This conversation with Briggs Pittman breaks down what actually kills elk on hard, public land hunts. Not theory, not gear hype, but decision-making, preparation, and execution.

Briggs and Cliff cover why smelling elk is a non-negotiable stop, how elite hunters manage time in the woods, why mindset mathematically affects success, and how rifle hunters should think more like bow hunters. They dive deep into rifle setup, bipod selection, shooting positions, dry fire training, backpack weight discipline, food strategy, and why most hunters quietly sabotage themselves long before they miss a shot.

Briggs on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/briggs_pittman/

The Fastest Way to Get Good at Elk Hunting. Period. Cliff's In-Person Elk Masterclass - https://pursuitwithcliff.com/ElkCourse

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This episode breaks down how elk actually respond to hunting pressure and why most hunters misunderstand where mature bulls survive once seasons open.

Cliff talks with a self-taught elk hunter, Dan Vinson, who learned the hard way, without mentors or shortcuts. The conversation centers on pressure, access, and human behavior, not elevation gain or how far someone is willing to hike. Elk do not disappear when pressure increases. They compress into small, unattractive pockets where hunters walk through but never slow down enough to hunt.

The episode also covers bivy hunting, decision-making under uncertainty, and the cost of overcommitting to camps or rigid plans. A detailed solo bull encounter highlights how quickly things unravel after the shot, why blood trails are not guaranteed, and how emotional load compounds when hunting alone.

This is a realistic look at elk hunting as it actually happens for most do-it-yourself hunters.

Resources from Dan Vinson
Wild Gym | All Things Rucking: https://www.wildgym.com/
Dan's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wilddanvinson

The Fastest Way to Get Good at Elk Hunting. Period. Cliff's In-Person Elk Masterclass - https://pursuitwithcliff.com/ElkCourse

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In this episode, Ryan and Cliff go deep into the real-world realities of pack animals — goats, llamas, horses, and mules — and why experience, animal behavior, stress, and decision-making matter far more than gear specs or romantic ideas of “backcountry horsepower.”

Ryan and Cliff also discuss the drop testing of optics and the myth that most modern rifle scopes hold zero.

Ryan's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avery_adventures
Rokslide: https://www.rokslide.com/

The Fastest Way to Get Good at Elk Hunting. Period. Cliff's In-Person Elk Masterclass - https://pursuitwithcliff.com/ElkCourse

---
FOLLOW CLIFF
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Real-world discussion on hunting bullets, suppressor design, long-range ethics, thermal optics, and how modern technology is changing effective range, shot selection, and fair-chase decisions in Western big game hunting.

Ryan's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avery_adventures/
Rokslide Forum: https://www.rokslide.com/

The Fastest Way to Get Good at Elk Hunting. Period. Cliff's In-Person Elk Masterclass - https://pursuitwithcliff.com/ElkCourse

---
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What actually separates a professional guide from a good hunter?
Cliff and Jay Scott break down how real experience changes judgment. Calm under pressure, controlling variables, and why most missed shots are process failures. Not shooter failures.

The Tricer micro-panning device we discuss at the end of the video, Use CLIFFG for 10% off: https://tricer.com/products/tricer-360

From there, the discussion moves into distance, animal awareness, and the concept of the “bubble.” Cliff and Jay explain why getting closer is not always better, especially for wary species like Coues deer. Staying outside an animal’s awareness buys time, reduces mistakes, and creates higher-probability shots. This is not about extreme distance. It is about efficiency and control.

The back half of the episode shifts into gear and optics. They break down real use cases for image-stabilized binoculars and spotting scopes, where they help, where they don’t, and why tripods are not going anywhere. The conversation stays grounded in actual field application, not marketing claims.

The episode closes on perspective. Experience, restraint, and patience are skills built over decades, not seasons.

00:02:00 – Guiding Experience and Perspective
00:06:20 – Booking Hunts and Downside Protection
00:09:20 – What Makes a Professional Guide
00:17:20 – Staying Outside the Animal's Bubble
00:38:10 – Managing Age Class Over Antlers
00:40:55 – Harvest Limits and Real Results
00:49:40 – Tag Filling and Modern Pressure
00:52:00 – Social Media and Validation
00:59:20 – Judging Animals With Confidence
01:04:20 – Underrated Hunts and Value
01:07:40 – Image Stabilized Optics Use Cases
01:14:30 – Tripods, Glassing, and Field Judgment

Resources from Jay Scott
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayscottoutdoors/?hl=en
Website: http://jayscottoutdoorspodcast.com/
Scoring App: https://hornscore.com/

The Fastest Way to Get Good at Elk Hunting. Period. Cliff's In-Person Elk Masterclass - https://pursuitwithcliff.com/ElkCourse

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Trends and gear relevant to hunters from SHOT Show 2026.

The Fastest Way to Get Good at Elk Hunting. Period. Cliff's In-Person Elk Masterclass - https://pursuitwithcliff.com/ElkCourse

---
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Hunt. Fish. Spear. (Experiences, Courses and Seminars)
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Tim Sundles and I rip through member-submitted questions, then go deep when it matters. The back half turns into a dark-timber masterclass: tracking old bulls in snow, reading intent from tracks, avoiding back-trail traps, and making a high-percentage shot in tight timber.

Tim and Kim Sundles run a great YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@buffaloboreammo

The Fastest Way to Get Good at Elk Hunting. Period. Cliff's In-Person Elk Masterclass - https://pursuitwithcliff.com/ElkCourse

---
FOLLOW CLIFF
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In this episode, I sit down with Tim Sundles of Buffalo Bore for a wide-ranging, no-filter conversation that goes where most hunting podcasts won’t.

We start with elk cartridges and shot placement. Real-world experience killing elk in dark timber, at bad angles, under pressure. We dig into why larger cartridges matter, how bullet construction and penetration actually work, and why “perfect broadside shots” are often a fantasy for serious elk hunters.

From there, the conversation expands into wolves, wildlife management, and what Tim has personally witnessed over decades living and hunting in Idaho and the Frank Church. We talk wolf reintroduction, elk and moose population collapse, government agencies, the Forest Service, and how public land management has drifted far from actual land stewardship.

Tim and Kim Sundles run a great YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@buffaloboreammo

The Fastest Way to Get Good at Elk Hunting. Period. Cliff's In-Person Elk Masterclass - https://pursuitwithcliff.com/ElkCourse

---
FOLLOW CLIFF
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Pursuit With Cliff Podcast
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Cliff's Hunt Planning and Strategy Membership
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Hunt. Fish. Spear. (Experiences, Courses and Seminars)
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Merch
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