Tracking can be the best way to find bull elk in the wilderness. But that’s not why I do it. I track elk because it’s primal and addictive. It requires all my woodsmanship, intelligence, and endurance. It’s always possible that after I’ve hiked many miles, I’ll be left staring at the tracks of a spooked elk that’s already in the next county. But what makes me persevere is the feeling that comes with knowing that 1 mile down the trail (or 10) stands an animal worthy of all my efforts.