16 Days Solo: How Lydia Smith Hunted Down Idaho's 'Growler Bull
What's up everyone! This week I'm sitting down with Lydia Smith, and honestly, I'm blown away by this woman. She's one of the most consistently successful elk hunters I've ever met—killing big bulls year after year like it's no big deal. And here's the kicker: she's completely self-taught. No dad taking her out as a kid, no mentor guiding her through it. Just pure grit, determination, and an obsession with figuring it out.
In this episode, Lydia breaks down her 2024 hunt where she spent 16 days solo in the backcountry chasing what she called "the growler bull"—a massive Idaho six-point that she'd been hearing bugle outside her tent for two weeks. We dive deep into her stalking tactics (spoiler: she barely calls at all), how she slow-plays opportunities most hunters would rush, and why she believes elk on public land are getting conditioned to human calling.
But this conversation goes way beyond tactics. Lydia opens up about the emotional weight of taking an animal's life, dealing with criticism for showing her emotions on camera, and some seriously intense experiences in the backcountry—including a moose attack at 17 that could've ended very differently. We also talk about what it takes to go solo as a woman in the mountains, building confidence through experience, and why she chooses to live a life centered around hunting even when it means sacrificing the conventional path.
If you're someone who's grinding it out on public land, trying to learn this game without a mentor, or just want to hear from someone who's mastered the art of patience and persistence in the elk woods, this episode is for you. Lydia's story is proof that you don't need anyone's permission or guidance to become exceptional—you just need to refuse to quit.
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Timestamps
00:00 - Intro
03:45 - Lydia's background: Self-taught and starting at 18
08:30 - The 2024 hunt setup: 16 days solo in the backcountry
12:15 - "The growler bull" - Two weeks of hearing him bugle
18:20 - The perfect storm and the final stalk
24:40 - The two-hour chase and getting within range
28:50 - The shot and the agonizing overnight wait
32:10 - Finding him 300 yards away
35:45 - Why this bull was so special
38:20 - Solo hunting: The magic and the terror
42:00 - Her second bull story: Watching him take his last breath
46:15 - Dealing with criticism for showing emotions
50:30 - The moose attack at 17 and other backcountry close calls
54:20 - Her stalking philosophy: Why she barely calls anymore
58:40 - Daily tactics and being strategically patient
1:02:15 - Hunting new areas vs. local knowledge
1:04:30 - Outfitting business info and closing thoughts
Three Key Takeaways
- Strategic Patience Beats Aggressive Calling on Pressured Elk - Lydia has found that on heavily hunted public land, elk are becoming conditioned to human calling and often respond negatively. Her approach focuses on silent stalking, using terrain and wind to her advantage, and only calling when she's within 75 yards of a herd bull. She'll pass on opportunities if the wind isn't perfect, understanding that pushing elk prematurely can blow them out of an area entirely.
- Time is the Ultimate Advantage in Public Land Elk Hunting - Lydia spent 16 days in the backcountry on this hunt, and she emphasizes that consistent success on public land archery elk requires dedicating serious time. She believes out-of-state hunters with only 5 days have less than a 10% success rate. The ability to wait for the perfect conditions, study elk patterns over multiple days, and be in position when everything aligns is what separates consistent success from occasional luck.
- You Don't Need a Mentor to Become Exceptional - Lydia is completely self-taught, starting elk hunting at 18 with no family background in it. She ate four or five tags before killing her first bull, learning entirely through trial and error, scar tissue, and refusing to quit. Her story proves that while mentorship is valuable, pure determination, willingness to learn from mistakes, and putting in the days can make you just as deadly in the mountains.
