E scouting elk forage in desert units

[undercover]

This might be a lengthy post for a couple simple questions but it will give you a bit of back ground of my questions. I was entered in my first ever draw for a late migration type 6 tag this year but had to bail A week before the draw because I’m an essential worker for a publicly traded company in which froze vacation, 401k match, and reduced wages, yada yada yada. Anyway I had 100’s of hours researching that particular unit and the only thing I missed was the amount of tags that were allocated, not sure how I missed that other than being a newbie but jeepers, not a big unit and way to many hunters that I don’t feel like I’m ready for that type of competition. Anyway, 2021 I’m going to burn A couple points for a type 4 rifle tag non resident in a flatter terrain environment because I will be solo, a little freaked out about steeper mountainous terrain and my lack of experience in that type of environment. Im 50 and don’t care about antlers, I want the western experience I’ve been dreaming about since the 70’s. This particular region, not particular unit, has buttes desert and sage brush steppe. So my question is this: how does one escout for October forage? And what exactly is the forage base for elk for grazing that time of year. I have found water sources in areas that have roads more than a couple miles away but this does not necessarily mean the food is near. Do I need to scour certain sides of these hills on the north side or east side. Is there available maps of Seasonal elk forage? Is it viewable on google earth? Or Do I just need to contact the regional biologist? And if so what type of questions should I ask instead of “where are the elk”?

Thanks in advance

Brian

 

[MTLabrador]

I’m guessing you’re talking Area 100? You can find elk in 100 anywhere there is sagebrush and grass. There’s way more water out there than you would expect. I spend a ton of time out in that country and you really won’t be able to e-scout for feed.

 

[undercover]

Thanks for the reply, just beating myself up on the “finer” details of things as I have like 37 pins on my OnX. OCD only when it comes to hunting and fishing. I may have used the word “desert” in the title incorrectly as I have seen the term used loosely in many internet threads. No, not area 100 but sure will adventure down that way to see all that wyoming has to offer outside of the greater Yellowstone area. I appreciate your time. Thankyou

 

[MTLabrador]

Thanks for the reply, just beating myself up on the “finer” details of things as I have like 37 pins on my OnX. OCD only when it comes to hunting and fishing. I may have used the word “desert” in the title incorrectly as I have seen the term used loosely in many internet threads. No, not area 100 but sure will adventure down that way to see all that wyoming has to offer outside of the greater Yellowstone area. I appreciate your time. Thankyou

In my experience with prairie or desert elk in Montana and Wyoming, they tend to be a lot less predictable than elk in classic mountain terrain. They also tend to be a lot more nomadic. That’s not to say e-scouting won’t be helpful if it helps you to understand the area. Talking to the biologist will be helpful to understand how the elk use their habitat.

 

[westbranch]

Thanks for the reply, just beating myself up on the “finer” details of things as I have like 37 pins on my OnX. OCD only when it comes to hunting and fishing. I may have used the word “desert” in the title incorrectly as I have seen the term used loosely in many internet threads. No, not area 100 but sure will adventure down that way to see all that wyoming has to offer outside of the greater Yellowstone area. I appreciate your time. Thankyou

I agree talking to a biologist should help with getting an idea of forage. But it is going to be tough to translate without being there. I would also search for WY F&G studies on forage. I have read several that were done in northern Idaho and then made sure that I was able to ID the plants/shrubs that elk are using. After putting boots on the ground it is much easier to pick out new spots using Onx/Google earth locally, but still not foolproof. But I would think that looking at Google earth timelines in late summer/early fall should help find green spots in areas that are dry.