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Scouting Plans

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Scouting Plans

Postby Swede » 05 13, 2019 •  [Post 1]

I plan to head out in early July to scout for a week and set up cameras. I have a few tree stand sites to prepare and a few new locations I have found on maps and have the coordinates for. Hopefully it is warm and dry without being too hot. Partly it is just a great time to be back in the elk woods. The snow should all be gone then except a little in the craggy tops of the mountain peaks. By then I will have heard that I got no special draw tags and it is back to the OTC situation. Actually I don't care if I draw or don't. I wonder why I got started putting in for limited entry hunt areas.
What are some of your scouting plans?
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Re: Scouting Plans

Postby Elkhntr08 » 05 13, 2019 •  [Post 2]

In Wyoming right now doing a little scouting/ bear hunting. I would be if I hadn’t caught a nasty head cold on the way out here.
Just driving around for a couple days has helped a bunch. Looking at doing a hike tomorrow up a closed road. Hopefully I can get close to my A spot and check out B and C.
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Re: Scouting Plans

Postby Indian Summer » 05 14, 2019 •  [Post 3]

I usually make an August trip. I go hike my hunting area just for fun. No need to scout really. I might pack a wood stove up the mountain to save a trip during hunting season. But I’ll also take the time to prospect new areas. I always have the next great area on the radar. I have to make sure I have some great trees picked out for the day Swede ventures out of his comfort zone and buys a hunt plan!

This year my trip will be a little later. Labor Day weekend, because I have a wedding to go to out there. That’ll be an all weekend event with kayaking and campfires. My friend and hunting parter who is tying the knot also bought a house. The property is all fenced for horses with a good sized garage.... for me to keep gear in. Finally a solid home base!!! I think I’m as excited as he is. Probably more since I don’t have to pay the mortgage. A “budget house” around Jackson is 375 grand.

Like Swede I’ll just be happy to get back into elk country. Anything I actually accomplish will be a bonus.
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Re: Scouting Plans

Postby BrentLaBere » 05 14, 2019 •  [Post 4]

Late July ealy August are the times for me. Nothing set on the calendar yet. I have other scouting plans for North Dakota this year that might mess with things.
Yup, scouting trip simply needs to be fun. Putting on some miles, glassing early mornings and evenings but that part cant interfere with my fishing times. Drive the roads a bit and check out possible access and camping spots. Road conditions can play a big factor during the season if the weather gets bad. Testing any new gear if possible too.
Its always nice to find elk. Especially the cows.
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Re: Scouting Plans

Postby Swede » 05 14, 2019 •  [Post 5]

I appreciate you keeping an eye out for me. Maybe someday, but I suspect the next time I leave the State it will be with my rifle. I should put that old 338W back in business. I think the old Model 70 needs another adventure. I would have no idea where to go, so I will contact you when it is time.
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Re: Scouting Plans

Postby Lefty » 05 14, 2019 •  [Post 6]

Elkhntr08 wrote:ow doing a little scouting/ bear hunting. I would be if I hadn’t caught a nasty head cold on the way out here.
Just driving around ,,,,,,,,C.


I scout all year long when I’m atv’ing hiking, camping, and bear hunting

A bit over a week ago we set bear bait. I was surprised the elk used the exact same track leaving the winter range as they did leaving the forest in November. While we saw lots of scattered elk we did se a migrating herd, we could see 125, so was there double or triple that moving together.
I guess I could call it all scouting. But other than one year
When I kept a close eye on one bull
I just like being out there experiencing and learning whatever happens
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Re: Scouting Plans

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 05 14, 2019 •  [Post 7]

Off to the spud state for 5ish days mid July to put boots on ground in a new area; if it looks good, we'll hunt it in SEP, if not, back to our old area a bit farther north for archery elk. Early/mid August for a long weekend in WA to check out an old archery area that now has a ML season, 5-11 OCT (will be packing the new smoke pole for WA Wapiti this year). Some various weekends here and there to dig around in some local deer/elk areas for the late season adventures in WA.
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Re: Scouting Plans

Postby Indian Summer » 05 15, 2019 •  [Post 8]

WapitiTalk1 wrote:Off to the spud state for 5ish days mid July to put boots on ground in a new area; if it looks good, we'll hunt it in SEP, if not, back to our old area a bit farther north for archery elk. Early/mid August for a long weekend in WA to check out an old archery area that now has a ML season, 5-11 OCT (will be packing the new smoke pole for WA Wapiti this year). Some various weekends here and there to dig around in some local deer/elk areas for the late season adventures in WA.


6 weeks until you can buy a Wyoming elk point. I’m really excited to hear what you have ti say after you hunt there.
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Re: Scouting Plans

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 05 15, 2019 •  [Post 9]

Yep, buying another WY point this year. I'll get down there at some point ;) .
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Re: Scouting Plans

Postby 7mmfan » 05 20, 2019 •  [Post 10]

Doing my first actual scouting trip to Idaho in a few weeks. We've hunted it for 4 years now, but as is the case when hunting, you dial into where your best known chance of success is and work it, limiting how much time you spend in new ground. It will be nice to be there with no pressure and go exploring for a few days.

I'll also scout locally for blacktail and bear. It's timber company land so it's really just riding around on a bike and finding the new clear cuts and a few good spots to glass from.
I hunt therefore I am. I fish therefore I lie.
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Re: Scouting Plans

Postby Indian Summer » 05 21, 2019 •  [Post 11]

7mmfan wrote:We've hunted it for 4 years now.


That made me think of something. One time I walked through an area I had never been in. I had been in all the area surrounding it but not in that exact grove of trees. I couldn’t believe the rubs. Hundreds of them! So the next bow season I went back. No sign of elk at all. Sometimes when you hunt an area it leaves you thinking how you’ve really learned some things to carry over into the next season. But it doesn’t always work that way. The saying there is never put all your eggs in one basket. When I scout I enjoy looking over where I think they will be. But I know I’m going to hunt there so other than fun what’s the point? It’s probably more important to look at other places and make sure your backup plans are ready.
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Re: Scouting Plans

Postby Swede » 05 21, 2019 •  [Post 12]

As a tree stand hunter I am always looking for another great spot to set a tree stand. None are perfect, but I keep looking anyway.
I.S. brought out a good point about changes from season to season. When I go to scout an area, I have some ideas where I think I may hunt, but am never sure. Things change. The location that was being used heavily last season may be like an old elk ghost town this year. I have as many back up locations as I can scout out effectively in my one week of July trip. I go back five days before the season opener to check tree stand locations again and see what in on my trail cameras. Due to circumstances I sometimes don't get a summer scouting trip. It always makes things more difficult and can lead to an unfilled elk tag at the end of September.
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Re: Scouting Plans

Postby MtnOak » 05 22, 2019 •  [Post 13]

For us easterners getting out there to scout is a tuff thing to do, but I’m thinking I may be able to put a long weekend together maybe July and fly out there and maybe put a few cameras up, I dunno everything will have to work out right for me to do that, I’m afraid I will push some elk out of there doing that not to mention maybe get a camera or SD card stolen, not getting the time to get acclimated and just hitting the Mtn full force getting over to where I want cameras has me a little concerned also.

I do take a stand with me every year but never use it, you would think as a whitetail hunter I’d be in that thing the whole time but I cannot make myself do it out there knowing I’ll be sitting in one the rest of the year here at home.
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Re: Scouting Plans

Postby Lefty » 05 22, 2019 •  [Post 14]

I’m currently in front of a canyon I have never been within 5 miles I’ll be putting a bear bait and camera up shortly
I discovered this canyon solely by map work
Satalite to ID vegetation type
Topos for elevation road use and water I compared and contrasded a series of canyons
I didn’t need to spend much time to understand what o was looking at
However when living a long ways off map time is well spent
As far as bumping game while in an area a few suggestions hike in quietly on foot and glass from a distance
When possible
Stay out of bedding areas or potential bedding areas
The reality you will need to get into where the elk are and poke around some
Mid summer the elk tend to not bump hard
If elk spot you let them see you walk away
With that said as soon as the realize hunting season is on they will move to areas of less pressure
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