“Obstacles don’t always mean stop. Sometimes the next solution appears only after you commit to moving forward.”
Episode Summary
In this episode of The Gun Experiment, we sit down with Josh Smunk of Hooves, Horns, and Hideaways. Josh shares how he sold his business, moved across the country, and created a new career centered on backcountry hunting, pack llamas, blood tracking, taxidermy, and guided hunts.
We discuss why llamas are effective pack animals in grizzly country, how they help hunters carry food, water, gear, and harvested game, and what can go wrong when a bear spooks a llama in the backcountry. Josh also explains how tracking dogs follow wounded game, why hunters should back out after a questionable shot, and how emotions can interfere with recovery efforts 25:45.
The conversation covers the physical demands of Western elk hunting, the importance of fitness and preparation, and the logistics behind Josh’s nine-day “hat trick,” where three hunters harvested three bull elk with archery equipment in a unit with an overall success rate of less than 7%
We also talk about recruiting new hunters, preserving hunting traditions, introducing kids and families to different types of hunting, tree saddles, firearm safety, Hawaii hunting opportunities, and the risks involved in changing your life’s direction.
Call to Action
-
Grab some cool TGE merch
-
Be sure to support our show sponsors; they are a big part of making the show possible.
Show Sponsors
-
HSM Ammunition: Visit hsmammunition.com for hunting ammunition made in Montana with a focus on consistency, reliability, quality control, and American manufacturing.
-
Onsite Firearms Training: Find fundamentals, skill-building, and advanced firearm training at oftllc.us.
Key Takeaways
-
Josh’s wife gave him a deadline to leave the tree-service industry by age 35, helping prompt a major career and lifestyle change 09:16.
-
Josh says Western hunting requires more than shooting skills. Hunters need fitness, biological knowledge, survival skills, and the ability to handle difficult terrain 13:17.
-
Pack llamas require less water and feed than horses, are easier for beginners to manage, and can carry food, water, gear, and meat into rugged country 16:52.
-
Llamas can alert hunters to danger with a loud alarm bark, making them useful in grizzly country 20:49.
-
Blood tracking is as much about managing the hunter as following the trail. Josh says the dog does most of the tracking, while the initial questioning and scene management are critical 25:45.
-
After a questionable shot, backing out can prevent hunters from pushing wounded game farther away and contaminating the trail 27:30.
-
Western elk hunting is physically demanding before and after the shot. Josh says hunters often quit early because unfinished responsibilities at home weigh on them during a trip 31:28.
-
E-scouting and backup plans matter. Wildfires, road closures, poor wind, and empty country can quickly eliminate a primary hunting plan 36:12.
-
Josh’s nine-day hat trick produced three bull elk with archery equipment in a unit with less than a 7% overall success rate 43:56.
-
Hunting recruitment depends on passing along traditions, reducing gatekeeping, and introducing young people to approachable activities such as bird hunting and waterfowl hunting 51:15.
-
Josh believes hunting etiquette matters as much as recruitment. New hunters can damage long-standing landowner relationships when they ignore basic courtesy 56:19.
-
Josh recommends saddle systems for tree-stand safety, mobility, and improved contact with the tree 01:01:19.
-
Josh’s favorite firearm in his collection is a CZ Compact 7.5. His favorite caliber is .45-70, and he would choose training over being armed in a worst-case scenario 01:12:03.
Guest Information
Josh Smunk is the owner of Hooves, Horns, and Hideaways. He operates pack llamas, trains and conditions llamas for backcountry use, provides blood tracking services with working dogs, offers taxidermy services, and organizes hunting opportunities in Wyoming and Hawaii.
Josh’s website is hoofshornshideaways.com. He can also be found on Instagram at Josh Smunk and through the Hooves, Horns, and Hideaways
Keywords
The Gun Experiment, Josh Smunk, Hooves Horns and Hideaways, Western elk hunting, elk hunting, archery elk hunting, backcountry hunting, Wyoming hunting, Hawaii hunting, pack llamas, llama packing, pack animals, grizzly bear country, blood tracking dogs, wounded game recovery, hunting dogs, taxidermy, European mounts, hunting fitness, e-scouting, hunting preparation, hunting safety, tree saddle hunting, tree stand safety, hunting recruitment, hunting traditions, self-reliance, outdoor skills, backcountry survival, hunting gear, .45-70, CZ Compact 7.5, firearm training, HSM Ammunition, Onsite Firearms Training
