Free offer to help HTers with their e-scouting - nothing but feedback in return - so I can practice.

[ComebackSeason]

Hi Guys -

5th year elk and deer hunter here in CO and WY. Feel like I'm working my way up the learning curve well. At this point in the year, I'm waiting to hear back on draws and really ramping up my escouting for potential units.

I figure what better way to get better and give back to the HT community than to help with a few case studies for other hunters?

So, if anyone has a unit they're planning to hunt (or have hunted and want a second opinion on), I'd love to put a few hours of e-scouting research in for you. My focus right now is on rifle hunting, so 1st-4th rifle in CO or general rifle in WY would probably be the best fit. I've done most of my hunting in Northern CO and Southern WY, but open to help scout anywhere in CO. I'll put together some spots that I think are good prospects and my reasoning, and can send you over a KML file with them (assuming you wouldn't want them shared online), and a little word doc on my reasoning.

My only ask is you give me some feedback on the spots I recommend - particularly if you've been there or end up going there.

To be clear, I am volunteering some free work. I am not asking for any money, a list of your own spots, or anything other than some feedback that might help me get better.

My preference would be to do this for someone who has hunted the general area with some amount of success before, just so I can get some actionable feedback, and I know I'm helping someone who is serious about the hunt and might enjoy whatever spots I find.

So let me know if anyone is interested, and what your hunting criteria might be (e.g. Unit XX in CO, XX season, comfortable hiking up to XX miles from road). I'm guessing I'll have time to work with a couple folks on game plans. No need to tell me where you might have hunted in the unit before -- I'm not asking for your spots -- and this way you get a truly fresh perspective that might turn something up worth looking at, or at least corroborate what you already know.

Quick hit of some of the factors I focus on in my scouting:

• Public lands
• Access and hunter pressure (via roads, trails)
• Time of year with respect to elk needs, migration, weather
• Vegetation and feed type
• Cover elements (dark timber, benches, etc.) and transition zones
• All available data from CPW and WYFG (elk harvest stats, their maps of elk range, migration paths, etc.)
• All available info I can find online from both hunting and hiking forums (including trying to look at the opposite of what everyone says)

I've put my mapping strategy together from studying everything I can get my hands on from Randy, OnX, GoHunt, Gaia, Timberline, GoogleEarth, ArcGIS (though I'm newer to this tool), so hopefully I can be helpful.

Let me know if anyone's interested!

Thanks,
ComebackSeason

 

[ComebackSeason]

Also, some proof I can find elk - here's a herd on public land in an OTC unit in Northern CO that I found on Google Earth. Cheers!

 

[wtrfwlhunter]

Cool offer!

 

[mdeerjunkie]

 

[Gila]

Personally, I don't agree with the concept. I envision a group of old ladies swapping coupons at Wally world.

Scouting is the largest part of the hunt. If you learn how to scout, you are learning how to hunt literally. Ethically, a hunter finds his/her own game and that means finding your own places to hunt. DIY hunting on public lands is an awesome way to hunt but it isn't for everyone. Those who acquire good scouting skills are going to be better hunters and they will be the most successful ones in the long run. The only way to really learn what is good elk habitat is to put on your boots and go find the elk. And I will say that my draw strategy is very personal to me based on the countless hours of research and scouting. Not to mention the cost in points. The only ones I will share hunting locations with are the family and friends that I hunt with.

E-scouting is an awesome use of technology. If you are not proficient with OnX you should be, or get left behind the pack. Randy's E-scouting series is about as good as it gets...

 

[Clawsar]

Personally, I don't agree with the concept. I envision a group of old ladies swapping coupons at Wally world.

Scouting is the largest part of the hunt. If you learn how to scout, you are learning how to hunt literally. Ethically, a hunter finds his/her own game and that means finding your own places to hunt. DIY hunting on public lands is an awesome way to hunt but it isn't for everyone. Those who acquire good scouting skills are going to be better hunters and they will be the most successful ones in the long run. The only way to really learn what is good elk habit is to put on your boots and go find the elk. And I will say that my draw strategy is very personal to me based on the countless hours of research and scouting. Not to mention the cost in points. The only ones I will share hunting locations with are the family and friends that I hunt with.

E-scouting is an awesome use of technology. If you are not proficient with OnX you should be, or get left behind the pack. Randy's E-scouting series is about as good as it gets...

I think he’s trying to home his skills, not necessarily offer free help. That’s just the trade off. I have the same problem of getting enough locations through e scouting, then check a subset with boots on the ground, then you hunt an even smaller subset. It makes it a long (multi year) effort to guess and check your e scout skills.

I told him I’d be happy to send him a district in MT that I have some knowledge of and can give feedback to him. If I get a few new places to look at that I’ve missed, that’s a bonus!

 

[JLS]

I'll pass. E-scouting has been a huge game changer in my lifetime, and it's a double edged sword. I've used it to find new areas to hunt, and I've had old standby areas that are no longer standby areas because of the ease of e-scouting.

Playing around with random and arbitrary areas is going to shaft someone, guaranteed, and I'm not willing to do that to someone I don't know simply for someone's edification.

 

[Gila]

I think you will know how good your skills are when you are grilling backstraps. There are no short cuts to better scouting. You just need to put in the time and money to buy the tools and learn. You could save a thousand waypoints and not be able to get to a single one unless you have a heliocopter. E tools can narrow it down some, but in the end it's burning gas and putting countless hours in with face in glass. To find elk you will just have to hike, or hoof it in and cover miles of ground. If a hunter is not able to, or not willing to hit the ground before they start hunting then they should hire a guide and be done with it IMO.

 

[Bob-WY]

I see it as yet another way to move up the learning curve. For me, new at elk, another set of eyes, looking at what I am looking at, can be a help. Did I find the same spots, why did he pick stuff I didn't, then if I am grilling back straps or making tag soup, I can reflect and learn.

 

[ComebackSeason]

Hey guys - thanks for the responses!

I've got a handful of DM's from folks asking to take a look at a few units. My plan is to start with a few of the CO and WY units folks have contacted on, and see how that goes. I'll be DM'ing responses to them with any thoughts, not putting them in an open thread.

Sorry if there was any confusion in my prior post, but just to clarify:

• I am not asking for anyone's spots
• I would just be sending my thoughts on a given unit, in a DM / email, not posting online in an open thread
• The only feedback I'll be asking for is comments like: "Hey I think you're on track here, but a few of your spots in the W part of the unit are too high altitude for a 3rd season hunt." - just lessons I can learn from. If I send someone my thoughts, I'd certainly welcome a dialog that I can learn from, but my only expectation would be "Thanks". Like @Clawsar and @Bob-WY said, just trying to move up the learning curve.

@Gila - totally agree the proof is on the grill not the computer! I just showed that e-scouting picture to offer some sense that I could be helpful. Got my first bull down last year right near where my e-scouting put me on to, all DIY public land, OTC tags. My scouting put me on to elk the prior couple years as well; didn't connect but learned a ton each time. Got a couple mulies down too, also thanks to research and time in the field. Still a rookie in scheme of things, but proud to be getting better. Now I'm trying to hone my skills and become a consistently good hunter.

I'm gonna put in my hours of scouting on my own computer regardless; just thought it would be productive to offer to maybe help someone and share thoughts 1:1, instead of my research just staying on my computer if I can only hunt maybe a couple tags a year. Apologies if there was any confusion on whether I'd be sharing spots broadly online.

 

[JLS]

Apologies if there was any confusion on whether I'd be sharing spots broadly online.

No, I understood that when I typed my response.

 

[Irrelevant]

Also, some proof I can find elk - here's a herd on public land in an OTC unit in Northern CO that I found on Google Earth. Cheers!

View attachment 140536

So I hate to break it to you, but I'd bet those are sheep, as in BAAAAH!. The shadows give them away. Close to the ground, not long legs or long necks.

I've been fooled in CO by them several times so don't feel bad.

 

[ComebackSeason]

So I hate to break it to you, but I'd bet those are sheep, as in BAAAAH!. The shadows give them away. Close to the ground, not long legs or long necks.

I've been fooled in CO by them several times so don't feel bad.

Well if that's the case, thanks for the feedback! That's helpful to learn!

 

[Gila]

I am at the point where I would rather learn how to be more comfortable and eat better on my elk hunts.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

I think that herd is part of @Oak ’s hidden ranching empire.

 

[kwyeewyk]

So I hate to break it to you, but I'd bet those are sheep, as in BAAAAH!. The shadows give them away. Close to the ground, not long legs or long necks.

I've been fooled in CO by them several times so don't feel bad.

I was thinking the same thing, a little too white and chubby for elk.

 

[Setcams4u]

Cool offer. Personally, I get where you're coming from with wanting to sharpen your skills. You must enjoy escouting. That's what I'm doing setting trail cameras for other hunters. Basically, my fee covers my travel expenses, the occasional speeding ticket and tire repairs. Just like you I have my own hunting spots. It's satisfying helping other hunters and fun following along with their successes. Good luck!

 

[WapitiBob]

These are Elk.

 

[ComebackSeason]

These are Elk.

Thanks @WapitiBob !

 

[JTHOMP]

Good luck with your endeavor and hope you get some good feedback come hunting season that will benefit you’re future hunting experiences.
When people ask me where to hunt I point them in places where I think it would be good but haven’t been able to scout it myself. It’s a win win for both parties for current and future hunts.