Hunting in the rain?
 

I want to hunt today but it is raining. Do deer move or bed down while it is raining? What kind of sucess have any of you had while it was raining?

RE: Hunting in the rain?
 

i shot at a MONSTER buck a few days ago in the rain. He was chasing a doe... he was BIG

RE: Hunting in the rain?
 

i'v had people say that deer dont move but i wouldn't say it like that.i think they move much slower than normal but im sure they bed down alot.we had 3 days that sucked this deer season and the reason is it rain'd,windnon-stop,leafs moving with the wind,and people hunting on top of us.i'v seen more yearlings in the rain than mature deer.like bristowboy said,you get a buck on a hot doe and he is focused on that doe and nothing else.

RE: Hunting in the rain?
 

If it's not raining hard it doesn't bother the deer at all. I think they kind of like light mist or snow.

I won't hunt in the rain and hard snow because of the tracking issue though. I had a deer spoil once because I couldn't find it in the rain. No blood trail and it was dark and pouring so hard you couldn't see anything. Found it the next morning right where we were looking, but the meat spoiled over night because it was unseasonably warm (should have been snowing, not raining).

Paul

RE: Hunting in the rain?
 

snow doesnt bother deer.rain does only cause rain is loud.rain and deer season dont match.grrrrrrr rain

RE: Hunting in the rain?
 

Where I hunt most of the time the deer will bed down in the rain but with the rut the deer might be moving.

RE: Hunting in the rain?
 

I like to hunt in light rain, deer seem to move around better around here.

RE: Hunting in the rain?
 

By all means hunt in the rain. I have gotten more than a few deer in sub-optimal conditions. I took a small buck last week in high winds. Once a I got a "double" in the rain. Two deer (I had tags for both) in about two minutes in heavy rain - and better yet, I ran into the first one 10 seconds after I left the truck and the other as I turned to put away my rifle.

Unless you can hunt in your living room, you can't get a deer if you don't go out.

RE: Hunting in the rain?
 

It depends how hard it is raining and for how long. Deer still have to eat, get up stretch outand move around a little bit, no matter what the weather.

If it has been raining awhile, maybe go out now. Odds are between now and dark you will have a couple of lulls in the storm. If you hunt between bedding and feeding areas, you might catch some deer moving around a little bit between storms. I've shot a few of my best critters on inclement days, particularly right after the storm ends or lightens up.

RE: Hunting in the rain?
 

[quote]ORIGINAL: eatsleephunt

It depends how hard it is raining and for how long. Deer still have to eat, get up stretch out and move around a little bit, no matter what the weather.

I agree! If it's raining way too hard, they'll bed up for about 8 hours max but then they still have to eat....but I've never seen it rain that hard for 8 hours straight. If it's just drizzling and sprinkling it won't both them.

I say hunt it and hunt it hard! I've seen more deer in the rain than just about anytime.

RE: Hunting in the rain?
 

the best place to hunt when it rains is thickets,srubs,and places that are pretty thick.they move quit a bit in thick stuff like that during rain or bad wheather 8-)

RE: Hunting in the rain?
 

I hunted all day yesterday on a cold, wet day. Started sleeting about 15 minutes before daylight (actually, daylight was delayed until sunrise with the heavyclouds), rained pretty steady until about noon. I set up a pop-up in a pipeline right-a-way through some trees and stayed there from noon until 6pm. Saw more deer than I've seen all season. During that 6 hours, I never went more than 30 minutes without seeing deer.

I guess it depends on your climate, but down here in Texas, when it's a cold rain, those deer need to get up and move occasionally. No way they are aclimated yet since it was close to 90 last Tuesday.

Decided not to hunt today and am regretting it. It was pouring down when I got up at 4am, so I went back to bed. Quit raining around 9am and just started again. I'm sure the mid-day was very busy today.

RE: Hunting in the rain?
 

I have seen a lot of Big bucks running does in rain. Killed this buck in rain while chasing doe a few years ago.

RE: Hunting in the rain?
 

I'd rather not hunt in rain but I don't avoid it. If it's a day I have for hunting and it's raining then I'm hunting.
There are plenty of positives... it's quiet for moving around, your scent can be held down, the noise of the rain can cover little noises you make ... and a day in the rain hutning is better than a sunny day that you have to work!

RE: Hunting in the rain?
 

I killed 2 in the rain last thursday on a powerline. I saw 5 in all. Nobody else at our club saw anything. They probably didnt know how to act in it, as little as we have had this year. Oh yeah, on a sidenote, I also saw 16 turkey.

RE: Hunting in the rain?
 

I love hunting in the rain, mostly still hunting. But if it is raining and there is a chance that it will let up I always go sneak into my stand because as soon as it stops the deer get up and move, around here anyways. I have seensomeof thebiggest bucks in our area moving in daylight afteror durring a rain.