Alpine Hunting

[dana]

Dana, what time of year did you usually start your alpine scouting? Early July? Earlier?

Totally depends on the weather. I've had some years where the alpine was snowfree in mid June and other years where I was still fighting snow in early Aug. But on average, July 1st longweekend is the norm. That is a solid 2 months of good scouting time. Typically by mid July the bucks are grown out enough to tell if they are going to be target bucks or not. Still a lot of growing after that but one gets to know the look that you need to see. Access issues are sorted out as soon as the snow is gone and I consider that all part of scouting. Even if you don't find anything, it allows you to x off an area off the map not to waste time in during the season. Remember, you aren't just looking for deer. You are looking for evidence of deer. You can hit some beauty alpine and not find a single track. That tells you, don't waste your time and look somewhere else.

[MichelD]

"You can hit some beauty alpine and not find a single track. That tells you, don't waste your time and look somewhere else."

Yup. A buddy had a goat draw one year so we went on an August scouting trip into some awesome looking alpine and not a track or a dropping of deer to be found.

I had seen one doe in a clear cut up the same drainage once, but that doesn't mean much.

[IronNoggin]

Strathcona has some alpine. But definitely the island isn't where one would would go looking for classic alpine terrain.

You two just keep believing that!
Keeps you the hell out of my areas.

Cheers,
Nog

[Jelvis]

--> The age and shape of the hunter and marital status plus employment, will play a big roll hahaha -- Sounds like too much work for a mule deer buck, wait til they come down in Yock Tober and rut in November down low hahaha
- I cood not do that
Jel -- you hunters are in some kinda shape to crawl up tharr -- good luck 2 yah -- see yah in Louis Creek --

[twoSevenO]

Totally depends on the weather. I've had some years where the alpine was snowfree in mid June and other years where I was still fighting snow in early Aug. But on average, July 1st longweekend is the norm. That is a solid 2 months of good scouting time. Typically by mid July the bucks are grown out enough to tell if they are going to be target bucks or not. Still a lot of growing after that but one gets to know the look that you need to see. Access issues are sorted out as soon as the snow is gone and I consider that all part of scouting. Even if you don't find anything, it allows you to x off an area off the map not to waste time in during the season. Remember, you aren't just looking for deer. You are looking for evidence of deer. You can hit some beauty alpine and not find a single track. That tells you, don't waste your time and look somewhere else.

yeah, that's sort of what I figured your approach was as well ... makes sense.

The problem with scouting the alpine is that it's usually a decent hike up AAAND a long drive as well. So unless you're taking time off work scouting for more than a day is limited to long weekends (july & august). It's a serious commitment. As with anything, the best way, by far, is to make friends with someone who's willing to share an area.

I've wasted 2 trips in just finding a way to get above the treeline in the spot I hunt. If you're going in blind, it can be a tough go. Again, Google Earth can make things look easy from the couch at home.

[dana]

yeah, that's sort of what I figured your approach was as well ... makes sense.

The problem with scouting the alpine is that it's usually a decent hike up AAAND a long drive as well. So unless you're taking time off work scouting for more than a day is limited to long weekends (july & august). It's a serious commitment. As with anything, the best way, by far, is to make friends with someone who's willing to share an area.

I've wasted 2 trips in just finding a way to get above the treeline in the spot I hunt. If you're going in blind, it can be a tough go. Again, Google Earth can make things look easy from the couch at home.

Yup, if you care about seeing critters and having some possibility of success, scouting is a big commitment. I used to wake up at 1:00 am, drive to where I would start hiking, climb a mountain in the dark and be glassing shortly after 4:00. Or i would coyote out with a light tarp and sleeping bag so I could maximize the glassing time and get both evening and next morning scouting done in a short trip. Bigger trips I would leave on Friday after work, sleep in the truck and be hiking in the dark to be glassing at daylight. Glass and hike all day Sat and sleep up top and glass the morning on Sunday and hike out and head home. I did these adventures weekend after weekend all summer long. Some weekends you would see a bunch of deer, other weekends you'd strike out.

[twoSevenO]

Oh, and another thing .... don't let people discourage you by talking about how hot the summer has been or how dry its been. I was up Sept 1st in my area with a member off here and we saw deer above the tree line doing their thing and even bedding down in the middle of the day in the open.

Yes, it was hot, but at 7000 feet there's more moisture around than you think. Besides, alpine areas usually have snow-melt creeks running ALL summer.
Yes, the area wasn't as "green" as some other years, but there's still plenty of food for them.

Aaaaand one more .... wolves can't get them all. Don't let that discourage you either. Yes, the numbers are down, but the numbers aren't zero. You wont know what you're dealing with until you go scout.

Aaaand last but not least ..... Hit the alpine Sept 1-10. If you fail you still have the entire rest of the season to do better. Do you want to be sitting around for Xmas thinking "damn, i should've gone early in the season a bit more?"

[thepitchedlink]

Hey, shoot me a PM if you like and we can set up a chat...I like to walk about out in the Mo. Alway looking for another partner to 2 that can actually get the time off to go...

[Squamch]

You two just keep believing that!
Keeps you the hell out of my areas.

Cheers,
Nog

Preach it!

[dana]

My comments regarding heat is it totally depends on where you are. Last summer I saw creeks that are always full of water completely dry. Deer need water. If there is none, they probably won't be there.

As for wolves, yup, they haven't ate every last deer but in many areas they have indeed ate the migratory herd, that is the population that scatters in the summer following the green up. The remnants that we have are hanging lower all year. Safety in the valley bottom around people. I can go to alpine basin after alpine basin that once held a good number of bucks in the 90s and 2000s and can't even find a track now. Feed is still lush but the areas are void of life. I guess if you like hiking and taking photos of landscapes and not wildlife, then these places still are fun to waste your time on. If you want to see some wildlife and possibly some hunting success then these areas should be avoided. Problem is, most are going on old information when they are heading to the highcountry.