Co 4rth rifle tag scouting advice

[The grunt]

So I've got a 4rth rifle tag in a unit thats very steep and very high.. in fact it's so steep that it makes it very glassable from rds and from a ways away. That is my primary tactic from my looking around over there and talking to some who have hunted there. My plan is to camp in a covered trailer and and be mobile and try to cover as much of the unit as I can. Anyways I would like to get back there one more time and look around some more and my question is.. if I hike back into a few drainages that you can't see into from a distance is there clues to look for that would tell me bulls use it during the late season? Like as in old sign from previous years? Or is it just checking vegetation and habitat and hoping they are holed up in there when the time comes?

 

[Hnthrdr]

Seems like you have a good plan, unglassable drainages, it might be next to impossible to know if they are using them during 4th. Probably depends on veg in there, and snow levels ect. I would look for bedding areas, if you are too steep and too high though sometimes the elk will pull out of that stuff once the snow hits and crusts over…

 

[The grunt]

To be clear I haven't hunted elk before.. and what about sheds in y'all's real life experience if you find sheds in an area is that a potential late season spot?

 

[Hnthrdr]

Yes and no, have had spots where I lifted a bunch of sheds out of where the elk don’t move in until Jan-March, other spots where they live year round. Not really any hard and fast rules for late season, weather of the year/ year prior dictate a lot, but definitely not a bad thing if you are finding sheds in there

 

[The grunt]

Ya thats kind of what it has seemed like that sheds could be a hit or miss thing.. regardless I will get excited if I see some

 

[Hnthrdr]

i will say if you find somewhere that is holding bulls, I’m assuming that’s what you are after they probably hang in there year after year if they don’t get messed with too much, and i wouldn’t tell another living soul about it haha

 

[Slugz]

South facing slopes that are holding the feed ( if its not covered in snow)

 

[The grunt]

i will say if you find somewhere that is holding bulls, I’m assuming that’s what you are after they probably hang in there year after year if they don’t get messed with too much, and i wouldn’t tell another living soul about it haha

Yes I had a buddy offer to help pack out already if I got one and I was having a hard time deciding if the help would be worth giving up a kill spot that time of year. Now I have a 15 yr old kid gonna go with me I think so I think it's worth it for another set of eyes and a hand with everything else!