BEAR HUNTING GLASSING GUIDE | WHERE TO LOOK TO FIND BEARS | 🎙️ EP. 131

Backbone Unlimited Podcast · Feb 19, 2026 · 11m

In this episode Matt Hartsky breaks down where to glass for spring black bears—and why so many hunters spend full days behind optics without ever spotting one. After more than three decades of Western black bear hunting, Matt explains that the issue is rarely a lack of bears. It’s almost always a glassing problem. Too many hunters pick big, scenic viewpoints and assume elevation equals opportunity, when in reality bears reveal themselves in very specific terrain under very specific spring conditions. Matt walks through the most common glassing mistakes, including focusing on shaded slopes…