Join Eastmans’ Editorial Director Guy Eastman and Hunting Editor David Long in celebrating the grand opening of Cabela’s newest destination store – in Rapid City, South Dakota. The store will officially open at 5 p.m. on Thursday, August 7; it’s located at 3231 East Mall Drive in Rapid City.

As part of an event-packed celebration of the new store, Guy and David will be there to meet and swap hunting stories with Eastmans’ readers and viewers over the entire opening weekend, August 7-9.

During a ribbon-cutting ceremony – an hour before the official opening – country music star Rhett Akins will appear to sing the national anthem. Atkins will also perform a free concert in the store parking lot at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 7.

Attendees can also register to win several great prizes, some of which include a five-day Colorado elk hunt, a three-day Wyoming antelope hunt and a $10,000 Cabela’s shopping spree. The first 250 customers August 8-10 will receive a Cabela’s Rapid City Grant Opening hat.

Once you’re there, give yourself plenty of time to explore the 80,000 square-foot store; an average customer’s stay at such a Cabela’s store has been estimated at 3 ½ hours. Highlights include a huge freshwater aquarium, extensive museum-quality wildlife dioramas and two-story tall mountain habitat replica – “Conservation Mountain.” There’s also a world-class sporting firearms library to browse, and hundreds of wild game trophies.

I am excited to see the new release by these guys...the FMP crew exudes passion and offers the most cutting edge video production talent I have ever seen in the hunting industry. Their unique approach is sure to be entertaining.

- Cameron Hanes

You Wanted It. We Reprinted it!

The book that started it all, Hunting High Country Mule Deer 6th Edition Softcover by Mike Eastman is now available to buy from our online store!

Topics covered: Trophy Mule Deer Behavior Rack Bracketing 4-year Plan Backpacking Secrets Coyoting out Field Judging Top Hunting Areas Proven Strategies Equipment Tips

This place is looking more and more like Hollywood all the time. Don’t get confused though, our content will never be Hollywood. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have some killer episodes of Eastmans’ Hunting TV on the website for you to check out free of charge. The first installation of that policy is now available. Ike’s (my brother) mountain goat episode is ready to watch on-line…pretty cool, if I do say so myself. This show is one of my all time favorites, and the conditions are extreme. I love the show and I am pretty sure you will too, check it out by clicking this link.

- Guy Eastman

Years ago, Eastmans’ Bowhunting Journal Editor Cameron Hanes started dabbling in running during the off-season – occasionally doing 10k races.

Then, realizing that running can require and inspire the same level of commitment, sacrifice, pain and reward as backcountry bowhunting, Cameron decided to ratchet his running up to the same level of intensity with which he approaches bowhunting. Living by the phrase, “Cry in training, laugh in battle,” Cameron began pushing himself as a runner – knowing that ultimately, it would also make him a better bowhunter.

It was all put to the test and came to fruition when Cameron participated in this year’s running of the granddaddy of ‘em all – the Boston Marathon. Knowing that the famous endurance athlete and former cycling champion Lance Armstrong was going to be in the race, Cameron set a goal of catching up with and pacing Armstrong.

And that’s exactly what he did, running stride-for-stride with Armstrong for much of the grueling course. What’s more, he pulled ahead of Armstrong at the most critical stage of the race… the end. It proves, Cameron says, that with visualization, commitment and a willingness to work as hard as it takes, anything is possible.

To read a full account of the adventure, go to Cam’s website: www.cameronhanes.com

Folks, this is not a form of “editorial slavery.” It’s Nate Simmons hard at work on a killer backpack review for the next issue of Eastmans’ Hunting Journal. Nate has been working on this particular project for the better part of an entire year now, and the results are finally due out in the June/July issue of EHJ. We reviewed more than 10 packs from 10 different manufacturers and have come up with some sweet results to help you pick a new backpack for this fall. I assure you, this test was not done by some “pinhead” in a cubicle in New York City. Each one of the packs was run through the proverbial ringer in the backcountry under extreme conditions and circumstances. Many of them are blood-stained and crusty from our sweat. These packs were used, abused and scrutinized by true backcountry hunters. Nate’s “bad to the bone” pack review should be in your mailbox by the 10^th of June. Give us some feedback once you read it.

- Guy Eastman 

Guns, guns and more guns. Throw in some Eastmans’ and a little village called Louisville, Kentucky and you have the NRA show. Yep, that’s right; we are taking the booth and some sub forms and heading East. This should be interesting... Eastmans’ in Kentucky talking about hunting Western big game? Hmmmm, it might be a long weekend for us. If you are in the area, stop by the booth and say hello. I should have plenty of time on my hands to chat about anything but turkeys and whitetails. See you there!

- Guy Eastman

By Eve Byron - Independent Record - 04/11/08

The wild bighorn sheep in the Elkhorn Mountains have suffered an "all-age die-off", with only 19 found alive last week.

"If this die-off hadn’t occured... [read more]

MISSOULA, Mont. - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this week hopes to remove wolves from endangered species lists in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. But with anti-hunting emotions and lawsuits threatening to forestall sound conservation science, the Rocky Mountain... [read more]

The 2008 elk and antelope draw has been completed and the 120,392 applicants can now visit the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Web site at http://www.azgfd.gov/draw or call (602) 942-3000 and follow the prompts to see if they have been drawn.