Episode 697: A Bull Elk of 1,000 Lifetimes and How ‘Proposition 1’ – The Right to Farm and Ranch Benefits Hunting & Conservation

What this episode covers

New Mexico has long been a place that is near and dear to me. I’ve backpacked, flyfished and hunted the Sangre De Cristos mountains for over 20 years. So to see a record shattering bull elk come out of the Land of Enchantment this fall certainly peaked my interest. A few Instagram messages later and Ridge Crum was more than willing to share the story of this awesome elk on the show. A passionate bow hunter, Ridge takes us through his 3 year history with this particular bull and how the massive elk ghosted him in 2022. We discuss the sometimes odd relationship and strategy of elk hunting on public vs private land. Plus Ridge shares a little back story on why the bull apparently stayed in the adjacent national forest last fall instead of visiting his family ranch. Of course we also get the details on what happened once the bull showed back up on camera this year and how everything played out leading up to a fatal 40 yard shot on the pending New Mexico state record. Pending the 60 day drying period, the massive 8×8 will likely be the largest elk ever killed in New Mexico regardless of weapon. Green score has it at over 436 inches gross. Hell of a bull Ridge! Next, we dive into ‘Proposition 1’ – The Right to Farm and Ranch in Texas with Texas Farm Bureau’s Gary Joiner and Russell Boening. The Amendment is up for vote on the November ballot and is very similar the Constitutional Right to Hunt and Fish that Texas passed a few years back. Gary and Russell cite recent examples of municipalities infringing on Texan’s rights to utilize their land for farming and ranching as they see fit. An ever increasing and urbanized population might not understand or value the importance of farming and ranching, but undoubtedly they depend on these long standing Texas traditions to put food on their tables. It also must be pointed out that hunting goes hand in hand with farming and ranching. Many of us that lease or own hunting property can attest to the reality that livestock and agriculture are prevalent on hunting properties more often than not. Actually, the land is usually livestock/agriculture 1st, with hunting as a secondary use. No matter how you slice it, hunting and conservation benefit from ranching and agricultural production.

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