PODCAST · sports
Backbone Unlimited Podcast
by Backbone Unlimited
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 h
Episodes
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HOW DO YOU FIND ELK AFTER RIFLE PRESSURE HITS? | EP. 265
How do you find elk after rifle pressure starts? When camps fill up and shots start going off, the places that held elk before opening day can go quiet fast. In this episode of the Backbone Unlimited Podcast, Matt Hartsky breaks down how to find pressured elk on public land by reading hunter...
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WHERE SHOULD I HUNT ELK IN OCTOBER AFTER THE RUT? | EP. 264
Where do elk go in October after the rut? Finding cows, old wallows and September rut sign doesn’t always put you close to a mature bull. In this episode of the Backbone Unlimited Podcast, Matt Hartsky breaks down how elk behavior changes after the rut and how to adjust your October elk hunting...
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I'M FINDING TONS OF ELK SIGN BUT I'M NOT FINDING ELK, WHAT AM I DOING WRONG? | EP. 263
You’re finding tracks, rubs, wallows, droppings, and heavily used trails—but you still can’t find the elk. What are you missing? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting experience to explain why an area covered in elk sign can still waste days of your hunt. He covers the...
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HOW DO YOU LOCATE ELK WHEN YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THEY ARE? | EP. 262
How do you locate elk when you arrive in a new area and have no idea where to begin? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to explain how he approaches unfamiliar public land. He covers the mistakes that waste time, the information that helps…
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HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN IT'S TIME TO LEAVE AN AREA AND FIND NEW ELK? | EP. 261
How do you know when it’s time to leave an area and find new elk? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting experience to tackle one of the hardest decisions on a public-land hunt. Leave too soon and you may abandon good elk country. Stay too long and you can waste valuable...
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ARE MORNINGS OR EVENINGS ACTUALLY BETTER FOR KILLING ELK? | EP. 260
Are mornings or evenings better for killing elk? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting experience to compare the opportunities and challenges each part of the day creates. He covers September elk movement, changing mountain thermals, feed-to-bed transitions, time...
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YOU FOUND A BEDDED BULL, NOW HERE'S THE GAME PLAN | EP. 259
You’ve located a bedded bull elk. What should you do next? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting experience to break down one of the best—and easiest to ruin—opportunities in archery elk hunting. He covers the decisions that matter when a bull is bedded, the risks of...
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WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN ELK HUNTING AND THE WIND STARTS SWIRLING? | EP. 258
What should you do when the wind starts swirling after you’ve already worked close to elk? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting experience to break down one of the most dangerous situations in close-range bowhunting. He explains how unstable mountain wind and changing...
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WHERE SHOULD I HUNT ELK IN OCTOBER AFTER THE RUT? | EP. 257
Where do elk go in October after the rut winds down and the bulls seem to disappear? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to explain how elk behavior changes after September. He covers the transition into the post-rut, the factors that move…
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HOW DO YOU FIND ELK AFTER RIFLE PRESSURE HITS? | EP. 256
Where do elk go when rifle pressure hits and the places that held them before the season suddenly go quiet? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to explain how hunting pressure changes elk movement, behavior, and daily patterns. He covers what...
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WHAT ELEVATION SHOULD I HUNT ELK AT IN OCTOBER? | EP. 255
What elevation should you hunt elk at in October? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to explain why finding October elk isn’t as simple as choosing one elevation on a map. He examines the conditions that influence where elk live after September...
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DO ELK STILL BUGLE IN OCTOBER? | EP. 254
Do elk still bugle in October, or does the mountain go quiet when September ends? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to explain what hunters should expect from bull elk after the peak rut. He examines October bugling, late-rut behavior, hunting...
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WHERE DO ELK FEED AND BED DURING RIFLE SEASON? | EP. 253
Where do elk feed and bed once rifle season begins and hunting pressure changes their normal routine? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to explain how rifle-season elk choose feeding areas, bedding cover, and the routes between them. He also...
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HOW DOES SNOW CHANGE WHERE ELK ARE LOCATED? | EP. 252
Does snow automatically push elk downhill, or could they remain in the same area after the storm? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to explain how snow can change elk location and behavior. He covers the factors that determine whether elk stay...
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HOW DO MATURE BULL ELK BEHAVE AFTER THE RUT? | EP. 251
What happens to mature bull elk after the September rut winds down? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to explain how mature bull behavior changes after the breeding season. He covers the transition from September into October, why proven rut...
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WHAT TERRAIN SHOULD YOU TARGET DURING RIFLE ELK SEASON? | EP. 250
What terrain should you target when rifle hunting elk on public land? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34+ years of elk hunting and guiding experience to explain how he evaluates rifle-season elk country. He looks beyond simple rules about elevation, slope direction, and dark timber to...
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HOW DO YOU FIND ELK IN THICK TIMBER WHEN YOU CAN'T GLASS? | EP. 249
How do you find elk in thick timber when you can’t sit behind binoculars and glass miles of country? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to explain how he approaches dark-timber elk hunting. He covers the challenges of locating elk when…
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WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY DO FROM 10AM TO 4PM WHEN ELK ARE BEDDED? | EP. 248
What should you do from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. when the elk are bedded and the mountain goes quiet? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to break down how he uses the middle of the day during a September archery elk hunt. He covers the decisions that...
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WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN THE ELK JUST AREN'T BUGLING? | EP. 247
What should you do when the elk stop bugling and the mountain goes completely quiet? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting experience to explain how he hunts silent elk during September. He breaks down the difference between quiet elk and empty country, the mistakes...
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IF YOU COULD ONLY PICK ONE WEEK IN SEPTEMBER TO BOWHUNT ELK WHICH WOULD IT BE? | EP. 246
If you could choose only one week in September to bowhunt elk, which week would give you the best opportunity? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to explain which part of September he would choose and why. He looks at changing rut activity…
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ELK HUNTING IN THE RAIN: WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? | EP. 245
Should you keep bowhunting elk when the rain starts, or head back to camp and wait it out? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting experience to break down how wet weather changes an archery elk hunt. He covers elk movement, calling, close-range encounters, wind, shot...
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HOW DO YOU PULL A HERD BULL AWAY FROM HIS COWS? | EP. 244
A herd bull is bugling, answering every call, and sounds ready to fight—but he refuses to leave his cows. What do you do next? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to break down one of the toughest situations in September elk hunting. He covers...
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WHY ELK CALF CALLS DON'T WORK! | EP. 243
Do elk calf distress calls really work for calling mature bulls, or is this another elk-hunting tactic built around rare reactions and questionable claims? In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 35 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to examine the theories behind calf distress calls.…
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NEVER CALL BACK TO A BUGLING BULL - UNTIL YOU'VE DONE THIS | EP. 236
When a bull elk bugles, your first move usually shouldn’t be calling back. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down the exact elk calling decision tree he uses to turn a bugling bull into a close-range encounter: read the bull, stay silent, close the distance, get inside…
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WHY MOST BOWHUNTERS BLOW THEIR BEST ELK ENCOUNTERS INSIDE 40 YARDS | EP. 238
Getting a bull elk inside 40 yards doesn’t finish the hunt—it starts the hardest part. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down why bowhunters blow close-range elk encounters and how to execute when a bull is finally in range. Learn how to identify shot lanes before the…
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THE SILENT KILLER - HOW TO HUNT QUIET BULLS | EP. 237
When bull elk stop bugling, most hunters assume the elk are gone. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky explains how to find and hunt quiet bulls when elk aren’t talking, especially on pressured public land. Learn how to connect feeding areas, bedding cover, and the transition…
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KILL YOUR FIRST ARCHERY BULL WITH THE BACKBONE SYSTEM | EP. 235
Killing your first archery bull elk takes more than calling harder or getting lucky. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down the Backbone System for archery elk hunting—from physical preparation and locating fresh elk sign to reading a bull’s behavior, closing distance,...
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WHY PRESSURED BULLS ARE ACTUALLY EASIER TO FIND | EP. 234
Hunting pressure doesn’t always make bull elk harder to find—it can make their behavior more predictable. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky explains how public land hunting pressure pushes mature bulls into specific security pockets, and how to use that movement to locate elk...
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HOW TO CLOSE DISTANCE ON A BEDDED BULL ELK WITHOUT BLOWING THE ENCOUNTER | EP. 233
Closing the distance on a bedded bull elk is one of the most technical stalks in bowhunting. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down how to stalk a bedded elk without getting busted, including how to confirm the bull is truly bedded, locate unseen cows, read wind and...
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HOW TO HUNT ELK THE 4TH WEEK OF SEPTEMBER: PEAK RUT ELK HUNTING TIPS | EP. 242
September 22–30 can be one of the best elk hunting windows of the entire season. Herd bulls are breeding, protecting their cows and becoming increasingly vulnerable—but calling from long range still won’t pull them away from the herd. Part four of this September elk hunting series covers how to...
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HOW TO HUNT ELK THE 3RD WEEK OF SEPTEMBER: FIND THE BULL, READ THE BULL, CALL THE BULL | EP. 241
September 15–21 is peak rut, but more bugling doesn’t make every bull easier to kill. A herd bull, satellite bull and pressured bull each require a completely different approach. Call the wrong bull the wrong way and the best week of September can disappear fast. Part three of this four-part...
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HOW TO HUNT ELK THE 2ND WEEK OF SEPTEMBER: THE ELK ARE SHIFTING, SO SHOULD YOU | EP. 240
September 8–14 is when elk behavior starts changing fast. Bulls begin separating, covering more ground, wallowing harder and making the first exploratory bugles of the season. The transition zones that produced last week may already be going cold. Part two of this four-part September elk hunting...
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HOW TO HUNT ELK THE 1ST WEEK OF SEPTEMBER: OWN THE TRANSITION ZONE BEFORE THE RUT STARTS | EP. 239
September 1–7 is a positioning hunt—not a rut hunt. Early-season bulls are still focused on feeding, bedding and moving through predictable transition zones. Aggressive bugling and long calling sequences can educate elk before the rut ever begins. Part one of this four-part September elk hunting...
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THE 200 ACRE POCKET EVERY MATURE BULL ELK USES | HERE'S HOW TO FIND IT | EP. 232
Stop hunting random elk sign and start finding where mature bull elk actually live. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down how to identify the 200–400 acre core area a mature bull may use when food, water, bedding, and security cover converge in the right terrain. Learn…
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THE ART OF PLAYING THE WIND ON A SPOT AND STALK HUNT | EP. 231
Wind ruins more elk stalks than bad shooting ever will. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down how to manage wind and thermals while spot-and-stalk elk hunting, including how terrain affects airflow, why canyon and timber winds can fool you, how to plan a stalk route…
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BUGLE OR COW CALL? HOW TO KNOW WHICH ELK CALL TO USE | EP. 230
When should you bugle for elk, when should you cow call, and when is the best call no call at all? In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down a practical elk calling strategy for bowhunting pressured public-land bulls, including how to read solo bulls versus herd bulls, when…
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CAN YOU EXPLAIN THERMALS LIKE I'M A BRAND NEW ELK HUNTER? | EP. 229
Elk hunting thermals are one of the most misunderstood parts of hunting western elk — and if your entire strategy is “thermals rise in the morning and fall in the evening,” you’re going to get busted. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down elk hunting thermals for…
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21 WAYS PRESSURE CHANGES ELK BEHAVIOR AND HOW TO HUNT THEM | EP. 228
Hunting pressure can completely change elk behavior — and if you hunt pressured public-land elk the same way you hunt unpressured elk, you're making an already difficult hunt even harder. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down 21 ways hunting pressure changes elk behavior...
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FIND ELK ON PRESSURED PUBLIC LAND WITH THE BACKBONE SYSTEM | EP. 227
Finding elk on pressured public land isn’t about hiking farther than everyone else. It’s about understanding where hunting pressure comes from, how elk respond to it, and where security terrain gives them an advantage over hunters. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down a...
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FINDING ELK SIGN BUT NO ELK? HERE'S HOW TO ACTUALLY USE SIGN TO HUNT ELK | EP. 226
Fresh Elk Sign But No Elk? You’re Probably Making This Mistake You’re finding fresh elk tracks, droppings, beds, and rubs—but you still can’t actually find the elk. What are you missing? In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down one of the most frustrating situations in elk...
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ELK AREN'T BUGLING? HERE'S HOW I HUNT SILENT BULLS | EP. 225
Please note, this episode for how I locate and break down a transition zone to hunt silent bulls is a very visual piece of content you may want to watch here: https://youtu.be/dH5AdCe0xFI What do you do when the elk simply aren’t talking? Whether it’s early September, hunting pressure, predators,...
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20 RAPID FIRE ELK HUNTING TIPS WITH EVAN HUNTER - THE ELK NERD | EP. 224
What does the research actually say about finding, calling, and killing elk on pressured public land? In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky sits down with Evan Hunter, creator of Elk Nerd, for a rapid-fire conversation built around 20 elk hunting questions. Evan takes a different...
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HOW TO FIND ELK IN A NEW AREA | WHERE I START EVERY ELK HUNT | EP. 223
Starting fresh on a new elk unit is one of the most disorienting situations in the sport — and most hunters respond by loading waypoints near the closest trailhead, glassing the biggest open basins they can reach, and burning the first two days on country that gets walked by every hunter with a…
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STOP HUNTING ELK SIGN - START HUNTING THE BULL! | EP. 222
Finding elk sign doesn’t mean you’ve found the bull. You can spend days hunting a torn-up wallow, a heavy rub line, or fresh-looking tracks—and never lay eyes on an elk. That’s the sign trap: treating evidence of where elk were as proof of where they are right now. In this episode of Backbone...
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THE BEST ELK HUNTING TRAINING TOOL - BUILD REAL MOUNTAIN FITNESS | EP. 221
The Best Training Tool for Elk Hunting Most elk hunters don’t fail because they didn’t work hard enough before season. They fail because their training didn’t prepare them for what elk hunting actually demands. Steep climbs. High elevation. Consecutive hard days. Long hours on your feet. A loaded...
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THE BEST WAY TO SCOUT MATURE MULE DEER BUCKS IN AUGUST - MUST HEAR MULE DEER HUNTING TIPS | EP. 220
August is one of the best months of the year to locate mature mule deer bucks — but finding a big velvet buck is only valuable if you understand what his summer pattern is actually telling you. In this episode of the Backbone Unlimited Podcast, Matt Hartsky breaks down how to scout for mature…
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THE BEST ELK HUNTING MAP STRATEGY FOR FINDING WATER SOURCES | EP. 219
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…
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YOU'RE HUNTING EARLY SEASON ELK AND RUTTING BULLS THE SAME WAY - AND ITS COSTING YOU | EP. 218
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…
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I'M 49 NOW - HERE'S MY BIGGEST ELK HUNTING MISTAKES | EP. 217
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...
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MOST ELK HUNTERS ONLY PLAN FOR 2 DAYS - HERES THE 10 DAY SYSTEM | EP. 216
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...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
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 h
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Backbone Unlimited Podcast have?
Backbone Unlimited Podcast currently has 100 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Backbone Unlimited Podcast about?
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...
How often does Backbone Unlimited Podcast release new episodes?
Backbone Unlimited Podcast has 100 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Backbone Unlimited Podcast?
You can listen to Backbone Unlimited Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Backbone Unlimited Podcast?
Backbone Unlimited Podcast is created and hosted by Backbone Unlimited.
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