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PODCAST

Backbone Unlimited Podcast

Backbone Unlimited

Backbone Unlimited is a western hunting podcast for public-land hunters who want to stop guessing and build a better system for finding elk, mule deer and black bears, beating pressure, reading sign, understanding wind and thermals, and making cleaner decisions in the mountains. Hosted by Matt Hartsky, Backbone Unlimited combines 34+ years of western big game hunting experience with decades of strength, conditioning, and nutrition coaching to help hunters prepare smarter and hunt more

sports wilderness

All Episodes

9:43

WHERE DO ELK FEED AND BED DURING RIFLE SEASON? | EP. 253

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/10/05

Where do elk feed and bed once rifle season begins and hunting pressure changes their normal routine?In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to explain how rifle-season elk choose feeding areas, bedding cover, and the routes between them. He also examines why elk may remain in the same general area while becoming much harder for hunters to find during daylight. If you’re planning an October elk hunt, scouting public land, or trying to relocate elk

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10:31

HOW DOES SNOW CHANGE WHERE ELK ARE LOCATED? | EP. 252

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/10/04

Does snow automatically push elk downhill, or could they remain in the same area after the storm?In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to explain how snow can change elk location and behavior. He covers the factors that determine whether elk stay put, make a small adjustment, or leave an area completely. If you’re planning a late-season rifle elk hunt, tracking elk after fresh snow, or trying to predict where bulls will move when winter weather

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10:40

HOW DO MATURE BULL ELK BEHAVE AFTER THE RUT? | EP. 251

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/10/03

What happens to mature bull elk after the September rut winds down? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to explain how mature bull behavior changes after the breeding season. He covers the transition from September into October, why proven rut tactics can suddenly stop producing, and what post-rut hunters need to understand before choosing where and how to hunt. If you’re planning an October rifle elk hunt, searching for post-rut bulls, or

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10:57

WHAT TERRAIN SHOULD YOU TARGET DURING RIFLE ELK...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/10/02

What terrain should you target when rifle hunting elk on public land?In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34+ years of elk hunting and guiding experience to explain how he evaluates rifle-season elk country. He looks beyond simple rules about elevation, slope direction, and dark timber to examine what pressured elk need and how those needs affect where they live. If you’re planning an October elk hunt, studying maps, or struggling to narrow down a large unit, this episode will help you identify

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11:59

HOW DO YOU FIND ELK IN THICK TIMBER WHEN YOU CAN'T...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/10/01

How do you find elk in thick timber when you can’t sit behind binoculars and glass miles of country?In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to explain how he approaches dark-timber elk hunting. He covers the challenges of locating elk when visibility is limited, bugling is inconsistent, and one careless move can send unseen elk out of the area. If you hunt timbered public land, struggle to locate elk without glassing, or want to avoid wandering

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10:50

WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY DO FROM 10AM TO 4PM WHEN ELK ARE...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/09/30

What should you do from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. when the elk are bedded and the mountain goes quiet?In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to break down how he uses the middle of the day during a September archery elk hunt. He covers the decisions that can protect a good morning, save an evening opportunity, or help turn a slow day into a productive one. If you’re unsure whether to hunt, scout, rest, relocate, or move closer to bedded elk, this episode

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11:46

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN THE ELK JUST AREN'T BUGLING? |...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/09/29

What should you do when the elk stop bugling and the mountain goes completely quiet?In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting experience to explain how he hunts silent elk during September. He breaks down the difference between quiet elk and empty country, the mistakes hunters make when they aren’t hearing bugles, and how to keep gathering the information needed to make your next move. If you hunt pressured elk on public land, rely heavily on calling, or struggle to find elk

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14:47

IF YOU COULD ONLY PICK ONE WEEK IN SEPTEMBER TO...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/09/28

If you could choose only one week in September to bowhunt elk, which week would give you the best opportunity?In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to explain which part of September he would choose and why. He looks at changing rut activity, herd bull behavior, cow groups, hunting pressure, weather, and the opportunities each stage of the month can create. Whether you’re planning a public-land archery elk hunt or deciding when to schedule your

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12:29

ELK HUNTING IN THE RAIN: WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? | EP. 245

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/09/27

Should you keep bowhunting elk when the rain starts, or head back to camp and wait it out?In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting experience to break down how wet weather changes an archery elk hunt. He covers elk movement, calling, close-range encounters, wind, shot opportunities, and recovering an elk when rain becomes a factor. Rain can create problems, but it can also open opportunities for hunters who understand how to adjust. If you hunt elk on public land and want to

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13:13

HOW DO YOU PULL A HERD BULL AWAY FROM HIS COWS? | EP....

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/09/26

A herd bull is bugling, answering every call, and sounds ready to fight—but he refuses to leave his cows. What do you do next? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to break down one of the toughest situations in September elk hunting. He covers herd bull behavior, calling strategy, positioning, and the mistakes that can send a bull and his cows in the opposite direction. If you’re trying to improve your elk calling, understand rutting bull behavior,

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10:56

WHY ELK CALF CALLS DON'T WORK! | EP. 243

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/09/25

Do elk calf distress calls really work for calling mature bulls, or is this another elk-hunting tactic built around rare reactions and questionable claims? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 35 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to examine the theories behind calf distress calls. He looks at elk behavior, rut biology, herd dynamics, and what actually matters when you’re trying to create a high-percentage opportunity on public land. If you’re interested in elk calling, archery elk

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12:22

NEVER CALL BACK TO A BUGLING BULL - UNTIL YOU'VE DONE...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/09/20

When a bull elk bugles, your first move usually shouldn’t be calling back. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down the exact elk calling decision tree he uses to turn a bugling bull into a close-range encounter: read the bull, stay silent, close the distance, get inside the 80–120 yard bubble, assess whether he has cows, and only then decide what call to make. Learn when to use cow calls on a solo bull, when to bugle or rake at a herd bull, how to handle a bull that goes

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12:45

WHY MOST BOWHUNTERS BLOW THEIR BEST ELK ENCOUNTERS...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/09/04

Getting a bull elk inside 40 yards doesn’t finish the hunt—it starts the hardest part. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down why bowhunters blow close-range elk encounters and how to execute when a bull is finally in range. Learn how to identify shot lanes before the bull arrives, control movement and noise, choose the right time to draw your bow, avoid holding at full draw too early, stay disciplined under adrenaline, and wait for a high-percentage shot opportunity. If

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11:16

THE SILENT KILLER - HOW TO HUNT QUIET BULLS | EP. 237

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/09/03

When bull elk stop bugling, most hunters assume the elk are gone. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky explains how to find and hunt quiet bulls when elk aren’t talking, especially on pressured public land. Learn how to connect feeding areas, bedding cover, and the transition routes between them; read fresh tracks, droppings, beds, rubs, and grazing sign; identify saddles, pinch points, funnels, and security cover; and use glassing, wind, and patient observation to predict where a

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15:23

KILL YOUR FIRST ARCHERY BULL WITH THE BACKBONE SYSTEM...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/09/01

Killing your first archery bull elk takes more than calling harder or getting lucky. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down the Backbone System for archery elk hunting—from physical preparation and locating fresh elk sign to reading a bull’s behavior, closing distance, controlling the wind, choosing when to stay silent or call, and building a setup around a realistic bow range. Learn how to avoid the common mistakes that keep elk hunters stuck just outside shooting distance,

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17:05

WHY PRESSURED BULLS ARE ACTUALLY EASIER TO FIND | EP....

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/08/31

Hunting pressure doesn’t always make bull elk harder to find—it can make their behavior more predictable. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky explains how public land hunting pressure pushes mature bulls into specific security pockets, and how to use that movement to locate elk other hunters have given up on. Learn how to identify steep terrain, heavy cover, access barriers, escape routes, overlooked travel corridors, and pressure gaps while e-scouting, plus why bugling and

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16:35

HOW TO CLOSE DISTANCE ON A BEDDED BULL ELK WITHOUT...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/08/30

Closing the distance on a bedded bull elk is one of the most technical stalks in bowhunting. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down how to stalk a bedded elk without getting busted, including how to confirm the bull is truly bedded, locate unseen cows, read wind and thermals, choose an approach route, use terrain to stay hidden, and control your movement inside 150 yards. You’ll also learn what to do inside 60 yards, when to wait for the bull to stand, and how a single soft

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19:46

HOW TO HUNT ELK THE 4TH WEEK OF SEPTEMBER: PEAK RUT...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/08/29

September 22–30 can be one of the best elk hunting windows of the entire season. Herd bulls are breeding, protecting their cows and becoming increasingly vulnerable—but calling from long range still won’t pull them away from the herd.Part four of this September elk hunting series covers how to close inside a herd bull’s bubble, hunt bedded elk and use trailing bugles, raking and controlled aggression to force a response. Learn how to hunt transition zones, pressured elk and productive midday setups

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18:37

HOW TO HUNT ELK THE 3RD WEEK OF SEPTEMBER: FIND THE...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/08/28

September 15–21 is peak rut, but more bugling doesn’t make every bull easier to kill. A herd bull, satellite bull and pressured bull each require a completely different approach. Call the wrong bull the wrong way and the best week of September can disappear fast. Part three of this four-part September elk hunting series covers how to identify which bull you’re dealing with, use transition zones during the rut and choose the right calling strategy before making a sound. Learn when to cow call, when

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17:36

HOW TO HUNT ELK THE 2ND WEEK OF SEPTEMBER: THE ELK...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/08/27

September 8–14 is when elk behavior starts changing fast. Bulls begin separating, covering more ground, wallowing harder and making the first exploratory bugles of the season. The transition zones that produced last week may already be going cold.Part two of this four-part September elk hunting series covers how to recognize the pre-rut shift, relocate changing elk patterns and adjust your calling without becoming aggressive too early. Learn when to stay quiet, when to use a soft cow call and when

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254 results

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