A little tip for the E scouting folks

[windymtnman]

My comment isn't done to criticize, more to try and help those that aren't as experienced in Western hunting and are E scouting from far off places.
I've been hit up by a few hunters that are in the planning stages of their Western hunts. Some have sent me maps of areas they thought might of interest to them, that are in my "neighborhood", as my ranch is surrounded on 3 sides by the vast Rio Grande National Forest. I live in GMU 80.
When I look some of the areas they are considering, I pretty much know they'd use up a lifetime of luck if they got any Elk there. Reason being, there is NO WATER in that area, except perhaps during Spring snow melt off. Moreover, some of those areas are hot and the grass is withered. Yet, a Google Earth image might be of a Winter image or otherwise make it look pretty decent.
Another thing, is some of these areas have a lot of human activity during the Summer months with lots of folks harvesting their firewood supply near the roads. I know of forest trailheads that are full of hikers or fishermen all Summer long, and yet there's no way to discern that from looking at Google Earth.

Right now, where I'm at in Southern Colorado, we're in one of the biggest droughts I've ever seen in my 10 years of living here. My hay supplier may not even have any to bale this year? I've been out in the backcountry quite a bit, and Springs are drying up, and the creeks have much less water in them. So, when you're scouting, I'd be trying to search out areas where ALL of an Elks needs are met, not just some. Obviously, the more experienced hunters will know this, but to a person looking for a new area to hunt, they may overlook it? Another bad facet of this, is that it may tend to concentrate more hunting activity where all the needs of food, water, cover, and security are all present.

 

[Gila]

The water conditions here in the Southern elk units in New Mexico are very much like you are dealing with up there. The only difference is that it is usually this way on a good year. Depending on the area, most springs and streams dry up in summer down here. The common water source on the NFs are man made tanks, usually dirt tanks. Obviously in the wilderness areas there are no tanks. If you find a spring that is wet all year it is an elk goldmine. It is impossible to find wet springs with a sat image. The only way I have found to locate them is with a hydrologic - aquifer report. There are federal and state hydro (aquifer) commissions and programs. It has been years since I looked at one and I don't remember exactly how I got them. Several years ago it was so dry that the San Fran River in the Gila was dry in most areas with just a trickle in other areas. The tribs of the river were bone dry! Happy to say that the last two years we have seen some good snow pack and enough spring rain to keep a few of the streams up. Some of the tanks will have water until the monsoons kick in the last part of August or so.

Our hay comes from irrigated fields along the Rio Grande River. The last two years have been good. When the river is down I have to scramble to get well irrigated hay about 70 miles to the East and it is very expensive! You make a good point that lack of water can concentrate hunting pressure. Wood cutting pressure does blow elk out of an area. I saw that first hand last elk season. How many non-residents will find the elk if they don't know where the water is? Tag soup comes to mind. No one is going to cut their own throat by giving out elk locations. I would like to see hunters come down here and be successful. We have some quality elk here and once in a lifetime tags to harvest a trophy. If a non-resident has drawn such a tag and doesn't know the area well, then an outfitter is the best way to go. I would like to see folks make the best of a premium tag. If a non-res hunter is determined to go DIY then I commend them for doing so. Scouting for me is a big part of my hunts and I enjoy it. E-scouting certainly helps to narrow it down some, but I feel that boots on the ground is the only way to git 'er done.

 

[EastTNHunter]

Helpful advice. Thank you

 

[LandPro]

Thanks for the local perspective!