Shows / Backbone Unlimited Podcast
Backbone Unlimited Podcast
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…
Episodes
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
WHERE DO ELK FEED AND BED DURING RIFLE SEASON? | EP. 267
Where do elk feed and bed during rifle season? A meadow full of elk before opening day can look empty once hunting pressure hits—even when the elk haven’t…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
WHAT ELEVATION SHOULD I HUNT ELK AT IN OCTOBER? | EP. 266
What elevation should you hunt elk at? It’s easy to spend days searching one elevation band because that’s where someone told you elk should be. In this…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
HOW DO YOU FIND ELK AFTER RIFLE PRESSURE HITS? | EP. 265
How do you find elk after rifle pressure starts? When camps fill up and shots start going off, the places that held elk before opening day can go quiet fast…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
WHERE SHOULD I HUNT ELK IN OCTOBER AFTER THE RUT? | EP. 264
Where do elk go in October after the rut? Finding cows, old wallows and September rut sign doesn’t always put you close to a mature bull. In this episode of…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
I'M FINDING TONS OF ELK SIGN BUT I'M NOT FINDING ELK, WHAT AM I DOING WRONG? | EP. 263
You’re finding tracks, rubs, wallows, droppings, and heavily used trails—but you still can’t find the elk. What are you missing? In this episode, Matt Hartsky…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
HOW DO YOU LOCATE ELK WHEN YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THEY ARE? | EP. 262
How do you locate elk when you arrive in a new area and have no idea where to begin? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN IT'S TIME TO LEAVE AN AREA AND FIND NEW ELK? | EP. 261
How do you know when it’s time to leave an area and find new elk? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting experience to tackle one of…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
ARE MORNINGS OR EVENINGS ACTUALLY BETTER FOR KILLING ELK? | EP. 260
Are mornings or evenings better for killing elk? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting experience to compare the opportunities and…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
YOU FOUND A BEDDED BULL, NOW HERE'S THE GAME PLAN | EP. 259
You’ve located a bedded bull elk. What should you do next? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting experience to break down one of the…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN ELK HUNTING AND THE WIND STARTS SWIRLING? | EP. 258
What should you do when the wind starts swirling after you’ve already worked close to elk? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
WHERE SHOULD I HUNT ELK IN OCTOBER AFTER THE RUT? | EP. 257
Where do elk go in October after the rut winds down and the bulls seem to disappear? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
HOW DO YOU FIND ELK AFTER RIFLE PRESSURE HITS? | EP. 256
Where do elk go when rifle pressure hits and the places that held them before the season suddenly go quiet? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
WHAT ELEVATION SHOULD I HUNT ELK AT IN OCTOBER? | EP. 255
What elevation should you hunt elk at in October? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to explain why…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
DO ELK STILL BUGLE IN OCTOBER? | EP. 254
Do elk still bugle in October, or does the mountain go quiet when September ends? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
WHERE DO ELK FEED AND BED DURING RIFLE SEASON? | EP. 253
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…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
HOW DOES SNOW CHANGE WHERE ELK ARE LOCATED? | EP. 252
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…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
HOW DO MATURE BULL ELK BEHAVE AFTER THE RUT? | EP. 251
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…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
WHAT TERRAIN SHOULD YOU TARGET DURING RIFLE ELK SEASON? | EP. 250
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…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
HOW DO YOU FIND ELK IN THICK TIMBER WHEN YOU CAN'T GLASS? | EP. 249
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…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY DO FROM 10AM TO 4PM WHEN ELK ARE BEDDED? | EP. 248
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…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN THE ELK JUST AREN'T BUGLING? | EP. 247
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…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
IF YOU COULD ONLY PICK ONE WEEK IN SEPTEMBER TO BOWHUNT ELK WHICH WOULD IT BE? | EP. 246
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…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
ELK HUNTING IN THE RAIN: WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? | EP. 245
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…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
HOW DO YOU PULL A HERD BULL AWAY FROM HIS COWS? | EP. 244
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…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
WHY ELK CALF CALLS DON'T WORK! | EP. 243
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…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
NEVER CALL BACK TO A BUGLING BULL - UNTIL YOU'VE DONE THIS | EP. 236
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…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
WHY MOST BOWHUNTERS BLOW THEIR BEST ELK ENCOUNTERS INSIDE 40 YARDS | EP. 238
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…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
THE SILENT KILLER - HOW TO HUNT QUIET BULLS | EP. 237
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…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
KILL YOUR FIRST ARCHERY BULL WITH THE BACKBONE SYSTEM | EP. 235
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 Unlimited Podcast
WHY PRESSURED BULLS ARE ACTUALLY EASIER TO FIND | EP. 234
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…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
HOW TO CLOSE DISTANCE ON A BEDDED BULL ELK WITHOUT BLOWING THE ENCOUNTER | EP. 233
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…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
HOW TO HUNT ELK THE 4TH WEEK OF SEPTEMBER: PEAK RUT ELK HUNTING TIPS | EP. 242
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…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
HOW TO HUNT ELK THE 3RD WEEK OF SEPTEMBER: FIND THE BULL, READ THE BULL, CALL THE BULL | EP. 241
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…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
HOW TO HUNT ELK THE 2ND WEEK OF SEPTEMBER: THE ELK ARE SHIFTING, SO SHOULD YOU | EP. 240
September 8–14 is when elk behavior starts changing fast. Bulls begin separating, covering more ground, wallowing harder and making the first exploratory…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
HOW TO HUNT ELK THE 1ST WEEK OF SEPTEMBER: OWN THE TRANSITION ZONE BEFORE THE RUT STARTS | EP. 239
September 1–7 is a positioning hunt—not a rut hunt. Early-season bulls are still focused on feeding, bedding and moving through predictable transition zones…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
THE 200 ACRE POCKET EVERY MATURE BULL ELK USES | HERE'S HOW TO FIND IT | EP. 232
Stop hunting random elk sign and start finding where mature bull elk actually live. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down how to…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
THE ART OF PLAYING THE WIND ON A SPOT AND STALK HUNT | EP. 231
Wind ruins more elk stalks than bad shooting ever will. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down how to manage wind and thermals while…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
BUGLE OR COW CALL? HOW TO KNOW WHICH ELK CALL TO USE | EP. 230
When should you bugle for elk, when should you cow call, and when is the best call no call at all? In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THERMALS LIKE I'M A BRAND NEW ELK HUNTER? | EP. 229
Elk hunting thermals are one of the most misunderstood parts of hunting western elk — and if your entire strategy is “thermals rise in the morning and fall in…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
21 WAYS PRESSURE CHANGES ELK BEHAVIOR AND HOW TO HUNT THEM | EP. 228
Hunting pressure can completely change elk behavior — and if you hunt pressured public-land elk the same way you hunt unpressured elk, you're making an already…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
FIND ELK ON PRESSURED PUBLIC LAND WITH THE BACKBONE SYSTEM | EP. 227
Finding elk on pressured public land isn’t about hiking farther than everyone else. It’s about understanding where hunting pressure comes from, how elk respond…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
FINDING ELK SIGN BUT NO ELK? HERE'S HOW TO ACTUALLY USE SIGN TO HUNT ELK | EP. 226
Fresh Elk Sign But No Elk? You’re Probably Making This Mistake You’re finding fresh elk tracks, droppings, beds, and rubs—but you still can’t actually find the…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
ELK AREN'T BUGLING? HERE'S HOW I HUNT SILENT BULLS | EP. 225
Please note, this episode for how I locate and break down a transition zone to hunt silent bulls is a very visual piece of content you may want to watch here…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
20 RAPID FIRE ELK HUNTING TIPS WITH EVAN HUNTER - THE ELK NERD | EP. 224
What does the research actually say about finding, calling, and killing elk on pressured public land? In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky sits…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
HOW TO FIND ELK IN A NEW AREA | WHERE I START EVERY ELK HUNT | EP. 223
Starting fresh on a new elk unit is one of the most disorienting situations in the sport — and most hunters respond by loading waypoints near the closest…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
STOP HUNTING ELK SIGN - START HUNTING THE BULL! | EP. 222
Finding elk sign doesn’t mean you’ve found the bull. You can spend days hunting a torn-up wallow, a heavy rub line, or fresh-looking tracks—and never lay eyes…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
THE BEST ELK HUNTING TRAINING TOOL - BUILD REAL MOUNTAIN FITNESS | EP. 221
The Best Training Tool for Elk Hunting Most elk hunters don’t fail because they didn’t work hard enough before season. They fail because their training didn’t…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
THE BEST WAY TO SCOUT MATURE MULE DEER BUCKS IN AUGUST - MUST HEAR MULE DEER HUNTING TIPS | EP. 220
August is one of the best months of the year to locate mature mule deer bucks — but finding a big velvet buck is only valuable if you understand what his…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
THE BEST ELK HUNTING MAP STRATEGY FOR FINDING WATER SOURCES | EP. 219
Most elk hunters see a blue line on a digital map, mark it as water, and start hiking. Two days later, they’ve checked multiple dry creeks, pressured good…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
YOU'RE HUNTING EARLY SEASON ELK AND RUTTING BULLS THE SAME WAY - AND ITS COSTING YOU | EP. 218
Early season elk hunting and hunting rutting bulls require two completely different strategies. Yet every September, hunters arrive with the same calls, the…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
I'M 49 NOW - HERE'S MY BIGGEST ELK HUNTING MISTAKES | EP. 217
At 49 years old, after 34 years of hunting and guiding elk across the West, I’ve made enough mistakes to know which ones cost hunters the most. This episode…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
MOST ELK HUNTERS ONLY PLAN FOR 2 DAYS - HERES THE 10 DAY SYSTEM | EP. 216
Most elk hunters have a plan for opening morning. Very few have a clear elk hunting strategy for days 4, 6, 8, or 10. That’s why so many promising 10-day elk…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
HOW TO HUNT ELK WHEN YOU CAN'T GLASS - TIMBER ELK HUNTING | EP. 215
How do you find and kill elk when glassing isn’t an option? In thick timber elk country, visibility may be limited to 50 yards or less. There are no open…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
THE REAL REASON SOLO ELK HUNTERS FAIL - IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK | EP. 214
Day three of a solo elk hunt can break a hunter. Your body hurts, camp is cold, the elk aren’t cooperating, and there’s nobody beside you to rebuild your…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
HOW TO TRAIN FOR HIGH ALTITUDE ELK HUNTING WHEN YOU LIVE AT SEA LEVEL | EP. 213
Living at low elevation doesn’t mean you have to spend the first several days of your elk hunt struggling to breathe, fighting heavy legs, and waiting for your…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
THE WORST 8 ELK CALLING MISTAKES - ARE YOU GUILTY? | EP. 212
You had a bull responding. He was closing the distance. Then he slowed down, stopped, circled, went silent, or disappeared completely. Most elk hunters assume…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
HOW TO USE TERRAIN LIKE AN ELK HUNTING WEAPON - MOST HUNTERS FIGHT IT | EP. 211
Two elk hunters can hunt the same drainage, face the same pressure, and chase the same bulls—yet experience completely different results. One spends the week…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
MOST ELK HUNTERS ONLY PLAN FOR 2 DAYS - HERE'S THE 10 DAY SYSTEM | 🎙️ EP. 210
Most elk hunters plan opening morning. Very few build an elk hunting strategy that carries them from day one through day ten. In this episode of the Backbone…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
HOW TO FIND ELK IN THE FIRST 48 HOURS - THE ELK HUNTING SYSTEM | 🎙️ EP. 209
The first 48 hours of an elk hunt can determine whether you spend the rest of the week executing a plan—or wandering through public land hoping to get lucky…
- Backbone Unlimited Podcast
10 ELK HUNTING MISTAKES MOST HUNTERS KEEP MAKING (HERE'S WHAT TO DO INSTEAD) | 🎙️ EP. 208
Most public land elk hunters don’t go home empty-handed because there weren’t enough elk, the unit was bad, or the weather ruined their hunt. They go home…