The Hunt Backcountry Podcast

Save 20% on all Exo Mtn Gear purchases — SALE BEGINS 11/21/22. Limited-time and limited quantities. Sign-up to get notified when the sale begins...
EXO SALE NOTIFICATION: https://exomtngear.com/newsletter
On this solo Monday Minute, Mark answers your listener questions. Topics include Swarovski's new compact spotting scopes (ATC and STC), and how they compare to the rest of the best spotters on the market. Watch the spotting scope review and comparison video with Steve Speck and Rob McConnell from S&S Archery...
VIDEO REVIEW — Swarovski STC vs The Field: https://youtu.be/EbtGgKQnz0Y
Mark also discusses Active Insulation mid-layers, including Sitka's new Ambient collection, and how that piece compares and performs against similar mid-layers, including grid fleece, and also other "breathable" insulation layers, such as those using 3DeFX insulation (Kuiu Kenai, Outdoor Vitals Ventus, Patagonia Nano, etc). Note: Mark mixed-up the Katana and Kenai names when referencing Kuiu pieces in this podcast. More on the Sitka Ambient: https://sitkagear.com/ambient
Mark also discusses the new 7mm PRC rifle cartridge and how it compares to his hunting cartridge of choice, the 7SAUM, as well as how the PRC stacks up against contenders like the 7mm Remington Magnum and the 28 Nosler. More on the 7 PRC: https://www.hornady.com/7prc
Share your question for a future Monday Minute episode: https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry OR podcast@exomtngear.com
Podcast Episode Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast

Like most backcountry hunters, we are passionate about the gear we use. At the end of each year, we like to highlight some of the favorite gear we have used for hunts throughout the year and discuss why those particular items made a difference for us personally.
In this episode, Steve & Mark share the best gear they used in 2022.
Visit https://exomtngear.com/blogs/article/2022-gear-of-the-year to view all of the gear discussed in today's episode, as well as to see previous Gear of the Year selections for 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.
Share your question or suggestion for the show: https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry OR podcast@exomtngear.com
Search the Podcast Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast

Steve & Mark answer listener-submitted questions about upcoming Exo sales, pack fabrics, whether to hunt elk or bear for a first-time western hunter, if clothing should be considered part of a sleep system, and questions on reloading for precision rifles. They also talk about Steve's recent solo elk hunt and packing-out meat with a dirt bike.
Get details on the Exo sale coming later this month: https://exomtngear.com/newsletter
Share your question about reloading (or anything else): https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry OR podcast@exomtngear.com
Previous podcasts and an article about reloading:
- https://exomtngear.com/blogs/podcast/213
- https://exomtngear.com/blogs/podcast/221
- https://exomtngear.com/blogs/article/reloading-gear-for-precision-hunting
Podcast Episode Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast

Today's episode is another "After" podcast from the "Before & After the Hunt" podcast series with people just like YOU... listeners of the podcast.
Our guest, Ryan, joined us in Episode 359, before he and two of his buddies from Wisconsin headed into the high country of Colorado to hunt Mule Deer this past September. In this conversation with Ryan we hear the hunt story, lessons learned, and much more.
LEAVE A MESSAGE: https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry or podcast@exomtngear.com
Podcast Episode Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast

Steve & Mark talk about Steve's recent Mule Deer hunt, why they don't take any money from sponsors or affiliates for the podcast, and how they deal with insulated boots for cold weather and late-season hunts.
ASK A QUESTION: https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry OR podcast@exomtngear.com
Podcast Episode Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast

After independently choosing to use Nightforce scopes, Steve and Mark wanted to chat with the Nightforce crew to learn more about the company's history, what is behind their tagline of "Rugged. Reliable. Repeatable.", and to answer your listener questions about riflescopes. Whether you are looking to learn more about Nightforce rifle scopes in particular, or want to understand more about the design, manufacturing, and function of rifle scopes in general, you will enjoy this conversation.
LEAVE A MESSAGE: https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry or podcast@exomtngear.com
Podcast Episode Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast

Steve & Mark recount their recent Idaho elk hunt and connect their experience to a listener question about developing mental toughness. How do you stay positive and keep hunting hard when the weather, animals, and other elements of the hunt don't go your way?
They also talk about their choice in water filter systems between the Sawyer Squeeze, Katadyn BeFree, and Platypus Quickdraw.
- Katadyn BeFree: https://amzn.to/3CZkotz
- Hydrapak Seeker Water Storage: https://amzn.to/3TxDwGi (Compatible with the BeFree filter.)
- Sawyer Fast-Fill Adapter: https://amzn.to/3spu0ZS (Compatible with the BeFree filter.)
ASK A QUESTION: https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry OR podcast@exomtngear.com
Podcast Episode Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast

Today's episode is the first "After" podcast from the "Before & After the Hunt" podcast series with people just like YOU... listeners of the podcast.
Our guest, Joseph, joined us in Episode 364, before he went on his Dall Sheep hunt in the Brooks Range of Alaska. In today's conversation, Joseph shares the hunt story, lessons learned, and much more.
LEAVE A MESSAGE: https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry or podcast@exomtngear.com
Podcast Episode Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast

Having just returned from a challenging but successful Mountain Goat hunt in Southeast Alaska, Mark joins Steve to tell the entire story on this podcast episode. As you will hear, this hunt was quite an adventure, with a lot of ups-and-downs over nine days.
See photos from the hunt, get Mark's complete gear list, read some of his lessons-learned, and see the new and notable gear that Mark used...
https://exomtngear.com/blogs/article/alaska-mountain-goat-hunting-gear-list
The Hunt Crew:
- Mark Huelsing: https://instagram.com/markthefark/
- Mark Rowenhorst: https://www.instagram.com/limitlessalaskaguiding/
- Tyler Boschma: https://www.instagram.com/tyler_boschma/
- Justin Nelson: https://www.instagram.com/toppriorityhunting/
LEAVE A MESSAGE: https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry or podcast@exomtngear.com
Podcast Episode Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast

Mark answers listener questions about his custom rifle build, which he initially discussed in Episode 370, and also documented in this article: https://exomtngear.com/blogs/article/custom-hunting-rifle-build
In this episode, Mark answers questions on the total cost of the rifle, the recoil of shooting a lightweight magnum rifle, spotting impacts, the speeds and maximum effective range of the rifle, the benefits of short barrels, how to configure ballistics for different environments, and more.
ASK A QUESTION: https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry OR podcast@exomtngear.com
Podcast Episode Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast