Finding water on a mountain?

[Paul in Idaho]

The past couple years I have hunted a mountain that seems almost ideal for elk. I have seen and heard bulls, found lots of rubbed trees, and seen large amounts of tracks and manure. There are huge areas of grass and brush for feed and dark timber for bedding.

Water is the missing key. Topo maps show no springs or creeks. Other than cattle troughs across the main road in the flat (1500 vertical feet and 1.5 miles), I haven't found so much as a seep while hiking. I figure if I can locate where they water, maybe I can start making sense of the large numbers of tracks and trails that so far seem fairly random.

I plan to start scouting this mountain as soon as the snow is gone. Can any of you recommend clues to finding a small water source in a large mountain? Focusing on the north slope seems a good first step. It seems there would be different vegetation types near water, but the dense timber limits how far that could be seen.

Thanks.

 

[BigHornRam]

The past couple years I have hunted a mountain that seems almost ideal for elk. I have seen and heard bulls, found lots of rubbed trees, and seen large amounts of tracks and manure. There are huge areas of grass and brush for feed and dark timber for bedding.

Water is the missing key. Topo maps show no springs or creeks. Other than cattle troughs across the main road in the flat (1500 vertical feet and 1.5 miles), I haven't found so much as a seep while hiking. I figure if I can locate where they water, maybe I can start making sense of the large numbers of tracks and trails that so far seem fairly random.

I plan to start scouting this mountain as soon as the snow is gone. Can any of you recommend clues to finding a small water source in a large mountain? Focusing on the north slope seems a good first step. It seems there would be different vegetation types near water, but the dense timber limits how far that could be seen.

Thanks.

The animals know where the water is. Follow well used game trails that side hill into a gulley. Look for alder too. It loves water.

 

[Gr8bawana]

Going 1.5 miles for water is nothing for an elk or deer. Have you looked to any tracks around the cattle troughs? If there are any cattle in the area you are hunting their trails always lead to a water source.
Over the years we have found numerous water sources that are not on any map by following cattle trails and also feral horse trails of which we have thousands here in NV.

 

[mtnrunner260]

First get two copper rods, then...
Even in the thick timber you can identify areas that are a lusher green by using the time slider on GE. Find the last patches of snow via the time slider and start there as well

 

[Idahoarcheryhunter]

its very possible they could travel that far for water, I agree with others stay on the game trails for long enough and you should run into a water source of sorts.

 

[Mountainguide]

Where I used to live and hunt, elk would drop 1500-2000+ feet and walk miles across the open to get to water. They would water in the evening and in the morning as they went back up. The only water and cover they had was far apart and it never seemed to bother them traveling to get to it. If they like the area they will travel it seems, but maybe your case there's seasonal seeps that they go to. Only way to know is to hike and find it

 

[Paul in Idaho]

Thank you for your replies. Good info in here.

I know 1.5 miles isn't far for elk to travel. The main reason I'd expect them to drink somewhere higher up is the road between the mountain and the troughs. It is the main road through that end of the unit, so gets quite a bit of traffic. I have looked for tracks around a couple of the troughs, but found only bovine tracks. That doesn't mean the elk weren't there, just that there are enough cattle to erase the sign of earlier traffic quickly. Fortunately the cattle seem to stay fairly low and out of the main elk habitat.

Once I can get up there I'll pick one of the many trails and start following it deeper into the north side of the mountain. mtnrunner260, I'll try the GE time slider idea while I'm waiting for spring, thanks.