Scott Willoughby – Denver Post
As the title suggests, it’s a specifically tailored guide to harvesting one of our state’s 264,000 Rocky Mountain elk on more than 23 million public acres open to hunting. Dworak brings a bowhunter’s cunning and woodsmanship to the table in an easy-reading volume of information intended to empower hunters in every imaginable element, including mountain safety, physical and mental conditioning, shooting (rifle and archery), necessary gear, camping, terrain, scouting, elk tracking, calling and tactics, to name a few. If you’re looking for a speed read, skip ahead to the “Tips from the Goat Ninja.”
Of particular use for those interested in getting into the game are tips on selecting a hunting area. Even novice elk hunters with little or no knowledge of where to find elk in the field can discover success locating animals through data available online, as Dworak discovered after finding one of his favorite all-time hunting spots on a interactive map.
“As it turned out, it was an area where elk’s summer range and calving areas overlapped,” he writes. “In this instance, the overlap was exactly where we typically hunt. So while we learned of our spot originally from friends and then boots on the ground, the novice could have just as easily picked the spot from the comfort of his living room in the middle of winter.” Ultimately, of course, there’s no substitute for those boots on the ground, and with more than 20 years of elk hunting under his soles already, Dworak has paid his dues.
Lou Phillippe – Bowsite
Matt Dworak, has just published a new book entitled “Public Land Elk Hunting”. This is an excellent comprehensive guide to hunting elk in the west, especially for those still learning the craft (aren’t we all??).
It pretty much covers every aspect of finding and hunting elk – from scouting, to mental and physical conditioning, to the camp, to backpacking gear, hunting and calling tactics, shot selection and anatomy, to care of the meat afterward.
I HIGHLY recommend this book for any elk hunter, as there is something to be learned for everyone. I’ve never recommended a hunting tactic book before, but this one is great, and is the most comprehensive elk hunting guide I’ve ever seen.
Dr. Walter W. Olson – Amazon Customer Review
I returned to hunting elk after being away from it for almost 50 years because of employment locations. I have always been a Do it yourself (DIY) hunter and though having hunted as a kid in Montana, I thought I needed some brushing up on techniques. This book was outstanding for me. I first concentrated on the Elk hunting sections which brought up old memories of what I had learned as a youngster. There were also some things that I did not know or had forgotten. This year I got my elk solo as most of my friends feel that they are too old to hunt elk. This book helped a lot! Later, after the hunt, I read the sections on equipment. Between 24 years in the Army and a previous avid rock climber, I thought I knew equipment pretty well. However, the references turned me on to a very good site that I had not seen before. All in all, a totally outstanding book for an elk hunter.
Wade Nelson Editor – Hardcore Outdoor
Hardcore Outdoor reader Matt Dworak had something he wanted to say about hunting elk on public lands so he wrote a book on the subject and I say good for him. Self publishing is easier than ever which means that what hits the market is no longer controlled by the big New York City publishing houses and I think that is a good thing for all of us.
Matt told me it is aimed at elk hunters that are new to the sport but it has so much useful information in it I think it is would be a good reference book to have on your shelf no matter what you hunt or how long you have been hunting it. It is comprehensive and current so I would encourage you all to get one for your nightstand reading stack.