Every elk hunter gets busted—it’s not a matter of if, but when. The real question is what you do next. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, I break down exactly how to handle those gut-punch moments when elk blow out of a setup and leave you standing there with nothing but silence and a racing heart. We’ll cover why patience after a bust is your best weapon, how to diagnose whether it was wind, sight, or sound that spooked them, and how to relocate elk that didn’t actually leave the country—they just shifted to the next pocket of cover. You’ll learn when calling can calm a herd, when it just makes things worse, and how to reset your mindset so frustration doesn’t kill your hunt faster than a bad wind does. Getting busted doesn’t have to end your hunt. With the right response, it can be the beginning of your next opportunity.