The Best Week for Hunting Elk in 2025
As elk hunters, we don’t always have the luxury of hunting during the “prime” week each fall. And even if we do, it can be difficult to nail down what the “prime” days might be from one season to the next. What we might consider to be the best elk hunting dates can – and do – change from year to year. Plus, even during the best dates, we are often forced to adapt to uncontrollable factors (moon phases, weather, hunting pressure, etc.) that happen to exist on the days that we are able to hunt.
However, if you do have the luxury of being able to select the “best” timeframe to hunt elk, it’s important to understand how the moon and the timing of the rut might play a part in your success.
The “rut”, or the estrous cycle of the cows, is naturally triggered by the amount of light that enters into the pupils of a cow elk. As summer transitions into fall, the amount of daylight decreases, and that decrease in light triggers a change in the hormones in the cows, causing them to come into estrous and opening a small window when breeding must occur each fall.
Of course, not all cows come into estrous at the exact same time. Older cows usually start first, with the younger cows coming into estrous slightly later. However, cows are generally triggered to come into estrous (and create what we call the “peak rut” period) due to the shortening of the days each fall, and this typically occurs within 5-10 days of the Fall Equinox.
The Fall Equinox is the day when the daylight hours and the hours of darkness are of equal duration. For 2025, the Fall Equinox lands on Monday, September 22nd. So, if you’re looking for the peak rutting “action”, sometime between the 17th-27th of September should get you pretty close.
On a “perfect” year, I typically prefer to hunt just before the peak of the rut. The days leading up to the “peak rut” are when you will typically find the more mature bulls fighting to establish their dominance, and aggressively working to establish and maintain their harems. For someone who lives for the thrill of calling elk, this can be a magical time. Once the peak rut kicks in, however, and the bulls begin focusing solely on breeding, calling herd bulls away from their cows can become significantly more challenging.
2025 Moon Phases
To find the “perfect” dates to hunt rutting elk, it’s also important to consider what the moon will be doing during this Fall Equinox timeframe as well.
Last fall (2024), the Full Moon in September hit right before the Fall Equinox (on September 18th). This wasn’t ideal, as a full moon during the peak of the rut can make for tough hunting. However, for 2025, the table has turned…
This fall, there will be full moons on August 9, September 7, October 7, and November 5. I honestly don’t remember being this excited about the potential for an amazing elk rut, as the moon will be completely dark on the Fall Equinox!
I’ll start with September and break down the fall elk season into “weeks”, and touch on some of the conditions – and opportunities – that we are likely to see during each of these timeframes for elk hunting this fall.
SEPTEMBER HUNTING
For September 2025, I’ll break the month into the following four week periods:
Week #1 (September 1-7)
Week #2 (September 8-14)
Week #3 (September 15-21)
Week #4 (September 22-30)
WEEK #1
The first full week of September 2025 is going to be pretty bright. The moon will reach Full Moon status at the end of this week (on the 7th), but it will be more than half-full every day throughout that first week. Generally speaking, a Full Moon allows elk to spend more time doing at night what they would regularly do during the day – namely eating and rutting. When you couple a brighter moon with a higher potential for hot weather during the earlier part of September, it only compounds the issue.
I typically consider the first week of September to be “early-season”, and for the most part, the actual rut – and the pre-rut activity that precedes the rut – usually hasn’t really kicked off yet. So this fall, it’s looking like we’ll have less-than-ideal moon conditions and less-than-ideal rut conditions during that first week. Plus, Labor Day falls on Monday September 1st this year, which means the days leading up to (and including) September 1st will likely generate a lot more activity in the woods. However, it isn’t all bad news…
The first week of September can be a great time to find mature bulls that haven’t yet established their dominance or their harems, which can leave them susceptible and vulnerable to calling – if you can get them to talk. Additionally, they haven’t yet been pressured by hundreds of other elk hunters, so their guard may be dropped a little lower than it will be during the latter parts of the month.
The likelihood of warmer weather and the guarantee of a full moon could cause some problems, but if you know areas where mature bulls typically stage before the rut, you could still have a great hunt.
There will be a lot of factors working against us during the first week of September in 2025, but the dynamics of the herds – or the lack of herd bulls with cows – could still provide some incredible calling opportunities, especially if you’re targeting mature bulls.
WEEK #2
Week #2 (September 8-14) is often one of my favorite weeks to hunt. I consider this timeframe to be the start of the “pre-rut” – the timeframe when the more mature bulls start leaving their staging areas to find cows and establish their dominance and their harems. This means the calling action is usually starting to heat up and you’re likely to find some very aggressive bulls that are willing to fight to gain or protect a harem of cows. You’ll also be hunting elk that are still less pressured than the elk during Weeks 3 and 4, which can translate to elk that are less “call-shy” than they might be later in the month.
The moon during Week #2 is still going to be fairly bright, ending the week at exactly half-full. However, with the bulls starting to actively and aggressively look for cows, we should see some decent daytime activity coupled with daily-increasing calling action.
While the overall prospects for this week aren’t exactly stellar, there is one strategy that could potentially stand out and make Week #2 a great option. And that is Midday Madness.
I’ve detailed my affection for Midday Madness in several articles and videos previously, but the combination of escalating rut activity and a bright moon is often a reliable recipe for finding aggressive calling opportunities while the bulls are relegated to their bedding areas – during the middle of the day. If you choose to hunt during Week #2 this September, be prepared to forego your midday naps back at camp, and instead look for bulls that are getting restless and susceptible to calling during the middle of the day.
WEEK #3
As we head into Week #3, we are looking at the days that lead directly into the Fall Equinox (again, the Fall Equinox falls on Monday, September 22nd this year). This lead-up to the “Peak Rut” is usually a solid bet for finding consistent elk rutting action and mature bulls that are able to be called in (before they lock into breeding). This transition from the “Pre-Rut” to the “Peak Rut” can be magical, especially if your strategy involves calling.
The cows will start coming into estrous during this timeframe, and the activity of the bulls should be reaching a fever pitch when it comes to establishing harems and fighting to protect their herds. Calling action during this timeframe is typically great, simply due to its proximity to the estrous period (i.e., “peak rut”). This year, however, we get an extra bonus –dark nights throughout the week due to the New Moon that lands at the end of the week (on September 21st).
I can’t recall a September when the New Moon coincided so closely with the Fall Equinox. No moon and the Fall Equinox at the end of the week, coupled with “typically” cooler weather that could accompany the second half of September – this could create some pretty special elk rutting activity and hunting opportunities.
WEEK #4
Week #4 of September is often the main event during the elk rut. Cows are being bred, bulls are running themselves ragged chasing cows and fighting off intruding bulls, and the weather is often transitioning into frosty mornings and cooler daytime temperatures.
Once again, we are also the recipients of a moon phase that is going to compliment Week #4 quite nicely. The New Moon lands just before Week #4 (on September 21st) and the Fall Equinox hits on the first day of this week. Continued dark nights coupled with the Peak Rut should create some absolute rut frenzies.
The biggest challenge with hunting during the Peak Rut is that the herd bulls are so hyper-focused on breeding, that it really can be difficult to get their attention – either as a lonely cow or an aggressive intruder. But the volume of calls that you will likely hear during this week can be off the charts.
Again, I don’t remember a September that has aligned so perfectly, and I truly think that Weeks #2 – #4 should be really good, with the best week likely landing right in the middle (Week #3).
OCTOBER HUNTING
The main rutting action typically takes place during the last half of September and into the first part of October, but most rifle seasons are structured to open just as the rutting action is winding down. And while there are still some opportunities to take advantage of calling, for the most part, October ushers in the “Post Rut” period, and the behaviors of the elk completely change during this month.
As the rut winds down, mature bulls often start moving away from the herds and head into areas that make them incredibly difficult to find (sanctuaries). The cows also recognize the sudden increase in activity in the woods, and often retreat to hard-to-access areas as well.
Elk are incredible adept at hiding when they need to, and it’s during this Post Rut period that elk can be the most difficult to find. The more pressure the elk sense, the deeper they go into less accessible areas and the less time they spend on their feet during daylight hours. If you add in a Full Moon during this time frame, elk are able to feed during the night and spend the majority of the daylight hours hunkered down in their sanctuaries, which can make finding elk in October incredibly difficult.
Similar to September, I will break October down into four weekly periods:
Week #1 (October 1-10)
Week #2 (October 11-18)
Week #3 (October 19-25)
Week #4 (October 26-31)
WEEK #1
Technically, Week #1 is a bit longer than a week, but it allows us to break the month into sections that are separated by weekends, and allows some important dates during the month to be separated into different timeframes. I feel it also aligns nicely with the behavior of the elk.
Cows will still be coming into estrous throughout the first 10 days or so of October, so there’s definitely some opportunity to still find rutting elk and decent calling activity. There are a few states that offer open hunting seasons during this timeframe (archery, muzzleloader, and rifle), and a hunt during this period can often be quite productive. However, the rut will be starting to wind down, and elk activity can taper off quite abruptly during this timeframe, sometimes seemingly overnight.
One of the challenges we’ll face during this week in 2025 is the moon phase. The Full Moon lands right in the middle of this week (on October 7th), so the entire timeframe we are talking about will experience a bright moon. This will likely amplify the abruptness in the winding down of rut activity, and could send the elk into sanctuary mode a little faster than on a year when there is less nighttime brightness.
If I was hunting elk during this period, I would likely be hunting with a little more urgency, recognizing that each day could rapidly lose momentum in terms of elk activity.
WEEK #2
Many general season rifle hunts in several states open on October 10th or October 15th, so Week #2 often ushers in a rapid, overnight flood of human activity and gunshots in the elk woods. And the elk recognize this change. While it is still possible to find a few pockets of rutting activity during this week, and while I would still utilize calls to help locate elk in most cases, generally speaking, calling isn’t going to be as effective for bringing elk in.
During this timeframe, the more mature bulls will begin leaving the herds as the primary breeding opportunities have concluded. There will likely be younger bulls still hanging out with the cows, and these younger bulls will often continue to be somewhat vocal, but the increase in hunting pressure will typically bring an end to most vocal activity during this week, and also transition the herds from rut mode into sanctuary mode.
With relatively warmer weather and still abundant feed, the elk can hunker down and stay hidden, without having to travel too far to find good feed as they begin adding weight for the approaching winter. This can make it difficult to find elk, as they are often retreating shorter distances from feeding areas into the safety of their more secure bedding areas. And if there happens to be a bright moon during this week, elk are able to feed throughout the night and be in their sanctuaries at or before daylight.
However, in October of 2025, the moon will hit “half full” on Monday the 13th, and be waning throughout the week (getting darker by the day). By the end of Week #2, the nights will be mostly dark, which should force the elk to spend a little more time feeding during the daylight (early in the morning and at last light in the evening).
If Opening Day lands during this week, you might catch the tail-end of some rut activity, but be prepared for the elk to retreat to hard-to-access areas shortly after opening day. However, as the brightness of the moon – as well as opening day hunting pressure – wanes, you might be able to catch elk spending a little time on the fringes of their sanctuary areas as they are forced to feed during daylight hours.
WEEK #3
The third full week of October will be ideal from the moon phase standpoint, with the New Moon (no moon) landing on Tuesday the 21st. This will create mostly dark skies at night during the entire week, which should hopefully push the elk to spend more time in their feeding areas during daylight. Their movements to and from feeding areas should be later in the morning and earlier in the evening, making them more visible for those who are hunting during this timeframe.
Decreasing hunting pressure should aid in the increasing visibility as well, and while the elk aren’t yet in a feeding frenzy, they will be starting to increase the amount of feed they consume as they prepare for the colder weather that is just around the corner.
WEEK #4
The last week of October will still have a decent moon, as the “half-moon” will land right in the middle of the week (on Wednesday the 29th). Nights will be getting increasingly brighter, but the decrease in hunting activity coupled with the potential for colder weather, could keep the elk out in feeding mode longer into the daylight hours, making them as visible as the previous week, despite the increase in nighttime moonlight.
Weather could be a big factor during this week. Unseasonably warm, dry weather could allow the elk to stay in the security of their bedding areas more during the day. But cold weather accompanied by snow could send them into late-season feeding mode, possibly even triggering some migration movement, which could make the elk increasingly visible throughout this week.
One additional factor that could cause an increase in elk activity during this timeframe is a second estrous. The cows that weren’t bred during the primary estrous period (peak rut) in late September, will come back into estrous approximately 28 days after their first cycle, which often lands during this 4th week of October. It’s not unlikely to find a couple bulls sparing and bugling as they take advantage of this second rut.
NOVEMBER HUNTING
November typically ushers in the “Late Season”, and the elk go from sanctuary mode into full-on feeding mode. As the weather turns worse, the elk are forced to stay in feeding areas longer as they become desperate to add on weight for the long, cold winter months when feed becomes more and more scarce.
Heavy snowfall in November will often force the main herds to begin migrating to more reliable feed sources that are found in their winter grounds. Due to the necessity for more feed and the potential movements in migration, the moon has less and less effect on finding elk as we transition into the Late Season. If you find good feed sources, you will likely find the elk, and you will often find them more visible during daylight hours.
During this Late Season transition, the bulls will also start regrouping and forming bachelor herds, which again, can make them a little easier to find and a little easier to hunt.
SUMMARY
From my experience, elk are elk, and they are going to go through the cycle of rutting, disappearing, feeding, and migrating, regardless of the moon phase. However, I strongly feel that the moon can – and does – play a large role in the activity levels and the timing of activity, especially during the Rut and Post Rut.
Again, I can’t recall a September when the moon phase and the Fall Equinox align so nicely, which makes me really excited for the prospects of some great elk rut activity this fall!
Understanding the effects of the moon and the timing of the rut can help you plan when to hunt elk, as well as how to most effectively hunt them as well.
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