Elk Scouting: Where to Begin

[Indian Summer]

This post started out as a reply to DaleL's thread. But then I thought that the subject itself was worthy of it's own thread. Maybe even one for the Archived Tips section. Where to begin is a very common question. Even for hunters with experience who are going into a new area. So I'll start with my 2 cents and maybe others can chime in with their thoughts on where they begin or what they believe to be a consistent money spot for finding elk.

First, there is absolutely no set distance for "how far off the beaten path" you should be looking. Further is definitely NOT always better. Where elk hang is based on habitat as well as security and there are many overlooked spots fairly close to roads. Although you may consider avoiding a major trailhead which is sure to attract at least some hunting pressure. Better to pull of at a random spot on a road than at a place that is a designated parking area.

As for where to begin.... that's hard to say because there is no set elevation either. But... if I go into an area blind the first thing I zero in on is the elevation where water pops out of the ground. The heads of any creeks and springs. The heads of every major and minor drainage. For that topo maps are way better than Google earth. GE is for sight seeing! I only go back to it to verify cover and open areas once I've narrowed things down on the topos. Looking at topos it won't take long to realize that in any given area the elevation where water sources begin is relatively the same. If it pops out at 7000 feet on one side of the drainage it will likely do the same on the other side. Also the very head of the drainage in between will likely sit at the same elevation. To a degree elk scouting is also a lesson in geography. To take that theory a step further if you pay attention you will see benches at the same elevation. They may not jump right out to the untrained eye. They don't necessarily have to be big wide super flat benches. Just a band between those water sources where the contour line are a bit further apart than the ones above and below them. AND... quite often the lower saddles on finger ridges will be at that same elevation and on the spine of those ridges is where you can really see prominent flat spots. Those are where elk often bed too. Now you're on the right track. So the elk will travel those benches from water to water and to bed. Also if you look just above where the water actually surfaces that is where you will find the wallows. Water will seep out of the ground steadily before it actually becomes surface water. Another lesson in geography.

One other thing abut those higher areas. From there it easy for elk to disappear in a flash by jumping downhill. It's also easy for them to retreat by going up over the top to the opposite slope into a whole other world. They can smell everything downslope from them via the thermals. And quite often the steepest stuff around is above them, maybe even above timberline, so they can here rocks tumbling down from above where it's harder to keep solid footing. Last... if it is on a north slope their routine may be to spend the day there bedding... and then sidehill on up over the top and then cross over to the other side, maybe through a saddle, where there is southern exposure and feed. Bedding on a north slope and feeding on a south one is a common scenario.

I hope that all makes sense. It's definitely something to keep in mind when you are in the mountains. There are many geographic similarities from one elk area to another. The more time you spend up there the clearer it will become "how mountains are put together" so to speak. The benefit of understanding that is that when you move from one spot to another it's not like you are in completely unfamiliar country. You can use your experience in one area to relate to what's going on in another.

Of course nothing is set in stone when it comes to elk. They will be at other elevations too. In really big country there will likely be more than one set of benches. But I have found that the highest water and the highest benches in any given area is a money spot. Elk WILL be there at some point and therefore it is as good a spot as any to begin.

Good luck!

[DaleL]

Excellent post. Being new to elk I am like a sponge. Keep it coming.

While mule deer hunting in the Medicine Bow mtns of Wyoming I came across an area and wallows just like you wrote about. I can relate and will try to find something similar when scouting.

[Heartwood]

We have been forced to switch areas before, due to fire events taking place in mid to late summer and had to scramble to scout new areas. We found that some google earth images were captured in the spring season and we could see any green lush areas around water and wallow sources. I am and continue to be a topo map guy but GE is a large part of my scouting now. As Joe said, benches can be found by scanning the topos for sure. There are many smaller benches that can't be seen on topos and the elk usually lead us to these with their sounds. Some of these small benches have really turned into very productive hunting spots. I'm talking 1000' to 1500' off the bottom in very steep country. Steep terrain can deter the crowds just as much as miles of distance. As Joe said, there are many good spots close to roads that get over looked but most of these spots for us are very vertical. I've been hunting elk for many years now and am still surprised every year at some of the places we find elk living. Some spots with pressure and close to roads and mostly hidaways in vertical terrain that at first don't look very "elkie".

[Indian Summer]

Man Matt that is a really good point! If I am riding down a highway in good elk country and there is a rock cliff that runs several miles I always think... where can I get up above that. If it really is hard to find a way it's almost certain there will be good hunting right on top. Same goes for a road that runs along a river. Not many if any hunters will take the time to cross. One spot I know in Wyoming is a canoe ride away from really good numbers of elk and some great bulls. There are also some places where there are miles of super steep rocky cliffs on the other side of that river. I actually come from the other side and work my way to the lip of those cliffs. I have NEVER gone there without seeing multiple 6 point bulls.

I guess the point is that, as you said, geographic features can be as good or better than lots of miles to get away from people.

[DaleL]

I wonder in some of these locations if bulls are there only after getting pushed out of another area once the season starts or do they have a home range like a whitetail. Albeit a much larger one.

[Indian Summer]

I would say it's not so much "Once the season starts" as it is once their life starts. Over the generations it just becomes the place to be. Of course most places have spots where elk seek refuge once pressure is on. As a matter of fact the one I mentioned above does have elk in other places that quickly move toward there and join the elk that never seem to leave there.

[Sparky]

I'm sure most of you on here already know this but the colorado hunting atlas is a great resource for anybody looking for a good topo map. It also allows you to switch between the topo, aerial, and road map for some long distance scouting of a new area. http://ndismaps.nrel.colostate.edu/huntingatlas/

[DaleL]

Sparky, thanks for posting the link. I was looking for that. I use Wisconsin's and South Dakota's but was unable to come up with the one for Colorado.

[CurlyTail]

The Colorado Hunting Atlas is a wealth of information. You can select Elk as the species, and use the slider bar to determine if your area of interest is summer range, winter range, or migration corridor. You can also use slider bar to determine public vs. private land ownership, and yet another slider bar for Forest Service Vehicle use maps. You can choose between Topo map, aerial map, and road map the highlight various features. For instance, the road map, emphasizes roads to help find roadless areas to scout. Amazing source of information for Colorado.

Interesting observation about North face bedding Elk, and South Face feeding areas rather than always downhill creek bottom feeding areas. I have observed that elk will come down close to roads at night but seldom during daylight hours to get to prime habitat.