Snow in September

[mtelkkiller]

So last week on Thursday the 19th we had three bulls all calling at each other and we managed to challenge and call one of them into us within 40yards but a shot never presented himself.

Next morning we went back and they had moved two ridges down so we were in the completely wrong spot. Bummer

Then that Saturday we went out and it was dead silent all day. That Thursday was in 40s that morning but it was getting warmer each day after that (I think Saturday ended up being 85) so we assumed the warm weather was toning down the rut a bit and once the colder weather came back this week they would get all fired up. More seasoned bow hunters we know were all saying that Thursday morning was all pre rut and they should be in full rut soon.

I went out yesterday morning the 26th and there was 5" of fresh snow that morning!!!!

What are the elk going to do now? What's the strategy? Did it drive them down low? Will they hunker down for a while in the high country?

I feel like this ended my bow season so tell me what would you do?

[BrentLaBere]

Wondering the same thing John, but I personally don't think it will move them. In order to push that big of an animal down is going to take more snow. Just my thoughts and waiting for others that have hunted them in snow before to give their opinions. I will be hunting the high country again to go with what I know first and waiting for the elk to be vocal. If you move around enough you will find the elk and I think you will find some still heated up. It really all depends on the cows for the area. All it takes is one and they will be bugling. Again, this is just my theory on what to expect next week.
I will be adjust accordingly and have two plan B's after I check some familiar territory. If the first doesn't plan out I will be heading to the areas I "assume" they move to after pressure and snow hits.
To answer your question in short: Stay Positive, Stay Persistent and Shoot Straight.
Good luck

[chiznitz]

They say it takes a lot more than 5" of snow to get the elk moving. I've seen it go both ways. The best part about snow is that they stand out like a soar thumb against it and now you can tell where they are just by the tracks!

I only have one more day of hunting left, at this point I'm almost positive I'm going to be posting in the skunked thread...

Good luck out there!

[mtnmutt]

The elk stopped talking 2-3 wks ago where I hunt.

The people hunting the entire 4 weeks say the massive hunting pressure drove herds down early and one herd is hiding at around 10,400 ft here in CO where I hunt. They seemed to disappear from early September locations and snow had nothing to do with it. Opening weekend pushed them down. Even bulls were pushed down early.

It snowed earlier this week and the herd stayed in their hidey hole.

The last 2 weeks has been horrible for getting into elk. Some hunters left a week ago because they have never seen it dry up like this.

Lots of deer though.

[mtelkkiller]

Didn't get a chance to go out this weekend

Partner went out Saturday morning

Silence still. Talking with a lot of folks and the rut seems to have shut down in all of the surrounding areas for now.

[montanabrown]

we are hunting southwest mt and the elk are silent still but we happen to call in two bulls around 530 this evening. partner shot a nice bull but hit him in shoulder. tracked him for around a mile but starting snowing and got dark. quit bleeding also. so elk are still coming to calls but theyre coming in silent.

[mtelkkiller]

Did they come in to cow calls or bugles?

[montanabrown]

came in to cow talk with a raghorn squeel. starting to break some bramches and he came running in to 30 yards to the shooter which was about 70 yards from me. theyre still quiet today though.

[mtelkkiller]

If they don't hurry up and get with it they're gonna end up ruttin at the beginning if rifle season