Elk hunting tips
My question is simple and limited. What tips can you share about getting within shooting distance of an elk during legal shooting hours?
I have hunted elk before and have successfully taken an elk. My elk hunting goals are modest: take an elk -- cow, bull, it doesn't matter because I'm not mounting the head, in fact a cow is probably preferred as it likely eats better and leaves a bull to grow more mature for those who DO want a more mature bull.
I don't want to know an area to hunt -- I've got an area t hunt, and it typically has elk in it. But its a big area, and finding those elk may be difficult. I hunt first rifle season in Colorado about 500 foot below treeline -- about 11,500'. I don't need to know what cartridge to use, what clothes to wear, how to get conditioned, how to camp, how to field dress the elk, how to get the elk meat out, how to butcher the elk, or how to cook the elk.
What is the best way to find elk when you are out hunting? I guess one answer is just scout until you find the elk. Maybe I should refine my question to what is the best place to scout first? I assume you don't just go out into a rectangle of land and scout randomly -- what considerations do you follow to selectively scout, to go here and look first. What features of the land do you look at and then experience an involuntary "Oh boy! That looks promising!" Is there special vegetation you like to see? Is there a certain disposition of the hills, trees, slopes, water courses that you like to see? What do you key on? What are the parameters of interest that you analyze?
It seems to me this is the most critical information related to hunting elk but the information that most rarely finds its way into books about hunting elk. It also seems to me that probably experienced elk hunters have a lot of valuable information on this topic that they may be willing to share. I'm not asking for a honey hole, I'm asking how does one go about discovering a honey hole?