Horseback Elk Hunt in Grizzly Country

"After four demanding days of hunting on horseback, I finally harvested my first elk with a bow.

Each morning, my guide, Dan Martin, and I rode up Mount Randolph to nearly 9,000 feet. We would tie the horses and continue another three to four miles on foot, covering rugged country between 8,000 and 9,000 feet as we searched for elk.

Because it was still pre-rut, the bulls had been unusually quiet. On the fourth morning, Dan began alternating cow calls with bugles, and at last, a bull answered.

I positioned myself behind a tree while Dan moved approximately 20 yards behind me, hoping to draw the bull into the opening. Instead of following the route we expected, the bull came directly toward me and stopped just 25 yards away. He spotted Dan, caught our scent, and turned back across the meadow.

As he turned away, the angle opened briefly. At 61 yards, I released my arrow. It entered behind the bull’s left ribs, passed through the lungs and chest cavity, and penetrated all the way to his right shoulder. We heard him crash approximately 20 yards away, but we waited 45 minutes before approaching to ensure he had expired.

My arrow setup performed exceptionally well: a 300-spine Easton 4mm Axis Long Range shaft, fletched with AAE Max Stealth vanes at a 3-degree right helical and tipped with an Iron Will 125-grain right-bevel Single Bevel broadhead and impact collar. I was shooting my Mathews ARC 30 equipped with a Dialed PRÜF Mover sight. The accuracy, penetration, and durability of the entire setup gave me tremendous confidence when the opportunity finally came.

The adventure, however, was far from over.

We had seen a grizzly in the area earlier that morning. After quartering the elk, we moved the meat away from the carcass and hiked for approximately an hour to retrieve the horses. By the time we returned, a grizzly had already located the game bags, ripped open two of them, and taken several bites from the hindquarters.

While Dan loaded the horses and mule, I stood watch for the bear. Once everything was secured, we wasted no time getting out of there.

Four hard days, miles of mountain country, an unforgettable shot, and a close reminder that in grizzly country, the hunt is not over when the elk goes down.

I am deeply grateful to Dan Martin for his skill, patience, and hard work—and to Iron Will Outfitters and Dialed Archery for producing equipment I could trust when it mattered most.

This was my first elk with a bow, and it is a hunt I will never forget."

— Rudolph Atallah