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.

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 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]

In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down what he believes is the most unforgiving and season-ending mistake elk hunters make: misreading the wind and thermals. You can have the right bull, the right setup, the right calling sequence, and perfect timing—and still watch the entire opportunity evaporate because of one small wind mistake. Wind is not just a factor in elk hunting. It is the entire game.

Matt lays out the single most important law of thermals that almost every September hunter ignores: thermals follow the temperature of the slope. Morning air falls until the sun heats the hillside. Once the slope warms, thermals rise. When shadows return late in the day, thermals fall again. This episode explains why ignoring that rule ruins encounters before they even start—and how structuring your entire hunt around it turns chaos into predictability.

The episode dives deep into morning downhill air and why early setups fail, the dangerous thermal switch window during midday, and why drainages act like scent superhighways that destroy stalks. Matt explains how micro-terrain creates swirling, unpredictable wind behavior and why elk intentionally bed in these pockets to create a scent shield. You’ll also learn how pressured elk actively use wind as a defensive weapon—circling setups, hanging up, relocating early, and positioning themselves where predators lose every time.

If your season fell apart because elk kept winding you, this episode explains why it wasn’t bad luck or bad elk—it was wind mismanagement. By understanding falling and rising thermals, drainage traps, micro-terrain behavior, and how elk weaponize scent, you stop hunting with hope and start hunting with clarity. This episode lays the foundation for disciplined approaches, smarter setups, and elk encounters that finally make sense.

In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down one of the most emotionally charged and misunderstood parts of elk hunting: when to call, when to stay silent, and how calling actually helps—or destroys—your opportunities. Overcalling and undercalling ruin more elk encounters than bad shooting, bad wind, or poor setups, and it usually happens because hunters try to force elk into a script instead of responding to what the elk are actually doing in the moment.

This episode explains why elk calling is completely situational and must match your role as a solo hunter or part of a team, the mood of the bull, herd dynamics, terrain, wind, thermals, distance, and pressure level. Matt breaks down why calling without evaluating the situation leads to blown stalks, educated bulls, and silent exits—and why most calling mistakes come from emotion, excitement, or frustration rather than strategy.

You’ll learn why solo hunters need a completely different calling approach, how excessive calling pins your exact location, and why silence is often your most powerful tool. The episode dives deep into understanding real cow talk versus “performative” calling, explaining why authentic cow sounds are subtle, irregular, and boring—and why that realism is exactly what makes elk commit.

Matt also clarifies the critical difference between calling that draws elk in and calling that simply gives you away. This episode provides a practical, field-tested framework to fix both overcalling and undercalling, helping you understand when to let a bull work, when to apply pressure, and when to shut up and let terrain, wind, and patience do the work.

If you’ve ever blown a setup by calling too much, missed opportunities by calling too little, or felt confused about what elk calling should actually sound like in real hunting situations, this episode brings clarity. It’s about learning to work with elk behavior instead of against it—and turning calling into a strategic advantage instead of a liability.

In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down one of the most common—and most painful—reasons elk hunters burn days without ever getting into elk: poor e-scouting and hunting terrain that simply does not hold elk when you’re there. Too many hunters walk into September convinced there are “no elk in my unit,” when the reality is that the elk have already shifted out of the terrain being hunted. Maps show what terrain could hold elk, but they don’t show pressure, security, wind stability, or how elk actually respond to human presence.

Matt explains why maps often lie to hunters, how relying too heavily on satellite imagery leads people into dead zones, and why textbook-looking elk country is often completely empty once pressure arrives. This episode dives into where mature timber bulls really live, why they choose steep, dark, nasty terrain most hunters avoid, and how those security pockets rarely stand out on a map. You’ll learn how elk prioritize wind stability, thermals, escape routes, and sound dampening over “pretty” terrain.

The conversation also breaks down how elevation bands shift throughout September, why hunting August elk patterns in a September world leads to failure, and how pressure pockets form when a unit turns into a zoo. Matt identifies the specific terrain types hunters waste the most time in, why elk abandon them early, and how holding onto dead zones burns tags year after year.

If your season felt like endless hiking through good-looking country with zero elk encounters, this episode explains exactly why. It shows how to stop hunting what looks good on a map and start hunting what elk actually use on the ground—by adjusting elevation, finding pressure relief terrain, and abandoning dead zones early. This is a foundational episode for anyone who wants to turn e-scouting from guesswork into a real advantage and stop wasting days in empty elk country.