Reviews

Growing up as a kid in California, I pretty much had one type of deer hunting experience - weekend trips to hunt blacktails and mulies with my dad in the Sierra Nevada Range. We became very efficient at stillhunting through thick timber, but always seemed to hunt only that type of terrain. Always thick and dark stands of timber, with most shots under 100 yards. As I grew older and my dad moved away to Colorado, I began to realize that California was just not the place for me when it came to deer hunting. I took some short out-of-state trips to Colorado and Oregon to hunt in the high desert and sage country with no luck. I just didn't know how to hunt the country and where to look for deer.

Killing time one night at a local bookstore, I came across Mike's book - Hunting High Country Mule Deer. I was officially hooked on mule deer after flipping through the pages in that book. I actually had to borrow some money from my girlfriend to buy it that night since it was the last copy they had. I couldn't believe the amount of useful information that was given in such a relatively small book. When people ask me today what is the most important piece of deer hunting gear that I own, I tell them that Mike's book is at the top of the list. Here's why: His book has completely transformed the way I hunt for Mulies. Using the tips and tactics in Mike's book, I was able to increase the amount of deer I was seeing by tenfold. I wasn't looking in bad places for deer before reading the book, I just didn't know how to look for the deer. I went from being a roaming, ridgetop hunter and trying to jump deer up close, to using patience and persistence to my advantage and trying to pattern big mulies.

I have also enjoyed Backcountry Bowhunting by Cameron Hanes and Public Land Mulies by David Long. The detailed description these books go into about hunting methods and equipment is nothing short of excellence. All of these books truly teach us the art of stepping into a big mulies backyard and competing against him when the odds are in his favor. These odds are tough to overcome, and any hunter who is successful at harvesting a trophy mule deer should realize this and be thankful for the opportunities granted to him.

There is one common thread to all of these books - high country hunting for big mulies. What is so interesting about what is written in these books is that the information is not limited to hunting only this type of terrain. I have a special place in my heart for the high desert and pinyon/juniper habitat found in much of the West. I have been able to apply nearly all of the techniques in these books to the terrain that I hunt, and have been very successful in finding bucks using the methods described by these three authors. I have been hunting mulies consistently for about 8-10 years now, and have learned so much about their behavior and tendencies through what is written by these authors and your staff at EHJ and EBJ. Thank you and keep up the good work.

Just a note: I lent my book "Hunting High Country Mule Deer" to a hunting buddy once about 6 years ago and didn't get it back for almost 9 months. I had to track it down after it had made the rounds to at least 4 other hunters who wanted to read it. My next 2 books from Eastmans have not left my home! They're too important, and I reference sections from all of them just before I leave to hunt on any major trip. They're my "hunting bibles" so-to-speak! My wife says deer hunting is officially an obsession for me. I agree. Couldn't think of a better obsession to have for a hobby.
- Jon Blumer

"Your book provides an excellent look into the world of hardcore DIY backcountry bowhunting and gives any hunter the necessary skills to venture in farther and hunt harder. I was able to use your tips to arrow my 'trophy of a lifetime'. Thank You."
Kirk Edgerton, Sacramento, CA

"Cameron Hanes has hit a home run with his new book, Backcountry Bowhunting. Cameron redefines the term "hardcore" with amazing advice on how to bowhunt rugged country where giant animals hang out. I know hardcore...and this is it. A must read for every serious archer!"
Chuck Adams, America's Best Known Bowhunter

"One must have spent a great deal of time in the backcountry to truly appreciate this book. I have and I do. What Cameron writes is from the heart. If you want to hunt the backcountry with a bow, you need this book."
Randy Ulmer, Bowhunting Legend
Bowhunting Hall of Fame

"Bowhunters today want to be inspired, and they want information on how to reach their goals of backpacking the wilderness, taking big mule deer, bugling in bull elk, living the rugged life. Cameron's Backcountry Bowhunting will resonate with a lot of modern bowhunters."
Dwight Schuh, Editor
Bowhunter Magazine & TV