After a busy summer sales season, I needed some restoration in the natural world when a brief hole in my schedule allowed for two days in the hills—I made a break for it and went elk hunting.  

The ridge felt especially dark and lonely that morning. My destination was a little spot that held all the ingredients of a late-season bull elk sanctuary. Located in the steep country several miles in, a timbered finger ridge dropped off the top of the mountain and into a hidden bowl flanked by a maze of blowdown on all sides. An adjacent south-facing meadow, not visible from anywhere, sat just above a couple of spring seeps at the bottom of the drainage.    

Food, water, and cover in remote country. I had high hopes that day and envisioned a bull exiting the meadow on his way back to bed in the safety of big timber.  At legal shooting light, I shucked a round into the chamber of the .300 and crept my way down the ridge toward the backcountry Shangri-La. Conditions were perfect: we had gotten a dusting of snow overnight, just enough to track a bull but not enough to hinder pursuit.  I was right on time and had almost reached a small open knob that affords a view of the hidden meadow, not to mention a convenient 275-yard cross-canyon shot.  

That's when I felt the buzz in my pocket.    

I kicked myself for not having my phone turned off and checked to see who could be calling so early. The name of an important client I had been trying to get in front of for years scrolled across the screen. He could only be calling for one reason.    

A few nights before, I had sent him a listing that had just hit the market in the tightly held Blackfoot Valley. Land in the Blackfoot rarely changes hands, and this particular ranch had everything our clients look for. A true meadow-to-mountain ranch spanning multiple ecosystems with expansive acreage and all the wildest of critters, including elk, deer, grizzly, and black bears, just to name a few. 

Though I could almost sense a bull slipping into shooting range, the elk could wait. I took the call.  

My client apologized for the early call, explaining he was on East Coast time and at a conference that was about to begin.  There was already an offer on the table from another buyer, I explained, and we had to act quickly.  After discussing all the terms verbally, we were off to the races.   

Could we get our offer in before the rancher accepted the offer that was already on the table!?  My location, several miles from the truck, did not help the situation.  

After hanging up the phone and retracing my steps back up the finger ridge, I ripped back down the mountain. After a high-speed race across washed-out Forest Service roads, I made it back to civilization and found the local diner, which, like any good rural diner, lacked a WIFI connection. Luckily, an iPad with a hotspot was in the truck and allowed me to get to work.    

We got the offer out in time, and after a successful negotiation, we were soon under contract.  A few months later, my client would close on the ranch.  

A week after my truncated hunt and with less than a week left in Montana's general season, while patrolling back in Shangri-La at daybreak, I caught a glimpse of movement in my peripheral.  The magnificent 6-point bull stood by himself, just inside 100 yards, pausing as he made his way to the dark timber. The wind was good, the shot rang true, and the mountain beast fell to the ground.   

Over the next several months, I often wondered what would have happened had I ignored the call that day. In this particular instance, I got to have my cake and eat it, too. We closed the deal, and I filled the freezer with a year's supply of the world's finest meat. 

There are many parallels between backcountry elk hunting and the ranch brokerage industry. 

Every successful elk hunt requires an uphill climb, meticulous preparation, knowledge of the landscape, grit, and a little bit of luck. Metaphorically speaking, each ranch deal requires the same.  

In the end, there is a great sense of satisfaction that comes with hard-earned success in either endeavor. The mountain knows if you've worked hard, and sometimes, it rewards those who dedicate themselves.