EP 146: Hunting Stories From 2021 Elk Camps - "Zero Experience"

Imagine hunting elk, an animal you have never seen or heard before, in a part of the country you have never been! We are talking ZERO experience! What are your chances of punching an over the counter tag in one of the highest pressured elk hunting states? Shoot, would you even see one? Where would you hunt? How would you find elk? Where would you even begin on such a journey? On today's show, the crew welcomes Grinder John Lane from Florida (via Virginia) for an incredible story about going for it. John talks about his crew and the adventure of a lifetime that they permitted... and then committed themselves. You'll hear all the decisions and the ups, downs and outcomes of their 2021 Western DIY, OTC, Colorado elk hunt. Were they able to accomplish their goal of seeing and just hearing the bugle of a bull elk? Well, y'all... pull up a chair and just find out! WORDS & NOTES FROM JOHN: I hope I got across that I did not kill this bull but, WE the whole group killed this bull. This bull was all of ours. Anyone with questions can contact me through my instagram @lane_vahunter. I always want to share the passion for the outdoors with a field to fork mindset. Books: Sovereignty: The Battle for the Hearts and Minds of Men by author Ryan Mickler (all men can gain something from this book to better their life) Wild at Heart by John Eldredge. (christian book, literally the 1st two pages of book paint a beautiful picture of hunting Colorado for elk) Body: Workouts to prepare for hiking with a pack and running to get better cardio. Not needing a gym membership, just go cut the grass with a weighted pack and specific exercises any working man could do at home with a busy family life. Equipment: Changing from single pin to 3 pin slider due to the spot and stalk hunting method. Upping my arrow weight and higher FOC. Using a sidebar to balance bow due to quiver. Testing gear before trip: Making dehydrated meals at home on little stove and making sure I knew how it all worked. Making sure I sampled the meals to find ones I liked and did not upset my stomach. Setting up tent/sleeping system many times to make sure you could do it in your sleep (or more importantly the dark). Practice: Shooting every week with a quiver on a bow full of arrows (most east coast guys are tree stand hunters so the quiver comes off when we get in the tree). Going to 3d courses with pack on (with trip weight) & bino harness to help simulate the hunt. Making sure to guess 3d course shots before using rangefinder to get better at judging distances (may not have time to pull rangefinder out with screaming bull in your face). Practicing out to 75-80 yards so can be deadly inside 40 yards. Making sure to practice with broadheads. Success: I talked about my goals for the trip but not what success meant to me and what success should be for any rookie hunting elk. New western hunters need to know that just planning and making the trip happen with all the family dynamics (t-ball practice, work schedule etc) is what it is all about. Spending time in nature with your brothers and the fellowship is what makes the trip. We all want to kill a bull but that is the cherry on top. Spending time in God's country, seeing the beautiful aspens, the amazing stars at night or telling old stories by the campfire is what will recharge your soul and that is what success really is. God Bless and happy hunting! MUSIC by Tony Wintrip ALBUM: Northwest Wild ℗ 2019 Tony Wintrip BullDown Productions.com Contact Us: [email protected] Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/elkbros) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices