Scouting with onX.

[bmf0713]

Been doing a little scouting with onX and google maps and marking a few places of interest to check out. Not sure if I will be able to make it for a summer scouting trip because I live like 1300 miles away. This will be my first time elk hunting and all I know about it is what I’ve read and seen on you tube videos that Brandy Oldberg posts. Just wanted to ask and see if I’m headed in the right direction. Here are some screen shots of some places I’ve marked.

 

[cnelk]

"....you tube videos that Brandy Oldberg posts"

^^^^ That right there is funny!

 

[Bsniesse]

Hard to tell with that small of a screenshot. Looks like you are looking for benches in dark timber. If food and water are around, its a good starting point.

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[Bsniesse]

Just remember, just because there is a broken blue line, on a map for water, doesn't mean there will be water there. Have a lot of plans and adjust accordingly when you have boots on the ground. Elk are where they are, not always where you want them to be.

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[GordonFreeman]

What made you pick those spots? Just curious. It is difficult to tell just based on the topography and the creeks

 

[bmf0713]

I picked those spots because I keep hearing stuff about benches on north and east facing slopes close to water and food. All of the benches I have picked out are in timber and they are all close to the feeder creeks and some type of food whether it be big fields of it or smaller patches you can see in the trees. Some are close to old burns, thick timber with blow downs and larger creeks also. They are all at least a mile from roads and trail heads. Some are closer to trails than I’d like but the area I’ve been looking at has a a lot of trails. Basically I just picked them because they are benches. Do I need to look for gully’s or ravines next to that stuff also?

 

[bmf0713]

This is another spot for example. It’s a north east facing bench on a steep hill with a couple small patches of forage in the timber next to a big patch with 2 feeder creeks to the north of it. I red they will stay in the timber and feed in those small patches rather than go to the big patches with hunting pressure.

 

[darcytribe]

sounds like you are on the right track my friend!

 

[bmf0713]

I just found this when marking a glassing spot. Looks like elk to me. You think they will still be there in October? Haha!

 

[jester]

Make sure you have a couple places to go. If that is Colorado, then often the trails will be packed with trucks.

 

[bmf0713]

Yeah. It’s colorado. I put in for a limited draw tag so I’m not sure if I’ll get it. About half the hunter’s during first season than the OTC seasons. That’s kinda why I asking if I’m looking at the right terrain. Otherwise if I don’t draw and have to go OTC I might just rethink the whole plan and do a different unit. I’ve got about 40 or more spots picked all over the unit and and about a dozen or more glassing spots all are 1-7 miles from a trail head/road I’m just planning on playing the crowd and wind to see where I need to go. Gonna show up a couple days early to acclimate to altitude and do some glassing and hopefully locate some elk.

 

[wapitibob]

This is the one to watch

 

[idahohikker]

Here's what you do as a new non-resident hunter: look for the burns and hunt only burns. You will be able to see lots of old friends from back home and nearly every state east of Colorado. This is a perfect strategy because no one else will be listening to Brandy Olberg and doing the same thing.

No, you actually seem comfortable with entering an unburned North facing slope so you're not like all the other guys I'm describing.

 

[cnelk]

Im going to hunting a unit this fall that has a recent burn.

Im going to let all the 'Inet Cowboys' get swallowed up in the burn and push any elk that are in the burn area to surrounding spots and hunt them there.


Edit: ^^^^ Dont be surprised to see this tactic discussed on Youtube or in a Podcast in the near future by one the monetized Utubers

 

[wapitibob]

I haven't bugled a Bull on a north face in 45 years let alone killed one there. Look at roads/trails/access points and go from there.

 

[idahohikker]

Im going to hunting a unit this fall that has a recent burn.

Im going to let all the 'Inet Cowboys' get swallowed up in the burn and push any elk that are in the burn area to surrounding spots and hunt them there.


Edit: ^^^^ Dont be surprised to see this tactic discussed on Youtube or in a Podcast in the near future by one the monetized Utubers

Yes but you'd have to hunt an area for a few years to know whether to hunt the burn because it's not overrun with Brandy disciples or whether to wait for them to push the game to you. Who has that kind of time besides people like you who learn an area deeply over years.

 

[HondoArcher]

Use Google Earth to do all of your scouting then mark what interests you on your onX maps. Be sure to look closely at the terrain and how steep it is. You need good feeding areas and preferably an aspen and pine mix. Pure pine with a few meadows can't support the large herds. The bulls will come to where the cows are for breeding and they are in the summer concentration areas. When the rut hits hard and the hunting starts all bets are off. They will go to where they feel safe which is usually some dark hole or private land where hunters will leave them alone.

One critical item when using Google Earth is to look for game trails. That is the key to finding elk without putting boots on the ground. Once you have done that it is best to validate by going there even if it is two days before the opener. Sign will tell the true story.