TO SCOUT OR NOT

[Firehole Hunter]

If you had a day or two before rifle season begins, would you go out and search for elk rest and acclimate to the elevation gain since coming from the east by vehicle over two days. I worry about spooking the elk or alerting them to our presence. This is assuming that you have a general idea of where your at and where you'll be going. Secondly, would you try to hunt a specific area or go to a glassing spot opening morning if you haven't scouted very thoroughly beforehand. Maybe you can tell which way I am thinking but wanted to hear from of you that hunts a new area from time to time.

 

[Cowbell]

Always, always scout if I can. But you can be smart about it as to not bump the elk. I like scouting to have a plan for opening morning.

 

[Crowmangler]

Planning a trip this fall to a new area & have discussed the same topic with my crew.
Totally new area for me but I feel like I can at least get a good idea of the terrain from OnX / Google earth & develop a plan from that.
Personally, if it were large open areas you could quietly glass for miles then I wouldn't think twice about it.
However, I don't want to risk bumping them in the timber that I'm gonna be hunting the next day or so.
It would suck to walk up on a nice bull holding only a trekking pole & watch him run off to the next county.

 

[Newtosavage]

Easy answer. Go to that glassing spot when you get there, preferably 2 days ahead of the season, and start making a plan based on what you learn from those glassing sessions.

 

[Elkdreamer]

At my age I think acclimating to the elevation is as or more important than the scouting.

 

[Marble]

Easy answer. Go to that glassing spot when you get there, preferably 2 days ahead of the season, and start making a plan based on what you learn from those glassing sessions.

This above...

We wont even launch the horses until we have seen movement in places we need to see them.

2 days is enough to get a jist of bedding and feeding areas.

 

[Indian Summer]

No doubt getting acclimated is a good thing. But that just takes time and working around camp for a couple will get you started.

If you have never been to the area then yes you need to get up there and lay eyes on it. Just hiking the main access trail during daylight to get somewhat familiar with it and make sure there are no surprises is a good idea.

Regardless of whether you’ve hunted the area before it can’t hurt to have a peek. Plus let’s face it it’s hard not too. But restrict yourself to two things.... don’t go up to early when elk can be anywhere. And as you were wise enough to say... don’t walk anywhere near feeding or bedding areas but just get to a vantage point and glass.

A few seasons ago I had a good friend in my regular area. He had never seen it before so we got an early start. While we were glassing a 6 point bull walked right at us bugling and came to within 20 yards of our horses and 30 from us and spooked. Minutes later another really nice 6 point bull fed out into the meadow about 200 yards below us and caught wind of us. The next morning... like dumbassas we hiked to the same spot. On the way there we got busted by a different 6 point feeding 40 yards off the trail. The morning after that I hunted that spot and never saw an elk. As a matter of fact I never saw any of those three bulls again. Doh!

 

[5MilesBack]

I might do some hiking around in July, but as the season approaches I don't like moving through areas I'm going to be hunting until it's legal to shoot something. But that's just me. If I can find them two days before the season starts, then I can find them after it starts.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Glass 30 minutes before sunrise to 1 hour after sunrise, then the same in the evening. Stay a mile or more away. And I don’t think 1-2 days will acclimate your body.

 

[cnelk]

So many times I heard guys say -

“We got here 2-3 days before season and went out hiking/scouting each day and saw elk in our spots. When season opened we couldn’t find them”

Hmmm. Really?

If I’m looking at new country, I’ll go in July. Get a lay of the terrain, check thermals, places to camp, etc.

I don’t need to see elk. I know what they look like.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Assuming that you are referring to later post-rut rifle seasons for bull Elk, those 2 or 3 days prior to opener are absolutely critical regardless of whether or not you are familiar with an area. Glass likely sanctuaries from distance and you shouldn't have to worry too much about your presence affecting the Elk.

Easy answer. Go to that glassing spot when you get there, preferably 2 days ahead of the season, and start making a plan based on what you learn from those glassing sessions.

Otherwise you will lose the first few days of your hunt doing this same thing with more people running around the hills.

 

[Newtosavage]

So many times I heard guys say -

“We got here 2-3 days before season and went out hiking/scouting each day and saw elk in our spots. When season opened we couldn’t find them”

Hmmm. Really?

If I’m looking at new country, I’ll go in July. Get a lay of the terrain, check thermals, places to camp, etc.

I don’t need to see elk. I know what they look like.

Obviously this is the answer if you already live there. If you're coming from Atlanta, it's a bit tough to do that though.

 

[Newtosavage]

Glass 30 minutes before sunrise to 1 hour after sunrise, then the same in the evening. Stay a mile or more away. And I don’t think 1-2 days will acclimate your body.

I dunno, I have managed to acclimate pretty quickly, even coming from 400' ASL to over 9K in a single day's driving. Then hiking up to 11K to glass the next day. I've done this three times in the past three years and had no real issues other than the normal sucking wind above 10K.

I also drink at least a gallon of water on my 14-hour drive there.

 

[cnelk]

Obviously this is the answer if you already live there. If you're coming from Atlanta, it's a bit tough to do that though.

What if the terrain doesn’t allow you to glass?
What ya gonna do then buckaroo?

 

[roosiebull]

If you had a day or two before rifle season begins, would you go out and search for elk rest and acclimate to the elevation gain since coming from the east by vehicle over two days. I worry about spooking the elk or alerting them to our presence. This is assuming that you have a general idea of where your at and where you'll be going. Secondly, would you try to hunt a specific area or go to a glassing spot opening morning if you haven't scouted very thoroughly beforehand. Maybe you can tell which way I am thinking but wanted to hear from of you that hunts a new area from time to time.

if you have the option, absolutely. you can be pretty low impact if you use a little strategy. find your glassing points, and don't walk through the areas you expect elk to be.

after they are in the trees in the morning, go scout more vantage points you can glass from, and map out some routes to get within range when you do glass something up.

if you don't know the area in and out, scouting is a huge advantage.… having a solid plan A-D is pretty important, don't put all of your eggs in one basket if possible, not knowing how many other hunters will be around opening morning.

 

[Newtosavage]

What if the terrain doesn’t allow you to glass?
What ya gonna do then buckaroo?

Already answered that one slick.

Telling a guy halfway across the country to come out in July, and that you know what elk look like isn't very helpful.

 

[cnelk]

Good fishing in July. If they have a one of those ‘qualifying licenses’ may as well put it to use.

Best of luck to the OP

 

[Coveyleader]

In another recent thread this is exactly what I would do. Get there a few days early, glass and find the elk, and be ready opening morning.

Of course if you have history with the area, it’s not needed as much as elk in certain areas will be in the same general areas year after year.


I surely wouldn’t wait until opening morning to walk into an area and try to figure it out on the fly.

 

[Indian Summer]

What if the terrain doesn’t allow you to glass?
What ya gonna do then buckaroo?

I personally wouldn’t hunt terrain where I can’t glass. That’s how I hunt. I’m not a timber sneaking elk spooker. Been there done that. I might creep around a bit mid day while I’m hunting but I’m not trying to cover any ground. I’m just passing the time until I can glass again.

 

[Ryan Avery]

I would certainly go look around. Shot several bulls by the knowledge I've gained a day or two before the season.