Drawn West

Imagine this: Wyoming. Antelope tag in your pocket. Tough hunt. Then a giant buck steps out at 400 yards. You’re seated. Bipod down. Crosshairs steady. And you’re asking yourself one question: Do I take the shot?Last week we talked long range. Today we’re talking about the part nobody really wants to admit — just because you can hit steel at 400… doesn’t mean you should shoot that buck at 400.Brian breaks down the Shot Decision Triangle — the three variables that actually determine your effective range:• Your caliber and bullet construction (energy, velocity thresholds, expansion windows)• Your personal shooting ability and practice standard• The real-time scenario (wind, animal movement, angle, stability, time of flight)He walks through minimum energy benchmarks for common western species, explains how different bullet types behave at varying impact velocities, and lays out a practical field rule: cut the animal’s vital zone in half during practice to establish your real effective range.The episode then transitions into archery — fixed vs expandable broadheads, penetration vs cut width, pass-through priorities, deer ducking strings, and how to honestly evaluate your range with a bow.This isn’t about giving you a magic number. It’s about building a system so the answer becomes obvious when the moment arrives.Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow @getdrawnwest on Instagram. If this episode sharpened your thinking, leave a 5-star rating and share it with a buddy who needs to hear it.Looking for more content from Drawn West? Check out our latestarticle!https://www.getdrawnwest.com/articles/how-to-draw-a-tag-in-the-west FREE Gear Checklist:https://www.getdrawnwest.com/gearConnect with Brian Krebshttps://linktr.ee/getdrawnwest Have Questions or Comments? Send an email to [email protected]!Sponsorsand Discounts:GOHUNTInsider - $50 Gear Shop Credit with code DRAWNWEST https://alnk.to/g3aa8L4GOHUNT GearShop – 10% off most items with code DRAWNWEST https://alnk.to/e75Pm4uSave10% onMaverick Hunting Blinds & Accessories with code DRAWNWEST https://maverickhunting.com/?ref=getdrawnwest00:00–08:45 — The 400-Yard PronghornDecision08:45–24:30 — Bullet Construction, Energy & Velocity Explained24:30–34:45 — The Practice Standard: Cut the Kill Zone in Half34:45–44:30 — Wind, Angles, Stability & Time of Flight44:30–56:45 — Archery: Broadheads, Penetration & Range Limits

How far is too far when it comes to rifle shots on big game?In this episode, I sit down with Jayden Miller of West Elk Precision to break down what actually determines an ethical shot in the field — and it’s not just a number. We dive into zeroing properly, shooting positions, wind, cartridge selection, bullet performance, and how your real-world skill level changes everything.We talk about the difference between shooting paper and shooting animals, how to test your true limits before season, and why ego ruins more hunts than bad equipment. Jayden also shares real-world examples from this season — including a 760-yard bull — and we unpack what went into that decision.If you’ve ever wondered, “Should I take this shot?” — this episode gives you a framework to answer it yourself.Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow @getdrawnwest on Instagram.If you enjoyed this, leave a 5-star rating and share the show with a friend.Looking for more content from Drawn West? Check out our latest article!https://www.getdrawnwest.com/articles/elk-hunting-knivesFREE Gear Checklist:https://www.getdrawnwest.com/gearConnect with Brian Krebshttps://linktr.ee/getdrawnwest Have Questions or Comments? Send an email to [email protected]!Sponsorsand Discounts:GOHUNTInsider - $50 Gear Shop Credit with code DRAWNWEST https://alnk.to/g3aa8L4GOHUNT GearShop – 10% off most items with code DRAWNWEST https://alnk.to/e75Pm4uSave10% onMaverick Hunting Blinds & Accessories with code DRAWNWEST https://maverickhunting.com/?ref=getdrawnwest 0:00 – How Far Is Too Far?0:19 – Meet Jayden Miller (West Elk Precision)3:00 – What Counts as Long Range?10:45 – The Importance of a True Zero18:00 – Shooting Positions & Real-World Data29:30 – Wind, Environment & Confidence41:45 – Caliber & Bullet Performance Explained58:00 – Breaking Down the 760-Yard Elk1:12:00 – Ego vs Ethics in the Field1:22:00 – Final Thoughts on Ethical Distance

You don’t need 20 points, a decade of waiting, or a once-in-a-lifetime tag to hunt the West consistently. If you’re willing to think strategically, you can build a system that gets you out there every single year.In this episode, we break down exactly how to hunt elk, mule deer, or pronghorn every season by rotating states, stacking applications, and using Idaho and Colorado as strategic anchors. We dig into point creep, how to build preference points without wasting years, when to swing for the fences in places like Arizona or New Mexico, and how to structure a 5–10 year plan that actually compounds instead of resets.If you’ve been wondering whether to build points or burn them, this episode gives you the framework to decide — before deadlines close.Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow @getdrawnwest on Instagram.If you enjoyed this, leave a 5-star rating and share the show with a friend.Looking for more content from Drawn West? Check out our latest article:How To Draw a Tag in the WestFREE Gear Checklist:https://www.getdrawnwest.com/gearConnect with Brian Krebshttps://linktr.ee/getdrawnwest Have Questions or Comments? Send an email to [email protected]!Sponsorsand Discounts:GOHUNTInsider - $50 Gear Shop Credit with code DRAWNWEST https://alnk.to/g3aa8L4GOHUNT GearShop – 10% off most items with code DRAWNWEST https://alnk.to/e75Pm4uSave10% onMaverick Hunting Blinds & Accessories with code DRAWNWEST https://maverickhunting.com/?ref=getdrawnwest0:00 – Why You Need a Multi-Year Strategy3:15 – Understanding Point Creep7:02 – Rotating States & Species11:30 – Pronghorn Annual Plan16:14 – Mule Deer Rotation Explained18:41 – Why Idaho Is a Strategic Anchor23:20 – Mixing in Arizona & New Mexico25:30 – Elk Every Year Strategy28:41 – Wyoming & Montana Reality Check32:57 – What Happens If Colorado Goes to a Draw35:18 – Final Takeaways & Next Steps

If you want to hunt the West, drawing a tag isn’t a detail—it’s the entire game.Western tags aren’t “grab one on the way to deer camp” — they’re a 6–12 month planning game, and this episode breaks the whole thing down in plain English. You’ll hear a listener question from Josh (Tennessee) who’s trying to get himself and his son out West this fall for mule deer or antelope with zero points, and we use his situation to walk through what’s actually realistic (and what’s just internet noise). From there, we lay out the four core draw systems (OTC, random/no-points, preference points, bonus points), why “easy to draw” often means “hard hunt,” and how point creep can quietly bury your long-term plan. Then we turn it into an actual strategy: short-term vs mid-term vs long-term rotations, plus a simple “application stacking” method to swing at multiple states in the same year without ending up with overlapping tags.Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow @getdrawnwest on Instagram.If you enjoyed this, leave a 5-star rating and share the show with a friend.Looking for more content from Drawn West? Check out our latest article: https://www.getdrawnwest.com/articles/getting-into-trappingFREE Gear Checklist:https://www.getdrawnwest.com/gearConnect with Brian Krebshttps://linktr.ee/getdrawnwest Have Questions or Comments? Send an email to [email protected]!Sponsorsand Discounts:GOHUNTInsider - $50 Gear Shop Credit with code DRAWNWEST https://alnk.to/g3aa8L4GOHUNT GearShop – 10% off most items with code DRAWNWEST https://alnk.to/e75Pm4uSave10% onMaverick Hunting Blinds & Accessories with code DRAWNWEST https://maverickhunting.com/?ref=getdrawnwestRTIC Coolers– Keep Your Meat Cold!https://bit.ly/RTICCoolers00:00 – Why “draw a tag” is step one

If you’ve ever been curious about trapping but felt like it was confusing, intimidating, or just “not for people like me,” this episode is for you.I sit down with Zach from Okayest Trapper to talk through what getting started actually looks like when you didn’t grow up trapping. The mistakes, the learning curve, the frozen ground, the gear decisions, and why most people underestimate how much work (and problem-solving) is involved.We cover how trapper education works in different states, how trapping changes the way you think about animals and habitat, and why so many hunters eventually get drawn into it — even if they never planned to. We also talk honestly about fur, conservation, and whether trapping is something that stays a hobby or can turn into something more over time.If you hunt, own land, or just want to understand another side of the outdoor world without the gatekeeping, this conversation will give you a clear picture of what trapping really is — and whether it’s something you’d ever want to try.Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow @getdrawnwest on Instagram. If this helped you see trapping differently, leave a 5-star rating and share it with someone who’s been curious but unsure where to start.Check out our latest article:https://www.getdrawnwest.com/articles/elk-hunting-knivesFREE Gear Checklist:https://www.getdrawnwest.com/gearConnect with Brian Krebshttps://linktr.ee/getdrawnwest HaveQuestions or Comments? Send an email to [email protected]!Sponsorsand Discounts:GOHUNTInsider - $50 Gear Shop Credit with code DRAWNWEST https://alnk.to/g3aa8L4GOHUNTGear Shop – 10% off most items with code DRAWNWEST https://alnk.to/e75Pm4uSave10%on Maverick Hunting Blinds & Accessories with code DRAWNWEST https://maverickhunting.com/?ref=getdrawnwestRTICCoolers – Keep Your Meat Cold!https://bit.ly/RTICCoolersOkumaFishing – Rods and Reels for Serious Anglers!https://alnk.to/31sVDzFFirstMonth FREE at MTNTOUGH Fitness with code ROOKIE https://bit.ly/MTNTOUGH_ROOKIESave$150 on Steelhead Outdoors Gun Safes with code WESTERNROOKIE https://tr.ee/fbNvbFXX6QSave10% on Ollin Digiscoping Adapters with code TWOBUCKS https://tr.ee/ZE1XcQ-fbb00:00 – Collab kickoff + trapping bug01:45 – How Idaho vs Minnesota trapping education works06:15 – Early exposure to trapping culture (and what changed)09:45 – “Why am I doing this?” — the addiction to challenge14:10 – Trap prep debate: boil, rust, dye, wax… or just run them18:10 – Anchors vs drags + frozen ground problems23:00 – Cable restraints: lighter, faster, more scalable26:10 – Collector mode: species goals (fox, coon, coyote, fisher, bobcat)31:45 – Fur boom talk + could markets ever come back?41:15 – Alternative markets: squirrels, gophers, skulls, and making it pencil