After a 5-year hiatus from vertical bowhunting, Josh Dahlke gets a phone call from a friend that compels him to pick up a compound bow again and prepare for a bucket-list hunt. Dahlke and Mike Mattly head to the legendary Gila region of New Mexico to go after rutting bull elk. But they’re once again reminded that bowhunting is often a long game, with no guarantees—even if you’re hunting in one of the best elk units in the country.