What do you guys look for scouting for elk on GE? Ill post some pics of places i'm looking at. Obviously "food, water, bedding" are the answers, but specifically what draws you to one location over another?
Google Earth Scouting- What to look for?
- Thread starter GOSHENGRUNTER
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All photos are North Oriented. I have things in each of these that I thought looked good, but I'll bite my tongue till the experts chime in ;-)
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25contender
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- Mar 20, 2013
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All the things you mentioned but I look for more than that. You can have all that but if you dont have other conditions there might not be any animals. Just a few things I like to look for. I like steeper terrain and like a location where 2-3 or 4 drainage's come together. I look for areas where the Elk are able to move easily from drainage to drainage not a location that looks boxed in. Over the years I have learned that Elk like multiple escape routes or passes in different direction to go trough. I have also learned that if Elk get blown out of these areas they tend to come back faster than a area that just has one long drainage. Most of the times I will start by putting my camp right at the base of where all these drainage's come together that way I can hunt any of them from one location. Along with this you need to have a good mix of good grazing and bedding areas close to each other. If it is all timber or all grazing it will make it more difficult to hunt.(Talking from a archery hunter perspective.)
One of my favorite haunts. You can see multiple areas where multiple drainages come together. Lots of water lots of grazing and lots of escape routes.
One of my favorite haunts. You can see multiple areas where multiple drainages come together. Lots of water lots of grazing and lots of escape routes.
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libidilatimmy
Veteran member
I look for about the same things as 25. A little hard to tell from your pics, but I like to find a little more vertical relief in the area. Here's an area that I located on GE last year, went and scouted during the summer, and went an hunted for a couple days during archery season. There were elk in here every time I went up during the year.
25contender
Veteran member
- Mar 20, 2013
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Yes sir I like it!! Got a camping spot picked out!!
I look for about the same things as 25. A little hard to tell from your pics, but I like to find a little more vertical relief in the area. Here's an area that I located on GE last year, went and scouted during the summer, and went an hunted for a couple days during archery season. There were elk in here every time I went up during the year.
libidilatimmy
Veteran member
Yep, my tent will be set up in there this fall, for more than a couple days this time around! I know someone who could be your resident guide if you ever feel the need to explore the area a little more in depth with a bow in hand.
25contender
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- Mar 20, 2013
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Seeing elk in the unit and figuring out what makes them feel comfy, then looking over areas right around winter range that offer the same. Always see elk, but I usually have to leave the elk I see to go up into the high country to find elk hunters.
HiMtnHnter
Active Member
Small red circle is water that can be waded in. Big red circle are ridges surrounding water where they can hole up. Orange lines are travel routes going to winter range. Yellow lines are generally the cut-off on animals not on the move, once they cross the one on the East, they'll hang out for a while in the circle, once the drop off the one to the West, they gone...next cover like that is a good ways by hoof. Point of no return for the high country, past that you've got to look in the highest elevation that has some cover on it and they'll hop back and forth on those kinds of places. Could be tucked way off away from everything, could be right against a major highway...they just aren't going to see much pressure where it doesn't look elky.
coastalarms
Active Member
Elkoholic307
Banned
That's the very first thing I look for.
Elk can live anywhere but roads and elk hunting generally don't mix.
Yup, elk are reclusive by nature, and roads go against the grain on that mentality.
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keep in mind that elk, as all animals, are opportunists and will hold up where there is food and water and feel safe. we have an elk heard that crosses the freeway (I15) every day and hold up all day on river bottoms in-between freeway and hwy 91. there is an archery tag for this unit but 98% is private land. we see them all the time while floating the river. up the freeway about 45 miles north there's another large heard that literally hold up all day long with in a half mile of the freeway and often times are seen feeding along side of it. that tag opens august 1st for rifle either sex general tag. I prefer mountain hunting though but even then ive had lots of success in places that don't seem "elky". the spots everyone passes up to go higher are often times holding elk due to lack of pressure and healthy elk numbers.
View attachment 13862 this is where a nice heard has been living for last 15 years. just comes down to the style of hunt you want. I help a buddy every august get his bull and his brother a cow. I chose not to do these flatland hunts because its hot as crap outside and its not in the mountains.
we shot a 320 bull in-between top of this rd and the cabin, he was bedded down on side of 4 wheeler trail, we were deer hunting but it was opening day for the bull hunt in that unit and my brother had a tag. this is less than 300 yards from the main, very busy rd. we've pulled elk out of this spot every year we have hunted it since.
we shot a 320 bull in-between top of this rd and the cabin, he was bedded down on side of 4 wheeler trail, we were deer hunting but it was opening day for the bull hunt in that unit and my brother had a tag. this is less than 300 yards from the main, very busy rd. we've pulled elk out of this spot every year we have hunted it since.
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