Field to Freezer to Fork
I was tipping the scales at 422 pounds when elk hunting inspired me to make a change
ILLUSTRATION: Afshin Amini
by Chris Taggart
In 2022 I began my journey from a man who hunted elk to truly being an elk hunter.
In January of that year, I was tipping the scales at 422 pounds—not something I was proud of. My career as an executive chef—one of my great passions—had put me in kitchens for 25 years. Coupled with bad choices at the drive-thru window, the weight I had packed on was affecting my work, the way I played with my kids and even my outdoor experiences. Don’t get me started on trying to find camo in a 6XL that was not designed for a guy 7-foot-2.
Frustrated and a little discouraged, I still thought of myself as an active hunter. I would hike a few miles here and there and always seemed to find deer, but elk were a different story. Despite opportunities right out my front door, hunting elk in my home state of Utah seemed more like a dream. And in this “dream,” a decade flew by without a single shot fired toward the majestic beast.
I knew I needed to shed weight to not only better my ability to pursue elk, but also to show my children that we can all overcome challenging obstacles, and to be around to see my grandchildren take their first big game animals. To help meet this goal, I became determined to harvest my first elk with a bow and pack it out myself. In 2022 I decided to set a goal of losing 100 pounds.
I realized the changes I needed to make would be major. I cut out processed foods, especially those with refined and added sugars. I even eliminated sugar-free soda because it made me crave bad carbohydrates and fried foods. I increased my intake of vegetables, specifically those with lower natural sugar and lower carbohydrates. My calories fell from between 3500 and 4500 per day to less than 1800. At the same time, I began working out for at least an hour per day. The strength I began to feel only fueled my desire to get to the gym and for weekend hikes with my wife. She and my children became an amazing support system to help me realize my goal.
That same year, my love for culinary arts and wild meat helped me pursue an exciting new professional opportunity. Throughout my life I have enjoyed a full freezer of wild game with great variety and little reliance on commercial meat, apart from the occasional restaurant. Hunting for me has always been rooted in tradition, family and friends, and I’ve loved cooking meals around the campfire with tall tales and profound discussions of life and love.
My career brought me to Uintah Basin Technical College where I have taught culinary arts for the past nine years. In 2022, I was approached by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to help them in teaching a class about wild game cooking, specifically elk. So, imagine my excitement combining my love of hunting and cooking with being able to share it with the public both in person and online.
By that fall I was nearing my weight-loss goal and in the best shape of my adult life as I prepared to put the miles on. I picked a few rugged areas on my onX Hunt app and started hiking. Sure enough, I started seeing elk. I also saw plenty of other hunters in this public land, over-the-counter archery unit. I am no master of the elk call nor do I have the stalking skills of someone like Steven Rinella. But with each outing I could feel myself growing stronger, relishing in my ability to traverse 10,000 feet of rough Utah backcountry searching for elk—something that only a year earlier seemed unattainable.
On my first day bowhunting I hiked miles through steep terrain to a little watering hole in a grove of aspens. I spotted a large cow elk within the grove, and she started working toward me. As she came within 14 yards, my heart pounded so hard I swear she could hear it. The cow was about to offer a clear shot of her vitals, so I drew back and waited for her next step. One minute went by, then two, then three. Finally I could not hold it any longer, and carefully let off the tension. Still the elk ate undisturbed, and as she took another step, I drew again but still found no shot. I held as long as I could, but eventually I let off and this time the hum of my arrow gliding along my bow rest alerted the savvy cow to my presence. I was busted. She looked up and took out of there like someone had touched her hide with a branding iron.
Some would label that as a loss, but not me. Finding that first elk will forever stand in my mind as one of the great moments in my hunting career. Deep in that country, I felt at peace with myself and the opportunity to see an elk in all its splendor. I call that a win.
I continued to explore new areas of the map as the first week of archery season progressed. Each day, I would hike to a different spot and each time my confidence grew as I saw elk. I am convinced that this newfound success came from a drive and ability to put on the miles. After a week of hiking, one morning I discovered a small alpine bowl surrounded by aspen and pine trees. I set up in the pines at the edge of a clearing by a stream and let out a few cow calls. Soon a few cow elk called back. I responded with a bugle and that did it. I could hear elk moving toward me, so I kept calling. But just as I thought they would step into the open, they winded me and darted away. Busted again.
Searching my map, I noticed a lake two miles away in the direction the elk had headed. There I found no elk but plenty of recent sign.
I decided to descend the drainage and spend the afternoon hunting the same bowl-shaped clearing where I’d begun that morning.
I took the opportunity to rest my feet on the cool grass and enjoy the soft breeze. At 1 p.m., I woke from a nap to the sound of something moving in the brush about 80 yards in front of me. I made a few cow calls just for giggles and to my surprise it worked. I could hear several cows calling back and forth, so I started to slowly work toward them, carefully taking my time to scan the forest to avoid getting busted first.
Then the hair on the back of my neck stood straight up as I spotted five cow elk moving slowly across a rocky clearing in the middle of some pines. This is it! This my chance, I thought. I could smell elk in the air, that strong musky aroma that seems to fill your whole nose the closer you get. Tiptoeing around the pines to get in a better position, I gave a few cow calls hoping one would reappear. Sure enough it worked, but it was three hidden bulls that emerged. Seeing this majestic trio, I was reminded how big bull elk can get. The first was a nice three-point with broad shoulders but a skinny midsection. The next, a handsome four-point, large and tall with deep brown antlers. And lastly, a heavy 5x4 with those fat antler bases everyone loves to see.
I badly wanted to let an arrow fly, but with 120 yards between us, they were well outside of archery range. Worse yet, their eyes were locked right on me. A minute into the stare-down, I decided my best bet was to circle back behind the trees in hopes of calling a cow back to the area.
After a few calls three cows came through the brush and emerged within range. I drew back, took careful aim behind the shoulder of one and let my arrow fly. It hit her solidly, but from my angle, I feared it was farther back than I wanted. She bolted over a ridge and my heart sank.
I typically wait before pursuing an animal, but worried I’d lose her in the pines, so I raced uphill to see if I could catch a last glimpse of her direction of travel. As I crested a small rise I stopped to glass the ridgetop above me checking the higher ground first, thinking she might have kept climbing. I began to move down the ridge when suddenly I spotted her.
The cow had run only 70 yards and died at the edge of a small meadow with heavy boulders all around. Upon closer inspection the arrow was still in her and I’d made a great shot through both lungs. I was overjoyed not just that I’d made a clean shot but that I did not have to spend the next several hours looking for a blood trail. My heart was still pounding as a huge sense of accomplishment and joy washed over me. Even though the hard work of packing out the cow was about to begin, I couldn’t help but smile knowing that I had set out on these goals of a healthier life and to harvest an animal as tough and well-suited for rough country as an elk. And here I was, high in the Utah mountains, having realized both.
PHOTOS: courtesy Utah Department of Natural Resources
In short order I had her quartered up and all the meat stashed in a shaded area. I strapped my bow and the first hindquarter to my back and started the five miles out to the truck. Wasting little time, I emptied my pack on the tailgate except for my first aid kit, lighter and flashlight. I hiked back, loaded up the two shoulders and turned down the trail again. The rest of the elk would have to wait until morning.
The next day when the last quarter was loaded into my pickup, I was able to truly soak in this pivotal moment in my life to not only have the energy and stamina to hunt elk but to feel good doing it. Through this experience I knew I had finally become an elk hunter, not just a guy that hunted elk. Although I was tired, the sense of joy was electric and I wanted to climb to the top of the mountain and give a primal cry to let the forest and all its inhabitants know. To this day I have lost 130 pounds and aim to keep it off through hard work and lots of miles in the woods.
With my freezer brimming with elk steaks and burger, I was even more excited to showcase the different ways to cook elk. Working with Anthony Christianson at Utah DWR, I’ve hosted two wild game cooking clinics to help share with the public that there are more ways to enjoy elk than a good old pot roast. The class has also allowed me to demonstrate how to use the heart and liver as well as one of my favorite parts of an elk, the tongue. Teaching my kids and others to how make the most of an animal’s precious protein is something I truly enjoy. From fresh breakfast sausage to summer sausage to jerky and pastrami, I love teaching others this art of turning an animal into food.
That passion for eating wild game is shared by so many hunters and nonhunters alike. Our two classes so far have attracted more than 140 attendees anxious to learn about cooking dishes including elk tongue pastrami, marinated grilled elk loin, fresh maple elk sausage, pan-fried elk liver, corned elk with cabbage, dirty rice and stuffed elk heart. I also talked about bottled elk which is very tasty.
Though classes are slated to last three hours, the two I’ve taught have easily stretched past four with plenty of questions from a fascinated audience. It has been a great way to educate people that wild game is delicious and more nutrient dense while low in fat, high in protein and containing zero growth hormones. It never ceases to surprise me how many folks who say they don’t enjoy wild game meat just simply have never had it properly prepared. Just like any meat you buy from the market you can ruin it with the wrong seasoning, poor preparation or just over-cooking it.
I encourage everyone I meet to try something new when cooking wild game. The great thing about hunting is that it’s an adventure from pre-hunt scouting to finding an animal and killing it to packing it out to finding a good place to skin and hang it. But my favorite part is enjoying the hearty organic meals it provides. Through each step, I have always involved my children in this age-old process so that when the day comes they can apply those skills to enjoy the harvest as I have. I’m happy that I’ve made choices in my life which allow me to be on the mountainside hunting with them—and with any luck, one day my grandchildren as well. My advice is to keep your eyes up, your knife sharp and with a belly full of wild game, you will be a happy hunter.
Chris Taggart lives in northeast Utah at the foothills of the Uintah Mountains, with his wife of 20 years Jaime and their four children. He has spent over 30 years in culinary arts and taught thousands of students to enjoy the art of cooking. An avid fisherman and hunter, Chris enjoys sharing the beauty of the outdoors with youth groups, friends and family.
1 elk shoulder roast3 quarts water1 cup kosher salt1/4 cup pink curing salt1 cup granulated sugar1/2 cup light brown sugar1/4 cup honey2 tbsp pickling spice1 tbsp whole coriander seeds1 tbsp whole mustard seeds4 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup ground coriander2 tbsp black pepper2 tbsp smoked paprika
Mix all brine ingredients in a large stock pot and heat until the salt and sugar dissolve. Do not boil. Once salt and sugar are dissolved, cool liquid down to 40°F. Add the roast to the brine and let soak in the refrigerator for 4-6 days or until the meat is pink all the way through.
Drain off the brine and rub the meat with the rub mixture. Pre-heat smoker or oven to 225°F. Cook the meat until the internal temperature is 155°F. Slice the meat thin with either a sharp knife or meat slicer across the grain and serve.
