Live Wild with Remi Warren

Episode 213 | How to Play That Elk Hunting Chess Game and My 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway

Date: December 11, 2025
Host: Remi Warren

Episode Overview

In this episode, Remi Warren dives deep into the nuances of late season elk hunting, likening it to a chess game where success depends on outmaneuvering your quarry. He recounts his most recent elk hunt, sharing the tactical decisions, challenges, and triumphs along the way. In addition, Remi announces the return of his annual 12 Days of Christmas Gear Giveaway, highlighting prizes, how to enter, and his ethos of giving back to the hunting community.

Key Segments and Timestamps

1. 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway Details (01:27–06:16; 44:11–end)
2. Late Season Elk Hunting: “The Chess Game” (06:16–44:11)
   • Remi’s 2025 elk hunt story
   • Tactical breakdown: Ambushing late-season bulls
   • Core lessons and actionable tips

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway

[01:27–06:16, 44:11–end]

• Remi discusses his long-running annual giveaway, expressing gratitude for his community's support through the podcast, YouTube, website, and Day Six Arrows brand.
• How to Enter:
  Visit RemiWarren.com, provide your email and phone; you’re entered for all 12 days. Additional entries possible via certain actions.
• Why He Does It:
  “It's just exciting for me to be able to give back to you guys for all the support... it's a fun way that I get to give back.” [01:45]
• Notable Encounters:
  Remi shares stories about meeting past winners unexpectedly, which affirms the impact and reach of the giveaway.
• Prize Highlights:
  • Montana Knife Co. Elkhorn Skinner
  • Stone Glacier pack & tent
  • Mountain Tough memberships
  • Day Six Arrows, Evo broadheads
  • First Lite gear
  • OnX Map subscriptions
  • Yeti drinkware & coolers
  • Rocky Talkie radios
  • Schnee’s pack boots
  • Decked truck system
  • Razor spotting scope & tripod
  • Jetboil stoves
  • Meat processing gear
  • Bridger hunting smartwatch
  • Matthews bow (finale)
• Quote: “...Somehow we scored one [Bridger watch] for our 12 days of Christmas giveaway and it's gonna be like one of the first ones, very low serial number on this one.” [56:31]

Late Season Elk Hunting: “The Chess Game”

Remi’s 2025 Hunt Story

[06:16–32:23]

• Hunt Overview:
  Remi had a general area rifle tag in late season—“the hunt that I grew up on, the hunt type that I really cut my teeth on... probably the hunt that I enjoy the most every year.” [06:55]
• Conditions:
  Warmer than usual, high hunter pressure, less snow—made traditional late-season tactics harder.
• Day One – The Spot & Stalk:
  • Early glassing from a distance with high-power binoculars: “I'm looking like, I don't know, seven or eight miles away in that just real dark light…” [10:00]
  • Spots a group of three elk far away in a tight, high-elevation opening. Decides to make a play despite the low odds (long uphill hike, poor shooting lane).
  • “The plan is I'm going to spend the entire day hiking in there… the entire time I'm going, I'm like, thinking this is really low odds, but I at least have a bull.” [12:01]
• Evening Setup:
  • Reaches the spot an hour before dark; spike bull appears first.
  • “Here comes the spike. And he feeds out to like 35 yards... it's like, this is bow range. And I figured that when I went, I was thinking I should have just brought my bow.” [16:28]

The Close Call [17:05–20:38]

• Moment of Truth:
  • Cow and bull emerge just before sunset.
  • Remi can’t take the shot due to the spike blocking the bull; thermals shift, elk get spooked, and blow out.
  • “It's like they catch something and blow out. Don't see us, just blow out. They stop behind the trees... it was a little bit of a heartbreaker. Where you go, man, we did everything right... and then having the bull come out and just like bodyguard Spike not giving me a shot...” [19:26]

Next Days: Persistence & Adaptation [20:38–32:23]

• Repeats the ambush strategy in various meadows/openings but elk consistently shift, proving unpredictable.
• “Tonight was just too perfect. Like, if it would have—if they would have come out, it would have just been too easy, I guess.” [21:45]
• Weather Change: Thick fog one morning, decides next to climb above the fog line. “...it worked. I was just above the fog line and I could see a pretty good ways. However, I didn't see any elk...” [23:47]
• New Bull Spotted: Glasses a bull in a small patch just before dark; sets alarm early to be in position for a morning ambush.

Success: The One-Horned Bull [28:30–32:23]

• Arrives before shooting light. Spots three bulls: “...the first bull kind of steps out. It's a, you know, like what I'd consider a rag horn five point bull. And then the next bull comes out… only got one horn... I'm going to shoot the one horn bull. I think Zach, he was filming and he's thinking, I was like, okay, when the bull comes out, I'm going to shoot him. And he didn't know which one I was talking about. He's like, surely he's not going to shoot the one horn one. And I told him, I said, I'm going to shoot the one horn one. I like that one the best.” [27:40]
• Makes the shot, follows up with a second ("my policy with elk is if they're on their feet, shoot them again if you can get a second shot") [29:10]
• Reflection:
  “One of those hunts where it was a fun hunt. It was enjoyable. That bull was a little bit different and I liked the way he looked... when I pull the trigger, it's for what I want and to have fun and to enjoy the process and bring home some awesome meat.” [30:56]
• “Honestly, it's a lot easier to pack out a one horn bull than two horn bull. I, I've learned, I learned that this, this year. So that was fun.” [32:06]

Core Late-Season Elk Tactics: Breaking Down the “Chess Game”

[32:23–44:11]

• Feeding Patterns Post-Rut:
  • Bulls enter distinct feeding–bedding patterns to rebuild after the rut.
  • “...they feed and bed and they do it within a smaller general area. Whereas during other times of year, they might have bigger patterns. As it starts to get later, they kind of start to tighten that pattern up.” [32:38]
• How to Exploit:
  • Locate small feeding openings in heavy timber (burns, logged areas, meadows, ridges).
  • Limited feed options make bulls more predictable—easier to pattern.
• Strategies:
  • Glassing in the morning to spot bulls; setting ambush in likely feeding areas for the evening.
  • “I like to glass the mornings, ambush in the evenings. However, if it's a, the situation can dictate it. Oftentimes you can do the reverse and you can see them in the evening and anticipate where they're going to be.” [37:48]
  • Use of mapping apps (OnX) to analyze terrain, bedding, and feeding points as well as wind direction.
• Essential Tip:
  • “...for this tactic to work, you have to, you have to play it on both ends right at that, that first 15 minutes, last 15 minutes of legal shooting time.” [41:59]

Memorable Quotes

• “Classic elk hunting is spot a bull, try to understand their pattern or analyze why they’re doing what they’re doing and then try to think of the next play—set up to intercept that bull in that kind of chink and armor.” [39:05]
• “Dark is dark, right? Once it gets dark, it's already dark... You just gotta wait till shooting time's over. It's not that hard because once you're, once it's dark, it's dark. You turn on your headlamp and you hike out, right?” [40:53]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Chess Game:
  “L.C. hunting can become this like chess game where each piece moves a certain way, but the goal is really to try to outmaneuver the other one. You see what they're doing and you go a step ahead, and mastering this is what late season elk hunting is about for me.” [04:12]
• On His Choice of Bull:
  “Most people would be like, I'm not going to shoot that bull. And to me I thought, that's even cooler. I don't know what's wrong with me. I thought it was cool, just me, you know...” [28:53]
• On Commitment:
  “The majority of people that I've hunted with leave earlier than I would. I wait until shooting time's over, and then I move because I. I've set up, I've committed to that spot.” [41:16]
• On Doing It for Yourself:
  “That's the thing about hunting, right? I'm doing it for me and myself. Yeah, I film it and other things, but, you know, when I pull the trigger, it's for what I want and to have fun and to enjoy the process and to bring home some awesome meat.” [30:56]

Gear, Sponsors & Practical Nuggets

• Mountain Tough:
  Endorsed for year-round, hunter-specific fitness (early in episode).
• Stone Glacier Packs:
  Detailed break-down of different packs, features, and preference (44:11–47:50).
• Useful Tips:
  • Optimize your pack choice for the hunt and anticipated loads.
  • Use mapping technology to pre-plan ambush and glassing positions.

Final Takeaways

• Late season elk hunting is about anticipating movements, exploiting feeding patterns, committing fully to your setup, and sometimes embracing the hunt's imperfections.
• Remi’s story underscores the importance of persistence, observation, patience, and making choices that are meaningful to you.
• The 12 Days of Christmas giveaway embodies Remi’s dedication to community and connecting with fellow hunters.

How to Enter the Giveaway

• Go to RemiWarren.com
• Enter your email and phone number (see full instructions on the website)
• Follow Remi’s Instagram for real-time prize updates

Closing Words:
“Merry Christmas — and sign off, I’m just going to say: checkmate. Catch you guys later.”