scouting

[bnsafe]

so when do you guys start scouting. think im gonna start looking in a couple weeks unless we get more snow. i would KILL to find a elk shed and would do whatever it takes to find a moose shed.

[Swede]

It depends on whether I make one or two scouting trips. If I make two, the first will be around July 1st and the second around August 10. If I skip one, then I will only go for the August trip.

[cnelk]

I combine summer camping/fishing trips in scouting trips.
Probably about 5-6 per summer
There is always something new to see!

[bnsafe]

i dont think i can wait that long, couple weeks maybe

[Swede]

I think it is largely a matter of how far we need to travel. When I lived close by, I spent many Fridays and Saturdays out scouting. Now it is an eight hour drive each way, so I don't go as often. Also I am very familiar with my hunting area, so the need is not the same.

[ctdad]

Hunting a new state this year. I have a scouting trip planned for the last weekend in June. I can't go later in the summer due to work. I have many things to figure out on my trip. 1. Location for base camp. 2. Road access to multiple drainages 3. Boots on the ground and look over the elk habitat.

A lot of this work has already begun with maps, satellite images, etc, but there is nothing better than getting there. It will be a 14 hour drive when I go hunt in September. It will be a plane ride in June.

What else would you focus on for a scouting trip that I'm not thinking of?

[cnelk]

What else would you focus on for a scouting trip that I'm not thinking of?

Take your wind indicator with you. Check the air currents frequently. The wind will be the same in summer as it is in the fall.
Its good to know wind drift prior to hunting a new area...

Cell phone coverage - some may want this, others may not.

[ctdad]

Wind. Absolute nugget of gold there. Thanks!

[bowhunterty]

Memorial Day weekend depending on the snow level. And I combine camping/backpacking trips into my scouting throughout the summer. At least once a month until the season starts. More depending on work.

[bnsafe]

im hopin to look for some sheds in a couple weeks.