The Gear Hunting mule deer out west requires a vastly different strategy than what I'm used to in the east. It's all about glassing the sage brush and oak thickets, stalking to a setup that will offer you a shot, and then taking that shot -- at distances that would make most eastern hunters cringe. This isn't a 50-yard game played in the woods, 150 to 300 yard shots are the rule. To make these long shots we were using Browning .270 WSM bolt-action rifles with Dura-Touch armor-coated stocks, shooting Winchester Supreme XP3 ammo with 130-grain bullets, and glassing with Swarovski optics. All proved extremely satisfactory. To book a hunt contact Elkhorn Outfitters at 970-824-7392; elkhornoutfitters.com. --JC

Founded in 1887 by Theodore Roosevelt, the Boone and Crockett Club can boast a list of hugely significant accomplishments, among them; the protection of Yellowstone, Glacier, and Denali National Parks; the foundation of the National Forest Service, National Park Service, and National Wildlife Refuge System; the passing of the Pittman-Robertson and Lacey Acts; and the establishment of the Federal Duck Stamp Program. It's a long list, and it gets even longer when you consider that each trophy the club records is another validation of the system it helped build, a sign that America's wildlife conservation efforts continue to be a resounding success because of the sportsman's support. The 40 magnificent animals shown in this gallery are proof of this. So browse through the photos, plan your next dream trip, and know that each hunt you take strengthens the foundation of hunting's future.

More Tip Galleries: Week of May 15 (15 tips) Week of May 8 (15 tips) Week of May 1 (15 tips)

In the Rockies, when the snow piles high, the cold freezes your rifle, and the trophy hunters have all gone home, getting an elk off the mountain becomes a matter of endurance