Just back from scouting Wyoming....

[Indian Summer]

Just spent a week in western Wyoming. Weather was great and I had a very successful scouting mission. The night before we went in we fell asleep watching some really good meteor showers. Only saw 10 minutes of mid day rain the whole time. Keep in mind I am getting my first glimpse of an area I have never been to or even laid eyes on after a ton of staring at maps and GE, grilling a local outfitter etc, and just taking what I know about elk and applying it in new country. Seeing if my Xs on the map have the potential I hoped for.

In addition to looking for elk we were looking over the trails, signs of other people, and anything else that catches our eyes. I had heard that anywhere the local sheepherder has been will be worthless and I saw why. They were on a big ridge to our west and I was shocked at the number of sheep. Their border collies swept the entire mountain sidehilling the sheep into tight groups each evening. No sane elk would stick around there.

We topped the first ridge at 10K feet late in the morning... or closer to early afternoon and heard a bugle. The elk were high. Nice to get an immediate confirmation that my hunches were correct. It's one thing to think you know but another to see and hear first hand.

The trail south on the ridge looked to be the way most people went. We turned north. Ran the ridge for about 2 miles before taking a secondary trail west out on a ridge and then down into a saddle. The 1st thing we noticed was the smell of elk elk & droppings everywhere. If you weren't standing on one you could spit on one no matter where you went. Nice considering I've hunted and killed elk where I wondered where the heck they were all doing their business!

The first evening we saw a herd on the opposite side of the saddle from camp. About 20 head with a couple spikes. Then a half dozen more came of out a stand of aspens. Also a nice sized black bear with a cub. The next day our #1 priority was to find water. Pretty quickly we found that many of the places on the topos that showed water were bone dry. After finding some not far down our side of the saddle we hit the higher ground to glass and explore. We did come upon one really fresh pile of droppings up there but that's it. Then I got the strong smell of a bull and he jumped up and ran off. Didn't see him long enough to guess size but all alone up there. The map shows a seep and I'm sure he knows a little spot to get a drink when he needs one way up there but it was not a numbers spot at the time.

Found a couple hot wallows out in the wide open next to some timber and a heavy trail which should be gold mines next month. Swede you'd have been in heaven with a treestand spot everywhere you looked. We saw several other herds and as is common around there they were staying out in the open late in the mornings and even up & about at times mid day. I like to pass up some elk along the way & I saw enough animals halfway out to the trailhead that I'm confident any other hunters will be content hunting areas easier to get to & to get elk out of than where we are. Any pressure on them and I'll bet they head right to our neck of the woods.

Since we didn't scour the timber I didn't see any rubs. None. But I don't have to see them or the bulls themselves. I saw all I needed to see to know that the ones I'm looking for are there. Western Wyoming is nothing but prime elk habitat and the place was like a postcard perfect dream. Isolated timber pockets and at least half open parks and rocky stuff. That area makes me feel like I'm some tv guy with a camera crew behind me compared to the vast timber I've roamed in past seasons. I can use my eyes as much or more than my ears. Being hearing disabled I just love that.

To sum up our findings... the elk were where I expected. Within a half mile of the highest water in the area which was about 1/4 down the mountain from the top. One day there was a cold wind all day. A herd of 30 including a 5 point bull bedded on a wide open south slope in the sun 100 yards from water all day. The amount of sign told me that even though we didn't see them, the bigger bulls were around sticking to the timber where there is still plenty of feed. I'll be glad when the rut kicks in and the feed in the shadows dwindles.

But when in a new area the unknown is who else will be there when the time comes & there's only one way to find out. I'll just cross my fingers on that and that the sheepherder stays in some friendlier country too. I hope I at least lay my eyes on what I'm looking for. If so I'll begin a 4 year stint learning every nook and cranny. If for some reason I move on who knows... maybe I'll find an appreciative soul who needs a place to start and I'll Pass it On............

Remember... in Wyoming you can buy points only right now. One point will get you a general statewide elk tag. The points only period is from July 1 to September 30.

Best of luck to everyone this season. Won't be long now......

Oh yeah... man alive it sure smells good up there!!!

Tetons.jpg (89.99 KiB) Viewed 3964 times

Total trip miles 5,071 with a small detour to Mt Rushmore, Badlands, Black Hills, Spearfish Canyon, Custer Park, Crazy Horse Memorial, Devils Tower not to mention Sturgis. 1100 miles in the "saddle" on the last pull back to Pennsylvania. yee haw!

[bnsafe]

congrats on finding the elk joe, hope it all goes as planned for ya.

[Seminole]

Joe: your killing me!!!!

[HTNFSH]

You scouted from your Harley....? I have no more words...

[Indian Summer]

LOL yep. A steel horse I ride. The other kind too........ The 6500 inch pack replaced my passenger when I flew her home from Sturgis. Shipped my other clothes home and stuffed the Sitka Gear and boots in the bags. All I bought in Jackson was Mountain House meals. Luckily I have a friend there so I cleaned off the bugs put on the cover and jumped in his truck to head up to elk country.

Noah... I looked at the area down where you are considering a hunt. Man that's big open country. Like the Sahara Desert!!! You better think about a spotting scope if you want to even locate elk before thinking about calling or listening for bugles to find them. One thing worth mentioning: Locals are talking about the massive expanse of gas wells. The entire face of the earth is covered with them over there. The antelope population has really plummeted. Before you zero in on a honey hole you should check and see how much of that activity is around. I'd like a chance to hunt something different like that though. Almost like hunting caribou. Again.... I can use my eyes instead of ears. My specialty by default. lol

[Seminole]

Joe:

I have been saving up for a good spotting scope. I am going to get with Paul Sr. and get a vortex spotting scope that he reccomends. I know what you mean about the gas drilling. It is ruining Wyoming. Also, I have a care package for Paul Jr. that I need to get in the mail.

[HTNFSH]

LOL yep. A steel horse I ride. The other kind too........ The 6500 inch pack replaced my passenger when I flew her home from Sturgis. Shipped my other clothes home and stuffed the Sitka Gear and boots in the bags. All I bought in Jackson was Mountain House meals. Luckily I have a friend there so I cleaned off the bugs put on the cover and jumped in his truck to head up to elk country.

I just got a bagger myself (13' road glide) and haven't figure out how I can do both yet. I will eventually end up with a trailer I think.

Great scout report by the way. I got a great mental picture of the kinds of things to look for.

[BrentLaBere]

Sounds like an awesome trip going cross country. I have been through the Jackson area before and it is scenic and I loved it. Sounds like you have a good plan set up for new country. I hope it works out for you. I am playing the point game and the moment of having 2 after this summer but I am not even sure what to do with them yet...Good luck!

[Indian Summer]

htnfish.... a trailer to pull the bike in or a trailer to pull behind the bike? I'm looking pretty seriously at one of the single wheel trailers to pull behind the Street Glide. Saw quite a few guys with them on the road and talked to the manufacturer in Sturgis. Really nice and they lean with the bike plus very light. Did you notice there's no Road Glide in 2014? Rumor mill says they're going to put out a water cooled one in 2015 so they skipped a year. Very nice bike you have. I almost went with that.

Brent... you can keep accumulating points while getting a general license if you want to shell out a few more bucks.... like double. That's what I do. I won't think about what I might do with them until I have 7 or so. You are right about the Jackson area. I could hunt elk elsewhere but that has to be the most gorgeous place to do it for sure.

[snake]

Beautiful pic of the Tetons. I was there for about 10 days in June and it was awesome. I can only imagine hunting close to there. Beautiful country.

[mtnmutt]

Total trip miles 5,071 and we only get ONE picture! The picture doesn't even have this year's date on it.

Joe, Glad you had a great trip and made it back safely.

CO and Utah did a joint study for NW CO to determine why the mule deer population was declining. Before the study, they thought it was the coyotes. Turns out the human destruction of habitat is to blame with the boom in oil&gas in the area. Not trying to bash oil&gas. I use it everyday. Just goes to show that organizations like RMEF that help protect habitat is vitally important for the future of elk and deer populations.

[Indian Summer]

Alright alright! lol Give me a minute and I'll post some pretty cool pics. No more of the Wyoming hills though. Forgot the camera in Jackson with the bike. I'm still sore from kicking myself. I'll be even happier when I remember it come hunting season I guess.

You're right too, getting back safe is a concern on a bike with all the crazies and big rigs on the roads. Nice to pull in at the end. I'm about as conscious of a driver as there is.

I'd never bash oil & gas either. Good bad or ugly it's necessary. I know my share of people getting by from it who might otherwise not be. But I was in awe of the number of wells scattered across the sage flats. Pretty thick all across antelope country they sure are. Never imagined the day when I'd see the Wyoming antelope count down in an area for reasons other than bad winters. Never say never but I hope they don't look to the hills once they've tapped all the flatlands. Probably not feasible thank God.