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 ...

The first elk-hunting season was set in 1927, with licenses set at $5 apiece. This was no small amount in those days; equivalent to roughly $66 today, that was a princely sum in an agricultural region ...