Is mental toughness overemphasized in hunting? Todd Bumgardner of Human Predator Pack Mule explains how he believes in building the necessary machine in yourself to not rely on mental toughness as much. Clip from Ep 419 of the East Meets West Hunt podcast. #eastmeetswesthunt #mentaltoughness #backcountryhunting #westernhunting #huntingfitness #huntingpodcast

Beau Martonik is joined by Todd Bumgardner, strength and conditioning coach, author, and founder of Human Predator Pack Mule. He trains Tier 1 tactical operators, backcountry hunters, and everyone in between while hunting all over the country himself. They discuss some critical things to prepare for a western hunt, including physical training, building mental toughness, combatting altitude sickness, building hunt plans, emergency preparedness, food planning, and much more! You can find more information on these topics by signing up for our exclusive email series here. https://humanpredatorpackmule.com/first-western-hunt Topics: 00:00:00 - Reconnecting and Catching Up 00:02:33 - Training Updates and Programs 00:04:01 - The Evolution of Human Predator Pack Mule 00:07:53 - Preparing for Western Hunts 00:09:01 - Email Series for Eastern Hunters 00:11:35 - The Hunting Fitness Industry 00:14:51 - Common Misconceptions in Hunting Fitness 00:21:25 - The Importance of Time in Training 00:28:20 - Tackling Packing Challenges 00:35:28 - Focus on Mobility Training 00:40:31 - Combatting Altitude Sickness 00:45:30 - Altitude Awareness 00:45:53 - Strength vs. Cardio 00:49:21 - Importance of Strength Training 00:51:53 - Endurance and Cardio Training 01:00:24 - Backcountry Nutrition 01:05:33 - Building a Hunt Plan 01:19:20 - Emergency Preparedness 01:23:47 - Should I Stay or Go? 01:29:30 - Final Thoughts and Resources Listen to the East Meets West Hunt podcast! https://linktr.ee/eastmeetswesthunt Instagram: @eastmeetswesthunt - https://www.instagram.com/eastmeetswesthunt/ @beau.martonik - https://www.instagram.com/beau.martonik/ Facebook: East Meets West Outdoors - https://www.facebook.com/EastMeetsWestHunt Shop new apparel! https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/shop Amazon Influencer Page https://amzn.to/2SeXd8z Partners and Exclusive Deals: Spartan Forge - Check out the Spartan Forge app for deer movement predictions based on millions of data points for your area, as well as incredible GPS mapping! Save 20% with coupon code eastmeetswest - https://bit.ly/3tKRc68 Timber Ninja Outdoors - Timber Ninja Outdoors builds the most innovative, lightweight, and safe saddle and mobile hunting gear products. Use code eastmeetswest for free shipping on all orders! - http://bit.ly/3XUMlLw Maven Optics - Top-quality binoculars, spotting scopes and r*fle scopes for your hunts from east to west. Use the code eastmeetswest-gift to get a free gift with your next order! - https://alnk.to/6IGy3Mp Diamondback Truck Covers - Diamondback makes the most rigid truck bed covers on the market for hunters, outdoorsmen, contractors, etc. I use the HD cover capable of holding up to 1,600 pounds on top of it and is impossible to break into. https://bit.ly/3RpEkMC CVA - CVA has been America's #1 selling muzzleloader brand for over a decade. Check out their muzzleloaders, rifles, and accessories for every season and every range. You can use code eastmeetswest10 for 10% off CVA products and accessories. Case Knives - American heritage in your pocket and hunting packs. Case has been around for over a hundred years making knives built to be handed down for generations in Bradford, PA. - https://bit.ly/49MgPX3 MTN OPS - is the leader in providing science-based supplements to help you train inside and conquer more outside. Use the code BEAU to save 20% on all MTN OPS orders. - https://mtn-ops.sjv.io/AW3611 SITKA GEAR - Use this link to help support the podcast and build your own performance hunting apparel system. - https://bit.ly/3ehJfND Sawyer - From the backcountry to the backyard, Sawyer products are there to keep you protected from ticks and all other insects. Lyme disease is no joke and you shouldn't chance it. Check out Sawyer's permethrin, and picaridin, as well as their line of water filtration products - https://bit.ly/3JCIpur Hoyt Archery - Building archery equipment for nearly nine decades, Hoyt makes some of the most innovative and technically advanced equipment for the most serious archers and bowhunters across the globe. Check out the new lineup of bows, accessories, and apparel. - https://bit.ly/3UyjvRo Elk Crossing Getaway in the PA Wilds - You can rent out my personal AirBNB property in the heart of the PA Wilds as a hunting camp, watch the elk with your family, go hiking, fishing, and anything else outdoor-related. Send us a message on AirBNB and say you heard about it on the podcast to save 10%. - https://bit.ly/3orbyho Tactacam - Reveal cell cams are reliable, quick to setup, and have an extended battery life to level up your scouting. The Reveal app helps you analyze your camera data to create a game plan to have your best season ever! - https://bit.ly/40DWEbz Note - I receive a small commission from some of the products purchased at no extra cost to you.

Mountain thermals can change by moving just a few feet. The rule of thumb is that thermals rise in the morning as the sun heats up the mountain, and fall in the evenings as the sun goes down. A lot of things can affect wind and thermals. Over half of the bucks I’ve killed in the last decade from a tree have used downward thermals from springs, creeks, and other water. In this situation, the spring coming out of the mountain was not significant. That alone was not enough to pull downward thermals all day, but add in a couple of hemlock trees that add shade and it works. Why does this matter? This is a pinch point on the side of a hill where it’s steep above, steep below, with a logging trail running through the middle and a trail running parallel to the drainage. The trees above the trail don’t offer much cover, but tucking in one of the hemlocks below would make me almost invisible. I always carry milkweed when I’m scouting to check spots like this. If you don’t understand thermals, just take some milkweed with you every time you scout and test spots. #eastmeetswesthunt #mountainbucks #bigwoodsbucks #deerscouting

Finding a GIANT set of sheds in PA. Beau Martonik, Mason Martonik, and Joe Martonik discuss some of their biggest and most memorable sheds they’ve found over the years in the most recent East Meets West Hunt podcast episode. #eastmeetswesthunt #mountainbucks #bigwoodsbucks #shedhunting #shedhunter #pahunting #huntingpodcast

There isn’t a better time than now to identify good rut funnels. Beaver ponds create some of my favorite rut hunting spots. @TheJohnnyStewart and I did a video for the Mountain Buck Scouting Video Series last year breaking down a beaver pond area that we’ve never been to before. You can find the entire Mountain Buck Scouting Video Series on my YouTube channel - link in bio. #eastmeetswesthunt #mountainbucks #bigwoodsbucks #deerscouting #rutfunnels #deerhunting

Beau Martonik is joined by Joe and Mason Martonik, two of the most consistently successful big woods whitetail hunters in the country to discuss some of their biggest and most memorable sheds they’ve found in Pennsylvania! They discuss the stories and tactics behind multiple bucks including a 174” match set, and shed antlers off bucks they’ve been able to put their tags on. Topics: 00:00:00 - Intro to shed hunting stories 00:02:55 - MASSive 8 point mystery buck 00:07:56 - “Big Boy” - 4 years of sheds, 6 years of hunting him 00:22:13 - 6 years of sheds within a 300 yard area 00:23:26 - The unicorn buck’s shed that Mason ended up getting years later 00:29:16 - Matching set that led to Beau’s biggest archery buck ever 00:36:14 - The booner split brow buck - 174” 00:45:11 - Missing sheds and shed hunting pressure 00:51:49 - Mason shooting a big buck in October, 100 yards from where he found his shed 00:59:31 - Finding one shed that led to a 3-year journey for a buck 01:03:11 - The Instagram knife blade shed Listen to the East Meets West Hunt podcast! https://linktr.ee/eastmeetswesthunt Instagram: @eastmeetswesthunt - https://www.instagram.com/eastmeetswesthunt/ @beau.martonik - https://www.instagram.com/beau.martonik/ Facebook: East Meets West Outdoors - https://www.facebook.com/EastMeetsWestHunt Shop new apparel! https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/shop Amazon Influencer Page https://amzn.to/2SeXd8z Partners and Exclusive Deals: Spartan Forge - Check out the Spartan Forge app for deer movement predictions based on millions of data points for your area, as well as incredible GPS mapping! Save 20% with coupon code eastmeetswest - https://bit.ly/3tKRc68 Timber Ninja Outdoors - Timber Ninja Outdoors builds the most innovative, lightweight, and safe saddle and mobile hunting gear products. Use code eastmeetswest for free shipping on all orders! - http://bit.ly/3XUMlLw Maven Optics - Top-quality binoculars, spotting scopes and r*fle scopes for your hunts from east to west. Use the code eastmeetswest-gift to get a free gift with your next order! - https://alnk.to/6IGy3Mp Diamondback Truck Covers - Diamondback makes the most rigid truck bed covers on the market for hunters, outdoorsmen, contractors, etc. I use the HD cover capable of holding up to 1,600 pounds on top of it and is impossible to break into. https://bit.ly/3RpEkMC CVA - CVA has been America's #1 selling muzzleloader brand for over a decade. Check out their muzzleloaders, rifles, and accessories for every season and every range. You can use code eastmeetswest10 for 10% off CVA products and accessories. Case Knives - American heritage in your pocket and hunting packs. Case has been around for over a hundred years making knives built to be handed down for generations in Bradford, PA. - https://bit.ly/49MgPX3 MTN OPS - is the leader in providing science-based supplements to help you train inside and conquer more outside. Use the code BEAU to save 20% on all MTN OPS orders. - https://mtn-ops.sjv.io/AW3611 SITKA GEAR - Use this link to help support the podcast and build your own performance hunting apparel system. - https://bit.ly/3ehJfND Sawyer - From the backcountry to the backyard, Sawyer products are there to keep you protected from ticks and all other insects. Lyme disease is no joke and you shouldn't chance it. Check out Sawyer's permethrin, and picaridin, as well as their line of water filtration products - https://bit.ly/3JCIpur Hoyt Archery - Building archery equipment for nearly nine decades, Hoyt makes some of the most innovative and technically advanced equipment for the most serious archers and bowhunters across the globe. Check out the new lineup of bows, accessories, and apparel. - https://bit.ly/3UyjvRo Elk Crossing Getaway in the PA Wilds - You can rent out my personal AirBNB property in the heart of the PA Wilds as a hunting camp, watch the elk with your family, go hiking, fishing, and anything else outdoor-related. Send us a message on AirBNB and say you heard about it on the podcast to save 10%. - https://bit.ly/3orbyho Tactacam - Reveal cell cams are reliable, quick to setup, and have an extended battery life to level up your scouting. The Reveal app helps you analyze your camera data to create a game plan to have your best season ever! - https://bit.ly/40DWEbz Note - I receive a small commission from some of the products purchased at no extra cost to you.

My favorite bow accessory from last hunting season is the @hoytarcheryofficial Go Stix 2.0. Elk hunting, whitetail hunting, TAC events, shooting in the backyard, and everything else. I didn’t like previous accessories I had that clamped onto the limbs, but this screws in nice and easy without creating issues with my shooting. #eastmeetswesthunt #hoytbowhunting #deerhunting #bowhunting #archery #makedeercampgreatagain

PA Hunter discusses his 20+ years of moon data in relation to deer movement. Do you think the moon affects deer movement? Clip from Ep 417 of the East Meets West Hunt podcast with Beau Martonik, Mason Martonik, and Joe Martonik #eastmeetswesthunt #moontheory #deerhunting #mountainbucks #bigwoodsbucks #huntingpodcast

How early should you access your stand on morning hunts? And does light color really matter? Clip from Ep 417 of the East Meets West Hunt podcast with Beau Martonik, Mason Martonik, and Joe Martonik #eastmeetswesthunt #deerhunting #mountainbucks #bigwoodsbucks #deerscouting #huntingpodcast