201 vs. 301: What It Really Takes to Target a Big Bull
About this episode
Cody Rich and Jaden Bales discuss strategies for targeting big bulls and the nuances of elk hunting.
I sat down with Jaden Bales this week for one of those conversations that starts as a catch-up and turns into a full-on masterclass — and I didn't even plan it that way. It's been way too long since Jaden and I recorded together (we live in the same town, so we keep telling ourselves we don't need a podcast to catch up — turns out we do). Jaden's got a trail camera bull he's chasing this fall — a mid-July photo puts him around 340", with room to grow into the 350 range by September — and he wanted to pick my brain on how to actually turn this thing up before archery season opens. So that's exactly what we did. We get into the real difference between hunting a "201-level" six-point and hunting a genuine target bull — because trust me, those are two completely different games. We talk about why elk don't respect your neat little three-mile circle on OnX, why a good bull might blow off his summer ground and go rut ten miles away, and why "air miles" is the only way to actually think about elk movement in big mountain country. We also get into backpack-hunt logistics, meat care in the backcountry, why purple roads and hiking trails matter less than you think (until they don't), and…
More episodes of Elk Hunt
- Most Insane Elk Research Tool We've Ever Seen — Mark Livesay Reveals Hunt Research IQ
- 22 Elk in 23 Seasons: Public Land Lessons w/ Kevin Gower
- Two Bulls, One Arrow Each: The Double Kill Story You Need to Hear
- 301 Lessons for 201 Elk Hunters with Dillion Ness
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Elk Hunt podcast page.