How do you pick an area to hunt?

[elkhuntfever]

Colorado elk application is in. Now the wait begins. My question for you fellas, how do/did you pick your specific area to hunt? For example, lets say you have been drawn for a certain unit in the state, how do you narrow it down to an area or even down to a certain drainage to hunt? What do you look for?

[Swede]

I have done a lot of things to investigate an area including talking with the State game biologists and Forest Service people on the ground. Ultimately it comes down to what I find on the ground. I know this puts out of State hunters at a disadvantage, but there is no substitute for seeing fresh sign, or seeing elk on your trail camera. Asking others can get you in the right vicinity, but it will take some scouting and often years of experience to figure a unit out.
The good part is that you can hunt and scout at the same time if need be, and you have a chance to score. Also the next year you are more likely to get a bull. For several years you will get to know an area better and better and will improve your odds on success. Likely you will do some things right and some things wrong. That too will make you a better hunter. Best wishes & Persevere.

[WapitiTalk1]

Agree with Swede X2. It's tough to get in the groove of a specific area w/o hunting it for several to many years. That said, embrace the remote research; it's a big part of an enjoyable hunt! Remote research includes pouring over GE, Acme Mapper, CalTopo, etc. and ultimately having the 7.5 M topos in your hot little hands to study and learn from is a big part of the process. I have located bedding areas, travel routes, wallows, natural salt licks, etc., by pouring over on line mapping tools and hard copy topos. Is it 100% guaranteed that ID'ing a good looking spot on a map translates into bedding areas, feeding areas, wallow/water points, etc. on the ground? Heck no but sometimes it works out just fine. Trail system restrictions/allowances (motorized vehicles, big USFS trail systems that many will potentially use for ingress/regress, ponies only, etc.) is data to consider dependent on the type of hunt you plan on doing. Oftentimes, there are some really nice areas that are road less/trail less which can be accessed by busting up a steep side hill off a gravel road, or, by contouring the head end of a large draw, etc., ... think about and target areas that seem pretty difficult to get to without trail systems; they can be nice little spots which hold wapiti. Now, who to call and talk to? Swede mentioned a few which are spot on. Game BIO's, USFS personnel, are both good point of contacts for remote research (I would add local meat processors, pack out businesses, and even taxidermists; after all, when you talk to them they're are essentially working for your business and may be a bit more willing to give you some tips as it may ultimately benefit them). Be careful about the questions you ask any local personnel. Ask general questions about areas, i.e., hunting pressure, quantity of camps normally seen during XXX season. If you get too specific, they may clam up or offer areas that aren't necessarily the best. If at all possible, it certainly benefits a hunter to put BOG prior to hunting an area. If not possible, you just gotta do the best you can with your remote research to maximize your odds.

[Indian Summer]

Word of mouth. I talk to other people who hunt and guide. That's my starting point.

I've been buying Colorado deer points and when I think I have enough for a good hunt I'll ask people o forums like these for advice. It's easier to get information for draw units because they aren't people's annual honey holes.

[Lefty]

I have moved a few times in my adult life. SO the way I find areas to do my hunting may be a bit different than others. Maps have been my greatest resource.
When living in Washington state I didn't want to hunt deer on the wet side,.. so I drove until it was dry. Using a forest service map refined the region, then seeing a huge buck, cinched the location.
My rifle hunting years for elk were mostly tagging along with in-laws or friends. The main location was found when my father-in-law got stuck, then hunted with the guys at the trailhead , then discovered a family that hunted the trail-head were closest friends to his daughter. I will likely hunt that area after I retire.
I have adapted to hunting mostly the local game, what ever it may be where ever that may be.
For archery elk I stumbled up on a couple big bulls while on a daughters antelope hunt and thought "why not here" . Plus it didnt tear my leg up walking on the flats.
For bear hunting I hunted an adjacent area in another state where I came across bear, which was the starting point. Because of bear hunting with my daughters who on one trip said "how come we dont hunt moose?" then she drew a moose tag, then we ATVed the area,
Last year I drew my moose tag,.. and after my hip replacement, with a number of big fires and a family moving into the area I hunted elk It was time to move.
In the forest I archery hunted the furthest from access places I could find last fall in the area we had bear, moose and ATVed.
I think the area is now locked down tight for my family,..
My wife standing at one location during the moose hunt she heard 12 different bull elk sounding off My one daughter taking a deer with her bow ( and without her dad,.. how rude). And all of the great close elk encounters last year.
For deer I looked at the nearest area on google which gave us some distance to hike in to get away from others that was a quick drive from home.
Years back I selected an area to trap mostly by the lower human population with accessible places to trap where permission wasn't needed for access. I did use lots of maps,.. often public access was part of that selection. I also had access to road indexes and foe canines I selected the amount of road travel. For mink trapping I selected low human population areas with the largest number of water crossings(habitat and access).
While living in Utah a couple of local boys asked how I found all of "their families " best hunting places. In reality it was the best habitat, with limited hunter access. So distance from trail heads and elevation up or down ( or both) was how I "found " the area.

Maps , ease of accessibility from home, few hunters.

[CurlyTail]

The best way is to get invited with an established group or person, who has a track record of success, that can show you the ropes and get you pointed in the right direction. Easier said than done of course. Just don't stab him in the back, and steal their spot and start up your own group in competition. It is risky to invite a new guy to Elk camp.

Next choice is to hire a reputable outfitter, but this will cost you some money. Or, you can purchase a hunt plan from Indian Summer - I would trust him to steer you in the right direction.

If you DIY (always my highest recommendation), you just have to go for it. Think long term, and consider yourself lucky if you get it right on the first try. Have fun, and if you are having consistent success within 5 years, you are doing great. You can study maps until you are blue in the face, but until you show up and asses the other hunters in the area, you will never be certain of anything.

[mongopino915]

There is no substitute for experience in field.

So, to get experience is to test it out before the season and/or during the season.

For rifle, I think you can be successful in smaller areas and even with more crowds. But for archery, it is better to have more areas to cover until you find the elk as well as get away from the crowds.

The only way to know where to go hunting is to start somewhere. Some areas are better than others and these areas can change depending elk movement and pressure.

[StartMyHunt]

Mongo,

Take a look at my website. I have maps that show features such as primary forage areas, security habitat, and recommended hot spots that can help get you into the right areas to begin scouting a new area.

Mike

[Indian Summer]

Or this depending on what states you prefer to hunt:

http://www.headinwest.net/DIY.html

[cohunter]

I like to look for biodiversity in habitat. Elk migrate so much depending on conditions, you can be totally beat just by the weather. My first few years of hunting were in dark timber and open meadows. The first year, there were elk everywhere. The next, not so much as a track. Why? I really don't know - maybe a good acorn crop in the scrub oak? What I try to do now is choose areas that have all habitat types in close proximity: if there's a good acorn crop, I can bet they'll be there even in early September, but with limited days in the woods, why not try to find a diverse area where you can reach from dark timber to aspens to scrub brush just by crossing the draw?

[lamrith]

Great question, and one I have struggled with too being a new hunter. It can be difficult to pickup without a mentor or someone to guide you. Getting into a camp is difficult because, well there are quite a few less than honorable people out there who will give away your spot. Both intentionally and unintentionally, for people familiar with a state or unit a simple slipped comment can give away the farm.

I have been extremely lucky to be invited to a camp this year. The guy that invited me has been great answering questions and just "teaching me elk" as it were, my hope is that we work well together and end up hunting together for many years to come. I would like to get the opportunity learn enough to hopefully find, scout and learn an area of my own that I could share with him so that we have backup options in case the usual camp location has a down year.

So what sort of things do you pros typically start with when looking at a map to start narrowing down locations to do your scouting? You have an entire large unit at your disposal that you have never set foot in before, what do you look for in your maps? I know for some hunting areas just getting a good ridge between you and the nearest road/trail can do wonders, other places might take a couple miles. Are the particular map feature(s) you like to see, or groups of them that "scream" elk to you when looking at a map/satelite view?
Benches on north facing slopes, nw facing slopes in a draw with water/wet at the head of the draw?