Archery elk in the rain

[RedRaider13]

Packing up for my archery elk hunt in New Mexico and looked at the weather forecast... looks like the possibility of rain. Obviously these are early forecast and subject to change over the next week... it is New Mexico. But, does anyone have advice or different tactics for an early season archery hunt in the rain?

 

[kansasdad]

Packing up for my archery elk hunt in New Mexico and looked at the weather forecast... looks like the possibility of rain. Obviously these are early forecast and subject to change over the next week... it is New Mexico. But, does anyone have advice or different tactics for an early season archery hunt in the rain?

A famous TV hunting show host states that you rarely kill an elk while sitting in your tent.

If you are prepared for the rain, it might mean that you have less competition on the mountain.

Hope you have a great adventure, and tell us your stories when you get the chance.

 

[wytex]

Keep your fletching dry. Listen for bugles if you get some thunder.
Good luck!!

 

[SilverDollars]

Howdy. KansasDad has it right. There should be less hunting competition when in the rain. Go a little further in so when the rain stops and the other hunters get out you'll be in a position to see some elk being pushed by the onrush of "dry" hunters. Also, the elk and deer move more in the rain. Now, what I mean is that these animals will "shake" to get some rain water off their coats. This shake movement has caught my attention, to unseen animals, more than once.

Good Luck!

 

[N2MyWake]

In 2013 we had floods for 9 of the 11 days of our hunt. We had many encounters which ended with my dad's first archery bull. I think the rain helps keep the scent to a minimum and your approach quiet.

 

[7thgenMT]

Be prepared for the first break in the weather,I have arrowed elk immediatly after a day of nonstop rain,they get real active.

 

[archer wapiti]

It can be really good in the rain if it's light, or right after. Heavy rains out here rarely last too long. I string up a small tarp and wait it out in view of a likely corridor that elk might move through. Keeps you dry, yet still have a chance.

 

[Gr8bawana]

Two years ago in AZ in Sept. we had zero bugling for about 4 days and then it rained, it was like someone flipped the switch because the bulls were bugling like crazy after the rain cooled things off.

 

[Elkmagnet]

My personal belief is that it is unethical to shoot something with archery eq during or before a rain. Even great shots regularly require blood trailing/tracking both can be made impossible during a good rain.
I refuse to do it.
Hunting after a storm can be great.

 

[Elkmagnet]

https://onyourownadventures.com/hun...-Would-you-could-you-go-insane&highlight=Rain

 

[7thgenMT]

My personal belief is that it is unethical to shoot something with archery eq during or before a rain. Even great shots regularly require blood trailing/tracking both can be made impossible during a good rain.
I refuse to do it.
Hunting after a storm can be great.

So you just stay home whenever theres any chance of rain?Give me a break,it could rain any given day here during bow season.

 

[Elkmagnet]

So you just stay home whenever theres any chance of rain?Give me a break,it could rain any given day here during bow season.

Yep that's what I said
No If it's about to rain I hold up somewhere and I'm hunting the second its over. If it rains all day I'll be in camp.
I've seen a few fatally hit bulls travel over a mile before recovery. We would have not found them in the rain.
How about you give me a break.

 

[7thgenMT]

If a bull travels over a mile thats a bad hit improve your shooting,forget the rain.

 

[Elkmagnet]

If a bull travels over a mile thats a bad hit improve your shooting,forget the rain.

It's a numbers game.
How many bulls have you shot with a bow and how many of them needed blood trailed?

 

[7thgenMT]

8 bulls 4 cows,none of them went a mile,not even close,usually 10-100 yards.Anything that went a mile is gut shot and I doubt you recovered it.

 

[Elkmagnet]

Ok Greenhorn,
You didn't answer how many of your 12 bow kills did you blood trail? Never made a bad or even not great shot? Never missed anything?
Some examples of hits that can travel a great distance would be a single lung, a single lung/liver, liver, high lung all have been known to travel and be fatal. If we were all perfect shots as you seem to be we wouldn't need to blood trail.
There are lots of places in the pacific northwest where the vegetation is so thick you need to blood trail animals even if they die in 100yds. Other places where you can watch an animal for miles after the shot.
Call me a lier, I have nothing to prove to you. We recovered them (one was mine) and it wouldn't have been possible in the rain.
My wife's archery hunt last year we lost 3 of 7 days to heavy rain. I was hearing two things from other hunters.
1. The hunting is great lots of action!
2. We lost the trail hopefully he wasn't fatally wounded.
ymmv

 

[esracerx]

A guide told me that he's never recovered a bull he's tracked more than a half mile. That's not saying he won't keep on the track, just that as of yet he hasn't recovered one that's gone that far.

Red Raider, what unit you going in? I'll be there in 2 weeks. The mud can get really nasty. If you can get somewhere you'll be ahead of the game. I doubt most residents will hunt that hard or at all and they're 80% of the competition. I say that because theyre more local, can go home, and don't have as much invested both in tag dollars and cost to get there. Also, it can be a flat out down pour at camp...but 2 miles away in the mountains can be dry. Too much invested not to hunt. Just have to make even more sure you put a good shot.

 

[7thgenMT]

Ok Greenhorn,
You didn't answer how many of your 12 bow kills did you blood trail? Never made a bad or even not great shot? Never missed anything?
Some examples of hits that can travel a great distance would be a single lung, a single lung/liver, liver, high lung all have been known to travel and be fatal. If we were all perfect shots as you seem to be we wouldn't need to blood trail.
There are lots of places in the pacific northwest where the vegetation is so thick you need to blood trail animals even if they die in 100yds. Other places where you can watch an animal for miles after the shot.
Call me a lier, I have nothing to prove to you. We recovered them (one was mine) and it wouldn't have been possible in the rain.
My wife's archery hunt last year we lost 3 of 7 days to heavy rain. I was hearing two things from other hunters.
1. The hunting is great lots of action!
2. We lost the trail hopefully he wasn't fatally wounded.
ymmv

When they go less than 100 yards theres no blood trailing needed,if I start gut shooting my elk Ill try not to hunt in the rain.Im happy to say I havnt wounded an elk with a bow,I tried a head shot on a spike when I was 14 and spent 6 hours blood trailing him to finish him off,learned my lesson.If you can blood trail an elk for over a mile and recover it you should hire out your services,every guide in the west would hire you. Lung shots dont go a mile,neither would a liver shot,gut shot will and they are ALL fatal.

 

[Elkmagnet]

When they go less than 100 yards theres no blood trailing needed,if I start gut shooting my elk Ill try not to hunt in the rain.If you can blood trail an elk for over a mile and recover it you should hire out your services,every guide in the west would hire you.

You should really consider starting EVERY statement with "in my limited experience"

 

[7thgenMT]

Limited as in been killing elk since 1986 without missing a year?Or limited as in been archery hunting them since 2001(since 1989 if you count calling in bulls for other hunters) when my state legalized the use of modified equipment so a guy like me that can only use one arm can still fire a bow and killed 12 elk with a bow since limited?Maybe you can clarify?