EP 475: Lessons Learned with Ben Guttormson

For two guys still holding unpunched elk tags I’d say we are pretty pumped about how elk season ended up. In this podcast One of the better hunters I know Ben Guttormson and I sit down to talk about the highs and lows of 2020. Ben gave me all kinds of grief throughout the season about “passing” bulls, but honestly I had a great year. I learned so much, I saw so much cool country and at the end of it all had one of the coolest encounters I could ask for. Elk hunting is a funny thing that is something different for every single person. Heck even for me it can be many different things. I may have had one of the most gut punching low of lows this year but I walked away from season a better elk hunter and possibly more addicted to the game than I ever have been. Thats a win to me. Show Notes:  Intro – Overview – 0:03:54 Ben Breaks Down His 2020 Success – 0:11:31 Frontal Shots, Bens Buffalo Tag, & Cody’s Season – 0:30:09 Ben’s “Dead Bull” Story – 0:35:33 Big Bull Survival Theory – 0:44:13 Finding That Bull & Montana Elk – 0:46:54 Cody Strikes Out on Monster Bull – 1:00:21 What Happened to Hunter Etiquette? – 1:23:00 Ben’s Rants About Social Media & Hunters – 1:35:36 Biggest Lesson Learned in 2020 – 1:45:22 Strange Encounters – 1:57:44 Closing Thoughts – 2:06:34 This podcast also brought to you by goHUNT.com and their insider membership. Not only have goHUNT’s Insider helped me get more tags than I have time to hunt, but when you become a goHUNT Insider you get access to the gear shop which is thee best place to buy backcountry hunting gear. The goHUNT gear shop has put together the best of the best when it comes to western big game hunting equipment. On top of having the best gear and the best prices when you shop at the goHUNT Gear Shop you receive points back with every purchase. Lets say you need a new pair of boots. If you buy them from the Gear Shop you not only get them at the same price but you also get anywhere from 25-50 points, aka dollars credited toward your account for more stuff. Its a sweet deal and all in all I think goHUNT’s insider program is well worth the $150 membership. Not to mention when you sign up with the TRO code you get 50 points automatically credited to your account to use at the gear shop. This podcast is brought to you by ON X Maps. ON X maps is not only the number one mapping system for public private boundaries, but for me is my go to Navigation, E-Scouting, and all purpose GPS. With the ability to save maps on my phone before I head out On X has become  my go-to system for every hunt. On X is constantly pushing the limits of what a mobile app can do and has launched a ton of great features that make me a  more successful hunter. A couple of my favorite features right now are the ability to share waypoints and routes. Whether with my wife before I head out or with hunting buddies sharing waypoints for various pins, I use this constantly. With the ability to now uses tons of different icons and colors my mapping system is more organized and easier to read than ever. These are just a fraction of the new features and why I choose On X maps over anyone else. Be sure to use the code TRO when you sign up or renew and you will save 20% off.