Elk behavior with sudden snow?

[P Y Buck]

Bowhunting Colorado right now. Sudden snow fall 4-6 inches at 10000. It is warming back up and the snow is melting. Most of it will be should be gone after tommorrow. Anyone have any experience with how this impacts the elk behavior. Will 3 days of snow on the ground force them to lower elevations or will they stay high and hunker down?

 

[HuntNTag]

4-6 inches won’t do much. If you have 18-24 inches and food is covered, they will move down to lower elevations. 7-8k in my experience, however it is early and the snow will melt soon so I couldn’t see there being too much movement.

If you have crops anywhere down from the mountains, close by they will head towards the easy food as well. That’s the big one I’ve seen dictate change with snow in an earlier period.

 

[Kbhillhunter]

Bowhunting Colorado right now. Sudden snow fall 4-6 inches at 10000. It is warming back up and the snow is melting. Most of it will be should be gone after tommorrow. Anyone have any experience with how this impacts the elk behavior. Will 3 days of snow on the ground force them to lower elevations or will they stay high and hunker down?

Also hunted CO at 10k feet on Monday and Tuesday this week. Saw no elk or even sign. Once the snow started falling Tuesday we bombed off the mountain. Got into elk first thing next morning at About 8500 ft.

 

[Marble]

Its interesting for sure.

My experience is anywhere from 8 10k.

4 to 6 inches won't make them leave, but they will move to easy food and be right back.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

 

[nettereo16]

In my limited experience of only getting stuck in 1 September storm in MT In 2017 where we got 6 inches - the snow will shut them down for a few days but with that little bit of snow they aren’t going to drop elevation at all. After the snow melts and things stabilize they go back to business

 

[cnelk]

I just got back from the Colorado high country - hunted the first 9 days.

It was 85 degrees for several days - very little bugling
Then it went to 25 degrees and 4" snow - very little bugling

The elk were in the same spots, the weather change made them a bit more unresponsive, but they really werent exactly responsive to begin with.

We got into elk everyday but one.

Stay at it

 

[gibby97]

I just got back from the Colorado high country - hunted the first 9 days.

It was 85 degrees for several days - very little bugling
Then it went to 25 degrees and 4" snow - very little bugling

The elk were in the same spots, the weather change made them a bit more unresponsive, but they really werent exactly responsive to begin with.

We got into elk everyday but one.

Stay at it

Just got to CO myself, gonna start hunting Sunday. From what I’m hearing elk aren’t talking much if any right now. Hopefully the warmer weather this week will pick things up a bit.

 

[Laramie]

It can really depend on your area. If your particular herd only typically migrates 10-15 miles to get to winter range, you likely won't see much of a move. If you herd has to migrate further, this may be enough to get them started moving. The elk where I typically hunt start moving down in elevation by the 10th of September regardless of the weather. If we get early snow, they start even sooner. Nice thing about snow... the tracks will tell the story.

 

[trophyhill]

i took yesterday and today off. 24" of snow at 10,000'. unless you have snowshoes, moving in that stuff is treacherous and very laborious and slow going. I'm hoping elk are a bit more vocal and responsive upon my return.

knee deep snow reminded me of growing up in Ohio and walking 5 miles to school uphill both ways

 

[MichaelO]

I've been in Colorado for two days and the only bugles I have heard were late at night. Tons of sign in the thick timber but there seem to not be talking much. Hunting 8.5k-10k

 

[RusticRiver]

First week in the books here in NW Colorado and a lot of the same stories. Been into elk every day but they aren't talking, before or after the snow. (which certainly hasn't pushed anything down the mountain except for hunters). Good luck everyone, the bulls are bound to fire up real soon.

 

[kaecher]

With snow they may move to easier food, which might be a diffeent facing slope, or down the mountain, but they will often be right back. But every ridge and draw is different and every elk is different, they all make different decisions, just like people. You just have to hunt where you are and make your decisions like the elk do. Also, elk can move many miles much quicker than we can. They can leave an area for a day or 2 then be right back there, just depends whats going on.