Elk and Cold Temps?

[heartshot]

General Utah Muzzleloader Elk starts Wednesday. Cold temps are coming in. The area I was planning to hunt is predicted to start at -2 degrees that day.

What are your thoughts on elk behavior in those temps? Will they be out feeding and doing their normal thing? Or will they be hunkered down because of the cold?

 

[Cooper]

I would think they might wanna feed longer with the cold

 

[Shadow]

They'll generally move and feed good. Unless the wind sticks around, then they just hole up.

 

[bonepicker]

The cold never really seems to bother the elk. Heat does a lot more to change their behavior from what I have seen. +1 on the wind though. If its windy expect them to be feeding in the timber or on the calmer side of ridges. But if its cold and calm, expect them to feed all day and bed off and on just long enough to chew their cud.

 

[elkantlers]

Cold is a good thing when it comes to elk.

I read that an elk uses less energy to maintain body temperature at -20deg than they do a 75deg

 

[Comules]

The cold never really seems to bother the elk I have seen them laying
on a hillside at daylight after it snowed all night with just their antlers
showing

 

[Blackbear1]

The colder the better to see elk in my experience as long as the wind is calm. Not very fun to be out in all day but it presents a goal to warm your hands on some elk flesh.