Covering Ground Efficiently

[CEG017]

Hey Guys,

I wanted to ask some questions about efficiently hunting/finding elk and what some of your tactics are. Especially when you are in an all new area or state.

Like many guys out there I am a Midwest whitetail hunter who primarily hunts public land and I have learned the hard way that its not always about going to the steepest, nastiest, or furthest off the road places to find success. In fact, I often find myself having more encounters and being more efficient with my time hunting areas that might be closer to road or just overlooked. The reason being is I can go through a ton of these areas in one day vs taking my entire day hiking into one spot only to find there are no deer there.

If you are willing to share how would you apply this same concept to elk hunting in a new area? I feel like some of the same things apply here but because the scale of country is so much bigger I am curious how you efficiently check out multiple areas in one day or maybe a couple days when you are on limited time. I know the time commitment to check areas is going to be larger than whitetails, but I am the type of guy that does not want to go on an elk camping trip and spend my entire time getting in and out of areas. I like to be efficient and it doesn't matter to me if I hunt them steep and deep or 100 yards from the road.

For example do you plan out different calling/glassing knobs ahead of time that you can get to in a reasonable amount of effort and try to hit them all? Are you just burning through areas that should have elk looking for sign (I do this for deer a ton)?

Let me know your thoughts and would love any other resources you are willing to share. I didn't find another thread that talks about this.

Thanks!

 

[Mykolaivka887]

When in a new elk area, I walk the hell out of it to see if it's worth glassing in the future.

 

[HighUintas]

In a completely new area, I'll identify points of interest in a satellite map, figure out a rough route I want to take, then go hit it as quickly as possible looking for sign. I'll often times wear running shoes shoe I can jog through the woods when terrain allows. Cover as much ground as quickly as possible. I'm not hunting, so I don't care about noise. Follow promising areas you find when you're on foot as they can lead to some great holes

 

[huckfin]

Unfortunately, you have to cover A LOT of ground even if your E-scouting was on point. If you are hunting heavily timbered land, covering that ground on foot is about your only option. If you are hunting more open land, finding good glassing points to strike out to will save you some miles. Even if you have an elk honey hole year after year they move around a little in that area depending on food/water and pressure.

 

[wapitibob]

The only time I glass for Elk is when I'm rifle hunting in WY sagebrush country. For bowhunting in a new area, which I'm doing this year in AZ, I always look at roads first. I try to identify spots, roaded or not, that the majority of hunters will overlook. Just because there's a road doesn't mean hunters will be in there. I have found almost all of my best out of state spots from my recliner.

 

[wyodog]

If the country is open enough Ill find spots to glass from in the AM. I usually walk in before daylight so I can watch where elk moving to their bedding area. I do this regardless of rutting activity. Most it because I want to make sure a bull is one I would be happy with before investing a big portion of my day and it give me time to make a plan while they are bedded. If I haven't found any elk or one that I like I'll keep moving and glassing.

If I am hunting big timber Ill move most of the day. I don't get concerned about how much ground I cover I just want to be in good country most of the day. I will completely relocate if there are hunter in the area that can mess things up.

 

[Beendare]

When in a new elk area, I walk the hell out of it to see if it's worth glassing in the future.

I just spent a week doing just that in my new to me elk unit.

Sure I E scouted…but that only told me so much.

Hunter pressure is the numero uno factor….so I look at areas most will hunt…and areas I think the elk will escape to. Elk hunt season is much like whitetails- an observation stand tells you a lot thus I sometimes use my 18x UHD’s to cover ground for me

 

[Dos Perros]

If you hunt dry country you can eliminate a lot of country for the fact it doesn't have good access to water.

 

[justinspicher]

From my perspective, just being able to live near where I hunt is huge. Knowing the patterns of the elk, the country they live in and how people affect their movement has been how I’ve modified my hunting strategy. I can’t imagine having to go out of state to hunt.

 

[Z Barebow]

#1- Skip most trailheads. (Everybody and their mothers start at TH's) Look for accessible terrain directly from road, park your rig off to the side and start. 2 miles back from any TH is a good starting point. Find these spots via GE/cyber scouting. Add waypoints so you know where to park.

You are also using transportation to quickly move from access point to access point. Using your feet is inefficient. If the roads are cr@p, use an ATV or motorcycle to move quickly on the roads (vs tearing up your truck)

 

[Geewhiz]

I am the type of guy that does not want to go on an elk camping trip and spend my entire time getting in and out of areas. I like to be efficient and it doesn't matter to me if I hunt them steep and deep or 100 yards from the road.

Don't we all. That's the game we are all trying to play.

 

[Gerbdog]

Just take it at as near a sprint as you can and bugle every 20 yards...... elk make a ton of noise in the woods.....

I think the other advice in here to look where hunting pressure is and avoid it is the best advice.... elk can and will be in any area where they arent being pressured. Even areas you'd say "this doesnt look very elky" but if they arent getting bumped every other day they are gonna sit in there and move out of there for water and food at night. Even dry country - elk can travel miles every single day for water and back - thats nothing for them.

 

[CEG017]

Don't we all. That's the game we are all trying to play.

In a completely new area, I'll identify points of interest in a satellite map, figure out a rough route I want to take, then go hit it as quickly as possible looking for sign. I'll often times wear running shoes shoe I can jog through the woods when terrain allows. Cover as much ground as quickly as possible. I'm not hunting, so I don't care about noise. Follow promising areas you find when you're on foot as they can lead to some great holes

Do you call as well or just try to find sign?

 

[CEG017]

The only time I glass for Elk is when I'm rifle hunting in WY sagebrush country. For bowhunting in a new area, which I'm doing this year in AZ, I always look at roads first. I try to identify spots, roaded or not, that the majority of hunters will overlook. Just because there's a road doesn't mean hunters will be in there. I have found almost all of my best out of state spots from my recliner.

This might be asking too much and maybe its really area dependent but how do you determine how much a road is being used from E Scouting? I guess besides the obvious points of paved vs unpaved, 4x4, etc.

 

[CEG017]

From my perspective, just being able to live near where I hunt is huge. Knowing the patterns of the elk, the country they live in and how people affect their movement has been how I’ve modified my hunting strategy. I can’t imagine having to go out of state to hunt.

It certainly does help for any animal! Not many elk to hunt in the Midwest so Montana it is for me. Time in an area I think is super valuable, but when you take that away you need to find other methods for success.

 

[CEG017]

#1- Skip most trailheads. (Everybody and their mothers start at TH's) Look for accessible terrain directly from road, park your rig off to the side and start. 2 miles back from any TH is a good starting point. Find these spots via GE/cyber scouting. Add waypoints so you know where to park.

You are also using transportation to quickly move from access point to access point. Using your feet is inefficient. If the roads are cr@p, use an ATV or motorcycle to move quickly on the roads (vs tearing up your truck)

Might be a really dumb question and I have not found the answer in the regulations for MT but is it legal to roadside park? I will call and ask to be sure but from what I understand it depends on the state if you can park on the side of the road and leave a vehicle.

I really like doing this in the state that I live in as well so its a tactic I will being taking with on my trip if I can.

 

[CEG017]

Don't we all. That's the game we are all trying to play.

Right but not everyone has this mindset. Some guys want only want to hunt next to the road and some only want to go deep. Figuring out which one people aren't doing in an area or going somewhere in between is what I am hoping to do.

 

[HighUintas]

Do you call as well or just try to find sign?

It depends on the area. If it's an area where there is easy access to other people, I won't call because it's likely had too many people running around blowing their bugles.

 

[TaperPin]

Personally, glassing is over rated when hunting elk, other than big open areas like sagebrush herds, old burns, or small steep ridges close together where you can see into the trees. Maybe it’s just the type of terrain I’m familiar with.

Luckily, an animal that big leaves nice big tracks. I like to fast walk just outside bedding areas for fresh sign - one 5 mile by 5 mile area had 4 ridges going from timberline to a creek 2000 feet below. Two ten mile days is all it took to know which ridges are devoid of elk sign, which had some, and which were heavily used. I didn’t jump or push an elk (that I know of) those two days and could focus on elk coming and going from the most active area. The best bedding was only two miles from the trailhead.

Opposite of that, big wide areas with no easily defined bedding areas - elk kind of move around like fish in a fish tank - here, there - they could be anywhere. With hunting pressure they know where to go to get away from it - travel routes are good to know, but knowing which drainage is left alone is key. I chuckle when guys scout these areas and find elk, only to return with 100 of their best friends opening day and elk are nowhere to be seen.

Kind of in the middle are areas with easily identified bedding areas, but a lot of pressure that moves them from one area to another and back again - these marry go rounds have great hunting on travel routes. When they are getting pushed back and forth, good luck finding them out in the open in early evening, relaxed with a “Shoot Me” sign on their backs. I’ve shot elk very close to a trailhead in one of these areas - the guys were hunting farther in and by the afternoon of the first day had pushed elk closer to the road on a very nice big bench. Bang Bang!

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Personally, glassing is over rated

Glassing as a scouting method for any big game specie is definitely way, way, waaaaay overrated and in truth, it's certainly NOT the best way to scout new areas.