{"podcast":{"title":"Backbone Unlimited Podcast","slug":"backbone-unlimited-podcast-7365967","podcast_index_feed_id":7365967,"rss_url":"https://feed.podbean.com/backboneunlimited/feed.xml","website_url":"https://backboneunlimited.podbean.com","image_url":"https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/20847414/BACKBONE_UNLIMITED_PODCASTas0nb.png","author":"Backbone Unlimited","episode_count":100,"summary":"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 harder, hunt smarter, and never settle.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-16T22:20:31.830924+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/backbone-unlimited-podcast-7365967"},"episode":{"title":"BLACK BEAR HUNTING - HOW TO GET CLOSE | 🎙️ EP. 170","slug":"black-bear-hunting-how-to-get-close-ep-170","published_at":"2026-04-16T18:30:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/backbone-unlimited-podcast-7365967/black-bear-hunting-how-to-get-close-ep-170","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/backbone-unlimited-podcast-7365967","url":"https://backboneunlimited.podbean.com/e/black-bear-hunting-how-to-get-close-%f0%9f%8e%99%ef%b8%8f-ep-170/","audio_url":"https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/bmdzcpwqp4ys7xsa/Black_Bear_Hunting_-_How_to_GET_CLOSE7rkgv.mp3","summary":"In this episode Matt Hartsky breaks down how to improve your stalking success when hunting black bears, focusing on the phase where most opportunities are lost—closing the distance. Spotting a bear is only the beginning. What you do next determines whether that encounter turns into a clean shot or another blown opportunity. Most hunters don’t fail because they can’t find bears—they fail because they rush the stalk, misread behavior, or move at the wrong time. Drawing from more than 34 years of Western hunting experience, Matt walks through a structured approach to stalking black bears that emphasizes control, patience, and disciplined decision-making under pressure. He explains how to read a bear before you move, how to use terrain to your advantage as distance closes, and why slowing down at the right moment is often what separates success from failure. This episode also covers wind management during a stalk, how to avoid unnecessary exposure, and how to move in a way that matches the bear’s behavior instead of reacting to it. The goal is to build a repeatable system that keeps you composed when adrenaline hits and the situation feels rushed. If you want to become more consistent on spot-and-stalk black bears, this episode will help you clean up the mistakes that quietly ruin most stalks and give you a more controlled, effective approach in the field.","meta_description":"In this episode Matt Hartsky breaks down how to improve your stalking success when hunting black bears, focusing on the phase where most opportunities are…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":823,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/backbone-unlimited-podcast-7365967/episodes/black-bear-hunting-how-to-get-close-ep-170/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/backbone-unlimited-podcast-7365967/black-bear-hunting-how-to-get-close-ep-170.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}