Scouting Tips

[spanky]

I've spent the last 2-3 weeks mulling over maps, more maps and google earth. I have a couple areas that I've honed in on, and have my first "boots on the ground" scouting trip planned for this weekend.


I'd love to hear your advice on what are the key things I should be looking for in a July scouting trip.


Should I spend time in the thick timber looking for wallows and rubs? Should I find a good vantage point and just glass for animals? Neither? Other?

 

[buglelk]

Yes and yes...and maybe.  ???


This time of year I'm looking for bigger groups of cows and calves...that's where the bulls will be in September. I'm also looking for signs of the rut from previous years....rubs, wallows, etc. If I can find a pocket with 20-30 cows in there, I'm confident there should be some good rutting activity close by in about 8 weeks. Rubs and wallows from previous season will help confirm that the rut has taken place there in the past.


Good luck, and let us know what you find!

 

[turbo1967]

Kind of depends on what your goal is, If your trying to find were the elk will be come opening day than buglelk is on track. When I go out I know my area well already and know were the elk will be , what im looking for is that one bull that is bigger than just a raghorn so I will hit the thick stuff trying to find that one bull so I know what I want to pass on or whats a shooter come season time. Only about one in twenty five bulls in my area makes it to 3 1/2 years old so you really got to look for those ones.

 

[spanky]

Well, the first scouting trip of the year is in the books. Spent most of the time in two drainages. Started each scout on the ridges and then worked down the north face and explored the draws and canyons. Jumped one cow when hiking and saw two bulls on an evening drive around the area.

A couple questions..
- are there any special tricks or advice in locating wallows? I found a few seeps, but nothing that looked wallowed.

- when looking at steep, deep dark timber, are there any recommendations on how to break it down and scout it out in more detail? The only thing I can come up with is to get on a well used game trail and see what you find.

There was plenty of water, open hillsides and ridges and north facing ridges to make it appealing, but I didn't see very many animals and not a lot of fresh elk poop. A few rubs here and there, but not a bunch. We set up one game camera, and I hope to go back in a couple weeks. In between now and then, I need to develop a game plan to learn more. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[turbo1967]

you are going to find the wallows in slow moving water sources with muddy edges, they like that mud. the game trails are a good start after all that's why they call them game trails.best chance for seeing them is first thing in the morning check out the open areas , this time of year the elk are mostly in small groups or by them self's so a little harder to find and they will be in diff areas now than after the temp drop in September. when I go into my area this time of year I will often times find only 2 or 3 elk but in the same area in September typically will see from 50 to 100 in a day and by the end of October up to 300 a day.focus mostly on previous years sign of rutting . when you find a lot of rubs in a small area that is usually were the bull spent his time just before the rut. During the rut those rubs will be scattered out more and often in a little more open areas as he will be doing rubs when the cows a feeding. hop this helps.