Map Scouting - What do you see?

[WapitiTalk1]

Was digging around last night on Acme Mapper and found this interesting spot in a general area I'm looking at hunting this fall in the Gem State. I've provided two SAT images (one larger/one smaller) for your viewing. The larger pic shows the basic lay of the land surrounding the spot (the spot of interest is situated on a flat/benched area, at the head end of a small feeder creek); the spot is also within a few hundred yards of a long, high, remote ridge to the S that contains some good feeding areas on the S slope of the E/W running ridge's steep sldehill. I'll be dragging a fellow Elknut to this tiny spot come September (one of many POI's in the same general area) to see who's home and wants to play hunter/elk games. The light colored spot, shown almost dead center in the first image, is the same spot that's been zoomed in on in the second image (left hand side of the second image). What do you cats see (or not physically see but suspect may be there) by looking at the two images? No right or wrong answer, just drilling down a bit to discuss/comment on an isolated mystery spot vs a larger scale area analysis while we're doing our pre-season map research

[Packn]

It's hard to tell if that is a salt ground for cattle or is it a spring/wallow that feeds the head of the draw. Either way the animals in the area travel in two consistant directions for the most part. Now all you have to do is play the wind right and place yourself on the best side of the trail. Good luck

[WapitiTalk1]

No cattle or sheep in this area. Just elk, muleys, and predators.

[BrentLaBere]

It looks as though there is more water around than this one "water hole". Possible this is filled in the early spring and other animals use it for mineral supplements as the summer drys it out? Maybe its why there is a set trail to it.....Just a thought

[Mikeha33]

A natural mineral deposit site, most likely with a seep right there also. Or, a meterorite hit there, and all the lil furry creatures bring all their furchildren up to see it.

[WapitiTalk1]

A natural mineral deposit site, most likely with a seep right there also. Or, a meterorite hit there, and all the lil furry creatures bring all their furchildren up to see it.

Don't sleep on hunting the meteorite strike sites by underestimating their attraction to the mountain residents (tourist attraction for elk, goats, deer, etc.). Good one Mike

[Olydog09]

Satellite bull presentation knob.

[elkmtngear]

Look around for a treestand if you get in there (or cut out limbs)

It just has the look of a salt hole!

[WapitiTalk1]

Way, way too far in for any type of "hunter assisted" site here. A four mile trail hike only gets a guy within about 1 1/2 miles of this spot, and, the route to the spot from the trail is not likely smooth sailing so I'm pretty sure this spot is natural.

[elkmtngear]

Way, way too far in for any type of "hunter assisted" site here. A four mile trail hike only gets a guy within about 1 1/2 miles of this spot, and, the route to the spot from the trail is not likely smooth sailing so I'm pretty sure this spot is natural.

Well, it sure looks like the place to be! Those are impressive game trails.

[WapitiTalk1]

There are a lot of springs in this area so, the initial image I started the thread with may be a perrennial spring or as Mikeha33 offered "a natural mineral deposit site, most likely with a seep right there also". I'll be checking out the headwaters of that small stream to the E for a seepy wallow also. This is an interesting spot that warrants further attention when I finally get BOG there. If the spot is in fact receiving traffic during hunting season for water, minerals, Tuesday brunch, or as a transition bench trail route from major draw to major draw, I think it may be a potential spot to spend some evenings behind my EMG Slip w/camo cover ... We'll see when I arrive, after further scrutiny.

Acme Mapper, Caltopo, GE, ArcGIS Explorer Online, etc., can be productive tools to pre-scout an area IMO. No, the spots that I find interesting during on-line pre-scouting do not always pan out and hold elk, but sometimes they do.

That said, here's another spot in one of the areas I'm looking at hunting this fall. I've provided both a SAT closeup and a snippet of a topo. The second image contains the same letter "D" where this spot of interest is located. What do you cats think this spot may be? See, isn't this fun

Yarding Area 2.png (435.1 KiB) Viewed 8319 times

[Packn]

Looks like there are possibly some benches not too far up, could feeding area. Probalby some water in the drainage. This could be one of those spots that is just a natural travel route between the two bigger ridges and off the benches.

[Texasdan]

So how would you approach an area with what looks like abundant water availability?

I'll see if I can figure out the voodoo to get a cal topo cut into a jpg to post so you can see what I mean.

[Swede]

It sure looks like the area is getting significant use. I usually like to set a stand where it is most likely the elk first come to. If your bedding area is above, then it is likely to be the highest water in the area. The trails and rubs will be a good indicator of where use is most concentrated. Get out there and look it over. Be sure you have a comfortable stand as you may want to put some significant time in there.

[WapitiTalk1]

So how would you approach an area with what looks like abundant water availability? I'll see if I can figure out the voodoo to get a cal topo cut into a jpg to post so you can see what I mean.

Here you go Dan. Here are some tips on how to do the map copy/map markup thing.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3524&p=49650&hilit=caltopo#p49650

[Mikeha33]

Bottom of a mudslide? With those heavier trees downed right there, it makes me wonder. I'd sure like to see the next few contour lines above what you've shown

[WapitiTalk1]

Bottom of a mudslide? With those heavier trees downed right there, it makes me wonder. I'd sure like to see the next few contour lines above what you've shown

Not sure what's up under those trees to the North (I will say that this spot is within a few hundred yards of the top of a ridge), but the location of this dusty location (overlooking several small, seemingly wet draws) reeks to me of what I call a "bugle point". Kind of a yarding area in a sense (let's tear this spot up, roll in the dirt repeatedly, whizz on everything, knock the snot out of anything that is trying to grow here) and incidentally, a very good place to sing to all below who is willing to hear, or, answer. In NW Montana, I have more than a handfull of remote locations that are similar to this spot. Just my philosophy, not in most elk hunting manuals I'll be dropping in here to finalize my research at some point in July. Who knows, maybe it's a gargantuan wolf den

[ElkNut1]

It looks similar to this area which is a natural mineral/salt lick! I've know this area for years & a few elk have fallen to us there! Here's the last one that did! Hopefully you'll enjoy the same success as it appears to have potential.

ElkNut1

[elk.addict]

I too found something similar. I didn't notice a mineral lick on Google Earth, I just found some parks I wanted to scout just because it looked like good elk country. So I checked it out and sure enough lots of elk, so I setup some a trail camera. The elk spend from July - early September here. I can almost always find a satellite bull here in mid-September, but the big boys/cows depart and then come back in later September. Still not sure exactly where they all go, or why they leave temporarily, but I'm working on that part

The first pic is an aerial image of one of the parks containing the mineral lick. And then some trail camera photos.

salt lick.jpg (295.97 KiB) Viewed 8152 times

SUNP0225.JPG (126.41 KiB) Viewed 8152 times

SUNP0085.JPG (36.74 KiB) Viewed 8152 times

[Wyhunter]

What version on acme mapper do you guys use?

[WapitiTalk1]

What version on acme mapper do you guys use?

I use version 2.1.