Backbone Unlimited Podcast

Hunting pressure can completely change elk behavior — and if you hunt pressured public-land elk the same way you hunt unpressured elk, you're making an already difficult hunt even harder. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down 21 ways hunting pressure changes elk behavior and explains what those changes mean for the way you locate, approach, call, and hunt elk. We cover why pressured bulls become less vocal, reduce daylight movement, move into bedding and security cover earlier, leave later in the evening, abandon obvious trails and open terrain, compress into smaller security pockets, and become increasingly difficult to locate and pattern.
You'll also learn how hunting pressure affects elk calling behavior, bedding areas, feeding patterns, travel routes, wind use, water use, elevation, and private-land boundaries. Matt explains why pressured bulls may answer once and go silent, circle downwind, hang up outside bow range, or approach without making another sound; why getting closer before calling becomes even more important; and why realistic calling context matters when you're dealing with educated elk. You'll also hear why pressure doesn't automatically push elk higher — it pushes them toward security, whether that's higher, lower, deeper, steeper, thicker, or simply somewhere hunters aren't consistently willing to go.
If you're trying to figure out where elk go when hunting pressure increases, how to hunt quiet elk, how to find pressured elk on public land, how hunting pressure affects elk movement, how to hunt elk near roads and trails, or how to locate elk after opening day, this episode gives you a practical framework for understanding what those elk are doing and how your hunting strategy needs to change.
The takeaway is simple: elk can absolutely live close to roads, trails, and people — but heavily pressured elk often become a very different animal to hunt. Sometimes the better opportunity is found in the steep, nasty, difficult-to-access security terrain where fewer hunters are willing to pay the price to reach them.
Want help building a better plan for your hunt? Visit BackboneUnlimited.com for Matt’s Elk Hunt Plan Audit, Elk Hunting E-Book Series, TEAM Backbone, elk calls, and mountain hunting training and nutrition programs.
Train harder. Hunt smarter. Never settle.

Finding elk on pressured public land isn’t about hiking farther than everyone else. It’s about understanding where hunting pressure comes from, how elk respond to it, and where security terrain gives them an advantage over hunters.
In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down a repeatable system for consistently finding elk in heavily hunted public-land country. Instead of trying to escape pressure completely, you’ll learn how to use roads, trails, access points, terrain, and predictable hunter behavior to eliminate low-percentage country and identify the security pockets where elk are most likely to concentrate.
If you want help putting together a complete strategy for your upcoming hunt, visit BACKBONEUNLIMITED.COM to learn about Matt’s Elk Hunt Plan Audits, join TEAM Backbone, or grab the 328-page Elk Hunting E-Book Series covering elk behavior, terrain, pressure, calling, positioning, and execution.
If you have an elk hunting question you’d like Matt to cover in a future episode, send it in or leave it in the comments on the Backbone Unlimited YouTube channel.
Train harder. Hunt smarter. Never settle.

Fresh Elk Sign But No Elk? You’re Probably Making This Mistake
You’re finding fresh elk tracks, droppings, beds, and rubs—but you still can’t actually find the elk. What are you missing?
In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down one of the most frustrating situations in elk hunting: finding fresh elk sign without finding elk. The problem usually isn’t a lack of elk. It’s failing to connect that sign with elk behavior, terrain, direction of travel, and time of day.
Matt explains how to determine whether you’re looking at sign from a nighttime feeding area, a morning transition route, or an active bedding area—and why treating all fresh elk sign the same can put you behind the elk or cause you to bump them out of the country.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why fresh elk sign doesn’t necessarily mean elk are still nearby
How to use elk tracks and direction of travel to determine where the herd went
How feeding areas, transition zones, saddles, and bedding cover fit together
Why time of day completely changes how you should interpret elk sign
When to follow fresh tracks—and when you should stop
Why pushing into thick bedding timber can destroy an otherwise great opportunity
How to turn morning elk sign into a midday, evening, or next-morning setup
How Matt uses the combination of sign + location + time of day to build his next move instead of simply hunting wherever sign is concentrated
If you’re hunting western elk, public-land elk, pressured elk, or silent elk, this episode will help you stop chasing yesterday’s information and start using elk sign to predict where elk should be next.
Want help building a more specific strategy for your hunt?
Visit BackboneUnlimited.com to check out Matt’s Elk Hunt Plan Audit, the complete Elk Hunting E-Book Series, Team Backbone membership, and hunting-specific training and nutrition programs.
If you have an elk hunting question you’d like answered in an upcoming episode, send it in.
Train harder. Hunt smarter. Never settle.

Please note, this episode for how I locate and break down a transition zone to hunt silent bulls is a very visual piece of content you may want to watch here: https://youtu.be/dH5AdCe0xFI
What do you do when the elk simply aren’t talking?
Whether it’s early September, hunting pressure, predators, heat, drought, smoke, or just one of those frustrating days when the mountains are completely silent, you still need a way to consistently put yourself around elk.
In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down his #1 strategy for hunting silent elk: transition zones.
Matt explains how to identify the country between feeding and bedding areas and then layer in trails, saddles, benches, terrain barriers, security cover, wind, and fresh sign to determine where elk are most likely to travel. He also explains why transition zones can be especially effective in the morning, how he approaches them differently in the evening, and when he’ll move closer to a bedded bull.
You'll learn:
What an elk transition zone actually is
How to identify likely feeding and bedding areas
How trails, saddles, benches, and terrain help narrow the zone
Why hunting ahead of silent elk beats chasing them
How Matt sets up for morning movement
Why some transition zones produce elk well into midday
How pressure and security influence elk movement
When soft calling can help—and when you may not need to call at all
How Matt approaches a vocal bull near a bedding area
If silent elk have you wondering what to do next, this episode gives you a repeatable framework for narrowing down the mountain and putting yourself where elk are already likely to travel.
Want help building a better plan for your hunt? Visit BackboneUnlimited.com for Matt’s Elk Hunt Plan Audit, Elk Hunting E-Book Series, TEAM Backbone, elk calls, and mountain hunting training and nutrition programs.
Train harder. Hunt smarter. Never settle.

What does the research actually say about finding, calling, and killing elk on pressured public land?
In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky sits down with Evan Hunter, creator of Elk Nerd, for a rapid-fire conversation built around 20 elk hunting questions. Evan takes a different approach to elk hunting strategy by combining real-world hunting experience with research, GPS-collar data, elk behavior studies, and hunting-pressure data.
We dig into how pressured elk actually use the landscape, why hunters may be getting to the mountains too late, where mature bulls go when pressure increases, how close you should get before calling, what fresh elk sign really tells you, and how Evan approaches e-scouting completely new elk country.
We also cover:
• How to find elk in a brand-new unit• Why pressured elk can become almost completely nocturnal• What to do when the mountains are silent• Whether to stay or move when you find fresh elk sign• The elk sign hunters put too much confidence in• How far you really need to get from roads and trails• Why security can matter more than obvious food sources• How Evan builds complete elk hunting routes while e-scouting• When to attack a bull immediately vs. wait for him to bed• When you should stop calling and close the distance• Why many hunters are too cautious when approaching elk• What GPS-collar research reveals about elk density and movement• How dramatically elk respond to hunting pressure• Bowhunting wound-loss and recovery considerations• Mechanical vs. fixed-blade broadhead research• How hunters can practice for realistic shot opportunities• The most important advice for anyone trying to kill their first public-land bull
Evan also explains The Herd, his observational elk study designed to collect real-world hunter data on broadheads, arrow setups, rifle cartridges, practice, experience, and elk recovery rates.
If you want to become a more consistent elk hunter, this conversation will challenge some common assumptions and give you practical ideas you can apply during your next September elk hunt.
Connect with Evan Hunter / Elk Nerd:Patreon: patreon.com/elk_nerd
Instagram: Find Elk Nerd on Instagram
Join the HERD Studies:
HERD Calling Effectiveness: https://forms.gle/VvALLXvXSN3e6G597
HERD Archery Effectiveness: https://forms.gle/Rq64xCPaMfUBu2c96
HERD Rifle Effectiveness: https://forms.gle/eTeQgZNfettGY9cT8
For more elk hunting strategy, education, and resources, visit:BACKBONEUNLIMITED.COM
Train harder. Hunt smarter. Never settle.

Starting fresh on a new elk unit is one of the most disorienting situations in the sport — and most hunters respond by loading waypoints near the closest trailhead, glassing the biggest open basins they can reach, and burning the first two days on country that gets walked by every hunter with a tag in the unit. This episode covers the complete Backbone Unlimited new-area framework: how to zoom out and read an entire unit before you make a single on-the-ground decision, how to use road and trail systems to find the terrain gaps with the least access and the most elk security, why the most productive country in any new unit is almost always the terrain most hunters look at on a map and decide not to hike into, how to identify transition zones between feeding and bedding before you drive in, and why hunting a located bull — not sign — has to be your target from day one.
This episode covers how to map road and trail access to identify pressure, find the largest roadless gaps in the unit and why those gaps hold the most undisturbed elk, the specific terrain characteristics elk prioritize for security in any western unit — north-facing drainages, finger ridge complexity, multiple escape routes — why secure elk vocalize more and are easier to pattern than elk living under constant pressure in open country, how to identify transition zones between feeding and bedding on satellite view before you ever leave home, and why hunting sign instead of a located bull is the most common reason hunters burn a full week in a new area without a real encounter.
This episode includes visual map diagrams and terrain overlays. Watch the full video version on the Backbone Unlimited YouTube channel to see the complete map and access breakdown.
Get the full elk hunting system — new-area assessment, security terrain identification, and field execution in one framework — Elk Hunting E-Book Series at BACKBONEUNLIMITED.COM
Want my eyes on your actual hunt plan before season? Maps, terrain, access points, wind strategy, and pressure identification — Elk Hunt Plan Audit at BACKBONEUNLIMITED.COM
Daily guidance and accountability alongside a community of serious western hunters building real systems — Team Backbone at BACKBONEUNLIMITED.COM
Training built specifically for the physical demands of mountain elk hunting — legs, lungs, and the ability to handle hard miles under load day after day — Backbone Unlimited Training Plans at BACKBONEUNLIMITED.COM
Fuel long days in the field and dial in your in-season performance — Nutrition Plans at BACKBONEUNLIMITED.COM
The elk are in the unit. The map will tell you where — if you know what you're looking for before you leave home.
Train harder, hunt smarter, never settle.

Finding elk sign doesn’t mean you’ve found the bull.
You can spend days hunting a torn-up wallow, a heavy rub line, or fresh-looking tracks—and never lay eyes on an elk. That’s the sign trap: treating evidence of where elk were as proof of where they are right now.
In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky explains why successful elk hunting requires shifting from a location-based approach to an animal-based approach. Elk sign can put you in productive country, but it cannot replace locating a living bull, understanding his current priorities, and adjusting your strategy in real time.
You’ll learn how to distinguish historical elk sign from truly fresh, actionable sign—and how season timing, hunting pressure, weather, thermals, rut activity, food, bedding cover, and cow movement can quickly make yesterday’s best location irrelevant.
This episode covers:
• Why hunters get emotionally anchored to wallows, rubs, tracks, and heavily used elk country• How elk movement changes from the preseason through the peak rut• When elk sign is valuable—and when it becomes misleading• The difference between historical sign and real-time information• Why glassing and listening should happen before you enter a drainage• How to locate bulls using vantage points, bugles, terrain, and current conditions• Why the ability to move and adjust creates more opportunities• How to build a current movement picture around feeding, bedding, transitions, pressure, wind, and thermals• Why the best elk hunters cover ground with their eyes and ears before covering it with their boots
Sign hunting asks, “What happened here?”
Bull hunting asks, “Where is this elk right now?”
That distinction changes how you scout, how you move through elk country, how long you stay in an unproductive setup, and how quickly you find your next opportunity.
Matt brings more than 34 years of western elk hunting and guiding experience across high alpine basins, dark timber drainages, and rugged canyon systems. His approach is built around reading current conditions, making informed adjustments, and hunting the animal—not camping on evidence from the past.
Stop asking where elk were. Start finding where the bull is now.
Ready to build a better elk hunting plan?
Explore the complete Elk Hunting E-book Series, join TEAM Backbone for ongoing guidance and accountability, book a personalized Elk Hunt Plan Audit, or prepare physically with Backbone Unlimited Training and Nutrition Plans.
Visit BackboneUnlimited.com to get started.
Train harder. Hunt smarter. Never settle.

The Best Training Tool for Elk Hunting
Most elk hunters don’t fail because they didn’t work hard enough before season. They fail because their training didn’t prepare them for what elk hunting actually demands.
Steep climbs. High elevation. Consecutive hard days. Long hours on your feet. A loaded hunting pack. And, if everything goes right, a brutal pack-out when your legs are already exhausted.
In this episode of the Backbone Unlimited Podcast, Matt Hartsky breaks down the best training tool for elk hunting: ruck training — and explains how to use weighted pack training to build the strength, endurance, cardiovascular capacity, and durability required for real western elk country.
This isn’t just about throwing weight in a backpack and hiking around. You’ll learn how to structure a complete elk hunting fitness program around long rucks, short uphill intervals, sustained climbing intervals, lighter recovery-volume days, progressive pack weight, real terrain, and consecutive-day training.
Matt explains why traditional gym workouts, treadmills, stationary bikes, and flat-road running alone don’t fully prepare you for the specific demands of a western elk hunt — especially when you’re climbing thousands of vertical feet, hunting at 9,000–11,000 feet, carrying a pack day after day, and trying to stay strong enough to make good decisions late in the hunt.
Matt draws from 34 years of hunting and guiding western big game across high alpine terrain, canyon systems, and dark timber, along with 30 years as a professional strength, conditioning, and nutrition coach, to explain how hunters can prepare specifically for the physical demands they'll face in September.
If you're searching for how to train for elk hunting, the best elk hunting workout, ruck training for hunting, mountain hunting fitness, weighted pack training, elk pack-out training, high-altitude hunting preparation, or a complete elk hunting conditioning plan, this episode gives you a practical framework you can start using now.
Because the real test isn't whether you feel strong on day one.
It's whether you still have the legs, lungs, and durability to keep hunting hard on day seven, eight, nine, and ten — and whether you're physically capable of getting an elk off the mountain when the real work begins.
📙 Elk Hunting E-Book Series (the complete elk hunting system) → https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books
If you want to take it further: 📋 Elk Hunt Plan Audit — I'll personally review your specific maps, terrain, access routes, pressure points, and wind strategy before you head into the field → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/elk-hunt-plan-audit
👥 Team Backbone — Daily guidance, accountability, and a community of serious western hunters putting in the work right alongside you → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/membership
🦵 Backbone Unlimited Training Plans — Built specifically for the physical demands of mountain elk hunting: legs, lungs, and the ability to handle miles under load day after day → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/training
🥩 Nutrition Plans — Get leaner before season, fuel long days in the field, and dial in your in-season performance → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/nutrition
 
 

August is one of the best months of the year to locate mature mule deer bucks — but finding a big velvet buck is only valuable if you understand what his summer pattern is actually telling you.
In this episode of the Backbone Unlimited Podcast, Matt Hartsky breaks down how to scout for mature mule deer bucks in August, where big bucks are most likely to spend the summer, how to glass them effectively, and how to turn August scouting information into a hunting plan for September and October.
Mature mule deer in August are highly focused on quality feed, thermal comfort, water, and security. That creates predictable patterns that can make summer one of the most valuable scouting windows of the entire mule deer season.
But there’s a major mistake hunters make: finding a buck in August, dropping a waypoint, and assuming he’ll still be standing there when hunting season opens.
He may not be.
In this episode, you’ll learn how to use August scouting to identify not just where a mature buck is today, but the terrain, bedding preferences, movement corridors, elevation changes, and security cover that can help you predict where he’ll be once velvet strips and hunting pressure begins.
Whether you’re hunting high-country mule deer, mountain bucks, canyon country, high desert mule deer, early archery mule deer, or later rifle seasons, August scouting can give you an enormous advantage when you know how to interpret what you’re seeing.
The goal isn’t simply to find deer.
The goal is to locate mature bucks, understand why they’re using that country, identify the terrain they trust, and build a hunting strategy that still works after summer patterns begin to change.
📙 Mule Deer Hunting E-Book Series (the complete mule deer hunting system) → https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/mule-deer-hunting-e-book-series
If you want to take it further: 📋 Elk Hunt Plan Audit — I'll personally review your specific maps, terrain, access routes, pressure points, and wind strategy before you head into the field → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/elk-hunt-plan-audit
👥 Team Backbone — Daily guidance, accountability, and a community of serious western hunters putting in the work right alongside you → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/membership
🦵 Backbone Unlimited Training Plans — Built specifically for the physical demands of mountain elk hunting: legs, lungs, and the ability to handle miles under load day after day → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/training
🥩 Nutrition Plans — Get leaner before season, fuel long days in the field, and dial in your in-season performance → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/nutrition

Most elk hunters see a blue line on a digital map, mark it as water, and start hiking. Two days later, they’ve checked multiple dry creeks, pressured good country, and still haven’t found elk.
That’s not scouting. That’s hiking.
In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt Hartsky breaks down how to find high-probability elk water on a map before you ever set foot in the mountains. You’ll learn how to separate reliable September water from seasonal drainages, locate hidden springs and seeps using satellite imagery, and identify the unmarked water sources other hunters overlook.
Water alone doesn’t mean elk. The best water sources sit where multiple factors converge: secure bedding cover, clean wind access, low hunting pressure, favorable terrain, and nearby elk sign.
Inside this episode, you’ll learn:
How to evaluate creeks, ponds, springs, seeps, and wallows on a digital hunting mapWhy elevation, drainage size, shade, and drought conditions determine water reliabilityHow to use green vegetation and terrain features to locate unmarked waterThe three filters every water source must pass: bedding proximity, wind access, and hunting pressureHow elk water during early September, warm weather, and the rutHow to identify active wallows and hunt the approach without burning the areaHow to rank your top water sources and build a backup plan before leaving home
Two focused hours of elk map scouting can save you two full days of guesswork in the mountains.
Whether you’re preparing for an early-season archery elk hunt, hunting pressured public land, or trying to improve your elk e-scouting system, this episode will help you eliminate low-probability country and concentrate your time where elk are most likely to be.
📙 Elk Hunting E-Book Series (the complete elk hunting system) → https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books
If you want to take it further: 📋 Elk Hunt Plan Audit — I'll personally review your specific maps, terrain, access routes, pressure points, and wind strategy before you head into the field → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/elk-hunt-plan-audit
👥 Team Backbone — Daily guidance, accountability, and a community of serious western hunters putting in the work right alongside you → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/membership
🦵 Backbone Unlimited Training Plans — Built specifically for the physical demands of mountain elk hunting: legs, lungs, and the ability to handle miles under load day after day → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/training
🥩 Nutrition Plans — Get leaner before season, fuel long days in the field, and dial in your in-season performance → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/nutrition