Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals
Hunt elk deep in grizzly bear country with Ike Eastman. It’s a public land DIY hunt in a limited quota elk hunting area. An early fall snow storm adds an extra challenge to the bow hunting season.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: The outdoors has always had my full attention. I was born and raised in eastern Colorado and started hunting and fishing with my dad and uncles before I was even out of diapers. Over the years my passion for hunting blossomed into a dream which is being able to guide hunters full time every fall. I am so blessed to get to spend as much time in the field each year as I do and have had the unique privilege of sharing my passion for the outdoors with some great guys in my career.
We hurried and got the sticks set and Jesse steadied his gun just in time to see the buck turn and start to leave the trees, now walking towards us. He reached over to bite off the top off a weed which diverted his attention from us just long enough. He got to the edge of the trees 160 yards away and slightly quartering-to when he finally saw us. It was too late however as Jesse had settled his crosshairs on the buck’s shoulder and was probably already starting to squeeze when the buck locked his eyes on us. The thud was unmistakable as we watched the buck stumble back into the trees and out of sight. Jesse quickly cycled another round and we stayed set up for a couple minutes (it was honestly probably more like 10 seconds) waiting to see if he would run out of little tree island. We tried to gather our composure as much as we could before heading in after him but that was almost impossible to do. We soon found out the buck had stumbled about 10 yards and ended up in nearly the same spot he had bedded. We were both ecstatic as Jesse got to put his hands on his 210” eastern Colorado muley!
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Kryptek Sonora Hooded Shirt – Ike Eastman
As I am writing this America is in the midst of pulling out of Afghanistan. It has been horrific to watch as American civilians, American servicemen, and American allies are left behind and fighting to get out. Yesterday, 13 Marines along with a bunch of other people were killed in a bombing. One of those Marines was from a family that my family knows very well here in Wyoming. As this all happens I am trying to get ready for the hunting season that is upon us. As I start to pack clothing I am reminded that we all need to support those that we share beliefs, integrity, values and ethics with. Kryptek is a veteran-owned company. They are firm believers, supporters and defenders of the 2nd Amendment (2A). They are ethical hunters that understand “trophy hunting is conservation” and do their part to help conserve the hunter’s way of life. This is one of the many reasons we partnered with them on this year’s gift subscription campaign. This year we are offering the Kryptek Sonora Hooded Shirt if you give three gift subscriptions (one can be your renewal) we will send you this special addition “Sonora Hoody” with the Eastmans’ Logo on it free of shipping and handling.
The Sonora Hooded Shirt was built to be used as a base layer or the only layer if you are hunting in hot, dry environments, like the Sonoran Desert or the hills of Afghanistan. This is a great piece to keep the sun off you while keeping you concealed in the shadows. The Sonora Hoody boasts a UPF 50 sun protection and the Kryptek Cooling System to keep you cool while you are hiking, glassing the desert landscape or just taking that midday rest. This hoody is constructed from an antimicrobial fabric that will allow you to wear it multiple days and still go home and hug your loved ones.
As we all know, noise out in the field is a huge concern. Even the quietest zipper in the world still sounds VERY loud when you are hunting on a calm quiet day. That is why Kryptek went back to a traditional button closer for the Sonora Hooded Shirt. It does have a zipper for the chest pocket to ensure your valuables are safe and secure and there’s a built-in microfiber cloth to help clean the dust off your optics.
As you can see this piece is very well thought out and functional. If you are heading on an early season hunt check this piece out at kryptek.com, you get free shipping on your first purchase or you can give three Eastmans’ subscriptions and get one free. Good luck this fall and I hope you get to #RedLineTheFunMeter!
Tech Tips – Brought To You By onX HuntOnboard Weather Stations – Brandon Mason
If you haven’t used or noticed the Wind & Weather feature in onX, you are missing out. Their partnership with Weather Underground puts necessary weather info at your fingertips all in one app.
Besides current temps, you get forecasts for the next six days, hourly forecasts per day, a wind speed and direction indicator on the map that you can also change to be a current temperature indicator on the map, and pressure readings.
The wind forecast uses information from NOAA weather stations around the country, allowing you to select the location closest to your hunting spot.
Check out this video for additional info and this onX page to read more. https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt/blog/wind-weather-has-arrived
Get prepared. Stay prepared. Hunt hard!
Learn how to cook salmon with two easy recipes. Mike Eastman uses simple ingredients to create mouth-watering cedar plank salmon on his Traeger grill. Brown sugar makes one recipe kid-friendly and a vodka brine adds some zing to his other favorite fish preparation.
