Episode Details

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.