Elk Talk

Corey and Randy are looking forward to spring and the final half of application season. Topics covered include huge fee increases in Utah, pushing market pricing of non-residents, pressing for resident fee increases, the point system fallacy, RMEF's advocacy for all elk hunters, supply-side tag-enomics, Colorado and Montana deadlines, and fewer rabbit holes than normal. Learn more about your ad ch...

Corey and Randy talk about upcoming applications in Montana and Colorado, complexity of regulations, grizzly bear delisting possible, history of wolf delisting, Great American Outdoor Act, Congress shirking their duties, funding new access, access via permanent easements, list of access projects currently hung up in Congress, how public land policy gets established by Congress, creating access, an...

In this episode of the Elk Talk Podcast, Randy and Corey catch up to discuss their application strategies, Arizona draw results, the current winter conditions in elk country, problems of thawing and freezing snow, some viewer questions, Corey's strategy for drawing tags in years/seasons with optimal conditions, allocating your hunting time, and some diversions out into the weeds on topics barely r...

Corey and Randy talk about changes to elk hunting seasons in 2025, deadlines for tags drawings, Colorado changing their draw in 2028, moisture patterns and antler growth in arid states, moon phases, burning points in years with the best conditions, harmful legislation across the west, and the normal string of rabbit holes and anecdotes related to elk hunting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visi...

In this episode (#139) of Elk Talk Podcast, Corey and Randy welcome in the new year with a discussion about migration hunts, putting more elk on the mountain, what do we mean when we say "access to elk" and how can we do that, better habitat on public lands, and the threats of elected officials proposing to dispose of the Federal lands so many of us use for our elk hunting. Learn more about your a...

Corey and Randy happen to be recording a few hours after the Idaho non-resident tag circus. Topics covered include the Idaho non-resident tag purchase system, the effectiveness of "scarcity marketing," the benefits of resident OTC opportunities, more elk means more opportunity for all, focus putting elk on the mountain, Randy's MT elk season finale, AZ tentative elk tag numbers, Commission action...

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 r...

In this episode (#136) of the Elk Talk Podcast Corey and Randy are talking about plans for 2025, some stories of Corey's Idaho rifle hunting, some tidbits on Randy's trip to help with a Nevada elk hunt, and a lot of talk about habitat, conservation, and examples of states that have put more elk on the landscape with the benefit of volunteers, advocates, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Also...

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...

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 explaini...

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...

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 erro...

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...

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 ta...

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, blac...

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...

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 mi...

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 the...

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 hilariou...

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,...

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 ig...

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'...

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...

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...

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....