Blog posts went to one a month this fall. I expected that for September in Alaska because internet was non-existent. It continued this October. Not out of laziness but priorities. Pick any passion you have - skiing, climbing, video games, knitting, whatever. Now imagine there was a law that let you pursue that passion for only about two months a year. That’s hunting for me.

My buddies and I wait for it all year and we nearly ditch all other priorities when it comes. For example, I rode my mountain bike once this month. I took a brief 3 day break to Denver with Kelly for a concert at Red Rocks (worth it!). But my brain was still consumed with thoughts of a bull I chased previously and basins and ridges I still wanted to explore.

This is harvest season. You have two months to fill your freezer with food for the next year. It’s a blitz rampage into the woods to stock up groceries, create memories with friends, and test yourself.

Needless to say my computer and blog took the back burner. Add in the fact I had reception for less than half the month - exactly how I want it.

My First Outing

Wyoming was exceptionally hot this season. Expecting elk to stay in the high country plus wanting to avoid other hunters, I hiked high and deep. Upon returning from Alaska I ran up to my favorite remote basin for three days alone.

After climbing to over 10,000ft I was rewarded with 2 bugling bulls and 30 bighorn sheep my first afternoon. I gazed at the Teton background watching the sun set and these two male elk fight and bugle all evening. It was a magical re-entry into Wyoming and reminded me again why I love this state.

My freezer was full. I had an entire bull moose of meat on its way via plane. I could be picky this season. Each year I run into more elk and have more opportunities. To harvest the first bull I find would end my season and passion too early. I told myself I’d pass any bulls smaller than a nice, respectable 6-point unless it was the final week of season.

The first bull I spotted in this valley was a funky, tall 5-point with several broken tines from fighting. He would have been easy to stalk but wasn’t worth the effort to me yet. The second bull was perfect. A beautiful, symmetrical 6-point that proved he was the biggest in this basin after kicking the 5-point’s ass the first night.

For the next two days he was the only male elk in the entire basin. It was his domain, his kingdom, his harem of cows, and exactly what I wanted to pursue.

I hike far because I like brutal packouts. That’s not true. I hike far because I get to hunt the way I want to. I get to camp under the Milky Way hearing nothing but wolves howling, elk bugling, and the wind rustling the trees around me. I rarely see people and the elk I chase are doing elk things.

Unpressured, they move like elk would, feed normally, and go about their lives as you’d expect. I get to hunt the animal, not the pressure. For the next two days I learned this bull’s habits and watched him gather cows and mate. I stalked when things felt right - when I thought he’d made a mistake. Sadly, however, a bull like this rarely makes mistakes.

I came very close twice. First, a risky evening sprint across the basin to catch him feeding led me to under 200 yards of him bugling at last light. Had I been 15 minutes earlier it could have been over. But that push taught me a lot about this basin and I know how to better hunt it next year.

Second, the following morning, I had him bugling 100 yards below me over a small ridge. But his cows surrounded me. I got the wind right but couldn’t push closer as he rutted through the dense trees. Literally two of his cows fed within 5ft of me. I could have pet them!! They fed past me as I stood dead still with a perfect wind. It was incredible. But again the bull alluded me.

I bailed off the mountain to switch into concert mode. I left with plans to come back later this season with my growing knowledge on that basin and bull.

Red Rocks

The world is amazing. Life is so awesome. We can be alone in the wilderness without reception one day and the next surrounded by 1000s of people dancing, partying, and enjoying good music and lasers. Kelly and I bombed to Red Rocks to see Clozee and Death Pact as well as visit friends - Paris, Erin, Nick and more.

It was an awesome trip that gave my legs time to heal and Kelly and I time to laugh and party. No matter how much time we spend in the outdoors, both Kelly and I have annual requirements for loud concerts. We love them both - solitude in the woods plus crowded music and dance parties.

Emma’s Deer

Emma was bit by the hunting bug last year. She got the gear, trained, and we ventured out a day or two last season. We saw a lone black wolf very close and got within 70 yards of bull elk. As hunting often goes it didn’t pan out but we had a great time. She then joined me this spring where we harvested a 10+ year old male black bear together.

Awaiting her first harvest we set out again this fall. We put camp on a high ridge at 9000ft overlooking a steep basin filled with rocks and timber - perfect mule deer country. 4 bucks fed out the first morning.

Unattainable, we watched them feed into the timber and predicted their evening movements. As we waited out the day-time heat, a beautiful black bear kept us entertained.

That evening 3 of the bucks fed right where we predicted. With light fading we scrambled down the cliff to get into shooting range. This was a full on high country stalk - uneven scree and talus filled with crunchy arrow-leaf balsamroot. It was loud.

We crept down a side canyon to block our noise as we tried to minimize the amount of rocks we let loose. Eventually in position, I was pumped when the bucks still fed without fear. 30 minutes before last light Emma had her first deer down! Hugs and high-fives ensued as we tried not to fall down the cliff ourselves.

Emma scrambled to the deer before darkness fell as I gathered camp. I arrived well after dark. We butchered the deer, ate mule deer ramen, and slept in the meadow nearby.

The following day’s packout was full on - 4 or 5 miles with some of the most frustrating side-hilling I’ve experienced on a packout.

We had two tags but only one rifle - the goal was one deer but, possibly with two rifles, we could have filled both tags. I was happy not to harvest, however. Watching Emma harvest her first deer was more enjoyable than any deer I’d take. Deer season ended two days later. Little did we know we’d find out later during elk season the “two animals with one rifle” was possible.

The Elk Double

After an unsuccessful solo trip to locate my bull from earlier, Emma and I reconnected and it was time to chase elk. It was frustrating to not find my bull but that solo trip was still special. I saw numerous sheep and even a grizzly bear feeding at 10,600ft! I also passed a nice 5x6 bull elk. He was in my scope at 100 yards. But I reminded myself there were plenty of days left in season and he wasn’t the 6x6 I was after. It was a hard pass but later I’d be very glad I did.

Again one rifle and one goal - Emma’s first elk. In the midday heat we pushed to a glassing knob. We drank coffee, ate gummies, and glassed from 2:30pm until 5pm. At 5pm I spotted three tan bodies in a burn roughly a mile away. One moved. They were elk. Game on.

We pushed closer but the burn was thick. Relocating animals stresses me out almost more than finding them initially. Once nearby I knew this would turn into a close-combat stalk. Our first attempt felt too aggressive for how much light we still had. So we backed out, got the wind right, and climbed a knob above where the three had been. Tan fur moved 100 yards away. Relocation successful.

Laying prone we crept over the edge of the knob and the herd of three turned into a herd of 20. They were right below us, close, and feeding closer. Two bulls bugled and ran around not offering long enough opportunities to find them in the scope. As 10 elk fed closer, 5 cows walked up the knob to within 40 yards of us, mewing and chirping the entire time. As so often happens I thought to myself “well.. this is either going to blow up any second when they catch our wind or we will get a shot. Either way this peaceful scene is about to explode”.

Before the wind gave us away, Emma’s bull stepped out at 100 yards. She found him in the scope and executed a front quarter kill shot that sent the herd running. I knew he was hit well as I watched him limp into the timber. But we didn’t see him go down. The herd that we thought consisted of 20 elk suddenly grew. After the shot 80 elk poured out of the burn and ran into a meadow 300 yards away. Not knowing where the shot came from, they grouped up. Emma and I rushed down the ridge to find viewing windows. We scanned through the herd for any signs of her bull. Our hope was that he wasn’t there.

Light was fading - maybe 20 minutes left of legal shooting light. Emma goes, “there’s a huge one right in the center”. I shifted my attention from looking for her bull to ranging this one. 240 yards. My rifle clip fell off in the Alaska tundra. So I have to hand load each round. I frantically reached into my pocket for another round, dropped to the ground, and aimed at this bull. One shot.

The herd blew up again and poured over a small ridge 20 yards away. My bull wasn’t on the ground. I re-ranged the meadow and it was 340 yards. My first range must have hit a closer tree branch. “Damnit” I thought, “but still that shot should have been solid”. I got eyes on my bull moments before he crested the small ridge. He was wobbling hard but crested the ridge without falling.

Two bulls hit and neither confirmed dead. Emma and I began to panic and stress. We grabbed our gear to search with the 10-15 minutes of light left. This was a serious low point. There was no sign of hers in the timber near her shot. I ran to check for my bull but wouldn’t make it before headlamp light.

On my way, however, I found Emma’s. He was mortally wounded and couldn’t climb the hill to the meadow like the others. He laid on a hillside taking his last breaths. With Emma on her bull and her gut-wrenching feeling of wounding an animal gone, I turned on my headlamp. I had to check that small ridge. Was my bull deep into the burn on the other side? Would we have to grid-search the area in the morning? I crested the ridge.

Not 5 ft over the backside my bull laid dead in the trees. He didn’t make it 25 yards from where I hit him yet we weren’t able to see him go down. My biggest bull to date! The highs and lows of hunting are insane. One moment we feared we had injured two animals and may not recover them. 20 minutes later we were sitting over two bulls that died humanely and quickly. What a rush! My first elk double!

I’ve harvested two deer at once before and I’ve harvested a deer and an elk on the same trip. But never two bulls at the same time. And with a singular rifle that you have to hand load each round. It was badass!

Now dark and in dense grizzly country, Emma and I knew we had a night cut out for us. By 8:30pm we finished photos and dinner and began butchering. Both bulls expired in frustratingly thick country that made butchering awkward. Thus, we didn’t finish until 1am. We hiked a single load back to the car arriving at 5:30am. Needless to say we were spent.

The next morning I ran in for load #2 while Emma drove out to reception to ask for help. Sam and Noah came in clutch. Friends are those that will drop everything, drive two hours (half on a dirty, bumpy road), and come to your aid. As luck would have it, Sam, Noah, and Emma arrived not 10 minutes after I finished the second load.

In one final push, we got the rest of the meat out that evening. I can’t thank Sam and Noah enough. As the sun set we hit the cars basking in the euphoria of a crazy two-days.

Sam’s Bull

Hunting continued the very next day. This time Sam, Kelly and I. There was no use washing my clothes the night of the double. I’d be right back in that camo the next morning.

We loaded up packs for 4 days of backpack hunting. As we drove out blasting “Turn Up on the Weekend” and “100 Miles”, I knew this would be a goofy hunt. The goals were Sam’s first bull and Kelly’s first hunt experience, plus a hilarious backpack trip.

We hiked in heavy day one setting camp near the knob Emma and I shot from. As we glassed the first evening we saw fresh grizzly tracks. There was no doubt a griz eating and burying our two previous carcasses. It’s very comforting knowing you are glassing and camping within 1000 yards of a known grizzly.

We dawned face paint to increase our success of course. Kitty whiskers no doubt. And it worked. Sam spotted the first elk. 2 miles away a herd fed peacefully in a meadow. We debated stalking them. It would take almost all the daylight we had just to get to them. But Sam and I learned on previous hunts to always try. Plus we may see different elk along the way.

Sam, Kelly, and I bombed off our knob and began ridge running. Sure enough we quickly spotted new elk and closer. We switched priorities to that herd. Bailing off the scree into a drainage we bumped even more elk! This herd was big, maybe 60, and we were surrounded.

One group saw us to the left but others far in front hadn’t. I never like getting seen and it made the whole stalk suddenly feel rushed. Plus light was fading. Sam made the right call - “let’s just push on to the others and see what happens. It’s either going to work or it’s not”.

We pushed farther down the drainage. Arriving where we expected to see the others, we found two new elk instead. Two bulls sparring 350 yards up the hill. As they fought I knew their senses would be lowered. They were distracted elk and that’s the perfect opportunity.

The three of us crept closer. We bumped mule deer along the way but thankfully in the other direction. We found a prone shooting position at 250 yards and Sam put a beautiful single shot on one of the bulls. He dropped instantly and expired soon after. Perfection.

Sam and I have hunted a lot together. But this was our first bull we shared. I piled on top of him after his shot and we both shed a tear or two. It was Kelly’s first hunt too. And here we were as three great friends getting to share it. It was special to say the least.

This bull was deep. Deepest elk of the season. We loaded up half the bull and brought it back to camp that night. Eating elk ramen and Mountain House with a nearby grizzly doing its thing, we slept knowing the next day would be a big one.

The following morning we packed up camp and carried half the elk out. We then took a new route in for the last load. It took all day but we reached the truck before sunset and enjoyed beers and pizza in town that night. Our 4 day hunt was over in 2.

We spent the next several days processing meat from all of our elk. Tanner and Denton both harvested too. Holy crap we are loaded. I also drove to Bozeman to pick up my moose. Holy crap we are REALLY loaded.

This is the side of hunting not always discussed. The camaraderie of helping each other cut, grind, and wrap meat. It’s our winter preparation. Sure it’s a lot of work but our future selves will be very grateful for it.

Tyler’s Bull

The following weekend I had two days to hunt. Saturday I went out with Space. We got on elk but they played the game right. No mistakes. I felt terrible we couldn’t harvest together. I was overjoyed to find out two days later he harvested his first bull elk. I couldn’t be more stoked for him. His first hunting season and he fills both his tags - deer and elk. He put in the effort and earned it.

On Sunday Tyler and I set off to look for his first bull. Old man winter arrived and gave us a true late season hunt. I love hunting in the snow. The animal behavior changes, the stalks are quiet, and many hunters leave because they don’t want to deal with the cold and crappy roads.

Tyler walked into this hunt with the perfect mindset - “Possibly we may harvest an elk. But at the very least it will be a fun hike as friends and a memorable day no matter what”.

We hiked in via headlamp and by 8:45am still had not seen an elk. I felt so bad. I at least wanted to get him on a stalk. The snow kept coming but in waves. We’d lose visibility for 30 minutes. Then it would clear up. Then more snow would come.

At 9am, as a new system pushed in, we got a 5 minute look at a herd feeding about a mile away. We held back knowing we’d never get to them before they bedded. We estimated where they would bed, when they would come out, and where they would eventually feed. Never in my hunting career have we predicted elk behavior so well.

We pushed up to a knob above where we figured they’d bedded and would feed. These elk followed our playbook perfectly!

After waiting out cold storms until 1am, Tyler spotted the first cow exiting the timber. They fed in a perfect line straight to the meadow we predicted. Lead cow in front, they followed in single file 200 yards from us. Per usual, the only legal bull pulled up the rear. This was a slam dunk. In 10 more elk, he would walk right into that meadow following the others’ tracks.

But he didn’t. For some reason he and two cows veered off and fed behind the only group of trees on the ridge. Our guaranteed moment suddenly became stressful. We couldn’t see the bull and the first group of cows was now pushing closer to us. The wind was swirling. Similar to Emma’s bull I thought “well… this is either going to happen or it’s going to blow up any second”.

Before our bull fed out, the lead cow caught our wind. In an instant we watched her gather the others and bolt off the ridge northward. We were devastated. What felt like a slam dunk opportunity suddenly fell apart. We watched as the entire herd of 15 ran off.

As we watched them spook, however, we never saw our bull. We glassed the group hard and couldn’t see his antlers anywhere. Where was he? My only guess was he had descended the southern part of the ridge and didn’t notice his cows run off. I’d never seen that before but it was the only logical explanation.

We figured our chance was over but might as well check that southern side. Sure enough, miraculously, we were right. As we crept down the ridge, our bull popped over the top. In a face of pure confusion over where the hell his cows went, he stood still.

Tyler executed this moment perfectly. It was a rushed and panicked moment yet he dropped to the ground in the snow quickly and calmly. Knowing that bull may wind us any second, he put three solid rounds straight into the sweet spot. The grouping was beautiful.

The bull expired less than 10 feet from where he stood. Highs and lows again. In 10 minutes we went from thinking the hunt was over to having Tyler’s first bull elk on the ground. I’ll always remember his tears while looking at me as I told him his bull was down. He and I will share that magical moment forever.

Late season hunts are fun because elk will move mid-day more often. This bull died at 2pm. Tyler and I had it cut up and the first load was to the truck by nightfall. After a quick tradition of elk ramen at the truck, we hiked back in for load two. Navigation was harder in the dark and we were both sleep deprived. But we finished packing out his bull around 11:30pm and were back in town by 1am. An extremely memorable single-day hunt that Tyler and I are still cheesing over.

Fuel

I’ve been asked how I fuel these hunts. If the trip is longer than 5 days I’ll take the time to really think about breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Shorter than that I’m quick to grab stuff from my car and gas station and make it work. Excessive calories is the name of the game. If I have my jetboil, plenty of food, and random snacks, I know I’ll be fine.

For day trips I grab random calories from a gas station on my way. This usually consists of several bags of corn nuts and hella gummies - peach rings, gummy sharks, and twin snakes have been the go to. If I want to ball-out I’ll make 10 Nutella filled tortillas before leaving as well.

I also always bring a small bag filled with instant coffee, tea, hot chocolate, apple cider, and ramen. I call this the “mobile cafe”. Shout out to MC^2 in Alaska - Moose Camp Mobile Cafe! A hot drink can make a world of difference when glassing for hours in cold conditions. My personal favorite is the “mountain mocha” which consists of instant coffee and hot chocolate mixed. Mochas can literally help you see more animals because you’ll be comfortable and warm behind your glass.

For energy, along with coffee, I also bring Mtn Ops supplements. “Ignite” is my coffee-substitute. It’s refreshing and cold when mixed with water and wakes me up well. “Yeti” is my “get out of jail FREE card”. It’s practically a pre-workout mix that I only use when energy is getting really low or I’m on a packout.

On multi day trips I’ll carry a random assortment of breakfasts and dinners that require boiling water. Breakfast is usually 4 packet of oatmeal mixed with powdered peanut butter. Dinners are usually ramen or couscous with packets of olive oil added for calories. I always save two ramen packets for the harvest. It’s my tradition to mix game meat boiled in ramen to fuel the packout.

That’s basically it. My trips are all over the place and vary in length. I try to keep the car stocked with the food essentials. I simply grab an amount that sounds appropriate for the length of the trip. I’d love a Mountain House or Heather’s Choice meal but I’m too cheap. With how many days I’m usually out there an $8 dinner each night seems absurd. Especially when I’m equally fulfilled with a $.50 ramen or rice dinner.

Rosie

A blog wouldn’t be realistic if it only shared highlights. Life has it’s tough moments and I want to share them too. This month one of the most special dogs in Jackson, a pup I felt honored to call an adventure partner, was hit by a car.

fall harvest

the nose

Alaska - part 2