Spent my opening weekend of archery camped out at big springs. what a beautiful place i didn't see any elk or deer but i had a blast checking out new country. i will definitely be headed back there this weekend. what do you guys look for when you start exploring new country in search of elk?

uhh, elk?.....

Waffle: Smaller more remote/secluded springs/seeps for thirsty early season and rutting Elk.
Enjoy the upcoming weekend and the outdoors.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Big Springs, north of Kemmerer, Wy.......or, big springs? memtb

Big springs trail head bye W mountain( Colorado). I did see a box canyon on the topo but I did not head up in to it. There was a lot of cattle grazing in the lower meadows and I was unsure if the elk would stay away from them so I explored up Red dirt creek trying to climb in elevation. It seemed most creek bed up high we’re dry I will have to do some more exploring and see if I can find some secluded springs /seeps

What GMU?

How many, and which way didtheygo?

I thought you meant Big Springs Texas. Ain't no elk in Big Springs Texas.

Start high. Drive or hike and glass, looking for elk sign. Often, I will bird hunt unfamiliar ground first, trying to kill grouse while looking for elk sign. I move down in elevation if I find no sign up high. Sometimes there are not enough elk in the area to produce enough recent sign. I generally won't hunt those areas later. Elk move a lot though, so they can be where they haven't been on short notice.

While not always the case, elk tend to avoid cattle. Often return after cattle have left, however, to work on the more nutritious regrowth.

I didn’t climb to the top ravines. I follow the bottoms up looking for sign around the creek bottoms. This weekend I’ll climb to the tops and poke around. Thanks for the advice! There’s got to be elk around there I’m just going to keep exploring.

Huntmaps is your friend! Water, wallows, and food find that and you will find elk. Pattern and Hunt them like you would a whitetail only much bigger range.

Thanks. I was wondering if the cows would keep the other wildlife out

I haven't hunted around cattle a lot, but I can say that a few cows won't keep elk away. I think it depends on how many cows are in there, whether there are enough to affect the quality of the feed, and whether there are people in there working them.

In many places the cows and wildlife co-habituate all summer! Now, when the cowboys start bringing the cows in from the range....all bets are off! memtb

Kawi lives.

I took everyone’s advise and got up on top of a ridge and just glassed and glasses. I managed to spot 5 cow elk, 8 mule deer and a moose. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to catch up with the elk they are definitely in better shape then I am. Mabey next weekend. I still haven’t heard one bugle. Mabey there isn’t a bull in the area I keep patrolling or they just haven’t started talking yet.