Bowhunting in light rain/snow and wind
 

Just curious if it is worth heading out to the stand even though we are getting some light misty rain/snow and wind? Will the deer still move or just lay low? I dont have alot of knowledge in this area so any help would be great! I have been laid up with a severly sprained ankle and am itching to get back up in the tree! THanks!!

I would say they could be moving in a situation like that. It may be lightly raining, snowing when I get home tonight but then its supposed to really pick up later evening. So knowing deer like to move and eat right before a big front, I'll be setting up if possible right on a soybean field corner. Or, if tonight doesnt work, I'll be out first thing in the morning when the weather is supposed to clear as they move right after storms too. The only real concern is if you get too much rain and it washes away your blood trail on a less than perfect hit.

I have hunted in a light rain / snow and that's when they usually move more :) It's the heaving rain / snow that they tend not to move so much in.

I don't let the weather predict my hunting schedule too much. If it's obviously horrible rain or wind thats one thing. Other than that, being in the woods is so much better than just sitting around the house. Now I don't have a sprained ankle either so I understand its not just up and jump whenever you feel like it. But don't let the weather stop you either. The ruts starting to really kick in everywhere from what it sounds like so anytime you can get in the woods will be worth it. Rain or shine!! Good luck and hope that ankle gets better soon

Just hunt! you are never going to know whether they move in that kind of weather unless you sit out there, and you will never get one sitting in the house! best of luck

Light rain or snow is a go. Heavy rain snow wind is a no go. One thing is for sure you can't shot them on the couch.

The rain didn't shut down rut activity in my area on Wednesday. I sat (since 6:00AM) in a pretty steady rain and saw good deer movement that started at 10:15AM. The rain eased up and at 1:15PM I got a decent 9pt. I had seen 3 other bucks and 2 doe earlier in the morning while it was still coming down steady. When the rut's on they'll usually move no matter what the weather. So get out there when ever you get the chance. It's going on!!:happy0001:

Did you get out? I made it out tonight just after I got home from work. I switched over to the cold weather camo, strapped on my safety vest, grabbed my bow and release and was out the door. I had a walk about 300 yards down our gravel driveway to one of my stands about 40 yards into our woods which borders a township road and nice soybean field on the other side. The snow flakes were light but coming down like crazy and nice and wet. Climbed into stand about an hour before dark and battled the snow and very cold intermittent wind gusts for the next 45 minutes with no action in sight. The windchill was actually in the low 20s, cold even for Minnesota this time of year.

I started to think being out in this wind and cold is nuts when the first doe came out of the woods kitty corner from our's. Then another and another until about a dozen made their way out. My second thoughts were replaced by the realization it would take a lot to shake these deer out of their nightly feeding routine. If I could be out here in a tree, why couldn't they get out of their beds to have supper.

Anyway, they skirted the edge of the bean field near the road and our woods as I strategized the possible shots. They never did come in, though, and just kept feeding in the bean field about 50 yards away. I let it get very dark before I decided I needed to get down. I spent about five minutes lowering my bow and literally crawling down the tree at a snail's pace. Not sure they saw me coming down the tree because it was so dark, I was moving so slow and in the woods aways back. But they took off when I started moving on the ground. Could see their outlines bound away without blowing, which is good.

I walked back to the house and could barely feel my fingers which had gotten wet and cold in my gloves which I realized were the warm weather ones. Not smart. Got back to the house and recapped the night with my wife and kids, helping her put them to bed. No deer tonight but a great hunt and warm house and wonderful family to come home to. Doesn't get much better than that.

I think the wind keeps them more pinned down than the snow or rain

The rain and snow arent going to keep the deer from moving but the winds might have them bedded down untill the front passes. Its always worth a shot. I hunted lastnight in 19-30MPH winds. The secret is to hunt low if you can. Get into the lower lying areas that the deer will use to bed into. I saw 4 deer lastnight one was a good shooter buck but they were about 100 yards east of me.