In this episode of Drawn West, Brian catches up with returning guest Dan Matthews to finally tell the full story of his wild first archery elk hunt — a hunt that went from no tag, to a perfect bull, to floating a 700-pound elk down a river with the help of an excavator.

Dan shares how a “poorly timed pregnancy” changed his Colorado rifle plans and pushed him into archery season, how he taught himself to bugle on the drive out, and how one perfect morning turned into an elk-hunting roller coaster. The guys also swap stories about calling strategies, blood-trailing logic, elk language, and why hunting styles — from process-driven engineers to pure chaos improvisers — both somehow get the job done.

This one’s packed with laughs, elk talk, and plenty of chaos that only makes sense if you’ve ever tried to call in a screaming bull at daylight.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• How Dan’s first archery elk hunt turned into a wild success

• Learning to elk call on the drive out — and somehow making it work

• What happens when your bull dies in a river (and an excavator saves the day)

• The difference between “Team Chaos” vs “Team Structure” hunting styles

• Breaking down elk language — chuckles, glunks, nervous grunts, and what they really mean

🎧 Listen anywhere you get podcasts, and make sure to follow @getdrawnwest on Instagram for new episodes and elk gear drops.

Free resource: Grab the Drawn West Gear Checklist — my complete elk and mule deer packing guide (link in description).

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow @getdrawnwest on Instagram.

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