READ THIS Before Your ARCHERY ELK HUNT | Raw, Un-Cut Elk Hunting Advice

October 29, 2025

Read This Before Your Archery Elk Hunt | Uncut, Real-World Advice for Bowhunters

Archery elk season isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s raw, unpredictable, and brutally honest. You can’t fake your way through it — the mountain will expose every weakness you’ve got.

No hype. No gimmicks. No overproduced how-to reels. Just real, hard-earned lessons from decades in the timber.

If you’ve got a bow tag this fall, this one’s for you. Because out there in the dark, in the silence, in the storms — you either adapt, or you go home with another story instead of a bull.

After 33 years chasing elk with a bow, here’s what I wish someone would have told me when I started.

Bowhunting Elk Is a Mental Game

Before you ever knock an arrow, before you bugle your first note, the real game starts in your head.

You don’t beat elk with gear. You beat them with grit — with discipline, patience, and the ability to keep showing up when everyone else is packing out early.

Every September, I watch guys roll in loaded with brand-new gear, full of preseason motivation. By day three, they’re burned out. Their confidence cracks. Their decision-making slips. They start second-guessing everything.

Why? Because they built their packlist better than their mindset.

Archery elk hunting is brutally inconsistent. One morning, you might see five bulls before breakfast. The next three days, you’ll hike ten miles and hear nothing but your own footsteps. If you can’t stay mentally steady through that silence — if you can’t keep hunting with purpose even when it feels hopeless — you won’t last long.

Mental toughness isn’t about getting fired up. It’s about staying calm, composed, and consistent when things fall apart — because they will.

That kind of toughness doesn’t just happen. It’s built in the offseason. It’s built through deliberate discomfort — long hikes with a heavy pack, early mornings, cold plunges, workouts on the days you don’t want to move. Every time you push through those moments, you’re training the same muscle you’ll need on day five when the wind shifts and the elk go silent.

Archery elk season rewards the hunter who refuses to quit — the one who keeps showing up when the mountain tries to break him.

Getting Close Isn’t Enough — You Need a Shot

A lot of hunters come home saying, “I was in elk all week.” That’s awesome — but if you never got a shot, it’s not success.

Being close doesn’t fill a tag. Position does.

The difference between being “in elk” and killing one is those final 40 yards — where most guys fall apart. You can do everything right, but if you don’t manage that window, you’ll keep going home with stories instead of meat.

Here’s where it goes wrong:

You call a bull into 60 yards, but he hangs up behind a tree and you never reposition.
You sneak into a herd bedded in the timber but freeze when you can’t find a lane.
You hesitate to draw because you’re unsure, and the bull walks through your opening.

That’s the reality of bowhunting elk. The difference between close and killed is measured in seconds and inches.

When I’m bowhunting, my focus is always on creating a shot, not just closing distance. That means moving with purpose. Adjust left or right if the setup isn’t right. Visualize your shooting lanes. Don’t commit to a position that doesn’t give you one.

If you’ve had multiple close calls but no kills over several seasons, odds are you’re too passive in that final 60 seconds. You’re close — but you’re not decisive.

Elk hunting doesn’t reward hesitation. It rewards the hunter who can stay composed and act when the window opens.

Don’t Let the Calling Game Ruin Your Hunt

Every year, I watch bowhunters blow opportunities because they’re obsessed with calling. They want to sound like a contest caller instead of a real elk.

Here’s the truth: You don’t need to sound perfect — you need to sound believable.

Calling is powerful when it fits the situation. But most of the time, hunters call just to make noise, not because it makes sense. Elk don’t respond to sound; they respond to context.

Use location bugles as tools, not magic wands. One clean bugle from a high ridge early in the morning can tell you everything you need to know. If nothing responds, move. If you get an answer, slow down. Read the terrain, the tone, and the herd dynamic. Sometimes one bugle is all it takes to start building a plan without another sound.

Cow calls have their place — usually tight and quiet, not constant. If you’re cow calling every 50 yards through the woods, you’re just educating elk. I use soft mews in close cover when I know a bull’s nearby, then I shut up and watch.

And sometimes the best call you can make is silence.

I’ve killed more bulls by saying nothing — slipping into position, reading thermals, and letting curiosity or timing bring them into range — than I have with a diaphragm in my mouth.

If you do call, do it with intent. Every sound you make should answer two questions:

What do I want this bull to do?
Why would he do it?

If you can’t answer both, don’t call.

And remember this: once that bull commits, stop calling. Too many hunters call when they should be drawing. When a bull’s walking in, his head’s behind a tree, that’s your moment to draw — not to make another sound.

Your broadhead kills bulls, not your bugle tube.

Your Setup Makes or Breaks the Shot

Position is everything.

You can do 99% of the hunt right and still fail if you set up wrong in that final minute. Most hunters hear a response, then freeze in the nearest patch of cover. That’s how you end up with bulls hanging up at 70 yards.

When I’m setting up, I always look for:

Cover behind me, not in front. You want a shadow, rock, or tree breaking up your outline — not blocking your shot.
Open shooting lanes. Visualize where the bull will appear. If there’s no lane, move before he gets there.
A slight offset. Don’t stand in the elk’s exact path. Be off to the side with the wind in your favor and an angle for a broadside shot.

If you’re calling solo, call and then move 20–30 yards ahead of where you called from. Bulls often hang up where they last heard the sound. You want to be there waiting when they do.

Use terrain to shape the encounter. Downed timber, benches, saddles — anything that funnels a bull into your shooting lane. Don’t hope for a shot. Engineer one.

Closing the Deal — Movement, Draw Timing, and Execution

When it all comes together and the bull is in range, everything slows down — but your heart won’t. This is where discipline wins and panic loses.

Move like you’re being watched. If you need to pivot or adjust, do it inches at a time. Wait for cover or movement before you shift. Bulls circle, pause, and approach from odd angles. One twitch and it’s over.

Draw before the bull hits your lane. You should already be at full draw, settled, waiting for him to walk into it. Drawing after he stops almost always gets you busted.

Don’t rush the shot. Pick a spot. Breathe. Execute. If something doesn’t feel right — the angle’s bad, the wind swirls, there’s a branch in the way — let down. Passing a bad shot builds more confidence than forcing one you’ll regret.

One perfect arrow beats ten almosts every time.

Final Thoughts

Archery elk hunting will test everything you are — physically, mentally, emotionally. It’s a grind that separates the motivated from the committed.

You can’t buy success in September. You build it — through grit, preparation, patience, and clear decisions when it matters most.

If this helped sharpen your mindset or gave you something real to work with, then you’re already ahead of most. But if you’re ready to take it deeper…

Join TEAM BACKBONE

Team Backbone isn’t just a discount club or a gear page. It’s a crew of serious hunters who train hard, think critically, and live relentlessly.

Inside, you’ll get:

Full access to exclusive mindset training, backcountry strategies, and fitness programming.
20% off sitewide at Backbone Unlimited.
A member-only t-shirt mailed monthly.
Access to our private community group with direct Q&A and support from me.
Monthly gear giveaways and direct call, text, or email access for personalized coaching.

If you’re ready to move beyond free tips and start living this lifestyle full-send, join us at BackboneUnlimited.com under the Membership tab.

Thanks for being here. Until next time — Train Harder, Hunt Smarter, and Never Settle.

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