After years of decline, hunting participation took an encouraging jump this year.

Photo above: Rupp with her DIY cow elk taken in western Colorado.

The past year has been a tough one all around. Everyone has experienced the challenges of the pandemic in their own way. The hardships have been worse for some than others, but it’s safe to say we’ve all been affected. One thing that has happily remained constant through it all is the great outdoors, and the solace and renewal it brings to those who seek it out.

Like most of us, I didn’t travel this year; I hunted close to home. It proved fun and rewarding. I discovered some excellent dove and goose hunting less than thirty minutes from my house. I also killed my first DIY elk, a cow, in mid-October. As my husband and I packed the boned quarters out of the woods, we were intensely grateful for the fact that we would have a freezer full of excellent meat during a time of uncertainty.

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