Off season scouting

[Sitka_Blacktail]

I had the pleasure a couple weeks ago of meeting up with Bob (Bobcat)  to do some pre season scouting. We spent the day checking out new and old areas to see what is around for next season. Saw a bunch of deer that day and got to know each other a bit.

Yesterday we met up again and set some trail cameras out in an area I'd discovered that has a small elk herd. Unfortunately, a far as more scouting goes, I'm leaving for Alaska next week to fish for the summer, so Bob will have the task of checking to see what's moving around our area. Luckily for me, with modern electronics, Bob can download the pictures and e-mail them to me so I can scout vicariously through his efforts.

Was really nice to meet Bob and an extra bonus was that he has had similar models of game cams to my two new ones so he gave me a great tutorial on how to use them and things to be aware of. I've never used game cams before, but thought it sounded like a fun excuse to spend more time in the woods.

We saw four more deer yesterday and at least one was a large buck that had shed it's antlers. But one of the highlights of the day was listening to all the ruffed grouse drumming. It appears mating season is upon us. heard so many drum rolls I lost count.

Bobcat, once again, it was a pleasure to meet you. Can't wait to see if our efforts paid off.

[deerhunter_98520]

Sounds like a great day in the woods

[Sitka_Blacktail]

We were over in your neck of the woods. Up the main creek on the way in.  Sure are starting to log the heck out of that whole area.

[deerhunter_98520]

I was wondering how that's lookin out there....they were building spurs the last time I was there....looks like I have to make a trip out there when I get back home....I hope this doesn't attract a bunch of people because of the new cuts

[Sitka_Blacktail]

We saw 10 deer in your favorite spot the first time we went out. Most of the new cuts are north and east of there. There is a huge area they are logging to the north off the mainline and many other smaller, but still large cuts they just finished logging since hunting season. I'm sure all that will attract a lot of hunters in the next few years.

[bobcat]

I'm sure looking forward to see what we might catch with the trail cameras. Could be anything- deer, bear, cougar, bobcat, elk.   It would be very good to find that there is more than one mature bull hanging in that area, especially if they stay there all through the summer. The pictures will definitely get more interesting in June/July when antler growth begins kicking in.

[deerhunter_98520]

I've seen a fair share of elk in that area but come hunting season I haven't seen a whole lot and I spend quite a bit of time out there....I had them coming into my camera quite often and when they shed velvet the disapeared

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Site Prep...... Getting the camera aligned and trimming branches for a nice clear shooting lane.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

We got a bite and one of them is a bull. Looks like they're already growing new head gear.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Fro the sign, there were 5 to 10 elk wandering around on the ridge. Some were farther down the side of the ridge out of camera range.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

The other two cams had nothing yet. They were across the canyon from this one, so hopefully something will show up there soon. This guy was obviously taking a selfie.

[bobcat]

I checked these cameras a couple weeks ago. Out of the three, one had zero pictures and for some reason wasn't working, although it is working fine now, after I brought it home and put new batteries in it. Another camera had captured some great elk photos and then took 1000 or so pictures of nothing and then died, and will not power on. The batteries were still at 80%. That was the Primos Truth Cam 60.

The only camera that was working when I got there was the Primos Truth Cam 35, and it's the only camera left out there of the three.

I only got pictures of one bull with it, and here are some of those:

[bobcat]

Here's some from the camera that quit working...

[bobcat]

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[Sitka_Blacktail]

Sweet! I figured that would be a good spot at the creek crossing.

[deerhunter_98520]

Those are some good pics guys....I still have yet to get my cam out....went to my elk spot the other day to see new roads punched in the timber I hunt 

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Yah Tom, looks like they are going to be logging your area hard. Lots of new cuts already and more marked for cutting.

[deerhunter_98520]

Both my deer and elk spot have logging all around them 

I've been going to matheney to check out some new ground just in case....that's quite a bit steeper in that country 

[bobcat]

Well, this is weird. The elk in this area do not like wet cob! I put half a bag there a couple weeks ago. There had been very little elk activity at that time. Today, the ground was tore up with elk tracks, all the way in to the camera. I thought I was gonna have a ton of pictures. When I got there, all five little piles of cob looked like they hadn't been touched. Some of it was even growing. Fresh elk tracks all over. Sure enough, did get some pictures, on July 9th. A small bull and brand new calf and a cow or two. Weird that they didn't touch the cob. I was going to pull the camera, but with all that cob there still I hated to do that, so I left it, and even added another. I'll go back in a couple weeks and check it. But as of August 1st I won't be able to go in there anymore since I'm not going to buy a Weyerhaeuser pass.

[bobcat]

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[bobcat]

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