When plan A fails

[ADM]

What does everyone do when their plan A fails? My plan A this year has been to sit water because it has been so darn hot. But out of 5 days I haven't seen an elk yet. There is plenty of fresh sign, just nothing coming to water. So I was thinking of finding some really thick timber near by and a well used trail and hanging around there. Just curious what everybody else does when their initial plans fall apart?

 

[mike_parson]

well due to the cattle moving in on my plan A area i have already started looking at Plan B and Plan C areas. im headed out there this weekend to get a quick look at B and C and put some cameras up in A to see if the elk have just moved out or if they are still hanging around. My hunt starts in 9 days so ill have just about a week to come up with  plan b and c.

 

[DIRK DURHAM]

The alphabet goes from A-Z Lol!  ;D  I've had to use several of those letters after "A"  :'( 


Always have alternative plans in your hip pocket for scenarios like this. Getting the map out and figuring out where your elk went to would be my first plan. They may have only gone to the next canyon or drainage. While the map is out look over areas that you have maybe wanted to go, but never did. This might be an opportunity to check them out in person after scouring them on google earth and making waypoints on a GPS if you have one at your disposal.

 

[gman82001]

A... B.... C ..... D and just keep rolling till something starts working

 

[stephenlferris]

In the area I hunt the plan is to hike, hike, glass. Lots of mountain terrain with timber. I want to get up high early, or camp up high. The walk ridges and glass.

 

[Fullabull]

This is a good question. Plans can change multiple times in a day even. All depends on what the elk are doing, how pressured they are etc.etc. I have a spot that I go to every year and if nothing happens there in the first two days I start looking as to why. Have they eaten all the food around there, is the water source changed, is there any fresh sign? The elk may have only moved a short distance away or a couple miles away. I start trying to locate them with calls and looking in other areas for feed and sign. I think this year water will be very important as a lot of normal water spots may be dried up so find good water.
I try different areas and do a lot of locating.