Elk hunting when it snows!

[Bynumlife]

We leave today for Colorado and will be in the backcountry hunting elk until the 23rd and it looks like we are going to get some snow!!!

I've been hunting elk for many years but somehow this will be my first time if / in the snow. It doesn't appear like we will get feet of snow, more like inches.

What have you seen elk do when it snows like that?

It also aligns with peak estrus, the 20th & 21st.

I'm hoping it improves the rut action and ability to find them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[idahohikker]

+1 I'm also really interested to see how snow will affect the rut. I've hunted in September when it's rained but never snow.

 

[Flydaho]

I'm following this thread also. All my elk hunts in snow have been post-rut, it will be interesting to see how they react. In the past, I've seen heavy rain shut them down for a day or two, but I've never had to deal with snow during the rut. Hopefully they will be a bit more active during the day especially since there will be no moon and heavy cloud cover (it's going to be DARK at night). I think the biggest impact it will have on me is the extra pounds on my back to carry good rain gear, a different tent, and a different sleeping bag. Its supposed to get down to low 20's high 10's at night and only low 40's during the day.

I did contact the wildlife biologist in my area and here is her response - "I think the snow would make for a good hunt! Easier to track and it should get the animals moving."

Hope that helps put some minds at ease.

-Flydaho

 

[Ryan2782]

In my opinion elk are used to snow and several inches doesn't effect them, there is still visible food. I've seen elk in a foot of snow not migrating for over a week, continuing to find food where they were at. The rut happens around the same time every year regardless of weather. The rut is triggered by the amount of light that enters a cows pupil, and the cows go into heat from this each year. I have seen elk breed while being more quiet/silent in some bad weather. But that is also why cows can go into a second heat in October if not bred. Cold weather will have an effect on animals to move around more, and the cows to feed more for winter reserves. Unless you get 8" or it freezes solid snow afterwards it won't push the animals or even that far if they move. If they are up at a high elevation with limited feed already and it snows, that will probably push them lower faster just for ease of access, and bulls will follow the cows.

 

[lintond]

It's supposed to snow in WY tomorrow so I'll probably be in the snow as well. Bring on the fun!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[GKPrice]

I've seen the elk begin a local migration when 3-4 inches fell overnight and I've seen bulls hang up in 3 ft of snow but both were post rut - I would guess that up to a foot of snow would not even begin to distract them from the "yearly fun" and we all know that the colder temps is what triggers the rut to begin

 

[5MilesBack]

The last archery season that I got snow, it shut them down for a couple days. Prior to the snow and cold front they were screaming. After the snow, I didn't hear another bugle for three days.

 

[ol490]

In my experience, which is based on Wyoming bowhunting for almost 30 years, snow shuts the bugling action completely down for a couple of days. Maybe others have different experiences and maybe elk behave differently in other areas. Where I hunt, the elevation is ~8200-8500 feet and the elk do not winter in this part of the unit. Having said that, I have never seen them migrate due to September snow. It's almost like it refocuses their attention on feeding prior to winter as opposed to rutting. After a couple days of normal Sept weather, they crank back up. YMMV - my two cents.

 

[Art Vandeley]

we all know that the colder temps is what triggers the rut to begin

That is false information.

In my limited experience with snow during September it has shut down bugling. Could have been other variables at play such as the elk moved out of the drainage I was hunting but I don't feel that was the case.

 

[Ryan2782]

we all know that the colder temps is what triggers the rut to begin

The rut is triggered by the autumnal(fall) equinox, not weather. The rut does begin in areas starting end of August beginning of September even into October. That is why the majority of people hunt the around the last week of September, the equinox normally falls around 21 or 22 of September, and that is the reason why the cows go into heat. It's the ratio of daylight and darkness entering the cow elks pupil. This does not mean that every cow goes into heat at this exact same time. People call it the peak of the rut because most of the cows do in that time frame for around ten days plus or minus of the equinox. You get the most vocalization and movement of breeding from bulls and cows both looking to breed.

Other things will effect what you see or hear, weather, predators, hunting pressure etc, but the rut will go on whether or not you hear it or see it.

 

[GKPrice]

Looks as if I was mistaken - no longer being a bowhunter I guess I wasn't paying attention to my "story telling" ..... my apologies

 

[spike camp]

A few inches of early snow won't effect the Elk or their patterns one bit...
The snow will be gone as fast as it falls.