Backcountry Hunting Podcast

By Joseph von Benedikt

What's Backcountry Hunting Podcast about?

Backcountry Hunting Podcast focuses on inspiring and teaching about deep-country hunting, with emphasis on DIY techniques, gear, prep and how-to. Lifelong wilderness hunter Joseph von Benedikt shares stories and tips for success.

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Backcountry Hunting Podcast episodes:

04.26.2024
Hunting New Zealand, Part 1: Free-Range Tahr & Fallow Deer
Kiwi Country! This episode we're in the field in New Zealand, hunting with Adam and Brenda Weatherby and their cameraman Koby Owens. Outfitter is Same Caley, who specializes in authentic, free-range hunts. Halfway through our hunt we paused to dry...
04.19.2024
How to Plan & Do An Aoudad Hunt
Ever wonder how to put together a great hunt for aoudad, aka the "poor man's Desert Bighorn" aka Barbary Sheep? This episode has awesome intel, planning, and hunt strategy from seasoned guide Colton Heward and from onX Hunt top gun...
04.12.2024
Surviving a Bush Plane Crash, & Spartan Roots with Mark Wheeler
Here's the story of how Mark Wheeler survived a catestrophic bush plane crash in the Northwest, as well as the unique way he met and backed the most interesting man in the world--Rob Gearing--in building the Spartan brand. This was...
04.05.2024
The Great 280 Ackley Improved, with Ron Spomer
Could the .280 Ackley Improved be the most versatile western hunting cartridge? Long-time .280 Ackley man Ron Spomer joins this episode to explore it's history and capability. This discussion is full of great stories and anecdotes and lots of information...
03.29.2024
Hunting Rights On The Precipice
Are our hunting rights and traditions in danger? If you consider England and Scotland as precursors of what could happen in America, then the answer is yes, potentially. In this episode, we talk about what is happening in various hunting...
03.22.2024
How To Pick a Hunting Bullet
Ever wonder how to pick just the right bullet to hunt with? This episode's for you. We take a deep dive into bullet construction and sectional density, and detail the performance of four different fundamental bullet types: Bullets for...
03.15.2024
375 H&H vs. 375 Ruger: Battle of the Versatile Big-Bores
Is the .375 H&H; still the most versatile cartridge in the world? Or is the .375 Ruger now a better choice? On the premise of picking just one cartridge to hunt everything from whitetail deer to elephant, we've chosen the...
03.08.2024
Q&A: Survival gear, Elk Cartridges, Long-Range Ethics & More
Survival gear? Elk cartridges? Shooting techniques? Long-range ethics? This episode has it all, thanks to our great reader's questions and comments. Also, BIG NEWS! We're launching a YouTube channel. Our boy William (the ever-popular host of the Backcountry Apprentice segment)...
03.01.2024
6.8 Western vs. 7mm PRC
These two new-fangled cartridges are arguably the best all-purpose hunting rounds introduced in the past 20 years. Which is best, 6.8 Western or 7 PRC? In this episode, we take a deep dive into the advantages of each cartridge, including: ...
02.27.2024
How To Sharpen A Knife
Ever struggle to get a sharp edge on your hunting knife? This 20-minute tuturial walks step-by-step through the process of making your blade razor sharp. Plus, we discuss best benchtop sharpening stones and field stones. ENJOY! To watch the video...
02.23.2024
Titanium & 3-D Printed Suppressors: Magic or Mistake?
Recorded at the recent Western Hunting & Conservation Expo in Salt Lake City, this episode digs into titanium as a suppressor material, as well as the cutting-edge new technology enabling manufacturers to make 3-D printed suppressors. Brandon Maddox of Silencer...
02.16.2024
Survival & Emergency Base Camp Gear
What emergency and survival gear should you have at base camp? Whether your base is a truck at the trailhead, or a big horse camp deep in wilderness country, you should have crucial backup gear and food there. This episode...
02.13.2024
Best Replaceable Blade Hunting Knives
This episode looks at three of the best replaceable-blade, ultralight folding hunting knives on the market: Havalon, Outdoor Edge, and Browning. We believe every serious hunter should have a good traditional fixed-blade hunting knife and be good at...
02.09.2024
Best Scopes for Close Range Hunting
What sort of scope (or sights) will help you shoot most effectively when hunting big timber or brush country? This episode explores the characteristics of an optic that's ideal for fast, effective shooting inside 200 yards, and details several different...
02.07.2024
Best Lever Actions for Big Game
This episode showcases three terrific lever-action big game rifles. All are classic historic designs that were carried by frontiersmen; all are also still being produced! These three are big-bore versions suitable for hunting anything from deer to grizzlies. We'll follow...
02.02.2024
Best Rifles, Cartridges, & Bullets for Close-Range Hunting
What makes a capable rifle/cartridge/bullet setup for close-range hunting? This episode takes a deep dive into the best of the type, including lever-actions, pump-actions, bolt-actions, semiautos, and even single shots, along with ideal cartridges and top-performing bullet types. We address...
01.30.2024
Leupold's New Mark 4HD (and another Northern Shrike)
After four decades of U.S. sniper history Leupold's legendary Mark 4 scope has been completely overhauled. The new Mark 4HD has state-of-the-art glass and cutting-edge features, and is undoubtedly the best crossover precision/tactical/hunting scope now on the market. Weight...
01.26.2024
Coolest New Gear at SHOT Show 2024, with Ron Spomer and Colton Heward
This episode I sat down with Ron Spomer and Colton Heward and swapped stories and opinions on the flood of innovative new shooting and hunting products introduced at SHOT Show 2024. We talk about awesome new rifle designs, from Winchester's...
01.19.2024
22 Creedmoor: The Ultimate Predator Cartridge?
Is there a predator-hunting cartridge that outperforms all others? There is, and it's called the 22 Creedmoor. It's designed for maximum performance with modern, high-BC .22-caliber centerfire bullets, and as a result is much more effective than classic favorites such...
01.12.2024
Gear Prep & Hunting for Coues Deer
This episode takes us to Old Mexico in pursuit of coues deer, the Gray Ghost of the Southwest. These tiny desert mountain-dwellering whitetails are incredibly challenging—and fun—to hunt. Guides and hunters with 40 years of experience talk us through how,...
01.05.2024
How To Use a Custom Scope Dial
Custom scope dials are the fastest, simplest way to make precise shots inside 600 yards. Just range, dial, hold center and shoot. However, ordering a dial with the correct parameters and setting it up on your rifle can feel intimidating....
01.02.2024
Top 3 Movies for Hunters
Few great hunting films exist... But the great ones are really spectacular. This brief episode details three of the best ever made. ENJOY!
12.29.2023
7mm PRC vs .300 Win. Mag: Which Is Best?
In this episode we pit the legendary .300 Win. Mag. against the trendy 7mm PRC. One is the magnum by which all others are measured; the other is the fastest-growing magnum in the industry. Which one is best? ENJOY! ...
12.26.2023
Rifle vs Cartridge: Which to pick first?
When you need a new hunting rifle, should you first pick a cartridge, and then find a rifle you like that's chambered for it? Or should you first choose a rifle type and model, and then shop for one chambered...
12.22.2023
Backcountry Q&A: Elk guns, bear spray, kid rifles, cartridge wars, & more!
12.19.2023
Top Three Backcountry Backpacks
Shopping for a serious backpack for backcountry hunting? This rapid-fire 5-minute bonus episode details three top picks. These packs are versitile, capable, comfortable, and of premium quality. Compressed, they'll serve as a daypack ready to morph into a meat-hauling machine....
12.15.2023
onX Navigation and Elk Hunting
Effective scouting, mapping, and navigating backcountry areas is crucial to hunting success. The onX Hunt app is an incredible tool and resource for doing so—so much so that it's become indespensible. This episode, onX's Dylan Dowson joins us to walk...
12.12.2023
Best Bear-Stopping Guns
Folks, I think we often miss the mark when we talk about guns for defense against trouble bears. It's crucial to keep in mind that although a handgun or a deer rifle is far better than nothing and is...
12.08.2023
243 Winchester vs 6mm Creedmoor: Best crossover deer/predator cartridge?
In the world of light, zippy cartridges that serve double duty on deer and varmints, what's best? Two of our most popular crossover cartridges are the classic .243 Winchester, and the cutting-edge6mm Creedmoor. This episode takes a deep dive into...
12.05.2023
Modern Cartridges Most Likely To Survive
"Do you think the 6.8 Western is here to stay?" We field a lot of this type of question. Survival rate of modern cartridges is a valid concern, especially for hunters that don't handload. So we've featured three really new...
12.01.2023
Riflestock accuracy & consistency
Few things are worse than an equipment failure when you're about to take a shot at a buck, bull, ram, or boar of a lifetime. One of the least suspected but frequent culprits of shots going astray in the field...
11.28.2023
Handgun Cartridges for Bear Defense
What handgun cartridge should you carry in bear country? That depends on the local species and your personal shooting ability. Spotlighted here are three of the most practical options available. This is the eighth of a new podcast element: fast-paced,...
11.24.2023
Lever Actions for Hardcore Hunting
Want a quick-handling, hard-hitting lever-action hunting rifle? Here's an in-depth look at the three primary types, with notes on cartridges and configurations. Traditional lever actions: Winchester and Marlin models for vintage cartridges Cartridges: .44 Magnum, .30-30, .45-70, and so...
11.21.2023
Emergency Fire Starters
What fire starting aids should you carry in dangerous country? Spotlighted here are three of the best: Products proven to work in harsh conditions. This is the seventh of a new podcast element: fast-paced, fact-filled five-minute episodes showcasing three...
11.17.2023
Hunting Kudu & Cape Buffalo
Back to the Dark Continent... This episode is raw and unedited, just as we recorded it beside a campfire along the Okavango river late one night, with lions roaring and elephants trumpeting in the background. On the second half of...
11.14.2023
Cartridges for Africa: Top 3 In 5
What cartridge should you take on an African plains game safari? Spotlighted here are three outstanding, versatile cartridges, recommended by our guest Jacques Strauss, my favorite African PH. This is the sixth of a new podcast element: fast-paced, fact-filled five-minute...
11.10.2023
Planning a Safari: Logistics, Preparation, and Crucial Skills
Recorded live and raw in the field, this episode takes us to Africa. In addition to lots of great hunting stories, we address safari research, logistics, planning, and prep with the help of my long-time hunting partner and world traveler...
11.03.2023
Best 6.5mm Cartridge Of Them All
10.31.2023
Glassing Gear & Methods: Top 3 in 5
How do we overcome our human (read "weak") eyesight? With good optics! Spotlighted here are the three primary glassing tools every backcountry hunter should have, along with tips and tricks on how to pick the right one and how to...
10.27.2023
Characteristics Every Hunting Rifle Should Possess
Your hunting rifle can be a truckbox tool, or a refined instrument. Either way, you should trust it completely, and it should provide characteristics that help you—the soft tissue behind the system—close the deal at the moment of truth. This...
10.24.2023
Best Compact Ranging Binoculars: Top 3 In 5 Minutes
Interested in a sleek, lightweight rangefinding binocular? Spotlighted here are the only three available. Thankfully, they're all great. Each provides excellent optical quality, a powerful, reliable laser ranging engine, and cutting-edge technology. This is the fourth of a new podcast...
10.20.2023
Spartan
After a wildly successful evening of hunting mule deer with Audrey and Sophie von Benedikt, we sit down with friend Rob Gearing, who is a certain contender for Most Interesting Man in the World. We talk through the girls' hunt,...
10.13.2023
After The Kill: Photography, Field Processing, & Packing Meat
Success! You've just shot a buck or bull. But should the fun really stop there? Not really. You'll shift gears, sure, but the process of getting great photos in the field, then field processing and breaking down your animal and...
10.11.2023
Top 3 In 5 Classic Elk Cartridges
This is the third of a new podcast element: fast-paced, fact-filled five-minute episodes showcasing three top backcountry hunting tools, tricks or techniques. We're calling them the "Top 3 In 5" bonus episodes. Spotlighted here are three of our all-time favorite...
10.06.2023
Components of a Great Rangefinder with Eric Overstreet
A good rangefinder is a crucial tool for hunting big country... Leupold's expert Eric Overstreet takes us on a deep dive into how they work, and what makes a really effective rangefinder—Laser shapes and divergence, pulse rate, display types, ballistic...
10.03.2023
"Top 3 In 5" Favorite Riflescopes
This is the second of a new podcast element: fast-paced, fact-filled five-minute episodes showcasing three top backcountry hunting tools, tricks or techniques. We're calling them the "Top 3 In 5" bonus episodes. Spotlighted here are three of our all-time favorite...
09.29.2023
5 Top Elk & Deer Bullets
When you hunt a wide spectrum of big game—ranging from little deer to big elk—with just one type of bullet, your average whitetail bullet may not cut the mustard. You need a premium bullet that will capable kill anything you...
09.26.2023
3 favorite hunting rifles showcased in just 5 minutes
This is the first of a new podcast element: fast-paced, fact-filled five-minute episodes showcasing three top backcountry hunting tools, tricks or techniques. We're calling them the "Top 3 In 5" bonus episodes. Spotlighted here are three of our all-time favorite...
09.22.2023
Hunting the Most Dangerous Game with Ron Spomer
09.15.2023
Hunting Giant Moose in Alaska with Adam Grenda
If you dream about big bull moose drifting through the alders, this episode is for you. Guest Adam Grenda, Alaska bush pilot and co-host of Stuck N The Rut on YouTube, hunter extraordinaire of giant moose, tells his story. How...

What's Backcountry Hunting Podcast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Backcountry Hunting Podcast episodes:

Hunting New Zealand, Part 1: Free-Range Tahr & Fallow Deer

How to Plan & Do An Aoudad Hunt

Surviving a Bush Plane Crash, & Spartan Roots with Mark Wheeler

The Great 280 Ackley Improved, with Ron Spomer

Hunting Rights On The Precipice

How To Pick a Hunting Bullet

375 H&H vs. 375 Ruger: Battle of the Versatile Big-Bores

Q&A: Survival gear, Elk Cartridges, Long-Range Ethics & More

6.8 Western vs. 7mm PRC

How To Sharpen A Knife

Titanium & 3-D Printed Suppressors: Magic or Mistake?

Survival & Emergency Base Camp Gear

Best Replaceable Blade Hunting Knives

Best Scopes for Close Range Hunting

Best Lever Actions for Big Game

Best Rifles, Cartridges, & Bullets for Close-Range Hunting

Leupold's New Mark 4HD (and another Northern Shrike)

Coolest New Gear at SHOT Show 2024, with Ron Spomer and Colton Heward

22 Creedmoor: The Ultimate Predator Cartridge?

Gear Prep & Hunting for Coues Deer

How To Use a Custom Scope Dial

Top 3 Movies for Hunters

7mm PRC vs .300 Win. Mag: Which Is Best?

Rifle vs Cartridge: Which to pick first?

Backcountry Q&A: Elk guns, bear spray, kid rifles, cartridge wars, & more!

Top Three Backcountry Backpacks

onX Navigation and Elk Hunting

Best Bear-Stopping Guns

243 Winchester vs 6mm Creedmoor: Best crossover deer/predator cartridge?

Modern Cartridges Most Likely To Survive

Riflestock accuracy & consistency

Handgun Cartridges for Bear Defense

Lever Actions for Hardcore Hunting

Emergency Fire Starters

Hunting Kudu & Cape Buffalo

Cartridges for Africa: Top 3 In 5

Planning a Safari: Logistics, Preparation, and Crucial Skills

Best 6.5mm Cartridge Of Them All

Glassing Gear & Methods: Top 3 in 5

Characteristics Every Hunting Rifle Should Possess

Best Compact Ranging Binoculars: Top 3 In 5 Minutes

Spartan

After The Kill: Photography, Field Processing, & Packing Meat

Top 3 In 5 Classic Elk Cartridges

Components of a Great Rangefinder with Eric Overstreet

"Top 3 In 5" Favorite Riflescopes

5 Top Elk & Deer Bullets

3 favorite hunting rifles showcased in just 5 minutes

Hunting the Most Dangerous Game with Ron Spomer

Hunting Giant Moose in Alaska with Adam Grenda