Backcountry hunters talking backcountry hunting. No advertisers or sponsors, no fluff, no BS. We discuss tactics, strategies, gear, hunt stories, and more — featuring a wide variety of guests, from industry experts to everyday listeners of the show. Your hosts, Steve & Mark, have decades of experience hunting the mountains for elk, deer, bear, antelope, sheep, mountain goats, moose, caribou, and more. While this podcast is 100% independent and free from advertising or sponsorship, it is brought…
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In this episode of The Hunt Backcountry Podcast, we hear from Chad—a full-time Vermont ski patroller and long-time podcast listener who got a late start to hunting in his 30s. Chad shares his journey of transitioning from Eastern woods to Western big game, including the extreme logistics of driving 40 hours cross-country to hunt elk on public land solo. Chad is also joined by his 10-year-old son,…
On this Monday Minute, Mark and Steve answer listener questions to help you prepare for upcoming fall hunts: Game Bag Selection for Mixed Species & Applications: Trey asks for game bag recommendations as he prepares to hunt black bear, elk, and deer in Idaho. Mark and Steve discuss how game bag shape, size, fabric weave, and bone-in vs. boned-out strategies impact how you pack and carry meat—along…
What happens when you find out you’re heading on a bucket-list Alaskan Dall sheep hunt in just four weeks? In this episode, Mark sits down with Brian, one of the three grand prize winners from The Experience Challenge. Brian went from juggling a newborn and a busy schedule to packing his bags for the Brooks Range in less than a month. In this pre-hunt conversation, they dive into: The Big Call:…
The hunt doesn't end when the shot is fired—that’s when the real work begins. In this final installment of our expert roundtable series, we assume the tag is filled and focus on what it takes to successfully "complete the mission" in the backcountry. From tracking and post-shot discipline to field dressing, caping, meat preservation, and high-mileage packout logistics, four seasoned mountain…
The Monday Minute is back! After a hiatus since April, the guys return to recap a busy few months, answer listener updates, and share their upcoming fall hunting plans. Experience Challenge Recap: A look back at the experience challenge that wrapped up in July, including giving away two sheep hunts and a mountain goat hunt, participant milestones, and plans for the program. K4x Pack System: An…
Finding a high-country animal is tough, but getting into position and actually closing the deal? That’s where the real challenge begins. In this fourth installment of our expert roundtable, we dive into what it truly takes to capitalize on shot opportunities in the backcountry. We’re joined by four seasoned hunters—Ben Reynolds, Isaac Deuling, Nate Simmons, and Brad Brooks—to break down the…
You’ve e-scouted, hiked in, and invested heavily—but there’s no sign, the weather is crashing, and hunting pressure is high. What do you do next? Today, we continue our expert roundtable series by diving into the practical side of adapting to adversity. We bring together four veteran backcountry hunters to debate one of the hardest questions in the field: When should you stay patient and trust the…
Every experienced backcountry hunter knows that it isn’t a question of if you will face an obstacle on your hunt, but when that difficulty is coming. Whether it’s a sudden mountain storm, a blown stalk, unexpected hunting pressure, or a target animal that seemingly disappears into thin air, the true separator between success and failure isn't your gear—it's your mindset. In this second episode of…
In this kickoff to our brand-new 2026 Expert Roundtable series, we are diving deep into the practical aspects of hunt preparation. When you step into the mountains, you enter a world of endless variables. You can’t control the weather or the wildlife—but you can control many things that will prepare you for the unknown. To break down exactly what it takes to build unwavering confidence before a…
What actually happens to our bodies when we sweat? Why do we cramp? And why do you feel hungover at the start of a backcountry hunt at altitude? In this episode, we dive deep into a scientific look at hydration and electrolytes. Driven by a listener question from Max—a Midwest hunter who struggles with the transition to high-altitude mountain hunts—we bring on Dr. Robert, a leading expert in…
