Episode Details

Early season elk hunting and hunting rutting bulls require two completely different strategies. Yet every September, hunters arrive with the same calls, the same marked locations, and the same plan—whether they’re hunting September 1 or September 20.

In this episode, Matt Hartsky explains why using rut tactics on early season elk can destroy predictable patterns, educate bulls, and make the rest of your season harder. He also breaks down why patient, structure-based early season tactics become a liability once the rut begins and elk start reorganizing their movement around cows and breeding.

You’ll learn how to hunt early season elk by identifying feed-to-timber transitions, water corridors, terrain pinch points, bedding routes, fresh sign, and other predictable movement patterns. Matt explains why early September calling should usually be minimal, why aggressive bugling can push bulls out of huntable areas, and how to protect productive locations instead of pressuring them until they go cold.

Then, the episode shifts into rut hunting strategy: locating vocal elk, staying mobile, closing distance, reading individual bulls, and adjusting your calling approach for herd bulls versus satellite bulls. Matt also explains why early season locations such as wallows and water sources may become rut traps once bulls begin following cows across multiple drainages.

Most importantly, you’ll learn the four signals that tell you when it’s time to switch playbooks: natural vocalization, extended daylight movement, bulls mixing with cow groups, and aggressive responses to calling.

Whether you’re bowhunting elk during the first week of September or chasing bugling bulls during the peak rut, this episode will help you recognize which phase you’re actually hunting—and choose the tactics that match it.

If you want my eyes on your actual elk hunt plan before you head into the field — your maps, access, terrain, pressure points, wind and thermals, and overall strategy — book an Elk Hunt Plan Audit and I'll help you build the right approach for whichever phase of September you're hunting: https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/elk-hunt-plan-audit

If you want to study the complete elk hunting system on your own, start with my Elk Hunting Series E-Books: https://backboneunlimited.com/collections/elk-hunting-series-e-books

For daily guidance, accountability, and a community of serious western hunters working toward the same goals, join Team Backbone: https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/membership

If the missing piece is your body — legs, lungs, and the ability to handle mountain miles under a heavy pack across all of September — check out my Backbone Unlimited Training Plans: https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/training

For pre-season body composition, in-field fueling, and in-season performance nutrition, check out my Nutrition Plans: https://backboneunlimited.com/pages/nutrition