Worst Weather Elk

by **Swede** » 07 16, 2026 • [Post 1]

What is the worst weather situation you ever killed an elk in. Please describe.
The worst weather I ever killed an elk in was a time when it had rained, for days. Up just a little higher in elevation it had been snow earlier, but now it was raining there too.
It was in the evening when I spotted this elk in a rather small brush patch. I was headed back to the truck which was still over a mile away. The rain was constant and there was a swollen stream not far down slope. After gutting the critter, I hiked out to the truck. Dad and my friend Glen were there waiting for me. I told them I had killed an elk about an hour earlier. Dad said no way until I handed him the liver.
Ok, they knew for sure I had an elk down. After discussing the situation, the hard part began and a decision had to be made. We could butcher and pack it out over bad ground I hiked out for over a mile or ford the creek to the west and bring it out that way.
The creek was a much shorter hike as it was accessible by a short stub road from a well-maintained Forest Service arterial route. If we went the road route and hiked across the creek, the pack out was only going to be about 200 yards. The decision saw made the ford the creek.
Within the hour it was dark and my friend Glen and I started out. We held onto a rope and started wading across the stream. The stream was filled with snow melt water that went up to our chest. We both had a flashlight but after an hour of looking we gave up on it and headed back. This was a cold wet experience.
In the morning we went back and soon found the elk. After finishing butchering Glen while cold and wet Glen and I I packed it out. That was fairly easy until we got to the stream. It was hard enough going when we were empty, but with a load, it was dangerous. We had tied off the rope so we could hold onto it, but it did not help us to be stable. With two pack trips each we both made it. Dad had a warming fire that helped and we had a change of clothes ready after we were done.
This was likely my worst elk hunting weather experience.

by **WapitiTalk1** » 07 17, 2026 • [Post 2]

I’m looking forward to this thread.

by **Elkhunttoo** » 07 20, 2026 • [Post 3]

Honestly i'm not sure. Ive had some freezing cold hunts where we got elk. Hunts with lots of snow that were successful. Hunts with extreme fog that make it super easy to get disorientated, some successful and some not. Rain is maybe the weather that i hate the most.

Honestly the one i will do a write up on was actually great weather. It was a Nov, 8th. Great weather for that time of year. i ended up killing a 5 point bull just a little before dark. it took me a while to work him up and it was dark when i started back towards the pickup. Its been a few years but i think i was just under a mile in but it was really steep nasty country with LOTS of down timber. I was warm the entire time while working the bull up so i hadn't noticed how cold it had gotten. Their was moisture in the air in the evening and then the ground froze rock solid in the time i was working on the elk. ----This is the bad weather part, sorry if it doesn't qualify---- I grabbed one game bag with the back straps and some lose meat in it and turned to walk out. I only made it about 10 steps when i slipped and fell on my butt. Stood up and a few steps later i was down again. When the ground froze with the moisture it literally became a sheet of ice. I could hardly stand up. With the super steep mtn and all of the down timber it was an absolute nightmare trying to get out that night. Honestly im amazed i didnt brake a leg or wrist. No clue how many times i went down but i would guess it to be over 100....it was like i was on an ice skating ring in the mountains.....i will post the link to my youtube video here if you want to see the hunt.

by **Elkhunttoo** » 07 20, 2026 • [Post 4]

https://youtu.be/XYRM4X76OvM?is=VAc6R2NoHMBKcWsW

Here is the link

by **Tigger** » 07 20, 2026 • [Post 5]

Just watched your hunt Elkhuntoo. Very nice video and a great hunt.

My worst weather was actually my bull on one day and my buddies the next day. My bull had a big blood trail that went on too far for the grizzly infested area we were in. Finally found it as it was getting dark. Quartering it was sure an experience in looking over your shoulder. Certainly a high pucker factor. All of that in a snowstorm. The next day, my buddy shot one and we were up all night trying to get up the mountain with his bull in a raging snowstorm. I remember trying to climb out of a steep spot and sliding back over and over again. Definitely Type 2 fun.

by **Swede** » 07 20, 2026 • [Post 6]

Nice bull Elkhunttoo. I enjoyed your video.

by **Swede** » 07 21, 2026 • [Post 7]

Maye I should have included more of the "worst Weather Elk story" before I got to the final part. Let's go back so you can enjoy more of the whole experience.

When dad, Glen and I arrived at the place where we decided to camp, there was about four inches of wet rained on snow on the ground. Even though I had a 4-wheel drive we did not want to go higher to camp. Besides the elk could very well be down lower. This was a late season cow hunt, and they were likely down out of the high country.
Our tent did not have a floor or tarp, so we shoveled the snow and dad went to town to purchase a couple of bales of hay, so we did not have to lay in the mud. It was not a great camp, but we expected to get an elk, so it was tolerable. The tent was an M1950 army surplus unit large enough for the three of us to sleep in. Cooking would be done outside in the rain. We all worked in the outdoors for our living and had good rain gear to wear. Storage of the food would be in the truck.
The first morning of the hunt we drove off a side road that forded a creek before going a couple of miles upwards. The mountainside above the creek was the area we wanted to hunt. We looked around all day and saw nothing to shoot. Frankly, I was surprised as the area looked good and there was no other hunter in the area. We had put the only tracks in the dirt road we came in on. When I got back to the truck dad and Glen were already there waiting for me. Dad said he came back early because he was nervous that the creek could have risen considerably as it had rained all day. I had not given it a thought.
I don't remember saying anything, but I started to wonder now that dad and obviously Glen were concerned. We went down the dirt road without any problem at all. Four-wheel drive is great for slick muddy roads.
When we got to the stream, suddenly, I got really nervous. It was up! A lot! In my mind I said a short prayer. I opened my eyes and said, "let's go. We can't stay here." I started slowly entering the stream. The front of the truck dropped down. It seemed to go down a lot farther than I liked, but we were in and committed. The water came up high on the front wheels. I slowly drove forward and the rear of the truck started floating sideways. OH NO!
At the worst possible time the engine started to sputter. I knew we were in trouble, but just as the engine began coughing, the front end started to rise, the engine again ran smoothly and we continued moving ahead. Thank you, Lord! We got out and no one said a word. Everyone knew just how close we were to being in real trouble.
Back at camp everything was wet outside. It was the kind of wet that is hard to shake off. We built a fire, but the only wood we found nearby was White fir. You can see that it is burning but can hardly feel the heat. That was the last time I ever remembering using White fir for a campfire.
This wet situation continued off and on for the next three days, but we got better prepared for a warming fire. We had no further drama until I killed my elk, and Glen and I had to ford the creek in the night and again the next day to retrieve the meat.

by **Swede** » 07 21, 2026 • [Post 8]

I do not know if you want to believe all of this or not, but RJ related his worst weather elk hunt as follows. I thought he would have posted it by now, but that was not to be. I will tell his story as best I can remember.

Years ago, RJ was on a November elk hunt in the Spud State. The weather was unusually cold when he and his partner arrived the day before the season opened. The ground had some snow on it, and it was miserable to walk around on it. There was a constant risk of falling whenever they were on a slope, which is nearly everywhere over there. That was bad enough but every step they took sounded like a rifle shot as the snow crunched under their feet.
To their relief it started snowing on the third day of the hunt. That did nothing to prevent falling, but the woods and scattered openings became much quieter to walk through. On the fourth day of their hunt the intermittent snow became a blizzard. Neither of them would let that slow them down, so they decided for each to go to a preselected spot and just wait for something to come their way. To RJ's amazement, within an hour he started hearing the sound of hooves moving his way. It took a while, then through the blinding snow he saw a herd of bulls heading right to him. What good fortune had finally started to smile on him. He could not see all of the critters well in the heavy snow, but the first one coming his way looked great. He fired his rifle and dropped the lead bull less that 100 feet away.
Now here is where the story gets a little fantastic. After doing his celebratory dance and congratulating himself, RJ slowly proceeded to go claim his bull. He was cautious all the way wanting to make sure it was not going to jump up and take off when he got close. He need not have worried about that. RJ made a good shot. What he saw when he got to his bull were seven other bulls cowering behind a big red sled. An old man in a red suit with white trim was peering out waiting to see if and when it would be safe to retrieve Dancer's harness and be on his way.
When RJ realized that the old man and the "elk" had come down to avoid the brunt of the blizzard, he understood just what he had done. He had reduced Santa's sled team to just seven reindeer. Santa was gracious enough about the whole matter and let RJ keep Dancer, but he told RJ he would not be able to make his complete rounds that year for Christmas, and RJ's house would be one that was missed.

by **Elkhunttoo** » 07 22, 2026 • [Post 9]

Swede wrote:I do not know if you want to believe all of this or not, but RJ related his worst weather elk hunt. I thought he would have posted it by now, but that was not to be. I will tell his story as best I can remember.

Years ago, RJ was on a November elk hunt in the Spud State. The weather was unusually cold when he and his partner arrived the day before the season opened. The ground had some snow on it, and it was miserable to walk around on. There was a constant risk of falling whenever they were on a slope, which is nearly everywhere over there. That was bad enough but every step they took sounded like a rifle shot as the snow crunched under their feet.
To their relief it started snowing on the third day of the hunt. That did nothing to prevent falling, but the woods and scattered openings became much quieter to walk through. On the fourth day of their hunt the intermittent snow became a blizzard. Neither of them would let that slow them down, so they decided for each to go to a preselected spot and just wait for something to come their way. To RJ's amazement, within an hour he started hearing the sound of hooves coming his way. It took a while, then through the blinding snow he saw a herd of bulls heading right to him. What good fortune had finally started to smile on him. He could not see all of the critters well in the heavy snow, but the first one coming his way looked great. He fired his rifle and dropped the lead bull less that 100 feet away.
Now here is where the story gets a little fantastic. After doing his celebratory dance and congratulating himself, RJ slowly proceeded to go claim his bull. He was cautious all the way wanting to make sure it was not going to jump up and take off when he got close. He need not have worried about that. RJ made a good shot. What he saw when he got to his bull were seven other bulls cowering behind a big red sled. An old man in a red suit with white trim was peering out waiting to see if and when it would be safe to retrieve Dancer's harness and be on his way.
When RJ realized that the old man and the "elk" had come down to avoid the brunt of the blizzard, he understood just what he had done. He had reduced Santa's sled team to just seven reindeer. Santa was gracious enough about the whole matter and let RJ keep Dancer, but he told RJ he would not be able to make his complete rounds that year for Christmas, and RJ's house would be one that was missed.