Backbone Unlimited Podcast

Do elk still bugle in October, or does the mountain go quiet when September ends?

In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to explain what hunters should expect from bull elk after the peak rut. He examines October bugling, late-rut behavior, hunting pressure, calling, and how to respond when a bull gives you only one clue to his location.

If you’re planning an October rifle elk hunt, wondering whether bugling can still help you locate bulls, or trying to hunt elk after the main rut, this episode will help you set realistic expectations.

📙 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

Where do elk feed and bed once rifle season begins and hunting pressure changes their normal routine?

In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to explain how rifle-season elk choose feeding areas, bedding cover, and the routes between them. He also examines why elk may remain in the same general area while becoming much harder for hunters to find during daylight.

If you’re planning an October elk hunt, scouting public land, or trying to relocate elk after opening-day pressure, this episode will help you understand what shapes their daily pattern.

📙 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

Does snow automatically push elk downhill, or could they remain in the same area after the storm?

In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to explain how snow can change elk location and behavior. He covers the factors that determine whether elk stay put, make a small adjustment, or leave an area completely.

If you’re planning a late-season rifle elk hunt, tracking elk after fresh snow, or trying to predict where bulls will move when winter weather arrives, this episode will help you read the conditions instead of relying on assumptions.

📙 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

What happens to mature bull elk after the September rut winds down?

In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to explain how mature bull behavior changes after the breeding season. He covers the transition from September into October, why proven rut tactics can suddenly stop producing, and what post-rut hunters need to understand before choosing where and how to hunt.

If you’re planning an October rifle elk hunt, searching for post-rut bulls, or wondering why a bull disappeared after leaving his cows, this episode will help you understand the seasonal change.

📙 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

What terrain should you target when rifle hunting elk on public land?

In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34+ years of elk hunting and guiding experience to explain how he evaluates rifle-season elk country. He looks beyond simple rules about elevation, slope direction, and dark timber to examine what pressured elk need and how those needs affect where they live.

If you’re planning an October elk hunt, studying maps, or struggling to narrow down a large unit, this episode will help you identify terrain worth scouting without wasting time on country that only looks good from a distance.

📙 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

How do you find elk in thick timber when you can’t sit behind binoculars and glass miles of country?

In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to explain how he approaches dark-timber elk hunting. He covers the challenges of locating elk when visibility is limited, bugling is inconsistent, and one careless move can send unseen elk out of the area.

If you hunt timbered public land, struggle to locate elk without glassing, or want to avoid wandering aimlessly through good elk country, this episode will help you narrow your search and hunt with a purpose.

📙 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

What should you do from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. when the elk are bedded and the mountain goes quiet?

In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to break down how he uses the middle of the day during a September archery elk hunt. He covers the decisions that can protect a good morning, save an evening opportunity, or help turn a slow day into a productive one.

If you’re unsure whether to hunt, scout, rest, relocate, or move closer to bedded elk, this episode will help you make better midday decisions without unnecessarily disrupting the elk you’re hunting.

📙 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

What should you do when the elk stop bugling and the mountain goes completely quiet?

In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting experience to explain how he hunts silent elk during September. He breaks down the difference between quiet elk and empty country, the mistakes hunters make when they aren’t hearing bugles, and how to keep gathering the information needed to make your next move.

If you hunt pressured elk on public land, rely heavily on calling, or struggle to find elk when they aren’t talking, this episode will help you approach those quiet days with a better plan.

📙 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

If you could choose only one week in September to bowhunt elk, which week would give you the best opportunity?

In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting and guiding experience to explain which part of September he would choose and why. He looks at changing rut activity, herd bull behavior, cow groups, hunting pressure, weather, and the opportunities each stage of the month can create.

Whether you’re planning a public-land archery elk hunt or deciding when to schedule your limited vacation time, this episode will help you understand how elk behavior changes throughout September.

📙 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

Should you keep bowhunting elk when the rain starts, or head back to camp and wait it out?

In this episode, Matt Hartsky draws from 34 years of elk hunting experience to break down how wet weather changes an archery elk hunt. He covers elk movement, calling, close-range encounters, wind, shot opportunities, and recovering an elk when rain becomes a factor.

Rain can create problems, but it can also open opportunities for hunters who understand how to adjust. If you hunt elk on public land and want to be better prepared for changing September weather, this episode belongs in your hunting plan.

📙 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