anyone have any pointers in looking for bedding and feeding areas virtual scouting

[sk1]

I was interested in what you guys look for when doing some virtual scouting.....I was going over some of the area I'll be hunting this year, and it all looks like such good country, picking out what I think will be potential bedding areas hasnt been easy.....and I even have gps locations from the last couple years and bedding areas I have found, and tried to find similar areas.

so what types of things are you guys looking for to locate bedding areas, and while we're on the topic of virtual scouting, how about feeding areas as well? I usually start with finding water and work my way back from there, not sure if that's a good idea or not though.

 

[Swede]

A good topo map and Google Earth or Flash Earth are a good place to begin. Where I hunt, the bedding areas are the heavy timbered north slopes with some benches and reproduction saplings mixed in. When you account for the roads and the past logging, the bedding areas are now a small part of the total landscape. Some elk areas have heavy cover everywhere for miles, with a lot of water mixed in. I have never hunted Utah, but I would expect your situation falls somewhere between the two extremes. Elk will bed where it is relatively cool in late August through September, and where they do not expect to be disturbed. Often they are about 2/3 the way up a mountain side, where they can wind anything that comes in from below and see or hear what they don't smell. With that in mind as you review the satellite imagery, think of where an animal with an evil, sinister, diabolical mind would choose to hang out. Your elk will be close by and will find the nastiest hole on the mountain to die in once he has been shot.

 

[cnelk]

Some of the best travel routes I hunt are over 1 mile between bedding and feeding. The elk seems to know when the thermals are always to their
advantage and most times I run out of daylight in the evening before all ingredients cooperate...