Episode Details

What elevation should you hunt elk at? It’s easy to spend days searching one elevation band because that’s where someone told you elk should be.

In this episode of the Backbone Unlimited Podcast, Matt Hartsky breaks down how to choose where to hunt based on current conditions. Learn how feed, water, bedding cover, hunting pressure and weather influence where elk spend their time—and why heading higher isn’t always the answer.

We cover e-scouting, access, habitat transitions, daily elk movement and using fresh sign to narrow your search. Whether you’re planning a public-land elk hunt or trying to find elk after your original plan falls apart, this episode will help you read the mountain and make better decisions.

📙 Elk Hunting E-Book Series (the complete elk hunting system — locating elk, reading pressure, wind and thermals, positioning, calling, and bowhunting execution) → https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books 📋 Elk Hunt Plan Audit — I'll personally review your specific unit, dates, access, terrain, pressure, wind strategy, and hunt approach before you head into the field → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/elk-hunt-plan-audit

👥 Team Backbone — Weekly coaching calls, ongoing elk hunting guidance, the full member vault, and a community of serious western hunters → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/membership

🦵 Backbone Unlimited Training Plans — Built specifically for the physical demands of mountain elk hunting: legs, lungs, durability, and the ability to handle hard miles under load → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/training

🥩 Nutrition Plans — Get leaner before season, fuel long days in the mountains, and dial in your hunting-season performance → https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/nutrition