Late Spring Snow

[BrentLaBere]

How does the late spring snow fall, like this year, affect your hunting area? I have heard and read about others finding that the cows may not make it to the normal calving areas due to the mountains holding snow pack longer. What are the normal dates for the elk to start calving? I know parts of Montana are holding lots of snow still up in the mountains. Have others been giving this thought as to how it will change what they find come fall?

[ElkNut1]

Being in the elkwoods for 40 years now it doesn't affect us as hunters at all. Calves will be born regardless of early or late snowfalls. Their areas can change but this doesn't effect our Sept archery hunts, the elk will be in their normal areas just like they are every year.

ElkNut1

[BrentLaBere]

Thanks for the feedback, Paul.
Have you found that the rutting or breeding areas stay the same?>for those peak times.
What about the staging areas or early season hunts some may go on? Maybe not as high in elevation due to forage/grasses being affected? This is what I was basing some of my thoughts off of.

[ElkNut1]

We haven't noticed anything different over the years because of late snowfalls. The breeding/rutting areas are what they are, as long as the elk are not pressured out of them they are there in Sept. Yes everything pretty much stays the same. Lack of water in areas or hunting pressure seems to be the biggest hindrance if any & those as well are no problem to deal with, the elk won't be too far if not where expected.

ElkNut1

[ishy]

Just finished elk ecology and management and calving is usually May 20th to June 10th. More age the breeding bulls have the closer the dates. As younger bulls do more breeding the dates start to spread out.

[Trophyhill]

It all depends on how much snow is already on the ground I suppose. A couple years ago while hunting the front range in central CO, there was still snow on the ground in late July. I was told by the local biologist that because of this the elk altered there migration and were lower than they normally were that year. By September the snow was melted and lots of lush vegetation was abundant but void of elk up high.