Elk scouting

[Daniel0307]

Just curious to those that live within a short driving distance to there elk hunting spot, when do you start scouting for the upcoming season, June? , July?, August? Are the elks patterns the same in July and August until the hunters shows up for archery season?

 

[idahohikker]

There's a recent thread on this. July 4 seems to be a ballpark starting point for the high country.

 

[bivouaclarry]

Agreed with above. Usually July sometime. Really depends on the melt above 9000ft.

 

[mlob1one]

I concur with the July 4th

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

 

[ElkArcher918]

I start serious elk scouting the first week after the July 4th weekend. By then most of the snow in the high country is melted and NF roads are open.

 

[Ross]

I just put out some summer cams and willl check others in early july

 

[Idaho_Potato]

If you play the Idaho lottery you really have no choice but to wait until the draw results are out by the last week of June. July 4th weekend is usually the start.

 

[Salmon River Solutions]

I started scouting early this spring, it’s also called unsuccessful bear hunting, but it gives me a good idea of elk/deer populations, as I chase the snow over the course of 2-3 months.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SoCalBoyDontKnow]

Yeah I start scouting this weekend for roosevelts.

 

[All American Boy]

I like to try and scout elk and deer areas throughout the year. Maybe turkey hunting or fishing at or near my area in the spring or a hiking or camping trip in the summer.

 

[Okhotnik]

If you live near an area and can access it scout as much as possible. Helps you understand deer and elk movements and behavior. I do year round with a camera.

More time in the woods is always a positive . I get trail cams out and scout soon as snow is gone. I have snow shoes or xc skied into areas to put trail cams.i found a new potential elk and deer spot turkey and bear hunting this year.

I pay closer attention end of July beginning of August.

 

[Riles1050]

Depends on what hunt you have. In utah our Archery hunt starts in Mid August. My strategy and scouting is completely different then if i'm hunting in September. If archery hunting august i'll start putting out cams and trying to pattern bulls now. They are not where they will be in September. If not hunting until the rut in September i'll start major scouting in August but will be looking for cows not bulls. The bulls will come when the rut starts.

 

[trophyhill]

I'll be starting next week. I'll be looking at the current conditions, rain, drought, water holes, or not, sign etc, new country, pack routes, potential new camp spots, noting terrain. Will be setting cams too. Great time of year to be testing your gear too

 

[PShep93]

I've been trying to tie in some scouting (elk) while doing other activities, like shed hunting, morel hunting, and fishing (hiking to higher elevation lakes) earlier in the year (April, May, June) just to try and get a better idea of the animals behavior and locate game trails, watering holes, food...etc. My first real scouting trip will be over the long 4th of July weekend, just got some new game cameras and cannot wait to get them setup.

 

[Catahoula]

I will likely put out cameras by end of June. Will skip over the July 4th and that weekend. First excursion around July 9th. I don’t scout hunt areas on the weekends.

 

[Pwells10]

I somewhat have no choice but to start this weekend. I'm setting a few trail cams up this weekend and checking the water areas.

My son is due August 3rd so I cant really be out of cell service coming up shortly. I'll head out Sunday then check back in 2 weeks and basically have to send my dad and uncle out after that. I'll check back 2 weeks before season when i pull camp up.

 

[Holocene]

Ideally, you are scouting all year with focused scouting happening at strategic times.

Those times are something like:
1) 10-days before season opener so you are DIALED about where elk are spending their time/rotating. Do a little listening at night for early bugling. Look for rubs. Be ready for the opening day assault.
2) During the season, always be scouting. Rubs that weren't there yesterday. Bugles at night as you get off the mountain. Fresh trails and scat -- if it's fresh, not even the flies will have found it so it will be smooth on top and not have a bunch of little holes where the bugs ate. A lot of guys will say, "Hey look! Fresh sign!" And that scat has been there a week. Consider the flies.
3) Immediately after rifle season ends (or whatever the last legal bull season is in your area). This will give you an idea of what bulls carried over. Ideally, you have trail cams out and don't even have to scout. Bulls are tired and laying low so "scouting" is mostly cams and perhaps jumping bulls if you are quail or grouse hunting for example.
4) Spring calving season. Why? Because knowing when a calf drops can tell you when its mom was bred. Seeing lots of newborn calves can tell you when lots of cows were being bred -- i.e., peak rut. So be in the woods around June and watch for those calves. An elk's gestation period is 240-262 days. Let's say you see lots of calves on June 1. 262 days before then was September 12. Amazing. Watching this trend over time in your area can give you a pulse on when peak rut occurs, and also important, if any pre- or post-rut mating is happening.

I am writing as if you live within a reasonable distance to your hunting grounds. I do, and we soak cameras year round with focused soaks starting in mid-June on the Oregon coast.

If I had to travel somewhere to elk hunt, I would arrive at least 3 days before the opening to scout hard for that time period and be ready to kill on opening day.

 

[Jwknutson17]

I leave a few cams up year round. With the CO snow I was unable to access them for a few months this year. I start scouting mid July and through August and ready for opening day. I have a few areas pretty dialed in from seasons past but still do my same routine. I try to save a few vacation days for scouting weekdays mid/late August before the hunt.

 

[bspin15]

Ideally, you are scouting all year with focused scouting happening at strategic times.

Those times are something like:
1) 10-days before season opener so you are DIALED about where elk are spending their time/rotating. Do a little listening at night for early bugling. Look for rubs. Be ready for the opening day assault.
2) During the season, always be scouting. Rubs that weren't there yesterday. Bugles at night as you get off the mountain. Fresh trails and scat -- if it's fresh, not even the flies will have found it so it will be smooth on top and not have a bunch of little holes where the bugs ate. A lot of guys will say, "Hey look! Fresh sign!" And that scat has been there a week. Consider the flies.
3) Immediately after rifle season ends (or whatever the last legal bull season is in your area). This will give you an idea of what bulls carried over. Ideally, you have trail cams out and don't even have to scout. Bulls are tired and laying low so "scouting" is mostly cams and perhaps jumping bulls if you are quail or grouse hunting for example.
4) Spring calving season. Why? Because knowing when a calf drops can tell you when its mom was bred. Seeing lots of newborn calves can tell you when lots of cows were being bred -- i.e., peak rut. So be in the woods around June and watch for those calves. An elk's gestation period is 240-262 days. Let's say you see lots of calves on June 1. 262 days before then was September 12. Amazing. Watching this trend over time in your area can give you a pulse on when peak rut occurs, and also important, if any pre- or post-rut mating is happening.

I am writing as if you live within a reasonable distance to your hunting grounds. I do, and we soak cameras year round with focused soaks starting in mid-June on the Oregon coast.

If I had to travel somewhere to elk hunt, I would arrive at least 3 days before the opening to scout hard for that time period and be ready to kill on opening day.

We do the same stuff just on the Oregon cascades