How many trailheads do you look for in a GMU?

[bsnedeker]

So, as a midwest resident with small kids at home boots-on-the-ground scouting is not an realistic option for me so I rely on various escouting tools. I've been looking at a specific GMU in SW Montana and have picked out about 15 spots I want to check out, with 5 different trailheads to get me into these spots. My next step is to start looking at each of my spots in more detail to try to find specific geographic features that may hold some elk, then narrow it down to 2 trailheads that will get me the most bang for my buck. I'm going to be hunting solo for 9 days so realistically I'm probably only going to get a chance at 2 trailheads for 4-5 days a piece.

Does anyone have a better process for picking out the area they are going to target first, second, third? I did something similar for my CO elk hunt last year but I ended up running into elk on my way to one of my spots and never actually got there!

 

[bozeman]

I would advise, if any way possible, to find some time to physically visit your area. With 2 small children from AL, I am combining an anniversary trip to CO (Have a great wife) with a few days on the two trailheads I am targeting. I spent 3 days up there last year as well, learning the area and then the 'e-scouting' makes so much more sense to me when I am looking over topo's and terrain maps. If I draw a tag for 2019, I will have 2 years and approx. 6 days of scouting in that area (not much, but for this kind of a hunt, minimal investment). Just seeing the vastness of the land was intimidating enough, much less spending 7 nights in new country. Best of luck to you.

Bozeman

 

[bsnedeker]

I would advise, if any way possible, to find some time to physically visit your area. With 2 small children from AL, I am combining an anniversary trip to CO (Have a great wife) with a few days on the two trailheads I am targeting. I spent 3 days up there last year as well, learning the area and then the 'e-scouting' makes so much more sense to me when I am looking over topo's and terrain maps. If I draw a tag for 2019, I will have 2 years and approx. 6 days of scouting in that area (not much, but for this kind of a hunt, minimal investment). Just seeing the vastness of the land was intimidating enough, much less spending 7 nights in new country. Best of luck to you.

Bozeman

Believe me, I've been pouring over the calendar trying to figure out a way to make it work! This year we already booked the 5-year anniversary trip to Aruba. The real bummer is my SIL is getting married in Whitefish MT this year so that would be a perfect opportunity for me to get semi-close to where I'll be hunting and spending a few days....of course she's getting married over a week that I am committed to an overseas work trip.

I did the same thing in CO last year. It took me about 3-4 days of my 10 day hunt to really figure out the area. I'm hoping that experience will help me get dialed in a little quicker this year. It was extremely rewarding to head into an area that you "know" should hold elk from all of the listening you've done to Mr. Randy Newberg, and to then have that "knowledge" being rewarded by running into a bunch of elk! Just wish I didn't have to do that part during my hunt!

 

[amassi]

Trailheads, especially in general or otc units tend to turn into parking lots pretty quick. If you find some real estate that should be holding critters try and find access points. Sometime a steep/brutal initial climb pays dividends the rest of the walk in.
Even better if your new found access point puts you near an escape route once the trailhead guys start pushing out critters with noise and scent.

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[dirtytough]

When I go into a new to me area I try to backpack/hike a loop. That way I don't waste time covering the same ground twice. The other thing I look for is difficult access. If a good looking area is off trail then there is a better chance you won't have as much competition from other hunters. That being said if you see a good looking area that has really high hiker traffic, there is a good chance that most hunters pass up that area because of all the hikers. So that might be a spot to look closer at also.

Regards, Branden

 

[idahohikker]

I don't think a scouting trip is a necessity. Randy suggests getting there a day early and having relevant scouting. If you have a longer hunt, part of it can be hunting/scouting. Randy's suggestion of having a new spot to check out every day or two is really good. I think he tries to visit like 6-8 places in 5 days. Definitely not pinning hopes on one or two drainages.

 

[Beendare]

Yeah, any SW TH is going to be crowded....and factor in hunter pressure as your primary criteria...Habitat is secondary.

in fact some of those SW TH's have guys driving in a ways past them on 4 wheelers...its a mess. There is nothing worse than backpacking in and having a guy pass you on a 4wd.

 

[xziang]

May have already done this but check out the time stamps on google earth imagery. If needed go to previous time stamps and see if you can find a time that coincides with hunting season to get a 'feel' for how popular one trail head is over another along with if there are any horse trailers parked there. Or if ATV is accessible see if you can spot ATV's on the trail or parked along it.

 

[bsnedeker]

Thanks for all the advice! I'm absolutely taking hunting pressure into account as I had some experience with that last year in CO. The harder I had to hike, the more animals I ran into. This year I'm trying to focus more on burns, which SW MT does not have any shortage on for sure!

 

[Ridge Ghost]

Zero. I look for zero trailheads as they are people magnets. Look for less obvious starting points and you will run into less hunting pressure.

 

[ramont]

Formal trailheads are of little value, they are just over crowded parking lots. If, on the other hand, you are talking about abandoned forest service trails and roads, that's a different matter. I use old roads and trails to gain access to remote areas. You'll find that the game also use these overgrown roads and trails quite often, especially since a lot of these old trails and roads led directly to water and food that the game use.

Like I tell people, it's really not that hard to find game, they are simple animals that live for their basic needs - food, water, security, the priority of which is based on the current situation. Hunting season requires that they find security first but as the winter gets closer they have to balance the need for security with the need to put fat on so food begins to be more important. If it's a really dry year then water gets a priority.

Once any of the hunts start the game will move to more secure areas so pick a place that looks like it's going to be tough for the average hunter to negotiate and has water and food close by.

During hunting season the game will look for security, food, and water - in that order. That equates to steep slopes, thick foliage, small parks with grass, and springs. The closer those things are to each other the better chance that an elk will use that spot because they don't have to move very far to satisfy their needs. The less they move the more security they have and the more fat they save for the upcoming winter.

Southwest Montana has a variety of hunting terrain, flat grass to steep mountain slopes. Depending on where you plan to hunt each will have it's own unique hunting requirements. The animals have the same needs regardless but to satisfy those needs they will have different habits.

 

[paleraider]

During hunting season the game will look for security, food, and water - in that order. That equates to steep slopes, thick foliage, small parks with grass, and springs. The closer those things are to each other the better chance that an elk will use that spot because they don't have to move very far to satisfy their needs. The less they move the more security they have and the more fat they save for the upcoming winter.

This 100x. There is a lot of access in the area I have hunted the last 3 years. Yet it is also pretty steep and rugged. In the 60+ days I have spent back there in the last 3 years I have seen the following: 1 hunter on horse back, 2 hunters on foot, 1 set of boot prints to an unidentified person. That is it. Most of these are within 3 miles of an easy access point, downside is they usually require a 1000' or greater climb inside a mile. From up top I can watch the road hunters go back and forth like clockwork. I say find someplace on the map that has access but looks horrible and you will not have to worry about either finding game or other hunters. Your biggest challenge maybe finding a flat spot to camp!

 

[bivouaclarry]

Call the wildlife biologist for the area. Demonstrate you have done your homework, be polite, and you will get valuable information on the zone. Just don't expect them to tell you where to find game. Ask about road conditions for the time of year you are planning to hunt. Hunter numbers, migration paths, predator numbers, water, ect. You should be able to combine that with online and harvest stat's to figure out where to start looking. If there is an outfitter in the basin you are going to hunt, call em and see how they did last year. A little social engineering goes a long way.

 

[Salmon River Solutions]

I personally disregard trailheads, and try to find areas that aren't accessible by any trailhead, or road. If you use the onxhunt app, which I highly recommend, it has a layer you can use that is roadless areas, which works wonders. I realize trailheads are nice because your bringing the kids, but if you use google earth you can use the path function and show elevation profile and you can really see what your getting in to. Burn areas are great for hunting but present a challenge navigating over fallen trees.

I find that the best-to-hunt animals are unpressured animals. Find a general area, figure out where the animals will have food and decent shelter, and hopefully an area that no one else will be hunting. This year I will be trying a new tactic, which is to use my whitewater raft to access areas that no one else will be able to.

Good luck!

 

[sneaky]

I look for all the trailheads, then avoid every damn one of them.

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