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PODCAST

Backbone Unlimited Podcast

Backbone Unlimited

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

sports wilderness

All Episodes

34:53

HOW TO GLASS POST RUT BULLS IN TRANSITION ZONES |...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2025/11/12

October separates hunters who chase elk from those who understand them. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down how to glass October bulls in transition zones—the overlooked pockets where post-rut elk recover, feed, and survive when the mountains go quiet. After the chaos of September fades, bulls retreat into small, protected sanctuaries that hold feed, water, shade, and safety. Learning how to find and glass these zones is what turns October from a frustrating lull into one

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20:39

POST RUT ELK HUNTING | WHAT REALLY HAPPENS TO HERDS...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2025/11/11

When the bugles fade and the herds scatter, most hunters think elk season is over. But it isn’t—it just changes form. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky explains what really happens to elk herds after the rut ends—and how to hunt smarter when the chaos turns quiet. September’s unity gives way to October’s separation as bulls peel off to recover, cows and calves regroup into smaller family units, and pressure, weather, and predators reshape the mountain. Matt breaks down how herd

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26:12

OCTOBER ELK HUNTING | UNDERSTANDING COW MOVEMENT...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2025/11/10

After the rut ends and the mountains go quiet, most hunters think the elk have disappeared. The truth is—they’ve just changed the rules. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down one of the most misunderstood parts of October elk hunting: how cow and calf movement shifts after the rut and how that change dictates where bulls, pressure, and opportunity all stack up on the mountain. Matt explains the full post-rut reset—how big herds dissolve into smaller family groups, how those

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24:22

HOW WEATHER FRONTS MOVE ELK | OCTOBER ELK HUNTING...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2025/11/09

In October, the mountains change every day—and so do the elk. One day it’s hot and still, the next it’s snowing sideways. Those shifting weather fronts don’t just change how it feels to hunt—they completely rewrite how elk move, feed, and bed. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down how to read the sky the same way you read sign on the mountain. You’ll learn how barometric pressure, wind, and temperature swings shape elk movement before, during, and after a front, and how to

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27:57

OCTOBER ELK HUNTING | SNOW VS NO SNOW ELK MOVEMENT...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2025/11/08

Snow changes everything in the elk woods—and in October, it can make or break your hunt.In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky dives deep into how October elk behavior shifts when storms roll in versus when the mountains stay bare. You’ll learn exactly how snow vs no-snow conditions affect elk movement, bedding, and feeding patterns—and more importantly, how to adapt your tactics to stay in the game when everyone else is lost. Matt breaks down what happens during warm, dry Octobers

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22:58

WHAT ELK EAT IN OCTOBER | POST RUT ELK HUNTING TIPS...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2025/11/07

By October, the rut is over—and so is the chaos. The bulls that were screaming across the mountain just weeks ago are silent, thin, and focused on survival. That’s when everything about elk behavior changes, and the hunters who understand what drives them now keep filling tags long after everyone else goes home. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down exactly what elk eat in October and how their entire survival strategy revolves around food. You’ll learn why bulls shift from

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37:28

HOW TO HUNT BULLS AFTER THE RUT | POST RUT ELK...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2025/11/06

After the bugles fade and the rut chaos dies down, most hunters walk off the mountain thinking the season’s over. But that silence doesn’t mean the elk are gone—it means their priorities have changed. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down the complete post-rut transformation that happens between October and November—how bulls recover, relocate, and survive after the rut ends. You’ll learn why mature bulls vanish into dark timber, what fuels their feeding and bedding

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44:26

OCTOBER RIDGE STRATEGY | HOW TO HUNT ELK AND MULE...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2025/11/05

When the bugles fade and the rut chaos dies down, October becomes a thinking man’s month — and mastering ridges and high points is the difference between hiking blind and hunting with purpose. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down how to use ridges, thermals, and elevation to your advantage when hunting elk and mule deer in October. You’ll learn how to identify productive ridge systems, where to glass from, and how to dissect mountain country efficiently when animals go

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25:13

OCTOBER ELK HUNTING TIPS | HIDDEN HONEY HOLES MOST...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2025/11/04

Most hunters walk past the best elk spots in October—and that’s exactly why they stay full of elk.In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down the truth about October elk hunting and how to find the hidden pockets where bulls and cows vanish after the rut. The bugles fade, the pressure rises, and the mountains feel empty—but the elk haven’t disappeared. They’ve shifted into overlooked terrain: dark timber pockets, north-facing rims, mid-elevation benches, hidden seeps, burn

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30:35

LATE SEASON ELK HUNTING TIPS | JUDGING SIGN IN COLD...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2025/11/03

When the mountains freeze and the bugles stop, late-season hunting becomes a game of clues—and the hunters who win are the ones who can read them right. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down one of the most important cold-weather skills a hunter can have: judging the freshness of sign when everything’s frozen. After three decades of late-season Western hunts, Matt shares exactly how he reads tracks, droppings, beds, and scent in the snow and frost to determine whether

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28:44

IDAHO NON-RESIDENT DRAW 2026 EXPLAINED | ELK, DEER,...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2025/11/02

In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down everything nonresident hunters need to know about applying for big game tags in Idaho—including the major changes coming for the 2026 season. Idaho has always stood out among Western states for doing things differently, and this year it takes another big step: moving from the old first-come, first-served system to a structured draw for nonresident general elk, mule deer, and pronghorn tags.Matt explains how the new two-window draw

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29:39

OCTOBER ELK HUNTING | IDENTIFYING BEDDING TO FEEDING...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2025/10/31

When the rut ends and the mountains go quiet, most hunters think October is a dead zone. But the truth is, it’s one of the best times to tag a bull—if you understand bedding-to-feeding patterns. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down how elk transition from the chaos of September to the calculated survival mode of October. You’ll learn how post-rut elk behavior shifts once bulls are worn down and focused on food, cover, and safety, and why mastering these bedding-to-feeding

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29:12

LATE SEASON ELK HUNTING GLASSING TIPS TO FIND MORE...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2025/10/30

When the bugles stop and the snow starts to fall, most hunters hang it up—but the best elk hunters know that late season success comes down to one skill: glassing smarter. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down everything he’s learned from more than 30 years of chasing bulls through the western mountains during the toughest part of the season. This is a masterclass in late season elk hunting tactics—from understanding how post-rut bulls use terrain and cover, to learning

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39:26

HOW TO LOCATE SOLITARY BULLS AFTER THE RUT | OCTOBER...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2025/10/29

When September ends, most hunters think the show’s over. The bugles fade, the herds scatter, and the mountain goes quiet. But for those who know what’s really happening, October elk hunting is one of the best windows of the entire season. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down the shift from rut to post-rut — what mature bulls do when the chaos stops and survival begins. You’ll learn how to locate solitary bulls after the rut, what makes them go underground, and why the

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31:56

SPOT AND STALK VS AMBUSH | BEST ELK HUNTING TACTICS...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2025/10/28

Welcome to Backbone Unlimited with Matt Hartsky — where experience meets strategy for the western elk hunter. In this episode, Matt breaks down one of the most important tactical questions every elk hunter faces: Should you spot-and-stalk or sit tight in an ambush? Both methods can produce results, but the key is knowing when each works best. Using decades of experience across multiple western states, Matt walks through how elk behavior shifts from early September through the post-rut — and how

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28:42

HOW FEED, BEETLE KILL AND BURNS SHAPE ELK PATTERNS |...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2025/09/30

September elk don’t just chase cows—they chase calories. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt breaks down how feed quality, beetle kill, and burns truly dictate elk movement—and how to turn those habitat shifts into high-odds hunts. Learn why bulls, cows, and calves key on different foods through the month, how forage quality evolves from early to late September, and what that means for daily travel distance and timing. We dissect beetle-kill country (edge use, deadfall travel lanes,

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22:15

EVENING ELK HUNTING TACTICS | MAKE SHORT HUNTS COUNT...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2025/09/29

Evening elk hunts give you one short window—just a couple of hours after work or before dark. That limited time can be pure gold if you know how to play it, but a disaster if you don’t. Success in the evenings comes down to one thing: discipline. The right entry, the right setup, and the right wind management can put elk in your lap when everyone else is blowing their chance at last light.In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, I break down evening elk strategies that work. You’ll learn how to set

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18:42

WHERE DO ELK GO AFTER OPENING WEEK | ELK HUNTING...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2025/09/28

Opening weekend feels electric—bugles echoing, fresh sign everywhere, elk seemingly around every corner. But fast forward a few days and the mountain goes quiet. Bugles taper off, tracks fade, and it feels like the elk vanished. They didn’t. They adapted.In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, I break down where elk really go after opening week and how you can stay in the game when the easy action dies down. We’ll cover the “pressure push” and how hunter traffic changes elk behavior, why refuge

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34:07

ELK HUNTING WHEN ITS QUIET | MENTAL RESET FOR SILENT...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2025/09/27

One day the mountains are alive with bugles, the next they go dead silent—and that’s when most hunters lose confidence. Silence makes guys hike aimlessly, burn daylight, and even pack it in early. But elk haven’t vanished. They’re still there, living tighter, quieter patterns. The hunters who adapt are the ones who keep filling tags. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, I break down how to stay lethal when the bugles disappear. You’ll learn how to reset your mindset, diagnose why the woods went

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23:48

WARM WEATHER ELK HUNTING TACTICS | HOW TO HUNT ELK IN...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2025/09/26

Hot weather can turn September elk hunts upside down. Instead of crisp mornings and fired-up bugles, you’re left with sluggish elk hiding in shade and moving only in short windows. But here’s the truth — warm weather doesn’t make elk unhuntable. It just means you need to adjust your tactics. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, I break down how elk behave when the mountains heat up and how you can adapt to stay in the game. We’ll cover why water sources become magnets, how shade shifts bedding

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117 results

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