Scouting 2017

[ColoradoV]

Well it is that time again and pry my favorite time of the year to get out in the high country. Due to the extremely deep snow pack this year I have had to wait a bit as a lot of the high basins have been snowed in and most if not all of the passes still have snow on them. Hot dry weather the past couple of weeks so the snow is melting fast.

Or just over a week ago I spent 3 full days of camping at snowline I only saw 6-8 deer with one small buck.. Fingers crossed that more deer show up once the snow melts a bit more. I did see pry 75 to 100 elk included the pics.

 

[Slugz]

I go in July 8th to take a look see....will post pics

 

[Spudman]

Scouting starts for me on July 8th as well!

 

[mntnguide]

My mule deer highcountry is still BURIED in snow for the most part. Going to be interesting to see what the winter toll was once i start getting up high and looking for bucks. Im going crazy waiting! planning on my first trip in 2 weekends, then I will spend every weekend from then on in the highcountry looking for a giant. Luckily my elk spot is accessible on afternoon hikes after work. Going to set up trail cams and hopefully find my 400+ bull from last year and pattern him. Have hunted him for 4 years and only seen him 2 times. . Last season my jaw hit the ground when i saw him final day of archery.

 

[mcseal2]

I'm 750 miles from my muley unit for this fall so my physical scouting is limited. I'm going out in late August on a 5 day trip. My buddy who also drew and I are going to leave after work, drive through the night in shifts, and be there by daylight. We will scout that morning, set up camp and rest if needed that day, and then scout again that evening. After that we will be glassing morning and night and learning the unit during the middle of the day. I've already got paper maps marked up and Google Earth waypoints saved, but will continue working on that. I've done most of what can be done from a distance and after the scouting trip I'll combine that and the physical scouting to come up with a plan. We plan to get to the unit 2 or 3 days before the hunt this fall to scout also. I have a rodeo I help put on during the middle of season so I have to be home by then. Since my hunting days will be cut a couple short I'll burn them scouting instead.

I'll come up with a plan between now and the hunt, but the hunt will not go according to plan I'm sure. Part of the fun!

 

[Bonecollector]

Nice pics. I especially like the one with snow. Pretty cool

 

[ColoradoV]

Seems it is either real wet (where the snow is melting) or real dry (where the snow has already melted) it is about the time for the rainy season to start and the country around here is starting to need it. Some of the passes are still snowed in but some are opening up. I was able to get out and see a few basins. Not a ton of bucks around where I was but I was able to turn up 10 - 12 over 2 days.

This guy has some potential he will not be huge but should end up a good buck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iFSYQ2X-Oc&feature=youtu.be


Lazy times on the summer range lol.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R27LvE2KZ5A&feature=youtu.be

 

[Spudman]

Cool vids...thanks for sharing

 

[mcseal2]

Not sure if it counts, but while walking to get in shape for my muley hunt this fall I found a couple nice whitetail tonight. One may be a shooter by season, I didn't have my binos and he was a ways out. His frame looked pretty good. I muzzle loader hunt where I was walking so I think I'm going to change routes to a pasture with more hills and less deer, try not to disturb him.

 

[ColoradoV]

I ended up pushing a atv with a broken belt several miles off a mountain pass this past weekend - just part of the adventure and a good workout i guess lol.. So not many pics from the trip just a few elk. Passes have melted out for the most part and summer has returned to the high country.

 

[Bonecollector]

That does not sound fun.... Glad you made it back.

 

[ColoradoV]

Well made it out a few days and attempting to use imgur for the pics so we will see how this goes. Wet and rainy or rained every afternoon on my trip put some good miles on the boots and fun to live out of the pack for a bit. Here are some pics.

Also how about the brows on this guy. He has that pot belly and some growing still left to do.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Very nice


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[bigsky2]

Cool seeing the velvet bucks walking on the snow.

 

[ridgetop]

That picture of the bucks in the snow is pretty cool.

 

[ColoradoV]

Here is the video of the deer crossing that snow field.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14kQKwnJsg0


Also the elk are starting to posture I heard the first bugles of the year a few days ago..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPJ_dUCN0Hg


Heading out again today until Monday with the family and not the back pack this time so it should be another fun trip into the hills.

 

[ColoradoV]

Up high rain every day this past week and again today. Green and lots of water. Bugs are close to if not intolerable in places this year.

Here is a short video my camera put together of one basin I looked over about a week ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Bdnh_o8h6k

 

[Bonecollector]

Very nice Col. V. !!

 

[ColoradoV]

Rain with more rain makes for foggy pics..

Here are a few more from just over a week ago. Found a couple of promising bucks that hopefully finish off well and one that is a good buck.

 

[mntnguide]

Finally made my first 3 day trip to the high country... From now till September 1 ill be in the mountains each weekend. Saw around 40-50 bucks this past weekend, with a couple that have potential for my interest. If its below 185ish at this point, I'm still going to cover more country looking for true jaw dropper. Here's a couple shots from the weekend

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