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Scouting New Country, A VERY good read!

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Scouting New Country, A VERY good read!

Postby Indian Summer » 08 13, 2018 •  [Post 1]

Parts 1-3 as well as “Do Your Tag Justice” are definitely worth reading. I can really relate after just returning from what I call a prospecting trip. Think outside the box. Think big.... then think bigger. I think this guy might be my brother from another mother!

https://blog.scouttohunt.com/study-sess ... d7&mc_eid=
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Re: Scouting New Country, A VERY good read!

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 08 13, 2018 •  [Post 2]

Very good read. I like the authors resolve to NOT be comfortable with known spots but trying to scout a new spot each time he heads out.
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Re: Scouting New Country, A VERY good read!

Postby Lefty » 08 13, 2018 •  [Post 3]

"Be where the deer are"
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Re: Scouting New Country, A VERY good read!

Postby saddlesore » 08 13, 2018 •  [Post 4]

Ha.I went to a new spot this week.Found a lot of elk sign,but found out I'm not all that tough any more to get there.

What's that saying? "A man has to know his limitations". I think I found mine
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Re: Scouting New Country, A VERY good read!

Postby Indian Summer » 08 13, 2018 •  [Post 5]

saddlesore wrote:Ha.I went to a new spot this week.Found a lot of elk sign,but found out I'm not all that tough any more to get there.

What's that saying? "A man has to know his limitations". I think I found mine


I’ve found that that young partners extend your limitations. That and horses! I’m at the point where the question isn’t can I get to where I know the elk are but instead... can I get a dang elk out of there! Solve that problem and you can definitely expand your horizons.
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Re: Scouting New Country, A VERY good read!

Postby saddlesore » 08 13, 2018 •  [Post 6]

Indian Summer wrote:
saddlesore wrote:Ha.I went to a new spot this week.Found a lot of elk sign,but found out I'm not all that tough any more to get there.

What's that saying? "A man has to know his limitations". I think I found mine


I’ve found that that young partners extend your limitations. That and horses! I’m at the point where the question isn’t can I get to where I know the elk are but instead... can I get a dang elk out of there! Solve that problem and you can definitely expand your horizons.


Problem being young partners don't have horses and mules and I do, nor do they have the time off. It took me 3 &1/2 hours to get to the elk and I sure would not pack one out of there
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Re: Scouting New Country, A VERY good read!

Postby Elkduds » 08 13, 2018 •  [Post 7]

I'm subscribing to both ends of the spectrum in this thread. Scouting and hunting new country is more important to me than killing more elk. Then again, I find myself considering hunting country where I would not shoot any game because I'd never get it out. I remember Dad saying, "if you want to go hunt in there, better take the skillet." So scouting is the ticket into that country beyond my huntable limits, where all I'm packing out is my own butt.
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Re: Scouting New Country, A VERY good read!

Postby Swede » 08 13, 2018 •  [Post 8]

I scout areas then decide it is not for me to hunt. There are so many variables, that can make a difference, that we can't just draw a line paralleling a road and say, "this is the limit". Still there are limits and they keep creeping closer and closer to an open road for me.
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Re: Scouting New Country, A VERY good read!

Postby Indian Summer » 08 14, 2018 •  [Post 9]

Here’s something that I always keep in mind: When I was outfitting in Montana I was forced to do something not many people do. I use the term forced lightly. :D

I hunted the same country for 13 years. In the latter years I had been hunting it longer than the elk living there had been alive. Think about that!

Needless to say it knew every trail, hidey hole, rock stump and bump. I also got a very good education on how elk used an area from summer to winter and spring. Priceless.

So now when I go into new areas in my mind I overlay a map of that area on top of the new one. Instantly I feel more at home and have at least some idea... or a theory anyway, of where elk might be. It’s a really big help in having confidence in being able to plunge into new country and get the job done. I never use the old cliches such as “elk bed on north facing slopes” because I know that while that may be true it limits where I might consider looking for them. What if a ridge runs north/south and there are only east/west slopes? The main ridge in my original area was like that so I developed my own way of thinking.

Anyway if there’s a good spot you know well try imagining that your new area is that one and I think you’ll find it much more appealing and enjoyable to walk away from your comfort zone and learn new spots. We all get to the point where the place we call home isn’t filling our tag so knowing another spot and having a plan B is definitely a key to being successful every year.

As the guy in the article says.... putting all of your eggs in one basket probably isn’t a good idea.
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Re: Scouting New Country, A VERY good read!

Postby Lefty » 08 14, 2018 •  [Post 10]

saddlesore wrote:
Indian Summer wrote:
saddlesore wrote:Ha.I went to a new spot this week.Found a lot of elk sign,but found out I'm not all that tough any more to get there.
What's that saying? "A man has to know his limitations". I think I found mine

I’ve found that that young partners extend your limitations. That and horses! I’m at the point where the question isn’t can I get to where I know the elk are but instead... can I get a dang elk out of there! Solve that problem and you can definitely expand your horizons.

Problem being young partners don't have horses and mules and I do, nor do they have the time off. It took me 3 &1/2 hours to get to the elk and I sure would not pack one out of there


I hate being part of the geriatric club :shock:
We did find some flatter secluded ground to hunt this year :oops:
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Re: Scouting New Country, A VERY good read!

Postby Swede » 08 14, 2018 •  [Post 11]

Hunting new country, changing hunting equipment, or changing hunting styles are major shifts, and require a lot of effort. I think it best if we can do it incrementally. Check out the new area while hunting the old or right after our hunt. If you are a rifle hunter and are thinking about a bow, go out with a bow hunter a few days. If you are thinking about trying a tree stand, go there a few afternoons.
The trouble comes when we are forced to change and have no idea about the new area, new season or hunting style. I still remember hiking out of a deep canyon in a snow storm. When I got to the truck there was a rifle hunter sitting nearby in his truck. I recognized him as a local avid and successful hunter. He asked what I was doing out there. "Scouting for the next archery season" was my reply. He understood, as he did the exact same thing, and it was paying big dividends.
Some things you need to experience during the season or right after, like hunting pressure, cattle or industrial activities, elk travel patterns. The rest can be checked out on the ground earlier in the summer.
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Re: Scouting New Country, A VERY good read!

Postby Beendare » 08 14, 2018 •  [Post 12]

saddlesore wrote:
Indian Summer wrote:
saddlesore wrote:........ It took me 3 &1/2 hours to get to the elk and I sure would not pack one out of there


Bingo.........^ and thats why the elk were there....

I am such a better hunter than when I was in my 20's and 30's it ain't even funny. And I cannot cover the ground like back in those days...though I still get around pretty good.

The more I hunt OTC units the more I realize you can scout all of the good habitat you want...but hunter pressure is the numero uno factor once hunting seasons hit.
“It takes no more time to see the good side of life.... than to see the bad.”
― Jimmy Buffett

"Everybody has a plan....until they get punched in the mouth" Mike Tyson




"
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Re: Scouting New Country, A VERY good read!

Postby Indian Summer » 08 15, 2018 •  [Post 13]

Absolutely Beendare. That’s an unknown variable until you are there during hunting season. How many hunters and will they have horses are two big questions. Swede you mentioned about being forced to relocate. It happens. That’s why I believe a look at some more remote country before season is a good idea. If there were elk in the more accessible areas there are probably elk further in too. Ones that were forced to relocate just like you. It’s not so much knowing where the elk will be back there as it is knowing a route in and out and being a little familiar with the area. It’s a good head start and if nothing else gives you the confidence to go hunt the area instead of the beaten path.

I hunt and kill bulls where there are other hunters. But there’s a certain amount of pressure to out hunt them. Once you get away from the competition it’s a more relaxed state if mind which I find is conducive to success. It’s way more enjoyable too... especially if you’ve been there before.

I’m not talking 5 or more miles in. One more mile or one more ridge over can be all it takes.
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Re: Scouting New Country, A VERY good read!

Postby saddlesore » 08 15, 2018 •  [Post 14]

I have been preaching along time that the most important thing about scouting and elk hunting is figuring out where the elk go when pressured and how they get there.

Anyone should be able to go kill elk where there are no other hunters,assuming elk live there .

Where I went last week was one of the three places I mentioned a while back where I knew I could go and kill elk.It was a lot steeper and rugged ,filled with down timber, than I remember for ten years ago.

Yea, a lot of guys say get in there and do it, but every one will reach a point in their life where that isn't possible anymore. If they don't think it will happen to them they are in for a big surprise
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Re: Scouting New Country, A VERY good read!

Postby Swede » 08 15, 2018 •  [Post 15]

I am sure hoping I have found a little niche where there are elk I can hunt. I will not know if it is good until after the season starts. In July it looked like something an older hunter could handle. Hopefully there isn't an elk-nut on every ridge.
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Re: Scouting New Country, A VERY good read!

Postby Swamp Buck » 08 16, 2018 •  [Post 16]

I think this is really not doable for 90% of hunters....
My question would be, How much time does this take to "pre-scout", and move around the whole unit every year? Unless you are local, or a pro hunter, or maybe even single with no kids or a independently wealthy and don't need to work.....
I would think that MOST hunters hunt the same places year after year is because they have had success or are still learning the area better. Perhaps they dig deeper or expand the area they hunt year after year due to time constraints. Most hunt for 5-10 days a year and need to travel halfway across the country to do so. They don't have luxury of scouting "the whole unit" or different units each year, its just not feasible.

I go the school of "get to know your unit inside and out" and every year it will get better. I would love to spend 50-100 in elk country each year and scout in the summer but at this stage in my life there are too many responsibilities to make this happen. I do respect the guys that can do this and some day hope to join them, it does make you a better hunter. The reason this is a good read is that everyone would love and dreams of being able to hunt like the pro's but for most it is just dream and keeps them coming back for more.
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Re: Scouting New Country, A VERY good read!

Postby Indian Summer » 08 16, 2018 •  [Post 17]

That’s a pretty good post Swamp Buck. He is an extremist for sure when it comes to scouting. But you can get a pretty good overall look at a unit in a week. Pick trailheads that get you into the unit from opposite sides. Mark waypoints. Then when you come from the other side and get within a mile or three of them things start coming together. That way if you sift the area you know like the back of your hand and it doesn’t produce you are at least somewhat familiar with another area. Giving your main area a break and coming back is sometimes a good idea too. I don’t think any of us has time to actually go around locating specific animals but unless you have waited years for a hard to draw tag I don’t think that’s necessary.

I’m also a VERY firm believer in getting to know your regular area in extreme detail. But I’m also a believer in having more than one basket to put your eggs in.
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Re: Scouting New Country, A VERY good read!

Postby Swede » 08 16, 2018 •  [Post 18]

When I went out on my 2018 scouting trip, only two days were completely used out searching around and checking GPS spots. The temperatures were up in the 90s, so afternoons were mostly spent in camp, in the shade.
Very few of us have the ideal scouting situation. We make do with what we have and build on that. It doesn't matter what the other guys are doing. The real question is; are you making the best use of the time and opportunity you have?
I think most people think their scouting was a success if they see a lot of animals. If they see some trophy critters it is great. Personally I don't care to see any deer or elk. If they are around, they leave sign. I can set some cameras that will let me know what is in the area. Cameras can sure extend my scouting time.
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Re: Scouting New Country, A VERY good read!

Postby Indian Summer » 08 17, 2018 •  [Post 19]

I hear you about the sign Swede. I don’t have to layveyes on animals. If I do it’s a bonus. I usually know what potential the area has. August is NOT the time to see animals in the open right!

One thing worth mentioning. There’s a good chance that if you don’t at least take a peek at new areas you don’t know what you’re missing. Sometimes the grass is actually greener on the other side of the unit. I was hunting an area for quite awhile and killing elk so I was content. I had a friend telling me I really needed to check out another area. Finally I pried myself out of my comfort zone and gave it a try. I killed a 6 point bull on day one. Not only do I hunt the new area regularly but I’m also way more inclined to check out other nearby areas. Nearby meaning within 100 miles. I have a whole new attitude about moving around. My original spot is still my go to and I know it really well. But if you are a mountain man you know that there’s something exciting about exploring new country. That’s how us pale faces ended up in the Rocky Mountains in the first place.

Funny thing is I know that there are places with bigger bulls and less people than my go to area. So I agree that knowing a place like the back of your hand has a legitimate value. I guess the point is that there’s definitely a value to seeing what other places have to offer. There’s a really good chance that it’s better than where you are. Even if it’s no better but just equal having a second go to is worth something for sure. Can’t hurt to know 2 places like the back of your hand. You have two hands!
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