The nonprofit, Big Sky Warrior Outreach, just dropped details for its annual December Cow Elk Hunt, slated for December 3–8. For eligible combat veterans and Purple Heart recipients nationwide, it is the ultimate cold-weather getaway: tags, travel, lodging, home-cooked chow, and even meat processing—courtesy of Meats of Montana—are fully covered.

The catch? The application window is tighter than a clean shot group.

Hopeful hunters have a strict 86-hour window to submit their paperwork: the gate opens at 6:00 AM MST on Saturday, August 22, and slams shut at 8:00 PM MST on Tuesday, August 25. Send it a minute early, a minute late, or miss a single detail, and the application gets tossed.

To apply, candidates need to email david.bradley@bigskywarrioroutreach.org with all seven of the following items locked in:

• Contact Basics: Full legal name, current mailing address, and primary phone number.
• Service Story: A personal overview of military service, written in the applicant’s own words.
• The Human Element: Personal background, hobbies, or anything that paints a picture of who the applicant is beyond the uniform.
• The “Why”: A quick statement on why the hunter wants in and what they hope to take away from the experience.
• Service Record: An attached copy of a DD214.
• Track Record: A list of any veteran nonprofit events attended over the past five years.
• Accommodations: Specific requests, such as private sleeping arrangements or physical accommodations.

Whether hailing from the Lower 48 or the U.S. Territories, eligible vets have a rare shot at world-class big game hunting, camaraderie, and a freezer full of organic Montana elk. Set an alarm, double-check the checklist, and hit send when the clock strikes six.

^{Feature photo via Big Sky Warrior Outreach}