How to find a wallow?

[mjblowers]

I made a similar post last year asking how to find a wallow on GPS.

I think I should narrow that down a bit more and say, how do you find one while hiking around? If I took you to my spot and said, "Show me a wallow" would you have an idea on how to go about finding a Wallow in my area, regardless if you've seen any maps or overhead of the area. My assumption is that you need to be in some sort of drainage area where you aren't necessarily inside a ravine where the water is actually flowing, but you could be on the ravine slope somewhere above the ravine. Is there any sort of specific foliage to be on the look out for that borders an area of wallows?

I'm having a real tough time finding them and I refuse to believe they don't exist in the areas I hunt. I've found one... but it's right off a trail and I don't like hunting where other people area...

[elkmtngear]

Boot leather. Most of the best active wallows I have found have been in the middle of my hunt, chasing bugling bulls.

I've been hunting the same areas for almost 15 years, and I find new wallows every Season. They do not always remain
active year after year, so I'm always looking around, even in areas I'm very familiar with. If you get into good numbers of elk, the wallows will be there!

[BRazz]

Boot leather.

+1

I've tried to find them in person based on desk-scouting topography and aerial imagery, but that only rarely pans out. Usually I've stumbled into them on accident.

[N5J]

I had a fellow hunter tell me to look at a TOPO map and find your main streams. Look at the drainages feeding those streams for wallows. I haven't had any luck doing that but most the wallows that I've found were by stumbling onto them while hunting. I've found wallows in dark timber close to streams but the wallow was in a seep close by, I've found wallows in meadows, and in timber areas where trees were blown over and water filled the old root cavities. When I'm hunting I'm always looking for greener grass than normal, water weeds, skunk cabbage plants, or willow patches. I haven't had any luck with aerial maps finding wallows.

N5J

[Lefty]

Google images, and look for the bright green ow willow strips ( or stripes)
Or glass hillsides looking for the green spots. drainage with seeps tend to have multiple seeps.
Many seeps are marked on topo maps

[WapitiTalk1]

Follow a muddy bull to see where he came from; sorry, couldn't resist . I agree with most of the comments above. Wallows can be about anywhere really that 1) has moisture (doesn't have to be a lot of water) and 2) is relatively flat (the flat part can be just a very tiny bench on a sidehill, ridge, etc.). I've found them in meadows, in the timber, on dryer hillsides with tiny seeps, and in draws. I "really" look to find wallows where water first starts to seep out of the sidhill of the mountain I'm hunting, oftentimes 2/3 to 3/4 up the side. This historically, is in relative proximety to bedding area elevation. Bulls seem to like to cool down, whizz around, and rub around wallows somewhat close to their bedrooms.

[bloodarrow]

Bulls seem to like to cool down, whizz around, and rub around wallows somewhat close to their bedrooms.

Who doesnt?? Ive been looking at alot of GE images....and have found a couple areas that seem to have early snow patches.....Im thinking those are either cool spots to check out, or maybe some 'frozen' areas that are a bit moister than others......either way, they are marked and will be looked at.

[Swede]

There are several things I do to find a wallow. If you are out, find a place where you can view as much country as possible within a mile. Look for spots where the vegetation looks greener than the surrounding vegetation. Aspen stands in the middle of a pine forest are a good place to begin, but willows are fine too. Lush hardwoods and tall broadleaf brush are places to check out.
If you have a chance go to the top of a drainage where a stream begins. Often where the water comes out of the ground it will have a place for elk to wallow. No guarantee there. Below a long slope where the land form flattens out can be a good place to look. Again no guarantee here either. Large marshy areas often have wallows, but sometimes they have too many to pick one to sit at. A smaller wet area is usually better, where the bull has no alternative but to come to where you are. Another good way also to find a wallow is to have a topography map, and go visit any springs shown.
Like Jeff said, all these things require boot leather to check them out, but if you have a plan, and do a little work before you start just wandering, your chances are greatly improved.

[CrazyElkHunter]

Like everyone else said, they could be just about anywhere. My 2 most productive wallows are natural moisture seeping from the ground and so far, have remained for several years . I have found many on benches or sides of mountains where springs start.
The more you walk the mountains the more you will find. I know of 20 in my normal area of hunting. Some old that are used once in awhile. Some that are hit every year and some that have not been used for years.

[MT_Nate]

I found two heavily used wallows last year that resided in some brief depressions on two separate ridges. No drainage catch basin whatsoever...blew me away.

I used to look only in the drainage depressions...I realize now hat they can be found just about anywhere, and boot leather is your best bet. You never know what kind of hydrogeology is occurring that might be bringing water to the surface in the strangest of spots.

[patdel]

I only have two years experience so take this with a grain of salt, but I think you should be able to see old wallows from last year even if they haven't been touched this year. I found quite a few my first year. 2/3 the way up a steep north facing mountain on small benches. The very heads of drainages where water is just seeping out. Also in small meadows in the timber. The first year those wallows were torn up and there was mud slopped on the grass around the edges. There were lots of elk around. Boot leather is how I found them.

Last year that mountain was covered with domestic sheep, sheepherders and other hunters. It held zero elk. The wallows from last year obviously hadn't been touched but I could still tell what they were.... If that makes any sense to you.

After chatting with one of the sheepherders I learned that bears and bad weather had scattered the sheep to hell and gone. There were guys on horseback and planes flying around trying to find em. Dont know where all the hunters came from or why. Trying to decide whether it is worth going back for a look this year or not. Dont want to waste my time in a burnt area.

[WapitiTalk1]

Bulls seem to like to cool down, whizz around, and rub around wallows somewhat close to their bedrooms.

Who doesnt??

Thank you. I thought I was weird