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Plan a few scouting trips. Look at lots of ground. Know the difference between moose rubs/tracks and elk rubs/tracks. Even with a lot of planning you are going to have to get lucky...
The only thing you will accomplish with scouting after the snow melts is, seeing the area, roads and terrain. I will gurantee any elk you find or sign will be long gone come Sept. The best thing you can do is find areas on maps you want to hunt, come over look them over. Then come hunting season be here atleast 2 days before it opens and scout, you find elk sign u gotta shot to be in them. These elk move alot, once pressured they move and most herds are 4-7 elk during the rut in NE corner
I live in the NE and Last year our herd was dismantled. I mean ppl shot all the bulls.. I only heard of on cow being taking. Thanks to the WSFW the elk herd will be gone. gave over 30 special tags to a high end farmer. That all they can do is shot and let lay... So hunt somewhere else I do I go 5 hours to hunt.