Bugles & Bows

Bugles & Bows

From Okayest Hunter ® by Okayest Podcast Network

March 25, 2026 · 1h 19m

About this episode

Ben Wellens discusses archery, bow tuning, and his experiences with elk hunting.

Ben Wellens with Midwest MTN drove down from the Appleton area with food in hand and a brain full of archery knowledge. What followed was a deep dive into bow tinkering, tuning setups, and why some hunters just can’t leave their gear alone. Ben shares how a mechanical engineer from northeast Wisconsin ended up restoring bows, building tuning rigs in his garage, and helping friends get dialed before season. We talk about the rabbit hole of archery setups, the difference between tinkering and overthinking, and why learning by breaking things sometimes works best. From there the conversation drifts west, into elk country. Ben walks through his first elk hunt, drawing a rare tag, and the chaos of a 15-yard encounter that ended with a bull on the ground and a three-mile pack-out. We also get into planning western hunts with friends, the point system game, gear refinement over time, and why sometimes the best part is just hearing a bull bugle for the first time. Somewhere along the way we also cover raccoons, grizzlies, archery leagues, backpack setups, and the eternal truth that hunters will absolutely overthink their equipment. If you like archery, elk hunting, gear tinkering, or the…

People in this episode

Guest: Ben Wellens

Topics covered

  • archery
  • elk hunting
  • gear tinkering
  • hunting experiences
  • bow tuning

Keywords

  • archery
  • elk hunting
  • gear tinkering
  • bow tuning
  • hunting experiences

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Midwest MTN

Places: Appleton, elk country, northeast Wisconsin, western hunts

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