Backbone Unlimited Podcast

If you can’t find elk, the answer isn’t always to hike farther, call louder, or abandon the unit. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt breaks down a repeatable elk hunting system for locating public land elk by reading current sign, diagnosing pressure, narrowing the seasonal elevation band, and connecting feed, water, bedding, wind, thermals, and security cover into a real hunt plan. This is how you stop hunting old information and start finding elk right now.

Elk Hunting e-Books 👉 https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books

Elk Hunting e-Books 👉 https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books

In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down elk hunting altitude and the conditioning system that helps prevent mountain failure. Altitude does not usually beat hunters all at once. It starts with heavy legs, short breathing, poor sleep, low appetite, headaches, high heart rate, and bad decisions until the hunt turns into survival instead of execution. After 34 years of Western big game hunting and guiding, and more than 30 years as a strength, conditioning, and nutrition coach, Matt explains why general fitness is not enough for elk...

Mule Deer Hunting e-Books 👉 https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/mule-deer-hunting-e-book-series

In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down how to use light and shadow to your advantage when glassing mule deer. Mature mule deer bucks do not just use terrain for security. They use shade, contrast, sunlight, shadow lines, and broken light to disappear in country many hunters glass right past. After 34 years of Western big game hunting and guiding, Matt explains why hunters miss bucks by glassing too fast, staring only at bright open country, and failing to re-check high-probability bedding areas as ligh...

Elk Hunting e-Books 👉 https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books

In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down the wolf effect on public land elk hunting and how predator pressure changes where mature bulls bed, move, and survive. This is not a political or emotional discussion. It is a practical elk behavior breakdown focused on how wolves and hunting pressure reshape elk security patterns, terrain use, bedding choices, movement windows, wind strategy, and vocal behavior. After 34 years of Western big game hunting and guiding, Matt explains why wolves do not always simply push elk out of a...

Mule Deer Hunting e-Books 👉 https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/mule-deer-hunting-e-book-series

In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down why mule deer bucks love benches and how serious Western deer hunters can use this misunderstood terrain feature to find more mature bucks. A bench is not valuable just because it is flat ground on a mountain. It matters when it gives a buck security, wind advantage, visibility, shade, escape routes, energy conservation, efficient travel, and access to feed. After 34 years of Western big game hunting and guiding, Matt explains how mature mule deer use benches as b...

Elk Hunting e-Books 👉 https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books

In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down elk hunting shot placement for bowhunters, with a focus on quartering-away shots and the real path an arrow needs to take through a bull. This is not about simply aiming at hair, the crease, or the outside of the rib cage. It is about understanding elk anatomy, arrow angles, exit points, and how to visualize the arrow’s full path through the vitals before you ever release. After 34 years of Western big game hunting and guiding, Matt explai...

Mule Deer Hunting e-Books 👉 https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/mule-deer-hunting-e-book-series

In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down the real question every Western deer hunter needs to ask: are you actually ready for high country mule deer hunting? This is not the romantic online version of alpine hunting. It is the honest version, where the mountain exposes your scouting, fitness, patience, gear system, glassing discipline, weather preparation, stalking decisions, and ability to recover a buck safely after the shot. After 34 years of Western big game hunting and guiding, Matt explains why high country mule deer...

Elk Hunting e-Books 👉 https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books

In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down one of the most misunderstood topics in elk hunting: weather, falling barometric pressure, and how mature bulls respond before storms. This is not about weather hype or believing that a storm magically makes elk easy to kill. It is about understanding how elk adjust movement, feeding windows, security, terrain use, bedding locations, wind advantage, and risk tolerance when pressure drops, temperatures cool, clouds build, wind shifts, rain moves in, or snow starts changing the mountain. After 34 years of W...

Mule Deer Hunting e-Books 👉 https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/mule-deer-hunting-e-book-series

In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down how to find way more mule deer bucks by changing the way you read country, glass terrain, and make decisions during the hunt. This is not about trying harder, hiking farther, or hoping one magic tactic changes everything. It is about building a better mule deer hunting system around visibility windows, glassing angles, shade, micro bedding pockets, feed quality, pressure, elevation bands, and disciplined decision-making. After 34 years of Western big game hunting and guiding, Matt explains why...

Elk Hunting e-Books 👉 https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books

In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down the death of easy elk hunting and why the old way of finding bulls is disappearing fast. Elk hunting is not dead, and elk are not impossible to kill, but modern public land elk hunting has changed. More hunters have the same maps, apps, calls, podcasts, trailhead information, and expectations, which means elk are dealing with more pressure, more predictable human patterns, and less tolerance for sloppy hunting. After 34 years of Western big game hunting and guiding, Matt...

Elk Hunting e-Books 👉 https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books

In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down eight elk hunting secrets that can help you find bulls faster on public land. This is not about shortcuts, gimmicks, or recycled elk hunting tips. It is about learning how to read bull country with more precision so you can eliminate dead country quicker, understand pressure gaps, interpret fresh elk sign, use wind from the bull’s perspective, identify transition zones, and recognize how mature bulls adjust their risk tolerance when hunting pressure builds. After 34 years of Wester...

Elk Hunting e-Books 👉 https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books

Give me 15 minutes and I’ll change the way you hunt elk. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down why consistent elk hunting success is not about hiking harder, calling louder, or hoping to get lucky. It starts with asking a better question: not just where are the elk, but why would elk be here right now? After 34 years of Western big game hunting and guiding, Matt explains how elk make decisions based on food, security, wind, terrain, bedding cover, breeding pressure, and human pressu...

Elk Hunting e-Books 👉 https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books

In this episode, Matt Hartsky breaks down elk hunting burn areas and explains how post-fire habitat, fresh regrowth, burn edges, water, bedding cover, terrain, and hunting pressure all work together to concentrate mature bull elk on public land. After 34 years of Western hunting and guiding, Matt explains why a burn scar alone doesn’t guarantee elk, how bulls use burned timber differently as habitat changes over time, why patchy burns and edge cover often create better daylight opportunities than wide-open burn zones, and how to e-scout burned countr...

In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down the complete mule deer hunting system for analyzing a basin step-by-step to consistently find mature bucks other hunters miss. After 34 years of Western hunting and guiding, Matt explains how experienced mule deer hunters identify feeding zones, bedding layers, transition routes, pressure pockets, wind advantages, and hidden terrain features that allow mature bucks to survive in plain sight on public land. This episode covers mule deer basin breakdown strategy, glassing tactics, mature buck behavior, scouting mountain terrain, pressure-based deer movement, and how to stop randomly glassing big country and start...

In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down how to elk hunt water sources the right way and why most hunters completely misunderstand how bulls actually use water during elk hunting season. This episode covers the difference between destination water, transition water, and hidden security water, how pressure changes elk movement around ponds, creeks, wallows, seeps, and springs, and why the best elk hunting setups are often away from the water itself. Matt explains how wind, thermals, bedding cover, approach routes, and hunting pressure all affect daylight water use, while also teaching how to scout hidden water...

In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down why mature mule deer feel invisible and why big bucks can live in the same country hunters glass every day without ever being seen. This mule deer hunting episode explains how mature bucks use security cover, broken terrain, bedding areas, wind, pressure, shadows, escape routes, and narrow movement windows to avoid exposure on public land and across Western hunting country. If you are trying to find mature mule deer, improve your glassing strategy, understand buck bedding behavior, hunt pressured mule deer more effectively, or stop wasting time in country...

In this episode, Matt Hartsky breaks down the conditioning gap that ends too many elk hunting seasons before they ever really start. Elk hunting fitness is not just hiking, jogging, or getting in better shape before September. It is the ability to climb, carry weight, recover, control your breathing, think clearly, and execute when the mountain gets hard. Matt explains why general cardio is not enough for Western elk hunting, how altitude exposes poor preparation, why loaded strength endurance and downhill control matter, and how hunters can train smarter before the season. If you are preparing for archery elk...

In this episode, Matt Hartsky breaks down how to prepare after drawing a Montana elk tag and how to build a real elk hunting plan before the season starts. Instead of showing up with a loose idea and reacting when pressure, access, weather, terrain, and elk movement change, Matt explains how to approach Montana elk hunting with structure, clarity, and confidence. This episode covers public land elk hunting preparation, archery elk hunting, rifle elk hunting, access strategy, pressure planning, terrain-specific decision-making, backup hunt zones, elk movement, and the physical and mental preparation needed to stay effective when conditions shift...

In this episode, Matt Hartsky breaks down the hidden cost of carrying too much weight in the elk mountains. A heavy pack can feel like preparation before the hunt starts, but once you are climbing, sidehilling, fighting deadfall, and trying to stay sharp for multiple days, every unnecessary pound starts taking energy, mobility, focus, and opportunity. This episode is not about going dangerously light or leaving essential gear behind. It is about building a smarter pack system that keeps you safe, capable, and functional when the mountain starts wearing hunters down.

In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down how to go from your first elk hunt to becoming a more consistent elk hunter faster than most hunters ever will.

After 34+ years of hunting and guiding Western big game, Matt has seen the same pattern over and over again: two hunters can hunt the same unit, during the same season, with the same amount of effort—and one starts figuring elk out while the other stays stuck for years.

The difference is not always experience, luck, or working harder.

A lot of ti...

In this episode, Matt Hartsky breaks down the one habit that completely changed his elk hunting results—and it has nothing to do with tactics, gear, or calling.

After 34+ years of hunting and guiding Western big game, Matt shares the turning point that exposed what was really holding him back. Despite putting in the effort, covering ground, and doing everything most hunters believe it takes to be successful, the results weren’t consistent. The issue wasn’t effort—it was something far more subtle that shows up in every hunt.

This episode dives into why so many...

In this episode Matt Hartsky breaks down the fastest way to consistently find mule deer bucks anywhere you hunt in the West. Drawing from more than three decades of experience hunting and guiding Western big game, Matt explains why most hunters aren’t failing due to lack of effort—but because they’re spending too much time in the wrong country with no system behind their decisions.

This episode challenges the common approach of wandering, hoping, and committing emotionally to spots that simply don’t hold deer. Instead, Matt lays out a clear, repeatable framework built on one key...

Bear Hunting with Josh Kirchner - What You're Getting Wrong About Bear Behavior is a ground-level conversation with one of Western hunting's most analytical minds on what actually separates hunters who find bears consistently from those who don't.

Josh Kirchner of Dialed In Hunter has built his reputation on process-driven Western hunting — and spring bear hunting is where that process is most exposed. In this episode, we go deep on bear behavior, terrain interpretation, and the mental adjustments most hunters never make. Josh has been called a "landscape interpreter" — and this conversation will change how you see the...

In this episode Matt Hartsky breaks down a complete, repeatable elk hunting system built specifically for public land hunters who are tired of inconsistent results. If you’ve ever felt like you’re bouncing from drainage to drainage, finding elk one day and losing them the next, this episode explains why—and more importantly, how to fix it.

Matt walks through a simple but powerful five-step cycle that can be applied every single day in the field: locate, evaluate, position, execute, and adjust. This isn’t a one-time tactic or a situational trick. It’s a structured system des...

In this episode Matt Hartsky breaks down how to find elk using a simple, repeatable 4-step system that works across Western public land. Instead of relying on luck, random movement, or chasing fresh sign, Matt explains how to approach elk hunting with structure and clear decision-making.

He walks through the core foundation of consistently finding elk, starting with choosing the right ground based on what elk actually need to survive—security, food, and wind advantage. From there, he explains how elk move through their daily patterns of feeding, transitioning, and bedding, and why most hunters stay one st...

In this episode Matt Hartsky speaks directly to the hunter who has put in the time, covered the miles, and done everything they thought was right—but still hasn’t killed an elk. This isn’t about motivation or effort. It’s about understanding why hard work alone isn’t translating into results, and what’s actually missing beneath the surface. After more than 34 years of hunting and guiding Western big game, Matt breaks down a pattern he’s seen over and over again.

Most hunters aren’t failing because they lack skill or toughness. They’re failing because th...

In this episode Matt Hartsky breaks down exactly how he would approach elk hunting if he had to start completely over today—with no past experience, no proven spots, and no habits to rely on. Instead of chasing tactics, gear, or quick fixes, Matt walks through a different approach built around understanding how elk actually live, move, and survive on the landscape.

Most hunters spend years trying to piece together success by copying strategies, focusing on calling, or forcing encounters in areas that don’t truly support elk. But without a foundation, even the right tactics fall apar...

In this episode Matt Hartsky breaks down how to improve your stalking success when hunting black bears, focusing on the phase where most opportunities are lost—closing the distance.

Spotting a bear is only the beginning. What you do next determines whether that encounter turns into a clean shot or another blown opportunity. Most hunters don’t fail because they can’t find bears—they fail because they rush the stalk, misread behavior, or move at the wrong time.

Drawing from more than 34 years of Western hunting experience, Matt walks through a structured approach to stalking...

In this episode Matt Hartsky breaks down a moment every elk hunter eventually faces—but almost no one recognizes when it’s happening. The hunt hasn’t fallen apart. The country isn’t empty. And yet something starts to shift.

After more than 34 years of hunting and guiding Western big game, Matt explains why elk hunting often feels like it’s not working… right before it does. He walks through what’s actually happening during those quiet stretches when there are no bugles, no sightings, and no clear confirmation that you’re in the right place. Most hunters misread...

In this episode Matt Hartsky breaks down one of the most misunderstood and costly mistakes in elk hunting—misreading evening thermals and getting busted without ever knowing why. Most hunters assume evening wind becomes predictable, but in real mountain terrain it rarely behaves that cleanly. That gap between what you think the wind is doing and what it’s actually doing is where encounters fall apart.

After more than 34 years of hunting Western elk, Matt explains how evening thermals truly transition, why airflow becomes unstable during that window, and how elk consistently use those conditions to their adva...

In this episode Matt Hartsky breaks down one of the fastest ways elk hunters ruin opportunities in timber without ever realizing it. Most hunters believe being quiet means moving slower and avoiding obvious noise, but the real problem isn’t loud mistakes—it’s predictable movement. Elk don’t need a snapped stick to know you’re there. They recognize rhythm, timing, and patterns that don’t belong, and once that happens, the encounter is already compromised.

Drawing from more than 34 years of hunting Western elk, Matt explains how elk actually interpret sound in the timber and why so many...

In this episode Matt Hartsky breaks down one of the most frustrating situations elk hunters face—when you’re in good country, putting in the effort, and everything feels completely dead. No tracks, no droppings, no bugles… nothing. This is where most hunters start to lose confidence, second-guess their decisions, and abandon areas that may actually hold elk.

After more than 34 years of hunting Western elk, Matt explains why a lack of visible sign doesn’t always mean a lack of elk. Often it comes down to timing, terrain use, wind, and hunting pressure—factors that can make elk n...

In this episode Matt Hartsky breaks down one of the most frustrating problems elk hunters face—wind in the timber—and why what you think you know about wind might be costing you opportunities. Timber doesn’t behave like open country, and if you’ve ever been busted when everything “felt right,” there’s a reason for it.

After more than 34 years of hunting Western elk, Matt explains how wind actually moves through thick cover, why it stalls, shifts, and swirls in ways most hunters don’t expect, and how elk use those inconsistencies to stay one step ahead. What...

In this episode Matt Hartsky breaks down a question most elk hunters don’t think about until they’re already in the middle of it—what happens when the entire season turns hot?

When conditions shift, the mountains can feel empty. Sign dries up, movement slows down, and areas that normally produce suddenly go quiet. Most hunters respond by covering more ground, second-guessing their plan, and burning valuable time trying to figure out what changed.

Drawing from more than 34 years of Western hunting experience, Matt explains why hot conditions create so much confusion and how quickl...

In this episode Matt Hartsky breaks down one of the most overlooked pieces of mule deer habitat that consistently holds deer across the West. Most hunters focus on big basins, deep timber, or obvious glassing points, but mature bucks aren’t scattered randomly across the landscape. They position themselves in specific areas that give them a constant advantage, and if you don’t understand that, you’ll keep walking past deer without ever realizing they were there.

After more than three decades of hunting Western mule deer, Matt explains what this habitat actually is, why deer rely on it...

In this episode Matt Hartsky breaks down the daily pattern that quietly controls where bulls spend the majority of their daylight hours—and why so many elk hunters keep coming up empty. It’s not complicated, but it’s one of the most misunderstood pieces of elk behavior because most hunters never fully connect what they’re seeing on the mountain with how elk actually use it.

If you’ve ever hiked into what looks like perfect elk country only to find nothing—or worse, blow elk out before you even realize they’re there—this is the missing link...

In this episode Matt Hartsky breaks down one of the most overlooked truths in elk hunting—why some hunters consistently get into elk year after year while others struggle no matter how hard they work. After more than three decades of hunting Western elk, Matt shares a perspective that has nothing to do with better gear, perfect calling sequences, or simply going deeper than everyone else.

Most hunters spend their time chasing tactics, hoping the next tip will finally change their season. But elk hunting doesn’t reward random effort. It rewards awareness, discipline, and the ability to a...

In this episode Matt Hartsky breaks down a morning pattern that quietly determines whether elk encounters turn into real opportunities—or fall apart before they ever begin. It’s something most hunters experience without fully recognizing, and it often shows up right when a situation starts to come together.

Many hunters focus on calling, movement, and location, yet still end up getting winded without understanding why. What feels random in the moment is usually tied to a consistent pattern playing out in the background. Once you start to see it, you begin to understand why certain setups repe...

In this episode Matt Hartsky breaks down one of the most common questions in elk hunting—how far elk actually travel in a 24-hour period—and why most hunters get this wrong. Many assume elk are constantly covering miles of country, and that belief leads to poor positioning, unnecessary movement, and missed opportunities on public land.

Drawing from more than 34 years of Western hunting experience, Matt explains why elk movement is far more controlled and predictable than most people think. He walks through how terrain, bedding security, feeding areas, wind, and hunting pressure all shape how far elk...

In this episode Matt Hartsky breaks down one of the most common—and misleading—pieces of advice in elk hunting: “just hunt harder.” While effort matters in the mountains, Matt explains why physical grind alone rarely leads to consistent elk encounters and why so many hunters work hard without ever getting into elk.

After more than 34 years of hunting Western elk, Matt walks through how elk actually use the landscape. Their movement is not random—it’s shaped by terrain structure, bedding security, wind and thermals, feeding areas, and hunting pressure. When those factors are ignored, hunters end up cover...