Have you killed an elk in the rain?

[Finch]

Enjoying all the responses. I've whitetail hunted in rain quite a lot and once in a hurricane (far away from the eye but we got all the heavy rain). Probably will sit out the next hurricane as that was a miserable hunt but I was so close to a big boy and had to give it a shot.

I think I would look forward to a good drizzle so I could sneak thru the dark timber and just take my time.

 

[BRTreedogs]

How do you guys follow a blood trail in the rain? Sometimes following a blood trail in the best of conditions is hard enough, I can’t imagine doing it in the rain.

Head shots

 

[wapitibob]

I've been into multiple Bulls bugling and going crazy in heavy downpours.

 

[bz_711]

My first elk was in 2013 in which it rained on and off everyday (the year CO had massive flooding in areas). The best part was the temps never deviated from 48-52 degrees and elk were more active than usual...bugling above average as well. The rain kept me closer to the road and it paid off, not raining when I shot...but rained on us the whole pack out that night making for a nice slippery uphill climb.

I've had other great days of hunting during rain/snow fronts. Last year same thing...one particular day it rained at least 3 times on us forcing me to keep putting on rain gear...and toward sunset called in a decent bull to 40yds...no shot.

I definitely don't want to see downpour rain...but a day with on/off showers seems to keep elk active in daylight. Keep raingear in pack...hypothermia comes quick once you stop moving or darkness comes.

 

[5MilesBack]

I've been into multiple Bulls bugling and going crazy in heavy downpours.

Both bulls I shot in the rain were screaming their heads off, but I bugled first before they started up.

If you use a big enough BH and put it through both lungs.......blood trails don't matter, they drop quickly.

 

[Dwnorton1]

If you do not like wearing rain gear you are wearing wrong stuff. Pit Zips and side zips are critical.

I wear rain pants at least 60% of time. Wet sux. I've seen more elk in rain drizzle, but more likely related to correlation of less hunters.

IMO never ever ever hunt in rain, or cloudy or sunny for that matter, where I hunt.

All weather messes them up in this particular basin

 

[Oregonboy]

I prefer hunting roosevelts and blacktails in the rain. Not a 1 inch per hour downpour, but light, steady rain is pretty ideal where I hunt.

 

[ElkNut1]

BRTreedogs, if it were raining at the rate I was concerned at & after the shot I wouldn't wait for the elk to die, I'd be on it in a second tracking away & of course hope it was a lethal shot so he wouldn't go far!

I've had bulls go a 1/2 mile after the shot in the rain & still recovered them. Rain sucks but it would take a consistent deluge to wash away decent blood! If it was a poor hit with little blood then we'd most likely be in for a very tough recovery. It may be so tough of a track job we wouldn't have recovered it on a sunny day!

ElkNut

 

[Indian Summer]

A saying I’ve used for years would be fitting for this thread “One place I guarantee you can’t kill an elk is in the tent”

Regardless of whether you stay stationary or if you choose to wade through wet brush just get out there. I love the glassing shelter. Even my pack and optics stay dry. I might take a Mountain House meal and a pack of hot chocolate mix and my Jetboil. I might build a fire if it slows down enough.

Normally I’m enjoying the changes of scenery too much to stay put for that long. I love covering ground and exploring new places in my area. But on those nasty ugly days I go to places where I’ve sat and said “You know.... if I just sat right here all week I guarantee I could kill one”.

 

[njdoxie]

It rarely rains where I hunt in CO during 2nd rifle, BUT, one year it was heavy overcast and light rain on and off all day, and the elk were out in a park I key on at 2pm....I've never seen them out near that early, ever. So I pray for a light rain and heavy overcast now, but haven't had those conditions since then.

 

[elknailer]

saw the largest bull I've ever seen in the rain. 30 yds , we saw each other at the same time. he didn't stick around

 

[Austink47]

Makes for a bloody mess

 

[slick]

First bull I shot was in an all day steady rain. Canyon lit up mid day. Killed him at like 1p in a downpour. Came in hot


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[BAKPAKR]

It can rain every day of an archery elk hunt in North Idaho and the brush will stay wet well after any rain. It’s miserable. You must be able to hunt in the rain and yes, we’ve killed elk in the rain.

There is brush in North Idaho?

 

[FlyGuy]

Not a big fan of hunting in the rain. I keep a sheeptarp with me for passing mid-afternoon storm showers (I far prefer to take a good nap under the tarp over walking around in the rain getting.).

Rain gear or not, I end up soaked to the bone underneath. I probably wouldn’t mind getting wet too much if I were day hunting or hunting from a truck camp, but when I’m packed in I don’t have a change of clothes or dry boots waiting for me back at camp. So, I end up missing a good bit of the next morning hunt trying to dry out clothes and gear. See exhibit A:

Having said that, if bulls are bugling I’m probably making a play rain or shine. But if I wake up to rain and no bugles, well...



You can’t cheat the mountain

 

[KineKilla]

I don't mind cold, heat or snow but I hate hunting in the rain.

It seems like most animals hunker down when it's raining but if it breaks, you want to be in position to make a move because they will move.

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[nphunter]

I’ve killed 3 of my last 4 bulls on rainy days. IMO elk at least here like it and are up moving more. Especially if it be been hot leading up to it. Also knocks down scent and covers noise better. We always hunt hard on rainy days, I’ve missed a couple bulls too on raining days, one of those I sat in a downpour for a couple hours waiting for a bull to stand. When he didn’t I missed 10’ behind him, he didn’t move, nocked an arrow and did the same thing again, this time I noticed my rest didn’t drop, everything was soaked and my waxy string let the wet rest cord slide through.

The biggest bull I’ve ever drew back on came screaming in looking to kill something during a sleet/snow/rain storm. We bugled he came plowing in to our meadow 20 seconds later screaming full tilt. Drew a half dozen times as he screamed and circled and finally missed him at 40 when my arrow hit a twig!!

I get excited just thinking of rainy days during Sept!!!

Shot this bull at 14 yards in the pouring rain.

 

[roosiebull]

kind of a loaded question....

i have killed more than a couple in the rain.... a couple in heavy rain... something we have to deal with around here. i much prefer normal warm and dry weather, but we don't get to pick the weather during season.

the season you are hunting and timeframe within factor in a lot for me when it comes to rain. archery season i don't like rain late in the season at all.... the bulls break off on their own and are tougher to get on. usually have to get really close to get one to answer, and on the coast, in Sept, rain means south wind, and south wind almost always means messy wind everywhere.

rifle season when i'm taking friends and family, rain is ideal.... archery season it isn't to me. i don't like tracking in rain... on the coast, it's often waist deep vegetation, so following tracks is out of the question, and i don't like how south wind acts in that time of year.

my hunting in the rain depends on the situation. if i think i have a better chance of blowing a bull out i'm hunting due to wind, i'll probably go walk out some areas i have been meaning to looking for sign. i'm not sitting around because it's rainy, but i certainly might change strategy.

right after a good rain can be really good, especially the days it pours all morning and clears up early afternoon. my absolute favorite elk weather is hot and sunny, then a marine layer moves in with heavy fog and drizzle in the afternoon. it can be just epic.

love chasing blacktail in the rain, but archery elk, not as much.... but i do hunt it anyways, because there are only so many days in an archery season

 

[CamoPirate]

Have you killed elk in the rain?
Have you killed elk in the rocks?

Have you killed elk in sketchy terrain?
Have you killed elk in your socks?

That being said, I'll hunt any weather conditions. The more hunters that hunker down, the more mountain for me to myself.

 

[John Henry1]

The bull in my avatar was shot last year in a steady rain. I like hunting in the rain, it helps with scent control and wet ground is always good for slipping through the timber. Unless your hunting “The Breaks”, then it’s miserable!!