Pre-Season Hunting District Selection & Scouting

[ADub]

Hello lads,

I'm new not just to the forums, but also to elk hunting (though I have hunted all my life). This year I am going to try to spend September in the woods in pursuit of archery elk. I don't really care if it's a bull or a cow, I just want to get some reps under my belt and some meat in the freezer. I have been researching lots but am at a point where some friendly advice would be greatly appreciated.

I am ready to begin pre-season scouting and am blessed to have tons of free time. My question to you all is this:

1) For pre-season scouting, how do you go about selecting a hunting district / HD? I am familiar with the annual plane counts, but I feel it may be foolish to base my time scouting solely on those numbers. I have been studying the distribution maps and honestly most HDs look quite viable. I am in great shape and enjoy challenging terrain. I really enjoy long forays in the woods, so topography isn't really an issue for me on the planning side, with the limiting factor being how much I can pack in / pack out / accessibility without spoilage.

2) If you had the time, would you focus on a few particular HDs, or spread out your scouting to be more inclusive, but not as thorough?

Thanks bros.

 

[Skerhunter]

Since time is not an issue, I would identify multiple different areas. You can’t control the hunting pressure, animals, or weather (fire), and any of those can ruin a hunt. It’s best to have back up plans and not waste time. Example - I wasted an entire 10 days on a hunt due to poor weather. If I knew better at the time I would have packed up and drove a couple hours away by the second day.

Just knowing the road system/lay of the land prior to getting there goes a long ways. If I get to scout I usually drive around and glass from the road first. Identify access points, camping spots and any areas I want to check out on foot. If I have enough time I will start hiking into the areas I can’t see from the road.

 

[ADub]

Thanks @Skerhunter . You are certainly correct. I plan on doing at least one HD in 3 regions for that very reason. I am not a big fan of crowded spots and will most likely relocate if the hunting pressure gets ridiculous or if there is persistent misbehaving weather.

Have you found yourself going to spots repeatedly that you become more and more familiar with over the years, or do you adjust according to some research metric? Apologies if I'm prying a bit.

 

[Indian Summer]

Forays? Relocate due to misbehaving weather? Forgive me for giggling. Time is the biggest factor. Since you have lots of it you should find elk. But before you go hiking in 10 different units remember it takes a couple years just to learn one of them. Pick two or three spots and dig in. Good luck pilgrim.

 

[Skerhunter]

Thanks @Skerhunter . You are certainly correct. I plan on doing at least one HD in 3 regions for that very reason. I am not a big fan of crowded spots and will most likely relocate if the hunting pressure gets ridiculous or if there is persistent misbehaving weather.

Have you found yourself going to spots repeatedly that you become more and more familiar with over the years, or do you adjust according to some research metric? Apologies if I'm prying a bit.

Yes - honey holes are real! During September certain drainages will always hold elk (if they haven’t been blown out by hunting pressure).

A good example - 2023 I called in a ~320” bull my buddy shot. It died within ~50 yards of the carcass of a ~300” bull I shot the year prior. We hung the meat in the same tree.

I change spots based on what the animals and other hunters are doing. If bulls won’t play ball or get blown out I just move to the next spot.