Elk Talk

Corey and Randy talk about the complications of inaccessible elk, for whatever reasons it happens. What makes elk less accessible, or more accessible? Complications of public hunting pressure and elk displacement to private land, too many cow tags result in a lower harvest, too many elk as a "neighbor problem," why hunting access to private land is so important, working landowners versus amenity ranch collectors, what options exist for game managers, is the public hunter's role limited, ideas to disperse congregated elk, and a discussion of may tangents combined with a few elk hunting stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Randy and Corey talk through the struggles of post rut hunts. Randy recaps his most recent trip in Idaho with the RMEF sweepstakes "win a hunt" winner and a string of llamas. Randy and Corey discuss the tradeoffs between managing for opportunity and managing for trophy potential, and appreciate the opportunity to have over the counter public land tags. Corey talks about opening day in Idaho. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Episode (#134) Randy sits down with Kyle Weaver, President and CEO of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. In addition to a call to action on Colorado's I-127 ballot initiative, topics are many, covering how RMEF does it's work, priorities for RMEF, hunting advocacy, how land gets conserved, efficiency with each dollar, volunteerism, reputation as capital, and many other discussions explaining how RMEF has accomplished so much in just 40 years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode (#133) of Elk Talk Podcast Corey and Randy overcome some scheduling difficulties to share each other's stories of the season, including some new lessons learned, some mistakes made, some big surprises, overcoming hot temps and full moons, the difficulty of patterning an old bull, and enough successful hunts to make the season a big win. Also a call to action for the Colorado ballot initiative. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Elk Talk Podcast, Corey and Randy sort through the many listener emails that relate to early season elk hunting. Topics covered include an update on the season so far, balancing age/health/conditions/desires, gutless method questions, tactic changes due to rain, fire displacement of elk, why we want more elk on the mountain, archer questions about basic rifle setup, shooter error or equipment problem, when water is too abundant, forage concentrations with non-migratory elk, bedded bugling bulls, and a lot of other topics to get excited about elk season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corey and Randy are getting ready for elk season. A variety of listener questions are discussed, including elk walking through your camp, calling in a grizzly bear, invisible and abundant mountain lions, Colorado ballot initiative, every hunter should vote, hunter dating app, Dave Ramsey's hunting advice, how to identify a bedded bull, and a ton of other colorful sidebars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode (#130) of the Elk Talk Podcast, Corey and Randy are together in Bozeman and talking about the upcoming elk season, and few legislative proposals that might impact elk hunting. Topics include making Idaho general tags a draw for non-residents, non-resident application fee increase for Wyoming, workout updates, breaking in your feet, hunting cow elk by finding forage, non-resident tag allocations on public land, 10th Amendment and state-based wildlife models, private land v. public wildlife, Randy's list of hunting storylines, and a lot of other topics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode (#129) of Elk Talk Podcast Randy and Corey are taking a lot of viewer questions. Topics covered include their season plans for 2024, solo elk calling challenge, set-up mistakes, Randy's elk hunting E-Guide, two basics of elk calling, why elk bed where they do, elk depend on their nose, elk do nothing randomly, find elk where they are thermoregulating, not all ridges are equal, black bear predation on elk calves, quality habitat reduces predation impacts, and other audience questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corey and Randy are at the Total Archery Challenge in Big Sky Montana. Corey and the best elk callers in the world are there for RMEF's world elk calling championship. Topics covered include elk calling, Colorado change to OTC archery elk tags, Colorado elk advocates, taking action, what advocacy looks like, state-based wildlife models in America, holding Trustees accountable, how to fund revenue lost from non-residents, balancing science and social demands, and many other tangents semi-related to elk hunting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corey and Randy host Dustin Diefenderfer of MTN TOUGH. Topics covered include Dustin's hunting passions, archery elk hunting, the "packout from hell," cardio versus strength, and the obvious benefits of physical preparation for elk hunting, yet goes far deeper into the mental aspects of hunting and health. Randy explains being an adult-onset fitness adopter, fitness for the busy traveler, and a mix of hunting issues through the lens of age, hunting, and mental challenges. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode (#126) of Elk Talk Podcast, Corey and Randy are taking up the discussion after a weekend with 600 of RMEF's volunteers. Topics include shed antler seasons and issues, winter ranges off-limits, access to elk, growing private land elk populations, shrinking public land elk numbers, one-size-fits-all really fits none, Wyoming and Nevada elk management examples, elk advocates where there are no elk, new age of fire cycles, and a ton of other topics related to putting more elk in the hills and creating more access to elk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corey and Randy share the mic with Charlie Decker, one of four co-founders of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Recorded at the 40th Anniversary of RMEF, the topics covered include how it all started, the early failures, rough times, near bankruptcy, strain on marriages, perseverance, doing what you say you'll do, amazing volunteers, seeing a dream come to fruition, all told in Charlie's hilarious manner and sense of humor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corey and Randy explore many off-season topics related to elk hunting information, various state deadlines, money generated by point schemes, deflating your points, the future of OTC tags, changes to point systems and point creep, slanting the table to well-heeled hunters, Wyoming setting the bar for non-resident elk fees, population explosion in Rocky Mountain states, the folly of point systems, correlation between technology and success rates and opportunity, and many other tangents important to elk hunting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Randy and Corey follow up on a listener email where a Colorado Wildlife Commissioner claimed that State Trusteeship of Wildlife is legal fiction. In addition to updates on the deadlines for MT, CO, and UT, topics covered include qualification to be a wildlife trustee, do we want a Federal wildlife system, the laws/cases/Constitutional basis for our current state-based wildlife systems, Trustees ignoring their duties, how we got the the current systems we have, and many other topics that impact how wildlife gets managed and how opportunity gets allocated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corey and Randy discuss a variety of topics to include Randy's Top Five Elk Hunting Mistakes, scientific selection of a hunting unit versus choosing an area that fits your hunting style, what criteria to use for selecting a unit, hunter density, success rates can be deceiving, Montana's crazy draw structure, is everything the Game & Fish agency's fault, some examples of successful advocacy, Corey's wolf hunting update, and the usual string of distractions and tangents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode (#121) of Elk Talk Podcast, Corey has recovered from his trade show virus and joins Randy to solve a lot of elk hunting issues. Topics covered include upcoming draws in New Mexico, Montana, and Colorado, updates on some legislation proposals in Colorado, Idaho, and Wyoming, more animals equal opportunity, potential loss of OTC in Colorado impacts every state, Randy's fitness update, mental fortitude, and a lot of other banter, most of which relates to elk hunting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode (#120) of Elk Talk Podcast, Randy and Corey take a lot of listener questions and try to answer them by category. Also touched is a reminder of the Arizona draw deadline. Other topics are western state population increases, Randy's Arizona choices, non-resident fee increases, Washington wildlife commission craziness, Colorado ballot initiative, Randy's Marriage 101 seminar, fitness for aging hunters, No Plan B, and a ton of other rabbit holes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Episode (#119) Corey and Randy come back from the Holiday break to discuss big changes to the elk application process, specifically big changes in Wyoming. Also covered is the huge threat to hunting from a Colorado Ballot Initiative, how to increase tag numbers, a technology hiccup by Corey's computer, and the normal banter that any good episode deserves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Elk Talk Podcast, Corey and Randy cover the transition from hunting season to planning season. Topics covered include draw seasons, Alaska elk, Wyoming fee increases, Randy's problem with floor jacks, trends in Idaho elk applications, hunting tactics for late season elk, Randy's hope that Arizona elk cooperate, and the normal host of tangents and other obscure stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Episode of the "Reaching Your Peak" mini-series, (Episode #10), we have another story/lesson from Corey Jacobsen. Randy joins Corey once again in this episode, as Corey shares the story of an tough archery elk hunt in Oregon from 2014. The hunt itself was tough, but getting the elk back out to the road proved to push Corey’s limits. There may be been more extreme packouts, but none with as heavy of a pack for as long of a distance as Corey experienced on this hunt. “Reaching Your Peak” will be published every other week, to fill in the gap between regular ElkTalk Podcast episodes. In this new mini-series, Corey will be sharing stories from his past elk hunts, and then detailing a strategy or tactic that was instrumental in the success of that hunt – or a lesson learned that has helped shape the way he hunts elk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices