If you would like to learn some bow setup techniques, stay tuned as I will post some good videos that I have found. As it is a little better to see and follow it visually, rather than read text.

This video is on “Scent Prevention – The System.” Check out the short video below. Join Anthony and Aneal from BowCast as they talk about scent prevention and the system you should apply before and during hunting activities in the field.

Here is a great follow-up article to this posted by Josh Fletcher on Bowhunting.com

Here are some great elk hunting tips that will assist you in September!

Bugling is an amazing tool to use when elk hunting, but when the bulls go silent a good hunter should have additional methods ready to use!

It seems that it’s every one of my hunter’s dreams to hunt a bugling bull elk, but the truth is bulls typically bugle for three or four weeks of the entire hunting season. For success, you need several methods ready if you want a shot outside of the bugling period!

Read the full article here.

Wyoming hunters will have more than 50,000 new acres of walk-in access to private lands this year and four new Hunter Management Areas that offer hunting for big game including elk, deer and antelope as well as a variety of upland bird species, waterfowl and small game and predators.

The complete list of 2009 Hunter Management and Walk-In Areas is now available on the Wyoming Game and Fish Department Web site. The list includes hundreds of thousands of acres of public access available throughout much of Wyoming.

In all, Wyoming’s Hunter Management and Walk-In Area programs provide access to more than two million acres of public and private lands.

Of note this year are the addition of four new hunter management areas and more than 50,000 new acres of access added to the 700,000 acres already provided through the Walk-in Area program.

The new Hunter Management Areas (HMA) are found in Johnson, Carbon, Albany and Hot Springs counties and are provided courtesy of agreements with PacifiCorp, M&M, McFarlane and the Little V-H ranches. The new acreage provided through the Walk-In Area program includes terrain in several counties, mostly in eastern Wyoming.

“These companies and landowners should be commended for their key role in the good stewardship of these lands,” Gov. Dave Freudenthal said. “As we all know, particularly in the eastern half of our state, access is a prized commodity. We understand that these folks don’t take granting access lightly, and we sure appreciate their willingness to participate in this program which provides such an important benefit to the hunting public.”

Public land access coordinator Matt Buhler said the Game and Fish thanks PacifiCorp and other landowners for their contributions to habitat, sound wildlife management and hunter access.

“The hunter access program is only successful thanks to the efforts of companies like PacifiCorp that own large acreage of land and the many private ranchers and farmers who also participate in the program.” Buhler said. “We have been greatly encouraged by the reception we have received from private companies and landowners to provide places for people to hunt. The amount of access has been increasing every year and it is those who own the land that deserve the credit.”

Buhler said Hunter Management Areas differ from Walk-In Areas in that a permit must be obtained to hunt. “To use one of the 44 Hunter Management Areas, a physical permission slip can be obtained on-line or at Game and Fish offices,” Buhler said.

Details on obtaining HMA permits and accessing some of the 850,000 acres available through that program can be obtained by calling (307) 777-4600 or on the Game and Fish Web site. A listing of ranch rules and the license types that are valid in each of the Hunter Management and Walk-in Areas is also available on the Web site. Hunters should be aware that rules governing use of HMAs can vary with the different areas.

“In some of the areas, permits are unlimited,” Buhler said. “In others, they are limited and a drawing is held to issue the Hunter Management Area permits.” Hunters can begin applying for most HMA permits on July 14.

Walk-In Areas provide hunting opportunity for big game including elk, deer and antelope as well as a variety of upland bird species, waterfowl and small game and predators. The Walk-in Atlas lists the species that can be hunted within each area and the dates when individual walk-in areas can be accessed. Printed copies of the Walk-in Area Atlas will be available in August.

The Walk-in Program is funded to a large extent by the Game and Fish Department’s AccessYes Program through contributions of anglers and hunters usually at the time of license purchase and application.

Get more information here.

BILLINGS (AP) — Montana wildlife commissioners have set a tentative bison hunting season for next winter that would allow hunters to take up to 144 bison.

The figure is unchanged from last year, when only a single bison was taken.

Yellowstone’s bison population was driven down sharply two winters ago — from 4,700 animals to about 3,000 — through a capture and slaughter program meant to prevent the spread of disease from bison to cattle.

The hunting season approved Thursday allows for an initial 44 bison to be taken with the potential for 100 more, depending on how many bison migrate out of Yellowstone National Park.

That does not include animals that could be taken by American Indian tribes, which in recent years conducted bison hunts under long-standing treaties with the federal government.

If you would like to learn some bow setup techniques, stay tuned as I will post some good videos that I have found. As it is a little better to see and follow it visually, rather than read text.

You heard Anthony talk about this on BowCast many times. Shawn “Launch” Monsen,  got around to videotaping the actual application of CamoFX.

As you’ll see, this is wax based, easy on, and VERY easy off.  No more getting your fingers oily and greasy, no more paint running when you start to sweat…..and you can get this stuff on in a heartbeat on the final minutes of your stalk.

Right now the applicator is available in Realtree APG, and retails for $6.99.

For more info, visit http://www.camofxnation.com/

This video is on “The New School Way to Paint Up.” Check out the short video below.  

I agree with Kristine and think that everyone who writes about the outdoors does at least a little to defend it. It doesn’t matter whether it’s directly or indirectly. This is a great post, I just read a bit too late to enter the challenge!

The challenge that Dennis is referring is called the “Outdoor Bloggers Summit Challenge: How Bloggers Preserve and Defend the Outdoors.”

The snippet was intriguing and I was looking forward to the ending. You made the comment that Dollarsign is more the rule than the exception. I believe that this is sad, but true for all styles of hunting.

There are a good bit of hunters out there, who go buy the latest widget and head out hunting! They have not put the widget through rigors, let alone just plain test it!  I was told by a friend of mine who is a guide in MT, that if you want to be the talk in camp, show up with new cowboy boots, cowboy hat and a new rifle!

I prefer to test my gear before using it in real situations. To me it doesn’t matter if it is my bow, gun, cooking stove, GPS, sleeping bag or tent. Wouldn’t it just make plain sense to be comfortable (as much as possible) during that moment of truth? I usually start testing new gear at least a year before I will need it or take in the field.

Read the full article here.

The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission recommends all hunting, fishing and boating regulations for approval by the General Assembly and approves all expenditures by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. All recommendations must be approved by legislators before they become law.

The Commission recommended splitting Elk Hunt Unit 6 into four sub-units designated by letter. Elk Hunt Unit 6 is home to the 16,704-acre Graham Wildlife Management Area (WMA), the 30,038-acre Begley WMA and the 54,838-acre Corrigan WMA. Subdividing Elk Hunt Unit 6, which is located in all or parts of Clay, Leslie, Harlan, Bell, Knox, Whitley and McCreary counties, will help more evenly distribute hunting pressure during the quota elk hunts. The subdivision would take effect this year.

While this may not look good on the surface, this could provide additional management on elk herd to keep them in balance and create bigger bulls.

Read the full article here.

If you would like to learn some bow setup techniques, stay tuned as I will post some good videos that I have found. As it is a little better to see and follow it visually, rather than read text.

The first installment is on how to tie on your own string loop. Check out the short video below. Matt Hogue illustrates how to tie on a string loop.

Watch the video below

PIERRE, S.D. – The 2009 elk & big game applications are begining to opening and the South Dakota Game Fish and Parks want to remind hunters to double check your preference points during the on line process.

“GFP issues one preference point card for all seasons by mail in February, but we encourage applicants to verify their preference points for each season on their online profile at http://www.sdgfp.info/licenses.htm,” said Wildlife Division Licensing Supervisor Shon Eide.

“Incorrect preference totals in a particular season are rare, but if someone is concerned that the number of points is inaccurate, I encourage them to call our licensing office at 605-773-3393. We will verify accuracy and if there is a problem we will work to correct it.”

It’s time to enter the drawing for the hunt of a lifetime.

Entries in the first Super Hunt and Super Hunt Combo drawing must be received at the Fish and Game headquarters by May 31 with the drawing set for June 15.

So what’s a Super Hunt?

It is a fund-raising drawing for 40 big game tags. The tags are handed out to winners in two drawings. Tickets are drawn for elk, deer, pronghorn and moose tags. Winners can participate in any open hunt in the state for deer, elk, pronghorn or moose. That includes general hunts and controlled hunts.

The first drawing in June will be for eight elk, eight deer, and eight antelope hunts as well as one moose hunt; one “Super Hunt Combo” ticket also will be drawn that will entitle the winner to hunt for one each elk, deer, antelope, and moose.

A second drawing will be in mid-August when another “Super Hunt Combo” and tickets for two elk, two deer, and two antelope hunts along with one moose hunt will be drawn. The entry period for the second drawing is June 2 through August 11.

Hunters can take an animal or animals on their Super Hunt or Super Hunt Combo tags in addition to any general season or controlled hunt tags they also hold.

All other rules of individual hunts apply.

The special drawings began in 2004 as a way to raise money for the Access Yes! program, which helps assure hunter and angler access to and across private lands by compensating willing landowners.

The first ticket costs $6; additional tickets for the same species cost $4 each when purchased at the same time. Super Hunt Combo tickets cost $20 for one; additional tickets are $16 when purchased at the same time.

Tickets are available at license vendors, all Fish and Game offices, or they can be ordered on the Internet at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/hunt/superhunt/, and on the phone at 800-824-3729 or 800-554-8685. You will receive a receipt that will reflect the number and type of superhunt tickets that you have purchased. You no longer have to fill out individual tickets and send them back in to us.

UPDATED:  This is your chance to apply for a second chance at the hunt of a lifetime.

Entries in the second Super Hunt and Super Hunt Combo drawing must be received at the Idaho Fish and Game headquarters by August 11 with the drawing set for mid-August.

A “Super Hunt Combo” ticket and tickets for two elk, two deer, and two pronghorn hunts along with one moose hunt will be drawn. The entry period for the second drawing is June 2 through August 11.

So what’s a Super Hunt?

It is a fund-raising drawing for 40 big game tags. The tags are handed out to winners in two drawings. Tickets are drawn for elk, deer, pronghorn and moose tags. Winners can participate in any open hunt in the state for deer, elk, pronghorn or moose. That includes general hunts and controlled hunts.

Hunters can take an animal or animals on their Super Hunt or Super Hunt Combo tag in addition to any general season or controlled hunt tags they also hold. All other rules of individual hunts apply.

The special drawings began in 2004 as a way to raise money for the Access Yes! program, which helps assure hunter and angler access to and across private lands by compensating willing landowners.

The first ticket costs $6; additional tickets for the same species cost $4 each when purchased at the same time. Super Hunt Combo tickets cost $20 for one; additional tickets are $16 when purchased at the same time. Tickets are available at license vendors, all Fish and Game offices, or they can be ordered on the Internet at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/superhunt/, and on the phone at 800-824-3729 or 800-554-8685.

Fill out the ticket orders and mail them to: Fish and Game License Section, P.O. Box 25, Boise, ID 83707.

Research in Alaska indicates that bear spray reduces the number of bears killed in self-defense and reduces human injuries caused by bears.

“Bear spray has been used successfully to prevent injury to humans and bears,” said Tom Smith, an Associate Professor at Brigham Young University in Utah who studied bear spray while he was a wildlife ecologist at the USGS Alaska Biological Science Center in Anchorage.

In addition, Smith believes, after analyzing thousands of bear attacks and people’s responses that bear spray also benefits people by giving them a reason not to run away.

Of 42 cases where people ran when confronted by a bear, only two bears left without further interaction. In the other cases, bears chased the fleeing people and in some instances attacked and mauled them.

“Running did not bring about the desired outcome. Running should not be high on anyone’s list of options for dealing with a bear,” Smith said.

Yet confronted by a bear with no deterrent at hand, most people do panic and run.

Smith said bear spray helps people to stand their ground and that conveys a message to the bear that they are a “co-dominant” and unwilling to yield.

Another side benefit to bear spray is that the sudden, loud hissing of the spray and the billowing orange cloud can sometimes startle and even turn a bear before the spray reaches them.

The active ingredient in bear spray is an extremely strong irritant. It obviously turns the tables and makes the aggressor the victim, Smith said.

The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee recommends the use of bear spray in addition to always following proper bear avoidance safety techniques.

IGBC bear spray recommendations can be found on the IGBC Web site , or go to the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Web site at fwp.mt.gov under Wild Things and click on Living With Wildlife for more on living with bears .

When and where to use bear pepper spray:

  Bear spray should only be used as a deterrent in a confrontation with a bear.

  Bear spray is effective only when used as an airborne deterrent sprayed as a cloud at an animal at close range. It should not be applied to people, tents, packs, equipment or to the surrounding area as a repellent.

  Each person should carry a can of bear spray when working or recreating in bear habitat.

  Spray should be carried in a quick, accessible fashion such as in a hip or chest holster.

  In your tent, keep bear spray readily available next to your flashlight and a can available in your cooking area.

  Bear spray should be tested once a year. Do not test spray in or near a camping area, or on clothing or equipment. Be sure to check the expiration date on your can of bear spray.

How to use bear spray:

  Remove safety clip

  Aim slightly down and in front of the approaching bear. If necessary, adjust for cross wind.

  Spray again if the bear continues to approach.

  Once the animal has retreated or is busy cleaning itself, leave the area as quickly as possible (don’t run) or go to an immediate area of safety, such as a car, tree, or building. Do not chase or pursue the animal.

The backcountry bowhunter who wrote this article is extremely knowledgeable on the “bivy” style hunting. Here is a teaser from last year’s first post on his blog.

South Cox’s goal in his blog is to help us learn the ropes of backcountry hunting. Whether you are a seasoned veteran or have never spent the night out in the wilderness, I think there will be something for everyone. I invite your questions, comments and critiques. The first several entries I plan on covering gear choices in greater detail than I was able to cover on the podcast. After that I’ll go into some specifics about mule deer hunting in the alpine. As I get input and feedback, the blogs will likely take off on other tangents of the readers’ interests.

Read the full article here.

Over the years I have read a lot of books, magazine articles and forums on elk hunting. I have also watched waayyy too many TV shows and DVDs, according to my wife. Elk hunting is becoming a passion of mine and I try to gain as much information that I can. This book will reside e right next to my other 2 favorite books Backcountry Bowhunting by Cameron Hanes and Bugling for Elk by Dwight Schuh. Now, if I could just get them both to sign my books for me!

Well after a horrific week at work, I finally was able to finish my first reading of ElkNut’s Playbook today. I say first, because this book will be a resource for me in the off-season of hunting and a book that I will take to every elk camp. Even after just one read my mind is racing and tracing! I would read a chapter and immediately apply it to my last elk hunt, its setups and situations that I was in.

The Playbook has a ton of useful information, possible more than all of the above mentioned, combined. In fact, you will be amazed at the amount of info in just first few pages! The book is designed to be an easy reference guide, not necessarily a “How-to!”Now I know why he has a DVD titled “Worse than Wolves!”

As you can see in the photo, the size of the book is great for putting in your pack or even a cargo pocket on your pant! 

There are even sections in the book for you to write notes in, without having to write it sideways or in small print. It is also spiral bound so that it easy to keep open. The cover is 110# weight paper & the pages are 80#. The inside pages are all done out of heavy duty gloss material to resist moisture much more so than conventional paper. The cover is also done with this gloss & an added UV coating is on the outside covers for extra durability & weather resistant. This provides some durability of the book, while still keeping “pack worthy!”

In case some of you die-hard Elk Species Hunters were asking yourself, does this Playbook focus just on Rocky Mountain Elk and that terrain?  Well, Paul states that there is absolutely no difference in Elk Vocalization between the different Elk Species!  Whether it’s Rosie’s, Rockies, Manitoba or Tule elk all speak the same exact language & respond likewise!  Where many hunters get the notion that Rosie’s are more difficult to call to is because of the areas they hunt. Hunt less hunted areas away from roads & you’ll find plenty of vocal Rosie’s. The same applies to the Rocky Mountain species. If you hunt heavily hunted areas you will be hunting very educated elk that are called to daily & aren’t readily responding to most human calls. The better you are the better your chances. This is why adapting to your hunting area is so important. Not, just making a few elk sounds & hoping for the best! Use of sounds & technique of use is highly needed for success in such areas. Anyone can call to elk that are rarely ever harassed as is the case on most TV programs!

After reading ElkNut’s Playbook, I believe that anyone who wants to start elk hunting or would like to increase their potential to be a more successful elk hunter should get purchase this book and his DVDs. I read a post a while back on Paul and one of the users wrote: “If I was an elk, I would go to the Humane Society to see if they could get all of ElkNut’s stuff banned!”

With ElkNut’s Playbook, you can stop educating the elk and start educating yourself!

Unfortunately, I will have to wait until 2010 to put this awesome tool to use!

The coolest part about this book is that I purchased one for my 1 yr old son and had Paul sign it. While my wife Amy and I were showing the book to Ciro he pointed to the elk and said his very first word “ELK!” Amy looked at me and said, “Did he just say what I think he said?” Amy showed the book to Ciro one more time, he pointed to the elk on the cover and said, “Elk” again! So, while he first words were not “Mommy” or “Daddy” we are still very thrilled on his choice! Maybe Paul could assist Ciro in calling in some bulls for his Daddy in a few years!!!

**For those of who do not have any of ElkNut’s DVDs, this is as good a time as any. He currently has them at a reduced rate until Monday March 23rd, sorry for the short notice! 

You can purchase the book and DVDs here! 

Another very useful from South Cox on some additional research resources to assist you in gathering information on the area(s) that you will need to hunt, once you decide on the type of country that you want for your backcountry hunt.

Though I’ve been guilty of disregarding my own advice in the past, one thing you never want to do is go off of just one source when you are spending 10 days of valuable vacation time.  I always try to back up a hot tip by cross checking it through other sources.  Regardless of whether you’re able to collaborate the information or not, I always like to have a back-up plan.  A couple of years ago I hunted a new spot in Colorado with a few other friends in the hunting industry.  Everything we’d heard about the place was exactly what I’d wanted to hear, remote, tough access, alpine and the guy we’d learned about it from had reliable first-hand information.  The prior year a couple of buddies had both taken big bucks out of the same spot during rifle season and had seen a ton of bucks.  The hike in was a killer, as tough as any I’ve made in recent years, and we even had llamas packing in the bulk of our gear.  Opening day, we collectively saw one doe and I saw 2 mountain lions.  We pulled out without a backup plan and only ended up filling one tag out of 4 deer tags and 4 elk tags.

Read the full article here.

This is the latest update on ElkNut’s Playbook that I have received from Paul.  The publishers worked through this past weekend & assure him that he should have several hundred of them by Friday & they will start shipping them out immediately. Everyone should have their PlayBooks next week for sure in their hands! All inside pages are 80# weight & gloss coated to help as much as possible against moisture damage. The outside cover is also glossy with an extra UV coating at 110# weight. They did this for the best possible durability within reason. Paul also had the font size enlarged to a #-10, he wanted a bit larger print for guys that are wiser! (half blind) He also opted for a durable core binding instead of stitching or glues. The reason for this is so you can open it up where they may need to quickly & it will stay open right there & not try to close on you! There are several blank pages in the middle & back of book for notes. Those pages say “notes” on them. They did their best to really put out a nice long lasting PlayBook!!! They wanted a Cadillac not a Volkswagen! Maybe that’s why it’s taking longer than expected?

This is book has gotten me gitty as a school girl!!!