I would like your opinions on hunting in thunderstorm type weather like we will be having here in central Illinoistomorrow.

Predicting There is a big mixture of terrain and vegitation where I'll be hunting, from flat pastures near riverbedto very hilly thick forest with deep valleys and high ridges.

Here is a topo map - Would love to read your suggestions.
Hunting land is to the right of the river.

I always head to river bottoms, where the deer will be out of the wind.

I second that find cover such as bottoms, deer try to get out of the wind, especially in rain and cold.....however they may not if it is that warm.

Do you think the flat bottoms around a river bottom would be less windy then the leeward side of a ridge?

Those are the 2 areas i'm thinking.
But with the warm temps and high wind I might just have to step on them.

They don't like the wind. They won't be moving much. They'll seek cover in down wind hide outs or pines. At the first clap of thunder this hunter is out of the tree 20 feet up. As far away from a metal stand with a metal bow in my hand as I can be. In other words,... I'm in the truck. Heavy rain I simply don't hunt with the bow. Blood trails are tough enough without the sign all washing away. There will be another day. That said, just before the crap hits the fan the deer will be on the feed. 15 minutes after it ends they'll be back at it again. Be there.

I agree. In the event of lightning, get out of the tree. But make sure you are in the woods up until the nasty stuff, and right after it passes. I would be back in the tree as soon as i could after the big stuff passes over.

I know a bowhuter who was killed by lighting out west hunting, don't hunt in lighting you have to much metal on you to be out in lighting. When it's rainning hard you can lose your deer if he go's very far after the hit because your not going to have a blood trail. I have hunted out of state before in hard rain because I was limited on days to hunt and I would not take a shot at a deer if I didn't know if could put the arrow through both lungs so they wouldn't go far. I did shoot one once in a hard rain out of state, but a good shot seen him go down.

bump for topo added