September elk don’t just chase cows—they chase calories. In this episode of Backbone Unlimited, Matt breaks down how feed quality, beetle kill, and burns truly dictate elk movement—and how to turn those habitat shifts into high-odds hunts. Learn why bulls, cows, and calves key on different foods through the month, how forage quality evolves from early to late September, and what that means for daily travel distance and timing. We dissect beetle-kill country (edge use, deadfall travel lanes, visibility/security tradeoffs) and fire scars from 1–3 years (feed magnets) to 4–10+ years (browse/bedting and cover), plus how pressure pushes herds to operate on the fringes, not the centers. You’ll get a tactical blueprint: e-scouting tells (color/greenness, fire-year overlays, topo funnels), on-the-ground sign checks (crisp tracks, shiny scat, wet-clipped forage, tacky rubs), edge and funnel ambush setups, subtle calling that fits disturbed country, and fast adaptations when feed shifts elevation or aspect midweek. If you’ve ever walked through a “perfect” burn or beetle kill and wondered where the elk went, this episode shows you how to read the seams—and be waiting when the herd slips through. Keywords: elk feed quality, beetle kill elk hunting, hunting burns, September elk forage, elk edges & funnels, reading elk sign, e-scouting burns, disturbed habitat tactics, OTC elk strategy, archery elk thermals.