Scouting Report

[Constitutionalist]

Went up to the "high country" for about seven hours Wednesday and found a couple of early rubs with fresh (REALLY fresh) sap.

Though, as of yet,

I haven't found any MAJOR rubs to put my cams over.

Eric

 

[wmidbrook]

KEYWORD: "early rubs"

early rut too??? .....to the ELK GODS

Been watchin' the weather like a hawk--it's been 40% chance of rain almost e v e r y day this July~! Bodes for good horn growth in units 5/6.

Was the ground wet up there? Evidence of lots of precipitation?

 

[Constitutionalist]

It has NEVER (in my short four-year exposure to NM) been this green, EVER. If you glance at some of my camshots, you'll notice plenty of green grass and foliage in the background. Never, and I'll repeat it one more time for those Palm Beach Democrats out there, NEVER has this place been so green and lush (by NM standards, that is).

Keeping things in perspective, I mean 7500 feet and above. Down here at 5200 it is hotter than heck as usual (and brown). But the rain has been able to reach the ground (yes, it actually evaporates before reaching us desert dwellers) at the higher elevations and BOY DOES IT SHOW!! Too bad I don't have some photos from previous years for comparison; you would truly be amazed.

Early rut? I'm not quite prepared for that bold of a statement, but I feel the weather patterns with moisture (that haven't quit the whole summer) will cool things off nicely, providing some early season spikes of cool that COULD get things started in a timely fashion. Of the past four years, this is the best setup we've had regarding weather.

<Can anyone understand what I'm babbling about?>

Was the ground wet? Well, when I left my vehicle it was actually drizzling on us (In NM it would be called raining, but anywhere else in the WORLD it would be called drizzle

) and things were quite messy on the way up. But, as always, give NM a few hours of 50% humidity under the "broiler" (yesterdays humidity reading via Weather Channel) and things are quite dry by 1 p.m. (for reference: the past few years our average humidity has been in the ballpark of 20%; how is that for a moisture increase?). But even with the increase it is so dry that when you take your pack off, the sweat evaporates so fast it feels like someone has placed an ice pack on your back. Anyone's first episode of shivering in mid-80's weather will indicate how truthful that statement is.

Hopefully the 'Weather' and 'Elk' Gods

<insert moment of silence, please> ...will look down upon us and allow us some seriously close encounters this year!

Eric