Hunt Elk in the rain?

[Cornbread]

Im trying to prepare for my first (hopefully) elk hunt in Montana this coming Fall. How many of you hunt elk in the rain? If so, how hard does it have to rain before you just stay home or in camp? Will elk patterns be about the same? How about strong wind? Do they just hunker down? Same questions for due deer. Thanks for your help.

Ive hunted whitetails in various stages of rain, and I will only go out if it is only a mist, not a steady rain or downpour. Seems whitetails hate the rain just as much as I do.
Thanks for your insights.
Cornbread

 

[Deleted member 20812]

You won’t kill elk when you’re sitting in camp.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Hunting in the rain has advantages. Ground cover is quieter for stalking, animals don't hear as well, and rain usually knocks down scent. The animals don't move around much so if you know approximately where they are, you may be able to catch them in their beds. If the weather breaks and sun pops out, you have a good chance of spotting them standing in the open to dry out. In Africa the best conditions for kudu hunting were a night of drizzle or fog that let up just before dawn. Look for them at daybreak in small openings trying to warm up in the sun.

 

[TOGIE]

what even is rain?

 

[Bullshot]

In the mountains rain can be long or rain can be brief. When it is hot rain can be a relief. Rain can be frequent or it can be rare. Rain may bring action, or out game may not dare. Rain can be heavy and deadly in places. But rain when it ends will put smiles on faces. So hunt when it rains or watch rain from your camp. But kill game you won’t if your spirit gets damp.

 

[Wallydeuce]

Don't set your comfort standards to wild game. They live in it 24/7 and far worse than rain. If they're hungry, they eat. Anything short of a thunderstorm, I'm out there.

 

[Slm864]

I’ve had otherwise quiet hunts heat up pretty quickly due to some rainy days moving in. I enjoy the quiet ground and it’s pretty easy to find fresh tracks in the mud. Bulls seem to bugle right after the rain moves through which is nice when you are stuck in a hot dry spell.
If you choose to stay in camp due to rain you might miss some opportunities to at least locate some elk. I’m speaking mainly from an archery stance during the rut.

 

[Bullshot]

Hunting in the rain was a lot more common back in the day before everyone was carrying a fully loaded 7-day assault pack on day hunts around camp but also worried about getting their phones wet.

 

[recon6036]

Not sure about Elk, but my perception is I tend to see more Whitetail buck movement when it’s raining. High winds, not so much
I’d hunt Deer and Elk rain or shine; minus a torrential downpour with lightning.

 

[WYWINCHESTER]

Animals live there year round. Elk spend more energy staying cool in the summer then they do staying warm in the winter. Hunting elk in MT, will probably be snow.

 

[beartoothhiker]

The way the last few years have been here in Montana, there is not much of a chance of hunting in the rain. I would prepare for heat and wind. Depends a bit too if you are talking about archery or rifle seasons. My experience is the wind will keep them in timber and hunkered down more than rain/mist/snow.

 

[hank4elk]

The only real rains here are monsoons. And the only thing that stops me then is lightning. And 6 inch mud on my boots. Hard to keep up then. Sometimes you just have to hole up in a safe place.

 

[GrantK]

In my experience hunting is usually slower in the rain or snow, however, some of the wildest rutting action I have ever seen was in the middle of crazy intense storms, rain, fog, and thunder moving elk, causing them to bump into other herds... I would trade a week of nice weather and average encounters for a morning of complete craziness so I keep going out in storms hoping for the magical ones...

 

[sureshotshane]

Usually hunting time is to scarce to not be out there trying when you have the chance. Most get one, two , maybe three weeks a year for big trips. I’ve sat out a few hours from hunting from nasty thunderstorms, I actually thought I was going to get struck by lightning and sometimes it’s snowing so hard that you can’t see 20 feet.

 

[OntarioHunter]

An amendment to my previous post: If it's raining on the East Side of Montana, STAY IN CAMP AND OFF THE ROADS. That gumbo clay turns into a terrible mess. Builds up in the wheel wells of truck and turns to cement when it dries. Your boots become big as basketballs and heavy as anchors. Driving on private block management property when the access roads are gooey is not only unforgivably rude, it's a good way to get your arse kicked off the place for good. Good news is the ever present East Side wind can dry out gumbo in a few hours after the rain stops.

 

[wa_archer]

Come hunt the west coast you would be asking the opposite question. I killed an elk a couple years ago in rain so wet my underwear were soaked under rain gear after hunting all day in it, during the last hour. That bull didn’t care about it.

I mean rain sucks you should stay in your truck or tent all day if it looks even remotely like it might drizzle.

 

[Laelkhunter]

On my elk hunts, I only have 5 days. I'm not wasting one of them sitting inside just because of rain. The elk can't go inside or I would hunt them there. Two years ago, I hunted in heavy rain with thunder, then it turned to sleet, then started snowing. I pulled my rain suit hood over my head, and waited for an elk to show up. None ever did, but at least I was there if he did. Buy quality gear, and be prepared for the worst weather.

 

[gouch]

I hunt Roosevelt Elk, I didn't know you could hunt elk when it wasn't raining.

 

[Ben Long]

The two best times to hunt elk is when it is raining and when it ain't raining.

 

[Ben Long]

Seriously though. I grew up hunting elk in the Idaho panhandle. If you didn't hunt elk in the rain you weren't going to hunt elk very much. Trick is preparation and attitude. No one can endure rain as long as more clement weather, but it's no reason to stop and can be a advantage.