The Western Huntsman Podcast

As luck would have it, I met Bobby Collins on a plane ride to Maui. I was on a family vacation, Bobby was heading home. I'm so glad we crossed trails! Bobby shares his background as firefighter, growing up in Oregon, moving to Maui over a decade ago, and the hunt life he lives within the Hawaiian Islands. He is a survivor of the Lahaina wildfire, the most devastating wildfire in Maui history. He shares the story, and it's a heartbr...

This installment of the School of September features Jon Gabrio. Jon is someone I knew several years ago was going to make a huge impact on the hunting space, and he definetely has! In this episode, Jon and I dicsuss his process for locating elk. From eScouting to boots on the ground, you can't kill what you can't find. We also dive into different strategies for different types of terrain; hunting elk in arid desert country to high...

Editor in Chief at Eastmans, Todd Helms, joins me this week to offer some insight as to what's at stake in this recent public land disposal bill. This is basically something being added to the so-called "Big, Beautiful Bill" by Utah Senator Mike Lee, a familiar proponent of public land thievery and in my book, someone who needs to be removed from public office because of it. 

Todd and I delve into the recent article on the Eastmans...

Thank you all for bearing with me the last few weeks. I haven't put out an episode due to a health issue that popped up out of the blue and almost took my life. 

This episode tells the story, and I hope it provides some insight as to how you can avoid the same issue. I should be back to 100% soon, and I'm officially back in the saddle as of now. 

I am blessed, and very thankful to all of you who tune in and tolerate me every week. ...

We’ve got another special episode of the Western Huntsman podcast this week!
Guest hosts Todd Helms and Scott Reekers from Eastmans’ sit down to tackle some of the hottest current topics impacting hunters today while Jim is out. From grizzly bear management to potential public land sell...

Today’s episode of The Western Huntsman is a special one!
In a unique twist, the tables are turned as Ike Eastman, host of the Eastmans' Journal Podcast Edition, takes over the mic to interview our very own Jim Huntsman.

Dirk returns as requested for an in-depth discussion on September archery elk! We talk about some new calling strategies, lessons learned from last season, we cover early, mid, and late September elk sounds/strategies. As always, nobody delivers like Dirk Durham of Phelps Game Calls!!!

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Kevin Hardman is the Treasurer of the Idaho Panhandle Chapter for NWTF, a new chapter for the renowned National Wild Turkey Federation. He brings a lot to the table as we have a great conversation about his goal to hunt and kill something all twelve months of the year. So far, so good for 2025! 

We also discuss the upcoming NWTF banquet in Coeur d'Alene, ID in a few weeks, and why it's a great event to win a bunch of gear and rifle...

One of my favorite hunting buddies, Kevin Estela, has knocked it out of the park again with another book, Beyond the Field. He joins me this week to discuss what people can expect in the book, some hunting adventures from last season, upcoming hunts and wilderness survival courses coming up, and lots more. 

It's always a great chat with Kevin. He is one of the top survival experts in the country and new and old hunters alike will g...

Todd Helmes is the Editor in Chief at Eastmans, host of the Wingmen Podcast, hunter, writer, family man and more!

In this episode, Todd and I jump into Spring turkey hunting out West. We talk some access issues, calling in gobblers, deer hunting, elk hunting, outfitters versus DIY, and much more! Todd is a return guest to the show and just like last time, he doesn't disappoint!

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Guy Duplantier is back! He is the host of the Western Contours Podcast, founder of Western Fly Covers and Western Hunt Fest, coach for ElkBros, and someone I consider a good friend. 

In this School of September installment, we go back to the gear series and discuss everything from bow setups to snacks in our packs. Guy has forgotten more about hunting gear than I'll ever know, so his insight into what gear performs the best is unma...

The March installment of School of September is a must listen. My buddy, Jon Palmquist reached out to me and suggested I get his elk hunting mentor and friend, Rob Gonzales, on. He didn't disappoint. 

In this episode, Rob goes into some calling strategies never discussed before on the show. Things like how to call a bull back in after you maybe buggered him off, how he calls moving through the woods, and some unique calls to help g...

Many of you asked, we listened. 

In this episode, as the first installment of the School of September Gear Series, I open up my daypack and walk you through the contents. I'm very much a minimalist when it comes to what I carry on the mountain, but there may be a few surprises in my pack that will be of interest to you. 

We are looking for more gear ideas to cover, specific to September archery elk. If you have one, send your idea ...

Josh Merschat is an outfitter, hunter, houndsman, husband, father, and former bull rider. He owns Waypoint Outfitters in Northwest Montana. 

In this episode, Josh and I try to make sense of how social media has impacted hunting. We discuss some outfitting and hunting topics. Josh tells some insane stories about how a wolf stole a pistol out of his hands and how he basically wrestled a mountain lion sliding down a hill. The stories ...

Jason Montagna is a hunter, custom rifle builder, and long range shooting instructor for Elk Creek Outfiftting in Northwest Montana. Article 4 Rifleworks is based out of North Idaho, check out the Instagram!

Jason and I dig into what he considers long-range for hunters, where many hunters get it wrong, rifle and ammo types, ethics, and so much more. Jason is super insightful and I really enjoyed his common sense approach to what ca...

Sam Westfall is an Army veteran, serial entrepreneur, and competitive archer with a passion for community building and innovation. Leveraging decades of experience in hunting and shooting sports, Sam uses archery as a tool for therapy, empowerment, and connection, particularly within the military and veteran communities. Sam is also serving as an IVMF Bunker Labs Ambassador for 2025.

Sam joins me this week to talk about Archery in ...

Jim Webley is a husband, dad, hunting guide, and Pastor of Baptist Mountain Church in Noxon, MT. In fact, he's my Pastor!

Jim joins me in The Broken Tines Studio this week for a deep conversation centered around the profound connection to God that hunting offers us. We discuss the state of our modern society, and what leads a man's soul to emptiness in a world full of convenience. We walk down a fairly philisophical path about the ...

Thats right folks, School of September is back to kick the 2025 season off right!

The legendary Joe Giglia joins me in this one. Joe is the foundational member of Elk Bros, hunting guide, educator, husband, father, coach, passionate elk hunter and best of all... A guy who's always willing to step up and share his 40 plus years of elk hunting experience to anyone wise enough to listen! 

We give it the School of September all by cove...