Bow hunting in rain/or chance or rain

roundhead · 10-02-2009, 11:25 AM

Wondering how many of you bow hunt in the rain, bow hunting is hard enough, but to hunt in the rain or when there is a good chance (like 80%) overnight and into the morning, who still hunts? There is no right and wrong answer, I'm looking for opinions here, I have been faced with a dilema of bow hunting in rain the last 2 days, I'm also not working right now, but I also no, if I make a bad hit and it doesn't die right away, the rain will probably wash away the trail and I will not recover the animal. I know deer move in the rain, and I'm not a pansy I just think my chances for recovery are going way down with rain in the area.

I know also that a double lung, or heart shot it's not going far, but as much as we ALL can practice noone can guarantee a shot like that. That is why we practice.

Just wondering what everyones thought is here.

BarnesX.308 · 10-02-2009, 11:49 AM

I don't like doing anything in the rain but I hunt whenever I get the chance. I work and have two young kids. When I get a day to myself to hunt, I'm not staying inside when it rains.

I shot my biggest archery buck last year in the rain. October 25th. Rattled him in.

nchawkeye · 10-02-2009, 02:20 PM

I don't bow hunt in the rain...Fortunately I work for myself and can pick and choose to some degree when I take off...I just won't risk it, too much else I can do on a rainy day..

Foxontherun · 10-02-2009, 03:38 PM

I work outside, rain no work. All i have is saturday and rain days.No hunting sunday in pa.I hunt in the rain more times than not. Putting a stalk on a bedded deer in rainy windy weather is probaly my fav

Sniper151 · 10-02-2009, 03:46 PM

I will not bow hunt in the rain. I'm not going to chance taking a shot at a trophy and losing it because there is no blood trail to track.

tazed2 · 10-02-2009, 03:54 PM

I went out yesturday and today in the rain and did'nt see a darn thing!!! It sucked.

longislandhunter · 10-02-2009, 08:38 PM

I dont hunt in the rain. Its never paid off for me but heres some advice based on experience for me. Anytime i hear a forecast for rain through the night clearing up in morning or lets say rain all day and into the night. Mixed with wind is even better. Try to get out nice and early the next day. Those deer with their predisposed nocturnal habits will not move as much. they tend to bed down and stay less active in rain and especially wind. That means they willl be moving alot the next day. This has been my experience so i figured i would pass it on. I love hunting after full day and night of wind and rain.

Good Luck.

wingchaser_labs · 10-03-2009, 02:48 AM

I hunted in the rain last night and shot a nice doe. Wasn't sure if the rain would let up or not but it finally did enough I felt comfortable going out. If its raining with constant down pour/more than a light drizzle/isn't an light off and on rain I stay home or go duck huntin. Last night it quit and was lookin nice around 5 oclock then it started rainin again at 530 for about 10 min then quit and was nice till just at dark and then it rain good for a little while. I told myself I wouldn't be shooting over 30 yards tonight (I am plenty comfortable in no rain with a 60-70 yard shots for whitetails) and the shot has to be perfectly broadside with a very clear opening. I never take chances in the rain. She gave me a 25 yard broadside/slight quarter away and I double lunged her. She went 60 yards and I heard her crash and kicking. Went to get help and came back an hour or so later after it had rained pretty good and there was still a blood trail to follow in the woods..... One of the biggest bucks I've ever seen hunting was in a light misty rain one night a few years ago. Had him at 12 yards but had to shoot through a small limb hole. I elected to not take the shot in that situation. No rain I would have been tryin to sneek it through. Hunting in the rain can be good, you just have to set more limits. Not saying that you shouldn't do the same on nice days but I am perfectly ok with getting a single lung or liver hit by slight error on a nice day and waiting to go track that animal but am not ok with it on a rainy day. WCL

CarolinaBuckman · 10-03-2009, 04:06 AM

I dont like bowhunting in the rain.Last year I was bowhunting up in Illinois during a steady rain.I shot the buck of a lifetime for me.I only hit 1 lung because he was quatering away slightly.Needless to say I trailed him for 100 yrds and his blood trail was washing away.I never found him.But thats bowhunting.

Kid · 10-03-2009, 07:56 AM

Rain don't stop me unless it is pouring or a Thunderstorm.