Thanks all for the feedback, I'll have lots of questions as this goes forward.
Midweek update: Rtspring was right, there is nothing like actually walking the hills to get you in shape. I've been hitting the treadmill on it's steepest incline for a couple months and it has helped me lose almost 20 lbs. Saturday I got out early and hiked the big hill in enumclaw. Wow. Probably twice as difficult and I was way sore for the next day or so. Long way to go in the fitness department.
I drug my golden male up there with me because he needs to get in shape for duck season. It took us 31.54 going up the front trail. I figure he cost us a couple minutes stopping to take a dump about 3 times. Glad I filled my pockets with plastic bags. I saw a bunch of people hiking the road up the backside and I think I will try that tomorrow.
Monday I took the day off, crammed a bunch of random gear in my backpack and hit the road at 4:00 am to start scouting.
Apparently it gets light around 4:30am right now so I wasn't in the woods as early as I wanted to be. My goal was to check 3 areas around 3k feet where I have seen elk in the past. I spent most of the morning in the first spot. From reading elknuts play book i wanted to check where I have seen elk bedded in the past and see if they were still using them. It's about a mike hike to get to the first one and The trail in had no fresh sign but when I got about 30 yards from the bedding area I suddenly found fresh sign and instantly smelled elk.
As much as I wanted to see elk I figured there was no point in kicking them out of there if they were in there so I backed out. Another mile to the other bedding area but I got stuck in a maze of reprod that had really grown in the two years since I had been in there. I'm not sure how to hunt when you can't see ten feet.
The second bedding area was in a patch of timber I have never been in but had seen elk coming out of it to feed in the afternoon. I have no idea how you would get in there without alerting the whole county. It's thick and with all the blowdowns it's so loud. Sure enough another active bedding area.
I finished my hike out and ended up at the landing at the top if these old clearcuts and it looked like I had just missed a group of elk. I smelled them before I saw any sign then found about 6 or 8 puddles like this.
I might have bumped them out but I don't think so.
By the time I was back at my truck I was already out of water and realized I hadn't planned well for scouting. I made a check list of what had been running through my head, things that should be in my pack and truck as well as some truck maintenance. I hadn't checked the jack or spare in a year, I didn't check the weather, I had no extra clothing, not enough water, and NO MAP! It might be a good idea to plan better for scouting.
So after about 8 hours of bumping around my old spots I decided to go follow a map lead someone had posted. But before I left, this guy treated me to a show. I don't see these birds very often and his mating display was incredible.
Whistling jacks has a good map and later that night I hit sportsmans for a few green trails. I will not be hunting my spots down low. Scouting decided that for me. It's time for some map work and a plan for the next place to scout.
Family vacation #1 starts Thursday so outside of working out and listening to elk sounds in the car I don't have any scouting plans until July 5. But vacations are dangerous weight gain times for me, usually a pound a day if it's a good one! Now vacation needs to mean rest but not pigging out. We are off to sunriver, and I better come back at the same weight I left...
Question: when you can smell elk does that mean they are close? Or does that smell linger for a while after they have left and if so, how long?
