Wapiti Talk | Elk Hunting Forum | Elk Hunting Tips
 

Scouting For Elk!

Moderators: Swede, Tigger, Lefty, Indian Summer, WapitiTalk1

Re: Scouting For Elk!

Postby ElkNut1 » 06 01, 2012 •  [Post 1]

As elk make their return from migration in late May & June it's necessary to consider your units to know where elk can be found! Some head to the high country where elevations may vary 9000' to 12000' this is common in Colorado & neighboring states, there's little snow to speak about at this time to hinder their travel & calving time. Other elk are found in lower elevations in different terrain & some elk do not migrate, all depends where you hunt. During these early Summer dates elk will seek out specific parts of the Mtn as they they make their way to these destination areas. Such places that warrant consideration are north faces, these faces can help keep body temps down during the hot months, there are other sides of the Mtn where this can be accomplished such areas with aspen pockets, heavy timber or juniper/pinion areas that may stay very cool as well, so don't overlook South, West & East face slopes. You can find elk up high above timberline near the tops of ridges all the way down to the basin floor in non- timberline areas depending on time of day, these are all great areas to be glassing into, why, because elk seek out these wide open areas to feed, glass for them from vantage points especially first couple hours of light & last few hours of light, the larger the area you can see the better. If you're miles in & it's an all day adventure then glass all day with intermittent rests on the Mtn. you never know when elk will be up & moving about. It's very common to find bulls a bit higher up in their own bachelor groups especially the bigger bulls in these Summer ranges. Large groups of cow herds with smaller bulls amongst them is par for the course at this time, they are generally separated from these bachelor groups of bigger bulls but not far off, nothing written in stone here, smaller bulls can be found in these bachelor groups too! Winds are more prevalent & a little stronger in the more open areas thus insects avoid these mostly treeless windy areas as they can be a huge nuisance to elk. Abundant feed & water is generally nearby in these Summer early fall haunts no matter the area you're scouting. Consider burned areas as well, you will be able to see well through the burnt toothpicks that were once trees, fresh browse can grow abundantly & can really attract elk to these areas. Glass, glass & glass some more, elk seem to pop up out of nowhere at times! Make sure you use quality optics, if not, glassing will be a burden to you, headaches & watery eyes can be expected from low quality optics. A good pair of 10X42 binos & a good Spotting Scope is essential, 60MM-65MM Spotters are generally the choice of most hunters for packing purposes. Consider a tripod mount for your binos too!-

ElkNut1
ElkNut1
ElkNut/Paul
 
Posts: 4673
Joined: 05 11, 2012
Location: Idaho

cron