Welp......heading up to scout this wkend
Elk
Taking the family with me to camp at the ole huntin' spot tonight. They will head home tomorrow morning while I stay and burn some boot leather checking things out. Hopeful to see good sign and find new spots of opportunity.
My plan is to make 3 of these trips through August before the Bow Opener here in CO. So glad I live here now.....I've dreamed for years of having the opportunity to really check the area out like this.
Our 2nd outing in our Cabelas Outback 10X10 tent. This pic is from the 1st at Moraine Park Campground, RMNP. So far, loving it....particularly since I got it new for $122 at the Boulder Sports Recyclers. :)
Wish me luck and I hope your pre-season efforts are safe, fun, and fruitful!
Jordan
Jordan, let us know your findings, stay safe & good luck!
ElkNut1
I have the 12 X 12 Outback Lodge and wouldn't trade it for any other tent. It packs fairly small but still has lots of room. If we need heat (which is rare) we use a propane heater and just deal with the condensation. I've been in several big storms that would have folded most tents as well as one big snow. My tent is always standing. The only thing I don't like is that there isn't an attachable vestibule. I make a porch with a tarp so rain doesn't get in the tent getting in and out and that helps but I wish it had one that actually attached to the tent.
I found ALOT of skeeters.....damn.....they aren't there in September. LOL Not alot of elk sign. Some fresh tracks here and there. Not alot of scat and only a few freshies. ALOT of juicy green food everywhere. Lots of old tracks from when it was muddy.....hard to say how long ago that was. Saw a big ass black bear driving back to camp one evening.....he turned tail and hauled butt back into the woods.....same place I had been hiking around earlier that day. Found some new waterholes. Had a great time.
North facing timbered slope next to the waterhole......alot of traffic here.
Another moist vegetated honey hole next to dark timber.....looks like a great archery ambush site to me.
View from the waterhole back up the drainage that all drains into the waterhole. I would set up a game cam but doubt it would be there by the time I got back.......I bet this looks like a pumpkin farm opening day of muzzleloader season.
Not too shabby a view. Roads were worse than in prior years. Looked like folks tried to come up too early and just wallowed around in 4wd destroying otherwise decent road. Crazy. I ended up with a slow leak in one tire (because it just knew I was replacing it in 3 days) which ended up not making it back down. Spare tire had grooves worn in the sidewall......slide over rocks much....LOL. I made it to a shop and got patched and home. New shoes on Tues/Weds! Can't wait to go back......except I am tired of breathing skeeters...yes they were that thick. I'd almost rather they bite me than I suck one down every other breath. UGH
Looks like a nice area! Since you're new to CO summer scouting, don't worry about finding elk or even fresh sign. Look for wallows and rubs, and old trails.
I'm scouting 3x a week now in my "new" area and there are very few elk there now. They will be there in September. So I'm fine-tuning the micro-habitat, figuring out bedding areas, thermal drift and travel routes from A to B now, so I won't screw them up when I'm hunting them.
Amen to that Lou. I figgered as much knowing what I find in the fall. But I did not expect the bugs at the levels found. Damn......no wonder the elk are somewhere else. Next time I'll have my headnet.
Great looking photos! Yes sir those skeeters are horrible this time of year in many states! They keep me out of the woods for sure. Come August they start dying off & it's better out there then.
I enjoy glassing up high for bulls then if interested in hunting the first week. I also would consider what Lou is doing. After the 10th it's all about calling for me to locate then hunt them! Incorporating several methods as scouting, glassing & calling at the right time & places can help reduce burning unnecessary boot leather.
Keep up the good work!
ElkNut1
