Suppressed X Bolt Speed has been my go-to the past couple of years. 300 WM is much more pleasant when suppressed. Shocked by how much the perceived recoil has gone down with that addition.
I really enjoy the Hunt Backcountry podcast by Exo as well...as a newish elk hunter, I've devoured a lot of these and feel like they give good practical insights
Same boat, new guy from Texas...seems to be a lot of us around here (sorry resident western-staters). And yes, @Montucky Blue Bell is great. My wife is from the little town (Brenham) where they make it, so it's a requirement to have at least 3 half-gallons in the fridge at all times.