Moisture and Elevation

[cured_ham]

One thing I have had a hard time wrapping my head around is how moisture will affect elk. I am hunting the same area as last year, except this year they got a ton of rain. Last year they were in a drought most of the summer.

I started off high last year but got pushed low due to the snow in early September. I found sign showing that they were high (11500-10000 ) but never saw elk. I ended up getting into elk around 9500 after the snow started to thaw. My expectation going in was that due to less moisture I would be better off up high due to the alpine ponds and cooler temperature, instead all I found were mule deer.

I have changed my thought process and now am thinking that with better moisture the elk will be higher because the quality of feed up high may still be good, which when combined with cooler temps would be something elk may want.
My unit ranges from BLM land in the low parts 8000-7000ft to USFS land 8500-11500ft.

Can anyone give me a 100 foot view of how moisture will affect elk and where they choose to stay?

TIA

 

[WTFJohn]

One thing I have had a hard time wrapping my head around is how moisture will affect elk. I am hunting the same area as last year, except this year they got a ton of rain. Last year they were in a drought most of the summer.

I started off high last year but got pushed low due to the snow in early September. I found sign showing that they were high (11500-10000 ) but never saw elk. I ended up getting into elk around 9500 after the snow started to thaw. My expectation going in was that due to less moisture I would be better off up high due to the alpine ponds and cooler temperature, instead all I found were mule deer.

I have changed my thought process and now am thinking that with better moisture the elk will be higher because the quality of feed up high may still be good, which when combined with cooler temps would be something elk may want.
My unit ranges from BLM land in the low parts 8000-7000ft to USFS land 8500-11500ft.

Can anyone give me a 100 foot view of how moisture will affect elk and where they choose to stay?

TIA

You're describing a unit sort of similar to the one I live in, and I can tell you that right now there are elk at ~7800 ft in the oak brush and there are elk over 11k ft in the alpine, and most elevations in between. Moisture in the mountains is an interesting thing, a distance of half a mile may be the difference between 0.05" rainfall and 1.00" rainfall; so the food can be good or bad in that same range. High elevation rains can refill lower elevation springs and streams, greening it up down low if the food up high has burned off (this can be from frost too, not just late summer heat).

Elk are also targeting different plants as they come into season, so one hillside that's covered up in July may not have an elk on it from August to next June. Grasses, forbs, browse; they will find what has the nutrients they need the most and will stay on it while it's available, then move on.

The bottom line is they will go to food. Cows need it because they are nursing and getting bred, calves need it because they are growing, and bulls just want the cows (and maybe some food & water at some point). Find the food, find the cows, kill the elk.

 

[Indian Summer]

I’m into elk from 6500 feet up to the highest elevations for my area which is 9000 feet. Food isn’t an issue. It’s everywhere. I am familiar with what the elk do after the first 3 days of pressure. There are still elk low but they’re not making many mistakes. But there are more elk up top. Bigger bulls too. That’s a normal rainfall year. Last year was the driest I’ve seen it. They were really low. Crazy low! And scarce up top where it’s pretty dry to begin with. Fortunately pressure from locals and most others dies off after a few days so we were left with good hunting not far up the mountain. I didn’t complain! Elk will obviously do what they have to to survive when they are forced. But if conditions allow they’ll be back to normal behavior for that particular area. So if you’re hunting is usually better up top and the grass is greener up there I’d say that’s plan A.

 

[Indian Summer]

But as WTFJohn said…. Cows cater to their calves. I’ve found that in most places there are some cows that just prefer to live down low. There will always be a few bands of low elk. So when a day comes that it’s quiet up high do a milk run to your very best low spots for a day and see what’s going on. It’ll help you mentally too because all elk hunters wonder if there’s elk in the spot they didn’t go to that day. It’s nice to go have a peek and if they’re not down there you can be more confident that it’s time to go back up and stay there.

 

[cured_ham]

Thanks to you both for the responses. Definitely seems like there is not a great cut and dry answer. Seem like having a handful of high and low spots with varying feeds may be the way to go. Keep hitting them until you find a pattern or get lucky... I really appreciate it,

On a similar note- what factors would push elk up vs low? I know pressure would push higher (people down low) and snow would push lower (cover feed up)

 

[Indian Summer]

Nothing but pressure. But lots of times it’s cooler up top and there are places where the grass stays greener and they can be higher for that reason. Less bugs too.

 

[Poser]

My take: many more factors to consider. High alpine tundra starts to turn brown in mid to late august while lower elevation grasses remain green. I was glassing at 12,600 this weekend, spent the night at 12,200 and woke up to a pretty good frost (early aug). It won’t take much more of that for the forage to turn brown. Good/water/cover applies, but food behinds to shift as green turns brown. Temperature plays a factor.

Areas that hold elk during dry years also hold elk during wet years, but in a less concentrated manner.

 

[cured_ham]

That makes sense. I noticed that last year. Seems like areas at lower elevation or higher with enough canopy did not frost and stayed green