Thanks for the compliments.
It was definitely open country, actually just felt like hunting elk in mule deer country, but there is a lot of deceiving cover that isn't shown in the picture.
One part of the story that I forgot to mention, that may have been right at the top of my experience, was the Idaho Game Warden that we encountered.
We were attempting to winch the elk with a quad up a dried up creek bed, it was hotter than all get out, and we were working from the end of a quad road, probably had 100 feet left to go, when the Idaho Game Warden shows up. He quickly asks for my license and tag. I had already notched my tag but because we were winching the animal, hadn't attached it to the horns. The game warden was very appreciative that I had notched my tag and "validated" my kill and he fully understood why I didn't have the tag attached. He then makes a comment about how warm it is and the need to get the elk to a cooler, so what does he do, he puts on his leather gloves and starts helping us get this bull out.
This guy was probably 6' 2" and all of 150lbs soaking wet (literally), and he was right in there with the four of us helping pull this elk and get it out.
So we are probably 3 miles in on quad roads and the second quad we had seized its rear end. So, the game warden who was on a motorcycle when he showed up, drives out, grabs his truck and drives back in to give us a ride out. What a class act. I've got the thank you letter in the mail to the Idaho Fish and Game today. Great people in Idaho!
