bigdog02

Hey all
Looks like for the PA opener in my neck of the woods rain is in the forecast.
How do you deal with rain when you are bowhunting, or do ya just scrap the day?

If you do still hunt in the rain, how do you compensate for the lack of ability to track? Do you lower your effective distance, in order to try to ensure more of a vitals shot?

Man I need to get in the woods, every waking minute of the past week has been filled with constant thoughts like these, the " what ifs" have gotten ahold of me
Since college is finally over and this year I have a job where I have accrued time off, I get to hunt more archery this year than I ever have before, so I have a feeling I will be running into situations like this, lol.

yahny332

hey man im not as old as u are infact im only 16..but that dosnt mean i dont no wat im talking about so hears my advice.....i live in PA also and have had 2 adjust for the weather forcast...anyways no i wouldnt scrap the day infact i shot a buck 2 years ago with my bow wen it was snowing sleeting hailing raining and windy..lol

My advice is to find an area near thick cover...pine trees..vines..brier patches..make sure its close 2 food or beding..deer seem to mill around there while the weatehr is bad and move wen it clears up..hey good luck and happy hunting

Hiawatha

if your hunting in the rain make sure your string is waxed up good to repel water if not then your string will stretch and your sights will be off.

Big Country

Good question bigdog02!

Hiawatha gave some excellant advise, and I will try to add some more.

Obviously, we should ALWAYS strive to take only very high percentage shots. That being said, in the rain we should go even further, if that is possible.

I hunt when I get the time. If it is a downpour, I still hunt. When it is raining, I limit my shooting range to under 20 yards. I will ONLY take a shot that offers both lungs.

When you hit a deer through both lungs, you don`t need blood to find `em. They just are not going very far.

Good luck on opening day!

muzzy chucker

York County hunter here...wound up as much as you are too!!! i tried one of those tree umbrellas that screw into the tree...love it, works well if the wind isn' t blowing rain real hard. it' s nice in the afternoon when sun can be beating in your eyes..they cost about $20 at wall mart. we have a chance of showers and a high of 63 for sat..deer should be moving most of the day. TRY to get some sleep fri. night and good luck!!

BOWFANATIC

I prepare to get wet!

Good advice above! I also make sure when I get home that I dry every nook & cranny of my bow and broadheads and leave my case open to dry out also.

cardeer

I sit in my water proof ground blind.

Jimimac

Ground blind, still hunt, soaking wet in a tree. It doesn' t matter to me. Cheap rhyme. If I' m off of work you can bet I will be hunting rain or shine. To be honest, I have taken a number of deer in the rain, so as sick as it sounds...I actually look forward to bad weather. I' m with the other guys about the high percentage shots too.

PatapscoMike

I do not bowhunt in the rain. I have too much respect for deer to take the risk of wounding one when tracking is impossible. No one can always make a perfect shot, especially in the rain. I use my rain days to practice extra hard and scout bedding areas (all your scent gets washed away).

Tazman

I will hunt a light rain, but when it really starts to come down I back off, unless I am hunting open hardwoods and even then it has to be a perfect shot opportunity.