Exo Journal — Elk Hunting

You've e-scouted, hiked in, and invested heavily—but there's no sign, the weather is crashing, and hunting pressure is high. What do you do next? In this third installment of our 2026 Expert Roundtable series, we dive into the practical side of adapting to adversity. We bring together four veteran backcountry hunters to debate one of the hardest questions in the field: When should you stay patient and trust the process, and when is it time to abandon your plan and move? The Expert Guests Isaac Deuling (mountain hunting guide) on why you shouldn't "fall in love with your plan," how...

If you asked 1,500 hunters about the specific hunting skills and knowledge that it takes to become more successful in the backcountry, what do you think they would say? We asked those hunters, and we have those answers. As part of The Experience Challenge, we had 1,500+ hunters complete a detailed Hunt Reflection. Their answers inspired this new series, The Backcountry Blueprint. In each installment, we distill key takeaways from 1,500+ hunters to help you master the backcountry. Today, we’re looking at the key areas of hunting skills and knowledge that hunters found to be most important to their success,...

Now that we are 10+ years into the Hunt Backcountry Podcast, we have dozens upon dozens of episodes on one of our favorite topics — elk hunting. From “expert” elk hunters, like Corey Jacobsen (first appearing in Episode 12) and Paul the “Elk Nut” Medel, to everyday elk hunters who are listeners of the show and have experienced success and failure with lessons to share. Here are some of our best elk hunting podcasts...

What does Steve (Exo Mtn Gear) take on a 5-Day Archery Elk Hunt, and how does that different from what Trent (Born & Raised Outdoors) would pack for the same hunt? See the differences between an utralight gear list, compared to someone who packs some extra items.