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Explore every episode of the podcast East Meets West Hunt
Dive into the complete episode list for East Meets West Hunt. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ep. 517: Day 3, No Deer: How I Decide to Stay or Move During the Rut (Live at Huntstock) | 27 oct. 2026 | 00:58:39 | |
Solo episode. This is Beau Martonik’s bowhunting seminar from Huntstock, recorded live, and it’s built around one of the questions he gets most at shows and in his inbox: should I stay in this spot, or should I move?
Beau walks through the framework he uses in the tree to take the emotion out of that call, then backs it up with real hunts from the last decade, including the ones that didn’t work. If you’ve got a week of rut vacation coming, this is the one to listen to before you burn it.
In this episode:
Why the big woods don’t follow the farm country playbook
Why bouncing between spots had Beau chasing his tail
The reasons to stay and the reasons to move
Clean access using roads, drainages, and thermals
A map breakdown of a spot where he watched a buck at 18 yards with his bow on the ground
Why a part owner of a mobile hunting company sits one spot for days
Day six or seven in a lonely funnel, and a noon buck on November 8th
Taking the same approach to Iowa with no historical data
Leaving a spot on day three, driving 10 or 15 miles, and killing the buck he was after
Why early season and new areas need a different approach
How he handles swirling wind during the rut
Q&A: browse species, e-scouting timber cuts, finding old apple trees with LIDAR, and his favorite clear cut age
https://act.wilderness.org/a/26bcpledge-eastwest-1
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
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YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 516: Performance Coach on Staying Sharp Through All Day Rut Sits w/ Todd Bumgardner | 22 oct. 2026 | 00:20:30 | |
Bonus episode. Beau Martonik sits down with Todd Bumgardner of Packmule Training Co., a performance coach who’s trained NFL linebackers, special operators, and a lot of hunters. Todd wrote an article for the East Meets West journal last October on managing your body and mindset through the whitetail rut, and this is the conversation behind it.
The rut is mostly long sits and patience, waiting on one moment that happens fast. This one is about the small stuff that decides whether you’re sharp when it does.
In this episode:
Why the rut wears you down, and why it matters going into the holidays
Being a body in the tree vs. actually hunting
Stress, and sending an arrow into the next zip code
A quick joint routine at the truck before you walk in
Why 2% dehydration hurts your thinking, and why water keeps you warmer
What Beau carries for an all day sit
Keeping blood sugar steady without giving up the snack cakes
Taking a break when you’re smoked, and a midday nap in the tree
Sleeping better when the nights are short
Prepping stand food the night before
https://act.wilderness.org/a/26bcpledge-eastwest-1
Pack Mule Training Co IG: https://www.instagram.com/packmuletrainingco/
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 515: Why the Best Funnels for Mature Bucks Have No Sign w/ Jeremy Ballantine | 20 oct. 2026 | 01:16:11 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with Jeremy Ballantine at Huntstock. Jeremy grew up in southern Vermont tracking big bucks on snow, has guided moose hunters for over 25 years, and hunts Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.
Years of following mature bucks through the mountains showed him they don’t use the country the way other deer do. They parallel the trails, cut through saddles on one contour, and scoot through the funnels without leaving much sign. That’s where he kills them now. This one is tactic heavy, from rattling in crunchy leaves to sitting one spot for a week.
In this episode:
Hunting Vermont, and why tracking and stand hunting feed each other
Why bucks love to bed above their own backtrack
Using rattling antlers to get a buck’s attention when he can’t hear a grunt
Two bucks he wouldn’t have killed without antlers in the tree
Why the brawlers die young and the true giants are mellow
Wide Clyde: a three year chase, a hot doe, and eight seconds on snow
Frustration rubs, and why not every rub means something
Doe groups, trail camera history, and four day rut windows on some mountains
Bucks that winter 15 to 18 miles from where they rut
Why you have to treat mature bucks like a different species
Why the best funnels have the least sign
Sitting one funnel five or six days dark to dark
Why he shuts his cell cams off during the rut
Swirling wind in a funnel, and his favorite rut dates
https://act.wilderness.org/a/26bcpledge-eastwest-1
Jeremy's YT - https://www.youtube.com/@InPursuit365
Jeremy's IG - https://www.instagram.com/inpursuit_365/
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 514: The Real Cost of Killing Giant Bucks w/ Dan Infalt & Johnny Stewart | 13 oct. 2026 | 01:39:44 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with Dan Infalt of The Hunting Beast at Huntstock, with Johnny Stewart as co-host. Dan has been asked about bedding areas on every podcast there is, so this one skips the tactics and goes after the story behind them.
Dan learned to hunt alone in southern Wisconsin, chasing one buck for three seasons, finding his sheds every year, and figuring out that if he wanted to kill him, he had to be close to where he bedded. On Thanksgiving morning, a rock off the hood of an old junked car finally pushed that buck out. He went on to a 15 year run of giant bucks, and Dan is honest about what that run cost his family, and why he started giving everything away.
In this episode:
Why hate online means you’re doing well
Learning to hunt with no mentor and a dad who couldn’t give a compliment
Finding a buck’s sheds three years running and learning his bedding areas
Crosswinds, a junked car, and his first giant on Thanksgiving Day
Giving away the “secrets” and the kickback that came with it
Making people better hunters and hunters better people
Johnny, Beau, and a wind bump at deer camp that turned into Beau’s biggest buck
Helping his longtime hunting partner kill a 170 inch ten he’d been chasing for years
Timber the raccoon, and why hunters care about animals more than people think
Losing some of the want, and the birthdays and Halloweens it cost
Why you have to earn luck
How putting his spots on film has cost him
Why 5% of hunters kill all the deer, and the confidence nobody can sell you
https://act.wilderness.org/a/26bcpledge-eastwest-1
Dan's YT - https://www.youtube.com/@thehuntingbeast
Dan's FB - https://www.facebook.com/dan.infalt
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 513: 10 Days of Archery Elk in Wyoming (Big Bull Down) w/ Tyler Martonik & Derek Testerman | 08 oct. 2026 | 01:57:28 | |
Bonus episode from Wyoming elk camp. Beau Martonik sits down with his cousin Tyler Martonik and cameraman Derek Testerman at the end of a 10 day archery elk hunt on general tags.
The plan for day one was to take it easy and acclimate. By 4:30 that afternoon, a cow walked to within five yards of Tyler, he looked over and said “bull, Beau, bull,” and Beau had a 6x6 coming around the knob. What followed was a five hour trip out in the dark through blowdowns and a thunderstorm, and another full day to get the rest of him out.
From there it’s Tyler’s hunt. Learning one drainage over most of a week, waiting for thermals to settle before moving on bedded bulls, a wallow found on LiDAR, close calls at 80 yards, and wolves in camp at 3 AM.
In this episode:
Burning seven points on a Wyoming general tag
Acclimating without sitting in camp: camp low, hunt high
The cow at five yards and the bull behind her
Butchering a bull on a slope he kept trying to roll off
Five hours of rain, cliffs, and blowdowns on the first trip out
Why bugles are closer than they sound in thick timber
Waiting for thermals to settle before moving on bedded bulls
A wallow that only showed up on LiDAR
Elk staying low for water in a hot, dry year
Wolves in camp at 3 AM
The herd bull play where everything went right but the bull
Gear that worked, what’s getting replaced, and boiling a skull for Wyoming’s CWD rules
https://act.wilderness.org/a/26bcpledge-eastwest-1
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 512: Why Deer Follow His Tracks Right to the Stand (233 Bow Kills) w/ Jim Gallagher | 06 oct. 2026 | 01:35:47 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with Jim Gallagher at Huntstock. Jim is in his 50th year of hunting, has been bow-only for close to 40 years, and has killed 233 deer with a bow, almost all of them in the swamps and thickets of the Northeast.
His system runs the opposite direction from most. Instead of trying to leave nothing on the walk-in, he wants deer to find his trail. Store scents and cover scents didn’t hold up, so for about 35 years his boots have gone in fresh rabbit droppings, later with tarsal gland hair on top, a buck tarsal hangs seven feet up over a mock scrape, and he walks past his tree and hooks back so a deer following him in gives him an angled-away shot. Then he calls, every sit, on a set schedule.
He also gets into why he aims at the very bottom of the deer, going back to around 1986, when he and Gus Park tallied their misses at a picnic table in Pennsylvania, and 30 of 35 had gone over the deer’s back, and a long list of stories from 50 seasons of doing it his way.
In this episode:
Tracking deer in Maine snow and going bow only
39 foot stands and seven busts in 17 years
The calling sequence: one nostril, fawn mew, grunt, rattle
Why store scents failed and rabbit droppings didn’t
Tarsal glands seven feet up over a mock scrape
Shooting out the side of the peep in low light
Why a deer blowing at you can be a good thing
The night bucks fought under his stand in the dark
Straight down shots and where he aims from 39 feet
The J hook that turns a following deer into a quartering away shot
His biggest buck, a 212 pounder that followed him for a week
The Pennsylvania picnic table tally and the barn test on deer ducking the string
Checking the swamps after the first October snow
A broken arrow rest, two lost bucks, and why you shoot your bow after a bad hit
https://act.wilderness.org/a/26bcpledge-eastwest-1
Jim's YT channel - https://www.youtube.com/@jimgallagher4939
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 511: What Deer DNA Reveals About Which Bucks Breed w/ Dr. Steve Ditchkoff | 29 sept. 2026 | 02:08:02 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with Dr. Steve Ditchkoff at Auburn University, where he has run the deer lab for about 25 years and has been studying deer for roughly 35.
He did not grow up hunting deer. His father quit about the time he was born, so he grew up fishing outside Detroit, found a fisheries and wildlife degree at Michigan State, studied wintering deer in Maine on snowshoes, and did his PhD in Oklahoma on mating strategy, which was a question deer biologists mostly weren’t asking then.
That question is what this episode is built on. In 2007, he built a 430-acre facility at Auburn, fenced, with about 100 adult deer in it, because hunting shows had spent years telling people which bucks were breeder bucks and nobody had studied which individuals actually breed. His group tries to capture the whole population each year, pulls a tissue sample off every deer, and builds the family tree out of DNA. They can look at one buck and count what he sired at one, two, three and four years old, and see which does he bred with.
The answer is that it isn’t random. It’s partially driven by similarity in body size and age. He also has data showing a doe increases her movement substantially right before she comes into heat. What he flags as belief rather than data, and he flags it himself, is his hunch that a dominant buck is targeting specific does rather than wandering. Then the hunting consequence: if you knew the exact peak of breeding, that’s the worst week to sit, because that’s when the most bucks are locked down.
The other half is pressure. He doesn’t believe gunshots are what deer respond to. He believes they respond to the sign we leave walking in and walking out. Two of his studies sit under that, one in South Carolina where daylight use of a hunted spot dropped the day after a sit and took about a week to recover, and one in Alabama that found the best day of the week to hunt.
In this episode:
Why the Southeast ended up leading deer research
Where AI helps wildlife science and where it goes wrong
How he ended up handing his data to Bill Thompson
What confidence actually does to a hunter in the stand
We train deer to avoid us, and the sign we leave doing it
The South Carolina study, and the week it takes a spot to recover
The best day of the week to hunt, by the data
72 square miles of ammunition plant, and what those deer acted like
Why bucks move more where the deer are thin
Why the peak week is the worst week to sit
The breeder buck question nobody had ever actually studied
Inside the 430 acre facility and the family tree built out of DNA
Whether a dominant buck is choosing which does he breeds
The walkabout a doe goes on before she comes into heat
Bucks that moved two and five miles and never came back
Whether you need to know how many deer you have
The three things 35 years changed about how he hunts
https://act.wilderness.org/a/26bcpledge-eastwest-1
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 510: He Won’t Scout Before Opening Day, and He Kills Bucks in Week One w/ Lucas Benoit | 22 sept. 2026 | 01:16:04 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with Lucas Benoit, a bear houndsman and guide out of central New Hampshire, with Johnny Stewart in the co-host chair. Recorded live at Huntstock.
Lucas got into hounds around fourteen with two accident-litter beagles, bought his first two finished bear dogs off a guy who was quitting, treed about sixteen bears that first season, and has since had a year of just over a hundred. Ask him which he’d rather do and he says deer hunting, a hundred percent.
He has killed mature bucks on September 21st in back to back years. Johnny spends most of the episode refusing to let him call it luck.
The argument underneath it is worth the listen. The first week of the season is the best week of the year to kill a mature buck, because if you can find what they’re feeding on, they aren’t far from it. December gets almost that good, and he’ll tell you he still struggles then. The reason most people never cash that first week is that they go scout it the week before and blow the place out. Lucas does not pre-scout. He finds sign in real time and sets up on it the same day.
Then it gets specific. Ten white oaks on a hilltop spine, three or four of them producing, one or two acorns under each, and bucks routing through to check every one. How to look up into an oak and read whether it has produced in the last couple years. The stand he hung over a pattern he called a slam dunk, then left and came back the wrong morning. Blowing a buck off a hill on opening day, staying out five or six days, then parking a mile away and climbing a steep hemlock face because it was the only way the wind worked. And a 170 inch buck that stood up at fifty yards, crossed a clear cut, looked at six dogs and three men for five minutes, and bedded back down.
In this episode:
Beagles to bear dogs, and why hounds are the honest way to manage a bear population
Why running dogs is the best deer scouting he does all year
The rub line he found on a bear chase, and the buck that walked it in daylight
A 170 inch buck that bedded back down in front of six dogs
Why the first week of season is his best week of the year
Why he doesn’t scout the week before opening day
The slam dunk stand he hung and then didn’t sit
Same spot, same date, years apart
Reading which oaks are producing before you ever look at the ground
A September buck killed in the morning, on a spot he’d already blown out
How long to stay out of a spot once you’ve bumped a buck
Five bucks on the last day of the season, and whether that’s luck
Lucas' IG: @nhbearguide
https://act.wilderness.org/a/26bcpledge-eastwest-1Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 509: Lee Ellis on the Blizzard Buck, Self Filming at Negative 18, and the Tree He Didn’t Want (Part 2) | 15 sept. 2026 | 01:05:45 | |
Beau Martonik sits back down with Lee Ellis of Seek One for the second half of their conversation, which is one long story. Lee saw a buck with heavy brow tines one time in the summer, across a rolling bean field, and then didn’t lay eyes on him again until the first week of November. He spent most of the season putting time into a different deer entirely.
Then the season ended in a blizzard. Lee walks through almost hitting that buck with his truck five days before he killed him, watching him feed in a cut cornfield for an hour and a half in cold that left his fingertips sensitive for weeks afterward, and asking a neighbor for access permission rather than hunting permission so he could keep a tree line between himself and an island of timber full of eyes. He gets into the tree he wanted, the tree he settled for, and why the second one is the only reason the hunt happened.
Also covered: the does blowing and then coming back, a lung liver hit that looked perfect on camera, backing out for a sleepless night, dragging the deer out a mile on a sled at negative 18 with a frozen beard, and the deer’s other close calls.
Part one of this conversation is episode 505.
The Wilderness Society - https://act.wilderness.org/a/26bcpledge-eastwest-1
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 508: How Hunting Less Put Them on More Good Bucks w/ Jameson Curtis and Kelly McGraw | 08 sept. 2026 | 02:05:00 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with Jameson Curtis and Kelly McGraw of Wild at Heart Outdoors, the two guys behind Pursuing the Allegheny. It’s their first time on the show in eight years.
They walked away from making hunting films, and Jameson walked away from hunting almost entirely for a couple of years. He says getting off social media was the reset button, that seeing 15 guys out of thousands post big bucks had him convinced everybody was killing except him. Kelly puts it more simply: when you drop the ego, you think more freely.
What came out the other side is two guys who hunt less and capitalize more. Kelly has been on four mule deer hunts without the big one he’s after, and instead of counting them as four failures he counts them as 28 total days of learning. Jameson laid in the weeds for six hours waiting on bedded bucks rather than push a stalk he knew wouldn’t work. They both stopped hunting individual buck beds off theory and moved to hunting whatever sign is hot that week.
The tactical run in the middle is worth the listen on its own. The one hidden corner of a cut cornfield that the biggest bucks hit in daylight within a couple days of the combine leaving, every year, regardless of the calendar. Why bucks buffer off a field edge and sprint 60 yards before they feed, and the young oak Kelly had planted at 23 yards to fix it. What a 2 a.m. scrape picture usually means about the next afternoon. Why Kelly would rather bump a buck out of his bed than stay a step behind him. And the only weather trigger either of them will get out of bed for.
In this episode:
Why they stepped away from hunting, and what getting off social media did for it
Pursuing the Allegheny, eleven years later
What changed out West in twelve years, and the advice from Jared Lyle that stuck
Kelly’s mule deer math: 28 days, not four failures
The lunch break set that killed a buck that same evening
What a 2 a.m. scrape picture usually means about tomorrow afternoon
The corner of the cut corn the biggest bucks hit in daylight every year
Target panic, and a raghorn at 20 yards in Wyoming
Where buck bedding stopped working for them, and hunting hot sign instead
Bumping deer out of bed and hunting them anyway
The only weather trigger either of them will get out of bed for
The transplanted scrape tree, and why bucks buffer off a field edge
Managing a farm after years on public
Hunting for yourself instead of for the internet
The Wilderness Society - https://act.wilderness.org/a/26bcpledge-eastwest-1
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 507: Why Your Camo Pattern Matters Less Than What It’s Reflecting w/ Dr. Karl Miller (Part 2) | 01 sept. 2026 | 01:06:09 | |
Beau Martonik sits back down with Dr. Karl Miller for the second half of their conversation, and this half is entirely about what a deer sees. Karl was part of the original work that got inside a whitetail’s eye to determine whether deer perceive color at all, and he later worked with Sitka on a camo pattern developed around deer vision rather than human vision.
He starts with the hardware. A deer’s pupil opens about three times wider than ours, which alone is roughly nine times the light-gathering ability, and a reflective layer behind the retina called the tapetum bounces that light back across the rods and cones a second time to roughly double it again. The pupil is a horizontal slit rather than a circle, and it rotates to stay level even when the deer drops its head to feed, so a deer eating acorns is still watching the horizon. They see roughly 310 degrees, whereas we see 120.
Then the tradeoff. Deer have no fovea centralis, they can’t accommodate for distance, and their visual acuity at a stationary object comes in somewhere around 20/40 to 20/60. Karl’s line is that they’d almost need corrective lenses to drive. What they do have is motion. Their eyes stay still and let the image travel across the retina engaging new cones, and they process that visual information roughly four to five times faster than a human does, which Karl suggests means your movement looks to them something like slow motion. That leads into a long back and forth on jumping the string, whether a deer is reacting to the sound at all, and whether it might be seeing the bow flex or even the arrow itself. Beau brings his axis deer footage from Hawaii into it, where the deer were on the ground before the arrow arrived at 25 yards.
The back half is camo, and it’s the most useful stretch of either episode. Karl lays out the two jobs camo has to do, explains why pattern detail matters far less than most hunters think and why outline and spectral match matter far more, and gets into whiteners and brighteners in fabrics and detergents that take ultraviolet light and re-radiate it into exactly the part of the spectrum a deer sees 20 times better than we do. He explains why he stopped wearing blue jeans in the woods, why a whitetail’s tail is white in the first place, why old army camo is actually good camo, and why a shiny fabric can beat you even when the color is right. He also walks through how Sitka’s Cover pattern was developed and what it was actually designed to solve.
He closes with what he calls the take home: hunt the deer’s brain first. There are only three questions in a deer’s head, and everything it does traces back to one of them.
Part one of this conversation is episode 506.
Topics:
00:00:00 — Part two intro
00:07:16 — A deer's eye is built for two jobs, and neither one is looking at you
00:11:32 — Pupil size, and nine times your light gathering ability
00:13:31 — Their eyes rotate to stay level when their head goes down
00:14:23 — The tapetum, and 18 times the light
00:21:21 — Blue cones across the whole retina, and 310 degrees of vision
00:24:49 — 20/40 to 20/60: they'd need corrective lenses to drive
00:27:39 — Flicker fusion, and why your movement looks like slow motion to them
00:28:40 — Jumping the string: the sound, the arrow, or the bow
00:34:29 — Drawing on a quartering deer, and why they don't look up
00:37:20 — What camo has to do, and what it doesn't
00:40:39 — Whiteners, brighteners, and camo that glows
00:42:53 — How Cover got built around deer eyes instead of ours
00:50:08 — Fabric shine, old army camo, and plastic blaze orange
00:54:03 — Hunt the deer's brain first
Dr. Karl Miller’s published research: Google Scholar, search “Karl Miller deer UGA”
Part one of this conversation is Ep. 506
The Wilderness Society - https://act.wilderness.org/a/26bcpledge-eastwest-1
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 506: Deer Biologist Explains Why Scrapes Peak Two Weeks Before the Rut w/ Dr. Karl Miller (Part 1) | 25 août 2026 | 01:40:50 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with Dr. Karl Miller of the University of Georgia, where he spent 40 years leading deer research and mentoring close to 100 graduate students. Karl grew up hunting the Pennsylvania big woods before he went south for his PhD, and much of what hunters take for granted about rubs and scrapes came out of his lab.
The core of this conversation is signpost communication. Karl walks through why bucks make rubs in the first place, and what one of his students found when he ran a chemical analysis on forehead gland secretions: 67 different compounds, and not one of them in higher concentration in dominant bucks than in subordinate ones. No dominance signal at all. What varies is the mix, deer to deer, which means every buck is leaving something closer to a name than a rank. He also explains why the loser of a sparring match will walk up and lick the winner’s forehead.
Then he gets into scrapes, and the finding he clearly loves most. Scraping activity peaks about two weeks before peak breeding in almost every study ever run on it. Karl’s hypothesis is that this isn’t coincidence or anticipation. It’s that buck urine deposited in scrapes may be acting as a priming hormone on the does, pulling their cycles into synchrony, and the two-week lag matches the length of a doe’s follicular wave. He and a graduate student demonstrated the same mechanism in Eld’s deer using a control group and a group exposed to male urine, and the treated group entered estrus together with enhanced hormone profiles. Then he flips it and explains flehmen, the vomeronasal organ, and how a buck taking doe urine into his mouth routes it past the smelling part of his brain entirely and straight to the part that runs his reproductive physiology. Both sides priming each other.
Also covered: 3,600 rubs per square mile on an unhunted Georgia herd, roughly six per acre; the interdigital gland and the 11 compounds that actually do track with maturity; why a tarsal gland’s smell comes from bacteria and not from the gland; the staph and listeria living on it; the castrated buck that ran an entire rut in two weeks on a testosterone dose they overshot; young bucks making 15 percent as many scrapes as mature bucks; and a stretch where he and Beau land in different places on whether there’s any point in doctoring a scrape.
This is part one of two. Part two is deer vision and camo, and it’s out Tuesday, September 1st.
Topics:
00:00:00 — Intro
00:19:25 — What everybody had wrong about rubs in the seventies
00:25:04 — 67 compounds, and why a rub isn't a dominance display
00:26:09 — Why the loser of a sparring match licks the winner's forehead
00:38:32 — 3,600 rubs per square mile, and how many one buck makes in a year
00:49:08 — The three things a buck does at a scrape
00:52:56 — Why a tarsal gland actually stinks
01:01:45 — 39 bucks on one scrape, and 85 percent of visits after dark
01:04:30 — Scrapes peak two weeks before the rut
01:06:24 — Priming hormones, and synchronized estrus
01:10:09 — Flehmen, and the does priming the bucks right back
01:21:59 — Adding scent to a scrape, and whether it does anything
01:35:00 — What a broken age structure does to the rut you're hunting
Dr. Karl Miller’s published research: Google Scholar, search “Karl Miller deer UGA”
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| Ep. 505: Lee Ellis Kills a Giant Every Year in a Different State. Here’s the Pattern. (Part 1) | 18 août 2026 | 02:00:53 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with Lee Ellis of Seek One, who has been at this since 2015 and says roughly 90 percent of the deer on his wall are deer he had more than a year of history with before he killed them. Lee is upfront that it’s very rare for him to kill a deer he hasn’t been following, and this conversation is mostly about what that actually costs.
They get into the buck he called Derp, four years of waking up every day thinking about that deer, and the night after he finally killed him when it hit him hard enough that he couldn’t sleep. Lee explains why he thinks a fresh camera picture of a buck working a scrape means you’re already behind him, and how finding one center point in a deer’s rut range beat chasing that deer across seven or eight camera locations. He also talks about a 188 inch public land buck he knew for about four hours and why he says a 140 would have gotten the exact same reaction out of him.
Also covered: taking February through May completely off from deer hunting for the first time in years, patterning Pokémon card restocks with the same brain that patterns deer, what changes when your team grows and other families depend on the season going well, deer that show back up on almost the exact same date year after year, the summer reconnaissance lap he sees in the third week of August, twenty years of door knocking for 95 percent no’s, and why he doesn’t think you call a truly big deer in.
This is part one of two. Part two is one long story, the buck Lee killed in a blizzard at the end of last season, and it lands September 15th, right after Seek One’s film on that deer.
Topics:
00:00:00 — Intro
00:14:16 — The room, and what every mount in it represents
00:18:16 — Obsession, Pokémon, and stepping away from deer hunting
00:31:05 — Burnout, and what changes when people depend on your season
00:40:13 — Branching out, and why a 140 hits the same as a 188
00:48:36 — Derp: four years, and the night it finally hit him
00:57:08 — Why hunting one deer makes you better on every other deer
01:04:01 — Storytelling, the two and a half hour video, and putting the phone down
01:20:41 — Does Lee track any of this, or is it all in his head
01:26:45 — Deer that show up on the same date, and the third week of August lap
01:32:11 — Twenty years of door knocking for 95 percent no's
01:36:24 — Leaving a camera a full year, and the spot in the middle of a rut range
01:44:29 — Cell cameras made a lot of good hunters worse
01:47:56 — Deer personalities, communication, and why you don't call in a big one
01:55:16 — Part two is coming
Lee's IG: https://www.instagram.com/the_roy/
Seek One IG: https://www.instagram.com/seek1productions/
Seek One YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SeekOneProductions
Seek One Website: https://seek-one.com/
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
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Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
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| Ep. 504: Building Grit, Breaking Hard Hunts Into Small Pieces, and a Kodiak Goat in a Whiteout w/ Adam Foss | 11 août 2026 | 02:09:50 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with Adam Foss, the youngest bowhunter to complete the North American sheep slam and a photographer and filmmaker. Adam grew up west of Calgary in an archery only zone, killed his first ram at 18, and says his main focus right now is backpack hunting stone sheep with a bow in northern BC.
Most of this conversation is about the mental side of hard hunts. Adam is upfront that he's never run the numbers on his own sheep success, but figures it might be under five percent, and he thinks the pressure to define a hunt by whether you killed something is something we build in our own heads. He walks through how he keeps himself in a trip on day eight when the pull to go home gets loud, the 20 steps and five breaths method he and his wife used packing a ram uphill through shale, and why he thinks any of this applies just as well to elk hunting, running a marathon, or being around more for your family.
Also covered: the SITKA photo contest where he critiqued Beau's finalist photo back in 2017, a mountain goat he shot at 31 or 32 yards on Kodiak Island in a whiteout with his hood covering one eye, the whitetail does he ground out on pressured southern BC public land on the last day of the season two years running, and Migrate, the travel and bowhunting company he launched with his hunting partner Luke.
Adam hid a code word in this one. First person to comment it wins an arrow case from Migrate. It's near the end, so listen for it.
00:00:00 — Intro
00:04:20 — The SITKA photo contest where Adam tore up Beau's photo
00:10:03 — Subalpine, Barklow, and the early SITKA years
00:12:38 — Youngest bowhunter to take the North American sheep slam
00:14:43 — Growing up in southern Alberta with a bow and a camera
00:27:08 — Frankie, the three hour flight, and the shoot he couldn't say no to
00:35:03 — The hardest anyone has ever worked for a whitetail doe
00:41:24 — Hunting low density sheep country on purpose
00:48:07 — Letters to outfitters and 30 day pack strings
00:50:28 — Jack O'Connor, and looking up from the book to see it
00:53:35 — 16mm sheep footage from the sixties
00:55:51 — What makes sheep hunters this obsessed
01:04:24 — Is grit something you're born with or something you build
01:05:45 — It doesn't have to be sheep hunting
01:07:32 — Beau's first elk hunt and getting humbled by the steepest deepest
01:09:30 — The float plane leaves and you make the next best decision
01:15:21 — Aging a ram, and what the horn rings tell you
01:16:36 — Nobody cares if you kill a ram
01:18:41 — You picked it because it was hard
01:19:17 — Beau's 14 days on an Alaska moose hunt
01:22:52 — Snack times, burpees, and 20 steps at a time
01:32:22 — The Kodiak goat stalk in a whiteout
01:44:01 — Migrate, and the problems nobody was solving
01:48:19 — The unforced error that costs people animals
02:00:11 — Why five arrows beats no arrows
02:03:41 — Where to find Adam and Migrate
Adam's IG: https://www.instagram.com/fossman8/
Migrate IG: https://www.instagram.com/migrate_gear/
Shop Migrate in the EMW Gear Shop: eastmeetswesthunt.com
Migrate Website: https://www.migrate-gear.com/
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| Ep. 503: A Full Season on Iowa Public Land, Self-Filming, and Knowing When to Pass w/ Joel Burham // Whitetail Fit | 04 août 2026 | 02:24:49 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with Joel Burham of Whitetail Fit, who moved to Iowa, got his residency, turned down an invite to a phenomenal private farm, and hunted public ground and only public ground for the whole season to see what it would teach him.
They get into the full self-filming rig Joel runs out of a saddle, the buck he figured at 160 that he had broadside at 20 yards and lost to the camera, the two public land giants he found that will never show up in a video, and what happened when he came to full draw on a three-and-a-half-year-old and let down. Joel also lays out the only test he uses to decide whether a deer is worth his tag, which has nothing to do with a score.
Also covered: starting from zero with no hunting family, three miles deep on Kansas public on the last day of a 10-day hunt, hiring his brother as a cameraman and then telling him he'd outgrown the job, and why time is the one thing in hunting you can't shortcut.
00:00:00 — Intro
00:07:09 — Starting with no hunting family
00:12:04 — First deer off a lawn chair
00:15:22 — Where "Whitetail Fit" came from
00:19:57 — Three miles deep on Kansas public
00:22:16 — How fitness changes your access
00:38:13 — What this job really looks like
00:47:49 — The 160 at 20 yards he passed
00:58:28 — Hiring his brother, then letting go
01:11:16 — Self-filming rig for a saddle
01:16:38 — Bodies, lenses, and low light
01:29:56 — Arm height, ISO, shutter speed
01:39:10 — Iowa public land only
01:46:57 — The bucks that never made the film
01:49:56 — Pressure and older deer
01:54:43 — The 190 and a wind switch
02:01:29 — Full draw, then let down
02:10:00 — What makes you grab your bow
02:19:34 — Where to find Whitetail Fit
Joel's IG: https://www.instagram.com/whitetail_fit/
Whitetail Fit YT: https://www.youtube.com/@WhitetailFit
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| Ep. 502: What GPS Collar Data Reveals About Buck Bedding | Mountain Buck Scouting Series | 30 juil. 2026 | 00:36:00 | |
Every time a mature buck shows up on your trail camera, GPS collar research says he's probably been in that area six or seven times. That one stat changes how you think about cameras, bedding, and whether you're actually hunting the right spots.
This is from the Mountain Bucks Scouting Camp where we break down big woods buck bedding from every angle — GPS home range data, how mature bucks choose beds, doe bedding patterns, morning hunting strategy, and why mid-October may be the most underrated window for killing a mature buck.
Topics:
00:00 – Intro
00:51 – Buck bed characteristics — size, shape, rubs on entry and exit 03:06 – Why mature bucks have the best spots (and what happens when one dies)
04:10 – Hunting mornings aggressively over beds
06:28 – Finding scrapes on the fringes of bedding to hunt
07:04 – Camera placement near bedding
07:35 – GPS data: for every camera appearance, a buck's been there 6-7 times
08:44 – The egg-shaped home range — how wind orients a buck's entire world
09:50 – Buck excursions — why they disappear and where they go 14:09 – Buck bedding: smell, auditory, visual
17:37 – Doe bedding — why it's overlooked and how it changes your rut setup
20:01 – Mid-October: the most underrated window for killing a mature buck
24:32 – Second estrus cycle
Enter the Deer Camp Giveway! - https://eastmeetswesthunt.com/pages/deer-camp-giveaway
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
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YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
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| Ep. 501: Treat Trail Camera Data Like a Scientist, Not Just for Real-Time Data w/ Gregg Farrell | 28 juil. 2026 | 01:54:59 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with Gregg Farrell of Tactacam, who's spent almost 15 years in the outdoor industry, a decade of it at First Lite before landing at Tactacam. Gregg walks through why he treats trail camera data almost like a science experiment before he ever locks in on one specific buck, why a big buck photo doesn't always mean a huntable deer, and why a $59 wind sensor might be a smarter buy than another camera. They also cover cold fronts, moon phase, battery life, and what's new in the Reveal 4.0 camera launching next month.
00:00:00 — Intro
00:01:43 — Gregg's Wisconsin whitetail roots and a decade at First Lite
00:06:33 — Breaking into the outdoor industry as a generalist
00:12:37 — Chasing whitetail “Mecca” and going whitetail crazy out west
00:16:59 — Why a trail camera is a tool, not a replacement for woodsmanship
00:20:38 — Data as “365-day hunting” and time-blocking family vs. hunting
00:36:07 — Thinking like a scientist: broad trends before one specific buck
00:49:59 — Cold fronts, pre-rut timing, and late-season food strategy
00:55:01 — Reveal app analytics, moon phase, and the hit list
01:02:29 — Battery life: instant vs. hybrid settings, lithiums vs. packs
01:14:01 — What's new in Reveal 4.0
01:27:47 — The new wind sensor and wrap-up
Enter the Deer Camp Giveway! - https://eastmeetswesthunt.com/pages/deer-camp-giveaway
Gregg's IG - https://www.instagram.com/gregg_farrell/
Reveal's IG - https://www.instagram.com/revealcellcam/
Tactacam website - https://www.tactacam.com/
Instagram:
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Poncho Outdoors - Poncho Outdoors makes tough, sharp-looking, no-BS apparel for hardworking outdoorsmen who put in the time year-round. Go to ponchooutdoors.com/EASTMEETSWEST to save $10 and free shipping
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| Ep. 500: 50 Years of Big Woods Hunting Lessons w/ My Dad, Joe Martonik | 21 juil. 2026 | 02:09:24 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with his dad, Joe Martonik, for episode 500, a milestone, listener-requested conversation that’s been a long time coming. Joe’s been hunting Pennsylvania whitetails for almost 50 years, watched deer densities crash and slowly rebuild, and built a lifetime of lessons most hunters never get from a single season.
They walk through three deer that define Joe’s 50 years: an 11-point he shot off the ground long before digital trail cameras, an eight-point that Beau and Joe hunted, but Joe ended up shooting a couple of miles away, and a buck named Stickers that took five years to close the deal on. Along the way: the giveaway announcement, a gift for Joe, and what almost 50 years in the woods actually teaches you about patience.
00:00:00 — Intro
00:08:00 — Joe’s Reaction to the Podcast and Why Passing Down Hunting Knowledge Matters
00:13:00 — The "Right to Hunt" Fight and How the Podcast Started
00:21:19 — Bringing Dad on for Episode 500, the Giveaway, and a Custom Case Knife
00:26:21 — Almost 50 Years of Hunting: Joe’s Start and Early Hunting Days
00:32:06 — PA Deer History: Clear-Cuts, Restocking, and Chasing a Bigger Rack
00:34:51 — Getting Back Into Bow Hunting and How Deer Patterns Changed
00:42:39 — The Homemade Trail Camera Era
00:45:10 — The 11-Point Buck and the One-Roll-of-Film Scrape
00:52:24 — Beau’s Early Deer and the Lowest Deer Density Years
01:00:28 — Learning to Trust Your Gut and Beau’s First Trail Cameras
01:04:19 — Handing Off a Buck: The 2010 Eight-Point
01:07:32 — GPS Nostalgia and Beau’s First Heartbreak Deer
01:11:20 — Beau’s First Archery Buck and the Shot That Hooked Him on Bowhunting
01:19:44 — "Stickers": The Five-Year Hunt and Strategy
01:28:16 — "It’s the Only Place You Haven’t Been"
01:35:45 — Recapping Joe’s 2025 Season
01:43:36 — Broadhead Talk and a Saddle Platform Scare
01:56:01 — Joe’s Biggest Lessons from 50 Years in the Woods
Enter the Deer Camp Giveway! - https://eastmeetswesthunt.com/pages/deer-camp-giveaway
Instagram:
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Facebook:
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Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
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YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Poncho Outdoors - Poncho Outdoors makes tough, sharp-looking, no-BS apparel for hardworking outdoorsmen who put in the time year-round. Go to ponchooutdoors.com/EASTMEETSWEST to save $10 and free shipping
Amazon Influencer Page
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| Ep. 499: The Hardest Deer We've Ever Tried to Bowhunt w/ Collin Heaps | 14 juil. 2026 | 01:41:59 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with Collin Heaps of MTN OPS to recap a bowhunt for axis deer in Hawaii. Collin has hunted this ground before; Beau hadn't, and figured his whitetail and mule deer experience would carry over. It did, but mostly didn't.
They cover what makes axis deer so much harder to approach than anything either of them hunts back home, a doe Beau recovered after e-scouting a saddle and getting busted the first try, a missed shot on a mature buck that looked different on the drone footage than it did in the moment, and Collin's own gut punch: a doe he was sure he'd killed that actually walked off, and the call he had to make to his three-year-old son to admit it.
Also covers: camp life with no AC and a wild dog running through camp at night, gear that held up in red clay and thorn brush, and Collin's line that stuck with Beau the most: don't chase butterflies.
Topics:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:02:23 — Collin's Background and How the Trip Came Together
00:06:22 — Camp Life in Hawaii
00:10:25 — What Makes Axis Deer So Hard to Hunt
00:23:36 — Stalking Axis vs. Mule Deer
00:30:41 — The East vs. West Competition
00:33:14 — Beau's Doe Stalk and Recovery
00:47:52 — The Buck Stalk and Missed Shot
00:53:25 — Collin's Humbling Loss
01:08:02 — Gear, Broadheads, and MTN OPS Picks
01:23:06 — Don't Chase Butterflies
01:28:39 — Closing and MTN OPS Discount Code - use code BEAU to save 20%
Resources:
Collin's IG: https://www.instagram.com/collinheaps/
MTN OPS Affiliate link - https://rstr.co/mtnops/10619
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Poncho Outdoors - Poncho Outdoors makes tough, sharp-looking, no-BS apparel for hardworking outdoorsmen who put in the time year-round. Go to ponchooutdoors.com/EASTMEETSWEST to save $10 and free shipping
Amazon Influencer Page
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| Ep. 498: What Deer See at Scrapes That You Never Will (New Research) | 07 juil. 2026 | 00:52:29 | |
Beau Martonik breaks down a peer-reviewed study from the UGA Deer Lab published in December 2025 that found whitetail rubs and scrapes emit measurable UV photoluminescence that deer can detect and humans can't.
Beau covers the core finding, what's causing the glow in rubs vs. scrapes (more specific than most coverage reported), a timing detail that most outlets got wrong, and what the study doesn't prove. He connects the science to six years of personal trail camera observations — including a 2020 signpost rub experiment where a buck would show up within 24 hours every time the rub was freshened — and lays out six practical takeaways for how this changes how he's thinking about hunting scrapes and rubs this fall.
Topics include: why deer can see UV light and humans can't, why the downwind scrape-checking rule may be more complicated than conventional wisdom assumes, what doe scrape activity might tell us about two-way signpost communication, and why urine in the scrape is the signal — not the scrape itself.
00:00:00 — Intro
00:01:51 — The 2020 Signpost Rub Story
00:05:32 — What Hunters Have Always Assumed
00:07:27 — The UGA Study Breakdown
00:09:01 — Why Deer Can See UV Light and You Can't
00:11:17 — What's Causing the Glow
00:13:36 — The D'Angelo Quote
00:14:13 — The Timing Detail Most Coverage Got Wrong
00:17:52 — What the Study Does NOT Prove
00:19:14 — Bucks Approaching From All Directions
00:21:02 — Activity at Last Light
00:23:16 — Tree Species and the Licking Branch
00:25:29 — October vs. November Scrapes
00:27:25 — Does Working Scrapes
00:29:51 — Urine Placement and the 2020 Rub Revisited
00:34:02 — Six Practical Takeaways for This Fall
00:44:19 — Close
Resources:
Full study: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.72618
UGA press release: news.uga.edu/a-glow-up-in-deer-communication/
Enter the Deer Camp Giveway! - https://eastmeetswesthunt.com/pages/deer-camp-giveaway
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Poncho Outdoors - Poncho Outdoors makes tough, sharp-looking, no-BS apparel for hardworking outdoorsmen who put in the time year-round. Go to ponchooutdoors.com/EASTMEETSWEST to save $10 and free shipping
Amazon Influencer Page
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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 497: Giant Bucks in Mountain Laurel Nobody Else Will Hunt w/ Pat Burns | 30 juin 2026 | 02:12:17 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with Pat Burns, a big woods hunter from the Northeast who has been hunting mountain laurel thickets for years, killing giant bucks in cover most hunters won’t go near.
Pat breaks down how he finds openings and funnels inside a sea of laurel using leaf-off maps, why he considers all those ladder stands on the edges to be the equivalent of hunting a field edge, how he creates access trails to get a quarter mile deep into the thick stuff without making a sound, and the story behind the giant buck he killed last fall. They also get into tracking an 11.5-year-old buck across a five-mile stretch of mountain over several seasons, why November 4th consistently produces for Pat, his approach to reactivating community scrapes with nothing but fresh dirt, camera strategy in remote terrain, and pushing the envelope once you’ve done enough homework to back it.
Pat also works for Huntstock, an outdoor festival held in Massachusetts (August 7–9, 2026). Beau will be at the Massachusetts event recording live podcast interviews with Rick Labbe, Lanny Benoit, Jeff Doyle, Jim Massett, and others.
00:00:00 — Intro
00:01:07 — What Makes Huntstock Different From a Trade Show
00:04:20 — Podcast Row and Northeast Legends Beau Will Interview in Massachusetts
00:08:59 — Pat’s Background in Maine
00:11:23 — The Shed That Started a Years-Long Obsession
00:15:44 — Learning to Track Big Woods Bucks
00:20:42 — Five Miles of Sheds and Closing in on a Giant
00:25:58 — How Hunting Pressure Moves Big Woods Bucks
00:31:22 — The Shared Buck Discovery
00:39:06 — Why November 4th Is Pat’s Magic Date
00:45:53 — Reading Wind to Find Buck Beds in Thick Cover
00:49:43 — Finding Bucks in Miles of Mountain Laurel
00:57:13 — Creating Trails to Hunt Deep in Laurel
00:58:27 — Why Big Woods Bedding Isn’t a Science
01:01:37 — Why You Need Boots on the Ground, Not Just Maps
01:06:32 — How Pat Reactivates Community Scrapes
01:14:14 — Pushing the Envelope and Having a Backup Spot
01:25:24 — Camera Strategy in Big Woods
01:34:13 — Mindset and Staying in It Through Hard Seasons
01:41:25 — The Giant Laurel Buck Pat Killed Last Fall
01:48:14 — Bringing New Hunters Into This Style
01:58:37 — Huntstock Details and Beau’s August Appearance
Resources:
Pat's IG - https://www.instagram.com/thejohnnystewart/
Huntstock - use code EMW25 for a discount - https://huntstockevents.com/
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Poncho Outdoors - Poncho Outdoors makes tough, sharp-looking, no-BS apparel for hardworking outdoorsmen who put in the time year-round. Go to ponchooutdoors.com/EASTMEETSWEST to save $10 and free shipping
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 496: Summer Scouting Mountain Bucks — Trail Cameras, Cuts vs. Mature Timber, and Why Deer Disappear on Opener w/ Johnny Stewart | 23 juin 2026 | 02:22:39 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with Johnny Stewart -- a PA-based DIY public land hunter with 30+ years of big woods experience across Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, West Virginia, Ohio, and North Dakota. This one is all about summer scouting. Johnny breaks down how he runs trail cameras from April through September purely for inventory (confirming a buck survived the winter), why he almost never moves cameras in summer even if they are not producing, and the pattern he and Beau figured out for why bucks vanish from cuts the moment archery season opens. Turns out it is not always pressure. Sometimes it comes down to food, and not the food sources you would expect. They also dig into the mature forest / mature buck correlation -- including a story about a late-season WV buck that left his bed specifically to eat shelf mushrooms off a downed cherry log -- glassing velvet bucks from road vantage points, and Johnny's philosophy on mid-October scouting and hunting where the deer isn't. Plus gear talk on the Timber Ninja Kunai and new Mini Kunai, the advantage of hunting with a cameraman, and a teaser on a University of Georgia study showing that fresh scrapes glow in UV light.
Topics:
00:00:00 — Intro
00:13:38 — Self-filming and upcoming YouTube content
00:17:55 — Mountain hunting traditions and the NH drag-out story
00:21:22 — How each year compounds; building a 30-year catalog with Spartan Forge
00:27:13 — Summer vs. fall deer locations; camera placement; cuts vs. mature woods
00:42:42 — Why deer leave cuts on opener (wild cherries and mushrooms)
00:47:56 — Mushrooms and the mature forest / mature buck correlation
01:18:13 — Camera soaking strategy; velvet transition window; early October shift
01:29:42 — Trail cam tips; spring seeps; summer scrape activity; UV scrape study teaser
01:44:54 — Glassing cuts in late July/August; velvet growth timeline
01:55:02 — Timber Ninja gear talk: Kunai, Mini Kunai, C2 sticks
02:10:00 — Wrap-up
Resources:
Johnny's IG - https://www.instagram.com/thejohnnystewart/
Johnny's YT - https://www.youtube.com/@TheJohnnyStewart
Johnny's website - https://johnnystewarthunt.com/
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Poncho Outdoors - Poncho Outdoors makes tough, sharp-looking, no-BS apparel for hardworking outdoorsmen who put in the time year-round. Go to ponchooutdoors.com/EASTMEETSWEST to save $10 and free shipping
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 495: Wild Game Cooking Deep Dive — Bear Fat, Venison Burgers, and Freezer Turkey w/ Allie D'Andrea & Nick Berger | 16 juin 2026 | 02:02:28 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with Allie D'Andrea (Outdoors Allie) and Nick Berger for the first time in four years. A big chunk of this one is wild game cooking. Allie ran a head-to-head venison burger experiment comparing pure venison, pork shoulder, bacon, butter, mayo, and egg. Pork shoulder at 80/20 won. Mayo was last. She also covers how to handle bear meat, how to render bear fat, where to source fat at the grocery store, and what to do with the turkey that's been sitting in your freezer since last fall. Beyond the cooking, they get into bear hunting in Pennsylvania and the weight that comes with it, the honest math on guide hunts vs. DIY, why Florida outdoorsmen are underrated, deer camp culture, and fall plans including a Wyoming elk tag. Allie is the author of The Butcher's Table cookbook, available on Amazon.
Topics:
00:00:00 — Intro
00:04:21 — Long-term content creation: staying in this space
00:16:38 — Guide hunts vs. DIY: the honest math
00:20:51 — Why Florida hunters are underrated
00:28:59 — Wildlife encounters and bear hunting in PA
00:52:46 — Deer camp culture
00:58:28 — Bear meat: how to grind, render, and cook it
01:06:04 — Venison burger fat experiment
01:14:57 — Freezer turkey and wild game cooking tips
01:35:24 — Hawaii axis deer, scalloping in Florida, and Wyoming elk
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Poncho Outdoors - Poncho Outdoors makes tough, sharp-looking, no-BS apparel for hardworking outdoorsmen who put in the time year-round. Go to ponchooutdoors.com/EASTMEETSWEST to save $10 and free shipping
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 494: What 6 Years of PA Public Land Hunting Taught Me About Mature Bucks w/ Ryan Leary | 09 juin 2026 | 01:32:39 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with Ryan Leary, a PA hunter who has been grinding big woods public land for six years and put together back-to-back mature buck kills including a 7.5 year old eight point in 2025.
Ryan breaks down both hunts — the 2025 buck he killed at 10 yards after trusting his gut on fresh sign mid-morning, and the 2024 deer he killed the same evening he bumped on foot while hunting with a broken shoulder he probably shouldn't have been in the woods on. They also get into how he reads finger ridges and micro terrain, why getting into the nasty stuff changed his success rate, how the gypsy moth acorn wipeout forced him to rethink his whole approach, and what he's learned about mature bucks in the Pennsylvania mountains.
Topics:
00:00:00 – Intro
00:04:34 – Background and How Ryan Got Into Big Woods Hunting
00:14:29 – The 2025 Buck — Setup, Sign, and the Kill
00:23:41 – Breaking Down the Terrain and Why the Tree Made the Difference
00:29:48 – Trusting Your Gut in the Big Woods
00:39:13 – Reading Mature Buck Bodies vs. Antlers
00:49:52 – The 2024 Season — Broken Shoulder, Big Encounters, and the Kill
01:00:22 – How Late October 2024 Was Unlike Any Season Recently
01:02:33 – Time in the Woods — Why It Changes Everything
01:13:40 – Micro Points, Buck Beds, and Reading Terrain
01:23:54 – Advice for Guys Getting Into Big Woods Public Land Hunting
01:28:50 – Closing
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Poncho Outdoors - Poncho Outdoors makes tough, sharp-looking, no-BS apparel for hardworking outdoorsmen who put in the time year-round. Go to ponchooutdoors.com/EASTMEETSWEST to save $10 and free shipping
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 493: Arrow Flight, Forgiveness, and Penetration Science w/ Bill Vanderheyden // Iron Will Outfitters | 02 juin 2026 | 02:00:34 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with Bill Vanderheyden of Iron Will Outfitters — 10 years of engineering broadheads and arrow systems built around what a setup actually needs to do when conditions are not perfect.
They open with Bill's Colorado elk hunt — 10 miles back in the wilderness, a 4-hour chase into dark timber, and a frontal shot at 30 yards through a 3-inch window in the pines. From there the conversation gets into the science behind why that shot worked and what most hunters are getting wrong before they ever get to a moment like that.
Topics include what actually makes a bow setup forgiving in hunting conditions, why FOC doesn't tell you what most people think, the physics of penetration and the speed vs. heavy arrow debate, why mechanicals on elk are a bigger risk than most realize, steep shot angles, effective range, and how to practice the shots that actually show up in the field.
00:00:00 – Intro
00:04:37 – Colorado Elk Hunt — 10 Miles Back, Frontal Shot Through the Pines
00:21:41 – Pin Setup and Shot Confidence in the Field
00:24:24 – Bighorn Sheep Hunt — Steep Cliffs, No Rangefinder, 55 Yards
00:34:10 – What Actually Makes a Hunting Setup Forgiving
00:44:42 – Penetration Physics — Momentum, Arrow Flight, and Blade Geometry
00:57:13 – Why Mechanicals on Elk Are a Risk Most Hunters Underestimate
01:02:29 – FOC — What the Number Actually Tells You and What It Doesn't
01:10:15 – Whitetail vs. Western Setup — How Much Actually Needs to Change
01:14:20 – Moving Deer and Shot Timing
01:25:05 – Steep Shot Angles — Tree Stand and Mountain Scenarios
01:32:55 – Holding Under Pressure and Practicing Real Scenarios
01:41:21 – Effective Range — How to Actually Define It for Your Setup
01:47:42 – The Iron Will Wide Broadhead on Elk
01:51:36 – Axis Deer Hunt in Hawaii — Setup Considerations
01:54:58 – Closing + Where to Find Iron Will
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Poncho Outdoors - Poncho Outdoors makes tough, sharp-looking, no-BS apparel for hardworking outdoorsmen who put in the time year-round. Go to ponchooutdoors.com/EASTMEETSWEST to save $10 and free shipping
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 492: 2026 Pennsylvania Elk Hunting — New Seasons, New Rules w/ PGC Elk Biologist Jeremy Banfield | 26 mai 2026 | 01:24:56 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with Pennsylvania Game Commission elk biologist Jeremy Banfield to break down the biggest changes to Pennsylvania's elk hunting program in years.
They cover the new October season that overlaps the rut, once-in-a-lifetime bull tags, the non-resident cap and higher application cost, how bonus points from all three old seasons are now combined into one application, and the completely redrawn hunt zones numbered 301–309. Jeremy also gives an honest update on the current state of the herd — population estimates, bull to cow ratios, habitat improvements, and where CWD stands relative to the elk range.
If you're applying for a Pennsylvania elk tag, this is required listening before July 12th.
Apply at huntfish.pa.gov — drawing is July 25th at the Elk Expo in Benezette
Topics:
00:00:00 – Intro
00:04:21 – Herd Population — 1,563 Elk and How They Count Them
00:10:31 – Bull to Cow Ratio and Why It's Too High
00:13:27 – CWD — What It Means for Pennsylvania Elk
00:17:21 – Why the Herd Grows Slowly by Design
00:23:05 – New October Season — Why It Was Added
00:26:47 – Resident vs. Non-Resident Changes
00:32:59 – Bull Tags Are Now Once in a Lifetime
00:33:50 – New Bonus Point System — One Application, Combined Points
00:41:11 – How to Apply and What Your Choices Mean
00:52:47 – New Hunt Zones 301–309 — How They Were Built
01:02:12 – Zone Selection Strategy
01:07:10 – Application Deadline and Drawing Day Details
01:16:08 – What Elk Eat and When to See Them
01:20:53 – Closing and Where to Find the Rules
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Poncho Outdoors - Poncho Outdoors makes tough, sharp-looking, no-BS apparel for hardworking outdoorsmen who put in the time year-round. Go to ponchooutdoors.com/EASTMEETSWEST to save $10 and free shipping
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 491: We Killed a Turkey Mid-Podcast — Truck Talk w/ Josh Ilderton and Mason Holz // The Untamed | 19 mai 2026 | 01:11:50 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with Josh Ilderton and Mason Holz of The Untamed, recorded from the truck on the last morning of a West Virginia turkey hunting trip.
They recap the week — tough conditions, birds that gobbled all day but wouldn't commit, the grind of hunting hard while balancing real jobs, kids' sports, and a weekly YouTube channel. Josh talks about what camp culture means to him and why the relationships matter more than the kills. Then they spot a longbeard and three jakes off the road, sneak up the bank, and Beau kills the longbeard ten minutes later.
They also get into what's kept The Untamed going for eight years — persistence, authenticity, and playing a long game — and what Mason learned from his first season interning with a hunting media brand.
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Poncho Outdoors - Poncho Outdoors makes tough, sharp-looking, no-BS apparel for hardworking outdoorsmen who put in the time year-round. Go to ponchooutdoors.com/EASTMEETSWEST to save $10 and free shipping
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 490: Turkey Camp Recap and New Timber Ninja Gear w/ Jason Redd | 12 mai 2026 | 01:35:52 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with Jason Redd of Timber Ninja Outdoors, recorded off the tailgate on the last day of a turkey camp trip in West Virginia.
They recap three days of hunting — birds that gobbled all day on day one, a tom that put on a show for 90 minutes and never committed, roosted birds that got crashed by trespassers on day two, and a quiet final morning that just didn't come together. Good conversation on when to stay on a bird vs. move on, and what makes mountain turkey hunting so hard to predict.
Jason also breaks down how he's been running the MTN Runner vest this season — what's working, what he'd change, and how he's setting it up differently for turkey vs. deer. Plus a first look at the Ronin, Timber Ninja's new single panel saddle coming out this summer.
Timber Ninja IG
Shop Timber Ninja in the EMW Gear Shop
Timber Ninja Website
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Poncho Outdoors - Poncho Outdoors makes tough, sharp-looking, no-BS apparel for hardworking outdoorsmen who put in the time year-round. Go to ponchooutdoors.com/EASTMEETSWEST to save $10 and free shipping
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 489: How to Find and Kill Giant Mule Deer on Public Land w/ Dioni Amuchastegui | 05 mai 2026 | 01:52:03 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with Dioni Amuchastegui, one of the most respected public land mule deer hunters in the country, to break down what it actually takes to consistently find and kill giant bucks in the West.
They cover how Dioni approaches scouting from the macro level down, why most hunters are picking spots before they understand the area, how to efficiently cover country to find where deer actually are, and what changes in buck behavior through the season that most hunters misread. Dioni also explains why deer seem to disappear after velvet drop — and why it has less to do with hormones than most people assume.
He tells the full story of his buck from last year — finding him on the last day of his last scouting trip, waiting for the exact right weather window, making the stock, missing twice, and putting him down on the third shot.
Dioni also breaks down Deadfall Design, his company making a bino harness holster attachment built for backcountry hunters who carry a sidearm.
Topics:
00:00:00 — Intro
00:04:30 – Who Is Dioni and How He Got Started
00:09:38 – Killing a 195-Inch Buck on His First Serious Season
00:20:06 – What He Does Differently Than Most Mule Deer Hunters
00:28:39 – How to Read Country and Know When to Move On
00:36:16 – Balancing Family, Work, and the Scouting Grind
00:41:51 – Dry Firing on Deer Before the Shot
00:53:56 – Where Big Bucks Bed and Why
01:00:06 – Empty Pockets — Why Winter Kill Creates Hollow Country
01:06:02 – Why Deer Seem to Disappear After Velvet Drop
01:09:09 – Finding the Buck and the Competition That Followed
01:18:28 – The Stalk, Two Missed Arrows, and the Kill
01:31:01 – Staying Focused on One Species
01:34:36 – Deadfall Design — How It Started and What It Does
01:49:02 – Closing
Dioni's IG
Deadfall Design IG
Deadfall Design website
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Poncho Outdoors - Poncho Outdoors makes tough, sharp-looking, no-BS apparel for hardworking outdoorsmen who put in the time year-round. Go to ponchooutdoors.com/EASTMEETSWEST to save $10 and free shipping
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 488: Everything You Need to Know About Muzzleloaders w/ Brad Watts // CVA | 28 avr. 2026 | 01:18:40 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with Brad Watts, a 15-year muzzleloading hunter and precision rifle competitor who works at CVA, recorded live at the NWTF show.
They break down everything a hunter needs to know about muzzleloaders — how to choose the right one for your hunting situation, the difference between pellets, loose powder, and Blackhorn 209, how to properly clean and maintain your gun, and what actually causes misfires in the field. Brad also explains how competing in long-range precision rifle has made him a more confident hunter at every distance, and why that same mentality applies to how you should be practicing with your bow.
If you've been intimidated by muzzleloaders or feel like you're missing something, this one clears it up.
Topics:
00:00:00 — Intro
00:04:24 – Growing Up Hunting in PA
00:07:03 – Muzzleloader Seasons and Opportunities by State
00:09:30 – Getting Into Muzzleloading
00:13:53 – How Brad Got Into Muzzleloaders Through the Industry
00:15:03 – Keeping It Simple vs. Going Down the Rabbit Hole
00:17:51 – Precision Rifle and How It Makes You a Better Hunter
00:23:24 – The Importance of Practice
00:30:57 – Understanding Calibers, Bullets, and Powder Charges
00:36:47 – Pellets vs. Loose Powder vs. Blackhorn 209
00:42:05 – Cleaning and Maintenance
00:53:00 – Moisture, Misfires, and Storing Your Muzzleloader
00:59:32 – Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
01:07:43 – New CVA Products — Endura, Optima XP, Cascade Rimfire
01:15:16 – Closing + Where to Find CVA
Save 10% on CVA muzzleloaders, rifles, and accessories at bpioutdoors.com/cva — use code EASTMEETSWEST10
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Poncho Outdoors - Poncho Outdoors makes tough, sharp-looking, no-BS apparel for hardworking outdoorsmen who put in the time year-round. Go to ponchooutdoors.com/EASTMEETSWEST to save $10 and free shipping
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 487: The Funnel System That's Killed Giants for 60 Years w/ Bobby Worthington | 21 avr. 2026 | 01:43:51 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with Bobby Worthington — 21-time national and 8-time world archery champion, author of Final Quest, and one of the most respected whitetail hunters alive — to break down the funnel system he's used to kill mature bucks for 60 years.
Bobby explains why most hunters overcomplicate the rut, the exact window when hunting sign matters vs. when to focus on funnels, how to read terrain and natural restrictions on any property, and why hunting hard means committing to one or two spots — not jumping around. He also walks through a real consulting job he did the day before this interview, breaking down every stand location on a property he'd never seen.
Plus: the Mountain Mike story, what the whitetail deer has taught him about life, and why woodsmanship beats every tactic you've read online.
If you've been grinding hard and not connecting on mature bucks, this episode changes how you think about the rut.
Topics:
00:00:00 — Intro
00:04:33 – Meet Bobby Worthington
00:12:29 – The Evolution of Hunting
00:24:13 – How To Navigate Information
00:29:14 – Analyzing Funnels
00:47:09 – The Importance Of Having Patience to Learn One Area
00:56:01 – Time In The Woods
00:59:23 – Historical Data
01:05:56 – When It All Comes Together
01:09:29 – Developing Experience
01:16:52 – Targeting A Buck In His Core Area
01:20:31 – Endless Information
01:23:28 – Mountain Mike Story
01:34:51 – Gift Giving
01:35:40 – Closing Statements and Resources
Resources:
Final Quest — P.O. Box 461, Pikeville, TN 37367
Online Woodsmanship Course — joe@asiogear.com
Bobby’s consulting services - https://www.higginsoutdoors.com/bobby-worthington/
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Poncho Outdoors - Poncho Outdoors makes tough, sharp-looking, no-BS apparel for hardworking outdoorsmen who put in the time year-round. Go to ponchooutdoors.com/EASTMEETSWEST to save $10 and free shipping
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 486: How We Scout Big Woods with No Habitat Diversity (Real Hunt Breakdown) w/ Just Hunt Club | 14 avr. 2026 | 01:16:55 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with Jon Lewis, Eli McArthur, and Justin Mueller from the Just Hunt Club crew after a full day of scouting together in the PA big woods.
The conversation focuses on hunting remote terrain that has plenty of topographic diversity but almost no vegetation diversity — steep ridges, drainages, and saddles in mature timber where everything looks the same once you're on the ground. They break down how to find micro diversity in the vegetation, why that's what actually separates good spots from dead ones, and why you have to put boots on the ground to figure it out.
Jon tells the full story of his 2025 PA rifle buck — two days of tracking through fresh snow, committing to a track in the afternoon with 14 miles already on their legs, and packing a deer out in the dark. One of the better hunting stories you'll hear this season.
Topics:
00:00:00 — Intro
00:04:20 – Getting to Know Eli
00:07:13 – Just Hunt Club and the Filming Experience
00:14:13 – Scouting Remote, Rugged Big Woods Terrain
00:20:47 – Hunting Strategies in Rugged Terrain
00:28:48 – Micro Diversity and What It Looks Like
00:43:18 – Jon’s Buck Story and Tracking in the PA Big Woods
01:01:49 – The Aftermath of Packing Out a Mountain Buck
01:09:32 – Expectations
01:13:00 – Resources to Connect with Guests
Resources:
Just Hunt Club IG
Just Hunt Club YouTube
Just Hunt Podcast
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Poncho Outdoors - Poncho Outdoors makes tough, sharp-looking, no-BS apparel for hardworking outdoorsmen who put in the time year-round. Go to ponchooutdoors.com/EASTMEETSWEST to save $10 and free shipping
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 485: Old-School Turkey Hunting, Storytelling, and Why It Still Matters with Brent Reaves // Meat Eater | 07 avr. 2026 | 01:13:22 | |
Brent Reaves of MeatEater joins Beau Martonik to talk turkey hunting, storytelling, and why the best parts of hunting have nothing to do with pulling the trigger.
From chasing gobblers across the South to lessons learned over decades in the woods, Brent shares stories, hard-earned wisdom, and why patience, tradition, and community still matter today.
They dive into turkey hunting tactics, how hunting styles have changed over time, and why sometimes the best move is simply sitting still and letting the woods work. This episode blends old-school perspective, humor, and real-world experience from a lifetime outdoors.
Topics:
00:00:00 — Intro
00:04:27 – Intro at NWTF and meeting Brent Reaves
00:10:53 – Brent’s background and transition to MeatEater
00:15:35 – The art of storytelling and why it matters
00:20:40 – Why people connect to hunting stories
00:28:35 – Hunting community and bringing people together
00:30:53 – Why turkey hunting stands above everything else
00:36:41 – Lessons from long turkey hunts and failures
00:47:23 – How turkey hunting has changed over time
00:49:09 – Patience vs. run-and-gun hunting styles
00:54:02 – Calling strategies and reading turkey behavior
00:58:40 – Gear, knives, and hunting traditions
Resources:
Brent's IG
This Country Life Podcast
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Poncho Outdoors - Poncho Outdoors makes tough, sharp-looking, no-BS apparel for hardworking outdoorsmen who put in the time year-round. Go to ponchooutdoors.com/EASTMEETSWEST to save $10 and free shipping
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 484: The Mindset Shift That Led to Two of His Biggest NC Bucks w/ Jacob Lishen | 31 mars 2026 | 01:25:39 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with Jacob Lishen to talk about the mindset shift that helped him kill two of his best North Carolina bucks to date. They discuss hunting pressure, confidence, community, learning from mistakes, and why mature bucks are so tied to security cover and sanctuary. This episode goes beyond tactics and gets into the deeper side of why we hunt and how the right perspective can make you both happier and more effective in the woods.
Topics:
00:00:00 – Intro
00:04:33 – Catching up with Jacob
00:10:43 – Tough seasons, pressure, and chasing the wrong things
00:17:18 – How pressure and expectations can hurt your hunting
00:23:28 – Why mindset and fulfillment matter more than success
00:31:22 – The importance of community and deer camp culture
00:37:08 – Why Jacob still pursues mature bucks
00:41:09 – Different goals, different definitions of success
00:52:27 – Reflection, vulnerability, and learning from struggles
00:59:19 – The 3.5-year pursuit and breaking bad habits
01:06:49 – What actually led to killing these two bucks
01:07:17 – Sanctuary and security cover for mature deer
01:15:41 – The “chink in the armor” for big bucks
01:19:19 – Applying these principles anywhere
Resources:
Jacob IG
Land Limited IG
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Poncho Outdoors - Poncho Outdoors makes tough, sharp-looking, no-BS apparel for hardworking outdoorsmen who put in the time year-round. Go to ponchooutdoors.com/EASTMEETSWEST to save $10 and free shipping
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 483: Deer Habitat, Turkey Hunting & Woodsmanship w/ Catman (Jonathan Boehme) | 24 mars 2026 | 01:29:52 | |
In this episode, Beau Martonik sits down with Jonathan “Catman” Boehme at the NWTF show in Nashville.
They talk through Catman’s background, how he got into hunting, and what learning the hard way taught him over time. The conversation covers turkey hunting in hill country, adapting to pressure, food sources and tree identification for deer, self-filming, and the mindset that comes with experience in the woods.
00:00:00 — Intro
00:04:19 – The Growth of Nashville
00:07:00 – Jonathan’s Beginning To Hunting and Fishing
00:15:25 – Technology and Hunting
00:19:56 – Hunting New Spots
00:23:10 – Identifying Plants
00:27:48 – Hunting Different Food Sources
00:40:31 – The World Of Fishing
00:51:21 – Beginning On The Water
00:53:44 – Different Regions And Their Cultures
01:00:27 – Comparing Turkey and Deer Hunting
01:10:13 – Learning From Mistakes
01:20:24 – Jonathan’s Youtube Journey
01:26:20 – Closing Statements
Resources:
Catman YouTube
Catman Instagram
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Poncho Outdoors - Poncho Outdoors makes tough, sharp-looking, no-BS apparel for hardworking outdoorsmen who put in the time year-round. Go to ponchooutdoors.com/EASTMEETSWEST to save $10 and free shipping
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 482: What Every Hunter Should Know About Lyme Disease w/ Adam Kristan | 17 mars 2026 | 01:46:26 | |
Beau Martonik talks with Adam Kristan about his experience battling Lyme disease and why hunters need to take tick-borne illnesses seriously.
Adam shares how his symptoms started, the challenges of being misdiagnosed, and what finally led him to the right treatment. They also discuss early warning signs of Lyme disease, common misconceptions, and practical ways hunters can prevent tick bites while spending time in the woods.
If you hunt, scout, or spend a lot of time outdoors, this episode highlights why early detection and prevention are critical when it comes to Lyme disease.
Topics:
00:00:00 — Intro
00:04:25 – Lyme Disease Discussion
00:07:02 – Adam's Background
00:11:58 – Adam’s Deer Camp
00:19:53 – Adam’s Lyme Story
00:31:37 – Beau’s Lyme Experience
00:42:58 – Common Misconceptions About Lyme Disease
00:49:13 – Lyme Disease Prevention
01:13:22 – Hunting with Lyme
01:16:33 – Hunting Culture in the Northeast
01:32:30 – Tracking in the Northeast
01:42:37 – Conclusion and Takeaways
Resources:
Email: axk8385@rit.edu
Stram Center for Integrative Medicine: https://stramcenter.com/
Ticknology: https://www.ticknology.org/
Global Lyme Alliance: https://www.globallymealliance.org/
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Poncho Outdoors - Poncho Outdoors makes tough, sharp-looking, no-BS apparel for hardworking outdoorsmen who put in the time year-round. Go to ponchooutdoors.com/EASTMEETSWEST to save $10 and free shipping
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 481: The Mindset of a DIY Hunter Who Can Get It Done Anywhere w/ Andy May, Johnny Stewart & Joe Miles | 10 mars 2026 | 01:17:38 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with Andy May, Johnny Stewart, and Joe Miles to break down the mindset behind becoming a versatile and efficient DIY hunter.
Andy shares how hunting pressured whitetails and challenging terrain across different regions has built the confidence and adaptability that allows him to succeed anywhere. The group reflects on lessons learned from tough seasons, the impact of EHD on Michigan deer populations, late-season struggles, and how hard hunts develop mental resilience.
From mule deer to mature whitetails, this episode dives into how difficult hunts sharpen decision-making, build confidence, and create hunters who can consistently get it done—no matter the conditions.
00:00:00 — Intro
00:04:54 – Reminiscing Past Podcasts
00:05:45 – Weather Challenges and Late Season
00:14:31 – Andy’s Mule Deer Hunt
00:28:47 – Joe’s Late Season
00:32:53 – Hunting Camaraderie and Cultures
00:52:46 – The Challenges of Hunting Mature Whitetails
01:01:16 – EHD and Adapting
01:10:11 – Funny Stories
01:15:25 – Closing Statements
Resources:
Follow Andy
Follow Johnny
Follow Joe
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Poncho Outdoors - Poncho Outdoors makes tough, sharp-looking, no-BS apparel for hardworking outdoorsmen who put in the time year-round. Go to ponchooutdoors.com/EASTMEETSWEST to save $10 and free shipping
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 480: Build Wealth, Buy Back Time & Hunt More w/ Jeff Bynum | 03 mars 2026 | 01:40:09 | |
Beau Martonik sits down with Jeff Bynum, founder of Financial Outfitters Group, to talk about becoming fiscally fit and building financial structure that creates more freedom to hunt and live on your terms.
After the 2008 financial crisis shifted Jeff’s career from construction to finance, he began helping people prioritize structure over chasing returns and redefine wealth as control over their time.
They discuss strategic approaches to debt, the 15% rule for homeownership, risks of business ownership, spending priorities, and the “Buckets of Wealth” framework to align your money with your goals — including funding hunts and protecting your future.
If you want to stop trading time for money and gain more time in the woods, this episode delivers practical perspective and actionable tools.
Topics:
00:00:00 – Intro
00:01:30 – Jeff's Journey Begins
00:10:04 – Founding Financial Outfitters Group
00:16:03 – Trading Time For Money
00:18:57 – The 15% Rule for Homeownership
00:26:02 – Defining Wealth
00:31:08 – The Risks of Business Ownership
00:45:04 – Prioritize Spending
00:53:00 – Understanding Hunt Budgets
01:11:29 – The Buckets of Wealth Explained
01:04:49 – Optimism in Conservation
01:12:52 – Jeff’s Elk Story
01:27:49 – Closing Statements
Resources:
Follow Jeff
Financial Outfitters website
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Poncho Outdoors - Poncho Outdoors makes tough, sharp-looking, no-BS apparel for hardworking outdoorsmen who put in the time year-round. Go to ponchooutdoors.com/EASTMEETSWEST to save $10 and free shipping
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Investment adviser services are offered through Coho Advisory Services, LLC, a registered investment adviser located in Alaska. Registration does not imply a certain level of experience or knowledge. Opinions expressed by Coho Advisory Services, LLC on this show are their own and do not reflect the opinions of Jeff Bynum. All statements and opinions expressed are based upon information considered reliable although it should not be relied upon as such. Any statements or opinions are subject to change without notice.
Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 479: Are We Losing the Right to Hunt? Private Land, Public Ground & the Future of Access w/ Mark Kenyon | 24 févr. 2026 | 01:42:50 | |
In this episode of the East Meets West Hunt podcast, Beau sits down with Mark Kenyon (Wired to Hunt / MeatEater) for an in-depth conversation about the current state of hunting, public lands, and conservation in America.
They dive into how becoming a father changes your perspective on the future, why public lands are facing more complex threats than ever, and how hunters and anglers can actually make a difference. From private land access challenges and leasing pressure to the Land & Water Conservation Fund and the Boundary Waters mining issue, this conversation breaks down what’s happening — without the noise — and focuses on practical action.
If you care about access, opportunity, and making sure the next generation can hunt and fish the way we have, this is one you’ll want to hear.
Topics:
00:00:00 — Intro
00:03:10 – Catching up with Mark Kenyon
00:10:16 – Mark’s conservation journey & stepping into his new role at MeatEater
00:18:02 – The Alaska moment that reshaped how he views public lands
00:23:01 – The biggest current concern: public land protections under pressure
00:29:30 – Multiple use, resource extraction & why it’s not black and white
00:37:10 – State vs. federal engagement — where hunters can truly make impact
00:46:08 – The private land access problem, leasing & shrinking opportunity
00:50:32 – Three practical ways to protect hunting access
01:18:15 – Boundary Waters explained: what’s happening & why it matters nationally
01:26:19 – How to take action (calling your senators is easier than you think)
01:31:37 – What gives Mark optimism about the future of hunting
Resources:
Follow Mark on IG
Mark's Website
Take action on the Boundary Waters
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 478: Micro Terrain Features Big Woods Bucks Use Repeatedly (Pt.2) w/ Josh Stewart | 17 févr. 2026 | 01:24:28 | |
In this episode of the East Meets West Hunt Podcast, Beau Martonik and Josh Stewart continue their conversation in part two. Josh shares the full story of a hunt that started with heartbreak. Missing his target buck at five yards and ended with one of the most intense and rewarding bucks of his life. They break down the decisions that mattered most, such as staying put rather than leaving, reading doe behavior, choosing a doe bleat over a grunt, and trusting instinct amid peak-rut chaos. If you enjoy detailed whitetail strategy, real hunting stories, and lessons learned the hard way, this episode is packed with value.
Topics:
00:00:00 — Intro
00:05:08 – Old-School Hunting & the Pennsylvania Tuxedo
00:13:10 – One-sticking & Rappel Systems
00:17:02 – Scouting Your Way In
00:20:21 – Spotting A Giant Buck In Summer & Finding the Micro-Meadow
00:23:44 – Staying In The Tree After Devastation Pays Off
00:27:45 – Bleat vs Grunt: The Decision That Changed Everything
00:30:45 – Age, Mass & History of the Buck
00:32:56 – Why Doe Bleats Work
00:37:23 – Why Micro-Meadows Consistently Produce Mature Bucks
00:50:25 – Trusting the Process & Mental Toughness
00:56:42 – The Element of Surprise on Old Bucks
01:01:57 – Comparing Fly Fishing To Hunting
01:21:37 – Closing Statements and How To Connect With Josh
Resources:
Follow Josh on IG
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 477: Bowhunting Black Bears in the Appalachian Mountains w/ Josh Stewart | 10 févr. 2026 | 01:04:44 | |
In this episode of the East Meets West Podcast, Beau Martonik talks with Josh Stewart. Where Josh shares the full story of his recent archery black bear harvest, including intense close-range encounters, navigating rugged laurel-choked terrain, and the tactics on how to hunt bear in big woods. The conversation also tackles common myths around bear meat, why bears are so misunderstood, and how proper care can result in some of the best wild game meat you’ll ever eat.
Topics:
00:00:00 — Intro
00:04:00— Josh’s Journey In The Outdoors
00:17:58 — A Deep Dive into Bear Hunting
00:20:16 — First Black Bear Encounters in the Mountains
00:25:44 — Tracking a Black Bear in Thick Laurel
00:32:39 — Packing Out a Black Bear on Public Land
00:36:27 — Why Bear Meat Gets a Bad Reputation
00:45:11 — Bowhunting Black Bears in Appalachia
00:59:55 — Making Bear Hunting a Tradition
Resources:
Follow Josh on IG
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 476: No Time to Train? Building Consistency for Busy Hunters w/ Todd Bumgardner // Pack Mule Training Co. | 03 févr. 2026 | 01:46:04 | |
Beau Martonik talks with Todd Bumgardner of Pack Mule Training Co. about staying consistent with training when time is limited. They discuss realistic fitness for busy hunters, how to adapt workouts to fit your life, and why consistency matters more than intensity. Todd shares practical advice for year-round training, redefining success, and building habits that support long-term health, performance, and enjoyment in the field.
Topics:
00:00:00 — Intro
00:04:20 — Why “not enough time” is the biggest fitness lie
00:10:21 — Sleep, hydration, and the small habits that actually matter
00:17:38 — Todd’s path to coaching and why hunters need a different approach
00:29:01 — Hunters vs. operators: why most programs don’t fit real life
00:47:37 — How to stay consistent when life gets busy
01:03:50 — Setting yourself up for success instead of burnout
01:19:21 — Adapting training when plans fall apart
01:36:29 — Redefining success and enjoying the long game
Resources:
Follow Pack Mule Training Co on IG
Follow Todd on IG
Pack Mule Training Co website
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 475: Train Slow to Hunt Until You’re 80: Zone 1 & 2 Conditioning with Todd Bumgardner | 27 janv. 2026 | 01:00:26 | |
Beau Martonik teams up with Todd Bumgardner from Pack Mule Training Co. for a winter ruck as they discuss effective training methods for hunting. Todd has been a strength and conditioning coach for the last 19 years and spent 8 years as a human performance coach for a Tier 1 tactical unit. They explore aerobic threshold testing and the importance of low-intensity workouts for building endurance and mental resilience. Their conversation touches on applying training in outdoor settings and the role of proper nutrition in maintaining energy levels. They emphasize the importance of consistency in off-season fitness and the role of ongoing commitment in achieving success, reflecting on the significant impact Todd's coaching has had on Beau’s confidence and field abilities.
Resources:
Follow Pack Mule Training Co on IG
Follow Todd on IG
Pack Mule Training Co website
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 474: Rifles in the Rut? Why PA Hunters Need to Act Before This Becomes Law | 21 janv. 2026 | 00:32:08 | |
The Pennsylvania Game Commission has proposed major changes to the 2026–27 hunting seasons — and this is the window where hunter feedback matters.
In this bonus episode, Beau Martonik breaks down the proposed changes and explains why he believes moving regular firearms deer season one week earlier puts rifles deeper into the rut, increases vulnerability of mature bucks, and could hurt the quality of deer hunting PA has improved over the last 20 years. He also covers the ripple effect that moves firearms bear season earlier, colliding with what many consider the best week of archery deer hunting.
This is still proposal-stage — not final — which means hunters need to voice their opinions the right way (not just in social comments). Beau also shares a quick Instagram poll: 678 responses — 96% opposed / 4% supported.
Be respectful. Be clear. And make sure your feedback reaches the Board.
Links: PGC Contact Us / Board comment path + January Meeting Agenda
Here's a copy/paste email template that you can use to send to the board, if you agree with my thoughts.
Dear Board,
I’m asking the Board to keep the regular firearms deer opener after Thanksgiving and avoid moving it earlier into peak rut activity. I’m concerned this will increase vulnerability of mature bucks during peak breeding movement and could reduce the quality and age structure of bucks, which has improved over the last two decades.
I also oppose moving the firearms bear season to what is widely considered the best week of archery deer hunting, as this will increase pressure and reduce opportunities for archery hunters.
If the goal is youth participation, I support recruitment efforts that don’t sacrifice the core season structure—for example, expanded mentored/youth opportunities, targeted weekends, or other options that improve access without shifting the statewide firearms timing.
In Pennsylvania and beyond, I believe access plays a bigger role in losing hunters who have purchased licenses for years. When we lose those people, we lose those mentors for the youth/new hunters. I commend the PGC for acquiring new state game lands and helping with access, but I believe that it will be difficult to keep up with the amount of private land that was previously accessible through permission, to leases, amongst other reasons.
Thank you for considering hunter feedback.
Sign up for the 2026 Mountain Bucks Scouting Camp!
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 473: Limited Time, Big Results: Zack Robb’s Two Giant Virginia Mountain Bucks | 20 janv. 2026 | 01:31:07 | |
Beau Martonik, Zack Robb, and Johnny Stewart connect at the ATA show to talk about Zack’s successful season in the Virginia mountains. Zack had limited time to hunt this past year, yet still found success on two giant Virginia mountain bucks. The conversation covers scouting tactics, the importance of patience, overcoming target panic, choosing a tree, environmental factors affecting deer movement, and much more.
00:00:00 — Intro
00:04:16 — The ATA Show
00:07:36 — Getting to Know Zack
00:10:26 — Creating Time
00:12:38 — Best Season Yet
00:17:45 — Overcoming Target Panic and Other Lessons
00:23:19 — Making Your Shots Count
00:29:01 — The Importance of Patience
00:33:38 — Zach’s Bucks and Overall Season
00:56:16 — Layout Of The Land
00:58:37 — Buck Measurements and History
01:00:53 — Evidence Of Bucks
01:04:56 — Acorns
01:06:49 — Early Season
01:08:36 — Rolodex Analogy
01:10:37 — Johny’s Camera Man
01:17:23 — Choosing A Tree
01:28:36 — Closing Statements
Resources:
Follow Johnny on IG
Watch Johnny on YouTube
Follow Zack on IG
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 472: 2026 Mountain Bucks Scouting Camp is HERE! | 14 janv. 2026 | 00:32:02 | |
Beau Martonik outlines the 2026 Mountain Buck Scouting Camp, a two-day event for hunting enthusiasts focused on improving big woods scouting skills. Registration opens January 16th, and the camp combines classroom instruction with hands-on outdoor activities in Pennsylvania's mountains.
Attendees will learn essential topics, including map reading and food source identification, from a panel of expert presenters. He emphasizes participant engagement and the unique camp experience designed to foster camaraderie and share knowledge. The camp offers various pass options for different needs, promising an invaluable opportunity to enhance hunting skills and embrace deer camp traditions.
Topics:
00:00:00 — Intro & Welcome
00:01:59 — Deer Camp With a Purpose
00:03:49 — Homework
00:04:14 — What You’ll Learn
00:05:46 — The Presenters
00:12:49 — Added Value
00:15:02 — Camp Schedule, What To Expect
00:22:17 — Price Of Each Type Of Pass
00:24:18 — New Property
00:26:20 — Resources and Behind The Scenes
00:27:30 — Closing Statements
Resources:
Sign up for the 2026 Mountain Bucks Scouting Camp!
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 471: 30+ Years of Learning WHY Mature Bucks Do What They Do — Johnny Stewart’s Best Season Ever | 13 janv. 2026 | 01:36:38 | |
Beau Martonik reconnects with Johnny Stewart, a seasoned public land hunter who shares his insights on pursuing whitetail deer across multiple states. Reflecting on one of his best seasons ever, where he harvested five bucks. Johnny candidly reflects on his learning journey, acknowledging his mistakes and the value of companionship among fellow hunters. He shares memorable stories from his recent hunts, highlighting both the emotional and physical demands. Johnny delves into this episode, which may be one of the best we’ve done together, where the wilderness serves as both a classroom and a testing ground.
Topics:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:04:22 — Johnny’s Remaining Season Plans
00:13:28 — West Virginia Hunt
00:17:32 — Hunting Scenario In Ohio
00:21:05 — Lessons Learned
00:23:12 — Not A Short Game To Success
00:30:36 — E-Scouting Insight
00:33:38 — 5 Bucks in 5 States
00:38:35 — Mindset Controls The Outcome
00:50:22 — King Of The Mountain
01:11:42 — The Struggles When Packing Out
01:26:51 — Reflections On Success
01:29:51 — Where To Watch Johnny
01:34:19 — Closing Statements
Resources:
Follow Johnny on IG
Watch Johnny on YouTube
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 470: Make 2026 Your BEST Year Ever! Self-Reflection and Goal Planning | 06 janv. 2026 | 01:01:31 | |
Beau Martonik reflects on the past hunting year while setting measurable goals for 2026. He analyzes his successes and challenges, emphasizing the importance of staying focused and maintaining a clear plan. Beau shares highlights from his moose and deer hunts, candidly addressing missed opportunities and areas for improvement. Beau then turns to goal-setting for the year ahead. He outlines a practical system using spreadsheets to track progress, with a focus on both specific hunting objectives and personal development. Lastly, he expresses his ambitions to expand the podcast and engage with the audience, encouraging listeners to set meaningful goals and actively participate in their own growth.
Topics:
00:00:00 — Intro & Welcome
Resources:
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 469: Late-Season Decisions That Killed My Ohio Buck - Hunt Recap | 30 déc. 2025 | 01:10:29 | |
Beau Martonik recaps his 2025 Ohio gun season, which led to shooting a great buck with his muzzleloader. Beau shares his history with Ohio hunting, a pivotal scouting experience prompted by a fellow hunter, and his strategies for tracking deer movement in the late season. After an intense hunt, he faced a challenging recovery. Beau encourages fellow hunters to embrace experiences that foster adaptability, as he strives to hone his skills across all seasons.
Topics:
00:00:00 — Intro & Welcome
00:04:06 — The Journey Begins
00:12:25 — Discoveries in the Woods
00:19:57 — The First Encounter
00:24:17 — A Change of Plans
00:35:15 — The Last Day
00:43:58 — The Big Buck Encounter
00:48:10 — The Aftermath of the Shot
00:50:15 — Recovery Efforts
01:01:43 — Reflections on the Hunt
01:05:10 — Late Season Advice
01:08:48 — Last Thoughts and Reflections
Resources:
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ep. 468: Tracking, Still-Hunting, and Following Buck Sign in the Snow w/ Connor Schellong | 23 déc. 2025 | 01:41:28 | |
Beau Martonik chats with Connor Schellong, a hunter from New Hampshire, about the intricacies of tracking, still-hunting, and pursuing whitetail deer in the northeastern U.S. He shares his experiences from the rifle season in Pennsylvania, the excitement of successfully hunting a mature buck, and the nuances of tracking. They also discuss crucial topics such as public access to hunting areas, environmental factors impacting deer behavior, signpost rubs, quiet clothing, and the differences between still-hunting/tracking.
Topics:
00:00:00 — Intro & Welcome
00:01:26 —Chasing Snow for Deer
00:02:17 — Work-Life Balance in Hunting
00:05:54 — The Art of Tracking
00:10:02 — Hunting in Different Terrains
00:13:56 —Reflections on the Season
00:24:19 — Reading Signposts
00:40:13 — Pennsylvania Hunting Experience
00:53:52 — Tracking Challenges and Insights
00:58:41— Early Success
01:04:05 — The Art of Patience in Hunting
01:08:41 — The Role of Clothing in Tracking
01:10:28 — Memorable Deer Stories and The Addiction
01:24:32 — What Is Northwoods Whitetails
01:31:13 — Last Thoughts and Reflections
Resources:
Follow Connor on IG
Watch Northwoods Whitetails on YouTube
Instagram:
@eastmeetswesthunt
@beau.martonik
Facebook:
East Meets West Outdoors
Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/
YouTube:
Beau Martonik - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w
Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links:
https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners
Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
© My Podcast Data · Independent project · Data from Apple & Spotify