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Looking Forward

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Looking Forward

Postby Swede » 05 07, 2020 •  [Post 1]

I am planning a week long scouting trip for this summer. I know the area I will hunt, and have broke down my scouting to several places within a larger area. I could go back to where I was last season as it is really good, but I want to add on this general area for consideration. For you hunters that already know the area you plan to hunt, do you know where you will likely be opening morning?
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Re: Looking Forward

Postby 7mmfan » 05 07, 2020 •  [Post 2]

It changes every year. I'm pretty familiar with most of the ground I would choose to hunt, but things change. If I was going to Idaho for elk, I like to arrive 2-3 days ahead of time to glass and do some scouting. Elk are often in the same locations there, but sometimes, they're not. The area that had lots of elk that I killed my bull in 2 years ago was a ghost town last year. The series of canyons that had 50 elk and a couple bulls the year before, had just a small group with a couple spikes this last year. Things change.

In WA, specifically western WA, we're hunting blacktails on timber company land. That changes by the month as new cuts appear, and older ones get replanted, or grow up to thick to hunt anymore. New roads get punched, timber gets thinned, it's a dynamic environment and you have to be familiar with it to be successful.

I'm going to spend my time backpacking into the alpine to scout this year. I've only hunted high a couple of times, and it's becoming an addiction. I plan on doing 4-5 weekend backpacking trips this summer into 2 specific areas so I can learn them better.
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Re: Looking Forward

Postby Lefty » 05 07, 2020 •  [Post 3]

I’m going to answer Swedes question before I read 7’s

Realistically we have 6-7 places to start. Likely we will decide the night before
Are ther cow or sheep!
Where is the grease sign
Who is at the trail head or has camp nearby

Overall I’ve tend to hit the easy places early then move away when others show up
We have a few areas we haven’t come across others ( they hunt there , we go left they go right they go up we go down. Works well for each of us
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Re: Looking Forward

Postby saddlesore » 05 07, 2020 •  [Post 4]

Go back to the same place every year in ML and Rifle.This coming year ,no rifle though but I have killed 4 bulls from the same stump Should have been 5 in 2019,but I missed. ML,if I don't see one,I usually push them past my hunting partner opening day
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Re: Looking Forward

Postby Indian Summer » 05 08, 2020 •  [Post 5]

Absolutely! I know where I’ll be on days 1, 2, 3 and 4. After that Swede suggests that I become versatile so I’ll play it by ear. Hopefully on day 4 though I’ll be at the meat processor!
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Re: Looking Forward

Postby Elkhunttoo » 05 08, 2020 •  [Post 6]

If I’m archery hunting my trail cameras will determine what spot I am sitting opening day.

If I get lucky and draw the rifle tag I know what ridge I will be in but not sure as to exactly where I will be. The day before will tell me that though.

I’m a couple weeks away from getting trail cameras up so I will share some pics when they start coming in.

All of my hunting will be in Idaho
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Re: Looking Forward

Postby Billy Goat » 05 08, 2020 •  [Post 7]

I put together "hunt plans" in pretty substantial detail and have detailed about 45 in total for our unit in Colorado.

the guys that I hunt with typically pick one of my hunt options and do those.

about 3-8 of those constitute my favorite hunts. scouting preseason tells me which one I want to pursue opening day.

shane
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Re: Looking Forward

Postby Indian Summer » 05 08, 2020 •  [Post 8]

Sounds like you have your ducks in a row Billy Goat. Welcome to Wapiti Talk. How about a little introduction?
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Re: Looking Forward

Postby Swede » 05 08, 2020 •  [Post 9]

It is good to have you post on WapitiTalk Billy Goat. Feel free to join in the conversations.
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Re: Looking Forward

Postby Indian Summer » 05 09, 2020 •  [Post 10]

Swede wrote:It is good to have you post on WapitiTalk Billy Goat. Feel free to join in the conversations.

The guy has 45 detailed hunt plans Swede. OMG we might be related! Brothers from another mother. I’m calling Maury Povich to set up the DNA test! :lol:
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Re: Looking Forward

Postby Swede » 05 09, 2020 •  [Post 11]

I just hope Billy does not have a hunt plan for where I am setting up my tree stands. :D
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Re: Looking Forward

Postby Indian Summer » 05 09, 2020 •  [Post 12]

Don’t worry Swede he’s down there in the state with the largest population of elk. It takes 45 plans to find one though!

Is it ok to tease a newcomer? :lol:
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Re: Looking Forward

Postby Swede » 05 09, 2020 •  [Post 13]

Indian Summer wrote:Is it ok to tease a newcomer?


I do not know about that, but I am an equal opportunity harasser.

Where are Lefty and Tigger when I need them. They are fun to nail with my keyboard.
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Re: Looking Forward

Postby Billy Goat » 05 09, 2020 •  [Post 14]

Indian Summer wrote:Is it ok to tease a newcomer? :lol:


hah! perfectly okay.

sorry. we've been on common forums before. I lost track of yall several years back. I used to use a different forum handle, but Billy Goat fits me. :)

I'm from north TX. bowhunt odd years OTC (well..... I used to....) and rifle hunt even years in a CO draw unit.

Last year we hunted in 2nd rifle so some of us could hunt muleys. my bunch got crazy lucky and killed 2 muleys, one bull, one bear and a Dodge transmission. :)

in 2021, we're planning a general rifle tag trip to Wyoming. none of us have hunted WY before, so that'll be a whole new round of hunt planning... :)

shane
"First teach a child to love God,
teach them second to love their family
and third, teach them to hunt and fish,
and by the time they reach their teens, no dope peddler under the sun will ever teach them anything".

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Re: Looking Forward

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 05 09, 2020 •  [Post 15]

Welcome aboard Goat. Glad to have you at our campfire.
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Re: Looking Forward

Postby Indian Summer » 05 09, 2020 •  [Post 16]

Billy Goat wrote:
Indian Summer wrote:Is it ok to tease a newcomer? :lol:


hah! perfectly okay.

sorry. we've been on common forums before. I lost track of yall several years back. I used to use a different forum handle, but Billy Goat fits me. :)

I'm from north TX. bowhunt odd years OTC (well..... I used to....) and rifle hunt even years in a CO draw unit.

Last year we hunted in 2nd rifle so some of us could hunt muleys. my bunch got crazy lucky and killed 2 muleys, one bull, one bear and a Dodge transmission. :)

in 2021, we're planning a general rifle tag trip to Wyoming. none of us have hunted WY before, so that'll be a whole new round of hunt planning... :)

shane

What was your previous handle out of curiosity?
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Re: Looking Forward

Postby Billy Goat » 05 10, 2020 •  [Post 17]

I used to go by "jswbga", which means something to me, but doesnt sound near as cool as "Indian Summer" or "Swede".
"First teach a child to love God,
teach them second to love their family
and third, teach them to hunt and fish,
and by the time they reach their teens, no dope peddler under the sun will ever teach them anything".

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Re: Looking Forward

Postby Lefty » 05 10, 2020 •  [Post 18]

Swede wrote:
Indian Summer wrote:Is it ok to tease a newcomer?

I do not know about that, but I am an equal opportunity harasser.
Where are Lefty and Tigger when I need them. They are fun to nail with my keyboard.


Give the guy a few more posts before giving him a hard time

Oh: Welcome aboard Billy,
Dont follow to close behind Swede, or get in front ,, he spews the same stuff at both ends :)

On maybe a serious note,..what is included in your 45 plans! is it 6 or 7 plans for different types of camps, different units , different weapons, calendaring, options off of one trailhead,,,.. If you dont mind, toss one plan.
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Re: Looking Forward

Postby Billy Goat » 05 10, 2020 •  [Post 19]

I have two maps on the wall. Each are to the same scale. one is a topo, the other, an aerial of the same space.

when I'm laying out a plan,
I pick a "block" of the map. No more than a mile or two, square,
pour a scotch & ice and I imagine being an elk in that area of the map.

I try and think (as if an elk), if I lived there,
what would I eat?
where would I drink?
where would my security cover be? (bedroom)
where would "trouble" (hunters) come from?
how would hunters normal travel (road or foot) mess up that up?
how would I travel between water, food, lodging?
then I try to figure out where to sit to catch them in transition.

once I nail down all that stuff, I type up a specific plan, assuming I knew nothing of the plan (cause I put some of these plans together in 2015, but will execute them in 2020, or 2022, etc). also, it may be a friend who is "doing" the hunt.

the hunt plan starts with how to get to the parking spot, where to park, how to get to the morning "sit" spot. where elk might be coming from, etc. then a fallback plan in the likely event that the morning plan is unfruitful.

I use the Garmin Basemap software (w/topo loaded) and Google Earth with relevant waypoints shown and I put ALL of that info in a powerpoint slideshow, with 1 hunt per page on an 11x17. Prior to season start, I color print one set of the hunt plans per hunter. whoever is hunting that "hunt" just tears that page out of their book and uses it for the process. as a bonus, it gives them paper to take notes on, write lessons learn or commentary on what they saw. it's pretty handy and my campmates are greatly appreciative. All that said.... our harvest rates are pretty typical for our units. So all that planning doesnt ensure anything. Sometimes the hunts are a TOTAL bust. ie.... one of them is geared around a big grassy hillside as the regional food source. well, that grassy hillside turned out to be a 1/4 mile long rockslide! not so great a hunt plan!:)
"First teach a child to love God,
teach them second to love their family
and third, teach them to hunt and fish,
and by the time they reach their teens, no dope peddler under the sun will ever teach them anything".

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Re: Looking Forward

Postby Swede » 05 10, 2020 •  [Post 20]

I have not made a definite plan for just where I will hunt or camp this coming season. It will depend on what I find out after scouting, and then later checking my trail cameras. There could very well be a spike camp start to the hunt.

Lefty wrote:Don't follow to close behind Swede, or get in front ,, he spews the same stuff at both ends
Maybe it was my career with the Forest Service that has made me something like Smokey the Bear. Smokey had two main things he used in defense of the forest. He had his nose which he used to detect fires. Then he had his shovel which he used to put them out. Swede has two things he uses to deal with nonsense; 1. his eyes, and 2. his fingers on the keyboard. The State and the F.S. never pointed it out, but from and distance I watched Smokey spank the little brats that were playing with matches and caused the fire. To paraphrase Lefty; don't mess with a sleeping bear. :D
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Re: Looking Forward

Postby Billy Goat » 05 10, 2020 •  [Post 21]

my most rewarding hunt yet (2016) was when I sat on a hillside in pretty thick cover between feed+bedroom on a particularly convenient (for the elk) travel contour. That contour was the flattest travel path between feed + bedroom. they could have used other paths, but it would have required more climbing/descent. it was a lazy path for them, but not particularly easy to get to for me!

I could only see about 10-50 yards in most directions. Literally standing in the middle of the woods, just leaning against a tree.

at about 10am, two mule deer came through, followed by two cows, followed by a good 5x5. I shot that bull at 19 yards, broadside and completely unaware.

last year, my dad took a similar 5x5 sitting in a (vertically) obvious travel funnel between two drainages. I had laid out that hunt as well. again, very satisfying.....
"First teach a child to love God,
teach them second to love their family
and third, teach them to hunt and fish,
and by the time they reach their teens, no dope peddler under the sun will ever teach them anything".

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Re: Looking Forward

Postby Billy Goat » 05 10, 2020 •  [Post 22]

also worth noting....

in my "hunt plans" I also specify appx how much round trip mileage to expect and how much vertical gain to plan for. this is particularly helpful for some of our crew who are "less spry" physical condition. Some of my guys are triathletes, some are getting on in years.

I also note in the plans the names of guys who have hunted that hunt before, so we can ask each other for info about specific hunts.
"First teach a child to love God,
teach them second to love their family
and third, teach them to hunt and fish,
and by the time they reach their teens, no dope peddler under the sun will ever teach them anything".

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Re: Looking Forward

Postby Swede » 05 10, 2020 •  [Post 23]

Am I missing something here Billy? You sit down before a map and a satellite photo with some booze, and try to think like an elk. I can understand how the scotch helps you think on a lower level alright, but honestly. I too put circles on a map hoping to find elk in the area, but I call it "scouting", and no one in their right mind would pay me for it. What am I missing? ;)

BTW: How much Scotch is needed before you can chuckle and grunt like an old bull?
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Re: Looking Forward

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 05 10, 2020 •  [Post 24]

A simple scotch on ice or two won’t cloud a hunting planners judgement too much Swede (I can attest to that from my days gone by ;) ...). And, I don’t think Billy G sells hunt plans. I’m thinking he and his group just share them. If he was in the business of selling them, he’d have to sign up as an advertising sponsor on WapitiTalk (through me) before he would be sanctioned to proceed.
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Re: Looking Forward

Postby Swede » 05 10, 2020 •  [Post 25]

WapitiTalk1 wrote: I don’t think Billy G sells hunt plans. I’m thinking he and his group just share them. If he was in the business of selling them, he’d have to sign up as an advertising sponsor on WapitiTalk (through me) before he would be sanctioned to proceed.


OH! I thought he was something unique like Indian Joe. So what's the big deal? Don't we all do that?
I am looking forward to going out this summer to check out a few of my son's and my hunt plans to see the merits, or lack thereof. Some of my hunt plans are really good. Some are best used to wrap fish guts or something similar. I use boot leather instead of Scotch to formulate my detailed plans.
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Re: Looking Forward

Postby Billy Goat » 05 10, 2020 •  [Post 26]

WapitiTalk1 wrote: And, I don’t think Billy G sells hunt plans.


oh HECK no.
1. my plans arent worth paying for
2. there is NO WAY I could be profitable at it.

it just gives me a way to "hunt" the other 51 weeks of the year. hard to scout via bootleather from TX!!

sorry. I didnt mean to derail the thread if thats what I've done. =/
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and third, teach them to hunt and fish,
and by the time they reach their teens, no dope peddler under the sun will ever teach them anything".

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Re: Looking Forward

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 05 10, 2020 •  [Post 27]

Nope, you’re fine BG. Again, glad to have you back on board ;)
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Re: Looking Forward

Postby Swede » 05 10, 2020 •  [Post 28]

Thanks Billy for the clarification. I think I hunt about 51 weeks of the year, but mine is a little different. I relax for a week after a month long hunt, then I go back to looking at maps and G.E. to think about next season. I don't think you derailed anything that could not be improved by derailing it.
I apologize for stepping on you from the get go. All of the cats here keep their tails tucked in tight, as they have learned that Swede is clumsy and will step on it. :D
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Re: Looking Forward

Postby Indian Summer » 05 11, 2020 •  [Post 29]

Your success rates would be higher if you switched to bourbon. Works VERY well for me. Just sayin’.
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Re: Looking Forward

Postby 7mmfan » 05 11, 2020 •  [Post 30]

Indian Summer wrote:Your success rates would be higher if you switched to bourbon. Works VERY well for me. Just sayin’.


This. Scotch isn't fit for drinking as far as I'm concerned. I once had a client on one of my guided fly fishing trips not tip me because I didn't enjoy his 20 year old single barrel scotch. And I was ok with it. That's how much I don't like Scotch... and that guy. Bourbon on the other hand... elk basically give them selves up. ;)

I had never done much direct hunt planning before I started hunting out of state a few years ago. What an eye opener. I now have a legit online hunt planning setup with 2 20" monitors attached to my tablet. I have OnX, Google Earth, and various other informational windows open at one time so I can cross reference. My first year I had 10 hunt plans labeled and mapped, saved to devices with notes before I ever stepped foot in the country. However, once I stepped foot in the country I realized those plans were a little ambitious and I had to reevaluate. Now, with 4 years under my belt in that ground, I've been able to revamp and create some legit hunt plans, that actually work out. As you said Billy Goat, it is QUITE satisfying.
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Re: Looking Forward

Postby Tigger » 05 11, 2020 •  [Post 31]

Billy G,
Just be careful about ol' Swede-a-rooni or he will try and convince you that paradise is sitting in a tree hoping for an elk to wander by. Oh he chimes in on most everything, but he is only one or two posts max from fabricating virtues associated with tree stand hunting. Most of the time, we just let his drivel and blather go to make him feel good! :lol: :lol: If he gives you any grief, turn him around, pat him on the back and tell him to go eat his oatmeal (he rarely puts his teeth in anymore thus soft foods only). :shock:

Oh, and welcome to the forum! I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts on hunting elk and stories. Yep, we love story time!

RJ, you need a "ducking" emoticon so I can use it after I lob one at Swede!
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Re: Looking Forward

Postby Billy Goat » 05 11, 2020 •  [Post 32]

Indian Summer wrote:Your success rates would be higher if you switched to bourbon. Works VERY well for me. Just sayin’.


fear not. I'm ambidrinksterous. I like bourbon just fine too with a preference for Makers Mark.
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teach them second to love their family
and third, teach them to hunt and fish,
and by the time they reach their teens, no dope peddler under the sun will ever teach them anything".

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Re: Looking Forward

Postby Swede » 05 11, 2020 •  [Post 33]

Just remember; Swede is keeping an eye on you characters and is taking notes. :shock:
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Re: Looking Forward

Postby Swede » 05 11, 2020 •  [Post 34]

Billy: All of the really intelligent people here write in Swede" for the monthly photo contest vote. Those that can't remember how to spell "Swede" just vote by a click of their mouse. I think I need five votes now, and you could submit all of them.
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