How do you scout for elk??

[BML]

Just curious as to how you all scout for your elk areas. I ask this because the area that we hunt is primarily just a sanctuary for cows and calves during the summer. We make several trips every summer to check to make sure the cows are still there. We never see any bulls, not even little spikes. About two weeks before the archery hunt starts, some little rag horns start showing up. Then about a week prior to the hunt, the bigger bulls show up. Then, throughout the hunt, the biggest bulls show up.

 

I have an archery bull hunt this year and I would like to try to get some nice bulls on trail cameras, or on video during my scouting. Problem is, I have no idea as to where these bulls are coming from.

 

So...how do you do it??

[swcouesfanatic]

Irregardless of where you hunt, and where the big bulls are for the summer, the best time to scout is 2 weeks before the archery hunt opens. If you already know where the cows stay year-round, or most of the year then start branching out to find where the big bulls are hanging in the heat. Most likely they are either in the bottoms of canyons that have thick cover(with plenty of shade) or up top the highest surrounding mountains in the pine areas if there are any. My past, and very deep experience has shown me that bull elk will move more than 20 miles to get into their preferred rutting grounds. You can not pinpoint them like Coues bucks. They will not spend their entire life in a 2 square mile area. The rutt has been so erradic at best the last few years, so it makes it tough to pinpoint big bulls before the hunt. I have elk hunted in Units 9, 10, 3A&3C, 22, 23, 7, etc. It is always the same in that you either get lucky before the hunt and can pin a good bull down, or you spend the first part of your hunt truly scouting. The point I am getting at is 2-fold: 1) Where the cows are when the rutt starts is where the bulls will end up, 2) the more time you can take off during the actual hunt is more beneficial during the archery rutt hunt, than spent scouting before hand. Just from my experience.

[Coues 'n' Sheep]

 

DANG, Goff!!! I've never heard you string that many words together in a conversation, much less on here!

 

Well put, buddy!

 

 

BTW.... Deer Draws are here!! I bet I know where you are putting in! Let me know if you draw and wanna hang in our circle!

[BML]

I am definitely not worried about my hunt. I know the area very well and the cows never leave. The bulls always start showing up a couple weeks before the hunt so I know they will be there as well. I was not really even trying to pinpoint a single bull before my hunt. I just wanted to try to gather a small collection of photos and video of bulls that I would possibly be hunting so that I can put something together documenting the whole experience.

 

 

 

[WHT_MTNMAN]

chute plane

[COUESAZ]

I pay houston to fly over each day and tell me what the cords are for the bull i am looking for.

 

OK OK I do not scout because i have never drawn my own tag.

[WHT_MTNMAN]

In actuallity I usually scout while I'm helping out on hunts in previous years. Since I've had only one archery bull tag in 12 years, if I waited until I had a tag I would never have gotten out. If I had a tag this year, I would know which areas I would concentrate and then as stated before about 2 weeks before season start hitting it hard. During the summer I would do as you have planned, start setting up cameras and sometimes you will get lucky, some bulls will rut close to their summer stomping plans, most will travel long distances but some are homebodies. (relatively speaking)

 

Jade if I ever use a plane to scout you can shoot me.

[deserthntr]

or just take me along houston, hey yu doing montecello this year? not trying to hijack this thread

[BML]

thanks for the tips fellas.