TOP 3 Backcountry Hunting Tactics for Elk and Mule Deer: Still, Ambush, Spot and Stalk
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Still Hunting, Ambush, and Spot-and-Stalk | How to Match Tactics to Terrain
I’m Matt Hartsky with Backbone Unlimited, and in this post we’re breaking down the three foundational hunting styles — still hunting, ambush hunting, and spot-and-stalk — and how to use each one strategically in the backcountry.
These approaches might sound simple, but when you understand the why behind them, you stop just “hunting” and start managing an entire system. If your season depends on over-the-counter tags and mountain country, this is your foundation.
What Is Still Hunting and When to Use It
Still hunting is the art of moving slowly, stopping often, and letting the mountain reveal what it’s hiding. The goal is to be invisible — to hunt like a shadow.
This method demands extreme patience and stealth. The pace should be painfully slow — three times more scanning than stepping. Take a few steps, then stop, look, and listen.
Use the terrain and weather to your advantage. Move in the shadows. Hunt when the ground is damp or snow muffles your steps. Roll your feet to feel for sticks or brush before you put your weight down.
Mental control is everything. It’s easy to start rushing after an hour or two without seeing animals, but that’s usually when hunters get busted. I’ve blown countless opportunities by speeding up after long stretches of quiet.
Still hunting shines in timbered ridges, mixed terrain, and low-visibility country. It’s about stealth over speed — and discipline over distance.
Ambush Hunting: Patience, Setup, and Strategy
Ambush hunting flips the script. Instead of covering ground, you let the animals come to you.
This is a tactical sit — choosing a funnel, trail, saddle, or water source and waiting in ambush. You’re blending in, managing scent, and controlling movement.
Pick a setup that gives you visibility and shooting lanes while keeping you downwind of where animals will travel. It’s a balance between proximity and concealment.
This method tests patience more than skill. You’ll battle boredom, bugs, cold, and fatigue. But it’s lethal in the right conditions.
Ambush hunting excels in thicker timber, travel corridors, and water zones — especially on hot, dry days when animals need to drink. Trail cameras can help confirm activity patterns, but once you’re in position, your job is simple: stay still, stay silent, and wait.
I’ve had hunts where elk completely shut down because of wildfire smoke. They weren’t talking or moving normally, so ambush setups around saddles and wallows became our only play. Patience turned those slow days into success.
Spot-and-Stalk Hunting: Eyes First, Then Action
Spot-and-stalk hunting is all about glass, plan, and move. You’re hunting with your eyes before your legs.
Start by glassing from a high vantage point — ridgelines, knobs, or benches overlooking prime country. Identify where animals are feeding or bedding, then map out your stalk with wind, cover, and elevation in mind.
Terrain always looks different once you’re in it, so make mental notes of landmarks you can use to navigate quietly. Stay flexible. Wind shifts, thermals change, and animals don’t always behave as expected.
Spot-and-stalk is made for big country hunts — alpine bowls, open ridges, high basins, and long sight lines. It’s a dynamic but strategic style that rewards patience, planning, and precise movement.
It’s my go-to approach for mule deer and one of my most effective methods for elk when the country opens up and visibility is on your side.
How to Blend Styles for Maximum Success
The best hunters don’t stay locked into one method — they adapt and blend depending on conditions.
You might still hunt a ridge until you find sign, then sit an ambush at a saddle. Or spend the morning glassing for a spot-and-stalk and finish the evening still hunting your way back to camp.
The key is matching your approach to the terrain, wind, and animal behavior:
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Thick timber, short visibility: still hunt.
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Trails, saddles, or water: ambush.
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Open ridges and alpine country: spot-and-stalk.
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Mixed terrain: combine methods.
Every hunt demands a different rhythm — sometimes it’s movement, sometimes it’s stillness, and often it’s both.
Critical Tips for Wind, Cover, and Pacing
No matter which style you use, these fundamentals never change:
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Read the wind. Always. It dictates whether your hunt lives or dies.
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Manage scent. Keep clothes clean and minimize odor.
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Master cover. Terrain features — not camo — are your best concealment.
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Control your pace. Move fast enough to hunt efficiently, but slow enough to detect game before they detect you.
And most importantly, stay flexible. You don’t have to commit to a single method all day. The best hunters flow between tactics based on what the conditions demand.
Final Thoughts: Mindset + Method = Success
These aren’t just hunting techniques — they’re mindsets. Each demands patience, awareness, and respect for the terrain and the animals you’re pursuing.
As you plan your next season, match your style to the country. Train for all three approaches — creeping, sitting, and covering long miles. Prepare your body for each and your mind for all.
Hunting success often comes down to adaptability. When your plan changes, change with it. That’s how you hunt smarter — and that’s how you hunt with Backbone.
Train harder. Hunt smarter. Hunt sneaky.