Backbone Unlimited Podcast

In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky shares seven hard-earned hunting mistakes he made over 34 years pursuing elk and mule deer—mistakes that didn’t feel wrong at the time because they looked like effort, toughness, and doing things the hard way. These were the quiet habits that kept results inconsistent while confidence and years in the field kept growing. Matt breaks down how chasing noise instead of patterns, relying on gear to cover skill gaps, moving too fast, ignoring recovery, and confusing experience with real progress quietly held him back for decades. This episode is for hunters who care deeply, work hard, and still feel like something isn’t clicking. If you want to shorten the learning curve, hunt with more clarity, and stop repeating the same patterns season after season, this conversation will help you rethink what actually moves the needle.

In this episode of the Backbone Unlimited Podcast, Matt Hartsky breaks down the off-season hunting skills that actually lead to more elk and mule deer on the ground. This conversation is focused on the part of the year when tags feel far away, momentum is low, and many hunters struggle to feel like they’re making real progress. Instead of tactics that only work when conditions are perfect, Matt walks through the foundational skills that quietly separate consistent hunters from frustrated ones.

Matt explains why the off-season is where most animals are truly killed, long before opening day ever arrives. He dives into glassing discipline and why missed animals are more common than avoided ones, navigation confidence and how hesitation quietly costs opportunity, and decision speed and why clarity matters more than urgency. He also covers physical durability, showing how fatigue narrows options without hunters realizing it, and shot discipline, where knowing when not to shoot protects confidence and consistency.

The episode closes with mental patience, the skill that ties everything together when the woods go quiet and doubt creeps in. Matt shares how these skills can be trained without a tag in your pocket and why they matter more in pressured units, tough conditions, and slow seasons than any single tactic ever could.

This episode is built for DIY public land hunters who want to use the off-season with intention, build real skill right now, and arrive at elk and mule deer season calmer, more confident, and ready to capitalize when opportunity finally shows up.

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In this episode, Matt Hartsky sits down with Eric Christensen, owner and founder of Kapture Gear, to break down one of the most common and frustrating problems Western hunters face with digiscoping: seeing something worth remembering through your optics, only to lose the moment while fighting a slow, shaky, or overly complicated phone-to-scope setup. They dig into why so many digiscoping systems look good on paper but fall apart in real hunting conditions—when the wind is ripping, your tripod is barely stable, and the animal can disappear in a single step.

Matt shares his own long history with digiscoping and why years of broken plastic parts, worn friction-fit mounts, and bulky adapters pushed him to look for a faster, more reliable solution that doesn’t interfere with glassing. Eric walks through how Kapture Gear was born out of those same frustrations, how early prototypes failed, and how real-world feedback from hunters and guides shaped a system built around speed, simplicity, and true field durability. Together, they break down what actually matters for successful digiscoping in the West: staying locked on the animal, minimizing movement, and having a setup that works with your optics—not against them.

The conversation also gets practical. Matt and Eric cover common digiscoping mistakes, how phone settings and lens choice affect footage quality, why light and glass quality still matter, and simple habits—like landmarking your target—that can keep you from losing animals when conditions shift. They also discuss Kapture Gear’s approach to product refinement, customer service, and what real innovation looks like when gear is designed for hunters who demand performance under pressure. If you care about capturing clean scouting footage, documenting hunts, and getting consistent wildlife video through your optics without the circus, this episode will help you understand what to prioritize and why it matters.

In this episode of the Backbone Unlimited Podcast, Matt Hartsky breaks down how he plans an entire western hunting year—from tag applications and long-range strategy to training phases, scouting windows, in-season execution, recovery, and the post-season review that shapes the next year. This episode is not about quick tips or last-minute preparation. It is a full look at how successful elk and mule deer seasons are built months before opening day.

Matt explains why so many hunters feel rushed, scattered, or behind when the season arrives, and how that problem usually starts with poor year-long planning. He walks through how he evaluates application decisions, why he never lets a year depend on a single tag, and how guaranteed time on the mountain matters more than dream scenarios that rely on luck. The episode dives deep into how training phases should shift throughout the year, why durability and recovery matter more than short-term fitness peaks, and how fatigue quietly changes decision making in the field.

The conversation also covers scouting in detail, including how to use e-scouting to understand terrain and pressure patterns, how boots-on-the-ground scouting should answer specific questions instead of chasing sign, and how in-season observations become critical data for future years. Matt explains how gear systems, food planning, sleep, and logistics either reduce friction or steal energy, and why simplifying systems is a major advantage during long seasons.

This episode is designed for DIY public land hunters who want more consistency, less chaos, and more confidence heading into elk and mule deer seasons. If you want to stop planning hunts in isolation and start planning an entire year with intention, this episode lays out the framework in full.

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In this episode of the Backbone Unlimited Podcast, Matt Hartsky tackles one of the most uncomfortable but important truths in western elk hunting: most elk hunters never become consistent. They may kill an elk once, get lucky every few seasons, or have a great hunt that keeps them coming back—but year-over-year consistency remains out of reach. This episode breaks down why that happens and what actually changes when a hunter moves from hoping for outcomes to controlling what they can.

Drawing on more than three decades of elk hunting experience, Matt explains why time in the field does not automatically equal improvement, how random success can quietly reinforce bad habits, and why inconsistency is usually self-inflicted without hunters realizing it. This is not an episode about calling techniques, secret spots, or trendy tactics. It is a deep dive into decision making, preparation, mindset, and systems—the things that determine whether success is repeatable or random.

Matt walks through the difference between reactive hunting and proactive hunting, how physical durability directly influences strategy on the mountain, and why patience under uncertainty is one of the most overlooked skills in elk hunting. He also explains how consistent hunters evaluate seasons differently, using every hunt—successful or not—as data instead of emotional proof of failure or success.

This conversation is especially relevant in the off season, when applications, planning, and training are all that’s happening and motivation can feel low. It focuses on what can be built when nothing feels urgent: better judgment, stronger preparation, and a clearer understanding of how elk hunting actually works over time. If you’re tired of guessing, chasing luck, or feeling like every season resets the learning curve, this episode will help you understand what consistency really looks like and how it’s earned.

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Elk Camp 2026 is your chance to learn, train, and run real-world scenarios alongside experienced elk hunters, Matt & Saxton Hartsky, in the mountains. Spots are limited—secure yours today and take the next step toward becoming the elk hunter you’ve always wanted to be. LEARN MORE about Elk Camp 2026 or reserve your spot: https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/elk-camp

In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, host Matt Hartsky sits down with Alex Gruin, the owner of East to West Hunts, to break down why so many hunters struggle with Western hunting long before they ever step into the field. From confusing regulations and missed deadlines to wasted preference points and applying without a plan, this conversation gets honest about the real reasons hunters get stuck—and how to fix it.

Alex shares his journey from a Midwest hunter trying to break into Western big game hunting to building a system that helps busy hunters create clear, long-term application and hunt strategies. Together, Matt and Alex discuss the dangers of information overload, why effort alone isn’t enough without direction, and how disciplined planning allows hunters to hunt sooner while still building toward long-term goals and dream tags. They also dive into what happens after the draw—why preparation, fitness, execution, and realistic expectations are critical if you actually want to succeed.

This episode is for hunters who feel overwhelmed by points systems, applications, and regulations, and for anyone who wants to stop guessing and start approaching Western hunting with intention. If you’re looking to hunt smarter, reduce frustration, and build a plan that actually works, this conversation delivers practical insight rooted in real experience.

In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky tackles one of the most common and overwhelming questions new hunters ask: Where do I start with elk hunting? Drawing from more than three decades of western big game hunting experience, Matt strips away the noise, myths, and overcomplication that stop so many people before they ever step into elk country. This episode lays out the true foundation of becoming an elk hunter — defining your why, understanding elk behavior, choosing a state and season, using e-scouting the right way, preparing your body, building a functional gear system, respecting wind and thermals, learning calling discipline, and developing the mental toughness required to stay in the fight. Whether you’re brand new to elk hunting or feel stuck spinning your wheels, this is an honest, experience-driven roadmap designed to help you start the right way, avoid common mistakes, and build confidence in the mountains.

In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down one of the most common and rarely discussed reasons elk seasons implode early: showing up with a summer mindset in a September world. Many hunters enter the season with high confidence and clear expectations based on preseason scouting, trail cam photos, or how elk behaved in August—only to watch everything unravel in the first 24 to 48 hours. This episode explains why that disconnect happens and how September immediately exposes flawed assumptions about pressure, behavior, and predictability.

Matt walks through the reality of hunting pressured September elk and why expecting smooth hunts, vocal bulls, and cooperative patterns leads to rushed decisions and emotional hunting. He breaks down the gap between pressure expectations and real-world conditions, explaining how elk tighten movement, reduce vocalization, shift into security cover, and become far more cautious long before most hunters ever arrive. September elk are not summer elk—and treating them that way sabotages hunts fast.

This episode also dives into three major mindset traps that destroy consistency: hunting where elk “should be” instead of proving where they are, staying trapped in comfort-zone terrain that pressured bulls avoid, and failing to adapt to the actual mood of the herd. Matt explains why elk don’t owe hunters consistency, why good-looking country often holds nothing, and why the nastiest, hardest terrain is where pressured elk survive. Success comes from adapting instantly, not forcing expectations onto the mountain.

If your season fell apart early, if frustration set in fast, or if you felt like elk weren’t acting the way they “should,” this episode connects the dots. It lays out the mindset shift required to hunt September for what it truly is—dynamic, pressured, and unforgiving—and shows how adjusting expectations, slowing down emotionally, and hunting reality instead of hope can completely change how your next season unfolds.

In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down the single biggest root cause behind failed elk seasons: not understanding elk movement. Every year, hunters say the same things—elk vanished, the unit went dead, bulls disappeared overnight. The truth is simpler and harder to accept. Elk don’t teleport, and they don’t leave for no reason. They move with purpose, respond instantly to pressure, adjust to wind and thermals, and shift patterns the moment human presence enters their world.

Matt explains why bulls disappear from summer glassing spots, why preseason patterns collapse the moment September arrives, and how food shifts, thermals, cow distribution, and pressure push elk into tighter, darker, more secure terrain. This episode breaks down why elk go nocturnal faster than most hunters realize, how a single blown stalk or repeated morning pressure can change movement timing overnight, and why most hunters miss elk simply because they arrive too late or hunt the wrong windows.

The conversation goes deep into pressure-based movement and security cover—where elk actually live when units get busy. You’ll learn why mature bulls abandon open country, how they use benches, sidehill pockets, timbered fingers, and north-facing cover to survive, and why those areas rarely look good on a map. Matt also explains the final mistake that sabotages most seasons: hunting where elk were instead of where elk are.

If your season felt like you were always one step behind—finding old sign, chasing yesterday’s bugle, or hunting country that suddenly felt empty—this episode connects the dots. Elk movement isn’t random, and it isn’t mysterious once you understand what drives it. This episode gives you the framework to stop chasing ghosts and start anticipating elk movement in real time, so you can stay with the herd instead of watching them slip away.

In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky sits down with Cody Calkins, a New Mexico firefighter and dedicated Western hunter, to break down a full, real-world Western big game hunting season—from planning to execution. This conversation goes far beyond hunt recaps and dives into the mindset, discipline, and preparation required to stop relying on luck and start hunting with control.

Cody walks through his season chronologically, covering multiple hunts across Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico, including elk hunting, mule deer hunting, and bear hunting. Together, Matt and Cody unpack what it actually takes to succeed on Western public land and private land alike—handling pressure, passing legal animals, adapting to conditions, and executing when it matters most.

This episode focuses heavily on Backbone Unlimited core themes: hunt planning, preparation, decision-making under pressure, patience, and developing standards as a hunter. Cody shares what changed for him when he stopped hoping things would work out and started treating hunting as a process—learning how terrain, weather, pressure, and timing all influence success. They also discuss helping others succeed, mentoring new hunters, and how leadership and restraint often matter more than aggression in the mountains.

If you’re interested in Western big game hunting, elk hunting mindset, mule deer strategy, public land hunting pressure, or learning how to plan and execute hunts more effectively, this episode delivers honest, experience-based insight. Cody’s season is a powerful example of how preparation, discipline, and intentional decision-making create consistent success—long before opening day.

This is a grounded, no-fluff conversation for hunters who want to improve their process, hunt with confidence, and earn every outcome in the field.

TRAIN HARDER. HUNT SMARTER. NEVER SETTLE. – MATT HARTSKY

Contact Cody Calkins: [email protected]