Why Jack Lander Left the Compound for a Recurve
Eight years ago, Jack Lander and I did a podcast right after he killed a bull with his compound. This time he's back after another absolutely nuts season with a longbow and a recurve in the thick Roosevelt country of the Pacific Northwest. If you've heard that this was a rough year to find elk, Jack's crew still managed to put four bulls on the ground, and some of those were at seven yards.
We start with why Jack walked away from the compound. He says it comes down to the challenge, and he found that nothing beats a trad kill when it all comes together. From there we get into what makes Roosevelt hunting so different from Rockies and sagebrush country. Think 18 yards without ever seeing the elk, tunnels you have to crawl through like a rabbit, and bulls that will actually come to a terrible little squeal after they've pegged you.
Then Jack walks me through his season. He and his buddy Sam killed two bulls in the same day, an hour apart, and I can't name another person I know who's done that. We also dig into hunting pressure and the road-rig bugle circus, why cow and calf calling into good habitat might be the move, and how finding a canyon with a hot cow can change everything. Jack also tells the story of the time he lost Larry D. Jones in the woods (search and rescue included). We wrap with a last-day-of-season bull that died in 13 seconds on camera.
Whether you chase Roosevelts, Rockies, or just want to understand how to hunt pressured elk, there's a lot to take away here.
Go subscribe to Jack's YouTube channel, Golden Rosie Outdoors. And if you want a free hunt planning tool to track your hunts, plans, and points, grab it through the link in the show notes or at elkhunt201.com. If you liked the episode, send it to one of your hunting buddies.
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Chapters (estimated)
- 0:00 – Intro and sponsors
- 2:15 – Welcome, Jack
- 4:00 – Why Jack switched from compound to traditional
- 7:00 – What makes Roosevelt elk hunting different
- 12:00 – Season goals and a repeat of last year's success
- 14:30 – Two bulls in one day: Sam's bull and Jack's seven-yard bull
- 18:30 – Hunting pressure, road rigs, and cow/calf calling
- 24:00 – Hot cows, rut timing, and Bigfoot bulls
- 29:00 – The story of losing Larry D. Jones in the woods
- 33:30 – Mid-roll: Bridger Watch
- 35:00 – The smart old six-point and Brendan's bull
- 38:00 – Last day of season: Mason's bull on camera
- 43:00 – Covering ground, timing, and locating hot bulls
- 47:00 – How many days to kill a Roosevelt, and the role of luck
- 49:30 – Where to find Jack's films and wrap-up
Three Key Takeaways
- When bulls go quiet, slip in and cow call. In pressured country, Jack and Cody both found that quiet cow and calf calling in good habitat can pull in bulls that won't answer a bugle. Plenty of bulls came in silent and never said a word.
- Timing and a hot cow matter more than the canyon. A canyon can be dead for two weeks and then have four bulls screaming when a cow comes into estrus. Moving around and covering country until you find the hot pocket is the real game.
- Skill gets you in position, but luck closes the deal. Jack figures about 10 days of hunting gives you a shot opportunity. Wind, cows, and brush all have to line up, so you need to hunt hard, stay patient, and be ready to capitalize on the one chance you get.
