Scouting before the season

[Ynothunt41]

I'm heading to Colorado unit 55 2nd season elk and 3rd season deer. I have never been to the unit. I know it's a big unit and I have looked it over a lot on, ON X maps (marked a lot of spots). I live 1800 miles away. My question is how many days before the season would you go to scout to find elk? Thank for the input.

 

[1989Cohunter]

I would say 2-5 days. But after the opener it will be a completely different landscape.

 

[DW]

If you "scout" (boots on the ground) the week before season, you'll most likely chase elk onto private property. These aren't whitetails. You pressure them, they leave.

 

[Ynothunt41]

I would say 2-5 days. But after the opener it will be a completely different landscape.

Thanks 1989Cohunter. Yeah I'm sure I will need to go back in deeper after the opener.

 

[jims]

The elk and deer in 55 already are pushed around for quite a while before the 2nd season opens by archery, muzzy, and first rifle season hunters. I forgot the number of days gap between the rifle seasons but it likely isn't a whole lot of time for elk and deer to settle down. They may already be on private before the 2nd season starts? If there is snow it may move elk/deer around a little?

It's good to learn the lay of the land and roads as much as finding elk or deer. Obviously the better you learn access, glassing spots, etc the better off you'll be once the season opens.

 

[asolde]

When I was young I would be scouting 3 days before the season opened. I would always stay on the roads and glass the mountains. I would make sure I got to my glassing spots before daylight.