Summer Scouting Prep

[tylergardner]

Alright all,


I have a 3 day July scouting trip planned this summer. I'm entering my 5th year of elk hunting with multiple encounter stories to tell, but the wife still has to buy meat from the grocery store. I've never spent a weekend dedicated to scouting. Any tips or tactics that you guys use would be most appreciated. I.e., do you solely look for new area, do you expand your knowledge on the area you already are familiar with? Do you glass for hours? Thanks in advance!

 

[Elk Noob]

In July I'm more looking at the terrain and what it looks like and if it could hold elk come Sept.

I don't think it makes that much sense glassing for hours because where you find them in July, likely won't be where they are in Sept or later. That being said, I do typically glass at sunrise/sunset if I am on a higher ridge. It gives me a better lay of the land and i just enjoy it anyway.

 

[cnelk]

Nothing beats boots on the ground.
Glassing cant find old rubs, trails, pockets with a possible wallow.


Hell, Im going up next weekend to scout and this will be my 28th year in my areas.

 

[BrentLaBere]

I love summer scouting trips. Always bring fishing gear...and maybe some beverages.
Heading to new country this year, so there might be less fishing and more hiking. New areas I will check roads, parking areas, closest town, supplies, ect. I will also park at main trials and check them out for awhile, mostly early mornings and glass the ridge line. During the day or heading back to the rig, I will venture into the dark timber and "hell holes" to check them out. Rubs, water, benches and trails. All the good stuff. I dont need to see fresh elk sign but if there is enough sign there, i know where to look when everyone hits the trail. Check the wind and make my way to the car. Afternoon fishing and a nap. Then back at it ,a new area for the night. Same thing goes for areas I will hunt again I just dont need to check off the first few things on the list. And I will just head to new drainage's that I haven't hunted. They may be over the next ridge. Or I drive 15 miles to a different area. Just depends but I will explore new country.

 

[BrentLaBere]

Example of a meadow I checked out during the summer. Very difficult to get to, deadfall and a mile from the road. You can bet if you find something like this during the summer, you will find a wallow like this during the season or at least some elk sign....

 

[graham.derbyshire@yahoo.c]

Would a 1 day scouting trip be a waste of time? I have a business trip in Denver and can get away for a bit but its a long drive to Gunnison and I can't decide if its worth the trip. Any and all suggestions/comments would be appreciated!

 

[cohunter14]

Would a 1 day scouting trip be a waste of time? I have a business trip in Denver and can get away for a bit but its a long drive to Gunnison and I can't decide if its worth the trip. Any and all suggestions/comments would be appreciated!

Any time spent scouting is better than not scouting! Think of it this way: the one day you can scout can make up for having to do the same thing on the first day of your hunt. Maybe you find a good location or maybe you find something to cross off the list, but it's better than not going at all.

 

[DRUSS]

Any trips on the trail or even driving new areas takes up time. No matter if its scouting or hunting. So the more learning you get in that's not hunting time is more knowledge by season.  Tomorrow I am going where I have hunted for 24yrs but there is always a different trail, another wallow. A ridge that haven't checked out for a while. On and on. Short version if I can be scouting I will be.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[cnelk]

Tip
When driving on forest roads during the summer, check out campsites.
Then look if there a game pole left over from the previous fall


Always a good starting place

 

[DesertDaVinci]

Glassing

 

[Kdkehoe]

For new area I have a starting point and walk a mile or so in and then just kinda wander. Follow heavily used game trails, look for sustainable water sources, potential wallows. Minimal glassing really. Occasionally as the terrain calls for it.  But after awhile the terrain just starts to click and give a bigger picture of sign.  Human or animal.

 

[Alaskan]

Boots on the ground equal finding wallows!

 

[chub25]

I like to just cover as much ground as possible, especially on early scouting trips.  In mid August you might just sit in a spot, call, and glass.  But in July, I'd just keep moving all day long.  See what you can find and, most importantly, you can ALWAYS become more familiar with the terrain and the region you're hunting in.

 

[bmart2622]

I never worry about finding elk in July. I like to look for areas that have sign of rutting behavior from previous years, look for elky terrain and familiarize myself with the country. I also like to find high water and possible camp sites if I'm going to be backpacking in.

 

[TLowell02]

I would focus more on locating roadless areas, last year's rubs and wallows, and water sources. Then spend the remaining time fly fishing.

 

[Don K]

Hell, Im going up next weekend to scout and this will be my 28th year in my areas.

28 years!  Now that's a wealth of knowledge in one area. 

Would a 1 day scouting trip be a waste of time? I have a business trip in Denver and can get away for a bit

Heck, it might take you half a day to get in and out of Denver   

 

[Zpd307]

summer scouting trips are a great gauge of where you are at for elk shape. and a great reminder of how big mtns really are. I constantly am amazed at myself on how much I minimize them after just months of being away.
when hitting new spots, I am just walking. finding water sources, game trails, old rubs, and benchy bedding spots. like it was said before, walking to will help you find the good spots or check off back spots, so you don't waste time during your hunt.

 

[cnelk]

  In mid August you might just sit in a spot, call, and glass.

I dont know why anyone would call elk when not hunting, especially soon before season.
But to each their own

 

[joegiglianm@gmail.com]

The area I hunt goes from 7-8000 feet in elevation to 10,000. The lower elevations have a lot of scrub oak mixed with pine ridges and open mesa parks while the higher is predominantly forest with evergreen and aspen and small parks and meadows.
With that said, i already know where the water sources are, so my main scouting focuses on food source. If the scrub oak is showing a good acorn crop, that's where I'll be come Sept 1. If there is not an acorn crop, then I'm checking to see what the grass looks like. Which areas are carrying a lot of cattle through the summer? How late are the cattle on the land? Which areas don't have cattle? In other words, where is the good grass? I'm also checking burn areas and what the current sign looks like there. How does the feed look? Tracks and droppings from cows and calfs. Where the cows are in July / August, the bulls will be in September . I'm checking the pine ridges near burns for old rubs and blown up trees.
Generally, seeing elk at this time is going to be feast or famine as the cows are in large groups. If you see cows, you are in high cotton. If you are seeing fresh sign from large groups,  just as good. Especially if the feed in the area looks like it is holding up well.
I don't go check out the bedrooms or dark timber to much but I am looking again for old rutting activity between feed and bedding areas.
I stay away from any calling prior to the hunt. I prefer not to educate the elk and make them call shy.