I’ve hunted elk on public ground across the West for 25 years. I’ve made incredible memories, learned a lot, and punched more tags than I deserve. But I’ve also seen a lot change over that quarter ...

This story was originally published in the June 2005 issue of Outdoor Life. When I was 15, I set off on my own, going to work for a lumber company and living alone in a tent in the Montana woods for a ...