Finding the water?

On Saturday I was headed up to glass some potential new elk hunting spots. I happened to see a light-colored rock on a different mountain, so I stopped to look. It turned out that rock was a big bull elk. Plans changed.

I spent the next 7 hours hiking that mountain. Elk sign was everywhere. Elk trails, rubs, fresh tracks. They live there, somewhere. The problem is, the mountain seems to be the same all over - just uniformly dense timber with a very few open areas of grass. One of those is where the bull had been. I never caught up to him, but did manage to find that park. I also had a cow and calf come close to me before a swirl of wind sent my scent the wrong way.

What I didn't find was any sign of water. No creek, no seep or wallow. Nothing.

With all those hundreds of acres of timber, I need a way to focus my efforts. Water seems to be a likely option. Can you offer any suggestions on how to locate a water source when none is shown on a USGS topo map? I presume starting on the north face would be good, but beyond that I'm stumped. The topo map shows a couple little cirque lakes not far off, but Google Earth shows they are dry in September.

Here's a pic from Google Earth of the mountain.


Thanks.

I've had similar thoughts at times. I've investigated what was supposed to be some small lakes on quad maps and Google Earth, only to find they are dry the majority of the year. I think what might be helpful, (or can't hurt), is to look on Google Earth and use the "historical image" feature to view the same country under past images that often were taken different times of the year. You might see more details or other things that stand out. Also look for subtle vegetation changes. In the area I live, I do find small springs that might not show up in large images. If you have ravines and draws, frequently there will be some water in them. (?) Also, the quad maps frequently show creeks or other water seeps, even if their seasonal.

Thanks. So far, no luck using the historical GE imagery. I'll keep looking through the topo maps and see if I have overlooked anything. Then I guess it's back to walking as much ground as I can.

sometimes it just takes walking to find those spots that you can't see from google earth.

I agree. Boots on the ground. Don't think it has to be close by. Elk will travel miles for water if they have to.

Get out a topo map and look for drainage draws. Those draws are often(usually?) formed by water, and there may be a seep or spring in the draw. If you find a dry creek bed or seep walk up the draw looking for a spring.