I was encouraged by how much fresh sign we were seeing, and pleased to have laid eyes on at least one cow elk so far.  This was Day 4 of my 2020 Idaho Elk hunt. Aaron and I had bumped into a local guy this afternoon who was more than happy to relay stories of his past success, trends he had observed in the behavior of the local herds, and dismay that he didn't draw a cow tag this year and was only able to hunt an over-the-counter bull tag. Charlie—as we learned his name to be—was walking fairly slowly through the woods, but nothing about his presentation made you think "ah, this guy is dialed in as a hunter".  He...

The first rule when you're tagging along on a hunt is be the quietest one in the group.  The second rule when you're tagging along is don't quack like a duck when your friend is hunting for elk. My friend Patrick had put plenty of offseason work into his archery elk hunt,  and was kind enough to invite me to join him for a day while my wife and I were in town.  I wasn't sure whether he would fill his tag that day, but I knew damn sure I wasn't going to be the one who blew the elk out by breaking branches and stumbling through the woods. For simplicity's sake, I won't even mention which state Patrick lives...

My plan is to hunt elk this October, in a general unit in Idaho.  Idaho is unique because there are many general season tags that are available Over-the-Counter.  The upside to these tags is that they are available without the need for entering a draw or lottery in the Spring.  The downside to general season tags is that the season is short and success rates are very low.   This particular hunt takes place in the post-rut period. The post-rut is the most difficult time to find a mature bull elk, because the mating season is over, and they are holed up in thick, dark woods where they can replenish lost calories and avoid hunters. Having never hunted elk before,...

We have been fortunate across the West this year; after years of minimal rainfall, the last several months have dumped precipitation on our parched soil.  (In many areas we are now getting too much rain and snow.) I learned an important lesson regarding game habits and movement during the drought: the dryer the season is, the lower the game will hold.  This was made apparent during an October 2015 deer hunt in Idaho. I hunted with my Dad and Brother, in an area we were very familiar with.  It was a favorite Summertime hiking route of ours, and we had always had great luck seeing game there.  It seemed every time we ventured into these woods, we saw deer, elk,...

This is a hot subject in 2016... the ethics and necessity of hunting.  My stance is: if hunting was relevant 100 years ago, then it has to be just as relevant now.  If we have so insulated our existence, that we are too far removed from the wild to continue to hunt, perhaps the root issue is that we are out of touch with reality, rather than there being something wrong in the act of going afield. Hunting is one of the more primal, immersive and formative experiences that we as men and women can participate in. Hunting is as foundational as any activity; and it spans the entire scope of human history. In our modern world, we are becoming more and...

Donald M Jones is one of my all-time favorite photographers.  I first became aware of his work in the pages (usually the cover) of Sports Afield, and have admired his photography for the last several years.  He lives in Troy, Montana, and specializes in photographing wild species and wild places.  Mr. Jones has a unique ability to bring wildlife and stunning landscapes together into crisp, clear view.  As close as you may get to these magnificent animals in the wild, Donald seems to bring them even closer.  Thank you for braving the elements to bring images like this to those of us confined to more insulated environments.  Sporting photographers like Mr. Jones have so many variables to align in order...