Approach to scouting for a LE tag

tallelkchaser · Jun 16, 2023

Curious how you all approach a LE elk tag and scouting for it. You up in the hills every weekend? Save your effort until a few days prior?

Hunt is in the rut, so bulls are on the move. I feel like early scouting gives you 2 insights- a better feel for the lay of the land and the potential knowledge of bulls on the unit. As for locating bulls for the actual hunt- I think the week leading up to the hunt is the key. Would love to hear if anyone has different thoughts or tactics on approaching it. Cameras are a no go after July in UT which I don’t mind.

fullthrottle · Jun 16, 2023

Sounds like you have a good idea, and are on the right track to a successful hunt.
I like to scout bachelor groups of bulls prior to season to get a feel and true inventory of what size of bull is attainable. If you don't know what's living on the unit, how do you set a certain goal for the hunt. Can't hunt what isn't there. Majority of the time, the bulls will not be in the same place during the rut as they are during the summer. This transition will happen overnight, some bulls will travel miles. Hopefully you have a history in the unit you are hunting and already know where many of the likely rutting area's are located within your unit. I would scout as much as I could, without making it feel like work or having an affect on your family or daily responsibilities.
I think you are wise scouting a few days leading up to the hunt if your schedule allows.
Enjoy the hunt for what it is, don't put to much pressure on yourself to shoot the biggest bull on the mountain. If it works out that way, great. But enjoying the process and time spent on the mountain will mean more to you than any bull in the long run.

Rimrock · Jun 17, 2023

Figuring out the physical logistics of your hunt prior to the actual hunt is underrated. It’s a great time to figure out Plan B, Plan C, etc.

pushin_30 · Jun 17, 2023

How far of a drive is the unit from you? How well do you know the area? Have you hunted it in the past (helped others) are a few things to consider when talking scouting. If it’s the early rifle rut hunt then scouting a few weeks prior and locating bulls is a good general idea of where bulls will be. Yes they can move 10 miles or more before the hunt
But you can usually relocate them

treedagain · Jun 17, 2023

I like to go and get a lay of the land/roads/glassing spots during the summer, then show up 4-5 days before and hunt the best bull I can find. On my Nevada ram hunt I was there over a week before.

BrowningRage · Jun 17, 2023

Also, study what a good animal looks like. Do your best to learn how to field judge a big bull so you know what you're shooting at when it comes time. Though that isn't ALL that matters, it feels good to know what you want, and to get something close.

Butts · Jun 17, 2023

Hunt what you have seen, or reliable intel. Everyone shoots out I seen 380+ shtt with LE areas. In said canyon…
Don’t chase leads.

elkassassin · Jun 17, 2023

What Tag Did You Pull tail?

Founder · Jun 17, 2023

Some great advice here! I’ll take it!! Headed out to look for elk for my wife and her hunt.

tallelkchaser · Jun 17, 2023

pushin_30 said:
How far of a drive is the unit from you? How well do you know the area? Have you hunted it in the past (helped others) are a few things to consider when talking scouting. If it’s the early rifle rut hunt then scouting a few weeks prior and locating bulls is a good general idea of where bulls will be. Yes they can move 10 miles or more before the hunt
But you can usually relocate them

I’m about an hour to the mountain (south cache) and have hunted it off and on my whole life. Have helped others as well on the hunt but have only hunted cows and spikes personally. Lots of good thoughts here, thanks to those who have shared. I never fully understood the need/reason to be out on the mountain a lot during the summer outside of knowing the bulls that are on the unit and about where they would score if you happen to find them during the hunt.

jims · Jun 17, 2023

As mentioned above it saves a lot of time spinning your wheels if you are aware of what bulls are available in any particular year and where bulls tend to be and go once hunting season opens.

Butts · Jun 17, 2023

tallelkchaser said:
I’m about an hour to the mountain (south cache) and have hunted it off and on my whole life. Have helped others as well on the hunt but have only hunted cows and spikes personally. Lots of good thoughts here, thanks to those who have shared. I never fully understood the need/reason to be out on the mountain a lot during the summer outside of knowing the bulls that are on the unit and about where they would score if you happen to find them during the hunt.

It’s the small details my friend..

elkhunterUT · Jun 17, 2023

I loved every second of the scouting and work that led up to my LE elk hunt in 2020. I spent a lot of days on the mountain and ran cameras through the summer. It definitely added to the experience for me and having trail cam pics in the summer of my bull and tons of video footage of him with his huge harem of cows the two days before I killed him on opening morning added a lot to my overall experience. I felt like I was pretty dialed in leading up to my hunt and it definitely paid off. Definitely one of the top hunts of my life.

LE tags are special-put in the time but avoid putting pressure on yourself. It is supposed to be fun and memorable so whatever that looks like for you, give it all you got!!

Good luck-hope you have a great hunt!!

Edit-forgot to mention that the scouting during the summer was helpful to to see and know what bulls were in the unit and to keep my excitement level up and just a good excuse to be in the hills. The scouting I did 2-3 days before my hunt during the rut was critical. I found my bull and a couple others that were potential shooters so I had a solid plan for opening morning and beyond, if needed. That made all the difference in the outcome for me.

jims · Jun 18, 2023

I drew an elk tag in Wyo last year. I got some great advice from a guy that hunted it the year before. Some bulls were in some of his recommended areas during the summer but some areas were a wasteland with no elk. The weather was super hot and dry last year in most of his recommended areas and wet elsewhere so most bulls totally moved locations.

I spent around 3 weeks scouting so was able to pin down better locations, access, glassing points, etc. It definitely pays to spend quality time scouting that may vary from one year to the next.

tallelkchaser · Jun 18, 2023

Butts said:
It’s the small details my friend..

Thanks for this thought- actually got me thinking of other aspects of scouting other than looking for bulls. Boots on the ground familiarity the terrain in each canyon wasn’t something on the radar. Knowing where benches, cover, escape routes and things are in areas where the elk should be wasn’t something I was thinking about as much. Sometimes you overlook thinks like that if you’ve spent time looking into areas from distance glassing, but actually walking through areas gives whole new insights.

littlebighorn · Jun 18, 2023

I'm old and I've only had one LE Elk tag in Utah. It was a couple of years ago on a premium unit that has held 400" bulls in the past. I had 26 years of points and it was a long time coming, but maybe because age brings greater perspective, I decided to NOT put pressure on myself to get the biggest bull on the mountain. I've seen too many hunters ruin the hunt by overthinking it and stress out about every detail. They get so freaked out about Trophy size, etc. that they don't enjoy the ride.
Chasing rutting elk is just a blast, regardless of how big the end result is.
It's obvious you are excited about this fall tallelk, but my advice is, don't miss the fun because of how much bone you envision bringing home.
On my hunt, I spent the entire hunt in the hills and I passed the biggest bull I saw at first light on the first day because I wasn't about to end the experience. Every day we had screaming bulls in our face and every time we let them go we laughed and soaked in the fun. That hunt was one of the best hunts of my long life because I didn't let a tape measure determine how happy I would be when it ended. Ultimately I took a nice old bull toward the end of the hunt, but some would have been disappointed with him. He was for sure not the biggest.
I'd say, have fun and don't overthink it!

tallelkchaser · Jun 18, 2023

littlebighorn said:
I'm old and I've only had one LE Elk tag in Utah. It was a couple of years ago on a premium unit that has held 400" bulls in the past. I had 26 years of points and it was a long time coming, but maybe because age brings greater perspective, I decided to NOT put pressure on myself to get the biggest bull on the mountain. I've seen too many hunters ruin the hunt by overthinking it and stress out about every detail. They get so freaked out about Trophy size, etc. that they don't enjoy the ride.
Chasing rutting elk is just a blast, regardless of how big the end result is.
It's obvious you are excited about this fall tallelk, but my advice is, don't miss the fun because of how much bone you envision bringing home.
On my hunt, I spent the entire hunt in the hills and I passed the biggest bull I saw at first light on the first day because I wasn't about to end the experience. Every day we had screaming bulls in our face and every time we let them go we laughed and soaked in the fun. That hunt was one of the best hunts of my long life because I didn't let a tape measure determine how happy I would be when it ended. Ultimately I took a nice old bull toward the end of the hunt, but some would have been disappointed with him. He was for sure not the biggest.
I'd say, have fun and don't overthink it!

Appreciate the wisdom and have personally fallen victim to focusing on inches in the past. Fortunately I have seen the effects of chasing a score while helping others in their LE hunts and I’m very grateful for those experiences. My goal is to simply have a great time, know I made the most of my opportunity after waiting for so long, and to harvest a mature bull the unit it managed for.

jims · Jun 19, 2023

I would agree with littlebighorns last post. Looking back, many of my most enjoyable moments were on scouting trips and all the exciting things that happen along the way during the actual hunt.

I always appreciate success that much more when all the pieces and hard work pay off. Sometimes it doesn’t all work out but sometimes it does. Everyone tends to set their own goals and expectations. These may change over the course of a hunt.

There is a heck of a lot of pressure to harvest a critter after so many years of applying for high demand tags. I’m always amazed at how quickly some hunters harvest critters. I think it’s easier for those that have shot lots of mediocre bulls in the past to pass up mediocre bulls in search of a truly special bull….especially if you know one or two are around!

Going into a hunt blindly without knowing what’s available is a bit spooky. It’s pretty nice to know every bull on the mountain’s name and patterns intimately before a hunt! Sometimes it may take a lot of time and boot leather.

On my one and only LE Utah hunt I knew what was available and knew if I stuck with it that things may work out. Sometimes it’s a grind.

It may be impossible to shoot a bull of a lifetime unless you are super lucky and/or are willing to pass up bulls. Inches were super important and my goal was placed super high when I drew a Utah tag. Especially after seeing what bulls were available. It took me nearly a week to start really figuring things out as it was super hot and the rut was lagging. I persevered and finally the floodgates opened! I wouldn’t have been nearly as excited if I shot just a decent bull after I finally saw what was available.

I was super thankful …and possibly a little lucky that all my time and effort was rewarded with a bull of a lifetime! God knows I put in a heck of a lot of time and long days in the field.

My wife said I looked like the living dead when I arrived home! I’m sure others that have persevered long elk hunts and packed bulls out of nasty canyons understand completely what I’m talking about!

Have a great time scouting and hunting!

AZGuy · Jun 19, 2023

my approach is 4 days running roads and trying to locate as many glassing points as possible mid summer. I like to do at a couple hikes a day and take notes, drop pins.
Then show up 5 days before the hunt, with a buddy, split up and report back. Move camp if necessary based on finding. That methodology has seemed to work for me.

Skidmore · Jun 19, 2023

AZGuy said:
my approach is 4 days running roads and trying to locate as many glassing points as possible mid summer. I like to do at a couple hikes a day and take notes, drop pins.
Then show up 5 days before the hunt, with a buddy, split up and report back. Move camp if necessary based on finding. That methodology has seemed to work for me.

That’s my plan late August for my Mid season tag , is there any pack service available? It could be a tough go for me to pack out a whole elk

Vitalwave · Jun 19, 2023

Scouting is half the fun! I would recommend working it backwards based on how much time you can carve out of your schedule. Once you know how much time you are dealing with you can prioritize elements of scouting that are the most important first.

If you have a lot of time, go nuts and you won't regret it!

If you have limited time, focus on the necessities first like where you are going to camp, what portion of the unit you are most interested in hunting, getting all your gear ready, and the other who, what, where, how, etc. If you are limited in time, you definitely want to make sure your truck is in good shape, gun or bow shooting straight, camping gear is in good shape etc. Then you won't be dinking around when your hunt starts with distractions.

I had a ball exploring my limited entry unit for two summers prior to drawing! Good Luck!

matt23 · Jun 21, 2023

My son has a limited entry mid rifle hunt. We will make a few trips up summer time to get the roads and whatnot figured out and a lay of the land. Maybe make another trip endish of September. Then show up a few days early and scout til the hunt starts.

Heathen · Jul 25, 2023

Great thread, learning a lot.

hossblur · Jul 25, 2023

If it's Ut.

1. Find out where the sheep and cows are, and where they are rotating to.

2 Check for ATV/Sxs group rides.

3. Have your logistics. What you eating? Where is camp? Are there dudes that camp there 3 months?

4. KNOW WHERE THE OUTIFITTERS/ GUIDES are.

5. Watch forums religiously and IG. IF there is an elk with a name in your area, so are the guides, spotters, IG influencers, etc.

Honestly, if you've hunted the area prior, a couple days pre hunt is pretty valuable. Mostly knowing where NOT to be is the most important.

Good luck!!

Gardner1987 · Jul 31, 2023

Had the tag 2 years ago, late South Cache. Welcome to pm for any advice

FixedBlade · Aug 1, 2023

My approach has been keep track of the herds of cows and the bulls will show up looking for the cows. I’ve been hunting the area the last 6 seasons during general archery season spike, so I’ve focused on finding the cows in areas where I have seen bulls and cows in the past, and have kept notes for all these years. This year I have my first LE elk tag and I’ve got years of knowledge and help from others and have a few areas that will be likely holding elk in Sept.

Ran 4 trail cams and 3 were loaded with cows/calves, only a handful of smaller bulls.

Also, I’ve only done light glassing from the roads and haven’t really started looking for bulls at all. Just driving around a bit while camping with the family and glassing familiar areas. That will change the week before the hunt starts and I’ll start looking for bulls in their summer areas where I’ve seen them in the past and probably pick a water hole to hunt until Sept. I’ll hunt the weekends until the last week where I’ve scheduled my PTO, 14th-19th.

That is the strategy I came up with thanks to help of hunters more experienced than I am that were will to share info and turns out I’ve been in a great area all this time and have been able to branch out to a few other great areas.

Excited for my turn to chase the big boys.

tallelkchaser · Aug 1, 2023

FixedBlade said:
My approach has been keep track of the herds of cows and the bulls will show up looking for the cows. I’ve been hunting the area the last 6 seasons during general archery season spike, so I’ve focused on finding the cows in areas where I have seen bulls and cows in the past, and have kept notes for all these years. This year I have my first LE elk tag and I’ve got years of knowledge and help from others and have a few areas that will be likely holding elk in Sept.

Ran 4 trail cams and 3 were loaded with cows/calves, only a handful of smaller bulls.

Also, I’ve only done light glassing from the roads and haven’t really started looking for bulls at all. Just driving around a bit while camping with the family and glassing familiar areas. That will change the week before the hunt starts and I’ll start looking for bulls in their summer areas where I’ve seen them in the past and probably pick a water hole to hunt until Sept. I’ll hunt the weekends until the last week where I’ve scheduled my PTO, 14th-19th.

That is the strategy I came up with thanks to help of hunters more experienced than I am that were will to share info and turns out I’ve been in a great area all this time and have been able to branch out to a few other great areas.

Excited for my turn to chase the big boys.

Appreciate the thoughts, I’ve tried to take a similar approach. What area did you get a tag for?

Also, found the sheep this weekend, pulled cams, and have some activity but nothing worth getting excited about yet. Learning some new territory that I just have never been in before has been fun too. It’s funny how often we isolate just a few areas and if we find success don’t range from those very often.

FixedBlade · Aug 1, 2023

tallelkchaser said:
Appreciate the thoughts, I’ve tried to take a similar approach. What area did you get a tag for?

Also, found the sheep this weekend, pulled cams, and have some activity but nothing worth getting excited about yet. Learning some new territory that I just have never been in before has been fun too. It’s funny how often we isolate just a few areas and if we find success don’t range from those very often.

I drew Wasatch LE Bull Elk archery. It’s definitely fun to branch out and put more pieces of the puzzle together each year on a unit. Keeps it interesting