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 effectively. Episodes cover elk hunting strategy, mule deer hunting, bear hunting, public land tactics, archery elk hunting, rifle hunting, e-scouting, scouting, glassing, calling, bedding areas, feed, water, transition zones, mountain fitness, hunt planning, field decision-making, meat care, gear, pack-outs, and the mindset it takes to keep improving season after season. If you’re serious about becoming a more capable western hunter, Backbone Unlimited is built to help you train harder, hunt smarter, and never settle.
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 country, and still haven’t found elk. That’s not scouting. That’s hiking. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down how to find high-probability elk water on a map before you ever set foot in the mountains. You’ll learn how to separate reliable September water from seasonal drainages, locate hidden springs and seeps using satellite imagery, and identify the unmarked water sources other hunters overlook. Water alone doesn’t mean elk. The best water sources sit where multiple factors converge: secure bedding cover, clean wind access, low hunting pressure, favorable terrain, and nearby elk sign. Inside this episode, you’ll learn: How to evaluate creeks, ponds, springs, seeps, and wallows on a digital hunting map Why elevation, drainage size, shade, and drought conditions determine water reliability How to use green vegetation and terrain features to locate unmarked water The three filters every water source must pass: bedding proximity, wind access, and hunting pressure How elk water during early September, warm weather, and the rut How to identify active wallows and hunt the approach without burning the area How to rank your top water sources and build a backup plan before leaving home Two focused hours of elk map scouting can save you two full days of guesswork in the mountains. Whether you’re preparing for an early-season archery elk hunt, hunting pressured public land, or trying to improve your elk e-scouting system, this episode will help you eliminate low-probability country and concentrate your time where elk are most likely to be. 📙 Elk Hunting E-Book Series (the complete elk hunting system) → https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books If you want to take it further: 📋 Elk Hunt Plan Audit — I'll personally review your specific maps, terrain, access routes, pressure points, and wind strategy before you head into the field → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/elk-hunt-plan-audit 👥 Team Backbone — Daily guidance, accountability, and a community of serious western hunters putting in the work right alongside you → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/membership 🦵 Backbone Unlimited Training Plans — Built specifically for the physical demands of mountain elk hunting: legs, lungs, and the ability to handle miles under load day after day → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/training 🥩 Nutrition Plans — Get leaner before season, fuel long days in the field, and dial in your in-season performance → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/nutrition
Early season elk hunting and hunting rutting bulls require two completely different strategies. Yet every September, hunters arrive with the same calls, the same marked locations, and the same plan—whether they’re hunting September 1 or September 20. In this episode, Matt Hartsky explains why using rut tactics on early season elk can destroy predictable patterns, educate bulls, and make the rest of your season harder. He also breaks down why patient, structure-based early season tactics become a liability once the rut begins and elk start reorganizing their movement around cows and breeding. You’ll learn how to hunt early season elk by identifying feed-to-timber transitions, water corridors, terrain pinch points, bedding routes, fresh sign, and other predictable movement patterns. Matt explains why early September calling should usually be minimal, why aggressive bugling can push bulls out of huntable areas, and how to protect productive locations instead of pressuring them until they go cold. Then, the episode shifts into rut hunting strategy: locating vocal elk, staying mobile, closing distance, reading individual bulls, and adjusting your calling approach for herd bulls versus satellite bulls. Matt also explains why early season locations such as wallows and water sources may become rut traps once bulls begin following cows across multiple drainages. Most importantly, you’ll learn the four signals that tell you when it’s time to switch playbooks: natural vocalization, extended daylight movement, bulls mixing with cow groups, and aggressive responses to calling. Whether you’re bowhunting elk during the first week of September or chasing bugling bulls during the peak rut, this episode will help you recognize which phase you’re actually hunting—and choose the tactics that match it. If you want my eyes on your actual elk hunt plan before you head into the field — your maps, access, terrain, pressure points, wind and thermals, and overall strategy — book an Elk Hunt Plan Audit and I'll help you build the right approach for whichever phase of September you're hunting: https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/elk-hunt-plan-audit If you want to study the complete elk hunting system on your own, start with my Elk Hunting Series E-Books: https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books For daily guidance, accountability, and a community of serious western hunters working toward the same goals, join Team Backbone: https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/membership If the missing piece is your body — legs, lungs, and the ability to handle mountain miles under a heavy pack across all of September — check out my Backbone Unlimited Training Plans: https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/training For pre-season body composition, in-field fueling, and in-season performance nutrition, check out my Nutrition Plans: https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/nutrition
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 isn’t about the bulls I’ve killed, the hunts that went according to plan, or the decisions that made me look like I had everything figured out. It’s an honest breakdown of the elk hunting mistakes that cost me opportunities, unfilled tags, wounded confidence, and—in one case—an animal I never recovered. Experience doesn’t automatically make you a better elk hunter. Honest experience does. In this episode, I break down seven hard-earned elk hunting lessons that changed how I call, move, set up, train, manage the wind, and make decisions under pressure. You’ll learn: • Why blaming weather, hunting pressure, moon phase, or other hunters prevents real improvement • How overcalling can stop a committed bull and destroy an otherwise perfect setup • Why wind direction must control every move you make in elk country • How hunting comfortable, familiar terrain can keep you away from pressured elk • Why shot discipline and ethical bowhunting standards can never change in the moment • When leaving good elk country is actually the wrong decision • Why traditional gym fitness doesn’t always prepare you for a demanding backcountry elk hunt I also share the mistake that still haunts me most: taking a shot I knew wasn’t right. The angle was poor. The bull was moving. The distance was beyond what I’d prepared for. I released anyway, wounded the bull, and never recovered him. That decision permanently changed the standards I carry into the mountains. Elk hunting success isn’t only about finding elk or becoming a better caller. It’s about controlling your emotions when a bull is close, respecting the wind, trusting good country, maintaining your shooting standards, and preparing your body for multiple hard days in steep terrain. These lessons apply whether you’re preparing for your first public-land elk hunt or you’ve spent decades chasing bulls with a bow. You’re going to make mistakes in elk country. The question is whether you’ll accept responsibility, study what happened, and make sure the same mistake doesn’t cost you again. Thirty-four years. Seven mistakes. These are the ones that cost me the most. I hope they cost you less. Listen now for a direct, honest discussion about elk calling mistakes, wind management, public-land hunting pressure, ethical shot selection, backcountry hunting fitness, staying in productive elk country, and becoming a more consistent elk hunter. Explore the Backbone Unlimited elk hunting e-book series, training plans, nutrition programs, and personalized Elk Hunt Plan Audits at BackboneUnlimited.com.
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 hunts start falling apart halfway through the trip. Fatigue builds, the elk aren’t cooperating, confidence drops, and hunters begin making emotional decisions they should’ve made before ever reaching the trailhead. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down a complete day-by-day plan for a 10-day elk hunt. Instead of treating the entire hunt like one long push, you’ll learn how to divide it into four distinct phases—each with its own objective, decision rules, opportunities, and potential mistakes. You’ll learn: • Why days 1 and 2 should focus on locating elk and building information • How to hunt days 3 through 5 without abandoning good elk country too soon • When fresh elk sign means you should stay—and when cold sign means it’s time to move • Why days 6 through 8 are the critical grind phase of a backcountry elk hunt • How to make a strategic move while there’s still enough time to capitalize on it • Why days 9 and 10 must remain complete hunting days • How to plan your morning, midday, and evening hunting windows • When midday recovery is smart—and when staying close to bedded elk creates opportunity • How to prepare for fatigue, changing conditions, pressure, and declining confidence • Why your elk pack-out plan must be solved before a bull is on the ground Whether you’re preparing for an archery elk hunt, rifle elk hunt, guided hunt, or a do-it-yourself public-land elk hunt, this episode will help you build a plan that extends beyond opening weekend. Matt draws from 34 years of western elk hunting and guiding experience, along with 30 years as a professional strength, conditioning, and nutrition coach, to explain why hunters who perform for the full duration of a difficult hunt are rarely relying on motivation alone. They’ve built a system that tells them what to do when the excitement fades, the body gets tired, and the easy decisions disappear. A 10-day elk hunt gives you enough time to locate elk, learn their patterns, adjust your strategy, recover from mistakes, and still fill your tag—but only when every day has a purpose. If you want my eyes on your actual elk hunt plan before you head into the field — your maps, access, terrain, pressure points, wind and thermals, and overall strategy — book an Elk Hunt Plan Audit and I'll help you build the right approach for whichever phase of September you're hunting: https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/elk-hunt-plan-audit If you want to study the complete elk hunting system on your own, start with my Elk Hunting Series E-Books: https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books For daily guidance, accountability, and a community of serious western hunters working toward the same goals, join Team Backbone: https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/membership If the missing piece is your body — legs, lungs, and the ability to handle mountain miles under a heavy pack across all of September — check out my Backbone Unlimited Training Plans: https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/training For pre-season body composition, in-field fueling, and in-season performance nutrition, check out my Nutrition Plans: https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/nutrition
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 basins to glass, no distant ridgelines to scan, and no opportunity to locate elk from miles away. Your binoculars become less important, and tracks, beds, rubs, wallows, sound, scent, terrain, and wind become your primary tools. In this episode, I break down a complete system for hunting elk in dark timber. You’ll learn how to use topographic maps to identify north-facing benches, hidden water, finger drainages, bedding areas, and overlooked terrain before entering the woods. I also explain how to read fresh elk sign, distinguish active areas from old sign, and recognize when you’ve entered a bull’s core living area. We’ll cover the slow still-hunting pace required in dense timber, how rain and wind can help conceal your movement, and why stopping to listen and smell the air can locate elk you’ll never see from a distance. You’ll also learn how calling strategy changes at close range, why soft cow calls and raking can outperform aggressive bugling, when to stop calling, and how to manage unstable wind and thermals inside heavy cover. Thick timber doesn’t make elk impossible to hunt. It requires a different system—one built around terrain, sign, patience, sound, scent, close-range positioning, and disciplined movement. Read the map. Trust the sign. Slow down. Control the wind. Hunt every step like an elk could appear at 40 yards—because it probably can. If you want my eyes on your actual elk hunt plan before you head into the field — your maps, access, terrain, pressure points, wind and thermals, and overall strategy — book an Elk Hunt Plan Audit and I'll help you build the right approach for whichever phase of September you're hunting: https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/elk-hunt-plan-audit If you want to study the complete elk hunting system on your own, start with my Elk Hunting Series E-Books: https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books For daily guidance, accountability, and a community of serious western hunters working toward the same goals, join Team Backbone: https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/membership If the missing piece is your body — legs, lungs, and the ability to handle mountain miles under a heavy pack across all of September — check out my Backbone Unlimited Training Plans: https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/training For pre-season body composition, in-field fueling, and in-season performance nutrition, check out my Nutrition Plans: https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/nutrition
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 confidence or push you out of the tent the next morning. In this episode, I break down why most solo elk hunts don’t fail because of calling, physical conditioning, or a bad setup. They fail because the accountability, perspective, and mental structure normally provided by a hunting partner are gone—and the hunter never built a system to replace them. You’ll learn how to pre-decide your behavior before the hunt, reset after a bad day, measure success through daily process goals, and keep one difficult stretch from ending your entire season. I also cover solo elk packout planning, realistic kill-distance limits, meat-care logistics, and the tactical adjustments required when you’re both the caller and the shooter. Solo elk hunting demands more than toughness. It requires a plan for the moments when motivation disappears, the weather turns, your confidence drops, and quitting starts to feel reasonable. Build your accountability structure. Run on process instead of outcomes. Solve the packout before the shot. Adjust your calling strategy for one hunter. Do that, and the solo hunt stops being the thing that breaks you on day three. It becomes the experience that shows you exactly what you’re made of. Explore the Elk Hunting E-Book Series, TEAM Backbone, Elk Hunt Plan Audits, mountain hunting training programs, and nutrition plans at BackboneUnlimited.com. Train harder. Hunt smarter. Never settle.
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 body to catch up. In this episode, I break down how to prepare for hunting elk between 8,000 and 11,000 feet—even if you never train in the mountains. We’ll cover the specific aerobic conditioning, ruck training, incline work, downhill strength, breathing practice, and arrival strategy that help low-elevation hunters perform better at altitude. You’ll learn why general fitness isn’t always enough, why last-minute training usually fails, how to build a stronger cardiovascular engine, how to prepare for long climbs under pack weight, and what to do during the first 48 hours after arriving at elevation. The goal isn’t to survive until day three. It’s to arrive ready to hunt on day one. Learn more about Backbone Unlimited training plans, nutrition plans, elk hunting e-books, TEAM Backbone, and Elk Hunt Plan Audits at BackboneUnlimited.com. Train harder. Hunt smarter. Never settle.
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 the call failed. In many cases, the sound wasn’t the problem. The decisions surrounding the call were. In this episode of the Backbone Unlimited Podcast, Matt Hartsky breaks down eight elk calling mistakes that consistently cause bulls to hang up, circle downwind, shut down, or vanish before entering bow range. These mistakes happen before the first call, during the conversation, and inside the final 60 to 80 yards—when one bad decision can destroy an otherwise perfect elk encounter. After 34 years of hunting and guiding Western big game, Matt explains why successful elk calling requires much more than producing realistic bugles and cow calls. Calling is only one part of a complete system involving wind, thermals, terrain, positioning, timing, hunting pressure, rut phase, patience, and shot execution. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why calling too much gives a bull enough information to hang up Why you should check the wind and choose your setup before answering a bull How poor terrain positioning allows elk to visually expose your setup Why continued calling can stop a bull that was already committed When soft cow calls may outperform bugles on pressured public-land elk How elk calling strategy should change throughout the September rut What to do when a bull hangs up between 60 and 80 yards Why complete stillness becomes critical during the final moments of an archery elk encounter Matt also explains how mature bulls use their eyes, ears, and nose to verify a calling setup. When a bull can see where the sound originated, precisely identify your location, or circle into your scent stream, the encounter can end without the hunter ever understanding what went wrong. You’ll discover how to use timbered points, benches, ridgelines, terrain breaks, wind direction, and controlled sightlines to force a bull to close the distance before he can confirm the source of the call. You’ll also learn why silence often creates more urgency and curiosity than another bugle or cow call. This episode is for bowhunters who are tired of almost closing encounters. Whether you hunt pressured public land, early-season bulls, peak-rut herd bulls, or quiet elk in heavy timber, these elk calling strategies will help you make better decisions when the pressure is highest. The call gets his attention. Your setup, discipline, patience, and execution are what fill the tag. Build the setup first. Read the bull second. Call third. Study the complete elk hunting system at BackboneUnlimited.com. Explore the Elk Hunting E-Book Series, TEAM Backbone membership, Elk Hunt Plan Audits, mountain hunting training programs, and nutrition plans built for Western hunters. Train harder. Hunt smarter. Never settle.
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 reacting, bumping elk, burning setups, and wondering why bulls keep hanging up. The other understands how to use terrain, wind, thermals, sightlines, funnels, sound, and elevation to make the mountain work in his favor. In this episode of the Backbone Unlimited Podcast, Matt Hartsky explains how to use terrain as a weapon when hunting public-land elk. Terrain isn’t just the ground beneath your boots. It controls how your scent moves, where elk travel, how bulls approach a call, what they can see, where sound carries, and whether you can reach a setup without being detected. You’ll learn how to identify and hunt the terrain features that consistently create elk encounters, including saddles, benches, drainages, creek crossings, timber points, ridgelines, aspect changes, and natural movement funnels. Matt also breaks down how rising and falling thermals interact with slope direction, shade, timber cover, canyon shape, and changing temperatures throughout the day. This episode covers: How terrain controls wind and thermal movement How to approach elk without allowing your scent to reach them Why bulls hang up when they can see the source of your calling How to use timber, bench edges, ridgelines, and terrain breaks to control sightlines How saddles and creek crossings funnel elk into predictable travel lanes How terrain affects bugles, cow calls, sound direction, and calling distance Why your access route may matter more than your final setup location How to use elevation for better glassing, cleaner wind, and less hunting pressure How to study elk country using topographic maps and satellite imagery before the season Matt draws from 34 years of hunting and guiding Western big game to explain how experienced elk hunters read the entire terrain system before making a move. The goal isn’t simply to find elk. It’s to understand how the mountain influences every part of the encounter so you can approach cleanly, protect the wind, create a high-percentage setup, and give a bull a reason to keep coming. The mountain is never neutral. It’s either helping you close the distance or helping the elk detect you. Learn how to make it work for you. Build your complete elk hunting system at BackboneUnlimited.com. Explore the Elk Hunting E-Book Series, TEAM Backbone membership, Elk Hunt Plan Audits, mountain hunting training programs, and nutrition plans designed to help Western hunters prepare with purpose. Train harder. Hunt smarter. Never settle.
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 Unlimited Podcast, Matt Hartsky breaks down a complete day-by-day system for planning and executing a 10-day elk hunt. Instead of treating the entire trip like one long push, you’ll learn how to divide your hunt into four distinct phases: orienting and finding elk during days 1–2, executing on fresh information during days 3–5, managing fatigue and making strategic adjustments during days 6–8, and closing the hunt with full commitment on days 9–10. Matt explains why the first two days should focus on locating elk, reading fresh sign, understanding wind and thermal behavior, identifying bedding and feeding patterns, and confirming both a primary hunting zone and a backup area. You’ll also learn when to stay in productive elk country, when cold sign and zero contact justify a move, and why changing areas after one slow day is often a costly mistake. The middle of a long public-land elk hunt is where many hunters begin making decisions under fatigue, frustration, and doubt. This episode covers how to maintain confidence, manage physical recovery, use midday elk movement, glassing, wallows, and water sources more effectively, and decide whether to continue hunting known elk or make a strategic move while there’s still enough time left to execute. You’ll also hear how to approach the final two days of an elk hunt, why day ten should be hunted with the same urgency as opening morning, and how to prepare pack-out routes, meat-care timelines, food, hydration, recovery, and physical capacity before a bull is ever on the ground. Drawing from 34 years of western elk hunting and guiding, along with 30 years as a professional strength, conditioning, and nutrition coach, Matt lays out a practical system for staying effective across the full duration of a demanding backcountry elk hunt. Whether you’re preparing for a Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, or Oregon elk hunt, this episode will help you build a realistic plan for locating elk, managing hunting pressure, making better decisions, adapting when conditions change, and staying mentally and physically engaged through the final morning. A successful 10-day elk hunt isn’t built on luck. It’s built by knowing what every phase of the hunt is for before you ever reach the trailhead. Study the complete Elk Hunting E-Book Series, join Team Backbone, book a personalized Elk Hunt Plan Audit, or explore hunt-specific training and nutrition programs at backboneunlimited.com.
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. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down a complete opening-day elk hunting system for locating elk, reading hunting pressure, evaluating fresh sign, identifying security cover, and finding one huntable group before you start forcing setups. Most elk hunters begin moving the moment they reach the trailhead. They hike miles because movement feels productive, stop at the first elk tracks they find, or immediately call to the first bull they hear. But covering ground without gathering the right information can burn access routes, educate elk, contaminate bedding areas, and make the rest of the hunt harder. Instead, the first two days should be treated as the fastest elk scouting and intelligence window of the entire season. You’ll learn how to: • Read trailheads, roads, camps, and terrain to understand public-land hunting pressure • Identify dark timber, steep benches, blowdown, and other elk security terrain • Locate the combination of bedding cover, feed, and water that consistently holds elk • Determine whether elk tracks, rubs, droppings, and wallows are fresh or outdated • Read fresh elk sign for direction, purpose, and time of day • Use bugles, cow calls, hoof sounds, and other natural sound to locate elk without burning country • Glass timber edges, avalanche chutes, burn edges, hidden parks, and overlooked feeding areas • Evaluate whether an elk herd is actually huntable before committing to a stalk or calling setup • Build a complete plan around feeding areas, bedding zones, wind, thermals, entry routes, and exit routes The objective isn’t to locate every elk in the unit. It’s to locate one group of elk you can approach, hunt, and exit without exposing your position or scent. Matt brings more than 34 years of western elk hunting and guiding experience, combined with over 30 years as a professional strength, conditioning, and nutrition coach. The lesson from both hunting and athletic performance is the same: complex problems aren’t solved by winging it. They’re solved by building a system, executing it with discipline, and allowing the information you gather to guide your next decision. This episode explains how to apply the Backbone Unlimited elk hunting process—Locate, Evaluate, Position, Execute, and Adjust—during the most important intelligence window of your hunt. Ready to build a stronger elk hunting plan? Study the complete Elk Hunting E-Book Series, join Team Backbone, book a personalized Elk Hunt Plan Audit, or explore hunt-specific training and nutrition programs at backboneunlimited.com.
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 without a bull because of a series of small, preventable decisions that slowly cost them opportunities. In this episode of the Backbone Unlimited Podcast, Matt Hartsky breaks down the 10 elk hunting mistakes that consistently send hunters home with an empty pack. Drawing from more than 34 years of hunting and guiding western big game, Matt explains why elk hunters get beaten by shifting wind and thermals, hunt too close to roads and trailheads, arrive without enough preseason scouting, overcall from stationary positions, bugle too aggressively, choose poor setups, and fail to adjust when elk behavior changes. You’ll also learn how physical conditioning affects elk hunting decisions, why pressured elk often shift instead of leaving an area completely, how to improve bowhunting shot selection, and how to build a daily assessment process that helps you adapt throughout a multi-day hunt. This episode covers: • Wind management, mountain thermals, terrain and scent control • Finding pressured elk on western public land • E-scouting, preseason scouting and identifying elk habitat • Realistic elk calling strategies for educated bulls • Choosing better archery elk hunting setups • Mountain fitness, weighted hiking and pack-out preparation • Staying patient after bumping elk • Ethical shot selection and field-distance limits • Adjusting your elk hunting strategy as pressure, weather and rut activity change Every mistake in this episode is fixable. You don’t necessarily need a better elk unit or more cooperative bulls. You need better preparation, stronger systems and more disciplined decisions when the hunt gets difficult. Explore the complete Elk Hunting E-Book Series, TEAM Backbone, Elk Hunt Plan Audits, mountain hunting training programs and nutrition plans at BackboneUnlimited.com. Train harder. Hunt smarter. Never settle.
September elk hunting strategy starts long before the rut. In this episode of the Backbone Unlimited Podcast, Matt Hartsky breaks down why July elk scouting, summer bull patterns, cow elk behavior, and August transition signs all matter when you’re trying to find rutting bulls in September. Most elk hunters spend July and August watching bachelor bulls, dropping pins, and building a plan around summer patterns. But when velvet drops, bachelor groups break up, bulls shift country, and archery elk season becomes a completely different game. The bulls you watched all summer may be gone — not because your scouting was worthless, but because September elk movement is driven by cows. This episode explains what summer bull scouting actually teaches you, how to read the August transition, why cow elk patterns are more dependable than rutting bull patterns, and how to focus your September elk hunt around mid-elevation transition zones, water, feed, cover, pressure, wind, and thermals. If you’re preparing for western elk hunting, public land elk hunting, archery elk season, or building a better elk hunt plan, this episode will help you stop chasing old summer pins and start hunting where September bulls are actually going to be. 📙 Elk Hunting E-Book Series (the complete elk hunting system) → https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books If you want to take it further: 📋 Elk Hunt Plan Audit — I'll personally review your specific maps, terrain, access routes, pressure points, and wind strategy before you head into the field → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/elk-hunt-plan-audit 👥 Team Backbone — Daily guidance, accountability, and a community of serious western hunters putting in the work right alongside you → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/membership 🦵 Backbone Unlimited Training Plans — Built specifically for the physical demands of mountain elk hunting: legs, lungs, and the ability to handle miles under load day after day → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/training 🥩 Nutrition Plans — Get leaner before season, fuel long days in the field, and dial in your in-season performance → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/nutrition
Most elk hunters waste the middle of the day. They head back to camp, take a nap, or wait around for the evening hunt while a small percentage of disciplined hunters are still in the game. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down the complete wallow hunting system for elk hunters — how to find the right wallow, read fresh sign, understand when bulls are using it, approach without blowing it up, and set up 40 to 60 yards off the wallow where a mature bull is most likely to commit before he ever reaches the mud. You’ll learn why wallows are best treated as a midday strategy, why hot and dry early-season conditions make them more valuable, how thermals control your entry, why you shouldn’t set up right on the wallow, and why calling can actually hurt you in this situation. This isn’t random wallow advice. It’s a practical system built from 34 years of hunting and guiding elk in the western mountains. If you want to make better use of dead time between morning and evening hunts, this episode will show you how to let the wallow do the work. 📙 Elk Hunting E-Book Series (the complete elk hunting system) → https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books If you want to take it further: 📋 Elk Hunt Plan Audit — I'll personally review your specific maps, terrain, access routes, pressure points, and wind strategy before you head into the field → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/elk-hunt-plan-audit 👥 Team Backbone — Daily guidance, accountability, and a community of serious western hunters putting in the work right alongside you → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/membership 🦵 Backbone Unlimited Training Plans — Built specifically for the physical demands of mountain elk hunting: legs, lungs, and the ability to handle miles under load day after day → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/training 🥩 Nutrition Plans — Get leaner before season, fuel long days in the field, and dial in your in-season performance → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/nutrition
Most elk hunters look at topo maps, but they don’t actually read them. In this episode of the Backbone Unlimited Podcast, Matt Hartsky breaks down how to scout elk country from a map before you ever leave the truck. This is a complete map-reading lesson for western public-land elk hunters who want to stop guessing, stop picking random basins, and start identifying high-probability elk locations with a real system. Matt explains how to read contour lines, identify drainages, ridges, saddles, benches, aspect, north-facing security cover, south-facing feed, timber edges, water sources, springs, seeps, elevation bands, and terrain transitions that elk actually use. You’ll learn why security terrain comes first, how elk use saddles to move between basins, why benches are often travel and staging areas instead of guaranteed bedding spots, and how to stack multiple map features into what Matt calls an elk address. If you hunt elk in the western mountains, especially on pressured public land, this episode will help you understand how elk behavior, pressure, terrain, wind, water, feed, and cover all connect on a topo map. Build your September elk hunt before you ever set foot in the mountains. For elk hunting ebooks, Team Backbone, elk hunt plan audits, training plans, and nutrition plans, go to backboneunlimited.com.
Most elk hunters don’t run out of desire in September. They run out of legs. In this episode of the Backbone Unlimited Podcast, Matt Hartsky breaks down exactly what your body has to handle during a western public-land elk hunt and why most hunter fitness plans fail before the season even starts. This isn’t a generic workout conversation. It’s a specific elk hunting fitness framework built around mountain miles, steep descents, loaded packs, broken sleep, altitude, recovery capacity, and the mental reserve required to keep making good decisions deep into a hunt. Matt draws from more than 30 years as a professional strength, conditioning, and nutrition coach and more than 34 years hunting and guiding western big game to explain the physical demands of elk hunting, the biggest training mistakes hunters make, and the complete 60-day Backbone Unlimited training approach for becoming mountain ready by September. You’ll learn why flat running isn’t enough, why pack training is non-negotiable, why leg endurance under load matters more than gym numbers, and how to build the aerobic base, strength, rucking capacity, and recovery needed for real elk country. If you hunt western elk, mule deer, or public-land mountain terrain and want to show up stronger, sharper, and more prepared this fall, this episode gives you the plan. Learn more about Backbone Unlimited training plans, nutrition plans, elk hunting ebooks, Team Backbone, and hunt plan audits at backboneunlimited.com.
Most elk hunters wait until September to start looking for elk. That’s already too late. In this episode, I break down a complete June and July elk scouting system to help you build a real September elk hunting plan before the season ever starts. You’ll learn how to use summer elk scouting to locate bachelor bull elk in velvet, find cow elk groups, identify active elk wallows, mark feed, bedding, water, travel corridors, and build your elk hunting map around confirmed sign instead of guesswork. We’ll cover why cow groups matter more than most hunters realize, how July elk scouting can reveal the areas bulls are likely to show up during archery elk hunting, and why public land elk hunting success starts long before opening morning. If you want to know how to find elk more consistently, stop hoping September works out and start scouting now. Elk Hunting E-Book Series (the complete system — 34 years OF ELK HUNTING) → BackboneUnlimited.com 📋 Elk Hunt Plan Audit — Matt reviews your specific maps, terrain, zones, access, and strategy before season → BackboneUnlimited.com 👥 Team Backbone — Weekly guidance, accountability, and a community of serious western hunters → BackboneUnlimited.com "The hunters who are ready in September are the ones who start tightening the plan now." Build the plan at BackboneUnlimited.com
What terrain should you focus on when hunting elk? In this episode, I break down elk hunting terrain and how to find elk by looking beyond obvious map features like benches, saddles, drainages, dark timber, meadows, and glassable basins. Elk don’t use country just because it looks good on a topo map — they use terrain that helps them feed, bed, stay cool, use wind and thermals, avoid hunting pressure, and escape when something feels wrong. If you’re hunting public land elk, this episode will help you understand elk bedding areas, elk benches, elk saddles, elk drainages, thick timber, open basins, feed-to-bed movement, escape routes, security cover, and pressure-driven elk behavior. The goal isn’t to find one good-looking spot. The goal is to connect the terrain features that create a huntable elk system. If you want better elk hunting tips and a more consistent way to read elk country, stop hunting isolated terrain features and start hunting the relationships between feed, water, bedding, wind, thermals, security, escape, and pressure. Elk Hunting E-Book Series (the complete system — 34 years OF ELK HUNTING) → BackboneUnlimited.com 📋 Elk Hunt Plan Audit — Matt reviews your specific maps, terrain, zones, access, and strategy before season → BackboneUnlimited.com 👥 Team Backbone — Weekly guidance, accountability, and a community of serious western hunters → BackboneUnlimited.com "The hunters who are ready in September are the ones who start tightening the plan now." Build the plan at BackboneUnlimited.com
Everybody wants to know the best elk hunting area — the best OTC unit, the best public land drainage, the best non-resident hunt, the best basin. But most hunters are asking the wrong question. In this episode of the Backbone Unlimited Podcast, Matt Hartsky breaks down why the “best” elk area on paper can be the worst area for you to actually hunt, and how to evaluate elk country through a better filter: access, security, feed, water, huntable terrain, terrain variety, a real three-day plan, and room to adjust when pressure hits. If you’re trying to narrow down elk country, build a smarter hunt plan, understand hunting pressure, read terrain better, or stop chasing hyped-up areas that fall apart once season starts, this episode will help you think differently. The right elk area isn’t just where elk live — it’s where elk can stay secure, hunters become inefficient, and you can build a plan you can actually execute. Elk Hunting E-Book Series (the complete system — 34 years OF ELK HUNTING) → BackboneUnlimited.com 📋 Elk Hunt Plan Audit — Matt reviews your specific maps, terrain, zones, access, and strategy before season → BackboneUnlimited.com 👥 Team Backbone — Weekly guidance, accountability, and a community of serious western hunters → BackboneUnlimited.com "The hunters who are ready in September are the ones who start tightening the plan now." Build the plan at BackboneUnlimited.com
Most hunters find elk sign and think they've found elk. They haven't. They've found evidence that elk were there — and that distinction can cost you an entire season. In this episode, Matt Hartsky breaks down the complete system for reading elk sign as a question, not a conclusion. You'll learn the 5-question evaluation framework — Age, Direction, Purpose, Pattern, and Huntability — and the 5-Level sign classification system that takes you from "elk were here sometime" all the way to "I can build a huntable setup from this pattern." Matt covers why stacking multiple pieces of fresh evidence beats any single clue, how hunting pressure changes what sign actually means, why the absence of sign in an area that should hold elk is some of the most valuable information you'll find, and the critical moment when finding fresh sign demands that you slow down — not speed up. Whether you're reading tracks, droppings, beds, rubs, wallows, or feed sign, this is the graduate-level framework for turning elk evidence into elk encounters on public land. Elk Hunting E-Book Series (the complete system — 34 years in the mountains) → BackboneUnlimited.com
