Map Reading - Topo and Aerial

[cnelk]

Below is an area I have taken elk from [topo and aerial of same spot]
A couple miles to the east of the map is a cattle ranch
It has roads and is fairly popular

Where would you hunt?

[Backcountry]

Beings there is a ranch to the E I foresee most elk movement to be coming from that direction in the mornings. I would also assume that this road, highlighted in green, is likely to see a lot of driving pressure. So, for my first scouting trip I am going to check to the two red marks for tracks. The red mark to the south leads between two nice saddles and into a green meadow where I will also check for wallows. I would also check just uphill up the meadow for beds, there are two patches of heavier timber. There is also a thicker piece of timber on the E slope of the southern most knob that I would check for bedding. The northern most red line follows a heavily timbered area into a nice saddle, could be a great ambush site.

Because the road looks well traveled I would also check the bowl the the W in anticipation of bulls heading into there to escape pressure. I would check for water at my three blue dots where the two draws join and uphill from there. I would also check for bedding at the yellow line. I would also think, due to traffic pressure, that some elk may never cross the road. I would check for wallows or beds at the corresponding marks to the east.

I hope I'm close, hope i'm close, hope i'm close

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[cohunter14]

I would agree with most of the things Backcountry said. I would add a couple of things:
1) The gates on the road branches would be significant I think. If they are locked, keeping traffic out, there are potentially a couple of great locations. One would be the saddle at the bottom of square 11. That could be a highway between a feeding area to the south and a potential bedding site on the bench just below and to the left of 11. Similar situation to the northeast. If that road is gated, that bench on the north side could definitely hold elk.
2) The farthest left yellow bench that Backcountry drew in there. I would look just to the south and west of there as that looks like a big bench that could definitely hold elk. In that same area, where the 9400 mark is, that could be another great saddle that provides access to the southeast where they could feed.
3) There is also a pretty good bench on the north side of the 9366 peak in quadrant 11. I would probably want to check that out as well.

[cnelk]

Good job guys!
In this area, I have noticed elk travel in circular patterns. Sometimes clockwise, sometimes counterclockwise.
It is very valuable to note that the main trail dissects the area into 2.
One being east, one being west.

I have given many clues. Where do you think I have the most encounters of elk?

[cohunter14]

Depending on traffic on those road branches, I would either guess in those saddles in the SW portion of quadrant 11 or right in the heart of quadrant 12. If that road isn't busy in 12, I could see them circling the top using a saddle on either side of the top to access both the bedding area to the north and the food and water to the south. Those saddles on the SW side of 11 really have my interest though, I love the looks of them.

[Mikeha33]

I would say that you've had a lot of elk encounters at the saddle on the NE corner of quad 14, between the 9331' and the 9300 peaks. There is a nice leading bench coming off of the SE corner of quad 14, just to the SW of the 9000' elevation that the elk can easily travel between, especially if those gates are closed off. If looks like in the middle of quad 14 (right about where the #14 is) is a nice lush feeding area that would be a draw.

[cnelk]

cohunter14 found the answer!

In the heart of Grid 12. In fact just below the '12'.

Sometimes the elk wont cross the road and stay to the east. Within 1/2 mile of the road.
If I hunt this area, I will be sure to get in there really early and try to ambush them as they come up.
When they do cross the road, here is the pattern they have used [both clockwise and counterclockwise]
Look at the topo and you can see how they use the natural barriers and road location to get to the saddles to the west.
For an afternoon hunt I will hunt the west side of the road.

[Swede]

I think this was an excellent puzzle Brad. I was busy this morning so I did not get onto it right away. BTW, how do you expect me to find this area if you black out the road numbers? I know I would have started looking over that dark timber area on the south end of section 12 and the north end of section 13. Backcountry's dots there, would have my GPS coordinates plugged in, if that was an area I planned to scout.

[stringunner]

I have really been enjoying these map threads. I have gained a ton by reading through them and following the conversation. Though I haven't posted myself on the few that are going at the moment, I have been following them and am appreciating all the posts from those of you whom have taken the time. So thank you for doing so.

[Elkonthebrain]

I have really been enjoying these map threads. I have gained a ton by reading through them and following the conversation. Though I haven't posted myself on the few that are going at the moment, I have been following them and am appreciating all the posts from those of you whom have taken the time. So thank you for doing so.

+1

[bowhunter04]

I have really been enjoying these map threads. I have gained a ton by reading through them and following the conversation. Though I haven't posted myself on the few that are going at the moment, I have been following them and am appreciating all the posts from those of you whom have taken the time. So thank you for doing so.

Another one here. As a newbie, these threads have been pure gold.

[cnelk]

Im glad the thread was appreciated.

I hunted this area during ML season in the late 1990s. I had a cow only tag
One morning, I parked the truck and headed east just below the rock outcroppings in Grid 12
I found a likely spot, sat down and gave a few cow mews.
It wasnt very long when I saw antlers coming toward me.
So here comes this 4 pt bull right up to me.
Im sitting with my back to a tree and he is about 15yds away.
He looks around and drifts off the way he came.
When he was 50yds away, I called again. He turns around and came back the same way.
He stops about 20yds and looks around again.
Not seeing the cow he heard he finally drifts off.
The next morning I went back into same area - a bit further to the east and filled my cow tag.
It was at that very time I switched my future elk quests to mainly archery.

I havent hunted that spot in a long time.... and as far I know, the elk are still doing the same thing...
BTW - its OTC and public land

[Mikeha33]

I have really been enjoying these map threads. I have gained a ton by reading through them and following the conversation. Though I haven't posted myself on the few that are going at the moment, I have been following them and am appreciating all the posts from those of you whom have taken the time. So thank you for doing so.

+1 again. This is really a great topic, and I'd love to see more of these. It is very applicable to each one of us that uses topo's to help find prime elk spots, something that I am focusing on learning. I'm already making notes, and marking up new maps based solely on what I'm learning from these. Keep em coming!!!