Ryan Hatfield, Editor of Elk Hunter Magazine

[Western Hunter]

Ryan grew up in a small mountain town in Idaho and has hunted elk “the hard way†his entire life. Ryan’s previous career work includes: Managing Editor for Eastmans’ Hunting & Bowhunting Journals, Assistant Director for Boone & Crockett Club, and author and/or editor of many western big game hunting books.

 

 

Below is a small interview with Editor Ryan Hatfield about Elk Hunting.

 

1.        What do you like about elk hunting the most? Big and wild country, the smell of the dirt and pines, the primal instincts of the hunt. I love being out every year, seeing and smelling them, and just knowing that it’s not just something I do, it’s who I am. I was made to be on a mountain, seeing nature’s majesty, and immersing myself in the wild.

 

2.       Do you prefer bowhunting or rifle hunting elk? I like both, for different reasons. I love September elk with a bow to get away from people, hunt better weather and better/more interactive opportunity with elk. I also love to hunt them in October or later with a rifle with the challenge of hunting public land with the masses, and knowing I’m still going to find a way to fill the freezer with a good bull. I have a lot of history and heritage with each, and would hate to have to pick just one.

 

3.       How do you personally prepare for an upcoming elk hunt? I work out at the gym 7 days a week, primarily cardio with some weightlifting. I’d like to say that my reason for doing this is for elk hunting, but in truth, it’s so that when my kids are old enough to hunt, I won’t be too old to have memories WITH them. I pay good attention to gear and try to do all I can do have the best I can afford so that gear is NEVER my limitation on a hunt. I also spend a fair amount of time researching, so that where I apply and hunt are good spots where I can be successful, and not just blind stabs in the dark that will end in disappointment.

 

4.       What tips for preparing for an upcoming elk hunt can you give the elk hunter that maybe slides a little on their conditioning throughout the year but finds out they drew a good tag and wants to get fit for the hunt? I’m actually writing an article on this right now. I personally don’t believe in training with a pack on. I think it creates strain on the back and emphasizes the wrong effort. A very small amount of time is spent packing heavy loads. The first thing to give out is your leg muscle endurance, and for a guy that’s trying to get in shape quickly, I think your energy needs to be spent elsewhere. If you have access to a gym, focus heavily on either a StairMaster or a harder setting on an elliptical machine that can help you focus on leg muscle endurance. Try to improve each and every time until you get to the point that you can go a good 20 minutes or more without stopping. Then, as your weight comes down, also start throwing in some running to help increase your wind. This is a great combo to help your hiking stamina.

 

5.       On a typical elk hunt what is always in your backpack? Parachute cord, map, rangefinder, garbage bag, game bags, a GOOD digital camera (either my Nikon DSLR or Canon PowerShot smaller camera), lots of other odds and ends.

 

6.       Do you think it is imperative to be in superhuman shape to hunt elk? NO! There’s no question it helps, and we should all get in as good of shape as we can or time for, but elk populations are high and elk can be found in close proximity to roads. I think the thing is to recognize your own strengths and limitations and stay within them. If you’re a superhuman, go ahead and hunt deep. If you’re not, don’t get in over your head! The only things that matter are A) don’t shoot an elk you can’t get out before it spoils; and Don’t shoot an elk somewhere you’re going to have a heart attack trying to get him out, especially if your health is questionable.

 

7.       What do you like to do when you are not hunting? I have two boys, 4 and 2, and love to spend time with them. They are the best ever, and a miracle every day. I also love to watch college football. Finally, I wrote and am still writing a series of books on Idaho hunting history, and those books are pretty special to me. It’s an honor to be able to record all that history and share the stories with people.

 

8.       What kind of movies do you like? Westerns, good comedies, nature documentaries. My favorite movies are Jeremiah Johnson, any Clint Eastwood western, Will Ferrell movies, The Shawshank Redemption.

 

9.       What is your favorite food? I’d eat Mexican and/or seafood three times a day, seven days a week.

 

10.   Tell us something the readers would never guess about you? I compete professionally on a lumberjack competition circuit. I’ve been on the US National Team six times and competed all over the West, in Canada, and in Australia (3 times). My best friend, Mike Forrester, and I hold many world records, including the big one at the World Championships in Oregon. There’s nothing like the sweet controlled aggression of tearing into a good piece of wood with a razor-sharp axe or crosscut saw! 

 

11.   Tell us about your business and your websites? www.idahobiggame.com is my website where you can learn about my books – Idaho’s Greatest Mule Deer, Idaho’s Greatest Elk, and Idaho’s Greatest Whitetails. These books are pictures, stories, and history on all the biggest bucks and bulls to ever come from Idaho. They are hardbound collectible books that are extremely detailed, and are aimed at preserving a special history, not just a “parade of big dead stuff”. The books have a great reputation and following, and it’s something I’m proud of.

 

12.   What elk calls do you use and why? Yes, I use them, but I also believe in using them as little as possible. In fact, I really only use them in desparation. I’d prefer to see the elk first and move in silently, but that’s not always an option. I sometimes use a locator bugle to get started, and go silent from there, other than a few occasional cow calls.

 

   13. Parting thought? In this information age, the competition portion of hunting has gotten pretty intense. Don’t forget that in the end, it’s about the journey, not the destination. Don’t forget to actually enjoy the hunt, and don’t judge the hunt as a success or failure depending on whether or not you killed something. The hunt is SO much bigger than that.

 

 

 

 

View the full article