Elk and rubs

[rustneversleeps]

I have been doing a fair amount of hiking/scouting and trying to find the transition zones in darker timber on a few newer spots. I have found a few benches up higher that have a lot of old rubs/sign in the same general area, but nothing recent or this year. I haven't been seeing any cow sign or fresh sign in general. I know they are around the area, but guessing that they haven't moved into these benches or part of the mountain yet.

I was planning on putting up a few cameras, but didn't due to lack of fresh sign. Was this a mistake? I would assume that old rubs would be indicative of future activity and be a sign that they should be in that area late August/early Sept? Any ideas/input is appreciated. Trying to find the pinch points and benches up higher to get a good game plan come Sept.

Thanks

 

[onelionhunter]

I too have been out quite a bit, and i am not seeing fresh sign in where older rubs are this year. My thinking is the amount of food available this year is letting them be about any where they want to be, same goes with water, there is more of everything than I have ever seen. Once the bulls seperate and get down to making hard antler, we may see more action i these areas, its just on the edge right now, i think within two weeks things will change on where the bulls are.

I have never been into the cams, co no help there, I make my living with technology, its the last thing I want when hunting.....

 

[rustneversleeps]

I too have been out quite a bit, and i am not seeing fresh sign in where older rubs are this year. My thinking is the amount of food available this year is letting them be about any where they want to be, same goes with water, there is more of everything than I have ever seen. Once the bulls seperate and get down to making hard antler, we may see more action i these areas, its just on the edge right now, i think within two weeks things will change on where the bulls are.

I have never been into the cams, co no help there, I make my living with technology, its the last thing I want when hunting.....

Thanks for the ideas - I didn't really think about the amount of moisture we've had this spring and the correlation to food and how it could affect their movements. I was able to find a couple springs higher up, but didn't look like the elk or any game had been using them yet. I am hoping you are right that they will start transitioning in the next couple of weeks.

My living is around technology too, and I agree, I do not want to have anything to do with a computer or any of it when I leave the office...but I would like to be doing a little scouting when I cant always make it up there