Identifying elk food source?

[md126]

Back east, especially early season, it’s pretty simple to identify where deer are feeding. Crops, acorns, etc are easy to find. What about elk, especially in wilderness or mountainous areas in the first week or two? Where would you focus your search or try to focus on? Thanks

 

[Beendare]

Personally....i don't worry about food source or habitat so much.

The number one factor in the OTC units i Bowhunt is hunter pressure....i plan my hunt strategy around that.....YMMV

 

[Btaylor]

Wish I could answer that but still too new to chasing them to be able to answer. Saw lots of different plants that were browsed but don't have a clue what any of them were. That stuff doesn't grow around here. There definitely seemed to be types of plants that were hit more and harder than others but I haven't been able to zero in on any particular thing that can be found concentrated and in enough abundance to matter compared to say a preferred white oak or swamp chestnut or persimmon. They are grazers though so that means you can narrow areas some but excluding dark timber areas where there is virtually no under growth. Pockets of aspen and meadows though have groceries. Maybe the folks with the knowledge will drop us some learnin's.

 

[Rizzy]

Burn areas grow good groceries

 

[RoJo]

It depends on the time of year. In the summer, they mostly eat grass around here. And not just any old grass. I know what the kind they prefer looks like, but I don't know what it is called. Later in the year, when the grass stops growing for the most part, they move on to other things. Cliffrose for example, in some areas. It really depends on the area.