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ELK IN THUNDERSTORM

I went out last night to sit my tree stand. I knew it was supposed to rain but figured after the rain when it calmed down, the elk might start moving around. Well Along with the rain came some pretty good lightning, thunder and wind gusts. I almost got out of the tree several times but then the wind would die back down for a while and I figured it was over and then it would come back around again and the idea of getting down again reoccurred. So with the lightning, thunder and wind, I stupidly remained hunkered down in my tree stand seat and waited out the storm. Well after it passed several times, the sky became lighter and the forest was quiet. A bear appeared from around a tree and walked up under the tree stand. I lost sight of it when it was right below me and then I could not find it again. I later heard some branches breaking on the adjacent hillside and assumed he must have ran up there.

The main question is do elk hunker down in a thunderstorm or just go about their days/evenings like nothing was happening. I was assuming that they would bed down in an out of the wind location and then after the storm, get up and move around to make up for the time they lost in the storm. I am sure that a drizzle vs a full on thunderstorm would show completely different behaviors for them.

So what are all your ideas, experiences with thunderstorms and elk behavior. And I know, sitting in the stand during a lightning storm was not my best idea this year. I justified it because none of the lightning was touching down, it all appeared to be running through the sky.

My one good experience with elk in a thunderstorm, I shot a great 6x6 that was 373! During the storm they stayed bedded down together and was able to get within 60 yards with all the wind, rain, and thunder. As soon as the rain and wind stopped, they all started getting up and mingling around.

When I go elk hunting, I hunt in the rain. I don’t like it but, 3600 mile round trip ensures I do. I’ve never shot an elk doing it either. However, twice hunting buddies have. Never a thundering, lightning, hell kind of storm though. I hunker down in the truck in that kind of weather. It’s scary stuff.

i used to hunt a lot of timbered areas adjacent to clearcuts. during nasty weather elk would often move from the timber to the clearcuts, and bed down. my theory as to why is because a lot of branches would break off and fall from the trees during stormy weather. i think they felt safer in the clearcut.

i have had calling action and close encounters during rainy weather, but not during nasty weather with high wind and rain. come to think of it, the weather has been nice during the times i have killed elk.

Several years ago a buddy and I were hunting unit 21 in Colorado. We were several days into our hunt and we decided to do a little glassing not far from camp. We left camp late afternoon walking to the east. We were about a half mile from camp we heard a rumble of thunder behind us. The storm was upon us in minutes. We had left our packs and just had bows and optics with us. We took shelter in some pinyon pines for a very nasty storm. I remember hanging my bow in a tree and getting away from it as fast as I could, not wanting to be by a lightning rod on top of a mountain. After the storm passed we were soaked to the bone. We walked back to camp for dry cloths and I started a early dinner. It was still early I would say 6 pm or so mid September. My soup had just started to boil when a bull cut loose with a good bugle (30 minutes after the storm). My buddy took off down the mountain where he thought the bull was and I stayed in camp. I really wanted another bugle to confirm his location. I bugled and he was close, less than 100 yards. I ran about 30 yards to pipeline right of way, in shorts and sandals, just as he stepped out. In hindsight I should have ranged him. It was my first encounter with a big bull. I shot right over his back.

Just personal experience, but if they are already up and feeding it doesn’t bother them a bit. They do get up and move around after one goes through when they are bedded, It cools down nice for them. There’s been documented cases of sizable groups killed out in open from lightning. Same with the wind in September, the wind blows often in the west. The animals are used to it, and I’ve seen some great action on windy days. Later in the year when surviving is the biggest concern not so much. Same with western whitetail, I like hunting windy days in a stand close to bedding areas. I’ve seen and killed some great bulls and bucks on windy days.

Always have a tree stand umbrella ready to deploy.

I killed this one sitting in a thunder storm. Sat under my umbrella and read a book waiting one afternoon in Montana.

Good gravy Wilbur! That's a freaking monster bull.

What Buckeye said, and some more stuff…….

One of my most memorable elk hunting days started at about 7:00 AM as I was into elk right off the bat. Thunderstorms hit at 8:00 AM and lasted an hr. Bulls would bugle back at the thunder. Rest of day was light rain. Was into a huge herd all day long. Had to nap at 1:00 pm due to the stress of having a herd of a hundred(s) right around me and trying to get a shot at the herd bull. Still into elk until I pulled out at dark. Never got a shot at the herd bull. Passed 10s of shot opportunities at lesser bulls. Hunt the rain!

That’s freakin’ awesome Kurt!!!!!!

I've seen some of the most action....and shot one of my biggest bulls in a lightning storm.

I've seen them going nuts in 3 different states during lightning storms and downpours.

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