Voices Of Prois...My First Elk Hunt-The Shot I'll Never Forget

By: Prois Staffer- Roanna Snebold

There are moments in life that settle deep in your bones, moments you can still feel years later. My first elk was one of those. Even now, I can remember the inner vibration running through me—the mix of adrenaline, disbelief, and pure, raw accomplishment.

We had already covered miles. Dodging shifting winds, climbing up and down hillsides, trying to stay invisible in a world where elk see and hear everything. At one point we got too close and had to back off, hearts pounding, lungs burning. That's the dance of hunting—push forward, pull back, stay patient, stay sharp.

When it finally came time to set up for the shot, that's when the comedy started.

I found a rock to rest on... but it was too high. I was slipping. Nothing felt right. The three people with me were watching in disbelief, probably wondering what on earth I was doing. But I knew myself—I had to be comfortable, steady, secure. If I wasn't locked in, the shot wouldn't be ethical, and I wasn't about to rush something this important.

To them, it felt like hours. To me, it felt like seconds stretched thin with purpose.

Finally, I found the perfect spot. My body settled. My breathing slowed. Everything lined up.

I whispered to my husband, "Okay... I'm going to shoot."

He practically exploded with "YESSS!"—and looking back, it cracks me up. Princess and the Pea out there in the mountains, needing the perfect setup before I could take the shot.

But that's what it took to finish the hunt the right way.

At 266 yards, I squeezed the trigger. The world went silent for a heartbeat. Then it hit me—this surreal wave of accomplishment, gratitude, and emotion. I cried, not out of sadness, but out of pride. Out of the realization that I had done it. I had pushed myself, trusted myself, and succeeded.

That first elk wasn't just a harvest. It was a turning point. A reminder of what I'm capable of when I listen to my instincts and honor the process.

If you want, I can help you turn this into a full chapter for your blog, or build out more stories from your hunts and fishing trips.