In October 1998, I pulled my four-banger Ford Ranger into the parking lot of a Big R in Alamosa, Colorado. Minutes later, I emerged with my first resident elk tag. I was 18. I vividly remember my hands shaking as I handed over $30 in cash for the hunting permit, leaving me with $123 in my wallet. I was in college, and that was all I had. There was no money in the bank or parental support for my adventurous heart.