bowhunting in the rain
 

What do y'all do when it comes to bowhunting in the rain? Do you hunt or stay in? If you hunt what do you do after the hunt to air out your bow?

Thanks,
Ben

RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

If its not raining too hard, I will usually stick it out. If its a flat downpour, then I might come out. Depends on the time of season. If its early, I will usually come out, but if it's November, I'm staying hell or high water. That is unless it thunders.

When hunting in the rain, I always let my bow air out. I like to take an air compressor and dry it off. Pay special attention to all the little nooks and crannies too.

RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

I don't let the rain keep me from hunting (I do however have the proper gear for the conditions). In fact last halloween I shot my buck after sitting in the rain all day.

RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

My favorite time to hunt is in the rain. It gets deer moving in our part of Wisconsin. All my bowhunting deer have been shot in the rain.

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bow hunting in the rain ..can't be beat...it's awesome how the deer just appear out of no where ,the quite noise of the rain washes all other sounds away....including your own

RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

+1 on the rain,I have found that it doesn't really bother the deer except in the case of a thunderstorm.Wax your string well and I carry a terry towel to dry my bow between showers.I enjoy hunting in the rain early season it is cooler and helps keep the blood suckers down.

RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

I enjoy hunting in the rain, although I now shoot Blazers instead of feathers. Even with fletch-dry, you'll be shooting bare shafts if it rains too hard. :(

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I hunt.. but I am somewhat of a nutball. Just blowdry your bow when you get in.:)

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Bowhunting in the rain is great. Bloodtrailing in the rain sucks.

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Your vanes fall off in the rain???? My hunting group and I haven't had any problems with Goat Tuff.


:D:D:DThis has GOT to be the post of the week!!!!

RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

my best day elk hunting was in a huge thunder and lightning storm they were going flat crazy .
wipe it down worry more about it when i get home

RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

I live in the Pacific Northwest, rain doesn't detour deer activity much at all. Me neither. I dress accordingly and have gortex camo from head to toe for those days.

RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

I've had to many great hunts in the rain and seen simply far to many quality bucks to let rain slow me down any. In fact, in many instances you have to be out there as soon as the rain stops or slows, you can't be sitting home or you'll miss the days best action. As mentioned above, the proper rain gear can make all the differenceconcerning comfort. Concering the bow, afterwards, I simply wipe dry with a gun cloth, wax the strings well and throw 'er back in my case untilmy next hunt.

RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

Count me in for the rain. I hunted a week straight in the rain for elk. They went crazy and I didn't dry out once all week. EVERYTHING stayed wet all week as I never came out........They are always there somewhere....

Where the heck is Nothern Idaho anyway???? ;0)

RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

mdbuckhunter, maybe im wrong but im pretty sure he meant when he hunts in hard rain with feathers they dont hold up, its LIKE shooting bare shafts.. thats what i THINK he meant anyways...

RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

As long as it is not a hard down pour i will be out there. I would have a hard time shooting a deer in heavy rain knowing that the blood trail will be washed away almost as soon as it hits the ground. I feel I owe it to the deer if i shoot it I need to recover it. Now turkeys on the other had, there is rarely a blood trail to follow anyways, and if you get a shot at a turkey in the rain with a bow you better take it because you dont know when it will happen again!!!

RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

I don't hunt in downpours. Too hard to tell where my arrow is going to hit with all the water on the arrow and string. And there would be no blood trail.

However I do like to hunt in a drizzle or light rain. I have seen good deer movement in these conditions. And can somewhat keep the water off of my equipment. A good time to do a little still hunting too. You can sneak along pretty good when everything is wet.

RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

I don't melt.

I'm hunting rain or shine.

RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

LOL... no, in downpours the feathers just go flat against the shaft, so you are virtually shooting bare shafts. Never tried Goat Tuff, but the fletch-dry I used could only stand up to light rain. At any rate, a moot point now. The Blazers shoot so well, can imagine going back and taking the risk. No matter what the weather, fletchings won't be a concern.

RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

Hunting in the rain never really bothered me untill about 4 years ago when I shot a very nice 180-200 class buck off my property. As luck would have it it started to pour. We waited for the rain to die down and went back out to search for the buck. We searched 3 days and never found the buck. I am still heart broke about the loss and wonder if he is still running around. Since that dayI wont even hunt if they are calling for any rain.

RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

Rain yes. Thunderstorms no.

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I only get so much time to hunt every year, so if it is raining, sleeting, snowing, whateverwhen I could be hunting, I am hunting. Especially on a trip. Last year we got 18" of snow when we were elk hunting and some guys sat in camp. I just couldn't imagine travelling from Ohio to Colorado to sit in a log hut. I didn't get an elk, but the hunting was still a lot better than playing cards.

RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

i hang the bow up in the house and let it air dry

RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

Downpour? Nope. Rain? Yep.

I've got good gear (from my waterfowl days).....but I'll be one of the first to admit.....it don't mean that much to me. November....rain....yeah...I'm hunting. October 10th....pouring rain.....Have you seen my wife???;)

Seriously....unless it's pouring...I'll likely hunt. I also have the luxury of seeing hundreds of deer in a season. So....I also might sit one out. I'll have plenty of chances.

RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

Like many said, light rain or right before or after rain has been good to me on deer sightings.

This won't earn me any points in the bowhunting forum, but for a heavy rain I usually go sit in one of our 3 boxstands (for rifle hunting). :eek: I feel real smug sitting in there listening to the rain and thinking about all the other soaking hunters. :D Also, our boxstands are great doe stands.

Thanks for the tip on the blowdryer, might have to try that one.

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RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

I've hunted in the rain a fair amount and my motto used to be (I mostly work outside) if it's too bad to work I can go Hunting;)

Seriously I don't mind a rain shower, but I am past the days of hanging on the side of a tree with the wind blowing and lightning popping around me. Guess I'm getting soft in my Old Age:)

RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

hunted one moring in the rain,went in for lunch went back out about 3:30 got in my tree all setteled down noticed my drop away wouldnt drop away anymore... it locked up from the rain....had to get down an oil it up to lube it back up [:@]

RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

Ive had great luck in the rain. It seems like it really gets the deer movin in my area. Ive kept a digitallog the past few years and to my suprise rain was the best condition for seeing #s of deer. If lightning starts flyin I get a little freaked out and usually leave though.:D

RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

I don't mind hunting in a light rain or drizzle. I have had pretty good luck seeing deer when the weather is poor. The one thing does does concern me is the blood trail. I had a bad experience last year where the rain had washes away a blood trail and it made it real hard to find the deer.

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I don't hunt a prolonged downpour, but definitely will hunt anything else. I like foggy/misty/drizzly conditions, seems like the deer move all day.

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That's what the 100% waterproof coats for! As long as its not lightning though.

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If I get caught in the stand by the rain, I'm gonna be wet regardless if I head to the truck or stay put.


If it's pouring down when I am leaving the house, that's a different story.

RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

I love the rain. Helps keep your scent down along with noise. And of course I don't get to hunt every day so every second i get to spend in the woods is precious.

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There's no such thing as bad weather........just improper equipment. I'll hunt in the rain any day as long as it's not severe storms.

Just remember the "6 P's" and you will be fine.

Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance

RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

Best time to catch deer movement is before and after a front is moving in, if that means sitting in some rain, I'm there!

RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

I've hunted many times in the rain - and I've had some good successes then too. However, the bloodtrailing really sucked and it took me some time and God's blessing to actually find what I've shot over the years when there's no visible trail to follow.

I won't hunt in a downpour or blowing rain. I hunt for enjoyment and I ain't having fun sitting in a downpour![:'(]

RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

Climbed a tree 2 years ago in 'Bama, to see an ominous looking black cloud approaching. I sat it out, literally being rocked by the storm--and I wasn't in a small tree either! Isat it out knowing what was going to happen, and sure enough--5 minutes after it stopped, a nice 10 came behind me, but no shot. Another 5 minutes and here comes a 9 in front of me, and I dropped him right there! I love rain!

RE: bowhunting in the rain
 

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right after the rain is usually perfect, its whether you tough it out or not!