Hunt West Podcast

In this solo episode of the Hunt West Podcast, Jaden fires up the mic to deliver the pep talk every hunter needs before stepping into the mountains this fall. Too often, hunters head into a season weighed down by excuses, negative chatter, and unrealistic expectations. Jaden pushes back hard on that mindset with a  no-excuses, stay-positive approach that will help you make the most of whatever you...

This week on the Hunt West Podcast, I sit down with one of the most unique hunters you'll ever meet — Cade Cole. If Jeremiah Johnson and a backcountry rifleman had a kid who grew up in blue jeans, it'd be Cade. He's a young guy with an old soul, a no-nonsense attitude, and the kind of woodsmanship that doesn't come from gadgets — it comes from time in the mountains. We get into: Why Cade hunts wit...

In this solo round, Hunt West host Jaden Bales dives deep into one of the most important — yet often overlooked — aspects of hunting: what happens after the shot. Fresh back from a successful Alaska blacktail trip, Jaden breaks down his years of trial-and-error experience building a streamlined kill kit and a field processing system that works whether you're backpacking miles from the truck or hun...

In this special episode, Jaden sits down with Jeff Lund—Alaska teacher, seasoned blacktail hunter, and host of the On Step Podcast —for a deep dive into gear, strategy, and expectations for their upcoming DIY blacktail deer hunt in Southeast Alaska. They break down layering systems, managing moisture, alpine glassing techniques, and why hunting local-style is sometimes better than going big. Wheth...

In this special crossover episode, Jaden Bales joins Brian Lueddeke on the Twilight Hunter's Podcast for a deep-dive into Western tag systems, drawing strategies, and how to secure hunting opportunities every year—especially if you're getting started later in life. From preference points and random draws to budgeting for multi-state hunts, Jaden and Brian break down practical tips for hunters who...

On this episode of the Hunt West Podcast, Jaden sits down with longtime buddy and seasoned sufferer Hayden Richins to talk about all the times things didn't go according to plan in the field. From frozen rifles and "yard sale" fire-starting to saltwater-induced butt bombs and three-arrow tree slaps, this one's a backcountry blooper reel with some hard-earned lessons baked in. If you've ever missed...

In this solo round, Jaden breaks down the fundamentals of boots-on-the-ground scouting for mule deer and elk. Whether you're heading to the high country, the desert lowlands, or planning a rut hunt in between, this episode serves as a crash course in when, where, and how to scout. From picking glassing knobs to understanding deer and elk behavior by season, it's a no-BS overview fueled by listener...

If you've ever thought, "I want to hunt elk out West, but I don't know where to start," this episode is your launchpad. Today's show is a special crossover—Weston Homa from the Run the Rack podcast flips the mic and interviews Jaden about how Eastern whitetail hunters can realistically break into Western hunting. From over-the-counter tags and reissue strategies to what gear actually matters and h...

If you've ever wondered what it really takes to hunt deep in the backcountry—and make it back out in one piece—you'll want to listen to this one. Jaden sits down with Brad Brooks, founder of Argali , to talk all things backpack hunting logistics. From elk vs. mule deer strategies, to hauling meat solo, to common gear mistakes—this conversation is full of hard-earned lessons and straight-shooting w...

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, deta...

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 d...

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 gr...

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 conver...

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-se...

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...

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...

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 j...

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...

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 intervi...

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 muzzlelo...

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...

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 People A go...

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 bo...

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 eff...

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 a...