Scouting is essential for success.

[masoncade1992]

So I figured I would take the time to write an article to hopefully help guide people to a more successful hunt. As some may know, I am original from WK area and now reside in the Peace region and have for 7 years. I didn't take hunting really serious, until I moved up here.

Now, this year more than ever, I have seen an absolute influx of out of town ppl. Now this is not a bad thing, but I have taken time to stop by a few camps this year and B.S and talk about hunting. I have also seen a lot of post with ppl saying they are not seeing game and the same holds true for most of the camps I have run into. Lots of ppl saying " we haven't seen a thing" , "no game this year" blah blah blah blahh blah. NON SENSE is all that is. The only animal I can truly say is less, is moose.

The group I hunt with tagged out in 6 days. I helped my brother and brother in law find an elk .Now I am looking for a monster bull and have passed many many elk this year. Our group including my self gets an elk every year. We are not magical hunters, but we do a lot and I mean a lot of scouting. Scouting is 100% essential to get game. it accounts for at least 60% of the hunting equation to get your game. Every one complains about not seeing game, but most of those ppl don't scout pre season. I have taken the time to scout many areas in the summer months. I have scouted tumbler, FSJ, del rio area, williston ect ect and you know what all those areas have elk. the elk are not everywhere in those areas , they are in little pockets away from human activity. jumping in your truck sight unseen and pointing on a map is like driving with no headlights. The areas are vast and large and the elk could be miles from where you are. Scouting tells you where the elk are generally, where they are feeding and bedding down . Elk sometimes move at 2 pm in the afternoon and you wonder why you don't see them at 7 am.

At the end of the day, I don't want to discourage anyone from driving 12-16 hours to hunt in the peace but if I lived anywhere that had an open 6 pt season, I would never come up. I would find the elk within 1 hour of my house and put in the time. I have friends who kill elk in Kelowna area, friends who kill elk in nakusp, prince george friends who kill elk in some of the nastiest areas, but they all scout the living piss out of it. then when it opens, they know where the elk are and then they put their skills to use and typically bag nice bulls.

lots of ppl say" we get one hunt a year and everything is open up north" , this may be true we have a good season. but that doesn't mean moose and elk are around every corner. you are at a huge disadvantage, as this area is vast and the game again is in small hard to find pockets. Any areas that I hunt, even if I gave you direction, you would not find because they are that hidden.

At the end of the day, I would suggest you to look at some of the people on this forum that seem to be very successful and you will find a pattern to why .

P.S. Good luck to everyone this year !

[Ourea]

Great post.

I have always said "I hunt (scout) for targets all spring and summer, come hunting season I go to kill"

Hunting is like any activity.....it requires time and investment before the hunt.

[quadrakid]

It helps to get out of the truck once in awhile.

[HighCountryBC]

Quality post.

I always shake my head when I hear other hunters talking about "luck". If you have done your homework, scouting etc. then luck has very little to do with harvesting an animal. Know the inventory, become familiar with their habits and your success will increase.

[twoSevenO]

Yes but the reality is that most hunters from the LM cannot afford to scout much when you consider that most hunt 3+ hrs away plus hiking time.

Granted they could scout more for their local game .... blacktails but they dont.

With everyone getting into the trail cam game, there is no scouting more efficient than putting some cams up on one trip and checking what they found on another.

Of course, you still have to scout on where to put the cameras.... but that comes down to how quickly do you want success and how much time you are willing to dedicate out of season.

Most people I know have a hard enough time booking time off for hunting let alone for out of season scouting.

If you want it bad enough, you will make the time.

[J_T]

Yup. Legal hunting season is only the killing season. I spend the rest of the year finding, following and figuring out - hunting.

[masoncade1992]

Yes but the reality is that most hunters from the LM cannot afford to scout much when you consider that most hunt 3+ hrs away plus hiking time.

Granted they could scout more for their local game .... blacktails but they dont.

With everyone getting into the trail cam game, there is no scouting more efficient than putting some cams up on one trip and checking what they found on another.

Of course, you still have to scout on where to put the cameras.... but that comes down to how quickly do you want success and how much time you are willing to dedicate out of season.

Most people I know have a hard enough time booking time off for hunting let alone for out of season scouting.

If you want it bad enough, you will make the time.

So true, about making the time. I see lots of people in summer come up camping that also like hunting. Funny the areas they camp at , also hold good elk numbers. instead of drinking, they could spend a little more time scouting lol

[Walking Buffalo]

Scouting is absolutely Not essential for success....

But it sure helps.

[Stillhunting]

Scouting will obviously increase your odds for success, but having an understanding of how game uses habitat and hown to read sign is perhaps more important. You could spend the whole year scouting but if you don't know what to look for, it's a waste of time. We just got back with a nice bull from an area we had never set foot in before because we knew where to look and what to look for.

[Camotoes]

Scouting will obviously increase your odds for success, but having an understanding of how game uses habitat and hown to read sign is perhaps more important. You could spend the whole year scouting but if you don't know what to look for, it's a waste of time. We just got back with a nice bull from an area we had never set foot in before because we knew where to look and what to look for.

this ^^^^^^^

[RyoTHC]

Scouting will obviously increase your odds for success, but having an understanding of how game uses habitat and hown to read sign is perhaps more important. You could spend the whole year scouting but if you don't know what to look for, it's a waste of time. We just got back with a nice bull from an area we had never set foot in before because we knew where to look and what to look for.

Well, a combination of this and the OP is exactly why you see a handful of members that rarely if ever eat tag soup.

[BromBones]

Scouting will obviously increase your odds for success, but having an understanding of how game uses habitat and hown to read sign is perhaps more important. You could spend the whole year scouting but if you don't know what to look for, it's a waste of time. We just got back with a nice bull from an area we had never set foot in before because we knew where to look and what to look for.

Definitely correct, the more experience you have the quicker you'll figure out how to hunt a new area without wasting time on unproductive areas.

Even so, in a new area it pays to spend the first day of a week long hunt doing some exploring so you can figure out where to focus your efforts.

[scoutlt1]

Scouting? What's that??

I thought all I needed to do was wear a bunch of expensive camo, buy a super fast quad, shoot a magnum rifle, spray a bunch of deer pee all over the place and I'm good to go... No???

Just my thoughts. :)

SCOUTIT1

[twoSevenO]

Scouting? What's that??

I thought all I needed to do was wear a bunch of expensive camo, buy a super fast quad, shoot a magnum rifle, spray a bunch of deer pee all over the place and I'm good to go... No???

Just my thoughts. :)

SCOUTIT1


Are you Vancouver Island hunter at Tunkwa? Lol

Seriously though .... get out and scout boys and girls!

I think I gotta start paying for maintenance on our 3 vehicles and the yard and dropping fishing altogether if I wanna scout more... lol

[Jimbob]

Scouting makes it so much easier. When you know an area and you know where the animals travel then you are golden. However, I kinda have this thought that the true test of a hunter is to plunk him down in unfamiliar territory and see if he can make it happen.

[Ourea]

The OP has made one of the most valid points on outdoor success and I am so pleased he started this thread.
I hope it becomes a go to where hunters looking for guidance can review.

If you invest in scouting hard you quickly understand the various habitats that specific game animals prefer.
Know how to identify habitat and the drivers that attract wildlife, with that understanding you start playing at a higher level.

Truly hope this thread gains traction.

Knowledge and understanding is key

[scoutlt1]

Years ago my favorite activity was to drive all over the province with my truck and ride all over the place with my atv. Loved it!

From an "adventure" perspective it was the best thing ever. From a "hunting" perspective not so much.

I had a great time and managed to find occasional "success" back then, but once I started to learn to pattern how animals moved around (in areas I then frequented more often, and then also applied that knowledge to "new" areas), my hunting success went way up.

I think that scouting, when done properly, will tell you a whole bunch of things not just about specific animals in a specific area, but how all animals move around in all areas.

Scouting in the off season allows me to take the time to think through the "hows and whys" without worrying about whether or not I'm going to shoot something.

[masoncade1992]

The OP has made one of the most valid points on outdoor success and I am so pleased he started this thread.
I hope it becomes a go to where hunters looking for guidance can review.

If you invest in scouting hard you quickly understand the various habitats that specific game animals prefer.
Know how to identify habitat and the drivers that attract wildlife, with that understanding you start playing at a higher level.

Truly hope this thread gains traction.

Knowledge and understanding is key

I appreciate that . At the end of the day, lots can be done to increase your odds but I am a firm believer that is the most important. It also teaches you about the elk when you scout them. Ever since I have done that, I have shot multiple heads of game every year. Tag soup is a thing of the past for me and I can tell it is for you as well.

[masoncade1992]

Years ago my favorite activity was to drive all over the province with my truck and ride all over the place with my atv. Loved it!

From an "adventure" perspective it was the best thing ever. From a "hunting" perspective not so much.

I had a great time and managed to find occasional "success" back then, but once I started to learn to pattern how animals moved around (in areas I then frequented more often, and then also applied that knowledge to "new" areas), my hunting success went way up.

I think that scouting, when done properly, will tell you a whole bunch of things not just about specific animals in a specific area, but how all animals move around in all areas.

Scouting in the off season allows me to take the time to think through the "hows and whys" without worrying about whether or not I'm going to shoot something.

when I scout I usually take the following steps.

1. Google earth the area I think holds elk . I look for drainages and south facing slopes.

2. I quad into the area and from there I hike a few km and look for tracks, rubs and wallows.

3. I find the high ground and glass with my spotting scope

4. If good sign is found set up a game cam and salt

5. Figure out the wind and what it likes to do in the am and pm.

6. Find how the elk are moving and where the bulls and drinking. They need like 10 gallons a day.

7. Go in opening morning and light it up with a cow call and bugle .

8. Game dead.

[horshur]

Phenology...look it up.
a book about fishing explores its use as an aid(phenological fly)
coles notes environmental conditions that cause one biological phenomenon cause others. So if a plant is blooming at your house in Calgary...the stonefly are hatching.
If the aspen are golden...what are your mule deer doing?
First frost?

[HarryToolips]

Good post OP....I haven't had success harvesting an elk yet, but I can relate that scouting is very important for hunting another species that I have had quite a bit of success at: whitetails....

[Seeker]

I can speak to the scouting be a key factor for success. Just a few years back, I was one to be hunting two days every weekend and spent half my summers setting and checking cams. Great fun. I knew the pockets and in fours years harvested 3 elk in a highly pressured area of region 8. Well along came marriage and two babies in the baby carriage and guess what? Kiss my scouting, cameras and hunting good bye! Well not totally, I do still get out hunting occasionally, but with family trips and shortage of time, the scouting is a thing of the past. I found out how important continual scouting is in the last few years. I have returned on occasion to those areas and have found how they have significantly changed from both a vegetative perspective as well as a hunter pressure perspective. Both have changed significantly and the animals with them. If I was out scouting, I would have been aware of the changes, but instead I found out on a day I went hunting and was seriously disappointed. The time is soon coming when I can take the boys on such outings, and I am eager to introduce them to what our wilderness has to offer. Scouting is HUGE!

[Gord]

For us, every fall hunting season is essentially scouting for next years fall hunting season and so on. Just when we think we figured something out, we learn a new lesson. A lot of people that are very confident with their success, are usually in areas where you see a lot of animals. Put them in a tougher area where you might see nothing, even when sitting for hours, and you realize those people just don’t have experience with those type of areas or they avoid them. I know because where I hunt it is not very remote but most people are just driving through or right on by to areas that increase their chances. Everyone’s idea of a normal hunting experience is quite different. I’ve met up with guys that were so mad with their partners for bringing them to this area and wasting their trip. These guys are used to walking and bumping into animals. We are successful but it’s a very tough hunt. I don’t scout at all. My work expects a lot of overtime hours.

[Jimbob]

I appreciate that . At the end of the day, lots can be done to increase your odds but I am a firm believer that is the most important. It also teaches you about the elk when you scout them. Ever since I have done that, I have shot multiple heads of game every year. Tag soup is a thing of the past for me and I can tell it is for you as well.

Maybe we are just arguing semantics (when trying to define what is most important) but I think I will disagree with you. You can plunk a guy down in the best area and give him all the info in the world and he will mess it up. Being in the right spot and knowing what the animals are doing is not the most important thing for success, it only gives you the opportunity for success.

When hunting, you have to make multiple decisions in the moments that can make or break your hunt. Even sitting in a stand is not a guarantee. I have hunted all my life and had a Dad that taught me well and we are successful year after year. I got a friend into hunting and he came with us for years and we set him up in great spots and guess what? he blew it time and time again. Rifle and bow it didn't matter, he just made the wrong choice at the moment of truth and it cost him some great animals.

Also, I have taken young hunters with me and held their hand as the shot their first moose. I was right beside them and told them what to do at exactly the right time. I am confident those hunters would not have harvested a moose without me there.

So my point is: there is so much more to hunting than just being in the right spot and knowing what the animals will do. You have to know how to hunt. How to walk quietly, when to give one more soft call, when to shut up and freeze, when to take one more step, when to raise your gun, when to draw your bow, when to shoot and when to wait, when to start tracking, how to track, etc etc etc. All of those decisions made ONCE you are in a great area are so much more important than scouting ahead of time.

That's why I think a great hunter can go into an area blind and learn on the fly and read his surrounding and make all the right choices and come successful.

I'm not saying scouting is not important I'm just saying it's not the most important.

[masoncade1992]

Maybe we are just arguing semantics (when trying to define what is most important) but I think I will disagree with you. You can plunk a guy down in the best area and give him all the info in the world and he will mess it up. Being in the right spot and knowing what the animals are doing is not the most important thing for success, it only gives you the opportunity for success.

When hunting, you have to make multiple decisions in the moments that can make or break your hunt. Even sitting in a stand is not a guarantee. I have hunted all my life and had a Dad that taught me well and we are successful year after year. I got a friend into hunting and he came with us for years and we set him up in great spots and guess what? he blew it time and time again. Rifle and bow it didn't matter, he just made the wrong choice at the moment of truth and it cost him some great animals.

Also, I have taken young hunters with me and held their hand as the shot their first moose. I was right beside them and told them what to do at exactly the right time. I am confident those hunters would not have harvested a moose without me there.

So my point is: there is so much more to hunting than just being in the right spot and knowing what the animals will do. You have to know how to hunt. How to walk quietly, when to give one more soft call, when to shut up and freeze, when to take one more step, when to raise your gun, when to draw your bow, when to shoot and when to wait, when to start tracking, how to track, etc etc etc. All of those decisions made ONCE you are in a great area are so much more important than scouting ahead of time.

That's why I think a great hunter can go into an area blind and learn on the fly and read his surrounding and make all the right choices and come successful.

I'm not saying scouting is not important I'm just saying it's not the most important.

I can attest that skill is very important, hence why my original post said 60% of the equation. However, if you do not find the game, you will never have a chance to test and improve your skills. You could be the best hunter, however if you are in an area that does not hold game , it is a mute point. Now a days, you can watch youtube, read books and talk to ppl on the "how to hunt said game" , but again even with those skills you need to find the game. When I was a kid my dad was a decent hunter, but he never scouted and as a result the ratio of dead game was not great.

The more game you put your self in front, the more you learn all the needed skills. Trial and error is the grandfather of learning to how to put game down year to year.

Just my two bits ;)

[Wild one]

Scouting is no doubt important because it adds knowledge. Boots on the ground in an area are great as well but you can also spend all your time scouting and never accomplish a thing if you don’t know what you are looking for. If you are a hunter who can look at maps, sat photos, or even drive into an area and look at the area with an idea where game is scouting can seal the deal. Often these hunters can run reasonably high odds even in areas they hunt because they understand the game they are hunting

In the end in my opinion understanding the species you hunt trumps scouting because this is the only way to effectively find locations worth scouting. Scouting and applying knowledge is a deadly combination but you will hear time and time again about hunters scouting areas and investing time to see nothing and that is because the lack knowledge to scout effective areas

The argument of guys who run high success without scouting they often have knowledge of the species. Odds are they actually do a form of speed scouting first couple days without even realizing it lol. I know this is what I do

[Ourea]

^^^^^
Having an understanding of specific habitat requirements for a species is a key arrow to have in the quiver.
Best place to start.

Removing yourself from pressure areas will increase your odds as your opportunity is not being affected by blind hunters stomping around. Game learns and adapts quickly.

End of the day, if you do not know the area and the animals in it what can you expect?

Guys that spend a lot of time in the field can adapt to new areas and find game far quicker than a blind hunter in a prime area.

Seen this play out many times.

[Wild one]

^^^^^
Having an understanding of specific habitat requirements for a species is a key arrow to have in the quiver.
Best place to start.

Removing yourself from pressure areas will increase your odds as your opportunity is not being affected by blind hunters stomping around. Game learns and adapts quickly.

End of the day, if you do not know the area and the animals in it what can you expect?

Guys that spend a lot of time in the field can adapt to new areas and find game far quicker than a blind hunter in a prime area.

Seen this play out many times.

In end I think we can all agree knowledge is a huge factor. Those that have knowledge of a location, habits of animals within it and the species it self no doubt have an edge.

Scouting is just one of the valuable tools to gain knowledge to increase ones odds but not the only factor at play

Those who blindly cover ground no doubt fill tags as well but it is a crap shoot. Not talking just road hunting either lots of highly motivated hunters who cover miles on foot passing through great locations without even slowing down

I tell hunters all the time when finding locations to hunt think yards not miles. There is large tracks of forest that go for miles along roads guys only stop on if something crosses. It’s crazy what a guy finds on short very slow still hunts or sits with in a km of busy main FSRs even

[walks with deer]

90percent of game 10percent of area.
90percent of game harvest 10 percent of harvesters

[Bustercluck]

I generally only hunt moose. It's pretty simple

find fresh tracks.
Make cow noises.
When u hear bull, start making bull noises.
When U see bull, shoot bull.

The only thing u have to worry about is hitting the rut