Episódios
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In this episode, Jaden takes you along on a midday glassing session from a real knob in Montana, where he breaks down how to effectively find—and use—glassing points to locate game. This isn’t about “killing spots,” it’s about how and where to find animals before you can make a move. Whether you’re e-scouting this summer or mid-hunt and struggling to find critters, Jaden lays out a practical, detailed framework to help you locate game from glassing knobs using real hunting scenarios and terrain examples.
What You'll Learn:How to e-scout for effective glassing knobs
Terrain features that make great glassing knobs (e.g. logging roads, elevation benches, and steep draws)
Pros and cons of glassing from roads, knobs, and highway pullouts
When to prioritize elevation vs. accessibility
How thermals, wind, and sun exposure affect animal behavior—and how to glass accordingly
Gear tips: simple optics setups and gridding methods for scanning terrain
Real stories of successful deer and elk hunts built around strategic glassing (including a double buck harvest with his brother)
We hope you enjoy this show!
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You can now can tap into my brain without booking a full consulting call. The Virtual Hunt Buddy is up and running and ready to help you get your plans in order—24/7, no scheduling required.
It’s trained on everything I’ve said or written about western hunts in the last 6 years. If you’re trying to build a gear list, pick a week to hunt, or figure out where to put your glass on opening morning, this tool can help.
You get 3 free messages to try it. After that, it’s just $10.
👉 Try the Hunt Buddy Here >>
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If you want to go to Argentina in 2026 THERE ARE ONLY TWO SPOTS LEFT! Contact Jaden at [email protected] to learn more.
Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro for the show.
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What does it take to be a top-tier sheep guide in modern-day Wyoming? Jimmy Owens of Lost Creek Outfitters gives us the behind-the-scenes look at a sheep hunt—logistics, expectations, glassing strategies, and the high-pressure stakes of once-in-a-lifetime tags. Learn why mules matter, how shooting trumps stamina, and what it's really like chasing rams in grizzly country. For hunters who dream of drawing a tag or just want to know what it takes, this one is a dang good one.
Please note: we recorded these live at the Wild Sheep Expo in Casper and while audio quality may not be crystal clear, the content is awesome!
If you want to support Wyoming Wild Sheep AND have a chance at a 2025 Wyoming Commissioner License, be sure to enter the Last Chance Commissioner Tag Raffle here >>
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Subscribe to the Hunt West Weekly Email Here >>
Learn about Hunt West planning services >>
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If you want to go to Argentina in 2026 THERE ARE ONLY TWO SPOTS LEFT! Contact Jaden at [email protected] to learn more.
Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro for the show. His new single, "Any Old Reason" is out now!
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In his wild ride through decades of conservation work, Kevin Hurley—Vice President for Conservation Emeritus at the Wild Sheep Foundation—shares the untold tales of bighorn sheep research from the 1980s to today. From TWO plane crashes to backpacking solo into Wyoming’s most remote basins looking for bighorns, Kevin’s lived experience paints a picture of how modern sheep management was built on grit, passion, and the occasional ram-shaped miracle. This episode is part history lesson, part survival story, and all heart for the wild sheep of the West.
Please note: we recorded these live at the Wild Sheep Expo in Casper and while audio quality may not be crystal clear, the content is awesome!
We hope you enjoy this episode.
If you want to support Wyoming Wild Sheep AND have a chance at a 2025 Wyoming Commissioner License, be sure to enter the Last Chance Commissioner Tag Raffle here >>
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Subscribe to the Hunt West Weekly Email Here >>
Learn about Hunt West planning services >>
Follow Hunt West on Instagram >>
If you want to go to Argentina in 2026 THERE ARE ONLY TWO SPOTS LEFT! Contact Jaden at [email protected] to learn more.
Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro for the show. His new single, "Any Old Reason" is out now!
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If you care about the future of wild sheep in Wyoming and across the West, this episode is for you. Executive Director of the Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation, Katie Cheesbrough, walks us through the behind-the-scenes work that keeps bighorns on the mountain—from prescribed burns and cheatgrass battles to science-informed transplants and working across private lands. It's a boots-on-the-ground conversation about what is actual conservation looks like, and how every tag, dollar, and decision plays a role in the bigger picture.
We hope you enjoy this episode.
Please note: we recorded these live at the Wild Sheep Expo in Casper and while audio quality may not be crystal clear, the content is awesome!
If you want to support Wyoming Wild Sheep AND have a chance at a 2025 Wyoming Commissioner License, be sure to enter the Last Chance Commissioner Tag Raffle here >>
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Subscribe to the Hunt West Weekly Email Here >>
Learn about Hunt West planning services >>
Follow Hunt West on Instagram >>
If you want to go to Argentina in 2026 THERE ARE ONLY TWO SPOTS LEFT! Contact Jaden at [email protected] to learn more.
Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro for the show. His new single, "Any Old Reason" is out now!
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In this episode of the Hunt West Podcast, Jaden Bales sits down with longtime friend and backcountry nutrition expert Kyle Kamp of Valley to Peak Nutrition. Kyle shares how mastering the basics of nutrition—not chasing the latest fads—is the key to performing at your peak in the mountains. From building sustainable systems to dialing in off-season weight loss and fueling long hunts like a late-season elk hunt, or a dall sheep trek in Alaska, Kyle lays down practical, no-BS advice for every kind of hunter.
Whether you're prepping for September elk season, cutting excess weight for the mountains, or figuring out what to actually eat in the backcountry, this episode delivers. Expect real stories, smart strategies, and a ton of overlap between hunting and nutrition that’ll get your wheels turning and your food game dialed.
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Subscribe to the Hunt West Weekly Email Here >>
Learn about Hunt West planning services >>
Follow Hunt West on Instagram >>
If you want to go to Argentina in 2026 THERE ARE ONLY TWO SPOTS LEFT! Contact Jaden at [email protected] to learn more.
Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro for the show.
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In this episode of the Hunt West Podcast, we sit down with lifelong hunter and western DIY guy, Seth Oren for a conversation that’s packed with stories, overarching strategy, and lessons from the field. From the Wisconsin woods to the high country of the West — and even the islands of Hawaii — Seth has spent a ton of time chasing critters, and he gets into some of the hunts that shaped his western hunting skills along the way.
We dive into what makes western hunting so addicting, how Seth prepares for out-of-state hunts, and the gear he’s come to trust after years of trial and error. We also cover Seth's business, Deep Fork Rentals, which lets traveling hunters rent the high-quality gear they need when coming out west for the first time. If you’re looking to learn from hard-earned experience, fine-tune your approach to hunts this fall, and dial in your gear, this episode delivers.
Learn more about Deep Fork Rentals and get a hold of Seth at Deepforkrentals.com
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Subscribe to the Hunt West Weekly Email Here >>
Learn about Hunt West planning services >>
Follow Hunt West on Instagram >>
If you want to go to Argentina in 2026 THERE ARE ONLY TWO SPOTS LEFT! Contact Jaden at [email protected] to learn more.
Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro for the show.
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In this episode, Jaden has on his friend Jordan Budd after she took a stud of a Wyoming black bear spot and stalk style. They recap the hunt, what they were looking for, the kinds of conditions that came together for this bear to show himself, and all the different pieces of gear that made this an absolutely textbook western big game hunt.
If you like good hunting stories and are a gear nerd like us, this podcast is going to be right up your alley. We hope you enjoy it!
Find Jordan Budd on Instagram or via her outfitting website runningwaterhunting.com
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Subscribe to the Hunt West Weekly Email Here >>
Learn about Hunt West planning services >>
Follow Hunt West on Instagram >>
If you want to go to Argentina, or have other questions about western hunting, contact Jaden at [email protected]
Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro for the show.
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In this episode, you're getting a front-row seat to a real Hunt West e-scouting session. Jaden sits down with two Colorado elk hunters and walks through the exact process he uses to break down a unit — from figuring out elk behavior in September to identifying terrain features that hold animals, and how to build flexible game plans based on wind, access, pressure, and feed.
This is way more than just picking waypoints — it's a deep dive into the Hunt West framework that teaches you how to think about a hunt, not just where to go. Whether you're planning your first western elk hunt or looking to sharpen your e-scouting game, this episode is packed with the goods. We hope you enjoy it!
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Subscribe to the Hunt West Weekly Email Here >>
Learn about Hunt West planning services >>
Follow Hunt West on Instagram >>
If you want to go to Argentina, or have other questions about western hunting, contact Jaden at [email protected]
Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro for the show.
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While old school deer tactics is in the name, this podcast with Robby Denning holds a lot more gems than that. From remembering Robby's father's impact on his hunting passion, to ways guys hunted deer more often "back in the day" and how to use those tools today, Jaden and Robby cover a whole host of topics in this podcast. They also discuss what it takes to find a big, special mule deer and take him home in today's hunting environment, aging mule deer bucks, and so much more.
This episode is packed full of great stories, lessons learned, and actionable tips for people hunting mule deer today. We hope you enjoy it half as much as we enjoyed recording it for you.
Referenced in the Show:
Hunting Big Mule Deer - A Rokslide.com Original >>Hunting Mule Deer with Robby and Travis >>
Robby Denning's Books on Mule Deer Hunting >>
Breaking 200" - A Rokslide Blog >>
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Subscribe to the Hunt West Weekly Email Here >>
Learn about Hunt West planning services >>
Follow Hunt West on Instagram >>
If you want to go to Argentina, or have other questions about western hunting, contact Jaden at [email protected]
Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro for the show.
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If you want to hear good stories of progressing as a western hunter, this podcast with Matt Emerson is great. Not only that, but today's podcast includes his incredible story of catching high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) and how to recognize signs of it before you have to call in a helicopter to the backcountry as he did. I spend a lot of time with Matt, and I even was sucked in by this interview. I am so excited to bring you this podcast with Matt Emerson, and hope you enjoy it, too!
_____Subscribe to the Hunt West Weekly Email Here >>
Learn about Hunt West planning services >>
Follow Hunt West on Instagram >>
If you want to go to Argentina, or have other questions about western hunting, contact Jaden at [email protected]
Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro for the show.
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In this episode of the Hunt West Podcast, Jaden picks the brain of his friend Chad Eidson about western hunting with muzzleloaders. Chad shared what he knows about the regulations and technology allowed in different states, and they discussed the evolution of muzzleloader technology, and the limitations of sighting systems. The guys also cover overall advantages and disadvantages of using muzzleloaders for hunting with some good old stories sprinkled in there.
For anyone who has wanted to unlock better drawing odds or interesting season dates with a muzzleloader in the west, this podcast will get you pointed in the right direction.
We hope you enjoy it!
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Subscribe to the Hunt West Weekly Email Here >>
Learn about Hunt West planning services >>
Follow Hunt West on Instagram >>
Contact Jaden at [email protected]
Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro for the show.
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In this episode, Jaden sits down with coues deer fanatic, and avid western DIY hunter, Jason Scott to cover a ton of topics, and tell a few hunting stories along the way.
First, they dive into Jason's coues deer hunting style and tactics that work for him over the years. The guys also talk about elk hunting strategies in Arizona, dive into Jason's Region G mule deer hunt, what it means to be on an adventure and having fun on western hunts, a few cold weather tips, and so much more.This is just a classic conversation between two fellas who love getting out and spending time in the mountains. We hope you enjoy it!
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Subscribe to the Hunt West Weekly Email Here >>
Learn about Hunt West planning services >>
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Contact Jaden at [email protected]
Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro for the show.
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In this solo episode, Jaden Jaden gives you actionable "meat and potatoes" type information to better plan your hunt by breaking down his process for getting started e-scouting and mapping out a hunt for which you drew a tag and don't have a set game plan for yet. He breaks down four steps in detail for getting started:
Set Your Goals Fly Around the Unit Hit the Googlizer Reach Out To PeopleA good hunt plan makes your week-long vacation much less stressful as you adapt to every obstacle, hiccup, and audible call along the way. Heck, getting out and enjoying your hunt is at the baseline of why we all do it anyway, so why not take all the steps you can to make sure your next hunt is a good one.
We hope you enjoy today's podcast!
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Subscribe to the Hunt West Weekly Email Here >>
Learn about Hunt West planning services >>
Follow Hunt West on Instagram >>
Contact Jaden at [email protected]
Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro for the show.
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Back in 2024, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife adopted a brand-spanking-new mule deer plan using a ton of new data collected from mule deer studies. Today, Josh Smith, the ODFW Mule Deer Coordinator, joins the show to tell us what the proposed changes look like, and for Oregon mule deer hunters, they are going to overhaul how you apply. In the least, it's possible your favorite unit's boundaries won't change much, but the codes and names for hunts you apply for will. At most, your hunt area maybe has three different mule deer herds using it, and that will upend how you apply.
In today's day and age of difficult tag draws and tough mule deer population numbers, it's refreshing to hear Oregon is putting the latest science to work and making changes that will ideally result in hunters being involved in the continued conservation of the species.
Thanks to Josh for taking the time to be on this podcast. We really appreciate you listening in and hope you enjoy this show!Want to see the proposed changes for yourself? Click here >>
If you want to plan your 2025 or 2026 Oregon mule deer hunt, be sure to reach out to [email protected] to get started.
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Subscribe to the Hunt West Weekly Email Here >>
Learn about Hunt West planning services >>
Follow Hunt West on Instagram >>
Contact Jaden at [email protected]
Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro for the show.
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In this episode of the Hunt West Podcast, we have Jared Oakleaf from Lander, WY on the show to nerd out about mule deer and their management. Jared is a die-hard big deer hunter who spends as much time learning about mule deer and working to conserve them as he does chasing them.
The guys touch on a ton of controversial topics, including antler point restrictions, ideal buck-to-doe ratios, the effects (or lack thereof) of limited quota seasons, and so much more. They also break down what may just be the secret to timing your hunting plans to maximize mature buck numbers and quality on your next hunt.
They reference a ton of work from the Monteith Shop, which you can read by clicking here >>
We'd love it if you supported their work on the website, as well. Click around in there, there's a lot to find on the website.
We sincerely hope you enjoy the show!
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Subscribe to the Hunt West Weekly Email Here >>
Learn about Hunt West planning services >>
Follow Hunt West on Instagram >>
Contact Jaden at [email protected]
Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro for the show.
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This could be an episode of the Hunt South Podcast, as friends Hayden and Jaden talk about their month hunting, translating, and guiding in Argentina. They discuss what the roar is all about with red stags, how black buck are South America's speedgoats, what it's like bringing down a water buffalo, and the tactics it takes to get a good wild boar on the barbecue. They share stories from the trip and also give advice for those looking to make the trip down one day.
If you have ever thought, “what if I could have two fall hunting seasons?” You can with a little planning and some airline miles to burn. The guys cover it all in this podcast.
We hope you enjoy the show.
Reach out to [email protected] if you have any questions about booking a trip to Argentina!
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Learn more about Terra Pampa and hunting Argentina >>
Follow Hunt West on Instagram >>
Subscribe to the Hunt West Weekly Email Here >>
Learn about Hunt West planning services >>
Contact Jaden at [email protected]
Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro for the show.
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In this episode, Jaden sits down to talk the messy Montana deer and elk draw, while giving people a sense of tactics to make sure you draw when you anticipate drawing in Montana. In particular, Montana has a split point system using preference points for general elk and deer combo tags, while maintaining a bonus point system for the permitted tags there. The guys also talk about different approaches to using the general seasons to prepare for an upcoming permit tag.
We hope you come out of this podcast with a clearer approach to drawing Montana tags ahead of the April 1st deadline.
Reach out to [email protected] if you have any questions ahead of the draw!
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Learn about Hunt West planning services >>
Follow Hunt West on Instagram >>
Subscribe to the Hunt West Weekly Email Here >>
Listen to the Elk Hunt Podcast Here >>
Contact Jaden at [email protected]
Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro for the show.
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If you've ever wanted to know about the logistics of hunting Argentina, this episode with Terra Pampa's Remi Donnelly is for you! Remi and Jaden talk about what makes a good outfitter in general in South America, the history of Terra Pampa, free-range hunting in Argentina, how to get heads and hides back to the States, and much more.
If someone doesn't have international hunting on their bucket list, I think they should. It's reasonably priced for an incredible experience, world class accommodations, and a REAL hunt for free-ranging stags and other species.
For more information, shoot me an email [email protected]
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Learn about Hunt West planning services >>
Follow Hunt West on Instagram >>
Subscribe to the Hunt West Weekly Email Here >>
Listen to the Elk Hunt Podcast Here >>
Contact Jaden at [email protected]
Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro for the show.
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In this episode, we have Cody Rich from The Rich Outdoors and Elk Hunt Podcast back on the show to talk Montana deer and elk. The boys discuss where Montana sits in someone's applications and the strategies that are effective for getting a nice bull or buck in the Big Sky state. The guys also compare Montana to Colorado as guys consider which of the two states they should invest in with their short-term hunting plans. Cody's experience and stories in Montana and around the West are super helpful for anyone considering putting Montana in their plans.
We hope you enjoy the show!
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Learn about Hunt West planning services >>
Follow Hunt West on Instagram >>
Subscribe to the Hunt West Weekly Email Here >>
Listen to the Elk Hunt Podcast Here >>
Contact Jaden at [email protected]
Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro for the show.
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In this episode, Jaden sits down with his good buddy and Colorado resident, Garrison Kinsel. In Garrison's words, he's married to the whitetail game with a love affair with Colorado mule deer. But what he doesn't also mention is that he's been on multiple successful opportunity elk hunts and recently took a great old Colorado bull elk by pounding the timber on a late-season rifle hunt.
Hope you enjoy this episode and get some ideas for approaching your next Colorado mule deer or elk hunt in 2025.
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Learn about Hunt West planning services >>
Follow Hunt West on Instagram >>
Subscribe to the Hunt West Weekly Email Here >>
Listen to the Elk Hunt Podcast Here >>
Contact Jaden at [email protected]
Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro for the show.
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