Great write up and pics. The first hunt is typically the hardest. You can read and watch all the videos you can, but there's nothing that replaces the real thing for knowledge and experience gained. You either love it or hate it, and for most it's the former. In 22 years of elk hunting, I have yet to find a recipe for success, it's more an understanding of how great these animals are at surviving. Occasionally your bullet with cross paths with one, but for me, it's so much about the experience, the challenge, the respect for these animals.
