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Big-Game Blueprint for Western Hunting

Success this fall starts with an airtight scouting game plan this summer.

Big-Game Blueprint for Western Hunting
Optimize glassing sessions by setting up in spots that allow you to view multiple basins and ridges without having to move very far. (Photo by Jace Bauserman)

The miles rolled by quickly. I knew that in less than 10 minutes, I would be shouldering my pack and bombing into the wilderness. I couldn’t wait. Three years had passed since my last elk hunt in this spot, and it was prime at that time.

My excitement waned when I made the last left turn and spied the parking area. It was full. Three horse trailers and six other trucks left no room to park. Three years prior, I was the only truck at the trailhead. What happened?

Nothing that isn’t happening across the West every fall. More and more hunters are burning up the blacktop, crossing state lines and heading into the mountains, prairies and canyonlands in search of big-game nirvana.

Frankly, I only had myself to blame. I was naive to think my wapiti honey hole would stay a secret forever, what with all the digital scouting apps available to us now and the role social media plays in modern big-game hunting culture. What’s worse is I hadn’t scouted out other spots or prepared accordingly, which left me scrambling.

Don’t be me. As you plan your fall adventures, take advantage of these scouting strategies to ensure you have multiple plans in place in case Plan A goes awry.

hunters at pickup truck
More and more, a substantial amount of pre-season sweat equity is becoming a prerequisite for success across the Western big-game hunting landscape. (Photo by Jace Bauserman)

PRONGHORN PLANNING

Don’t assume you don’t need to do any pre-season scouting work just because speed goats are so visible. First, subscribe to and download a tried-and-true digital scouting app. I like HuntStand, but several other excellent apps are also available.

Pull up your hunting area on a large computer screen. Trust me on this. Using your phone is acceptable for on-the-hunt use, but having your hunt area on a larger screen is important for precise e-scouting for all big-game species.

First, take note of all public-access areas. Next, while looking at an aerial view of the area, turn on a map layer that allows the overlay of topo lines. You’re looking for flat, open areas where speed goats can use their two primary survival tactics—their eyes and legs—to avoid danger.

Using up-to-date satellite images on the app, I also seek out areas with a healthy mix of rolling sage, dry creeks, coulees and pancake-flat dirt. These areas allow spot-and-stalk opportunities. Next, I highlight and pin all water sources in the area, including stock tanks, artificial ponds, natural ponds and springs.

If I can make a summertime scouting trip, I do. At the very least, I arrive two days before my hunt starts. Even if the season is already open, I dedicate two days to learning the area and doing boots-on-the-ground scouting.

For pronghorns, your vehicle, ATV or UTV (check state rules and regulations about usage) will be your best scouting ally. Start by driving as much of the perimeter of your pre-marked areas as possible while putting your glass to work. I like to access small hills, plateaus and other rises with my 10X Leupold bino and spotting scope.

Pronghorns are relatively easy to find. If you can watch them and, more importantly, learn how they use the landscape, your chances of taking one will go way up. While hunting public dirt in South Dakota a few years back, I glassed up nine bucks from a tiny rise and watched them for six hours. During that time, all nine used the same fence crossing to move between pastures, and six hit a stock tank to slake their thirst. Two days later, I arrowed an excellent buck at the fence crossing.

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Also, I drive public two-track roads to inspect all marked water sources. Pay attention while driving. If conditions are super-hot, as they tend to be during the early part of the season, pronghorns will stick reasonably close to their primary water source.

When inspecting water sources, look for tracks and scrapes on the two-track road. I also like to check the ground around the water source for tracks, droppings and scrapes. If the ground is as hard as cement, I walk cattle trails to and from the water. A quick walk around will typically reveal fresh sign.

It’s also important to note that, whenever possible, pronghorns prefer not to lower their eyes below the rim of a stock tank when drinking. They prefer stock tanks that are overflowing, along with on-the-ground water sources like ponds and springs.

I like to place trail cameras and ground blinds at water sources with a decent amount of pronghorn sign—even on public land. These cameras and blinds give me other potential options when the season rolls around.

hunter installs trail camera
A trail cam positioned at a water source not only helps you get a sense of the pronghorn bucks in an area, it can ?help you pattern them, too. (Photo by Jace Bauserman)

ELK EFFORTS

I electronically scout elk areas year-round. When hunting public land in an over-the-counter or easy-to-draw area, I seek out the steepest, nastiest country I can find.

I like areas with towering peaks and multiple drainages coming off them. When e-scouting the drainages, I look for steep ones with a creek or other water source and those that lead up into or down into a few secluded meadows. When I find thick, vertical habitat with plenty of food and water, I tend to find public-land elk. I also like to overlay aerial images with topo lines to pinpoint benches. Benches are nothing more than flat spots on steep terrain. Elk love to climb, hit a flat bench where they can bed, rut and then walk from one drainage to another. Benches make excellent calling locations.

elk rut sign
When scouting for elk in summer, identify areas where they’ll be during hunting season rather than where they are right then. Old rubs and scrapes can clue you in. (Photo by Jace Bauserman)

Another elk e-scouting tip is to pin numerous close-to-the-trailhead or access road areas. The “go deep and far” drum has been beaten hard, and hunters often walk by excellent elk ground to find “better” elk ground.

If possible, I make a boots-on-the-ground scouting trip in summer. The key to these trips is not focusing on where the elk are during the summer. You want to find where the elk will be during hunting season.

This requires you to dive into your pre-marked spots and look for old rut sign, which include shredded pines, old beds amongst ripped-apart trees and areas chock-full of old droppings. Again, you want to find where the elk will be, not where they are.

When I arrive for any elk hunt, whether I know the location well or not, I spend a few days bombing in and out of my close-to-the-road/trailhead access spots. In recent years, I’ve killed several bulls with archery tackle less than half a mile from a road or trailhead. Elk will find areas where they aren’t bothered and hold in them. Don’t think you must pack enough gear for 10 days and walk 10 miles from the trailhead to find an elk honey hole.

After I exhaust all the locations I can access easily, I load up my pack and go to one of my pre-planned off-the-beaten-path spots.

The trick to consistently killing public-land elk in OTC and easy-to-draw units is to keep moving and keep going until you find elk. Often, locating them is the most challenging piece of the puzzle. Because they are big and vocal, once you find them, you have an excellent chance of punching your tag.

mule deer on ridge
Start your summertime search for mule deer in alpine basins with ample food and a convenient water source. (Photo by Jace Bauserman)

MAPPING OUT MULEYS

Few things trump mule deer hunting in the high country. When e-scouting for mule deer, I locate alpine basins with rich feed and a water source. I also pay attention to steep mountain slopes dotted with timber conducive to glassing.

Next, I find locations in my area that allow me to glass multiple basins, ridges, mountainsides, etc., from one location. I also seek out glassing points where I can glass one basin from one direction, walk a few yards and glass another ridge or basin from the opposite direction.

The key to finding high-country mule deer is time behind the glass. You can do a ton of e-scouting to find terrain conducive to mule deer, but you won’t know until the sun comes up on your first morning of glassing if you hit paydirt.

When in-person scouting or hunting, carry the best optics you can afford. I use a 10X or 12X binocular that attaches to a quality tripod. I also tote a high-powered spotting scope and a lightweight carbon tripod.

Start by scanning an area left to right and up and down with your bino in hand. If you determine the area warrants a closer look, mount your bino on a tripod and go back over the area carefully. If you detect something that requires even greater scrutiny, replace your bino with your spotting scope.

Once you locate a buck or multiple bucks, lock your spotting scope on them and mark their exact location on your digital scouting app. If a shooter is among them, and the season is open, stay on them and formulate a plan.

Scouting Gear
  • Don’t leave home without these key tools.
hunting app on phone
Mapping apps are invaluable for learning the lay of the land when scouting a new area. (Photo by Jace Bauserman)

When I head out on a summertime scouting mission, these gear items significantly boost my chances of success.

  • HuntStand Pro: A superb digital mapping app that’s so much more, HuntStand Pro gives you access to public/private land boundaries, updated monthly satellite imagery, public hunting land maps, 3D mapping and unlimited offline maps.
  • Leupold Optics: My go-to big-game optics package consists of Leupold’s BX-5 Santiam HD binocular, SX-5 Santiam HD spotter and Alpine’s CF-425 Tripod Kit. With this trio, I know I’m toting a lightweight, tough-as-nails glassing system that promises excellent clarity and low-light ability.
  • ALPS Mountaineering Weekender: This stadium chair makes glassing comfortable while boosting stability. Weighing a mere 21 ounces, I tote this lightweight chair everywhere. The half-inch closed-cell foam construction provides an excellent barrier from the ground, and the 16 1/2-inch backrest allows me to lean back into the chair for a more stable glassing experience.

  • This article was featured in the West edition of the June-July 2024 issue of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe.



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