Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Rain...what do you do?

Discussion in 'Bowhunting Talk' started by WV Hunter, Oct 19, 2009.

  1. WV Hunter

    WV Hunter Die Hard Bowhunter

    Joined:
    Oct 27, 2008
    Posts:
    1,105
    Likes Received:
    0
    Dislikes Received:
    0
    Location:
    VA / WV
    After 4 good days of rain (and not going out the 1 evening I had a chance to because of it), I was wondering what the majority of the hunters here do regarding the rain.

    Personally, I will hunt in the light rain and usually see a good many deer, but I won't hunt if its pouring. Pouring rain - I feel like it diminishes my chances of recovery more than I want to deal with, so I don't go.

    I noticed some of you were hunting in pretty heavy rain this past week, so I just got curious as to what everyone's thoughts were. I had to use my dog to help recover a bear my neighbor shot last Thurs evening in the pouring rain. No blood trail to follow despite a very good hit right behind the shoulder. We found it the next day, but never would have without the dog. There was no visible blood trail to follow at all.

    Thanks
    Mike
     
  2. Tribal

    Tribal Die Hard Bowhunter

    Joined:
    Jul 25, 2008
    Posts:
    1,451
    Likes Received:
    108
    Dislikes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Minnesota
    Unless its a downpour or heavy rain all day I'll go. When I am sitting under my tree stand umbrella and watching it rain I seem to enjoy it.
     
  3. Long Beard Gobbler

    Long Beard Gobbler Weekend Warrior

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2008
    Posts:
    584
    Likes Received:
    0
    Dislikes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Upstate New York
    I go no matter what water will dry from my clothes. Only way to know if your not gonna get a deer is to not go at all that is my motto
     
  4. RayvonD33

    RayvonD33 Weekend Warrior

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2009
    Posts:
    99
    Likes Received:
    2
    Dislikes Received:
    0
    Location:
    north carolina
    I go unless its a frog strangler(heavy rain down south):) lol
     
  5. Buck Fever

    Buck Fever Newb

    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2009
    Posts:
    26
    Likes Received:
    0
    Dislikes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Medina, ohio
    Rain= blind for me. Blind is in a good spot, fairly easy hike, and a nice comfortable chair..
     
  6. iHunt

    iHunt Grizzled Veteran

    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2009
    Posts:
    4,715
    Likes Received:
    5
    Dislikes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Manhattan, Kansas
    Amen to that! I just set mine up last weekend, I'll probably sit there this weekend :cool:
     
  7. mddave

    mddave Weekend Warrior

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2008
    Posts:
    152
    Likes Received:
    37
    Dislikes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Cumberland Md
    had my best luck after sittin through a real hard rain for 30 minutes..seemed like the flood gates of deer was opened after that........not to change the topic but the fellas who do hunt in the rain an use the tree umbrella do you think it stands out to much???/ ive used it once an felt like i stood out like no other...
     
  8. fatsbucknut

    fatsbucknut Die Hard Bowhunter

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2009
    Posts:
    1,410
    Likes Received:
    0
    Dislikes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Pa
    i use a tree umbrella and love it. Depends on the patterns but i dont think its any worse than a 200lb man and treestand stuck up in a tree for sticking out to deer
     
  9. WV Hunter

    WV Hunter Die Hard Bowhunter

    Joined:
    Oct 27, 2008
    Posts:
    1,105
    Likes Received:
    0
    Dislikes Received:
    0
    Location:
    VA / WV
    Thanks for the replies

    For those of you that DO hunt in the rain, do your standards change? Like if you would normally shoot out to 30, do you now only go to 20 (so you have a better chance of a good shot/bloodtrail)? Or do you just hunt as you normally would, as if it wasn't raining at all?


    mddave....I have a tree umbrella too. Haven't noticed an issue with deer noticing me, but honestly I don't use it very much, so that may not be a fair assessment. Maybe one time a year I break it out. I love how they work though...one of the best $20 purchases I ever made on my hunting stuff.
     
  10. Cooter/MN

    Cooter/MN Grizzled Veteran

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2009
    Posts:
    3,792
    Likes Received:
    131
    Dislikes Received:
    0
    I rarely have a problem with rain (although it was an issue last year) once it gets into later Oct up here in MN. Snow is more common.

    I don't like hunting in anything more than some light drizzle.
     
  11. ~ChipsAhoy~

    ~ChipsAhoy~ Weekend Warrior

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2009
    Posts:
    72
    Likes Received:
    0
    Dislikes Received:
    0
    Location:
    KS
    Rain, snow, sleet, or shine: i'm out there. I like to practice my shots in variable conditions, so I have found myself outside target shooting in a downpour rain numerous times. Doing so will help my concentration given any condition. But in reality, it all comes down to what YOU feel comfortable with. If you don't feel comfortable shooting in the rain, don't do it. Chances are it will come back to bite you in the arse. Good luck, and stay dry! ;)
     
  12. traxscr

    traxscr Newb

    Joined:
    Oct 20, 2009
    Posts:
    29
    Likes Received:
    0
    Dislikes Received:
    0
    Location:
    South Lyon, Michigan
    I hunt in the rain as long as there is not any lighting.
     
  13. GABowhunter

    GABowhunter Moderator

    Joined:
    Dec 11, 2008
    Posts:
    7,788
    Likes Received:
    1
    Dislikes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Ringgold, Georgia
    I will hunt in the rain but like traxscr as soon as lightning rolls in I'm out. My standards do change, like Jeff said, the shot has to be a slam dunk for me to take it in that kind of weather.
     
  14. Ben/PA

    Ben/PA Grizzled Veteran

    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2008
    Posts:
    6,289
    Likes Received:
    4
    Dislikes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Hughesville, PA
    I lost a deer last year hunting in a downpour. Ultimately it was not the rain that made the recovery unsuccessful, it was my shot. I killed a deer this past weekend in some pretty good rain and we still found blood to get us started in the right direction. We lost blood eventually and from there the key was knowing the property (Tim did) and persistance.
     
  15. isaiah

    isaiah Grizzled Veteran

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2008
    Posts:
    3,380
    Likes Received:
    0
    Dislikes Received:
    0
    Location:
    IL
    up untill this yr i would hunt in anything... losing a blood trail a few weeks back has messed me up. not sure i'll do it again this yr.

    but like ben said it was more my shot than anything, if you put a good shot on him/her they will go down!
     
  16. Vito

    Vito Grizzled Veteran

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2008
    Posts:
    6,732
    Likes Received:
    6
    Dislikes Received:
    0
    Location:
    West MI
    Depends how long and how hard it is suppose to rain. I'll hunt if the rain is suppose to pass soon. If its an all day rain, anything more than a light drizzle and I go steelhead fishing. I don't like to take the chance of losing a bloodtrail.
     
  17. Focnr

    Focnr Weekend Warrior

    Joined:
    Oct 20, 2009
    Posts:
    302
    Likes Received:
    0
    Dislikes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Ohio
    If it's just sprinkling I stay, but once it starts getting faster and harder i head home.
     

Share This Page