Elkshape

Today we’re dissecting mountain whitetail bucks on public land with Troy Pottenger—a legendary whitetail subject-matter expert with decades of hard-earned experience. Troy breaks down how he prospects for big, cagey mountain bucks, the role trail cameras actually play in his system, and how he identifies and hunts community scrapes in rugged terrain.We dive deep into the topography he looks for, how mature bucks travel through mountainous country, and how to read the landscape to stay one step ahead. Troy also shares an incredible story that highlights just how tough whitetails truly are, along with practical shot-placement advice—how to avoid deflection, where to aim based on stand height, and why he chooses not to use a rangefinder.This episode is packed with real-world mountain whitetail tactics you won’t hear anywhere else.