Scouting Advise

[dhardin6989]

Last year I had found a spot on google earth that based on everything I had learned should have been an elk magnet.  had North facing timber plenty of water and lush grass everywhere for feed.  Best part there was about a 5mi radius of no roads, trails, or camping spots.  I hiked in back in late June/ early July and found a couple of deer and some old elk sign.  I couldn't tell if the elk sign was months old or years old, mostly dry scat. I never ended up hunting it because we have a spot we typically hunt that we know has elk, problem is it has more people than elk.


My question to you all is, should I continue to scout this area?  What are the odds that elk will be in there in September if they aren't in July?  What would you do?

 

[big44a4]

I?ve found the Mecca in summer to find old sign in September. So I think it?s worth a chance to see in September. Did you see a lot of rubs there? If so it could mean they are there in September but never know until you put boots on the ground at that time. For me it hasn?t worked out where finding them in summer is where they are in September so I?d assume it goes the other way as well.

 

[cohunter14]

In my experience, wherever the cows are in the middle of summer is where the bulls will be in September. I've had areas where I get bulls on camera all summer long only to have them vanish in September. With that being said, I'm guessing they probably won't be in there come September if you weren't seeing any cows in there or fresh sign that time of year.

 

[dhardin6989]

Thank you for your thoughts guys.  I am along a similar line o thinking that if I find cows in the Summer I will find bulls in September.  I think I will hopefully get back in that area from a couple of different ways and see if I can find some cows or some good promising sign.  If so, I will be back in September.  If not I will hunt the usual spot with everyone else in the area unfortunately. 

 

[cnelk]

If youre going to hunt it in September, I would look for rubs. That would mean they are in that general area, during that general time