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Author Topic: How early do you start scouting?  (Read 10642 times)

Offline DIYARCHERYJUNKIE

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Re: How early do you start scouting?
« Reply #15 on: February 28, 2015, 07:41:09 AM »
About to hit the gate this morning!  Second trip of the year.  Please let me find his shed.

Offline coachcw

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Re: How early do you start scouting?
« Reply #16 on: February 28, 2015, 07:53:16 AM »
How about the so-called WDFW doing fly overs and scattering the elk before elk season ? I don't know if this if true or not, so why not scout your game animal. WDFW is not our friend.....
that makes no sense. If your on a big herd most likely someone else is to.
My wife told me that I hunt way more than I did when we first got married. I said yeah I know isn't it great !

Offline HUNTINCOUPLE

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Re: How early do you start scouting?
« Reply #17 on: February 28, 2015, 08:15:18 AM »
Year round.
Slap some bacon on a biscut and lets go, were burrnin daylight!

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Offline D-Rock425

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Re: How early do you start scouting?
« Reply #18 on: February 28, 2015, 09:01:20 AM »
I believe  to many guys over scout!  Please limit the contact with elk just makes them tougher to hunt.
you just have to scout smarter. 

Offline Ccortez

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Re: How early do you start scouting?
« Reply #19 on: February 28, 2015, 09:15:34 AM »
I go as soon as the snow melts to go check out new areas I found on maps and then let the trail cameras do the work for me. I have 4 or 5 areas I wanna go check out that look promising

Offline grundy53

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Re: How early do you start scouting?
« Reply #20 on: February 28, 2015, 09:20:29 AM »
All year round. The more I learn and spend time in the woods, the better off I will be when season starts. God knows I need all the help I can get!!
:yeah:
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Offline buglebrush

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Re: How early do you start scouting?
« Reply #21 on: February 28, 2015, 10:50:59 AM »
One thing I will never do is calling before I am actually hunting.  I don't need to see or hear elk to know they are there.  I try to scout a new area every year, and spend a ton of time online looking at maps.  I spend several saturdays driving around checking to see what access options exist.  I am marking waypoints the whole time.  Things like tracks, roads, trails, cell service, etc...  When I've gathered all the info I can put together an informed gameplan on how to hunt that particular area.   At that point I will put boots on the ground, but not to call/see elk.  I try to find good routes in and out after dark, and let my game cameras do the rest. 

Last year I met a couple guys that were absolutely floored someone had made it all the way back in to "their spot".  They had started at the bottom, and scratched their way clear over the top while I had found an unmarked, gated, and overgrown road that clears out nicely after the first half mile.  I simply biked in from the other side.  A 1.5 hour bike in while they spent 4-5 hours scratching through the brush.  Don't be those guys. 

P.S. I never did tell them how I got in  :IBCOOL:

Offline deerhunter_98520

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Re: How early do you start scouting?
« Reply #22 on: March 01, 2015, 03:01:41 PM »
I never stop scouting....I'm always looking for more animals and better places...whether it before that day, the next or the next year....I look for particular places to hunt and its hard to find them
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Offline Elknut1

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Re: How early do you start scouting?
« Reply #23 on: March 01, 2015, 03:21:46 PM »
The month of Aug. is when I start getting serious! I may go in to a place or two a bit earlier if I need to cut trail to some very tough to get into spots! I have a couple like this that is well worth my efforts! I would not have had a prayer at this bull here if I hadn't done some off season clearing to this natural dirt mineral lick that he visited from time to time.

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Offline RadSav

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Re: How early do you start scouting?
« Reply #24 on: March 01, 2015, 03:38:02 PM »
I agree 100%!  Even if deer or bear hunting it is always best to start clearing well in advance.  Well before the bulls get in there is best if you can do it!  The first year we guided bear hunters we ruined a number of very productive bait sites when we trimmed too many branches after the bait sites were active.  Missed that whole season in those spots.

Fantastic bull and picture Elknut :tup:
He asked, Do you ever give a short simple answer?  I replied, "Nope."

Offline Elknut1

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Re: How early do you start scouting?
« Reply #25 on: March 01, 2015, 04:47:36 PM »
Thank you sir! I certainly agree with clearing an area well before the season starts! I like giving a two week minimum so the critters return to the area in a relaxed fashion just in case I bumped them. Interesting enough some of these areas I've cleared in the past were so thick that now the elk & deer are using them as well. They too like the path of least resistance! (grin)

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Offline KFhunter

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Re: How early do you start scouting?
« Reply #26 on: March 01, 2015, 04:52:19 PM »
thanks for the reminder ya'll I gotta get going


with the low low snow levels there's not much excuse to NOT get out early.

Offline DIYARCHERYJUNKIE

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Re: How early do you start scouting?
« Reply #27 on: March 02, 2015, 07:51:04 AM »
That and the sunny days  :tup:  this year will be a fun one for sure.  Our group already got three cams up just one more to hang in a few weeks.  Then a few checks before sept.  A little lane clearing and I think we've found a hot spot.

Offline dreamingbig

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Re: How early do you start scouting?
« Reply #28 on: March 02, 2015, 01:40:36 PM »
June.  I just love getting into the backcountry.  Put minimal pressure on the actual animals though.  Most time spent assessing feed, general track sign and check on the normal camping spots.


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Offline Jingles

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Re: How early do you start scouting?
« Reply #29 on: March 02, 2015, 01:57:31 PM »
For deer anytime I am out of the house and headed into the woods. For elk Sorry can't help ya there have never really been other than the one time I took a stroll out through the woods where there were supposed to be some fell off the hill and lost my glasses
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