Hunting elk in windy conditions

[307]

How does elk behavior change in response to windy conditions? How does your hunting change?

30+ gusts with steady wins in the forecast

Elk probably won't be able to hear my calls very well, and vice versa... Locating them will be especially difficult.

I'm assuming they'll stay in the timber more, insecure since they can't hear much.

On the bright side, stalking close may be somewhat easier, if I get a chance, due to more consistent wind, and cover noise.

Glassing more seems like a reasonable option, but the heavier timber won't allow much to be seen.

What do you change, if anything, when it comes to hunting elk in heavier wind?

 

[Kootenay Hunter]

Sounds like you've answered you own question...

Perhaps more sheltered areas out of wind would be best to still hunt in.

Difficult to make a game plan without specific knowledge of areas, local elk behaviors, time fo year, etc. etc.

 

[deerkiller]

elk get jumpy in the wind, the more woods the jumpier they seem to be
On the north coast of Oregon a blustery windy rainy day is when I'll get antsy to go hunting (rifle) Scent nonspecifially all over the place, noise not nearly an issue, elk will be moving around

 

[805Bowhunter]

Keep your head on a swivel. Last week I was in Wyoming and there were two days that were very windy. I assumed that nothing could hear my calling. I was calling and covering a lot of ground. I had 3 bulls that came in silent (or I didnt hear them respond) and I was caught with my pants down and a bull looking at me at 20 yards. Calling in the wind reminds me to really be patient because you dont have as good of feelers as to what your call is actually doing.

 

[Piscatory_4]

Like the Oregon guy said, good time to be hunting, but I think elk will be in reprod, 10-15' tall trees so no falling limbs or trees or along the edge of same to feed.

 

[deerkiller]

Like the Oregon guy said, good time to be hunting, but I think elk will be in reprod, 10-15' tall trees so no falling limbs or trees or along the edge of same to feed.

Has never been my experience

 

[jog]

Elk are not whitetails (paranoid) in that if pressure is light high winds will have the wiser ones setting themselves up for visual protection if they can but otherwise doing what elk do as usual. I think high wind psyches us out more than them. They deal with it all the time. The wind shifts are the big unknown and hard to hunt.