Last weekend I was out scouting an area for a first rifle season hard to draw tag. 20-30 mph winds. Area had a big fire in the last 4-6 years. Was looking for sign in the safe areas all morning and stopped for a snack midday. Heard a faint bugle in the wind and decided to move closer. Confirmed it was a bugle on the second and third sound. Positioned myself so the wind was right and moved toward the bugles. Entered the standing dead burn area on the approach. Located a heard nestled in a low area between two peaks surrounded in the middle of the standing dead burned trees. Followed the heard for about an hour. During that time two trees fell nearby. Definitely a dangerous area to be in the wind. Decided to leave the area after the second tree fell.
Long story short, in the high winds i found evidence the elk were bedded in the low area between two peaks high on the mountain. It was like a little bowl between the two peaks. I never would've known the area exist had the elk not been bulging. My future tactic is to find little bowls up high to find animals bedded when the wind is blowing.
