Scouting Trip Reports

M

mtnmutt

New member
Mar 2, 2014
682
I was wondering if everyone would care to share summer scouting trip reports and photos as the summer progresses? There are some members who do not have the luxury of summer scouting trips. You do not need to give your unit. I personally would not since non-members can search this site.

Here is some information that may help each person who hunts in your State.

  • Location: State. Possibility share general location, such as, central, northern, southern CO. The watersheds vary in these regions.[/*:m:20pg1oa8]
  • Vegetation quality.[/*:m:20pg1oa8]
  • Snow at what elevations.[/*:m:20pg1oa8]
  • Seasonal creeks dry or water flowing. Seasonal creeks are dotted/dashed blue lines on maps.[/*:m:20pg1oa8]
  • Forest Service Road conditions. Fallen trees on roads. Washed out roads.[/*:m:20pg1oa8]
  • Elk sightings.[/*:m:20pg1oa8][/list:u:20pg1oa8]
    Please add to this list.

    I am doing 3-4 scouting trips this summer in Central CO west of the Continental Divide. I start going in mid-June and do at least one per month. I do not usually look for elk on my scouting trips. I hang trail cameras at travel locations that are good locations for August & September.
 
I think this is a fantastic idea.
I am going on my first trip tomorrow, so I can come home and do a nice write up.





Great idea for a thread.
 
what are you talking about dan, we are both going to be up in the mtns this weekend!!!!!
 
\"zpd307\" said:
what are you talking about dan, we are both going to be up in the mtns this weekend!!!!!
Click to expand...
Too bad it wasn\'t the same mountains or the ones we are hunting in idaho :(
 
yeah, but any trip up to the mtn is a good reminder on how good, or lack there of, shape your in.....
 
You want the location in the state, forest roads, and pictures. It wouldn\'t be too hard to figure out the location.

I\'m just wondering what purpose this serves other that telling the world where you\'re hunting?
 
\"Still Hunter\" said:
You want the location in the state, forest roads, and pictures. It wouldn\'t be too hard to figure out the location.

I\'m just wondering what purpose this serves other that telling the world where you\'re hunting?
Click to expand...
My suggestions may have been misleading.

Do not post the names/numbers of Forest Service roads. Post the general Forest Service road conditions. With all our recent CO rains and late snows, this information may help others. The specific USFS National Forest web pages provide logging and some closure information, however, they do not generally post about current Forest Service road conditions unless a flood or logging operations closed a road.

I would not post panoramic pictures that have a mountain range. More like closer up pictures. I know there are pictures of my area that I would exclude because they are very identifiable. If I post a picture of a meadow, it will look like about a 1000+ other meadows. In addition, there are a surprisingly low number of CO residents who cannot identify places in CO by a photo. People outside of CO, are even less likely to identify a CO location by a photo. Unless a person had frequent a location, they are not likely to identify a location. I cannot identify places in NW CO unless they are a frequently photographed location.

Remove GPS information from photos.

Most people on here are careful what they post about their hunting areas. It is entirely up to the poster how much information is posted. If uncomfortable with posting information, no one will fault anyone for abstaining in sharing.

This was a suggestion to aid those who are unable to scout prior to going hunting. Plus, it may help others \"see\" how others do their scouting trips which was touched on in other threads.
 
Mutt: I understood what you were saying, and agree. I am going out within a couple of weeks, and knowing the snow conditions, and where the roads may be closed due to winter snows still, can be useful. Even if I was going to Colorado, I am not asking for GPS coordinates, for your tree stand locations. It is interesting to know things like, there is abundant water, or to know that it is as dry as it normally gets in late July. Elk are generally up high already and other general information.
That is what we are about here on BTO.

P.S. I prefer to get the GPS coordinates on a PM. I won\'t have a backup location, and don\'t want to find Brad in your stand when I arrive. LOL
 
In my area, most of the places that will hold elk during bow/muzzy season are buried in snow. A few days ago we had an avalanche across the main road going over the pass. I\'m almost thinking that all the snow won\'t melt this year unless it\'s a warm summer. I\'ve never seen this much snow still in the mountains this time of year.

You never know though. Come Sept it might all look normal, but I know I won\'t be scouting the same areas this time of year as I normally do.
 
I had an absolute amazing scouting trip yesterday.

The rain has been plentiful there this year, well above their average.
Vegetation was much more full and plush than it was last year, the elk looked VERY healthy and it was nice and cool.

Alan (Vthokee) and I went up to where we will be elk hunting and hit it HARD.
We started where I shot my spike last year and got to exploring. We found TONS of rubs from last year. (it\'s still housing them and will pay off again this year ;) )

The rest of the day we spent hiking our feet off and opening up new areas.
We found some EXTREMELY elky areas, saw two elk (cow and a nice healthy bull who was well on his way) and we got 4 cameras up.

I already have experience in the unit (my few days of scouting last year and the day I shot my elk :wave: )
But I am on an even bigger confidence boost now with the great scouting trip we had last night.

I can\'t even tell you how excited I am to get up and check out more and PULL THOSE CAMERAS.....








Alan showing how tall the rub was and he found a super old trap









 







Are these bear or cougar?











and this got my blood absolutely boiling.......



I can\'t swear on this site, but words can\'t describe how I feel about the person or people who shot this from the road and left it there.....
IN THE SUMMER. I HATE YOU POACHERS....


and see, these guys are more of a scum breed of suck..... they didn\'t even poach it and take the meat. They shot it and left it.
 
I think this is a great idea, mtnmutt. There are a lot of ways to communicate elk-country information without giving away specifics.
It looks like the scout reports are off and running, and I look forward to seeing more of them!
 
How do you know it was shot? The markings on the trees are chew marks. I think from tree rats........ I have seen them in Colorado a lot. Elk and deer will eat bark in bad winters. some could be from them too. The smaller marks look like the squirrels. I am sure someone knows for sure.
 
awesome thread!!


if nothing else, the scout trips will fuel the excitement for the rest of us. we arent ALL naysaying nannies looking at the worst in humanity. haha.

at least i\'m glad i\'m not!! must be lonely.
 
\"bowhunter\" said:
How do you know it was shot? The markings on the trees are chew marks. I think from tree rats........ I have seen them in Colorado a lot. Elk and deer will eat bark in bad winters. some could be from them too. The smaller marks look like the squirrels. I am sure someone knows for sure.
Click to expand...


Location was the only answer. It was 75 yards off the road in a little clearing/meadow.
The area is know for poaching and it\'s disgusting.


I am almost positive I saw what looked to be a small diameter hole in it\'s head.
I\'d definitely like to know about the trees.... here I was thinking we found bear marks :cry:
 
It was a great trip with Dan.... New area to me this year but looks very promising. I\'m pretty sure that it was bears clawing on the trees. I was telling my dad about it and he said they used to do that to a old apple tree we had.
 
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