Advertise on podcast: Backbone Unlimited Podcast

Should you hunt north-facing or south-facing slopes for elk in October and November? The best choice can change with the weather, snow, available feed and hunting pressure. In this episode of the Backbone Unlimited Podcast, Matt Hartsky breaks down how slope direction affects elk feeding areas, bedding cover and daily movement. Learn when to focus on sunny slopes, when to check shaded timber, and how to find travel routes connecting food and security. We cover warm weather, cold snaps, snowmelt, mountain winds and using fresh elk sign to decide where to hunt. If you’re planning a rifle or late-season elk hunt, this episode will help you look beyond compass direction and recognize where elk are spending their time. 📙 Elk Hunting E-Book Series (the complete elk hunting system — locating elk, reading pressure, wind and thermals, positioning, calling, and bowhunting execution) → https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books 📋 Elk Hunt Plan Audit — I'll personally review your specific unit, dates, access, terrain, pressure, wind strategy, and hunt approach before you head into the field → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/elk-hunt-plan-audit 👥 Team Backbone — Weekly coaching calls, ongoing elk hunting guidance, the full member vault, and a community of serious western hunters → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/membership 🦵 Backbone Unlimited Training Plans — Built specifically for the physical demands of mountain elk hunting: legs, lungs, durability, and the ability to handle hard miles under load → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/training 🥩 Nutrition Plans — Get leaner before season, fuel long days in the mountains, and dial in your hunting-season performance → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/nutrition

How do you hunt pressured elk on public land? When the easy spots fill with hunters and elk stop showing themselves, hiking farther isn’t always the answer. In this episode of the Backbone Unlimited Podcast, Matt Hartsky breaks down how to read hunting pressure and find the security cover elk move into. Learn how roads, trails, camps and hunter movement can help you narrow your search—and why overlooked terrain close to access can be worth checking. We cover fresh elk sign, alternative access routes, wind, still-hunting thick timber and when to keep calling or stay quiet. If you’re finding boot tracks instead of elk, this episode will help you adjust your plan and get into a better position. 📙 Elk Hunting E-Book Series (the complete elk hunting system — locating elk, reading pressure, wind and thermals, positioning, calling, and bowhunting execution) → https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books 📋 Elk Hunt Plan Audit — I'll personally review your specific unit, dates, access, terrain, pressure, wind strategy, and hunt approach before you head into the field → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/elk-hunt-plan-audit 👥 Team Backbone — Weekly coaching calls, ongoing elk hunting guidance, the full member vault, and a community of serious western hunters → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/membership 🦵 Backbone Unlimited Training Plans — Built specifically for the physical demands of mountain elk hunting: legs, lungs, durability, and the ability to handle hard miles under load → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/training 🥩 Nutrition Plans — Get leaner before season, fuel long days in the mountains, and dial in your hunting-season performance → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/nutrition

Should you glass, still-hunt, or sit and wait for elk? Choosing the right approach can make the difference between finding elk and spending the day hunting past them. In this episode of the Backbone Unlimited Podcast, Matt Hartsky breaks down when to use each method and how to adjust as the hunt unfolds. Learn how terrain, visibility, fresh sign, wind and elk movement help you decide whether to keep watching, move into cover or get ahead of a travel pattern. We cover glassing positions, slowing down in thick timber, choosing an ambush location, and planning your entry and exit. If you’re unsure whether to move or stay put, this episode will help you make that decision with a reason behind it. 📙 Elk Hunting E-Book Series (the complete elk hunting system — locating elk, reading pressure, wind and thermals, positioning, calling, and bowhunting execution) → https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books 📋 Elk Hunt Plan Audit — I'll personally review your specific unit, dates, access, terrain, pressure, wind strategy, and hunt approach before you head into the field → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/elk-hunt-plan-audit 👥 Team Backbone — Weekly coaching calls, ongoing elk hunting guidance, the full member vault, and a community of serious western hunters → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/membership 🦵 Backbone Unlimited Training Plans — Built specifically for the physical demands of mountain elk hunting: legs, lungs, durability, and the ability to handle hard miles under load → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/training 🥩 Nutrition Plans — Get leaner before season, fuel long days in the mountains, and dial in your hunting-season performance → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/nutrition

How do mature bull elk behave after the rut? A bull that spent September bugling and chasing cows may go quiet and become hard to find once breeding slows down. In this episode of the Backbone Unlimited Podcast, Matt Hartsky breaks down post-rut bull behavior and what it means for your October elk hunt. Learn how recovery, food and hunting pressure change where mature bulls spend their time, how far they move and whether they stay with the cows. We cover solitary bulls, small bachelor groups, reduced calling, daylight movement and why the end of the rut doesn’t automatically send bulls to lower elevations. If you’re finding cows but struggling to locate mature bulls, this episode will help you adjust your approach. 📙 Elk Hunting E-Book Series (the complete elk hunting system — locating elk, reading pressure, wind and thermals, positioning, calling, and bowhunting execution) → https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books 📋 Elk Hunt Plan Audit — I'll personally review your specific unit, dates, access, terrain, pressure, wind strategy, and hunt approach before you head into the field → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/elk-hunt-plan-audit 👥 Team Backbone — Weekly coaching calls, ongoing elk hunting guidance, the full member vault, and a community of serious western hunters → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/membership 🦵 Backbone Unlimited Training Plans — Built specifically for the physical demands of mountain elk hunting: legs, lungs, durability, and the ability to handle hard miles under load → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/training 🥩 Nutrition Plans — Get leaner before season, fuel long days in the mountains, and dial in your hunting-season performance → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/nutrition

What terrain should you target during rifle elk season? A north-facing slope or a big patch of dark timber can look promising on a map, but what makes it worth hunting? In this episode of the Backbone Unlimited Podcast, Matt Hartsky breaks down how to identify terrain that gives elk food, security and room to avoid hunting pressure. Learn what to look for in timbered benches, steep sidehills, hidden feeding areas, saddles and finger ridges—and how hunter access affects which spots elk actually use. We cover reading topo maps, adjusting to weather, glassing thick cover and using fresh elk sign to decide where to spend your time. If you’re struggling to narrow down a mountain during rifle season, this episode will help you choose where to start and when to move. 📙 Elk Hunting E-Book Series (the complete elk hunting system — locating elk, reading pressure, wind and thermals, positioning, calling, and bowhunting execution) → https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books 📋 Elk Hunt Plan Audit — I'll personally review your specific unit, dates, access, terrain, pressure, wind strategy, and hunt approach before you head into the field → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/elk-hunt-plan-audit 👥 Team Backbone — Weekly coaching calls, ongoing elk hunting guidance, the full member vault, and a community of serious western hunters → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/membership 🦵 Backbone Unlimited Training Plans — Built specifically for the physical demands of mountain elk hunting: legs, lungs, durability, and the ability to handle hard miles under load → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/training 🥩 Nutrition Plans — Get leaner before season, fuel long days in the mountains, and dial in your hunting-season performance → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/nutrition

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 moved far. In this episode of the Backbone Unlimited Podcast, Matt Hartsky breaks down how rifle-season pressure changes elk feeding areas, bedding locations and daily movement. Learn what to look for in security cover, how to find overlooked feeding pockets, and why the route between food and bedding can matter more than either location alone. We cover timbered benches, slope selection, post-rut bulls, fresh sign and hunting the daylight portion of an elk’s routine. If you’re glassing good feed without seeing elk, this episode will help you figure out where to focus next. 📙 Elk Hunting E-Book Series (the complete elk hunting system — locating elk, reading pressure, wind and thermals, positioning, calling, and bowhunting execution) → https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books 📋 Elk Hunt Plan Audit — I'll personally review your specific unit, dates, access, terrain, pressure, wind strategy, and hunt approach before you head into the field → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/elk-hunt-plan-audit 👥 Team Backbone — Weekly coaching calls, ongoing elk hunting guidance, the full member vault, and a community of serious western hunters → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/membership 🦵 Backbone Unlimited Training Plans — Built specifically for the physical demands of mountain elk hunting: legs, lungs, durability, and the ability to handle hard miles under load → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/training 🥩 Nutrition Plans — Get leaner before season, fuel long days in the mountains, and dial in your hunting-season performance → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/nutrition

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 episode of the Backbone Unlimited Podcast, Matt Hartsky breaks down how to choose where to hunt based on current conditions. Learn how feed, water, bedding cover, hunting pressure and weather influence where elk spend their time—and why heading higher isn’t always the answer. We cover e-scouting, access, habitat transitions, daily elk movement and using fresh sign to narrow your search. Whether you’re planning a public-land elk hunt or trying to find elk after your original plan falls apart, this episode will help you read the mountain and make better decisions. 📙 Elk Hunting E-Book Series (the complete elk hunting system — locating elk, reading pressure, wind and thermals, positioning, calling, and bowhunting execution) → https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books 📋 Elk Hunt Plan Audit — I'll personally review your specific unit, dates, access, terrain, pressure, wind strategy, and hunt approach before you head into the field → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/elk-hunt-plan-audit 👥 Team Backbone — Weekly coaching calls, ongoing elk hunting guidance, the full member vault, and a community of serious western hunters → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/membership 🦵 Backbone Unlimited Training Plans — Built specifically for the physical demands of mountain elk hunting: legs, lungs, durability, and the ability to handle hard miles under load → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/training 🥩 Nutrition Plans — Get leaner before season, fuel long days in the mountains, and dial in your hunting-season performance → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/nutrition

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. In this episode of the Backbone Unlimited Podcast, Matt Hartsky breaks down how to find pressured elk on public land by reading hunter movement, terrain and fresh sign. Learn how to identify escape routes, find overlooked security cover, and recognize when elk have moved nearby instead of leaving the area. We cover opening morning pressure, midday hunting, locating post-rut bulls away from cows, and adjusting your calling when elk go silent. If you’re finding hunters where you expected to find elk, this episode will help you decide your next move. 📙 Elk Hunting E-Book Series (the complete elk hunting system — locating elk, reading pressure, wind and thermals, positioning, calling, and bowhunting execution) → https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books 📋 Elk Hunt Plan Audit — I'll personally review your specific unit, dates, access, terrain, pressure, wind strategy, and hunt approach before you head into the field → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/elk-hunt-plan-audit 👥 Team Backbone — Weekly coaching calls, ongoing elk hunting guidance, the full member vault, and a community of serious western hunters → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/membership 🦵 Backbone Unlimited Training Plans — Built specifically for the physical demands of mountain elk hunting: legs, lungs, durability, and the ability to handle hard miles under load → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/training 🥩 Nutrition Plans — Get leaner before season, fuel long days in the mountains, and dial in your hunting-season performance → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/nutrition

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 the Backbone Unlimited Podcast, Matt Hartsky breaks down how elk behavior changes after the rut and how to adjust your October elk hunting strategy on public land. Learn what recovering bulls look for, how hunting pressure affects their location, and why cold weather doesn’t always mean elk have moved lower. We cover post-rut feeding and bedding areas, fresh elk sign, glassing, calling, and finding security cover hunters overlook. If your September spots have gone quiet, this episode will help you figure out where to look next. 📙 Elk Hunting E-Book Series (the complete elk hunting system — locating elk, reading pressure, wind and thermals, positioning, calling, and bowhunting execution) → https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books 📋 Elk Hunt Plan Audit — I'll personally review your specific unit, dates, access, terrain, pressure, wind strategy, and hunt approach before you head into the field → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/elk-hunt-plan-audit 👥 Team Backbone — Weekly coaching calls, ongoing elk hunting guidance, the full member vault, and a community of serious western hunters → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/membership 🦵 Backbone Unlimited Training Plans — Built specifically for the physical demands of mountain elk hunting: legs, lungs, durability, and the ability to handle hard miles under load → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/training 🥩 Nutrition Plans — Get leaner before season, fuel long days in the mountains, and dial in your hunting-season performance → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/nutrition

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 draws from 34 years of elk hunting experience to explain why an area covered in elk sign can still waste days of your hunt. He covers the difference between finding evidence that elk have used an area and finding information that can lead to a real opportunity. If you struggle to judge fresh versus old elk sign, keep following tracks without catching up, or repeatedly hunt areas that look perfect but feel empty, this episode will help you read the story behind the sign. 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 draws from 34 years of elk hunting experience to explain why an area covered in elk sign can still waste days of your hunt. He covers the difference between finding evidence that elk have used an area and finding information that can lead to a real opportunity. If you struggle to judge fresh versus old elk sign, keep following tracks without catching up, or repeatedly hunt areas that look perfect but feel empty, this episode will help you read the story behind the sign. 📙 Elk Hunting E-Book Series (the complete elk hunting system — locating elk, reading pressure, wind and thermals, positioning, calling, and bowhunting execution) → https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books 📋 Elk Hunt Plan Audit — I'll personally review your specific unit, dates, access, terrain, pressure, wind strategy, and hunt approach before you head into the field → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/elk-hunt-plan-audit 👥 Team Backbone — Weekly coaching calls, ongoing elk hunting guidance, the full member vault, and a community of serious western hunters → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/membership 🦵 Backbone Unlimited Training Plans — Built specifically for the physical demands of mountain elk hunting: legs, lungs, durability, and the ability to handle hard miles under load → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/training 🥩 Nutrition Plans — Get leaner before season, fuel long days in the mountains, and dial in your hunting-season performance → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/nutrition

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 guiding experience to explain how he approaches unfamiliar public land. He covers the mistakes that waste time, the information that helps narrow a large unit, and how to avoid hiking mile after mile without getting any closer to elk. If you’re hunting a new unit, facing miles of timber and multiple drainages, or struggling to find elk when you aren’t hearing bugles or seeing fresh tracks, this episode will help you start with a better plan. 📙 Elk Hunting E-Book Series (the complete elk hunting system — locating elk, reading pressure, wind and thermals, positioning, calling, and bowhunting execution) → https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books 📋 Elk Hunt Plan Audit — I'll personally review your specific unit, dates, access, terrain, pressure, wind strategy, and hunt approach before you head into the field → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/elk-hunt-plan-audit 👥 Team Backbone — Weekly coaching calls, ongoing elk hunting guidance, the full member vault, and a community of serious western hunters → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/membership 🦵 Backbone Unlimited Training Plans — Built specifically for the physical demands of mountain elk hunting: legs, lungs, durability, and the ability to handle hard miles under load → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/training 🥩 Nutrition Plans — Get leaner before season, fuel long days in the mountains, and dial in your hunting-season performance → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/nutrition

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 the hardest decisions on a public-land hunt. Leave too soon and you may abandon good elk country. Stay too long and you can waste valuable days hunting elk that are no longer there. Matt covers silent elk, fresh versus old sign, changing hunting pressure, blown setups, and the evidence he uses to decide whether to stay, adjust, or move on. If you’ve ever spent hours debating whether an area is quiet or truly empty, this episode will help you make that decision with more confidence. 📙 Elk Hunting E-Book Series (the complete elk hunting system — locating elk, reading pressure, wind and thermals, positioning, calling, and bowhunting execution) → https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books 📋 Elk Hunt Plan Audit — I'll personally review your specific unit, dates, access, terrain, pressure, wind strategy, and hunt approach before you head into the field → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/elk-hunt-plan-audit 👥 Team Backbone — Weekly coaching calls, ongoing elk hunting guidance, the full member vault, and a community of serious western hunters → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/membership 🦵 Backbone Unlimited Training Plans — Built specifically for the physical demands of mountain elk hunting: legs, lungs, durability, and the ability to handle hard miles under load → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/training 🥩 Nutrition Plans — Get leaner before season, fuel long days in the mountains, and dial in your hunting-season performance → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/nutrition

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 challenges each part of the day creates. He covers September elk movement, changing mountain thermals, feed-to-bed transitions, time pressure, and why morning and evening hunts require different strategies. If you’re deciding when to hunt your best area, trying to plan around work or limited hunting time, or wondering why the same approach doesn’t produce at both ends of the day, this episode will help you choose the right opportunity for the situation. 📙 Elk Hunting E-Book Series (the complete elk hunting system — locating elk, reading pressure, wind and thermals, positioning, calling, and bowhunting execution) → https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books 📋 Elk Hunt Plan Audit — I'll personally review your specific unit, dates, access, terrain, pressure, wind strategy, and hunt approach before you head into the field → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/elk-hunt-plan-audit 👥 Team Backbone — Weekly coaching calls, ongoing elk hunting guidance, the full member vault, and a community of serious western hunters → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/membership 🦵 Backbone Unlimited Training Plans — Built specifically for the physical demands of mountain elk hunting: legs, lungs, durability, and the ability to handle hard miles under load → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/training 🥩 Nutrition Plans — Get leaner before season, fuel long days in the mountains, and dial in your hunting-season performance → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/nutrition

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 best—and easiest to ruin—opportunities in archery elk hunting. He covers the decisions that matter when a bull is bedded, the risks of moving too quickly, and how calling, wind, terrain, and position can change the entire setup. If you’ve ever found a bedded bull but weren’t sure whether to move, wait, call, or back out, this episode will help you approach the situation with a better plan. 📙 Elk Hunting E-Book Series (the complete elk hunting system — locating elk, reading pressure, wind and thermals, positioning, calling, and bowhunting execution) → https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books 📋 Elk Hunt Plan Audit — I'll personally review your specific unit, dates, access, terrain, pressure, wind strategy, and hunt approach before you head into the field → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/elk-hunt-plan-audit 👥 Team Backbone — Weekly coaching calls, ongoing elk hunting guidance, the full member vault, and a community of serious western hunters → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/membership 🦵 Backbone Unlimited Training Plans — Built specifically for the physical demands of mountain elk hunting: legs, lungs, durability, and the ability to handle hard miles under load → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/training 🥩 Nutrition Plans — Get leaner before season, fuel long days in the mountains, and dial in your hunting-season performance → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/nutrition

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 experience to break down one of the most dangerous situations in close-range bowhunting. He explains how unstable mountain wind and changing thermals can ruin an otherwise perfect setup—and why being close to a bull can lead hunters into rushed decisions. If swirling wind has cost you elk, or you struggle to decide whether to hold your position, make a move, or protect the opportunity for later, this episode will help you read the situation more clearly. 📙 Elk Hunting E-Book Series (the complete elk hunting system — locating elk, reading pressure, wind and thermals, positioning, calling, and bowhunting execution) → https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books 📋 Elk Hunt Plan Audit — I'll personally review your specific unit, dates, access, terrain, pressure, wind strategy, and hunt approach before you head into the field → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/elk-hunt-plan-audit 👥 Team Backbone — Weekly coaching calls, ongoing elk hunting guidance, the full member vault, and a community of serious western hunters → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/membership 🦵 Backbone Unlimited Training Plans — Built specifically for the physical demands of mountain elk hunting: legs, lungs, durability, and the ability to handle hard miles under load → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/training 🥩 Nutrition Plans — Get leaner before season, fuel long days in the mountains, and dial in your hunting-season performance → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/nutrition