Light rain-steady showers: Yes. Deer still move in this weather and your scent is supposedly kept to a minimum (rumor has it). I shot a deer stalking at 10 yards because she was not able to hear me and the wind worked in my favor. (Rifle not bow. Looking to arrow my first deer this year.) I have never hunted heavy rain but I hear that deer kind of stop moving if the rain is too heavy. I don't know for sure because I just don't like getting dumped on all day.
I have and it turned out to be very wet but killed two deer that where hanging in the staging area before the entering the field. I guess it depends on how cold it is too. It was beginning of October so was not really bad yet. Not sure if I would do it late or not. Some people say deer dont move but I think some do and some dont.
I prefer not to hunt in the rain. I lost a buck in a brushy area after a rain several years ago. No issue rifle hunting in the rain, but not a huge fan of the bow in the rain because the deer never seems to fall on the spot.
As long as it's not a down poor I'll be out there my dad shot his last buck in the rain I decided not to go that day so he went to my spot and ended up with a nice 9 so that's why i changed you just never know
I don't hunt in the rain with my bow rain washes away blood. It doesn't do any good to shoot a deer you can't find. With a gun I will hunt in the rain as the odds of dropping a deer increases dramatically. Just my .02
Pretty much ditto to this. I'll go out if I have a really strong feeling that I need to be in the stand, but generally I stay home because of the reason that Pat said!
Still hunting after a heavy rain..nothing better. If I'm in stand already when it rains I'll wait it out if I think it will let up but if I know its just going to keep pouring I pack it in.
The biggest buck I've taken yet came on a rainy day. I waited out the morning because it was a heavy downpour, but at noon it lightened up to a drizzle so I went out. 20 minutes later I was holding the antlers to a monster.
Lots of factors to include whether I am gonna hunt in the rain. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I'm not a fan of rain at all.
It's always nice to be out, but like some have said if you shoot a deer that day you have problems. i shot a doe in misty rain 2 yrs ago and ten minutes later the clouds opened up and the blood trail was gone. Luckily i had the whole day after a morning hunt and was able to find her just on a guess of where she could have ran. After that i will only hunt in the rain in the morning and if i have the rest of the day off and friends ready to walk the woods if i shoot one.
to expand on this, where do you hunt in the rain? For the guys that have killed big bucks in the rain, were you hunting food or bedding area?
Nothing allows you to get to your set with no noise and scent on the ground than a nice rain. As to finding deer....the goal is to shoot them in the spot that they drop in sight anyway. I never go out planning on a gut shot and a track job. I have seen some of my best deer from stand on rainy days. If its cold and rainy deer move, they don't like to sit and get soaked. Now if it is a downpoor I think they too look for cover and hunker down. To answer questprimal27's question. I think a nice rain is a good advantage for you to sit in a bottom or a draw that would normally be tought to hunt because of wind swirling and your track in tipping off deer. If you can get to one of these spots and sit all day with a nice rain you will see deer moving throughout the day.
Even on a good shot a some deer will run almost 100 yards. Not many people bow hunt where they can see 100 yards especially early season. Just my .02 If you are going to hunt in the rain I would limit shots to 25 yards and it would have to be a PERFECT shot (broadside or slightly quartering away) I believe there is another thread going right now here a hunter lost a potential booner to a quartering towards shot with rain coming
