Held Accountable Outdoors | Podcast

Almost Doesn’t Count | Moose Bellows & The Wind

Three days. Three completely different encounters. And one heck of a reminder that almost doesn’t count.

Day 1: The search finally pays off. The first bugle gives me a starting point, and I work to locate the herd. Cows start chirping, the herd begins closing the distance, and the bull comes in—raking less than 60 yards away. The problem? I never get eyes on him. The terrain is unforgiving, and just when things are coming together, the wind shifts and blows the bull out.

Day 2: We run into a bellowing cow with a bull on her. Instead of trying to force the situation, I play the bull. Then, from the same bush, another elk screams out in anger. Things get chaotic fast. And just as quickly as they showed up, the moose disappear without warning.

Day 3: We find the bull and cow together in the same bush and make a play. The bull pushes off with the cow, leaving us scrambling to figure out our next move. The rest of the day turns into a desperate grind—covering ground, chasing sounds, and trying to make something happen… with one hell of a bush nap thrown into the mix.

Three days of bugles, bellows, wind, frustration, and close calls.

And with the weekend hunt coming up, desperation is starting to set in.

The story isn’t over yet.

Elk season has officially turned into a grind.

We’ve travelled kilometres on kilometres, covering new country and searching for fresh sign, only to find very little. Minimal activity, quiet woods, and finding a bull that will actually talk has been a challenge. And from what we’re hearing, it’s not just us — 2026 has been a tough elk season across Alberta.

But the season just took a turn.

We’re officially entering a 5-year Alberta bull moose draw, and it nearly ended before it really got started. Brandon had an encounter with an absolute HAMMER bull moose that came incredibly close to ending with a punched tag.

Desperation Elk + Alberta Draw Moose. The elk grind continues, but now there’s another tag on the line.

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Sometimes elk hunting just sucks.

We walked a ton, explored new country, called a lot, and covered as much ground as we could. We found areas that looked right and some good sign—but nothing fresh and not a sound from an elk.

One thing that has changed: human presence is way up. More pressure, more people in the areas we’ve been hunting, and the elk we were into earlier seem to be gone.

That’s elk hunting. You can do everything you think you’re supposed to do and still come home wondering where the heck they went.

The biggest takeaway: don’t give up. Keep walking. Keep exploring. Keep calling. Keep looking for that next “hell hole” where nobody else wants to go & the elk are safe. Giving an area rest isn’t a bad thing despite your mind telling you it’s unproductive.

They’re somewhere. We just have to find them.

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Elk Rut Update | Sept 5th — Season 3, Episode 12

The elk are quiet — but that doesn’t mean they aren’t responsive.

Day 1 of our September elk hunt is in the books, and we’re breaking down exactly what we saw, heard and learned.

The vocal activity wasn’t what we expected, but the elk were still responding in other ways. We talk about why you can’t rush your calling setups, what we’re seeing for rut activity, and the fresh rubs and absolutely torn-up dirt telling us things are starting to happen.

And we got CLOSE.

One encounter had us at full draw twice with a bull nearly on the ground — but high brush made getting the shot we needed impossible.

Quiet elk. Good rut sign. A legitimate opportunity.

Day 1 Rating: 8/10.

The rut is building. 🦌🔥

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Calling Elk | What is 101 or 201?

This one is all about actually hearing the difference.

We demonstrate the sounds elk make and give a simple breakdown of how they’re made, what they mean, and why you’d use them in a hunting situation.

We start with 101 calling — the basic sounds every elk hunter should understand. Then we move into 201, where calling meets purpose and becomes less about making a sound and more about reading the situation, changing tone, emotion and timing, and putting those sounds together.

And we flirt with a little 301 — when calling starts becoming a conversation.

Hear the sounds. Understand the why. Then learn when to use them.

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This episode is in partnership with Riven Elk Calls & Scorpion Outdoors.

Exclusive Elk Calling | The 101

We’re breaking elk calling down from the ground up.

We start with the 101 basics—the sounds, when to use them, and what we’re trying to communicate to elk. From there, we get into some 201-level calling, including different calling sequences, how we read a situation, and why the same call doesn’t work in every scenario.

We also get into real situations we’ve found ourselves in—bulls responding, bulls going quiet, knowing when to push, when to hold back, and how we’ve adapted our calling in the moment.

A quick disclaimer: Due to an audio issue during recording, the actual elk vocalizations we performed weren’t captured. We know that’s a big part of a calling episode, but there’s still a lot to unpack in this one. The explanations, scenarios and strategies are all here.

If you’re heading into elk season wanting to understand not just how to call, but WHY and WHEN to make the call, this one’s for you.

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How do you earn the name Elk Magician? Taking 30+ bulls over 20 years is probably a good place to start.

In this episode, we get into the story behind the name and break down two decades of consistent elk success right here in Alberta.

From quartering, backing out and repositioning, to understanding when, where and how to call, Elk Magician shares the little details that have helped put bulls inside bow range year after year.

This one is loaded with Alberta-specific nuggets — calling strategies, reading elk, making the right move at the right time, and lessons learned from 20 years of getting it done.

If you’re chasing Alberta elk this fall, there’s plenty in this episode to take with you into the bush.

Bugles to Bow Range. Let’s talk elk.

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We sit down with Joe Giglia from Elk Bros to talk elk hunting — calling, locating bulls, reading elk behaviour, setups, strategy, and the little things that can make a heck of a difference when September rolls around.

If you’re green when it comes to elk, like being inspired, or don’t even know who Joe is — come tune in. There’s something in this one for every elk hunter.

This is a pivotal episode for Held Accountable and one we’re incredibly excited to bring you!

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Summer scouting can make or break your elk season. In this episode, we break down the key pieces of the puzzle that consistently lead us to mature bulls before the rut ever begins.

We cover how to identify subtle topography changes that naturally funnel elk movement, evaluate whether water is limited or abundant, pinpoint primary summer food sources, and strategically place trail cameras to gather meaningful intel instead of random photos.

We also discuss how elk patterns shift from July into August, what changes to expect as bulls shed their velvet, and how your scouting should evolve as the pre-rut approaches. The goal isn’t just finding elk—it’s finding the big bulls before everyone else does and before they disappear pre-rut!

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Public land hunting brings out some of the biggest debates in the hunting world—and we’re diving straight into them.

This episode covers trail camera placement, treestand locations, parking etiquette, checking someone else’s SD card, hunting pressure, and where the line is between legal and ethical on Crown land. Just because you can do something… should you?

Whether you’re a die-hard public land hunter or just getting started, this conversation is guaranteed to make you think before your next hunt.

This one is built to spark conversation, so expect people to agree, disagree, and maybe even rethink how they hunt.

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