Colorado; 1st Rifle Season Weather Factors

[windymtnman]

I live in So. Central Colorado in Elk Country.
I went horseback riding on last Saturday's opener, and in an entire big drainage, I estimate only about 6 hunters, based on the number of vehicles. Never heard a shot all day, but then the wind would block a lot of that ability to hear.

What I'm wondering about though, is how the moon and weather might effect the hunting success? As you may know, the first two days of Colorado's 5 day, 1st Rifle season is when most of the game is shot, while the Elk are figuring out the season's open.
We've had high winds for the past 3 days. I think we had sustained 50+ mph winds most of the day here. While the Elk live in this weather, the hunters do not. Even in the more sheltered forests, it's still going to blow. Not very pleasant to be trying to hunt.
Coupled with this, at night the winds die down and the moon is about full, encouraging night feeding all the more.
So, I'm wondering if the kill will reflect this?

 

[LWC55]

I hope it was a slow first season and they left plenty for 2nd season!

 

[windymtnman]

Winds are calm this morning so far.....Yesterday a forest fire whipped up in 60mph sustained winds in the Westcliffe & Wetmore areas. Burned 15,000 acres in a very short time, with zero containment as described on the 10pm news.
How'd you like to have a tag in your pocket for that area about now? That's Colorado for you. With the massive beetle killed forests, a lot of Elk hunters may have their hunt plans altered in the future years by fires.