how to hunt whitetails when raining

ChiefStingingArrow · October 11, 2013, 03:55:00 PM

When it is lightly raining how do you hunt whitetails? What are they doing during rain?
Do you sit? Stalk?

Jerry Jeffer · October 11, 2013, 05:23:00 PM

Stalk

centaur · October 11, 2013, 05:26:00 PM

Still hunting and/or stalking. Use the quiet forest to advantage, and it is way more fun than getting soaked in a tree stand.

tradarcher816 · October 11, 2013, 06:25:00 PM

Cool topic, I've wondered this myself.

T Lail · October 11, 2013, 06:32:00 PM

stalking...move verrrry slow...look three times more than you move....

Doc Nock · October 11, 2013, 06:34:00 PM

Guess I'm odd... I don't hunt in the rain w/ a bow, especially early season with the heavy under story.

Fearful of losing blood trails in the rain and not finding and loosing or having an animal spoil.

Used to, but heard too many horror stories to ignore the odds, at least in my mind!

K.S.TRAPPER · October 11, 2013, 07:27:00 PM

I don't!!! I track my bow shot animals by blood trails.

Tracy

Kingsnake · October 11, 2013, 07:30:00 PM

I'm with Doc on this one, but that could be because I am still new to trad and don't yet have the confidence I had when using training wheels.

oldbohntr · October 11, 2013, 07:49:00 PM

I love stalking in a heavy snow, especially when the flakes seem as big as golf balls, but not the same for rain. If it's raining hard when I am about to go out, I will often sleep in. Also, depends on how far I've come to hunt and what my investment is.....sometimes I just go anyway. On the other hand, if it's not raining yet, or starts when I'm already out there, I keep on truckin'. Like fishin', you aren't going to get anything if your line ain't in the water.

blueslfb · October 11, 2013, 08:44:00 PM

I am with Doc as well. I will not shoot a deer with a bow when it is raining. If the rain washes the blood trail away it is over for the most part.

While hunting elk this year in Montana a hunter from a neighboring camp shot a 6x6 in the rain and lost him because the blood trail washed away. This elk was the boss hog of the mountain! I had him at 27yds the day before but I couldnt get a shot. When I heard his story I was sick because I knew how big he was.

When bowhunting I am a fair weather hunter.

Traditional-Archer · October 11, 2013, 09:03:00 PM

Doc, I don't believe you are the odd one, if I had to guess I would bet you are more the norm. But on the other hand I have read stories in the Trad Archery magazine about guys and very well-schooled in traditional archery guys hunting moose in the rain in Alaska. I again think we have to know our limits especially our tracking ability limits. I personally will not hunt in the rain Like Doc said.

tracker12 · October 11, 2013, 09:08:00 PM

If the rain is light and misty I like to be in my tree or ground blind like any other day. I actually like to take up a stand near a bedding area. Deer seem to like to move around during the day. They may not move far but will get and move around. Shots have to be close and I have to be sure of the shot. I have found that in a misty rain you can still find and follow a blood trail. I have to admit that most of my rain hunts were with that other kind of bow:)

widow sax · October 11, 2013, 09:16:00 PM

I hunt them in my dreams because I am sleeping in I don't hunt in the rain with a Bow or as a matter of fact any weapon done did that when I was young I'm older and have shot enough to hunt in the rain anymore. Besides I like blood trails. Widow

Sam McMichael · October 11, 2013, 09:51:00 PM

I am another one who basically does not hunt the rain.

Stickbow · October 12, 2013, 07:49:00 AM

No hunting in the rain here..............just asking for trouble

zipper bowss · October 12, 2013, 08:32:00 AM

Light on and off rain is one of my favorite times to hunt. Like Tracker said deer move well in a light rain. Keep the shots short and make a good shot. No problems
The proof. This is one of many that got up to move after a light rain.

ISP 5353 · October 12, 2013, 09:07:00 AM

I usually find a place and try to wait out the rain. Then I set up close to a scrape line and wait. I often see a lot of deer movement after a good rain storm. Difficult blood trails is a definate concern in wet and rainy conditions.

hitman · October 12, 2013, 09:21:00 AM

I went hunting year before last on the first day of gun season. Here in WV you can shoot a buck with a bow and substitute it for gun kill so I always bowhunt. When I went to my stand it wasn't raining but as soon as it got daylight the rain came. About an hour after daylight a big 10 pt. came by at 20 yards but I couldn't bring myself to shoot at him as hard as it was raining. So I guess the situation determines what I will do.

East Coast archer · October 12, 2013, 11:04:00 PM

Bill- that is a true hog!

October 12, 2013, 11:12:00 PM

The older I get, the more of a fair-weather hunter I get to be! I like a misty foggy kind of thing, especially in the morning. But the mud is REAL bad where I hunt and I hate dealing with the mud. As most stated above, ifit is more than a very light mist or rain, I won't hunt with my bow. I hate loosing any animal and a steady rain can totally ruin a blood trail.

Bisch