East Meets West Outdoors

22/08/2024

NEW PODCAST! Beau Martonik is joined by Matt Upgren of Northern Forest Whitetail. Matt has compiled over 10 years of trail camera data in Minnesota's north woods to help find the best dates and times to take off work and hunt the rut. They discuss the types of areas where Matt hunts, his remote deer camp, the importance of doe family groups, trail camera locations, the best dates to hunt for mature bucks, the most active times of the day for buck movement, staying alert on all day sits, and much more!

New episodes every Tuesday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you listen to audio podcasts. Video episodes drop Tuesday nights at 7pm on YouTube. Links in bio.

19/08/2024

New Mountain Buck Scouting Video with Johnny Stewart and Beau Martonik

Deer hunting for big woods mountain bucks can be some of the most difficult hunting there is for whitetails. In this video series, Beau Martonik breaks down ...

19/08/2024

“A buddy of mine and I found a fresh scrape and some small rubs at the base of an old clear-cut face in a small gap during the end of the first bear season here in western North Carolina. I made my arrangements and got my opportunity to go back in, and hunt it a couple weeks later with all intentions of shooting the first racked buck I saw. Based on the sign, I found my expectations were not high for seeing a mature buck, but I knew there would be a possibility with how the terrain was set up. I made my way into the spot on the morning of 11/28 and set up in the gap, watching the old clear-cut ridge. At around 8:20 in the morning, I saw movement about 80 yards in front of me in an old skid road that went through the clear-cut. I picked my binoculars up and began to look in that direction, and it didn’t take long to see a nice buck looking down the ridge in my direction. The buck began working up the skid road, and I lost sight of him for about 20 minutes. I finally saw movement again 30 yards higher on the ridge, coming into about the only opening in the clear cut I could shoot through. The shot happened fast and is still a blur to me, but as the shot rang off, the deer dropped in his tracks. When I approached the deer, I saw for the first time just how big of a buck he was. This is and probably will always be my biggest Mountain Buck! I’ve said for years that I thought there were deer as big as the ones in the Midwest hiding somewhere deep in the big mountain. I would say I made a believer out of myself with this one. This deer unofficially green scored at 170” plus gross, a true Mountain Monster!” - Storm Worley

What an absolute GIANT! congrats Storm! Send in your MBM submissions via email to [email protected]

16/08/2024

Welcome to Gear Talk, a new series of the East Meets West Hunt podcast. The Gear Talk episodes will be short bonus episodes that dive into specific gear items Beau Martonik uses and why. In this episode, Beau discusses his essential clothing system for September archery elk hunting, focusing on an eight-piece layering system for an upcoming trip to Montana.

Let us know what gear items you have questions about and want to see in a future podcast! Send inquiries to [email protected] with the subject line saying Gear Talk, comment on this post, or leave a response on the YouTube video.

Video podcast on YouTube and audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and anywhere you find podcasts. Links in bio.

14/08/2024

NEW PODCAST! Beau Martonik is joined by Zach Bowhay of Hunt DIY and Elk Hunt. Zach has been successful elk hunting with any and all tactics. They discuss the challenges for obtaining elk tags and a plan to still get them, adapting tactics as landscapes change, the mental part of elk hunting, hunting the same spot vs. new areas, understanding elk behavior, what the characteristics of the best elk hunters are, and much more!

New episodes every Tuesday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you listen to audio podcasts. Video episodes drop Tuesday nights at 7pm on YouTube. Links in bio.

13/08/2024

“This was my third time hunting this location. With a thick mountain cover and big buck sign, I knew it would produce. On Nov 1st, 2023, a cold front moved in, and I knew it was time to make a move. I had class that morning but decided to skip considering the rut was on. I was set up on a ridge adjacent to a ridge with thick cover, the wind was blowing out of the cover, and I had hopes a mature whitetail would be scent checking this cover for a hot doe. Right at sunrise, I crashed my rattling horns against each other and rustled the leaves around me. Ten minutes later I see this stud heading towards me from the cover, he was coming full steam ahead. I grunted at him a few times but he didn’t want to stop. Finally, with a big “MEHH” he stopped and looked directly at me. From 75 yards away, I let my .260 do its job, he kicked up in the air and piled up in the creek bottom below me in sight. While I was cleaning him I saw 3 more bucks chasing does, one was a big 8 point but I decided to hold off so I could fill my last tag with my dad. This is my biggest deer to date, and I couldn’t be happier taking him from the north Georgia mountains on public land. What a hunt!” - Jackson Clouatre

Congrats on a stud southern mountain buck, man!! If you have a MBM submission, send it in via email to [email protected] - just a short paragraph or two, a few photos, and put Mountain Buck Monday in the subject line.

12/08/2024

The Mountain Buck Scouting Video Series is BACK! In this video, Beau Martonik and his dad, Joe Martonik, look for a buck on Beau's trail camera last year. They show you their process in the field and map scouting to find THAT buck who shows on your trail camera just a few times. This includes scouting a thermal hub system, community scrapes, buck bedding, doe bedding, trail camera locations, potential stand setups (early season, pre-rut, rut, post-rut, and late season), and much more!

Deer hunting for big woods mountain bucks can be some of the most difficult hunting there is for whitetails. In this video series, Beau Martonik breaks down ...

09/08/2024

Welcome to Gear Talk, a new series of the East Meets West Hunt podcast. The Gear Talk episodes will be short bonus episodes that dive into specific gear items Beau Martonik uses and why. In this episode, Beau breaks down the types of hunting saddles, hunting saddle safety, how to choose a saddle for hunting, the most comfortable hunting saddle, the lightest weight saddle for hunting, the best hunting saddle on a budget, and breaks down the entire Timber Ninja Outdoors line of hunting saddles.

Let us know what gear items you have questions about and want to see in a future podcast! Send inquiries to [email protected] with the subject line saying Gear Talk, comment on this post, or leave a response on the YouTube video.

Video podcast on YouTube and audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and anywhere you find podcasts. Links in bio.

07/08/2024

New podcast with Beau Martonik and Paul Putera !

On today’s episode, Beau Martonik is joined by New Jersey native, Paul Putera. Paul finds consistent success in the mountains, the big woods, and the low-lyi...

07/08/2024

NEW PODCAST! On today’s episode, Beau Martonik is joined by New Jersey native, Paul Putera. Paul finds consistent success in the mountains, the big woods, and the low-lying marsh country. They discuss trail camera placement on key sign, consistent habitat to find big bucks, why buck bedding isn’t always consistent in the big woods, mast crop influence on deer movement, understanding deer behavior, building confidence in spots, and much more!

New episodes every Tuesday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you listen to audio podcasts. Video episodes drop Tuesday nights at 7pm on YouTube. Links in bio.

06/08/2024

“The spot where I killed this buck historically had a giant scrape under a laurel bush. This year, the particular area had been void of sign and very little deer pictures on my cam. I made a mock scrape under the laurel bush on November 14th, and 2 days later, this buck showed up and worked the scrape. After an all-day rain, I knew I needed to be in a tree the following morning hunting that scrape. I listened to your podcast on entering your stand well before light, as the deer don’t spook like they do when the sky is breaking. I got into my stand well before daylight, and it paid off big time. This buck popped across the same face of the mountain that I accessed my stand from, right at legal shooting light. He was coming to work the scrape and the rest is history.” - Aaron Heatwole

Congrats Aaron!! That buck is phenomenal. Hard to beat mornings after a rain!

Send in your MBM submissions via email to [email protected]. Just a short paragraph or two and a few photos. I love reading these and being able to share them!

05/08/2024

Welcome to Gear Talk, a new series of the East Meets West Hunt podcast. The Gear Talk episodes will be short bonus episodes that dive into specific gear items Beau Martonik uses and why. In this episode, he and his hunting partner, Ethan Demi, discuss their backcountry first aid kits on a moose hunt in Alaska. First aid kits aren't the most exciting topic to discuss, but you can save your life with some basic training and essentials.

Let us know what gear items you have questions about and want to see in a future podcast! Send inquiries to [email protected] with the subject line saying Gear Talk or leave a comment!

Video podcast on YouTube and audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and anywhere you find podcasts. Links in bio.

05/08/2024

COAL COUNTRY - A West Virginia Mountain Buck hunt film is live!

For three years, Beau Martonik has been trying to successfully spot and stalk a big mountain buck in the reclaimed coal mines of the bowhunting-only counties...

31/07/2024

NEW PODCAST! .martonik is joined by of . Brad is a backcountry hunter, seasoned rock climber, business owner, and obsessed with chasing big mule deer bucks. They discuss executing the shot in high stress situations, understanding mule deer behavior, finding where big mule deer live, innovative hunting gear, finding adventure in hunting, and much more.

New episodes every Tuesday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you listen to audio podcasts. Video episodes drop Tuesday nights at 7pm on YouTube. Links in bio.

30/07/2024

NEW GEAR TALK PODCAST! Welcome to Gear Talk, a new series of the East Meets West Hunt podcast. The Gear Talk episodes will be 10 to 20-minute bonus episodes that dive into specific gear items Beau Martonik uses and why. In this episode, he discusses his layering system for a 13-day moose hunt in Alaska. He emphasizes the importance of strategic layering to regulate body temperature effectively throughout the day. From merino base layers to outer shell gear like the Jetstream jacket and Timberline pants, each piece plays a key role in keeping you warm, dry, and comfortable in the Alaskan wilderness.

Let us know what gear items you have questions about and want to see in a future podcast! Send inquiries to [email protected] with the subject line saying Gear Talk or leave a comment!

Video podcast on YouTube and audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and anywhere you find podcasts. Links in bio.

29/07/2024

“So this is my 2021 southeastern Kansas mountain buck story. I was hunting over a river crossing in a hang-on stand on my last day. The stand was killing my back because it was at a weird angle so I switched to the other side of the tree out of my saddle. I killed a coyote early in the morning, and I wasn’t feeling too confident because I just killed the coyote and figured my scent was all over the area. So I was spending more time on my phone than I normally do. At around noon, I got a text from a buddy asking if I killed him? Apparently a nice buck walked right across the river in front of me and was picked up on the Tactacam. I start freaking out because I couldn’t believe I didn’t see or hear him and I was on my stupid phone. I’m texting him back that I didn’t see him, and I didn’t kill him. Heartbroken. So about five minutes of me being super upset at myself goes by, and the same buck walks across the river from the other direction. I casually grab my bow and shoot him at about 23 yards. He ran up the bank and fell about 15 feet down off the bank. He landed in the river with a resounding splash. I got Trail camera pictures of him crossing and then immediately following my shot coming the other way. The lesson to be learned is to stay off your phone while hunting.” - Anthony Rockwell Jr.

Congrats on an awesome buck from an unlikely place for a MBM submission! I think most of us have experienced screwing up an opportunity from a phone, but you still got it done!

Send in your MBM submissions via email to [email protected]

29/07/2024

New Film!

It's been Beau Martonik's lifelong dream to hunt moose in the vast Alaska wilderness. In September of 2023, him and his buddy, Ethan Demi, did just that. The...

25/07/2024

NEW PODCAST! .martonik is joined by of . John moved from New York to Arizona 33 years ago and has hunted just about every species and state in the West for big game. They discuss guiding, taking action for wildlife conservation, the importance of glassing from a tripod, elk hunting experiences, adapting to different states, e-scouting, Arizona hunting opportunities, and much more!

New episodes every Tuesday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you listen to audio podcasts. Video episodes drop Tuesday nights at 7pm on YouTube. Links in bio.

23/07/2024

“I wanted to share the story of my first Pa Public land deer that I harvested on 11/27/23. My buddy and I started hunting public land in 2018. In 2022, we got lucky enough, with the little bit of snow on the opening morning, to track a few bears into a swampy area that looked "bucky". My buddy and I figured we would get a chance to scout the area in the future, but we didn't get a chance to go back to the area until the first Monday of the 2023 rifle season.

That morning we missed our alarms after putting in 20 miles the first 2 days. It was 9:30 am when we finally hit the road and got to the location that we thought was "bucky" in 2022 by 10:45 am. The first spot we wanted to push into already had a few hunters in, and we were told to: "Get the .... out of their spot". Not to be discouraged, I told my buddy that we'd just walk 3/4 mile down the fire road and cut in, using the "pleasant" hunters as "Wind bumpers" to assist with finding some deer. We got into an area about 700 yards from the fire road and 800 yards from the main road and hadn't found any sign other than a few tracks.

I had just stopped to check out Spartan Forge to make sure we weren't heading away from the one point that I found at the edge of the swamp. When I looked up, I thought I saw a squirrel in the middle of a multi-trunked tree and even commented to my buddy: "it's odd that there's a squirrel in the middle of the swamp" because of how thick it was. When I looked through my binoculars, I saw that we were 60 yards from a good, mature 9pt. I got 2 quick and accurate shots into him, and we lost sight of him. After searching in semi-circles, we finally found him 75 yards from the initial shot. After 4.5 hours of dragging, we got him to the truck and found out he was almost 7-1/2' long from nose to tail. He weighed just under 200lbs dressed and is my first ever Pa Public Land deer/buck.

Thanks for sharing your wisdom and experiences on your podcast, we listen to it daily.” - Michael Flyte

Congrats on your first of many public land bucks, Michael! Awesome deer! If you have a MBM story to submit, send it in via email to [email protected]

20/07/2024

NEW GEAR TALK SERIES PODCAST! The Gear Talk episodes will be 10 to 20-minute bonus episodes that dive into specific gear items Beau Martonik uses and why. This episode details different types of binoculars for deer hunting, what specs to consider, and a breakdown of 4 binos that Beau has used.

Let us know what gear items you have questions about and want to see in a future podcast! Send inquiries to [email protected] with the subject line saying Gear Talk or leave a comment!

Video podcast on YouTube and audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and anywhere you find podcasts. Links in bio.

16/07/2024

NEW PODCAST! .martonik is joined by .photo and , both professional photographers, and videographers in the hunting industry. These two guys like nasty, cold, and wet adventure hunts that most people shy away from. They discuss late-season mountain goat hunting, gear for surviving in the worst conditions, mitigating risk, old-timer stories, caribou hunting, wild game cooking, and a lot more!

New episodes every Tuesday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you listen to audio podcasts. Video episodes drop Tuesday nights at 7pm on YouTube. Links in bio.

16/07/2024

“On November 4th, opening day of early muzzleloader here in Virginia, I hiked pretty deep into some new to me public ground and tagged this big-bodied 8 pointer. Dropping off the backside of the mountain I began to hunt my way down setting up on thick rhododendron edges.. sitting for a bit then moving further down. At 10 o'clock, I set up on the ground between 2 thick areas, and at 10:30 this buck was working up the mountain towards me and I shot him at 30 yards. He fell right there and slid a little way down before his rack got caught up on a log (thank you log). My dad and 2 of my best friends came back in there to help me pack the buck out, which was the highlight of the hunt.” - Michael Felts

Congrats Michael! Every year you are submitting great bucks in steep and deep country! Let's get you on the podcast!

If you have a MBM story to submit, send in a few photos and a short paragraph or two of the hunt via email to [email protected] with Mountain Buck Monday in the subject line.

11/07/2024

11/07/2024

New video podcast!

Beau Martonik is joined by Hunter McWaters of The Hunter’s Quest. Hunter is a Virginia native who caught the western hunting bug and has learned quickly over...

11/07/2024

NEW PODCAST! .martonik is joined by Hunter McWaters of . Hunter is a Virginia native who caught the western hunting bug and has learned quickly over the last few years to find success on hunts from New Mexico to Alaska. They discuss his first mountain hunting experience, western hunting gear, the value of adventure, rifle and muzzleloader hunting, hunting stories, and much more!

New episodes every Tuesday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you listen to audio podcasts. Video episodes drop Tuesday nights at 7pm on YouTube. Links in bio.

09/07/2024

“The story of Captain Hook begins during the spring of 2023. I had set out several Tactacam Reveals in a newly acquired piece of private and had several pictures of velvet bucks. A buck that really caught my attention though was the heavy framed 8 which I eventually named "Captain Hook". He was thick in his bases and tall and one of his brow tines resembled Hook from Robin Hood!

Fall quickly arrived and I tried my best to pattern him. I narrowed down his core area, but these mountains tend to have swirling winds and he had every advantage as I literally had one access. I eventually learned that this deer had most likely bedded on the upper third of a bench on the mountain and would watch me as I came in for my hunts. I tried my best to stay on top of him but he would show himself on pictures, fairly consistently, but would never show while I was in my saddle.

Early fall turned to November and I noticed he had shifted patterns and was no longer appearing on camera in his core area. It had been 9 days since he had been on Reveals. I quickly adjusted my setup and found a location between a transition area where the does would stage to feed late evenings. He would never show during daylight, only appearing just after legal light had ended. I began to lose hope and wondered if it were ever going to happen.

On November 20th, me and my buddy parked the ATV and sprayed down "no scent" I told my buddy that I could smell a rutting buck. We slowly crept toward our saddle location and he told me that he saw a white tail flicker. We both stopped as I saw a young buck run across from me. I then saw a large rack and quickly raised my rifle to try and draw a bead on him. I yelled loudly to try and stop him and he stopped dead in his tracks, looking directly at me at 60 yards! I noticed in my scope that it was Captain Hook! I placed my crosshairs on his lungs and squeezed the trigger! We called my Dad and had him meet us with my little boy as we shared the moment together admiring this STUD of a buck!” - Ricky Bostic

07/07/2024

NEW GEAR TALK SERIES PODCAST! The Gear Talk episodes will be 10 to 20-minute bonus episodes that dive into specific gear items .martonik uses and why. This episode details his complete hunting boot lineup for whitetail hunting from early to late season.

Let us know what gear items you have questions about and want to see in a future podcast! Send inquiries to [email protected] with the subject line saying Gear Talk or leave a comment!

Video podcast on YouTube and audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and anywhere you find podcasts. Links in bio.

06/07/2024

New Gear Talk Series Podcast is live!

Welcome to Gear Talk, a new series of the East Meets West Hunt podcast. The Gear Talk episodes will be 10 to 20-minute bonus episodes that dive into specific...

03/07/2024

NEW PODCAST! Beau Martonik (.martonik )is joined by Nick Pinizzotto ( ), CEO of the National Deer Association ( ). They spent the morning at Nick’s camp in central Pennsylvania discussing deer management, deer populations, hunting mature bucks, the Saturday Deer Opener, how polling works, opportunity vs. quality, hunter retainment, the public lands initiative, and much more!

New episodes every Tuesday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you listen to audio podcasts. Video episodes drop Tuesday nights at 7pm on YouTube. Links in bio.

01/07/2024

“This all started in 2022 when I noticed all the big bucks in my state came from the hill country portion along the river valley. I spent that winter learning how to read the terrain and understanding how thermals work.

Fast-forward to spring, and I found myself scouting hard, finding the sign exactly where I read or heard it would be. I found a west-facing bedding point with a sharp, tight drainage running east to west on the north side of the point. West was leading to a river and oak flat, and east was heading towards the head of the draw. About 200 yards down from the head of the draw, there was a noticeable crossing. That March day, I found that crossing I was standing in that draw and made a joke and said this is where I’ll kill my buck this year. Now, that summer comes, I put a cell cam on the top of the bedding point and found multiple bucks using it at all hours of the day. On August 19th, the day of my wedding, I got a picture of a beautiful 8-point sticking his head out from behind a tree. I walked up to my groomsmen showed them the picture of the buck, and said that’s the buck I’m going to kill. Now, fast-forward 1 month to September 19th, the season has been open for 4 days it was 87 degrees, southeast wind 7mph, and I was at work deciding on where to go that evening. When I noticed that wind would work for that drainage that I found in March. I made every excuse as to why it wouldn’t work and every excuse why it would. Finally, once I clocked out, I was determined to either kill one or scare one. I got to the parking lot. I was the 11th guy in there. I hiked the mile to the spot and slid down into that drainage, got 2 sticks in the tree climbed to the second stick when I noticed legs above me on that bedding point. It was the buck I had gotten a picture of on my wedding day, and he was heading down to me. I quickly jumped out of the tree, knocked an arrow, and drew my bow back. He was already 16 yards, and I put the arrow through him. Who would have thought a mature buck would be on his feet 5 hours before sunset in 87 degrees on extremely pressured woods? I sure didn’t know, but I’m glad I found out.” - Tyler Tanberg