An Elk for Emily

A STORY IN FOUR PERSPECTIVES
RON (EMILY’S DAD):
My first hunting trip to Mountain Rain Adventures came about in an unusual way. I had called Steve’s Outdoor Adventures about a rifle, and the conversation shifted to different hunting areas. This was back in August 2023. As we wrapped up the call, Travis promised to send over some information. Sometime later, when Travis called to follow up on the packet he’d sent, he asked if I might be interested in an elk hunt in British Columbia.
“For 2024?”
“No,” he said, “for 2023.”
The short notice caught me off guard, but I told him I’d talk to my son Chase and a few friends.
Two days later, I called Travis back. Chase was in—was the hunt still available? It was, and just like that, things began falling into place. Travis and his team took care of the arrangements, and soon, Justin Keutzer of Mountain Rain Adventures called personally to confirm all the details.
On August 29th Chase and I left South Dakota for our 1,600-mile drive to Chetwynd, British Columbia. We put in long hours and covered the distance in just two days.
When we arrived at the lodge, we met Justin and our guides, Brandon and Robert. We unpacked, settled into our rooms, and got ready for our first day of elk hunting. I wanted to hunt with Chase, to see him take down his first elk, so we arranged for Brandon, Chase, Robert, and I to head out together. That first morning, we had no luck—didn’t see or hear an elk—so we took a break until evening.
That evening, it wasn’t long after we’d headed out and Brandon made a few calls that we heard elk bugling back. We made an initial move towards them but daylight was fading fast so we decided to save the stalk for the next day.
At first light, we returned to the same spot and called. Soon, a bull was on his way toward us. Brandon and Robert had positioned Chase in one spot and me in another. I hoped Chase would get the first shot, but the bull came my way, and he was at 70 yards. I put the crosshairs on him and shot. He ran about 50 yards before going down. Within minutes, I had a beautiful 6×6 trophy bull in my hands, and the guides had a bunch of work in theirs. Many hands make light work, and we moved the bull out and back to camp in good time.
The next morning, the four of us went to a new location, and the bulls were bugling as soon as we set foot in the forest. They were coming in fast, so Chase got into position for a shot. We could hear them but couldn’t see them, so Brandon and Robert kept calling, trying to coax a bull into the open. Finally, one emerged at about 25 yards. Chase made a great shot and took down a 6×7 trophy. I’ll never forget the big smile of joy on his face.
With both bulls back at the lodge and the meat safely stored, I couldn’t help myself—I started talking to Justin about a return trip the next year, this time with my daughter Emily. The hospitality we received made us feel like family, and I knew she’d love it here.
Two weeks after getting home, I contacted Justin to let him know that Chase, Emily, and I would be back for the 2024 season. And then, we had to wait!
As elk season drew closer, the excitement grew. Emily was nervous—it would be her first time leaving South Dakota, the country, and her first elk hunt! Again, we made the drive in two long days. When we arrived, I could see Emily’s nerves ease as she met everyone, especially our guides Kristi and Brandon. Kristi and Emily hit it off right away, which made her feel at home. As I had done on the first hunt with Chase, I arranged to hunt with Emily so that I could be there when her big event happened. And I’m glad I did!

EMILY:
As a 16-year-old from a small town in South Dakota, this trip to British Columbia with my dad and older brother Chase was full of firsts—my first time out of state, out of the country, and my first elk hunt. We started our journey to Mountain Rain Adventures in Moberly Lake on August 29th and arrived on Saturday, the 31st—just in time for opening day!

BRANDON (HUNTING GUIDE):
I first met Ronnie and Chase Hopkins in the fall of 2023 during their September elk hunt. They were great to hunt with, and we shared great success. Ronnie took a nice 6×6, and Chase followed with a really old 6×7. The hunt was great and planning a return trip was quickly underway.
Fast forward to September 1, 2024—Ronnie was back with his daughter Emily and, of course, Chase. This time, Ronnie made it clear that it was Emily’s turn, and he knew Mountain Rain was the ideal place for her first elk hunt. I was excited to see the Hopkins again—felt just like hunting with family and I was keen to have another great hunt. Emily came with her own goals—she was determined to outdo her dad and brother!

EMILY:
Sunday morning, we set out to find me an elk. Brandon would stop, bugle, and call, hoping to draw the elk in closer. We heard a bugle nearby, and Brandon positioned Dad, Kristi, and me behind a tree while he continued calling. After a while, the bull moved away, so we got up and kept walking, hoping to find him. Brandon stayed back to call while we moved forward. Eventually, we heard a bull very close, so we got behind a tree and waited. A cow elk appeared about 20 yards away, but she saw us and ran. A bull was right behind her, right in front of us! As Kristi and dad counted points, I got ready, but the bull ran off. It was okay since he had only 5 points and wasn’t legal in this area. We didn’t want to pressure the elk too much so decided to move on. We did more walking and more calling and saw seven more cow elk back in the trees but eventually headed back to camp to rest before hunting again later in the day.
That evening, after a long nap, we headed out to try another spot. Brandon thought it was a good idea to hike a bit—about 8 miles. We didn’t hear or see anything, and it was about 9 p.m. when we got back to the pickup. Then, back to camp for a quick meal and back to bed so that I was ready for another early morning.

BRANDON:
Day 1 was pretty typical for early September—Emily got a feel for early mornings and long walks. Although we called in a nice 5×5, it wasn’t the one we were after.

EMILY:
Monday morning came at 5 a.m., and we were back at it by 5:30. Kristi wasn’t feeling well, so it was just Brandon, Dad, and me. Brandon kept calling, and we heard a lot of bugles.

BRANDON:
Day 2 was one of “those” mornings, everything seemed to be clicking, and the elk were – let’s just say, “in the mood.” It wasn’t long after walking into a favorite elk pasture that we were greeted with a bugle. It was GO TIME – time to move fast as the herd bull was already trying to move his cows up the mountain.

EMILY:
Brandon told me he wouldn’t leave until we got me a bull. We heard elk bugle really close by, so Brandon had us hide behind a tree and be ready to shoot just in case the bull came into sight. But instead of coming closer, the bull started moving farther away, so we started hiking again. Thankfully Dad took my backpack so I had one fewer thing to worry about.

BRANDON:
We hustled to get into a better position to call and join into the mix of elk madness—soon it seemed like there were elk all around us. I bugled a few times and let out some cow calls, and soon a nice bull was coming in. He was a younger 6×7 and a nice bull. I told Emily it was a legal and to get ready for a shot.
She was getting ready and I was sure she would have been happy with this bull but…I simply wasn’t ready for Emily to be done and my instincts told me that a big bull was somewhere close. I quickly changed my mind and told her to hold off. I think she thought I was crazy! I told her the big bull was close and that we could get a better one and the chase was back on.

EMILY:
It felt like we’d been climbing forever! My feet and legs were burning and giving out on me, but Dad and Brandon kept cheering me on, assuring me it was just a little further. Little did I know it was a LOT further!

BRANDON:
We were moving fast, and I took Emily’s rifle to help her move more easily through the bush. She was pushing hard, and short of breath, trying her best to match me step for step. Ronnie was right there too, encouraging her the whole time.
We reached a crest and finally got a glimpse of the bull. He was a big 6×6, now within 100 yards and coming closer. He came into 70 then moved out of sight. We kept after him, and soon he was at 50, then he moved out of sight again. We kept moving on him.

EMILY:
Eventually a cow elk came out. I thought the bull was behind her, but he was farther up still. The cow was getting closer and closer; she had seen us but couldn’t smell us. Brandon had sprayed us with elk pee so no elk could smell us as humans.

BRANDON:
A cow came out in front of us, wanting to see what all the commotion was about. She came in all the way to 10 feet!

EMILY:
The cow got about 5 yards in front of us – so cool! Brandon bugled at her so that she didn’t get closer and she took off.

BRANDON:
I bugled at her hard to chase her away. With the bull only 60 yards away he thought another bull had slipped into his domain and was trying to steal his cow. That made him really angry, and he screamed and came up to about 40 yards and began raking a tree, taking out his anger on the branches. This was our chance to move in.

EMILY:
Brandon grabbed the back of me and had me walk first and lead in case we came across the bull. We were walking up hill trying to hurry and catch him before he was gone. The bull stopped between some trees, we stopped too and he ran off. Brandon moved back ahead to get us higher up for this elk – we weren’t leaving until we got him down. We got up the hill a little way after a bit of time, it was very hard going uphill and trying to hurry. I was ready to give up, but Dad and Brandon were big supporters to keep me going, promising we were almost there.
Finally, I got up to the top of the hill where Brandon had seen the elk rubbing on trees. I was ready to be done but I knew I had to keep going to get this elk. We kept walking uphill and Brandon was rushing to get me a shooting opportunity. I was trying to keep up and hurry, but my legs were so tired! Dad told me to keep going, that I was getting closer. Brandon saw the elk about 100 yards and told me to hurry. I was trying but it was hard. I rushed to Brandon as best I could.

BRANDON:
I got Emily up there, and she was a little fired up to say the least with all the adrenaline from the intense action topped by being out of breath with all the climbing. Finding a rest was necessary. I was able to move her into a position with a solid rest on a tree.

EMILY:
I got set up and lined up my shot, focusing on his shoulder. I squeezed the trigger and didn’t even feel a kick – the pain was in my legs. It was a good hit, and the bull ran only a short distance before dropping. I was exhausted, but so relieved!

BRANDON:
Emily’s shot was perfect, and the bull went down after a short run. The reward was hers after a long, hard chase.

RON:
On only the second day, I watched with pride as Emily took down her first elk—a beautiful 6×6 bull. I was so impressed with my girl! It was a tough hunt and a long hike for a 16-year-old, but I had kept reminding her of how rewarding it would be. When that bull was finally down, I’d never seen a bigger smile!

EMILY:
Dad and Brandon went after the elk while I caught my breath and had a much-needed drink of water. When they found him, I joined them, and I couldn’t stop smiling. It was a huge 6-point bull! Everyone was smiling and Dad gave me a hug telling me I did it and he was so proud of me.

BRANDON:
I told Emily when you work hard and play hard the rewards can be amazing, just like this bull. (Much to her delight she did beat her brother and her dad!)

EMILY:
We were all looking at it and trying to figure out what to do. I called my mom to let her know what had just happened and she was so proud and excited.
Brandon was busy on the phone too, arranging for others to come and help carry this huge animal out. With the calls completed, we got to work, first getting an area cleared to take some pictures. Once that was done, Brandon and Dad started taking meat off the elk while we waited for extra hands to arrive.

JUSTIN (GUIDE OUTFITTER OF MOUNTAIN RAIN ADVENTURES):
I was just getting back into the yard after an early morning hunt when I heard a rifle shot from nearby. I stopped dead. “That was a shot!” I exclaimed. I stood to listen. I knew Brandon had taken Emily and Ronnie to an area close to the lodge and within a mile of where I stood. Then, two more shots.
“That’s Brandon,” I said excitedly. “That’s where he took Emily and Ron!” My mind began racing with anticipation of what events had just unfolded. A text from Brandon several minutes later confirmed it—BULL DOWN. Emily had been successful and they were going to need help. The elk was huge and they were a ways up the mountain with no roads or trails nearby. This was going to take a team effort from my crew.
Back at the lodge, I immediately sprang into action and soon had gathered a small team and the necessary supplies, knowing we had a challenging time ahead. I let Brandon know that help would soon be on its way.
As I waited for the team to assemble, I looked at my maps and quickly learned we were going to have a 2.7 km one-way pack of this animal back to the truck. I was proud of Brandon, happy for Emily and Ron, and ready to get to work.
The two guys I’d called, Noah and Wyatt, turned up quickly and soon the three of us were on our way. It was a short drive to where we parked the truck and began the next part on foot. I was surprised to see that Kristi was there to meet us. It would be great to have another set of hands – and legs! – to help with what was before us.
The beginning of the hike in to where Emily’s bull lay was like walking through a park, nice and open with blueberries to snack on along the way. As the hike progressed, it became steeper, and the blowdown started to become a factor. We zigged and zagged and managed our way through, storing to memory the places to avoid when we were coming back out heavy.
In time, we arrived at the site to get our first look at the awesome bull and provide our congratulations. We were all so proud of Emily! We also noticed giant portions set aside ready to be packed, all very large, possibly the largest-body elk we have ever taken. The real work was about to start.

EMILY:
Brandon and Dad had gotten a lot done while we waited for the others to show up. By around 11 a.m., they had arrived. We had been waiting for a few hours since I had shot the bull around 7:30. I saw Justin coming up, along with Brandon’s two friends, Noah and Wyatt…and even Kristi, who was feeling better! Everyone gathered around, and we sat and talked to figure out a plan.

JUSTIN:
We talked as a group—Brandon, Noah, Wyatt, Kristi, Ron, Emily, and me. We decided that a single trip out would be the best approach. It would take time, heavy packs (we estimated each person would carry between 150 to 190 pounds), and a lot of effort, but it felt like the best way to honor the elk and Emily’s achievement on her first hunt. We were all united in our goal, so off we went.

EMILY:
A few minutes later, everything was decided, and we started loading up. Kristi carried the cape and antlers, Dad had meat in his backpack and carried another bag of meat by hand. Justin, Brandon, and his two friends took the legs. I followed Kristi, helping to hold the antlers since they were quite heavy.

JUSTIN:
Loaded down by very heavy packs, us four guys set off as quickly as we could. We walked, rested, then walked some more, and after a few hours—and countless breaks—we finally made it to the road and the truck with that tremendous elk. Everyone had worked hard, supported each other, and stayed committed. I was very proud of the crew.

EMILY:
The hike back to the truck was about 2 miles, all downhill but still tough with the weight of the meat. We had to take a lot of breaks. After we got a little over halfway, Dad was exhausted from carrying the meat in his arms, and Kristi’s back was worn out from packing close to 100 pounds. We decided to put the meat, cape, and antlers down and hike the rest of the way to the truck to get the boys to come back for it. It was just getting too difficult.
When we reached the truck and told the guys what we had done, they headed back in to retrieve what we’d left behind. Soon, they were back, and we loaded everything into the pickup. I even got to put my elk’s head into the back myself—it wasn’t easy!
Back at the lodge within a few minutes, we had just enough time for a quick break before Kristi and I headed to town to drop off the meat at the butcher. We didn’t get back until after 4:30 p.m. It had been a long, tiring day for everyone.
That night, on the porch at the lodge, Kristi and Dad rough-scored the bull. When we got back home, Dad had the bull officially scored, and it came in at 327 4/8. All the tripping over tree roots and the soreness in my feet and legs was worth it.
I had the best supporters helping me up the mountain and guiding me to that shot opportunity on a great bull, and then amazing people to help pack it out. I had pushed past my comfort zone to leave South Dakota and come to British Columbia for an elk—I’d imagined a smaller one—but I had accomplished so much more than I had expected. I couldn’t be happier. It’s definitely going to be hard to top this elk!

RON:
Each of us brought home an elk on this trip. Chase even got to shoot one with his bow and arrow a few days after Emily got hers, which had always been a dream of his. And I got another great one too.
Over the past two years, I have made special memories with my kids that will stay with us forever. We’ve also made great friends at Mountain Rain Adventures—friends who feel almost like family. I have a feeling we’ll be back again soon…

BRANDON:
Being a part of these moments with Ronnie and Emily and seeing their happiness was truly special. I was proud to have done my job for Emily. Ronnie was proud too, and he made sure to mention that he has two more kids who haven’t gone on their first elk hunts yet. He told me I should be ready to meet them one day and I’m definitely looking forward to it!