Elk Scouting

[elkarecallin]

I will be heading back to school in April in South East Idaho. During that time I plan on spending my weekends scouting for a good elk spot. I am not crazy so I am not asking for anybody's elk spot, I am just looking for some tips on scouting elk. Have you found a good method for picking out a spot ahead of time on Google Earth and then planning a scouting trip around that? What do I want to look for when doing that? When I get to the area what do I want to keep my eye out for? Is there any way of telling if the elk will still be around come hunting season? Does Idaho offer any kind of student discount on game tags? Thanks for the help!

 

[Steve]

North facing slopes with thick timber

 

[xziang]

Scout access points and trails on google earth and get maps. When looking at google earth hook it up to your TV to get a bigger picture and then go to ground level view and see what you can and can't see from there. IE meadows at high elevations and other open peaks where you might see something from a far.
No way to tell elk will be there in hunting season in my opinion to many variables (other hunters, logging, helicopters etc.)

One thread on Idaho already. https://jira.csgicorp.com/browse/SR-3160

May also want to scour and search this forum for I know other tips have been brought up with other states but it would be the same for all minus anyone who might throw out a unit or general area.

Good luck I don't know the area and have NEVER been there but see if there is a 'mushroom' season where people go out and look for fungi and do that while at the same time look for elk grounds. I swore or thought that area might have fungi that people collect and then sell. I'm always scouting for deer trails here in NE when I am looking for morels in the spring. Have fun with scouting basically.

 

[BKhunter]

You can look for sign such as rubs and old wallows......Even though there may not be elk there when you are scouting they could be back during the hunting season.

 

[d3ntalbliss]

ISU? Do you have an area you have identified as being convenient for where you'll be? I may have some ideas depending on where you'll be.

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[Retterath]

I would recommend mike eastmans book elk hunting the west, lots of great info for a new elk hunter.

 

[elkarecallin]

Yeah ISU. Really I am not too particular. I don't mind having to drive to good Elk country.

 

[elkguide]

I've seen some pretty decent elk within 5 miles of the ISU campus. Getting boots on the ground is one of your best values. Using Google Earth will give you some good ideas of the land so use that until you get to campus and then drive up in the canyons and begin scouting.

 

[bigdesert10]

+1 for what elkguide said. Just get in the mountains. ISU is my alma mater as well. As easy as it is to get into the mountains outside of town, I would save the internet scouting for boring lectures and spend your free time outside.

P.S. Be wary of the rez.

 

[ChasinBugles]

No discounts in Idaho that I am aware of for students. If you are planning on getting residency there in Idaho it is well worth it to get your lifetime hunting license. If you are a bowhunter there are more options around Pocatello than rifle hunters as many of Idaho's units are OTC for archery while they are draw only for rifle.