"Vortex is a lifestyle brand masquerading as an optics company." I would argue you could say the same about Leupold, Athlon or really any big optics company.
We use 30-06 for elk all the time. It works great. You definitely don't need a new rifle to do the hunt, but it never hurts to own more guns in my opinion.
I feel the same way. I don't see why would just kill stuff if you aren't going to use any part of it and if they are a native species as well. I might get some shame for eating the so called sage rats lol, but the are good off-season training and they taste great.
I don't hate them. I actually eat them. Most people don't but I actually like them better than snowshoe hare. Because I eat them I don't think its bad to kill since I'm using them.
We do a lot of still hunting in the timbered backcountry of Wyoming for elk but not for deer. Sometimes I see them when I'm elk hunting and I've wondered if it would work on the mulies that we see.