Eastman decries big-money hunts
By Charlie Meyers
The Denver Post
01/25/2009 12:30:00 AM MST
Guy Eastman bagged this trophy
pronghorn on-camera in his native
Wyoming.
(Photos special to The Denver Post )
The Eastman ethic of fair chase has come down through six generations of westerners, the last three famed outdoor filmmakers.
So when Guy Eastman, latest in that famous line, speaks of a serious lag in those standards in many Rocky Mountain states, perhaps it's time for the rest of us to pay attention.
Eastman, 38, operates with brother Ike the Eastman group of outdoor enterprises, including Eastmans' Hunting Journal and Eastmans' Bowhunting Journal magazines and the show "Eastmans' Hunting TV" appearing year-round on the Outdoor Channel.
He's currently appearing at the International Sportsmen's Exposition that concludes today at the Colorado Convention Center. His booth features 12 spectacular mule deer mounts, including the second-largest atypical rack ever taken in Colorado.
His grandfather, the late Gordon Eastman, often visited Denver, starting in the late 1950s with barnstorming auditorium shows that set the stage for the current bloom of outdoor films.
In an extensive interview last week covering everything from officially sanctioned big-money hunts to the abuse of landowner tags, the Cody, Wyo., resident took a hard look at the prospects for public hunting. He didn't particularly like what he saw:
On big-money driven hunts: "We've taken a stand against things like the governor tags where animals are pursued almost year-round in some states," Eastman said of wildlife agency-sponsored tags that sometimes sell for as much as $100,000.
That practice recently came into focus with a Utah hunt that produced a world-record elk. The story that evolved was of a giant bull hounded by teams of paid spotters until the hunter arrived, even rumors of other hunters being harassed when approaching the area.
Nate Simmons producer of
Eastman's TV show, performs
some reconnoitering for a photo angle.
As Lou Phillipe of Fort Collins observed in a recent e-mail: "Is this 'hunting?' Debatable. But it is what much of western 'hunting' has become these days when big money and trophies are involved." While acknowledging the Boone and Crockett Club had no choice but to accept as a record an animal taken on public land, Eastman decried an arrangement that allows targeted animals to be hounded over long periods, even in midwinter in deep snow.
"The notion is to raise money for good causes and it was OK when it started. But over time it's been twisted by the big money. The sportsmanship has gone out of it."
Guaranteed licenses: "Everything started going in the wrong direction toward commercialized hunting when they started issuing guaranteed tags," Eastman said of arrangements like Colorado's landowner preference permits. "Once the money gets involved, things get messy.
"It's worse in political states where officials don't want to get involved in wildlife issues (Colorado again) and the wildlife agencies get caught in the middle."
Hunts for captive animals: "That's where the real damage to hunting comes in. This gives the bunny huggers ammunition to criticize hunting. People hear about hunting inside high fences and get turned off to hunting."
Lazy hunter syndrome: "There are a lot of people out there who won't shoot unless they can drive a truck or ATV up to the animal. We have fewer people willing to hunt hard."
The generation gap: "What scares me is that there's a whole generation of kids growing up with no connection to the outdoors. When we do get kids out there, they like shooting a pheasant. The problem is, who's going to take them? Kids who are involved in hunting and fishing are far less likely to find trouble."
Eastman acknowledges the role his enterprises have played in popularizing hunting, often in exotic locations, in ways that have contributed to creeping commercialization.
"But we as a family have talked about this whole hunting culture thing, about the average guy who does it the right way, the hard way, about how we might help push things back. I spend a lot of nights awake thinking about that." Charlie Meyers: 303-954-1609, [email protected]
For Greenhorn
- Thread starter Oak
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BuzzH
Well-known member
funny.....
Ultrahunter
Active member
Pretty typical words for eastman, that story is getting old.
The Hedgehog
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Talks the talk, for sure.
Big Shooter
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You guys make me laugh! "Ruffle too many feathers with you and that rancher." I guarantee that Greenhorn, (or any of the rest of you), doesn't have the slightest clue where that goat came from but is just looking for a reason to be pissed off at Eastman's or any other entity that can make a living doing what they do.
guppie9
New member
Nice 1st post there big guy! I bet you just made a lot of friends!
The Hedgehog
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Big Shooter, I don't have a clue where that goat came from, but clearly it came from a DIY public land hunt within the reach of any public land hunter not willing to pay thousands for a guide, an easy hunt, or one that restricts new hunter recruitment by leasing out previously available private land from the general public. ..Because that's the way they always do it, right. The Eastman's Way.
The Hedgehog
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BS, for the record, I am envious of the living Eastman's make. It's the hipocrisy that gives some folks heartburn.
BuzzH
Well-known member
Never question the Eastmans...their way is the only way.
Big Shooter
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I guess maybe I don't see the hipocrisy that you and some other folks do. But I do see that they are pretty handy at what they do and the try awfully hard to shed a positive light on a sport that we are all pretty passionate about. Just kind of "chaps" me a little bit when people are so quick to judge and assume that they know where, when and how that Eastman's and/or other people in the industry got the trophies that they did and are just sure that they took that animal away from some other hunter or leased some ground out from under someone else.
P.S. I didn't know that I had to agree with everyone on this website to make friends.
P.S. I didn't know that I had to agree with everyone on this website to make friends.
BuzzH
Well-known member
BS,
If you cant see the hypocritical message the Eastmans are sending...you're blind.
They've created a business cheering the "DIY, public land" style of hunting. Then to boot, the above article is written and Guy slams people who pay big $$$ for hunts.
How is that different from Mike and Guy hunting on land they lease for big $$$?
There is more than just a bit of hypocracy in the message they're sending. I'm betting the only reason they chose to slam governors tags is because they likely cant afford them. Its not because of some ethical line they've drawn in the sand, I assure you.
If that were the case, they'd be opposed to leasing, as that also excludes a vast majority of hunters who dont have the financial means to hold exclusive leases.
Eastmans creating a business claiming to be great public land DIY hunters...then turning around and having exclusive leases is hypocracy in its purest form, simple as that.
If you cant see the hypocritical message the Eastmans are sending...you're blind.
They've created a business cheering the "DIY, public land" style of hunting. Then to boot, the above article is written and Guy slams people who pay big $$$ for hunts.
How is that different from Mike and Guy hunting on land they lease for big $$$?
There is more than just a bit of hypocracy in the message they're sending. I'm betting the only reason they chose to slam governors tags is because they likely cant afford them. Its not because of some ethical line they've drawn in the sand, I assure you.
If that were the case, they'd be opposed to leasing, as that also excludes a vast majority of hunters who dont have the financial means to hold exclusive leases.
Eastmans creating a business claiming to be great public land DIY hunters...then turning around and having exclusive leases is hypocracy in its purest form, simple as that.
JoseCuervo
New member
noharleyyet
Well-known member
Evidently, he was hoping no one from MT would read this article. MT is the king of the outfitter guaranteed tag. We issue over 7,500 of them every year.
And, guess who uses these guaranteed tags for at least two or three of their shows every year? Wouldn't be Eastman's, would it?
Those elk episodes where I have watched Mike, Guy, and others, go to the Hill Ranch in Colorado, wouldn't be part of the RFW/landowner tag situation he is talking about, or would it?
It is crap like this that makes guys laugh at the hypocrisy of the situation. It was very tempting to call the Denver Post and ask if they actually did any research before writing this article, or just took the spoonfeeding provided by Guy. Figured I already knew the answer to that.
Good for them that they can make a living in the hunting world. A well known fact that doing so is not easy. Another well known fact is that Eastman's employs many of the tactics Guy has listed as being so terrible. And most people will use the term hypocrisy to describe that.
Happy Hunting.
RockyDog
Member
on a similar note, on the hunting photo gallery for uncle teds flying D ranch there is a picture of Chuck Adams with a bull. It looks like the same picture that is in Bugle. Chucks bugle article says he has never paid to hunt private land except for once back in Texas. why does the Flying D have his picture up? http://www.arnaudoutfitting.com/photos/elk07-adams.html
Moosie
Grand poopa
Big S', you don't. Matter of fact, you can Agree with folks here and they still won't be your friend. HEll, I own the place and not many of these clowns like me...
I, as a minority, don't bash the Eastmans. I like the ideas they talk about. I've met Guy and he seemed like a down to earth Fella'. That being said, it doesn't take much to see that there is a Fine line sometimes in what is said, yet still is done. Eastmans have gone over the line if they are promoting against paid opperations and Guarentees tags and then pay and use them.
What I find interesting is People still love, watch and follow the books/mags/shows even though they don't exactly do what they preach. It truely takes skill to do that, and they continually do.
I for one don't know anything about where that lope came from. Kudos to Guy and his WY lope.
See, that is where you are wrong. You made a guarentee without knowing nothing about this group of guys. You assume that no one knows where anyone hunts in this country. MAYBE, just MAYBE you could be wrong? You don't think that any TV presonality wouldn't attract a little attention?
Wow.... Did you take speech lessons lately?Big S', you don't. Matter of fact, you can Agree with folks here and they still won't be your friend. HEll, I own the place and not many of these clowns like me...
I, as a minority, don't bash the Eastmans. I like the ideas they talk about. I've met Guy and he seemed like a down to earth Fella'. That being said, it doesn't take much to see that there is a Fine line sometimes in what is said, yet still is done. Eastmans have gone over the line if they are promoting against paid opperations and Guarentees tags and then pay and use them.
What I find interesting is People still love, watch and follow the books/mags/shows even though they don't exactly do what they preach. It truely takes skill to do that, and they continually do.
I for one don't know anything about where that lope came from. Kudos to Guy and his WY lope.
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