After years away from elk hunting, the author’s reentry into the pastime culminates in an awesome week in northern Utah where 11 elk hunters and 10 mule deer hunters fill their tags.
Michigan elk hunters faced challenging weather and storm-ravaged terrain to harvest 153 elk in 2025. That didn’t deter Bruce Nelson of Hastings, Mich. He applied for an elk license every year Michigan has held a drawing.
Public-land elk hunting challenges even the best hunters. Success requires an understanding of the unit and property owners within, plus all the terrain throughout that might support a herd.