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Bowhunting in the rain?

Yep J.., I think it was the season opener 2 years ago, but could have been three, it started raining and I thought..."I can stick this out". It was at least 70 degrees and actually felt faily refreshing. Then it got darker and darker...and it rained harder and harder. I kept thinking of the scene in caddyshack when they were golfing in that storm and Bill Murry says something to like "the hard stuff won't be coming down for a while" as I was laughing at myself for being 20 feet up a tree in the pouring rain. Then came a bright flash of light and a sonic boom and I was out of there! Never shimmied down a tree so fast in my life.
 
Don't get me started on being on the lake in a thunderstorm in 3 footers lightning flashing and a fishing pole in my hand saying what's the chances rotflmao Die hard or dumbass it's a fine line rotflmao If you're going too bite it you might as well go doing something you like too do rather then sitting on the couch.....

Ryan, i just dry it off and put it near a register during the colder months and let the air from the furnace hit it and finish the drying..... A little lube here and there and it's all good.... So far no ill effects, did it that way when I shot compounds and now with the crossbow.....
 
Rutin said:
Whats everyones thoughts on bowhunting in the rain?


I personally find that days with light rain or just steady rain to be very sucessful for hunting mature bucks. Not only does it knock your scent down but I think mature bucks tend to move more in it. Ive noticed mature bucks pattern us just as much as we pattern them, on days where its raining they know the chance of human pressure is knocked way down and tend to move a little more. Usually i dont see many, if any other deer on these days except the target buck im after. On days where its raining hard I tend to scout out of my truck of just see what the cams tell me the following day. Also hunting before and after pressure fronts are great times to get deer on their feet but Ive been hearing more and more about mature bucks killed in inclament weather.
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X2 I couldn't agree more
 
I have sat in the rain and the snow. I don't mess with lightning. Then again, in the position Rutin described with a target buck of 3yrs at 100yds. . . can't say I blame him. I probably would have done the same. Honest answer. Honestly stupid TOO I will admit.

I will tell you I sat in more wind this year than any other year. Only once did I get down. That tree was swaying entirely too much. For what it is worth, the weather man predicted the winds were supposed to die down and they sure didn't.
 
huntn2 said:
Do you guys have any specific drying/cleaning/maintenance that you perform on your bows and other gear after a hunt in rain?
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Bumping this question so it don't get lost in the shuffle....would also be interested to hear what other guys are doing....

Nothin special here, other than washing clothes/wipin gear right away....but I've never done any special bow maintenance, don't know if there's any to be done.
 
I dry my gear/clothes asap so it doesn't get that wet basement stank on it. Once that smell is in something it is hard to get out without using a harsher cleaner but some time in the sun helps a lot. I blow my gun/bow off with the air compressor, wipe and oil/grease wear appropriate.

I prefer a light rain btw...
 
Dannmann801 said:
Bumping this question so it don't get lost in the shuffle....would also be interested to hear what other guys are doing....

Nothin special here, other than washing clothes/wipin gear right away....but I've never done any special bow maintenance, don't know if there's any to be done.
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air compressor...a lot of my bolts are stainless though..
 
I do recommend the stainless upgrade on stuff like Milo said. I took my Mathews on a week long hunt for hogs and it rained all week. All my bolts were covered with rust. Milo shook his head in disgrace when he saw it. Lol
 
Beentown said:
I do recommend the stainless upgrade on stuff like Milo said. I took my Mathews on a week long hunt for hogs and it rained all week. All my bolts were covered with rust. Milo shook his head in disgrace when he saw it. Lol
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Swapping stock out for stainless bolts is a great upgrade. But if you don't have stainless, here's an easy little trick that I came up with last fall. Take your bowstring wax and press it into the heads of your bolts. Rub it around the head of the bolt, then wipe off any excess wax, so the wax is flush with the top of the head. The inside of the allen key depression is where most of the rust will build up... Filling it with a little bowstring wax is both effective and pretty discrete. Plus, if you need to adjust something later, the wax is easy to remove from the bolt head.
 
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