What happens in Part 1 of Slayer’s British Columbia elk hunt? Bill Ayer and Matt Carey leave Idaho behind for the remote Goat River country, where they join Shane Palmer and the team at Saddle Axe Outfitters for a true horseback archery elk hunt.
This is the kind of adventure Bill dreamed about as a kid: packing deep into the mountains on horseback, hunting country few people ever reach and living from a backcountry camp surrounded by elk-producing drainages. After meeting Shane’s family and experiencing their incredible hospitality, the team loads its gear onto the horses and begins the four-hour ride into camp.
The first morning starts around 3 a.m. as the horses are saddled and the hunters prepare to ride out in the dark. By daylight, three bulls are bugling—but on September 1, the elk aren’t fully fired up yet. The team works the wind and changing thermals, trying to close the distance without forcing the encounter.
Part 1 captures the beauty, anticipation and uncertainty of a British Columbia horseback elk hunt, from the ride into the Goat River basin to the first bugles of the trip. It also shares the story behind Slayer’s Goat River Series and the Kuttat and Mallandain elk reeds, named after drainages connected to this unforgettable hunt.
Watch to see the adventure begin—and find out whether one of those first-day bulls gives Bill an opportunity.
Continue the Hunt
The action gets much closer in Part 2 when a bull comes within 12 yards—and a wolf suddenly appears just a few yards from the calling team.
