Scouting – Ides of March

[Buffalobob]

This is a good time to go scouting if you hunt in deciduous or mixed forests. You can see the same terrain that you can see during mid October to mid November. The leaves will be off and the shooting points and kill zones will be similar to elk and deer season.

Perhaps the elk or deer will still be on their winter range but if you know what kinds of habitat they will need in late Fall or early winter it is not a big deal. You can pick out a half dozen places and then refine them later in the year.

Of course this means you actually have to get up and go outside and walk around a little.

[michael A.]

what elavation are you hunting at? i am trying to becide when to go for a ride at my spot, it is in north WA and at 7-8k feet so i have to let the snow melt first

[Buffalobob]

In Maryland the elevation is about 500 feet. It is 99% deciduous. Depending on the Spring weather the buds and young leaves will begin obscuring your vision by the middle of April and by May it is impossible to determine what will and will not work.

In Idaho, I hunt at about 5000 feet. The timber is more mixed. It is difficult in the Fall prior to hunting season to determine if a place will give you good visibility. There are a lot of "tree farms" with 50/50 evergreen and brush but getting a good shooting angle on them is not always possible. Knowing where elk are and getting a shot at them is two different things. It is amazing how little vegetation it takes to make it either impossible to see the animals or impossible to get clear line of fire.

While not every "good" spot will hold elk, in my experience it takes about one full day to find one good "potential" shooting spot. And then you have to narrow those down to the ones that actually have elk.

Being as I haven't spent my lifetime hunting elk, I usually try to put in a lot of hard work to compensate for the lack of skill. This is better down before hunting season than after the season begins. Now is a good time and then this window of opportunity will go away and not come again until this Fall after the season starts. Hard work and perseverance are more dependable companions than sitting in the lazy boy recliner and hoping for luck.

[Coues 'n' Sheep]

Out West the elk are shedding their antlers and that makes for a good opportunity to see what bulls made it though last seasons hunts as well and get some much needed exercise. I love this time of year!

[Coyboy]

In southern Wisconsin you don't have to look for sheds. Just look for the winter kill carcasses and kick the horns off.

[Buffalobob]

What an idiot!

[Coyboy]

Whats your problem today?