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HUNT DRAWING COUNTDOWN:

Group #4: 17 spots till next draw

**numbers are not updated automatically but manually during webpage updates. Spots available may be less than noted.

WELCOME TO ADVENTURE CLUB!

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS:

You are now entered to draw an ElkBros Adventure Elk Hunt! **
Access our BaseCamp Online Elk Hunting Course using the Menu Above. Members must use this page to access the Club Academy.
Product & Gear discounts located at the bottom of the page.
8 Monthly Product Giveaways beginning March 1st
Exclusive ElkBros Elk Hunting Webinars done live using Zoom.
Access to ElkBros “Success Squad” materials.

Membership FAQ's

MEMBERS NEEDED FOR HUNT DRAWING:

** $10,000 approximate price. Drawn hunts do not include NM licensing costs, travel, taxidermy, meat processing & gratuities. Hunt date, property and lodging is dependent on weapon choice, type of hunt, time of year & availability.
*** Knifes are in production and will be shipped once they are in stock.

2026 ElkBros Webinars

LATEST SUCCESS SQUAD CONTENT

Elk Herd Analysis - Mental Checklist

What follows is a clean, field-usable mental checklist a hunter can literally run through when things get confusing, quiet, chaotic, or high-pressure. It’s designed to slow the mind without slowing action. Think of this as a decision filter, not a rigid rulebook.

Stop. Observe. Interpret. Decide.

STEP 1: WHERE AM I IN THE SEASON?

(This frames every decision that follows.)

- - Pre-rut / Early season
  - Peak rut
  - Post-rut
  - Late season / survival mode

Ask Yourself:
“What should elk be prioritizing right now—food, breeding, recovery or security?”

STEP 2: WHICH ELK AM I DEALING WITH?

(Not all elk = same response.)

- - Cow group
  - Satellite bulls
  - Herd bull with cows
  - Mature lone bull

Ask Yourself:
“If I were this elk, how would I react to pressure, calling, or movement?”

STEP 3: WHAT DID THEY JUST TELL ME?

(Elk always communicate—verbally, visually or through an action.)

- - Bugled aggressively
  - Location bugle only
  - Chuckled from a distance
  - You bumped elk.. moved out slow & unsure
  - You blew out elk.. winded you

Interpret—not emotionally, logically:
“Was that confidence, curiosity, timidness, uncertainty, reactionary, fear, or routine movement?”

STEP 4: PRESSURE CHECK (THE MOST SKIPPED STEP)

(Pressure dictates behavior more than rut does.)

- - High or Low use area
  - Other hunters nearby
  - Recent boot tracks / ATV / camps
  - Easy access nearby
  - Midday or evening pressure spike

Ask Yourself:
“Is this a high use or low use area of human activity? Where does this herd go when humans show up? ”

STEP 5: WHAT ARE ELK PRIORITIZING RIGHT NOW?

(Rank these in order.)

- - Security
  - Feed
  - Cows (Breeding)
  - Water

Rule:
Elk often abandon the lower priorities to protect the higher ones.

STEP 6: WHAT TIME OF DAY IS IT—AND WHAT DOES THIS HERD DO NOW?

(Not what elk do—what this herd does.)

- - Early morning transition
  - Midday bedding window
  - Afternoon staging
  - Evening movement

Ask Yourself:
“Does this herd typically move, lock down, or relocate at this hour?”

STEP 7: TERRAIN REALITY CHECK

(Reality and observation tells you more than maps.)

- - Wind direction & thermals
  - Escape routes available or favored
  - Bedding area quality
  - Travel corridors vs dead ends

Ask Yourself:
“If pressured right now, where is the next safest, quietest place they can reach to meet their needs & priorities?”

STEP 8: CALL, MOVE, OR WAIT? (ONLY THREE OPTIONS)

(Anything else is just overthinking.)

- - Call — if I can create an encounter through their confidence, aggressiveness or curiosity
  - Move — if location beats interaction
  - Wait — if patience lets elk make the mistake

Rule of thumb:
If you have a response or visual & don’t know which one to do–If not within striking distance, move & close as much as vegetation, terrain and conditions allow… review your 3 options.
If still not sure–wait and observe… continue to weigh options.

STEP 9: DID I CHANGE THE HERD’S BEHAVIOR?

(Your last move mattered. Evaluate it.)

- - More vocal?
  - Shut down?
  - Relocated?
  - No reaction?

Ask Yourself:
“Did my action increase opportunity—or reduce it?”

STEP 10: WHAT’S MY NEXT BEST MOVE—NOT MY EMOTIONAL ONE?

(This is where kills happen.)

- - Shut up and let him come.
  - Call to redirect
  - Stay tight and hunt slow
  - Parallel and move ahead and into
  - Loop ahead and cut them off
  - Get on level / Drop elevation / gain elevation
  - Abandon and relocate

Tell Yourself:
“Know when to hold them, know when to fold them. But always put yourself into the best odds of an opportunity”

ONE-SENTENCE RESET (Use Anytime Things Go Sideways)

Continually tell your self this:

“Elk don’t disappear—they reposition based on CURRENT needs/priority, pressure, conditions, and safety.”

Re-evaluate and go HUNT!

LOCATING & FINDING ELK

What Is an Elk’s September System?

A September elk system is the collection of behaviors, movement patterns, and locations elk are currently using to meet their daily needs. Every herd has one. Whether you’re hunting public land in Colorado, dark timber in Idaho, or high-country basins in Montana, elk are not randomly scattered across the landscape. They are operating within a system that helps them survive, conserve energy, avoid danger, and, during September, successfully breed.

Understanding that system is one of the biggest differences between hunters who occasionally stumble into elk and hunters who consistently find them year after year.

At its core, an elk’s September system revolves around several key needs and priorities as shown in our priority wheel shown. basically, elk spend their day transitioning from feed to bed in the morning and bed back to feed in the evening. Those timbered transition zones are a critical and key component.

When hunters begin viewing the landscape through the lens of an elk’s needs rather than their own assumptions, finding elk becomes much less random. You stop searching every piece of country and start identifying the places where a complete September system can exist.

LATEST CALLING CONTENT

"Diaphragm Basics" Elk Calling Series with Coach Joe Giglia

Series 1 - Diaphragm Calls

5 Videos

"CALLING BASICS" webinar with Coach Joe Giglia

ElkBros Webinar -Calling Basics

13 Videos

Elk Calling II, Set-ups & Responses - Coach Joe Giglia

Playlist

10 Videos