My first scouting trip (long read)

[iccyman001]

After everyone\'s input, I manned up and went out to my unit to do some scouting. This trip was filled with MANY ups and just as many downs :crazy:

This was very intimidating. Put me in any state and I can find and kill nice whitetail. Have me go scout something I have never hunted before and I played mindgames with myself....
I might have to break it up because I have lots of questions for the masters and I am hoping you can help.


First off, this was the maiden voyage for my fianc? and our new trailer. We also brought our two pups. So first I will start with just some trip pictures.


The camper was great! I used to have a 1978 airstream (which I miss)
It was roomie enough for all of our gear, our two dogs, and everything else we needed.
The area I am hunting is right off of a fire road and has plenty of camp sites off of it. So we picked a nice little area tucked away in a corner.

(pre setup)



It was a great set up, but right from the get go I found this and it made me mad....



We took the dogs out on lots of walks!














more pics and stories coming

 

[iccyman001]

sorry everyone... the pictures are large, so they take a while to upload. I am getting to the questions here soon....

 

[iccyman001]

We had a great weekend. Lots of hiking, relaxing, exploring, and I got some scouting in (scouting stories after)

So here is where the downs started........

I was about 100 miles from home and my check engine light came on and my truck hit limp mode.






I pull over and pop my hood.....


Well, I find something that sent me through the roof. :wtf:

Before I left on my trip I had my oil changed and my fuel filter replaced....


WELLLLLLLL.........

I find my oil cap is missing and the sensor on the bottom of my fuel pump was finger tight and causing air to be sucked in my line.....

BOY WAS I LIVID. I cannot wait for them to open tomorrow because they are going to get an ear full.










ANYWAYS. Now it\'s time for the scouting report and questions.

 

[iccyman001]

Ok, so I am going to just let it all out. This trip was tough on me mentally.

I am used to Whitetail and Moose. Not animals in between. I\'ve also never dealt with mule deer either (which populate this area)

So from the get go I was confused on what poop was what.


I have an idea and I hope you guys can help me. Its a step up from whitetail and step down from moose?


Pictures...








Next I had an issue with rubs.


I am used to WT hitting lower on the trees and moose up high, so I picked a middle point.

I remember someone posting about Elk eating bark during harsh winters? What is this.... if anything..

 

[iccyman001]

I found an area full of droppings and tracks, I mean LOADED.

It didn\'t make sense though, there wasnt much to the area. Bits of small grass patches and opening all throughout mixed in with woods, but nothing thick. All I can think of was feeding areas?


The openings looked like this






Am I thinking right with this?

In these areas I found all those potential \"rubs\"


The thing I like about these areas were the big trees for my climber.

On the edge of this area, I also found a large drop down into a creek. It had some tracks and some good beaten down trails (both elk and deer)

Is this something they would drink from?













My GUESS and this is based off of no experience what so ever, is this area is an afternoon feeding/relaxing spot. The fields were just small enough to graze in and had enough woods to disappear into if something comes around

 

[iccyman001]

Then I found another area that peaked my interest.


First off I found this nice thicket with blow downs on a great funnel.





At the end of this opening was a nice muddy pit (do they play in this?





Well, I was sick as a dog, but wondered a little into this ridge and found what I believe to be is an elk bed...









I really wish I was feeling better this trip because I only hiked about 20 miles in the two days. I would have love to have done more.

So I will go out two weekends from now to hike more and hang some cameras.

 

[bnsafe]

great pics. i cant give you much advice. but i would say the first poop is mulies an the second is bull elk. as far as the rubs i have no idea. looks like you have some good hunting though. nice set up on the camp. that will be alot nicer than a cold tent. looks awesome

 

[cnelk]

Then I found another area that peaked my interest.


First off I found this nice thicket with blow downs on a great funnel.





At the end of this opening was a nice muddy pit (do they play in this?





Well, I was sick as a dog, but wondered a little into this ridge and found what I believe to be is an elk bed...









I really wish I was feeling better this trip because I only hiked about 20 miles in the two days. I would have love to have done more.

So I will go out two weekends from now to hike more and hang some cameras.

These pics is where I would start looking at real hard.
I just told my kids this weekend when we were up scouting/camping, look for a mix of timber and aspens.
Thats like candy to elk.

That bottom pic lokos like an old salt lick for cattle.
Or it may be a natural lick
Are there signs of cattle there?

 

[iccyman001]

These pics is where I would start looking at real hard.
I just told my kids this weekend when we were up scouting/camping, look for a mix of timber and aspens.
Thats like candy to elk.

That bottom pic lokos like an old salt lick for cattle.
Or it may be a natural lick
Are there signs of cattle there?

Copy that! I will definitely cover more acreage next time and in that area. :upthumb:

and yes, there are lots of cattle in that area which I did not like at all....


Do elk stay away from cows? Could that bed have been a cows or would they have issues going over those trees.

great pics. i cant give you much advice. but i would say the first poop is mulies an the second is bull elk. as far as the rubs i have no idea. looks like you have some good hunting though. nice set up on the camp. that will be alot nicer than a cold tent. looks awesome

It was a great time. It\'s always nice to escape and spend time in the woods and it\'s definitely nicer than a cold tent :upthumb:
The stuff you said might be bull elk poop was found near that bed, so that\'s a good thing I guess. I will check that area out much harder next time.

 

[cnelk]

Dan
Cattle and elk will mix sometimes but not generally.
Each may be on the fringes of each other.

Give the Forest Service a call about the cattle in that area
Ask them these 4 specific questions:

1- How many pairs are on that allotment?

2- What is the recommended grazing pattern? [i.e from Round Mtn to Flat Mtn]
2A - Where did the grazing start this year?

3- When will they be off the National Forest? [Typically its Sept 30th]

4- Who is the rancher? [You may be able to call him and ask him about elk]

Also,
When you do go back and scout more, you may bump into some of the cowboys.
Be nice to them, ask them about elk sign.
Tell them where you may have seen some cattle [they will be looking for them]
If you happen to see a cow that is hurt or is in trouble, let them know.
That rancher you called will really appreciate that...

 

[iccyman001]

Dan
Cattle and elk will mix sometimes but not generally.
Each may be on the fringes of each other.

Give the Forest Service a call about the cattle in that area
Ask them these 4 specific questions:

1- How many pairs are on that allotment?

2- What is the recommended grazing pattern? [i.e from Round Mtn to Flat Mtn]
2A - Where did the grazing start this year?

3- When will they be off the National Forest? [Typically its Sept 30th]

4- Who is the rancher? [You may be able to call him and ask him about elk]

Also,
When you do go back and scout more, you may bump into some of the cowboys.
Be nice to them, ask them about elk sign.
Tell them where you may have seen some cattle [they will be looking for them]
If you happen to see a cow that is hurt or is in trouble, let them know.
That rancher you called will really appreciate that...

Thank you Brad, I will be sure to ask those questions ASAP.


Like I said, it was good I went up to get a basic layout of the land, but it definitely hit me hard because I feel I am WAY behind and have a long way to go, but it\'s coming up fast. I plan on getting into the woods MUCH deeper next time and potentially, away from those cows.

I don\'t have a true warm fuzzy about any of the spots I found so far. I was also bummed I didn\'t even see any elk.


I saw a few ranchers, so I will be sure to talk to them next time. I also hope they get rid of those cows earlier than later. My hunt is Sept 1-15th.



This might not mean anything, but most of my hiking was 7800-8300 ft. Are elk up higher around these times due to temps or does it vary by the areas?

 

[Tdiesel]

almost postitive that is cattle salt grounds but If the cows are there right now probably wont\' be in a month thats how are rotation is basically every month we move to a new pasture, most are like that in the area I live in. If its low though alot of guys start there early summer then about 10 days before move out date ours is 1st of OCT. so about the 20th of sept we push back to bottom pasture to make gathering easier. I have always tried to be nice to hunters as we run into them I know most people don\'t really want to see us come through with 400 head but if they are friendly back I we usually give them a tip on where the elk are hanging around. we are up there riding all summer so we usually have a pretty good Idea.

 

[cohunter14]

Dan, to answer a few of your questions:

1) Elk poop is pretty large in size. There is no mistaking it from that of a deer. It can be oval shaped, acorn shaped, or it can also be clumped together, like that picture you posted.
2) Yes, elk will drink from a stream like that. I would spend some time walking it and look for some good sign around it, potentially game trails, etc.
3) Those do look like rubs, but it is difficult to tell. In most cases, you should be able to tell if it is an elk or deer simply based on the height.
4) Those smaller open meadows can definitely be good feeding areas for them, especially if it is surrounded by thick timber where there is no undergrowth. If that is the case, I would definitely mark that spot down.
5) Elevations: elk can definitely be at those elevations this time of year. If there is an area around there that is higher, they could be up that way right now trying to stay cool. But you can definitely find elk at those elevations year-round in a lot of areas.

I think you really got a lot accomplished for being sick and only having two days. The more ground you cover, the more you find! I am very impressed that you were able to cover 10 miles a day too. If that is what you can handle while being sick, you should have no issues at all come hunting season!

 

[iccyman001]

Dan, to answer a few of your questions:

1) Elk poop is pretty large in size. There is no mistaking it from that of a deer. It can be oval shaped, acorn shaped, or it can also be clumped together, like that picture you posted.
2) Yes, elk will drink from a stream like that. I would spend some time walking it and look for some good sign around it, potentially game trails, etc.
3) Those do look like rubs, but it is difficult to tell. In most cases, you should be able to tell if it is an elk or deer simply based on the height.
4) Those smaller open meadows can definitely be good feeding areas for them, especially if it is surrounded by thick timber where there is no undergrowth. If that is the case, I would definitely mark that spot down.
5) Elevations: elk can definitely be at those elevations this time of year. If there is an area around there that is higher, they could be up that way right now trying to stay cool. But you can definitely find elk at those elevations year-round in a lot of areas.

I think you really got a lot accomplished for being sick and only having two days. The more ground you cover, the more you find! I am very impressed that you were able to cover 10 miles a day too. If that is what you can handle while being sick, you should have no issues at all come hunting season!

Thank you so much! When I go out in two weeks I will be sure to take better pictures, that way you guys might be able to tell if they are rubs or not. I had a feeling that I knew which poop was which, I just wanted to make sure. I had never seen mule deer poop before so I wasn\'t sure if they were super sized compared to whitetail.

My friend shot a small bull in these same small meadows last year, so I will keep searching around that. Like I said, those meadows are right next to that stream and I found good trails going down to them. I will have to look more into that as well.
I am glad that elk are hanging out at that elevation. I was worried that I was hanging out too low.

Even when sick I still have a lot of drive, but it was rough. I am already feeling better because it was such a nice weekend.

My goal for the next trip is to put down some serious mileage and really pick some serious areas. I also want to figure out why the elk would be there at that time. I have three game cameras that I can set up, so I plan on putting those in key spots. Then they can sit for a month and I call pull it a few days before my hunt starts. I think that will really help my odds on selecting where I hunt. If I find three spots that I think are great, but come there right before my hunt and have no elk on it, well that helps me out.....


Thanks again for your answers.

almost postitive that is cattle salt grounds but If the cows are there right now probably wont\' be in a month thats how are rotation is basically every month we move to a new pasture, most are like that in the area I live in. If its low though alot of guys start there early summer then about 10 days before move out date ours is 1st of OCT. so about the 20th of sept we push back to bottom pasture to make gathering easier. I have always tried to be nice to hunters as we run into them I know most people don\'t really want to see us come through with 400 head but if they are friendly back I we usually give them a tip on where the elk are hanging around. we are up there riding all summer so we usually have a pretty good Idea.

This is some great insider knowledge, thank you Tdiesel. I appreciate it. I will be sure to talk to them when I am up there in two weeks.
Maybe I can even offer them some help in change for some information.

 

[cohunter14]

One thing I forgot to add is that I have found cattle don\'t really have a huge effect on elk. I have found elk within a few hundred yards of cattle. So I wouldn\'t worry too much about that if I were you.