I had my truck packed with all of my hunting gear yesterday morning. I had my ground blind, my hunting clothes, my bow, and everything else I would need for a Saturday morning hunt. My plan was to drive to western Maryland yesterday evening so that I could finally do some bowhunting on Saturday morning. Before I left for work yesterday, I pulled up weather.com and saw that they were calling for four to six inches of rain, so I bagged the whole idea and thought I'd put it off another week and hope for better weather next weekend...

Which leads me to my question: I've done a lot of rifle hunting in the rain, but how do you guys feel about bowhunting in the rain? When you gun hunt, there's typicallynot a lot of tracking that needs to be done because the deer don't normally run very far after the shot. But when bowhunting, how in the heck would you find a blood trail if it was raining steadily? In no time flat, I would think that whatever blood the deer has left behind would get washed away. It seems to reason that bowhunting in anything more than a slight drizzle or shower would be a stupidthing to do because of the likelihood of losing the deer. What does everybody else think?

your right in a heavy rain the blood will disapear quickley. Deer usually stay bedded down in heavy rain also. When it lets up or quits i like to be there.

I personally like to hunt in the rain if it is not raining cats and dogs, the deer move in this. It will be harder tracking but don't be afraid of loseing it, remain confident and put one right behind the shoulder with a good broadhead and you will find it, it wont go far.

i just dont with a bow

I hunt in the rain with a bow, as long as it is not total downpour. I hunted the last 2 days in PA in the rain and saw 15 deer. It is also a great time to stalk if you are into that. Like they said above, only take good shots and hit them in the lungs and they won't go far!

Hunted in the rain tonight and saw a group of 4 buck and doe off and on all evening. When it comes to bowhunting, it's all about shot placement, self discipline and woodsmanship....if you doubt it, don't do it.

Sure, I've hunted many times in the rain and seen a lot of deer on certain outings. That's not why I posted this thread.

I bowhunt like I gun hunt. If I'm not 100% sure that I'll make a quick kill, I don't shoot. My post doesn't have anything to do about doubting my shots, but I know that sometimes even when a "perfect" shot is made, the deer can still run 100 yards or more. Something just tells me that the odds would be against me if I was trying to track a deer during a steady or moderate rain.

I wasn't directing my comments to your personally though I responded to your thread....I've never made a perfect shot where I haven't either seen or heard the deer go down....like I said, self discipline.

I bow hunted on friday.....saw one deer.

My long bow was soaked and I had to dry it and re-apply a coating of linseed oil.

I bowhunt in a light rain . . . I'll hunt in heavier rains during the rut. However, I won't hunt in WIND and rain since the deer don't move much then. I don't like to shoot a deer with an arrow in rain unless it's light and I KNOW I will be able to make a perfect hit. I killed a doe a couple years ago during a rainstorm (I HAD to get a doe to open up my 2nd buck tag). I wasn't sure of my hit and decided to wait before looking for her. I had NO BLOOD trail whatsoever, but went in the direction she had gone and found her 45 yards later. The rain has washed out more than one blood trail, but the Lord has always helped me to find those deer and none have been lost due to rain.