The Real Hunt: Christian Schauf on Integrity, Empty Tags, and Honest Hunting
Thu Feb 05 2026
In this episode, I sit down with Christian Schauf to talk about something most hunters don’t post about — not filling a tag. Christian opens up about his recent elk hunt, choosing to be transparent on Instagram about coming home empty, and why integrity matters more than highlight reels.
We dig into what hunting is really supposed to give us, the difference between authentic pursuit and curated social media success, and why honesty in the process matters — especially in a world where big bulls, private ranches, and selective transparency dominate the feed.
This conversation isn’t about judging how someone hunts. It’s about asking ourselves why we hunt, what we’re chasing beyond trophy's, and whether we’re willing to be honest when the outcome doesn’t go our way.
Because sometimes the real win isn’t punching a tag — it’s walking away with your integrity intact
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In this episode, I sit down with Christian Schauf to talk about something most hunters don’t post about — not filling a tag. Christian opens up about his recent elk hunt, choosing to be transparent on Instagram about coming home empty, and why integrity matters more than highlight reels. We dig into what hunting is really supposed to give us, the difference between authentic pursuit and curated social media success, and why honesty in the process matters — especially in a world where big bulls, private ranches, and selective transparency dominate the feed. This conversation isn’t about judging how someone hunts. It’s about asking ourselves why we hunt, what we’re chasing beyond trophy's, and whether we’re willing to be honest when the outcome doesn’t go our way. Because sometimes the real win isn’t punching a tag — it’s walking away with your integrity intact