Hunt Elk in the rain?

[elkduds]

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.

When that monsoon rain lets up just before sunset. . .

 

[Maverick1]

I don't prefer to hunt in the rain. But, if it IS raining, I hunt anyway. Why? By the time elk hunting season rolls around - and I'm actually ON a mountain - I will have spent months training, hundreds of dollars on the tag, driven over 1200+ miles to my destination, and thought about elk hunting every single day since the end of the prior season. At that point, I really don't care about the rain; it becomes irrelevant. Wear proper rain gear and get after it.

 

[coleslaw]

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.

Agreed with what he said. My first elk was taken immediately after a snow/ ice storm. As soon as the weather broke and the sun was just starting to poke through, it seemed like every animal on the mountain was moving into the open to feed and dry off. Very cool experience.
Also, if you know that a front is about to move through in a few hours, the barometric pressure drop usually gets animals into a feeding frenzy just before a storm (usually a snowstorm) hits. At least that's how it works with deer here in the Midwest.

 

[44hunter45]

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

I am sure more than half of my elk kills have been in the rain. As others have stated, it helps knock down your scent and noise. Dress for it and get out there.

As far as deer go. at least for whitetails here in North Idaho, that brief window after the rain stops is golden. If you are in camp when it happens instead of in that honey hole, you are going to miss it.

 

[Zootownelk]

Yes, I hunt in the rain. It's important to plan, though, so you can get clothes/boots/gear dry at night. It keeps morale up.

 

[s10]

If you’re there, go hunt. Regardless.

 

[Carnage2011]

I’ve had some insane days of bugling in the rain. If it’s a nice drizzle it can be incredible. Rain wipes the slate clean…no scent on the ground and it knocks your scent down.

With that being said…it doesn’t rain in MT anymore.

 

[JAG]

Agreed with what he said. My first elk was taken immediately after a snow/ ice storm. As soon as the weather broke and the sun was just starting to poke through, it seemed like every animal on the mountain was moving into the open to feed and dry off. Very cool experience.
Also, if you know that a front is about to move through in a few hours, the barometric pressure drop usually gets animals into a feeding frenzy just before a storm (usually a snowstorm) hits. At least that's how it works with deer here in the Midwest.

Good stuff coleslaw. I heard another reason for this is once the sun pops out warm enough to melt snow, the dripping annoys sheltered game and signals them to start foraging sooner.

 

[S-3 Ranch]

Rain I am hunting, heavy wind no , iMo elk , caribou, white tail, are fine moving in rain , windy weather freaks them out

 

[JLS]

Rain I am hunting, heavy wind no , iMo elk , caribou, white tail, are fine moving in rain , windy weather freaks them out

If that was the case, there would be a lot of elk hunters in Montana and Wyoming sitting home.

 

[2rocky]

When low clouds sock in your basin it makes glassing impossible. So you can stillhunt a little more. With the heavy cloud cover the elk might stay out on a meadow edge a little later in the morning since it doesn't get bright and sunny all at once. I don't think Elk consider rain to be as unpleasant as we do. it is more about you keeping your spirit up and not being wet and miserable so you do catch the glimpse of the bedded bull as you are hunting through the timber.

Wind was mentioned...Don't hunt recent burns (1-3 years) on windy days because of falling tree danger.

 

[BirdManMike]

Im meeeeeellllllllltiiiiiiiiiing!

 

[brymoore]

I usually elk hunt around my house. I’ll go home on bad weather days. I don’t need to get rained on if it’s more than a passing storm. I’ll go out afterwards if time permits. Elk will tuck up in bad weather too.

 

[Ben Long]

I usually elk hunt around my house. I’ll go home on bad weather days. I don’t need to get rained on if it’s more than a passing storm. I’ll go out afterwards if time permits. Elk will tuck up in bad weather too.

That's what my old man says too. Of course he's 88.

 

[brymoore]

That's what my old man says too. Of course he's 88.

88 and dry!

 

[Hockaday2017]

Yes, Yes and yes.

 

[Cornbread]

It's taken me a few days to get back on here. Some great, and also funny, answers. Thanks to all. Now, lets hope I get a tag!! No luck last year. I'll have to look at getting some good rain gear. I took a walk last week in my Grundens goretex outfit and my arms were soaked. Have to look at some Sitka or Kuiu. Any recommendations?

 

[RobertD]

Only elk I've ever killed I did so in a steady, not driving bit steady rain

My best ever whitetail buck, which I killed a few months ago, was also on a day of similar conditions

Leave it alone if it's dangerous to be out i.e. lightning and gale force winds but other than that I'd hunt

Also I like OntarioHunter's advice about gumbo roads, worth keeping in mind especially on private land

 

[Cornbread]

Only elk I've ever killed I did so in a steady, not driving bit steady rain

My best ever whitetail buck, which I killed a few months ago, was also on a day of similar conditions

Leave it alone if it's dangerous to be out i.e. lightning and gale force winds but other than that I'd hunt

Also I like OntarioHunter's advice about gumbo roads, worth keeping in mind especially on private land

Some of the answers were what I expected, except for the road answer. Don't want to unintentionally piss people off. In many respects, the same apply to whitetails. Wind makes them very skittish and they sit tight. Also sit tight with a heavy downpour. But sneaking around is the answer. Agree about rain reducing your scent, excellent point. I always have put out tree stands just before a rain. It rinses off your smell. Thanks for all the answers.

 

[BOHNTR]

Arrowed this bull in the pouring rain in 2019. As soon as I arrowed him I bugled and he stopped and fell over. I did this so I wouldn’t have to track in the pouring rain. You won’t ever kill one if you’re sitting in camp or at home.