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How to Scout for Elk

Elk are antlered deer found throughout the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. Their size, horns and mating behavior make them popular with wildlife fanatics and game shooters. Tracking an elk is not a particularly difficult task, as they tend to live in large groups, but to make the task easier, there are a few tricks that can be used to make sure you find one.

Instructions

- 1
  Watch for elk tracks. An elk footprint is made up of two parallel semicircles, pointed at the toe end and more rounded at the back. It is about 5 inches long and 3 inches wide for adults. The stride length is between 26 and 28 inches long.
- 2
  Scout for elk in the correct areas. Elk like to be close to a water and food source, and access to both cover and open space. Hunting in dense forest will not succeed and neither will sticking to the open plains.
- 3
  Stay to the correct side of mountains. During summer the north face will be cooler and during winter the south face will be warmer.
- 4
  Remember which direction the wind is blowing. Stay up wind of any potential elk sightings, because if they catch a person's sent, they will scare and run off.
- 5
  Scan areas of low vegetation with binoculars. Elk like to stay in cover, but sometimes antlers will be visible above the plant life.
- 6
  Stay near water. The one thing that is true of tracking any animal is that your best chance is near water. All animals need to drink, and fresh-flowing water sources are more open than looking for them at feeding locations.
- 7
  Look out for elk droppings. During summer, the rich vegetation makes the droppings very fibrous, but during winter they are round and pellet shaped.
- 8
  Check migratory patterns. You do not want to be hunting for elk when they have already moved locations. Migration season is the best time to see elk in large numbers, and they tend to follow similar routes each year.

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