Float Hunting in the rain

[FL2AK-Old Town]

I've been watching the forecast for my hunt area every day for several days now, and each day the forecast gets wetter. The first two days of my tip are now 100% chance of rain. Rain chance the rest of the trip drops down to 10 but it's going to be wet no matter what. I'm certainly not a top moose hunter, but deer and game back home tend to hole up and not move around during rainy periods. Do moose generally behave similarly?

I'm thinking of postponing my trip for those first two days of heaviest rain. It's a 10 day trip (or I'm going prepared to be gone for 10 days), and I'm thinking I'd rather not start off soaked. Especially if the rain is going to cause the moose to hide out anyway. Postponement doesn't affect my schedule in any way really, other than not being out their on opening day.

My other concern is what is that going to do the river's water level and currents? I expect higher water and faster currents, but not knowig the area, I don't know to what extent. Oh, and I'm going completely solo on this trip.

Just how important is it to be out there on the first day? (Because, down south, if you don't get your deer on the first day, you probably aren't getting one.)

[anchorrivercrowds]

Depends where you are hunting, but many people don't even bother with the first part of the season as the moose are typically not moving much. Around the state and it varies... about Sept 10 they get moving, going good by the 15, and all out by the 20th...

Keeping meat in rainy conditions is challenging.. very.


Depending on your river, high water is a concern.


Just my 2 cents. Good luck.

[mjm316]

I've been watching the forecast for my hunt area every day for several days now, and each day the forecast gets wetter. The first two days of my tip are now 100% chance of rain. Rain chance the rest of the trip drops down to 10 but it's going to be wet no matter what. I'm certainly not a top moose hunter, but deer and game back home tend to hole up and not move around during rainy periods. Do moose generally behave similarly?

I'm thinking of postponing my trip for those first two days of heaviest rain. It's a 10 day trip (or I'm going prepared to be gone for 10 days), and I'm thinking I'd rather not start off soaked. Especially if the rain is going to cause the moose to hide out anyway. Postponement doesn't affect my schedule in any way really, other than not being out their on opening day.

My other concern is what is that going to do the river's water level and currents? I expect higher water and faster currents, but not knowig the area, I don't know to what extent. Oh, and I'm going completely solo on this trip.

Just how important is it to be out there on the first day? (Because, down south, if you don't get your deer on the first day, you probably aren't getting one.)

Yes, most certainly postpone your trip since you will likely melt from the rain! No moose are ever shot in the rain as it rarely rains during moose season here in Alaska:rolleyes:

[FL2AK-Old Town]

Yes, most certainly postpone your trip since you will likely melt from the rain! No moose are ever shot in the rain as it rarely rains during moose season here in Alaska:rolleyes:

I rather expected that.

[anchorrivercrowds]

It depends on how much time you have.

EVERY year I see the pattern repeat of people getting really excited for the opening, and then around the 20th when the weather again can turn bad... many areas have very few people. One area in particular...I drive by early season... 30 vehicles... around the close... 3 or 4.



Hunt smart.

[Gulkana Rafting]

It's is a tough call. If we only hunted on nice days, well....we would not get much hunting in! Buy some food rain gear, take a few extra pairs of sox and get out there, moose and caribou don't care about rain and neither should we!

Stay dry!

Walt
Northwest Alaska Back Country Outfitters
Northwestalaska.net
907-259-4290

[Yukon Cornelius]

I've been watching the forecast for my hunt area every day for several days now, and each day the forecast gets wetter. The first two days of my tip are now 100% chance of rain. Rain chance the rest of the trip drops down to 10 but it's going to be wet no matter what. I'm certainly not a top moose hunter, but deer and game back home tend to hole up and not move around during rainy periods. Do moose generally behave similarly?

I'm thinking of postponing my trip for those first two days of heaviest rain. It's a 10 day trip (or I'm going prepared to be gone for 10 days), and I'm thinking I'd rather not start off soaked. Especially if the rain is going to cause the moose to hide out anyway. Postponement doesn't affect my schedule in any way really, other than not being out their on opening day.

My other concern is what is that going to do the river's water level and currents? I expect higher water and faster currents, but not knowig the area, I don't know to what extent. Oh, and I'm going completely solo on this trip.

Just how important is it to be out there on the first day? (Because, down south, if you don't get your deer on the first day, you probably aren't getting one.)

Bad weather will keep fair weather hunters out. I've always enjoyed foul weather hunting. As long as I can stay warm. Lol

Now I'm married and wife doesn't like me to leave village unless it is nice. However I'm on a limited hunting time frame so weather can't keep me out.

You our said your schedule won't be affected. Delay then. I think you will be fine.

[lak]

I guess I've just been lucky the last few years, as it hasn't been raining when i shot my moose, It's been snowing.

[Genna-AK]

My husband and I got back from float hunting; it rained every day. Not all day, just most of it.

Have good gear. We lived in chest waders, pretty much. Had a blast! My biggest regret is that I didn't have a good waterproof camera. No trophies, but we got a couple caribou.

[anchorrivercrowds]

who knew??

Yea, hunting in the rain is fine. The area I hunt typically has snow every year... this year, rain, and 60 degree days, with WARM NIGHTS??

Luckily it was clod the night I shot my moose... chilled it pretty close to the bone(other than the neck)..


Huge challenge this year keeping meat good... I saved it all... but it was close. I am actually amazed how resilient moose meat is.. can tolerate a lot of less than ideal conditions... in and out of my canoe 7 times... warm... sun.. some wet.. turned out great..

[stid2677]

My observation is that while moose do move in the rain,, they don't seem to be as active as they are when it is not raining. They have very large ears and the rain hitting their ears makes it harder for them to hear. Many of the rivers are already swollen from a record wet summer, the river I floated a few weeks ago flash flooded, made for very dangerous floating and some folks lost their camps and gear.

Be safe

[anchorrivercrowds]

My observation is that while moose do move in the rain,, they don't seem to be as active as they are when it is not raining. They have very large ears and the rain hitting their ears makes it harder for them to hear. Many of the rivers are already swollen from a record wet summer, the river I floated a few weeks ago flash flooded, made for very dangerous floating and some folks lost their camps and gear.

Be safe

hey Stid...

Hope your Fall treated you well...

Yea, flash floods.... then 150 miles west dry as a bone... I drug my canoe as much as I paddled it..

Some lessons learned this year on shallow water hunts...


I'll throw in my 2 cents on the subject... staying shallow draft is key obviously... I went with two separate boats... also gave me options if and WHEN you have raft problems... my PR-49 had a serious blow out..6 inch hole... and the floor of my SOAR(and my PR-49 as well) had floor failures..

this configuration worked REALLY well.. I was surprised..



amazingly with the second raft bound by the bow and stern(second raft further forward than the propelled boat).. and paddled with a single paddle.. I was able to move laterally across the river very easily... and was drawing only three four inches of water... the SOAR could carry the entire load, but I'd still be dragging with one raft due to the new 6-8 inch draft. Perhaps a coating of urethane helps the PR-49.. but it didn't hold up that well in shallow water... great boat otherwise. OR maybe I need to learn a pack raft is a pack raft, and needs to be treated as such...

[Bushwhack Jack]

I'm surprised I never saw this thread before. I agree that game animals definitely seem to hole up and move around less when it rains. With bears and moose I think this is particularly true. With caribou and sheep not so much. That being said, I shot my bull on opening morning this year when it was sopping wet, pouring down rain. As far as water levels go, you definitely have to watch water levels to be safe. The only thing I know for sure is that you are never going to get one sitting at home on your couch. At least you have a shot if you are out and about. Even if it's raining.

[anchorrivercrowds]

yea, NOTHING beats a cold moonless(we had big moon again this year) night to get moose moving and responding.

think moose go into rut the same time every year(it's a matter of length of day...)... weather condition simply affect how they respond to their biological changes..

the rain puts them off for sure... warm weather.... full moon nights keep them up, and active at night, they lay down earlier..

not ideal again this year...

[Michael Strahan]

Just tossing another log on the fire here. I don't know that I understand what goes through the mind of a moose when the weather changes, but I sure have seen some weird things out there. One year we had them all over us; I think we had three shooter bulls in gun range the first day; one was 60", another was slightly larger and the third was a real monster. He had to be in the low 70's (he keeps growing every time I tell it). Anyway it had been like that for two weeks, and then a low pressure system moved in and they just shut down completely. No rain, just low cloud cover. The moose were there, but they were holed up in the thick stuff and not really moving.

I have also noticed that they don't move a lot in the rain, but that seems to last only two or three days. If it rains much longer than that, hunger gets them up and moving. One of the biggest bulls I've seen was taken by Jim Gelhaus, who was being guided by my friend Ron Michael in an area I used to guide in. That bull was over 70" and it scored #3 in Boone & Crockett if I remember correctly. That bull was killed during a rainstorm that had lasted almost ten days. I think about the time you start going crazy sitting around the tent during protracted periods of rain is close to the same time moose seem to get antsy. So after day three of straight rain, we're back on the spotting hill with our rain gear on and the backpacking stove simmering up some soup. It's not fun, but it seems to work.

As was mentioned, one of the biggest issues this year was not only the rain we had in south-central and western Alaska, but the warm weather that accompanied it. Made proper meat care nearly impossible.

-Mike