
← Backbone Unlimited Podcast5 oct · 10 min
WHERE DO ELK FEED AND BED DURING RIFLE SEASON? | EP. 253
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