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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

14:06

HUNTING ELK IN TIMBER? USE THIS WIND STRATEGY | 🎙️...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/04/11

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

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12:36

WHAT IF THE 2026 ELK HUNTING SEASON IS HOT? MOST...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/04/10

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

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12:25

MULE DEER HUNTERS ARE OVERLOOKING THE BEST HABITAT...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/04/09

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

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13:16

ELK HUNTERS MUST UNDERSTAND THIS DAILY PATTERN TO...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/04/08

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

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14:49

THE NUMBER 1 REASON SOME ELK HUNTERS KILL BULLS EVERY...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/04/07

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

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17:32

KILL MORE ELK WITH THIS MORNING PATTERN MOST HUNTERS...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/04/06

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

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19:29

HOW FAR DO ELK TRAVEL IN 24 HOURS - MOST HUNTERS GET...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/04/05

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

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17:40

WHY "JUST HUNT HARDER" IS BAD ELK HUNTING ADVICE | 🎙️...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/04/04

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,

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18:40

THE ELK HUNTING STRATEGY THAT BEATS SWIRLING WIND |...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/04/03

In this episode Matt Hartsky breaks down one of the most frustrating and misunderstood challenges in elk hunting—swirling wind—and why it consistently ruins encounters for hunters who don’t fully understand what’s happening. In steep mountain terrain, wind rarely behaves the way most people expect, and assuming it will follow simple patterns is often what leads to blown setups. Drawing from more than 34 years of Western hunting experience, Matt explains why swirling wind develops, the specific

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24:57

BLACK BEAR HUNTING - THE RIGHT WAY TO HUNT WATER FOR...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/04/02

In this episode Matt Hartsky breaks down the biggest mistake hunters make when trying to find mature black bears around water in the West. Most hunters know water matters, especially in dry country, but very few understand how bears actually use it in relation to feeding areas and bedding cover. That gap in understanding leads to wasted time, poor setups, and missed opportunities. After more than 34 years of Western hunting, Matt explains why black bears rarely use obvious water sources the way

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12:41

ELK HUNTING THIS SPOT WILL HELP YOU KILL MORE BULLS |...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/04/01

In this episode, Matt Hartsky breaks down one of the most overlooked terrain features in elk country and how it quietly controls the way elk move through the mountains. Most hunters spend years hiking past these spots without realizing how often elk naturally funnel through them while traveling between feeding areas, bedding cover, and neighboring drainages. Drawing from more than three decades of experience hunting Western public land, Matt explains how terrain—not chance—shapes elk movement. He

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19:25

ELK HUNTING HAS CHANGED IN 2026 - HOW HUNTERS ARE...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/03/31

In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down why elk hunting feels different across the West in 2026—and what serious hunters need to understand to keep finding bulls. With extremely dry winters, reduced snowpack, earlier green-up, and increasing public land pressure, elk are using the landscape differently than many hunters are used to. Basins feel quieter, traditional spots seem empty, and daytime activity can feel inconsistent—but that doesn’t mean the elk are gone. Drawing

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17:35

BULLS DO THIS RIGHT BEFORE YOU SEE THEM - HOW ELK...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/03/30

In this episode, Matt Hartsky breaks down a moment every elk hunter eventually faces in the mountains. A bull answers your call, the encounter builds, and it feels like everything is about to come together—until the bull suddenly disappears. The mountain goes quiet, the opportunity fades, and you’re left trying to make sense of what just happened. These encounters are extremely common, especially on pressured public land. Many hunters assume the bull simply lost interest or moved on. But in reality,

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22:33

ELK LOVE THIS TERRAIN FEATURE - MOST ELK HUNTERS...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/03/29

In this episode, Matt Hartsky breaks down one of the most overlooked terrain features in Western elk hunting—and why understanding it can completely change how you read elk country. After more than three decades of hunting Western big game, Matt explains how this feature quietly influences elk movement, bedding, and travel in steep mountain terrain, even though most hunters walk right past it without ever recognizing its importance.Matt walks through how to identify these areas using

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18:34

HOW TO READ A MULE DEER BASIN IN 5 MINUTES: FIND...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/03/28

In this episode, Matt Hartsky breaks down one of the most critical skills in Western mule deer hunting—how to quickly identify real buck country across the mountains of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Colorado. Too many hunters spend entire seasons in beautiful-looking deer habitat that holds numbers, but not mature bucks. The difference is subtle, and if you don’t understand it, you’ll keep glassing the right places for the wrong deer. Matt explains how experienced hunters evaluate terrain fast by

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19:32

YOU DREW AN ARIZONA NON-RESIDENT ELK TAG, NOW WHAT?...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/03/21

Elk Hunting e-Books 👉 https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-booksIn this episode of the Backbone Unlimited podcast, Matt Hartsky breaks down what to do after drawing an Arizona elk tag as a non-resident and how to turn years of waiting into a disciplined, structured hunting plan. Drawing an Arizona elk tag is one of the most anticipated moments in Western big game hunting, but the excitement of finally pulling a permit can easily distort preparation if hunters allow

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14:05

THE BEST MOVE AFTER A BLACK BEAR VANISHES MIN-STALK -...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/03/20

Bear Hunting e-Books 👉 https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/bear-hunting-series-e-booksIn this episode of the Backbone Unlimited podcast, Matt Hartsky breaks down one of the most frustrating moments in spot-and-stalk bear hunting: when a black bear suddenly disappears in the middle of a stalk. Nearly every Western bear hunter experiences this at some point, especially in broken mountain terrain where bears can slip behind ridges, brush pockets, or timber without making a sound. When that

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18:08

HOW TO READ AN ELK BASIN IN 5 MINUTES | FIND PUBLIC...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/03/19

Elk Hunting e-Books 👉 https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-booksIn this episode Matt Hartsky breaks down how to read an elk basin in just five minutes. If you hunt elk on Western public land in states like Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, or Colorado, learning how to quickly evaluate terrain can determine whether you waste days in dead country or position yourself where elk actually live and move. Most elk hunters climb to a ridge, glass a basin, and hope to see elk. But

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19:44

YOU DREW AN IDAHO NON-RESIDENT ELK TAG, NOW WHAT? 90...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/03/18

In this episode of the Backbone Unlimited podcast, Matt Hartsky breaks down exactly what to do after drawing an Idaho elk tag as a non-resident. Drawing a tag is only the beginning. Success in Idaho’s elk country depends on how well you prepare for the specific zone you drew and how disciplined your preparation becomes long before opening morning.Matt walks through a structured preparation framework designed specifically for Western public land elk hunters. Instead of relying on excitement or

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12:57

IS KAPTURE THE BEST DIGISCOPING SYSTEM FOR WESTERN...

Backbone Unlimited Podcast ·

2026/03/17

Kapture delivers one of the simplest, strongest digiscoping systems on the market, letting you lock your phone to your bino or spotter in seconds. Their rugged magnetic design gives hunters pro-level photos and video without fumbling with bulky adapters. Kapture Discount: Use code BACKBONE for 10% off: https://kapturegear.com/?bg_ref=gCD000n5fB In this episode of the Backbone Unlimited podcast, Matt Hartsky gives a full, honest review of the Kapture Gear magnetic digiscoping system—equipment he

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166 results

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