Scouting Help (CO hunt, but general information welcome!)

[FYT]

Hi all,

I'm new to the forums. I live in Colorado and hunt very near where I live. I've been out scouting a bit and will be out a lot more between now and when my season starts.

I have a few questions related to scouting that I would love any perspective on:

1) In years past, I've hunted 1st rifle every year. I screwed up my tag application this year with the new Colorado application system, so I'm hunting the OTC Rifle (2nd season, 10/20-10/28). I also was able to get a leftover Cow tag for the same season. My question is this: how much will getting out scouting ahead of the 2nd season even help? Can I expect that 1st rifle will move the animals around a lot, to the point that it isn't even all that valuable to see sign now, knowing that those animals will be moved around in 1st season anyway?

2) How far from trails do you recommend? The area I'm most likely to hunt has a lot of recreational trails going through it- it is a popular area for hiking/backpacking and there are some mountain bike trails in the area as well. It feels like this huge swath of roadless backcountry, but as I pull up maps like OnX, I can see how many trails run through it too. How bad is that? How far off of these types of trails do I need to try to get? Do the animals acclimate to this type of recreation, or do I need to be quite concerned about those hiking trails?

3) A pretty general and basic question: I was out this weekend and we have finally been getting some rain after a long dry stretch. I noticed that I was hardly leaving any tracks behind- the ground was quite "spongy" and would just sort of jump back into place. Are droppings (and rubs) the number one thing I should be looking for in terms of sign? I was surprised at the lack of tracks I was seeing- the only place I found any of value was right near a water hole in the mud.

Thanks for any insights and I'm excited to be a part of the forum.

 

[JohnCushman]

Welcome to HT

 

[Bomber]

I don't know Colorado, so I can't speak for the elk behavioral changes between first and second season. It's a fascinating question, though, and I'd love to hear some responses. I hunt Oregon and our season structure is quite different, so it's another ballgame from what you're dealing with.

Regarding tracks and sign: Droppings and rubs are probably your most useful bits of elk sign. Tracks can be tough to distinguish and read in grass or brush, so unless you can find some open ground with exposed dirt it can be difficult to pick out hoof tracks. If you find what you suspect to be an elk trail you can follow that and often find a patch of bare ground or wet ground where a track will leave an impression.

I hunt places where there isn't much recreational hiking, so I can't speak to the affect of trails on elk. Would love to hear what people have to say about that, too.

Good luck this year!

 

[FYT]

Thanks for the reply, Bomber!

I'm really curious if there are any others on here who have thoughts about how behavior changes (or doesn't) because of hunting seasons.

Thanks for your thoughts about sign to look for- I'll keep that in mind in the lead up to my season.

As for the recreational trails question, more and more I'm thinking I may need to focus on a different area. I always look for roadless areas and prioritize those, but my brother made the argument to me that roads may be less worrisome for elk than trails are. Cars don't kill elk (often), people kill elk, and that's what they're most concerned about. Interesting thought- still curious if others have more to add.

Thanks again!

 

[GrantK]

I don't think any time in the woods is wasted, that said elk will likely change their patterns quite a bit, most noticeably in the first couple days of the first rifle, most herd bulls will bail on cows as soon as they hear the first rifle shot, look for them in sanctuary areas, if they arent there opening day keep checking, a lot of times it takes a couple days of season to push bulls to the bad spots...

as far as sign, rubs might be helpful, might not be, a lot of times elk rut where you won't see them during rifle season, fresh droppings and the ground torn up like a feedlot are what you are looking for, even on spongy or rocky soil a bunch of elk using it regularly will make a mark..

I wouldnt worry about elk being around recreational trails, they get used to the traffic pretty quickly, what would concern me is the easy access for other hunters, that's a hard one to quantify without checking it out though, some areas like that are hammered because there is easy walking on trails,sometimes all the hunters avoid areas like that because they think elk won't put up with the people, and if that happens you just found your own private elk spot, just roll in on a mountain bike and the elk wont even look at you twice...

 

[Madman]

I'd ask the question "What terrain are you looking at?" High mountains with patches above timberline? If so I'd watch that with binocs and spotting scope to see what roams around during evening or early morning runs. At least you see if they are in the area. Lots of trees? Little more difficult but game cameras? Scout on foot and smell for beds? My rule is unless you know the area very intimately, scouting allows you to learn not only the animals but also terrain, sanctuaries, paths, etc.....and it's never a waste of time....my 2 cents.

 

[Matty B]

1) Scouting prior to the 1st season when you are hunting the 2nd season will not hurt. Sure the animals might move around from pressure but knowledge of the area never hurt anyone. If you want to scout I would try to get to camp early and scout the 2 days before opener.
2)Use the trails to your advantage for accessing areas. You might catch elk by the trails but I would use them to access different potential spots you can identify using topos and satellites images. Keep in mind a lot of Forest Service Non-motorized trails have the rule that you cannot discharge a firearm within 150yds of the trails.
3) As far as looking for sign I wouldn't get too worked up about rubs in October. I would be looking for tracks and droppings mainly. Use your binos and a spotter to cover ground. You will be hunting the busiest season in CO so I would stay behind the glass on a good vantage point, lots of people in the woods means lots of elk getting bumped around.
Stay positive and good luck.