How Do You Deal With Rain?

[Swede]

Some people like rain or worse yet snow. As a tree stand hunter I prefer hot and dry. A little rain is ok, but I would rather have none. Some hunters pack up and leave when the precipitation starts in earnest, especially if it forecast to last awhile. I usually get out of my tree and give calling, or spot and stalk hunting a try. If my boots don't get too wet or mudded up, I am good. I go slower in the rain as I don't get much vocal response to my calls.
Other that that I just like to make sure my equipment, especially bedding stay dry. What are some other experiences and observations you have about hunting in the rain, or worse SNOW?

[Ryan Conkle]

For me, it depends not only on the type of rain but also the recent elk activity that I have been encountering in the area. If it is a light to moderate rain, I a lot of the time will move about sort of as usual, although be it at a lot slower pace than normal and I will also stay put at a certain set up for longer than usual. If I stop and cold call at a location that I would typically stay put at for approximately 30 minutes' on a dry day, I might now stay put for 45-60 minutes'. Every year I have also lugged a pop up blind up on the mountain on the first evening of my elk hunt and set it up in a location, usually either a wallow/water source or a travel corridor with well used game trails' so that I always have a back up plan to hunt in inclement weather. So then if the rain is heavy, or if I just do not feel like soaking in the rain for the better part of the day, then I can just deal with the weather as I walk to the blind and once I arrive at that blind I then can sit in it all day if the weather does not change. I am only able to elk hunt for 2 weeks' out of the year so sitting out a day because it is raining is unacceptable so the pre setup pop up blind provides me with further assurance that I will be up on the mountain no matter the weather because after all, I have not yet to date killed an elk inside the tent camper at elk camp.

[WapitiTalk1]

I don't mind overcast and light rain.... it keeps your scent and noise somewhat down; elk seem to follow mostly their normal patterns. Now when the skies open up with a downpour, accompanied by heavy winds for several days at a time.......it's no fun and oftentimes not productive, particularly during archery season (the elk seem to hunker down in many cases and can't hear you asking them to come join you for dinner). The white stuff? Ahh, those early snows in the mountain states can really amp things up. Not sure why, but a few inches in SEP during archery season just seem to stimulate the current rut activity. During rifle season, snow is more than just a good thing... it's a great thing! It eases spotting those big brown galoots against a white background, certainly eases locating fresh sign and if fortunate enough tracking what you've hit, and with the temp drops that come with snow.... you can hang your elk for long periods before you have to make that unfortunate trip back to civilization to drop game off at the processor.

[Elkduds]

In CO, there is a monsoon weather pattern that starts in mid-July most years. In years when it is still active in Sept, it can pour rain daily into the middle of the month, or even later. So rain is normal during Archery/ML, mostly during afternoons. Having a plan for any weather can save your hunt. A base camp where you can comfortably tolerate a stretch of rainy days is great in these instances. I like a heated wall tent w cot, located within an hour's walk of likely hunting cover (closer is better). I can hunt in the morning, escape heavy afternoon rains and get dry. I also have a backpack camp standing by. Weather permitting, I can hike in and hunt multiple days. I can't hunt as well when I'm miserable, as an old guy I don't stretch it like I used to. Elk hunting is an endurance sport.

[Lefty]

Two years ago when it was raining hard I was in a blind, staying dry.
Some of my best rifle hunts have been in heavy snows,.. find a track and trail em
Ill put up with rain until I get too wet and cold

[saddlesore]

I don't hunt in heavy rain or snow . Staying dry is a big goal for me both in camp and out. During those heavy down pours and snows, elk hunker down in thick timber and all you get is wet and cold.However, you had best be out there fast when the storm ends. In muzzle loader season, I leave camp with rain pants on, usually taking them off when things dry in last mornings. Last year I waited two hours under a tarp where I had tied the mules up becasue it started to rain at day break. I ended up hunting about two hours and then riding back to camp with rain gear on and a pauncho thrown over the saddle and tack. I was,dry, but miserable. Out of 9 days I was shut out five days of heavy rain. Didn't tag an elk, but did the first morning I rifled hunted then a month later.

[ak32]

heavy rain not so good in my opinion, but a light drizzle is fantastic. Although, it's rare in CO where we get an all day rain event in the mountains. Most of the time it's intermittent rain squalls/snow squalls during bow season. Snow is the best. Most people don't want to go out in that stuff, I say bring it on. Less hunters and animals are moving.

[Tigger]

We had a light rain for 3 straight days in WY last year that just plain shut them down. As soon as it quit, they started moving and vocalizing again. The worst for me is getting wet feet. We hunted through it, but my feet took a beating.

[six]

I back up against a thick pine tree and wait out the heavy stuff. As long as it doesn't lightning I'm OK with it. I've seen elk get real active right after a storm rolls through.

[CurlyTail]

I will not hunt in a steady heavy rain. Intermittent mist or light rain - no problem. Caught out in afternoon thunderstorms, I just hunker down under a big tree and wait it out. I agree if you can be out there the second a prolonged rain event ends, the Elk can be very active.

A cool rainy day in Mid- September will often trigger rutting activity in my area.

[Kentrek]

I do my best to keep after it...hunting style might change abit in the Nasty stuff but I try and stay positive..a few years back i lost out on a 330 bull because I let the weather get the best of me mentally...if I had just stayed one more day

[saddlesore]

Although I do probably get to hunt more often and longer than most,I don't let the all consuming thought that I have to kill an elk drive me to sitting out in the rain or blizzard.I hunt for a lot of different reasons. Putting a tag on an elk is just icing on the cake.

[ElkNut1]

I'm in the same boat here as Saddlesore, I sit out the heavy rains, intermittent showers or caught in a 30 minute downpour is OK but with driving winds & rains, no thank you! (grin) I'll wait out the bad storms, elk don't like moving in the terrible weather either!

ElkNut1