Elkaholism: is the uncontrollable urge to pursue elk in the wild.  But to the true Elkaholic, the pursuit is much more than simply shooting an elk.  It is the total experience.  It is years of planning and anticipation, check-lists and revised check-lists, packing and re-packing, and sleepless nights as the hunt draws closer.  Once in the wild, it is the music of the river, the pungent smell of pine and high sage, the clatter and spark of horseshoes on granite, the vastness of the high country, the brilliant star-lit nights, ghostly moon shadows on frosty tents, the mournful howl of the wolf, and the tingling at the back of your neck when you notice grizzly tracks on top of the tracks you just made.  It is the hours of glassing distant timber, the cold stinging thunderstorm rain, the chilling growl of bull elk in rut, the heart-pounding final stalk, the echo of the magnum boom across the canyon, the clink of ejected brass on rock and adrenaline shakes.  It is the high fives and hugs from your best friend, the celebratory “elk oysters” and mountain-spring-cold beer.  It is new friends, great stories, great remembrances, and the planning and anticipation of the next great adventure.  Elkaholism:  once you catch it, it will be with you forever!

Written by Bob Jorgensen, 2011