{"podcast":{"title":"Hunt West Podcast","slug":"hunt-west-podcast-7078834","podcast_index_feed_id":7078834,"rss_url":"https://feeds.libsyn.com/553162/rss","website_url":"https://sites.libsyn.com/huntwest","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/0/2/4/e/024e6bba670f23c327a2322813b393ee/HW_Pod_Cover_Art_White.png","author":"Jaden Bales","episode_count":110,"summary":"The Hunt West Podcast is for hunters who'd rather wear out a pair of boots than a YouTube playlist. Most hunting podcasts give you campfire stories, gear hype, or endless tag talk. Hunt West is different. This is applied hunting wisdom — the stuff that actually helps you find critters and fill tags in the wild country west of the 100th meridian. Hosted by Jaden Bales — hunt consultant, mule deer junkie, and professional tag nerd — the show mixes solo riffs, guest conversations, and hard-earned lessons from real hunts. You'll get strategies for e-scouting, application hacks, mindset shifts, and the kind of woodsmanship that still matters when the Wi-Fi goes dark. If you're the kind of hunter who loves general seasons, sharp steel, glassing knobs, and planning three tags ahead — welcome home.","last_synced_at":"2026-09-20T20:22:24.062654+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/hunt-west-podcast-7078834"},"episode":{"title":"What to Do When the Shot Goes Wrong: Rocky Mountain Big Game Recovery","slug":"what-to-do-when-the-shot-goes-wrong-rocky-mountain-big-game-recovery","published_at":"2026-08-29T12:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/hunt-west-podcast-7078834/what-to-do-when-the-shot-goes-wrong-rocky-mountain-big-game-recovery","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/hunt-west-podcast-7078834","url":"https://huntwest.net/what-to-do-when-the-shot-goes-wrong-rocky-mountain-big-game-recovery","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/ac1d913b-8d7b-4b44-b5f3-6dbc4520f94e/Scott_Gillespie_on_Rocky_Mountain_Big_Game_Recovery.mp3?dest-id=4776387","summary":"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! Show Links: Find a tracking dog and handler >> Learn more about Rocky Mountain Big Game Recovery >> 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.","meta_description":"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 rec…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3981,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/hunt-west-podcast-7078834/episodes/what-to-do-when-the-shot-goes-wrong-rocky-mountain-big-game-recovery/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/hunt-west-podcast-7078834/what-to-do-when-the-shot-goes-wrong-rocky-mountain-big-game-recovery.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}