Hot/Dry Year Affect on Elk Plans

[WapitiTalk1]

It's a record book hot/dry year in the Evergreen State as evidenced by the quantity of fires and drought conditions.  How will this affect your elk plans this year? Does your plan of attack change significantly, moderately, or not at all for the area(s) you hunt? I have my personal beliefs but am curious to hear what you other Hunt WA cats think.  Let's say for the purpose of this uber scientific poll that your area(s) will be open for business and not closed down for fire danger (or active fires). 

[wooltie]

I've found sign concentrated near the top, around 4500',and near the bottom, around 2-2500'.  Found a few creeks still operating and oh boy the area is much cooler near those springs.

Pressure will certainly affect where I go, but I'll go to the coolest and darkest areas.

Definitely hunt down to the bottom in the morning, assuming the elk are in the bottom.  Probably start in the middle.

Or hunt up to the top in the afternoon, if I think the elk are moving over the tops near the end of the day.

But this is only my third year so I'm making this up as I go.

[vandeman17]

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,179525.0.html

[WapitiTalk1]

Crap, didn't see that one.  Sorry 

[vandeman17]

Crap, didn't see that one.  Sorry 

Its all good. We were scouting in NE Oregon this weekend and were discussing this topic. I kept showing my old man where I wanted to take him (its his tag) and he just shook his head because it was the steep, deep draws that stayed in the shade for the longest time.

[wooltie]

Crap, didn't see that one.  Sorry 

Its all good. We were scouting in NE Oregon this weekend and were discussing this topic. I kept showing my old man where I wanted to take him (its his tag) and he just shook his head because it was the steep, deep draws that stayed in the shade for the longest time.

That's the terrain I'm looking at.  Northern facing draws and slopes covered in timber, surrounding active creek bottoms.  Especially all the little nooks and crannies, like the small, isolated from roads, 'northern' parts of peaks, which otherwise face all directions.