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I would like some opinions. Starting to pack up but I'm in a holding pattern due to the forcast. Want to head up to hunt right now from a pack in spike camp but nasty weather moving in this aft for a few days. Imminent rain and storms. Safe but frustrating play is to wait. Flip side is they get worked up in the rain and mud for good hunting. Conversely, blood trailing could be hard and pack out extra brutal in a storm on mud flowing pack trails(done it before). At least I have an ATV to legally get to a hike in only trail head now so I shouldn't get stranded with my SUV.
Weather breaks starting Saturday. Play it safe and get in there the minute it starts to break or man-up and hunt in rain/ mud for three days until it breaks? Would be ultra selective with shot opportunities.
I do have all of next week off to get it done as well. Times winding down quick. Worried about the rut winding down fast. Admittedly I get anxiety and indecisive about these things.
I really want to get this tag punched on a bull solo DIY on an OTC pressured unit.
I'm in the same boat as you. The weather here looks like it is going to be wet and raining the next 3 days and dry out for the weekend. I however have a cow elk that is ready to be cut up and so I think I will take the next couple of days to cut and grind and then be ready to go out on the weekend for the next elk.
I have hunted several days this year in the rain thinking it would have had the elk wound up but I heard and saw nothing. It was the nice days that I was seeing elk, so for me, I am going to wait until the weekend and enjoy my hunt a bit more.
I'm leaning that way as well but on the other hand...can't kill'em from the couch. If I do wait until it clears on the weekend I will stay the entire week.
If its a total wash out on the radar I'm out...If you see breaks here and there I'm inn. On the other hand, I don't know your gear/camp set up? Is it to be wet cold?
It has been very tuff hunting so far, very quiet, I think the change in the weather may be just what we need to kick things up a bit,
This happened to me about a week ago. I thought it would kick the rut into high gear so I packed up headed out. It didn't kick up the rut. I was just below snow line and it stormed for three days, not hard but a consistent soaker rain/wintery mix. The elk were totally quiet and I was totally soaked. Everything was soaked, my tent, sleeping bag, extra clothes...everything...it SUCKED. Wait until the heavy stuff rolls through and be there when the weather breaks. Good luck.
I think that animals dislike cold, wet, windy weather as much or more than we do. I'm only experienced as a whitetail and antelope hunter, but the goats last week did not move nearly as much on the two days that we had that kind of weather. They stayed in the coulees out of the wind. I've witnessed the same from whitetails. A little rain doesn't bother them, cold weather doesn't bother them, but the combination of wind, precip, and cold will make them scarce.
I'm dealing with the same storm. These storms generally have 2 crappy days of heavy rain with a day on each side with 20-40% chance of rain.
On the days on each side, just ignore it. It'll rain on you for 5 minutes here and there. Just keep moving.
On the heavy days, we get up early and drive to where we want to start hunting. If it's raining, we wait in the truck till it stops. If not, we start hunting. When the deluge begins, we hunker down and wait it out. Dad and I both will have an umbrella and we have an 8x10 foot tarp for when it really comes down.
IMO, rain gear is worthless for the Sept elk mountains. It's way too damn hot for the intermittent rain and it doesn't keep you dry in a 2 hour deluge anyways. It's also too hot for run-and-gun hunting between 9 AM and 5 PM. And it takes too long to put on for the intermittent stuff.
We hunt exactly as we otherwise would if there was no rain. We just hunker down under the tarp when it gets nasty.
And after a good 2 hour deluge, once it clears, the elk are often times moving and making noise.
Same here----
I have gone to an umbrella and it keeps me just as dry as rain wear/gear....
At least I am not soaked on the inside from rain wear/gear-sweating and soaked on the outside from the rain/snow! haha
Good luck, Robb
I've always had zero luck while hunting elk in heavier rains. They go quiet. I don't think they like making noise when they can't hear. Takes a day or two for them to get vocal again from what I've seen.
