Rock Springs MDF Dinner
Mar 24 2009On the 7th of March I traveled from my mountain hole 380 miles down to Rock Springs Wyoming for the MDF dinner. David Long invited me to accompany him to this annual function. The banquet is the largest of the national MDF fundraisers dinners. The residents of Rock Springs came out 500 plus strong. It was a big event and a good time. I could tell the local committee members spent a lot of time and effort on the banquet. Again “kudos” to Joey Faigl and the local MDF committee for an excellent and well-organized banquet. Looking at the regional MDF banquet events in Wyoming, I count 8 towns having a dinner and auction.
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
Snowmachine at Home
Mar 16 2009It’s been snowing for three days and we now have over 12-inches of the new white stuff. Last weekend the whole gang came up and we all headed for the high country on our sleds. It was “the old guy” and 11 young aggressive snowmobile riders from down in the valley. Ike, Guy and his friends, I think, try and see who can get stuck the worst. At one point the guys had to take skis off to get one sled unstuck from the downed timber. Sounds like fun to me!
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.
Wolves up at the House
Mar 06 2009
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. Read the rest of this entry »
The Bruin That Got Away
Jun 18 2008
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 Grizzly!
May 28 2008
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.
An Unexpected Visitor
May 28 2008
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.
A Wyoming Buck
Oct 17 2007
Mike, I know you see lots of pics, but hope you will enjoy this. I asked you about outfitters a while back and decided to stick with Trefrens. We got in at the beginning of the storm and the animals were moving. I took this buck on eighth of October and cant stop smiling. He exceeded my dreams. Thank you for your time and help. Jason Kehr – La Grande, Oregon
Reader Response: A Threat to Hunting we can Eliminate
Jun 14 2007Catch up on this issue here, and here.
Wow folks what a controversy issue! I have received many e-mail on this hunting tag letter of Mike Veile in the last issue of the Eastmans’ Hunting Journal. It is a hot issue with information pro and con on the subject. You need to go to www.monstermuleys.com and you can see 150 post. I suggest read a few of them and your find that most are write by knowledgeable hunters. Then make your owen judgment on the issue of conservation money been raised by special hunting tags. Let me know what your views on it.
A Threat to Hunting we can Eliminate
Jun 04 2007I received this letter from a gentleman who subscribes to both magazines. Mike is a hard hunter who not only hunts his own state, but tries to go out of state when he can draw a tag. Mike is like most of us, playing on a level tag-drawing field. Some organizations do a great job giving to the wildlife. But I wonder, like Mike, if some organizations have wrapped themselves in a veil of conservation, but have other agendas. I think he brings up some interesting points, what do you think?
Response to Mike’s North Dakota Lectures
Mar 12 2007
A letter from Darrin, an attendee of Mike’s North Dakota Lectures.
Thank you so much for coming to Grand Forks. Those I spoke to were very impressed with your lecture. This was absolutely great information that I could have listened to for several more hours. Eastmans’ is first class in
many regards. I can’t say enough about what you guys do. I have every TV show recorded on my digital recorder. Some shows I have watched over and over. It seems like every time I pick up one of your journals I learn something new. On another note Mike, I really don’t’ understand your treatment and poor time slots on the Outdoor Channel. So many shows now are on private ranches that haven’t been hunted and guys are shooting deer like shooting a turkey or a pig. I’ve really have had it with shows like that.