Snow

[Longranger2]

What is the consensus for the amount of snow that it takes to push elk down out of the high country?

 

[jmez]

16-18 inches

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[Tobe_B]

It’s gotta be pretty deep. I was tracking bulls going up hill last year in 12-16” snow. I’ll f they can find any morsel or feed they aren’t coming out. But there’s always elk throughout varied elevations. Just gotta go find them and put the miles on.


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[Huntnnw]

depends if bulls are still rutting when the snow flies. I have seen October snows of 6-8" where the cows move down and bulls follow

 

[Indian Summer]

When it’s to my knees

 

[Longranger2]

Very interesting with the opinions. I am presently watching a hunting show for elk in the late season and the guide is taking 4 others by foot into the high country with snow well above there knees.

 

[Poser]

Things to keep in mind about snow:

Snow doesn’t fall in an even, distributed manner across a large area.

Wind has a huge effect on snow. You can summit a peak Where there has been 400 inches of snowfall and a wind exposed ridge can be completely stripped to the ground.

Dry snow vs wet snow. Snow density can vary dramatically in terms of how deep you sink. There is crusty snow, wet/heavy snow, champagne snow, wind effected snow, sun cooked snow, sugar snow, snow that has been sitting and become compacted etc.

All of the factors above can play into this equation. In other words, not all 16 inches are created equally. I have been out early season snowboarding and have seen elk when there is a 40 inch base. It could dump 20 inches and it’s all wind drifted on North facing slopes with just a few inches on south facing slopes. Will that push elk down? Not necessarily.

 

[Indian Summer]

Very interesting with the opinions. I am presently watching a hunting show for elk in the late season and the guide is taking 4 others by foot into the high country with snow well above there knees.

Yep. I’ve killed them in snow literally to my um… family jewels. One of the best late hunts I had was in snow that deep. The road that goes high was snowed in. Everyone was hunting up from the bottom pretty far down. A buddy and I took his snowmobile to the top. It was above my knees. I’m short mind you. I knew exactly where I was going. Only 3/4 of a mile. The elk were STACKED UP! I shot a bull from a herd of about 30. The rest ran out into a burn and disappeared into a small draw. When they came out there were about 100. They all circled around the head of the creek draw. They kept picking up more from each draw until I watched about 200 head with a pile of shooter bulls work down the far ridge and finally go into timber. Nobody was making it that high on foot. But the best bet from below would have been to start early and climb as high as you could. If you can catch the elk staging and groups coming together like that just ahead of old man winter you’re going to kill elk.

If you can still lift a leg and at least cover a little ground there will still be elk that high. Especially bulls. Sometimes I think people see elk low and think yep they’re on the move. But there are always elk low too. Some never go very high. Those elk aren’t as migratory and are the ones you see before the high country elk are forced to begin their decent.

 

[Indian Summer]

Things to keep in mind about snow:

Snow doesn’t fall in an even, distributed manner across a large area.

Wind has a huge effect on snow. You can summit a peak Where there has been 400 inches of snowfall and a wind exposed ridge can be completely stripped to the ground.

Dry snow vs wet snow. Snow density can vary dramatically in terms of how deep you sink. There is crusty snow, wet/heavy snow, champagne snow, wind effected snow, sun cooked snow, sugar snow, snow that has been sitting and become compacted etc.

All of the factors above can play into this equation. In other words, not all 16 inches are created equally. I have been out early season snowboarding and have seen elk when there is a 40 inch base. It could dump 20 inches and it’s all wind drifted on North facing slopes with just a few inches on south facing slopes. Will that push elk down? Not necessarily.

Hell yes spot on!!!

Mountain goats sometimes go higher when the snow gets deep because it’s windier and there are windblown slopes where the snow is thin.

 

[Longranger2]

Yep. I’ve killed them in snow literally to my um… family jewels. One of the best late hunts I had was in snow that deep. The road that goes high was snowed in. Everyone was hunting up from the bottom pretty far down. A buddy and I took his snowmobile to the top. It was above my knees. I’m short mind you. I knew exactly where I was going. Only 3/4 of a mile. The elk were STACKED UP! I shot a bull from a herd of about 30. The rest ran out into a burn and disappeared into a small draw. When they came out there were about 100. They all circled around the head of the creek draw. They kept picking up more from each draw until I watched about 200 head with a pile of shooter bulls work down the far ridge and finally go into timber. Nobody was making it that high on foot. But the best bet from below would have been to start early and climb as high as you could. If you can catch the elk staging and groups coming together like that just ahead of old man winter you’re going to kill elk.

If you can still lift a leg and at least cover a little ground there will still be elk that high. Especially bulls. Sometimes I think people see elk low and think yep they’re on the move. But there are always elk low too. Some never go very high. Those elk aren’t as migratory and are the ones you see before the high country elk are forced to begin their decent.

Interesting

 

[Indian Summer]

Interesting

It’s pretty simple really. Elk are survivalists. Their movements are based on weather and predators. Habitat (feed) too of course but that’s a different subject. You can’t take the easy way out and expect to kill bulls. Ask yourself… if everyone on Rokslide was trying to kill me where would I go? Answer: Where they can’t! Even if life gets tough up there and the snow piles up it’s better than the inside of a chest freezer right.

 

[rayporter]

even if they start down, if the sun comes out they will turn around and head back up.

 

[AaronMColeman]

I don't know how much snow it takes to move them. But I do know the first big cold or decent snow of October always gets them moving. It's usually around the 20th. And I also know I'm going hunting the first cold snap of October every year.

 

[Marble]

16-18 inches

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At one time yes, if it melts down they'll be right back.

4--5" with single digit temps makes them move to South slopes. They will lay out in the sun and it's easy to run ridges and get one.


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[Deadfall]

Crust. Long as they can shuffle through it. Doesn't bother them alot. The crust hurts and they move. Cows and youngsters sooner then mature

 

[GotDraw?]

a buddy of mine is a well respected Elk biologist.

Simple answer:

They move lower when it is too much work to push through snow to walk. Generally above their "Knees", so about 16-18" or deeper.

This is situationally very dependent, but bottom line is you'll probably need snowshoes before the elk depart.

JL

 

[DirtJones]

I used to hunt a high elevation area that got about 8 inches on its first snowfall. Less then a mile downhill the mountain was bare. We started high because that's where we always saw elk, but there was little sign in the new snow. I figured since the bare ground was a short jaunt downhill, they probably went for greener pastures even though snow wasn't very deep.

 

[Marble]

There are too many variables to give a depth of snow that is absolute. There are a totality of circumstances that will dictate their movement. When it becomes too difficult to travel, forage for food and they use too much energy to stay warm, they will move.

Lots of good points here. I wouldn't worry here about snow depth too much, but use it as an opportunity to easily track elk and kill them.

I would say my success rate for the day after a storm is so high I have no issue waiting a few days at camp while nature does its thing and be up on the mountain the first thing in the morning and start following the first herd you cut.

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