Ryan Rendon and Steven Butcher sit down with Tom Gromus and Brock Carroll to relive their 2025 Colorado elk hunt, from the planning and gear prep to the long hikes, cold mornings, and lessons learned in the mountains.

What starts as a hunting story turns into a conversation about family, friendship, public land ethics, mental toughness, faith, and why the right crew matters when the trip gets hard.

Spotify Link:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1KjDSzkGhnTwRwPHaaZ9XB?si=K9WckeRPRUi-xGtwVVppJA

Apple Music Link:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/texas-hill-country-insider/id1890186700

Chapters
00:00 Welcome to Episode 6
00:52 Meet Tom Gromus and Brock Carroll
04:24 Brock's move from Michigan to Texas
08:59 Kids, family, and changing priorities
10:17 First hunting memories
16:46 Tom's hunting background
22:07 Getting back into hunting
26:12 Planning the Colorado elk hunt
28:05 Rifles, gear, and long-range prep
31:17 Setting camp in Colorado
38:02 First day in the mountains
39:06 Hunting, solitude, and self-reflection
42:48 Opening day and public land pressure
54:58 Camp life, cold nights, and gear lessons
57:15 Day two on the mountain
01:07:12 Pushing into a new spot
01:22:42 Ryan's elk
01:25:08 Steven's rifle misfire moment
01:27:17 Finding and packing out the elk
01:37:48 Hard pack-outs and hunting toughness
01:44:44 Day six and the mule deer
01:52:09 Learning from gear mistakes
01:58:25 The rifle under the tire story
02:00:04 Final takeaways from the hunt
02:03:41 Camaraderie, mindset, and closing thoughts

Resources and links:

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Steven Butcher
Website: https://www.butcherbehrens.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/butcher_behren_signature_homes/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-butcher-8678841b5/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ButcherBehrens
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@butcherbehrensighomes
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ButcherBehrensSignatureHomes/shorts
Phone: +1 210-636-5387

Ryan Rendon
Website: https://www.ryanrendon.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryan_rendon_realtor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RyanRendonRealtor
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ryanrendon-RealEstate
Phone: +1 830-890-1943

Mentions
Tom Gromus
Brock Carroll
Colorado elk hunt
Western hunting
Public land hunting
Meeker, Colorado
Kerrville
Fredericksburg
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Rokslide
ElkShape
New Mexico
Wyoming
Montana

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