female wolf working their way up the side hill. They were only 200 yards above me and stopped to give me the old eye. Finally they moved up the mountain and to the timber. Both were gray colored and nether one had a collar.

Getting to Billings is a 2 1/2 hour car trip one way. When I arrived at 10:00 a.m. the place was packed with outdoor people. We had a great time talking to everyone and I sold a pile of my new book Hunting Trophy Antelope a DIY Guide.

Signing books and talking to fellow hunters at the Grand Opening in Billings Montana

If you’re interested in the first edition of the book they’re almost gone.  If you want one, you can call Eastmans’ Hunting Journal (800-842-6887) and purchase one of the last limited edition copies. Speaking of my book. I got a great e-mail from an EHJ subscriber who had purchase the antelope book and here’s what he said:

Dear Mike, I recently purchased your new book/dvd Hunting Trophy Antelope DIY.  Outstanding!!!

 I do quite a bit of reading/researching on the internet and in magazine articles.  However, I rarely sit down and read a book.

 Not yours!  I read the entire book in three evenings.  I had a hard time putting it down.  I am planning a hunt in Wyoming for 2010.  I will buy a preference point this year. I am also planning two trips to scout a couple of units, one in August and again in October in preparation for the 2010 season.  I will study your book many more times so I can better absorb and utilize all of the excellent information it contains.

 I will be using your techniques, approaches and suggestions from the book.  I have also used the MRS to help in my planning. It is an invaluable and unmatched resource that I highly recommend.  As a new subscriber to The EHJ, I cannot wait for my first issue.  You and your staff offer the hands down best web site, magazine, and TV show that can be found anywhere.  The thing I appreciate and respect the most is the ethical and fair chase approach to hunting.  I do not hunt within high fences!

You folks are the “real deal”.  That cannot be found anywhere.  I have very few hunting shows that I record and watch on the weekends.  Yours is my #1 show.

 I see your Antelope book as my workbook and must have study reference.  Your writing style is very easy to read, down to earth, and written in a conversational style.  No hype, just “meat and potatoes”.  That too is hard to find.

 Please extend my appreciation and give a big “atta boy” to Guy, Ike and your entire staff for a job well done with Eastman’s!  Oh yeah Mike, you get a big atta boy too!

 An “atta boy” is the highest compliment I can give.

 Thank you for writing a much need reference book which is “my bible” for hunting the fun to chase Pronghorn.  We all appreciate your efforts and high quality work!

 Take care and keep up the good work.

 Kindest regards,

Paul Sammons

Texas

Go on line at Eastmans.com and order your signed copy. It has a DVD along with it on Trophy Antelope hunting

 The weather has turned hot and the high country is melting and the creeks and rivers are roaring. Will keep you posted on the bear hunting. Looking for this one bear is like looking for a needle in a haystack. No baiting up here to many grizzlies. Mike Eastman

Grizzly tracks coming off the mountain

Last spring the 21^st of March, the grizzlies started to come out and move through our area. One of the biggest was a bruin with a 7-inch wide front pad. I got some photos of him as he moved down the creek away from my house. For about 4 weeks we found tracks of several different bears moving up and down the creek. One was a female with a two-year-old cub, which if you know grizzlies, is not one you want to run into while taking out the trash.

Last spring (2008) The Old Man with a 7" front pad

The Old Man's track in the spring of 08

This year we have had an over due spring with plenty of wet spring snow. I kept an eye out for bear tracks in the last part of March, but because of the late spring no bears showed up on the creek. However, over in Yellowstone Park and the Sunlight Basin country they had sightings the first week of April. The bears will make a beeline to creek bottoms to locate winter killed elk, moose or deer. With the explosion of wolf populations up here, wolfs have taken care of any winterkill, so the bears including black bears have a hard time finding a spring meal.

Last year the neighbor up the creek had his high dollar outdoor grill beat into the ground by the 7-inch-tracked grizzly, I call the Old Man. The burin, then, headed down to my place looking for food. I happened to be out in the pasture working when he showed up. Now older bears usually are somewhat of a gentleman, that is, if he isn’t on a meal. So I was able to persuade him to move on down the creek. But those 3-4 year old teenage grizzlies have an attitude and I try to keep my distance from them at all times! Historically the Old Man moves up and down this creek several times in the spring and again in the fall. He always stops off to snack on outdoor barbeque grills or low hanging bird feeders (which because of his fetish for birdseed I don’t have.)

Two days ago, the first grizzly of the year below the house

The grizzly had a 6" front pad one of the younger bears

Just yesterday, I heard through the creeks grapevine that the ranch just below me had a grizzly come in and snack on their grill. This goes along with the tracks may neighbor Delmar, and I spotted yesterday. The bear came down the snow packed mountain night before last. From his tracks, I could see he hit the dirt road and then took a left moving down the creek. His route took him away from my place and down to more populated country. But rest assured, in a few days he will wander back up the creek. So today my outdoor grill goes into Mike’s (hopefully) bear proof shed. While I was putting it away my wife Bertie, was digging out the bear spray. As I stepped back into the house my wife handed me my canister of spray while rolling her eye’s and saying, ‘Welcome to spring time in the Beartooth’s!”

Oh I’m still going to hunt that black bear behind the house again this spring. The season opens in May. I will keep you posted. In the mean time I’m headed off to do some spring fly fishing for steelhead in Idaho. Mike Eastman

I’ve gotten a lot of questions about trophy antelope areas. There is a misconception promoted by the hunting application people that only a few units in Wyoming can produce trophy quality B&C bucks. This is so far from the truth that I feel I need to expound on the subject a bit. In my newest book Trophy Hunting Antelope a D-I-Y Guide, I write about this fallacy. In fact because of the way buck antelope grow their horns, it takes a good winter, spring and summer to develop a set of horns that make the book. It holds true for any antelope unit out west. The idea that all it takes is drawing the right trophy area isn’t true. For an example, almost every unit in Wyoming, excluding some of the eastern units, will produce book heads. After saying that, however, some states will grow bigger trophy bucks overall then others. I still believe it’s due to several factors like vegetation and severity of winters. The first key to finding a true trophy buck is hunting the same area year after year. First, you need to know the country you’re hunting and then when the stars align just right you will be right there to take advantage of that great year for horn growth. Second, use the information in my book to pick a good unit. Third, implement the tactics and strategies I write bout in my book to find that one-in-a-thousand buck antelope D-I-Y.

I have been getting some great emails from hunters that have read the antelope book. Here are a few I’ve gotten in the past week.

Mike Eastman,

I just wanted to say thank you for writing and publishing your new book

“Hunting Trophy Antelope”.  Our family owns a large ranch/farm in Montana

that butts up against antelope area 80 in Wyoming.  I have archery antelope

hunted in Montana for the last 11 years and now I am compelled to add

archery antelope hunting in Wyoming to my yearly adventures.  I enjoyed the

book, and I appreciate the fact that you did not try to sell me on what

equipment I should be hunting with, but spent your writing time sharing

great points and experiences that can be put to use, saving me years of trial

and error.

Thank you again!

Jack Walker

WA

Please let Mike Eastman know that I truly enjoyed his latest book on

Antelope hunting, a book like this was long overdue in my opinion and I have

read it with great interest, Also I appreciate the fact that the book is

based on real life information and not an ongoing commercial trying to sell

the latest camo or gizmo of the week. Again Thank you Mike for a quality

product that will help me and my hunting in the future. Chad Lowery

I sure like to hear feedback from people who have read the book e-mail me at mike@easmans.com.

Take a hike and check out your pack before fall hunting ©Mike Eastman

Now is the time to look over your equipment and fill in the holes. In my antelope book I have a section on getting your pack and equipment ready for the antelope buck stock. A lot of hunters purchase new equipment and don’t test it out before the hunt. However, I take my new equipment out during the slow time of the year and test it on field trips to make sure I know what equipment is in every pocket and that it functions the way I expected it to do.

This is my Antelope hunting pack ready for the fall

Whether its hunting for dropped antlers or taking a day-trip to take photos of the great outdoors, take your hunting backpack and have some spring outdoor fun while preparing for your fall hunting trip. Mike Eastman

I donated one of my limited edition 20×20 photos of a public land 210-velvet mule deer buck to be action off. The photo wasn’t listed in the program but to my surprise it sold for $1100.00 to the top bidder, Robert Chandler. I had also donated first editions of my three books. Hunting High Country Mule Deer was a first edition and only 2500 copies were ever printed back in the late 90’s. The second book, Hunting Trophy Antelope was also a first edition that I pulled out of my book cache and made sure it was a low number.

210 Public Land MD that I filmed 20x20 available for sale

Me with Robert who purchase my 20x20 Print

I don’t know what the Living Legends print we donated went for, but it’s a signed and numbered limited edition by Brent Todd of the three Wyoming public land bucks. That limit edition print has been sold out for many years. I noticed nothing was written up on it in the program either. With photos and video footage in several hunting DVD’s, no doubt these three bucks are the most famous mule deer in modern day hunting. (Plus they are Wyoming bucks!) I think they could have raised more money if the crowd had been informed of the limited availability of this signed print. My mistake was not insisting that the MDF use the write up my people had furnished them on each of all these hard-to-find items. I’m sure this would have helped get more dollars for the books, photo and print.

I was wondering around and looking at some of the auction items from the national headquarters. Being a bit critical, I wasn’t very impressed. To be honest, the quality of local contribution items was much more impressive. In closing as a past Board of Director, I do wish that more of the money raised could stayed in the state where it was raised instead of going south.

Mike Eastman

Me, the old guy, would just wait for the young guys to pull each other out. I would play around in basins full of new fallen snow, while up in the timber these guys were busy getting unstuck. It was a great sledding day with full sun, good snow and great company. The beauty of living up here is I can get on my snow machine right in front of my house and be in sledding country in no time. No trailing sleds over slick snowy roads to a parking lot. Just step out the door and off we go.

This time of year nearly every Sunday, Bertie and I travel from our house on back trails 44 miles round tip on our snow machines to attend church between Cooke City and Silver Gate, Montana. We often see wolves, moose and elk on the way. It’s a nice Sunday morning ride. After church on the way home, we often join several couples for a side trip to play in the snow high up on the mountain peaks.

The whole gang 12 of use leaving my house for the Beartooths

Were at 11,000 ft I'm watch the young guys marking

My wife Bertie and I on top coming back from Church Sunday

Me coming up the ridge heading home from Church in Cook City

The snow pack isn’t as heavy as last year, but still very good. The game look like they are doing OK!  However, the elk are always nervous and feed in tight groups so they can constantly watch the surrounding country for wolves.

This bull is winter next to the house he was here last winter

They never stay in one location more then a day trying to stay one step in front of them. Mike Eastman

I have just come back up to the mountain after spending several days signing the last of my 2500 Limited Edition trophy antelope books. I signed the whole printing over the last two months and at this writing there will be only about 450 left for sell. Because they are all 4-color, numbered and signed, this First Edition will be gone in less then a month. So if you’re interested in getting a copy, I strongly recommend calling the office or go online to eastmans.com and order soon. The second printing will not be all 4-color.

While driving back up on the mountain in northern Wyoming, I run into a pack of six wolves.  I believe they were playing out on a frozen pond in a courtship ritual. I stopped and took a few photos. It’s a long way off, maybe 450 yards, but you can see two of them interacting. The scuttlebutt is a lone Idaho wolf wondered into our country and took up with one of the single Wyoming females. The “wolf spotters” are giddy about another possible pack in the making. Nearly every night at least one wolf will wonder thru my country looking for game to take down.

At first there were 6 wolves but when I filmed only two left

I have two bull moose wintering on the creek next to me. Last year I had only one bull. I think he brought a friend into the area to winter this year. One bull still had its antlers so I went down and took a few photos. This is the longest I have ever seen a bull moose hold on to his headgear.  Usually by the end of January the bulls have dropped their antlers. Not this guy! Maybe he feels that keeping the bone will deter a wolf attack. I’m watching to see if wolves will kill these bulls.

This bull showed up last winter at my gate

Here at 7500 feet, the warm early March temperatures caused the snow pack to become hard. Then when the temperature dropped to below freezing the wolves can travel along the top as if it was solid ground. This makes it easier to catch and kill elk and moose.

This bull came along this winter he still had his antlers in February

I’ll continue to keep you posted on the two wintering bulls. Mike Eastman

Well folks, the Fat Lady sang on the evening of June 15 – spring bear season is done. The old bruin – that giant of a black bear boar I’ve been telling you about – won the match this time around. Up here you can’t bait black bear because of all the grizzlies – which are off limits to hunting. So when hunting black bear, you are down to spot and stalk.

There’s an old burn above my place that big boar has been calling home. I spent mornings and evenings glassing, but turned up only small blackies and grizzly. The second to the last day the big boy walked down my tracks. I guess he was giving me the old claw in the air.

I measured his paw print; it’s just over 7″ wide. I will pick up the cat and mouse game with him again this fall.

I noticed a sow grizzly with a last year’s cub pulled in just a quarter mile above my house. I’ll bet she makes this her summer home. The cow elk are calved out and the grizzly are taking their share of the young elk. We’ve also had three older grizzly cubs about that apparently were kicked out by mother this spring. They must be two or three years old took and took an elk calf down just below the house. Mother taught them well, so we probably won’t have to worry about them becoming garbage bears.

Now, about those wary wolves! I was going to Cooke Sunday when I came up on a young wolf – last year’s pup – in the middle of the gravel road. He was only a mile from the homestead. He wasn’t spooked at all. He walked up the hill about 150 yards and stood on a rock to watch me. I had no camera with me. I should fire myself for that. Never leave the place without the cameras! I live in one of Wyoming’s designated a trophy wolf areas. Only five permits will be issued for a fall wolf hunt in the area this year. But a lawsuit against the delisting of the wolves has been filed, and everybody’s waiting for the outcome. So, the hunt so it might not happen.

I’ve been working on my new Pronghorn book. I’ve got about two-thirds of it done; just finished a section on how to find watering holes and antelope near them. A section on stalking antelope and the five points to cover before the stalk is also done. There’s also been progress on a section I find particularly interesting – about hunting trophy antelope after the rut. That’s the most effective time to find a trophy buck. The format of the antelope book is going to be along the same lines as my first book, Hunting High Country Mule Deer. That one just came out in paperback a few weeks ago. It’s priced at only $14.95 and I will sign the copy for you.

Well, that catches you up on my news for now. Take care, folks.

Holy grizzlies! The old boy, the big grizzly boar that had visited us earlier, came back this evening as it was snowing. He walked through my yard, then turned and headed down the road, crossing the creek. I got photos of him walking past and crossing the creek. The bruin, I think, is looking for some love; mating season is starting, you know.

I guess him at 7 1/2 feet and 500-600 pounds. Jack, my 3-year-old grandson, got to watch him walk down the road – great stuff. Jack had a good three days up here with Bertie and me. Not only did he get to see grizzlies but up close and personal, there were also mule deer and herds of elk moving up the creek to summer range. He is all buzzed up on the wildlife.

It’s snowing and raining right now. We have over 8″ of snow and it’s been coming down for four days. The power went off all day Thursday because of the heavy, wet snow. I tell you what; the creek is surging down the mountain bank-to-bank. Rumor has it the snow pack on top is still over six feet. Because of the weather I haven’t gotten back above the place to look for that big black bear boar we spotted. I’m still itching to do some black bear hunting. Looking at the weather forecast for next week, it looks as if it could be favorable for bear scouting.

Yesterday I went up and broke through to the bear country above the house. Grizzly bears are plentiful in the country around my place, but it’s not yet legal to hunt grizzlies in Wyoming. Even so, I know of at least one huge black bear boar that has also been hanging around up there, and I’d love a chance to hunt him.

No one had been through yet this spring. I got stuck a couple times, but with two four-wheelers, we managed. I should see a black bear or two during the next few weeks; I plan to check on the country every evening for the next month.

Last spring above the house I spotted that big old black bear boar working his way up the creek. You know he has to be big and tough to live in that neighborhood with all those grizzlies. From his nose to his tail, the old bruin has to be at least seven feet, or even larger. My wife, Bertie, was with me and she commented about how much country he could cover at just a normal walk. That’s a good indication of a big bear.

This spring has been late; it’s the middle of May and I still have three-foot snow banks on the north side of my log house. Up high, the runoff is just starting. The grizzlies are hanging low, waiting for the snow to melt and open the high country up. As you can see, I have had at least one or two grizzlies wander through my place. Three nights ago just as the sun went down, a seven-plus foot grizzly boar walked right up to the house. Bertie was impressed by his size, especially considering the long, hard winter we’ve had.

Last week a cow elk got tangled in a barbwire fence and died. It wasn’t six hours later and a sow and two cubs were feeding on the carcass – right next to the road. This time of year we don’t have too much traffic, so within 24 hours the bears pretty much will clean the cow up.

The grizzlies came out early this spring; the first one we spotted was out on the 15th of March. We still had winter at that time, with four feet of snow. I guess some of those old boys want to get an early start on the season. It seems as if they’re moving up and down the creek, looking for winter kills. My neighbor had a $1,500 grill – one of those stainless steel ones – an old grizzly just stomped it into the ground a month ago. His homeowner insurance wouldn’t pay for grizzly damage!

Bertie packs bear spray whenever she takes her daily walks. Last August I was working in the corral at about 9 a.m. one morning and three-year-old bear walked right past me as it headed up the creek. You have to be on the lookout in that country, for sure.

The last few days we have had 70 degree weather; the snow is rolling down the creeks. I will keep you posted and let you know if I find that huge old black bear boar – the season runs for almost a month.