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Bowhunting in the rain?

Rutin

Rutin

Senior Member
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Ina Duck Blind
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.
 
I've also had many experiences with good bucks on rainy days. That being said, I hesitate to bowhunt I'm the rain because I an colorblind. Ray Charles could follow a blood trail better than I can. If I do hunt in the rain, I always limit myself to close, high percentage shots where the chances the deer goes down in sight are very high.
 
Love being out hunting in the rain if I can and a nice drizzle is good and often has resulted in great deer sightings.. If it's a good steady rain the best time to be in the woods is when it quits, you can't be there for that if you aren't already out there. I try to watch the day's forecast and if rain is a possibility I bring my hunter's umbrella. Hunting near primary scrapes can be beneficial too as that's often when that buck will head out to re-freshen them. As far as my worries about tracking a deer if it's raining, yeah I am concerned. For that reason I would only take those close high percentage shots, that would be the reason why I haven't actually taken a shot during that weather.
 
cotty16 said:
My biggest fear is having a blood trail washed away. Even great shots need a blood trail many times.
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Very true. There aren't many things in the outdoors that are as stressful as trying to track a deer while your blood trail is slowly washing away.....
 
I have also seen some of my biggest bucks on their feet in the rain. The largest buck I have ever seen was on the move in a down pour during our gun season in November.
 
Archertl said:
light rain is great. Deer movement is also great after a day long storm.
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X2, I seen the largest buck I have ever seen on a morning that it was drizzling between rain and snow! But I am the same way, I worry about loosing a blood trail in the rain, so I TOO will only take high percentage close shots.
 
As long as it's not a down pour I'll hunt it all day if I can..... Always seem too see good deer movement during the lighter stuff....
 
Schu72 said:
Can't say I've ever had much luck in the rain. I will usually sit it out until the lightning gets involved, then I'm out.
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Come on man you haven't lived untill you have lightning flashing all around you sitting on a ladder stand waiting for that buck of a lifetime too come strolling by rotflmao Yes I have pulled that dumbass move rotflmao And i'm still around too write about it..... My goal in life is too leave a wealthy widow :smiley_clap:
 
"J" I love the fact that you admit that bc I too have sat in Lightning and rain while the buck of my dreams was grazing at 100 yards lol. I chased this buck for 3 years and I was not about to give in.... amazing how deer will make you do dumb chit!!! I would say the same about a wealthy widow but she left due to hunting :pickle:
 
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