Nobody plans on needing a tracking dog, but the decisions made during the first few hours after a questionable shot can determine whether an animal is recovered or lost.

Scott Gillespie, founder of Rocky Mountain Big Game Recovery, joins the podcast to explain what hunters should do when a blood trail disappears. Scott walks through how to contact a tracker, how long hunters may need to wait based on the hit, why grid searching can make a dog's job harder, and when it is time to stop tracking and back out.

The conversation also digs into frontal shots on elk, what blood can and cannot tell you, how tracking dogs follow animals when no visible sign remains, and why rain does not necessarily ruin a dog's ability to work a trail. Scott shares several memorable recoveries involving elk, mule deer, and black bears, including animals found more than a mile from the shot and others hunters had unknowingly walked past for days.

Finally, Scott explains why sharp broadheads, a well-tuned bow, and complete pass-throughs matter so much. If you are heading into archery season, this episode will help you make better decisions before the shot, immediately afterward, and when the blood trail runs dry. Hope you enjoy and learn something valuable from this one!

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Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro music for the show.

Back in February, Jaden and Hayden Richins recorded an episode called "Contingencies: How to Build Backup Plans". They worked through uncertain draw odds, multiple states, and over-the-counter options to make sure they would have a hunt together no matter how application season shook out. That planning session eventually sent them to Northern California to bowhunt blacktail deer.

Now it is late August, their hunt is over, and contingency plans got tested in the real world. Jaden and Hayden expected to backpack into the high country, glass up bucks, and hunt them using a familiar spot-and-stalk approach. Instead, they found few deer up high, smoke that ruined their glassing, brutal terrain, unpredictable winds, and blacktails that were remarkably good at staying out of archery range.

This episode covers how they adjusted once the original plan failed. They moved to lower elevations, followed tracks and travel corridors, still-hunted through cover, and eventually committed to sitting springs for hours at a time. That was not how either of them wanted to hunt, but it consistently gave them their best opportunities.

They did not come home with a buck, but this hunt proved why contingencies cannot stop at choosing another state or buying a backup tag. Western hunters also need backup areas, backup tactics, and a process for deciding when it is time to change course. This is the full-circle follow-up to the February episode and an honest look at what adapting during a hunt actually looks like when Plan A gets punched in the mouth.

Show Links:

Book a Hunt West Planning Session >>

Hunt West Hosted Red Stag Trip >>

Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro music for the show.

We've entered the thick of the hunting season on this week's episode as the guys record while on the road from one hunt to the other. Hayden and Jaden recap the short pronghorn hunt they did prior to heading to the mountains for a big week of backcountry deer hunting.

They talk about themes of premium tags not meeting premium expectations, ways to keep your head up on hunts that kick you in the teeth, and much more. Plus, you get a look inside their backcountry deer hunt plans before they ever go execute.

Check back in future episodes to see how the boys did with their plans!

Show Links:

Check out Argali's High Country Game Bags >>

Book a Hunt West Planning Session >>

Hunt West Hosted Red Stag Trip >>

Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro music for the show.

This week, Jaden sits down with Trevor Stewart of Uncharted Supply Co. to talk about one of their shared obsessions: chasing mule deer with a bow in the high country. Trevor explains how he developed a productive hunting area spanning several basins, how he finds bucks throughout the day, and how he decides whether to make a stalk or wait for a better opportunity.

They dig into midday glassing, bedding behavior, shifting thermals, afternoon thunderstorms, and hunting through bad weather. Trevor also shares the story of his first successful Western archery hunt and what years of hunting the same country have taught him about pressure, patience, and adapting when the original plan falls apart.

The conversation finishes with practical backcountry safety advice for solo hunters, including satellite communication, lightning precautions, water filtration, first-aid supplies, gear repairs, and truck preparedness. If you are headed into the mountains for an early-season archery hunt, this episode will help you hunt more effectively while being better prepared when something goes wrong.

We hope you learn a lot and enjoy this episode!

Guest Links:

Find Uncharted Supply Co here >>

Follow Trevor on Instagram @trevor.stewart_ >>

Other Show Links:

Check out Argali's High Country Game Bags >>

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Hunt West Hosted Red Stag Trip >>

Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro music for the show.

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Jaden recently got the biggest bull he has ever had on a trail camera. Now comes the considerably harder part: figuring out where that bull will go once September arrives.

Our friend, Cody Rich of Bridger Watch and the Elk Hunt Podcast joins the show to help build that game plan.

Cody also explains why targeting one particular bull requires hunters to think bigger, monitor multiple drainages, and treat the country differently than they would when simply looking for any normal six-point.

The conversation expands into a broader lesson about becoming a better elk hunter. Jaden and Cody compare "Elk Hunting 101, 201, and 301," including the importance of creating more opportunities, identifying which herds are actually killable, and avoiding country that looks good but makes it difficult to get repeated chances.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

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Book Hunt West Planning Sessions >>

Hunt West Hosted Red Stag Trip >>

Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro for the show.

In this Rokcast crossover, Jaden sits down with Wyoming outfitter Chance Marshall to break down what really separates a good pronghorn from a giant, how he finds giants so often, and a ton more about hunting these critters.

Chance explains how he evaluates horn length, mass, prong placement, and overall proportions in the field. They also cover early-season scouting, how buck behavior changes around the rut, hunting water versus spot-and-stalk tactics, and why Wyoming continues to produce exceptional bucks outside its most famous units. Chance also shares stories from nearly two decades of outfitting, including several truly giant bucks.

With so many archery antelope seasons opening within the month, it's a great time to be diving in deep on all things speedgoat. Hope you all enjoy the show!

Follow Extreme Outfitters at @extremeoutfitterswyo on Instagram

Check out the Extreme Outfitters website here >>

Show Links:

Use code Huntwest for 20% off at Lee Hemp Co. for all your recovery needs >>

Book Hunt West Planning Sessions >>

Check out Argali's High Country Game Bags >>

Hunt West Digest Sunday Email >>

Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro for the show.

Most hunters want to know which hunting boot is "the best." That is probably the wrong question.

In this episode, Jaden breaks down how to choose footwear based on the shape of your feet, injury history, physical conditioning, hunting style, terrain, pack weight, and weather. He covers everything from lightweight trail shoes for scouting and archery pronghorn to supportive mountain boots and tall, insulated options for late-season snow.

He also explains why hunters should get both feet properly measured, how aftermarket insoles can solve common fit problems, and why the burliest boot is not always the best hunting boot. Sometimes extra support is worth the noise. Other times, clomping around like Frankenstein is costing you opportunities.

The Gear Geek segment, presented by Argali, is extended this week and covers short versus tall gaiters, where each style works best, and the honest truth about how long gaiters last when they are used hard.

Before buying another expensive pair of boots, figure out what your feet and your hunt actually require with this episode. We hope you enjoy!

Show Links:

Book Hunt West Planning Sessions >>

Check out Argali's Vesper Pants >>

Hunt West Digest Sunday Email >>

Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro for the show.

This week, Adam Foss joins me to talk about the craft of backcountry bowhunting and the lessons that only come from spending years in the mountains. We get into how modern gear, mapping apps, and satellite communication have made hunters more capable, but also why none of it replaces real experience, sound judgment, and basic backcountry skills.

Adam also breaks down the archery gear he carries on long hunts, why he brings a lightweight target into the field, and how shooting his bow during a mountain goat hunt helped him catch a problem before it cost him an opportunity. We talk about target panic, letting down instead of forcing a shot, building confidence under pressure, and the story behind Migrate Gear, a new company focused on solving practical problems for traveling bowhunters.

Enjoy this week's episode of the Hunt West Podcast!

Watch Adam Stalking a Mountain Goat on Instagram >>

Check out Adam's new company migrate-gear.com

Adam's Creative Work at Foss Media >> Show Links:

Use code Huntwest at Lee Hemp Co. for all your recovery needs >>

Check out the Guide Air Fleece at Argalioutdoors.com >>

Hunt West Digest Sunday Email >>

Hunt West Planning Services >>

Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro for the show.

This week's episode is a little different.

I sat down with two of the people I spend the most time planning hunts with: my brother Tyler and my good friend Hayden. We pulled back the curtain on exactly what our own fall planning conversations sound like after draw results come out.

The tags we expected to draw didn't happen. Backup plans became Plan C, then Plan D, and eventually Plan E. Rather than throwing in the towel, we talk through how we evaluate new opportunities, why over-the-counter hunts still deserve serious consideration, and how flexibility often leads to some of the most memorable adventures you'll ever have.

Along the way we dive into Oregon preference points, California blacktails, Wyoming elk, leftover tags, and an incredibly lucky Oregon pronghorn draw that changed our August plans. We also spend plenty of time talking about the old Ford farm truck our grandfather taught us to drive, which we're bringing back to life for this year's antelope hunt. Somehow that pickup became a perfect reminder that the best hunting stories usually have very little to do with inches of antler.

If you've ever stared at disappointing draw results, wondered whether to burn your points, or simply enjoy listening to hunters map out an entire season over a conversation, I think you'll enjoy this one.

This week, Weatherby Marketing Manager Tyler Grethen joins the Hunt West Podcast from Weatherby's headquarters in Sheridan, Wyoming. Tyler shares his journey from growing up in Missouri and working as a commodities trader to building a career in the outdoor industry and eventually landing at one of the most iconic rifle companies in hunting.

Along the way, we swap stories from DIY Alaska adventures, dive into lightweight rifle setups and suppressor-ready hunting systems, and discuss how trail running and mountain fitness can completely change the way you approach western hunting. Tyler also shares the story of his unforgettable Wyoming general season bull elk and Colorado muzzleloader mule deer hunts.

We also pull back the curtain on Weatherby's new muzzleloader platform and why the company believes it can create more hunting opportunities for western hunters willing to learn a new weapon system.

Enjoy this week's episode of the Hunt West Podcast!

Follow Tyler at @tygrethen

Check out Weatherby's new muzzleloader at Weatherby.com Show Links:

Use code Huntwest at Lee Hemp Co. for your recovery needs >>

Check out my favorite sharpener/belt at Argalioutdoors.com >>

Hunt West Digest Sunday Email >>

Hunt West Planning Services >>

Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro for the show.