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Host Matt Hartsky shares real-world hunting tactics, backcountry elk hunting tips, shed hunting, gear reviews, wildlife adventures, and hard-earned lessons on grit, discipline, and mental toughness. For hunters, outdoorsmen, and anyone committed to living untamed and conquering challenge. Learn public land hunting strategies, preparation, backcountry fitness, elk behavior, survival skills, and mindset tactics that help you thrive — in the wild and in life.
New episodes weekly on elk hunting, big game strategies, western hunting, gear, preparation, training, family, and the relentless pursuit of more.
#ElkHunting #BackcountryHunting #ShedHunting #HuntingPodcast #WesternHunting #PublicLandHunting #RelentlessLiving #BackboneUnlimited
New episodes weekly on elk hunting, big game strategies, western hunting, gear, preparation, training, family, and the relentless pursuit of more.
#ElkHunting #BackcountryHunting #ShedHunting #HuntingPodcast #WesternHunting #PublicLandHunting #RelentlessLiving #BackboneUnlimited
56 Episodes
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Every elk hunter gets busted—it’s not a matter of if, but when. The real question is what you do next. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, I break down exactly how to handle those gut-punch moments when elk blow out of a setup and leave you standing there with nothing but silence and a racing heart.
We’ll cover why patience after a bust is your best weapon, how to diagnose whether it was wind, sight, or sound that spooked them, and how to relocate elk that didn’t actually leave the country—they just shifted to the next pocket of cover. You’ll learn when calling can calm a herd, when it just makes things worse, and how to reset your mindset so frustration doesn’t kill your hunt faster than a bad wind does.
Getting busted doesn’t have to end your hunt. With the right response, it can be the beginning of your next opportunity.
September is finally here—the month western hunters live for. But too many guys blow their shot before they ever see an elk. They march straight to a GPS pin, hike like tourists, and dump their scent into the best country before the day even starts. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, I break down how to approach your area with discipline, patience, and predator-like intent.
We’ll cover why your hunt starts the second you step off the road, how to use morning thermals to your advantage, and why transition zones are funnels you can trust every September. I’ll walk you through my “cast close” approach—working the edges first before pushing deeper, just like fishing a stream. You’ll learn how to stay undetected, preserve a drainage for multiple days of hunting, and build confidence by hunting with intent instead of hope.
If you want to stop burning your spots and start stacking real opportunities, this is the mindset and strategy that makes the difference. Because elk hunting isn’t about luck—it’s about approach.
In elk country, no law is more absolute than the law of the wind. You can get away with a missed call, a snapped twig, or a blown setup—but the second an elk catches your scent, the hunt is over. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, I’m breaking down the science and strategy behind wind and thermals—the invisible force that dictates every move elk make and every decision you should make as a hunter.
We’ll cover the daily cycle of thermals, how weather and terrain bend air currents, and why elk bed, feed, and travel where they do. I’ll show you how to plan approaches, setups, and ambushes that keep your scent safe—and how to adapt when the wind inevitably shifts. You’ll also learn how elk use air movement to survive, and how hunters who ignore it end up educating elk instead of killing them.
Mastering the law of the wind isn’t optional—it’s the foundation of every successful elk hunt. Respect it, and you stay in the game. Ignore it, and you’ll never know how many elk you blew out before you ever saw them.
Elk hunting success isn’t about luck—and it’s not even always about skill. It’s about persistence. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, I break down why time in the field is the single biggest factor separating consistent elk killers from the guys who go home empty.
We’ll cover the myth of quick success, why most bulls are killed on the back half of a hunt, and how each extra day compounds your chances of opportunity. You’ll learn how to push through the mental grind, manage your energy for the long game, and turn slow mornings into valuable lessons instead of discouragement.
This isn’t about highlight reels—it’s about reality. Elk hunting takes grit, patience, and staying power. The hunters who fill tags aren’t the ones who quit on day three—they’re the ones still grinding on day seven, day ten, and beyond.
If you can master persistence, you’ll not only stack the odds in your favor—you’ll build the toughness and resilience that carry over into every part of life.
Elk hunting in September isn’t static. The bulls you find on opening day aren’t behaving the same way two weeks later. Hunting pressure reshapes everything—bugling, travel routes, and daylight activity. The difference between success and frustration comes down to whether you adapt as quickly as the elk do.
In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, I break down how bulls respond to hunting pressure week by week. You’ll learn what makes opening week so electric, how bulls adjust once trucks and calls flood the mountains, and why mid-September forces them to balance rut intensity with survival. We’ll also cover late-September tactics when bugles fade and bulls rut in silence.
If you’ve ever felt like elk “disappeared” after the opener, this episode shows you how pressure shapes their behavior and gives you the tools to stay lethal from the first bugle of September to the last.
What do you do when the bugles stop? In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, I break down how to hunt elk when the mountains go quiet. Silent bulls frustrate even seasoned hunters, but they’re far from unkillable—you just need a different playbook.
We’ll cover why elk go silent—pressure, weather, rut timing, and herd dynamics—and how to adapt with woodsmanship instead of relying on bugles. You’ll learn how to read fresh sign, set ambushes in travel corridors, and move with discipline through timber. I’ll show you how to use subtle calling when it matters, how to play the wind with precision, and how to keep your mindset sharp when doubt starts to creep in.
By the end of this episode, you’ll have a blueprint for staying lethal in the silence. Because elk don’t vanish when they stop bugling—they just stop giving themselves away. If you can stay patient, hunt smarter, and adapt, you’ll be ready when those quiet bulls slip in like ghosts.
Killing a bull is only half the hunt—the real test begins with the packout. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, I break down everything you need to know about hauling elk meat off the mountain—mentally, physically, and strategically.
We’ll cover the mental game of embracing the grind, the gear that makes heavy loads possible, how to manage weight and multiple trips, navigating brutal terrain, and staying safe when fatigue sets in. I’ll also share lessons I’ve learned the hard way—mistakes that turned into nightmares, and strategies that made the difference between misery and success.
By the end, you’ll have a blueprint for packouts that keeps you safe, efficient, and relentless in the toughest part of elk hunting. Because the truth is this: the packout isn’t the end of the hunt—it IS the hunt. And how you handle it defines the kind of hunter you really are.
Opening day of archery elk season can make or break your entire hunt. Most hunters let adrenaline take over and blow their best chances before the sun even rises. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, I break down how to approach day one with discipline and strategy—so you don’t sabotage your season before it starts.
We’ll cover trailhead discipline, how to read sign and sound, when to be aggressive vs. patient, smart calling tactics for pressured elk, positioning for first light and evening hunts, and how to use the “dead hours” of midday to your advantage. I’ll also share lessons I’ve learned the hard way from opening days gone wrong—and how you can avoid making the same mistakes.
By the end of this episode, you’ll know exactly how to start your hunt with confidence, control, and a clear plan. Opening day doesn’t decide whether you kill a bull, but it absolutely sets the tone for the days that follow. Hunt sloppy and you’ll spend the week recovering. Hunt disciplined and you’ll stack the odds in your favor every single day.
In this episode, we’re tackling a piece of elk hunting strategy most hunters overlook: choosing the right camp location. Your tent isn’t just a place to crash—it’s your base of operations. Where you set camp determines how rested you are, how much ground you can cover, and whether elk even stay in the drainage you’re hunting.
I break down the blueprint for picking camp the smart way, including:
The real purpose of camp: comfort vs. mobility, base vs. spike setups
How close is too close to elk country, and why proximity matters
Terrain and access factors that make or break safety and packouts
Water, firewood, and shelter needs that keep you in the game
How to avoid human pressure and keep your camp invisible
Weather, wildlife, and safety mistakes that can end a hunt early
When to stay stable vs. when to stay mobile with your camp strategy
Hard lessons I’ve learned from both bad and great camp setups
A clear step-by-step action plan for beginners setting camp for the first time
If you’ve ever burned daylight hiking from a poorly placed base camp, blown elk out of a meadow with your tent, or fought through a storm in the wrong spot—you know how critical camp location really is. By the end of this episode, you’ll know exactly what to look for, what to avoid, and how to make camp work for you instead of against you.
Every elk hunter loves the dream scenario—ripping a bugle and having a bull scream back, charging in like a freight train. But most of the time, the real skill isn’t in how loud you can call—it’s in knowing when to call. Timing is the difference between pulling a bull into bow range and blowing him out of the drainage.
In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, I break down the nuts and bolts of calling timing. You’ll learn how to read the moment and decide when to crank up the aggression with bugles, chuckles, and excited cow talk—and when to stay silent and let curiosity do the work. We’ll cover how timing shifts throughout September, why pressured bulls require restraint, and how rhythm and discipline turn your calls from noise into real conversation.
If you’ve ever wondered whether to hammer the tube or hold back, this episode gives you the tactical playbook for calling smarter, not louder.
Rutting bulls aren’t random—they’re anchored to cows, and cows are anchored to food. If you’ve ever chased fading bugles or watched a hot basin go silent overnight, this episode connects the dots. I break down why nutrition drives September movement, how cow groups “lock” bulls into predictable patterns, and the exact places to find reliable feed when pressure and weather shift the game.
What you’ll learn:
The truth about rutting bulls (and the myths that waste your time)
How food dictates daily travel: night feed → dawn transition → bedding → evening feed
Where to find September groceries: alpine meadows, riparian pockets, north-facing benches, fresh burns
How pressure pushes cows into hidden “living-room sized” feed and how to set up on those seams
Morning intercepts, evening ambushes, and when calling helps vs. hurts around food
Perfect for DIY public-land hunters who want a repeatable plan—no more chasing echoes, just hunting where elk actually live.
Mental toughness—not gear, not fitness—is the ultimate deciding factor in Western hunting success. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky dives deep into how grit separates hunters who fill tags from those who head home empty.
You’ll learn how to train your mind before season, push through fatigue and setbacks in the mountains, and stay sharp when elk and mule deer hunts test every ounce of determination. From breaking mental walls to building daily reset routines, this is your guide to mastering the mental side of backcountry hunting.
If you want to hunt harder, last longer, and finish strong when others quit, this episode will show you how to build the toughness it takes.
Public land hunting isn’t forgiving—and the truth is, most hunters fail because of small mistakes that add up to big failures. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down the 5 biggest mistakes Western hunters make on public land and how to avoid them. From ignoring hunting pressure, sticking to dead zones too long, and underestimating backcountry fitness—to sloppy access routes and waiting for “perfect” conditions—you’ll learn how to hunt elk and mule deer smarter, adapt faster, and increase your success this season.
Whether you’re bowhunting elk in September or glassing mule deer basins in November, this episode delivers real-world public land hunting tips to help you fill more tags and avoid season-ending errors.
1Archery elk season will humble you—no matter how much gear you buy or how many bugling videos you watch. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky shares 30+ years of uncut bowhunting elk experience: how to build the mental toughness elk hunting demands, create real shot opportunities (not just encounters), call with purpose, and set up for success when bulls finally close the distance.
Whether you’re a new bowhunter or a seasoned DIY public land grinder, this episode breaks down the tactics and mindset shifts that actually kill bulls with a bow—mindset, movement, thermals, calling strategies, and closing the deal in those final 10 seconds.
If you’re chasing elk this September, listen before you hit the mountains.
In this Backbone Unlimited episode, Matt Hartsky shares five hard-earned mule deer hunting lessons from 30+ seasons on Western public land. These aren’t generic tips—you’ll learn the real strategies that separate close calls from filled tags. From hunting where mule deer actually live, mastering patience on stalks, understanding wind and thermals, becoming a disciplined glasser, to being ready when kill windows open—these lessons will sharpen your game whether you’re chasing bucks with a bow or rifle.
If you’re serious about mule deer hunting success in the high country, sagebrush, or badlands, this episode will help you avoid costly mistakes and find more mature bucks.
What’s the difference between mule deer hunting vs elk hunting? In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down the five key differences every serious Western hunter needs to know—behavior, terrain, pressure response, interaction, and mindset. Drawing from over 30 years of boots-on-the-ground experience, Matt shares real-world insights on how elk move as social herd animals versus how mature mule deer bucks live and bed in solitude, why terrain and elevation shape your tactics, how each species responds to hunting pressure, and why elk hunting is tactical while mule deer hunting is surgical.
If you’re a Western hunter transitioning between species—or just want to sharpen your edge for public land elk and mule deer hunts—this episode will help you avoid costly mistakes and become a more versatile, effective hunter.
In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down the hard lessons learned from 33+ years of bowhunting elk. From blown stalks to missed opportunities, he shares the five biggest mistakes that cost him elk—and the lessons that turned failure into success.
You’ll learn why silence kills more bulls than bugles, how to read bugles before you chase them, why your ears matter more than your eyes in tight timber, how to use calling as a tool (not a crutch), and how to master the art of closing the distance without getting busted.
If you’re serious about archery elk hunting, this episode will help you shorten the learning curve, avoid years of frustration, and start turning close calls into punched tags.
September elk hunting is where dreams are made—or crushed. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down how to consistently find rutting bulls during one of the most exciting—and frustrating—months in Western hunting. From Colorado to Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, Matt explains the three phases of September elk behavior, how to adjust your tactics through the month, and why understanding the rut timeline separates successful hunters from the rest. Learn where bulls bed, how cows dictate movement, how pressure changes everything, and the best morning, evening, and midday strategies to put yourself in bow range. If you’re tired of chasing bugles and want a proven game plan for September elk hunting success, this episode is for you.
Hunting elk in thick timber is one of the toughest challenges in Western hunting—and one of the most rewarding. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down how to consistently kill elk in dark, close-quarters timber where bulls move like ghosts and every step matters. Learn how to read elk sign in the thick stuff, move without getting busted, set up and call in tight cover, and make ethical shots when your window is just a few feet wide. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed hunting pressured elk in timber, this episode gives you the strategies, mindset, and proven tactics to turn chaos into opportunity.
Are you really ready for elk season—or just hoping you are? In this Backbone Unlimited episode, Matt Hartsky breaks down the difference between showing up with a tag and gear versus being truly prepared for the grind of backcountry elk hunting. From training for brutal pack outs, mastering wind and thermals, dialing calling strategy, and building mental toughness, to shooting clean under pressure—this episode gives you the framework to evaluate your true elk hunting readiness. If you’re serious about elk hunting success in the West, this one will expose the gaps and show you how to close them.
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