bow hunting when it rains

[sskybnd]

just wondering how many still bow hunt when it starts to rain. myself i dont know if its a good ideal or not, sitting in my stand this morning it begain to rain, and the thought that came to mind was, if i do shoot one and wait about 30 min's for it to die would i be able to find it, with it raining wouldnt it wash the blood trail away, any thoughts on it. most time i can hear them crash, and can tell about where they went down, but if i didnt hear them would i have a blood of any kind to follow them.

[Doc]

Of course, it depends on how hard it is raining, or if I believe it might get worse or not. I don't think a light drizzle is anything to wrry about, but an all-out rain is something different. My concern is the same as yours as far as the blood trail on a marginal hit. I also have trouble shooting with rain-gear on. It's generally too noisy, and too bulky. It's just the thing that might cause that "marginal shot" since I seldom do a whole lot of practice shooting with it on.

Doc

[dbHunterNY]

I've tracked a buck while still hunting in the rain in some open hardwoods. The blood trail wasn't easy to follow, but I could follow the trail of kicked up wet leaves fairly easily. Some use dogs, but I don't have any. I don't think I've ever hunted in anything other than a light to moderate shower though. I can only deal with being soaked for so long.

- Dan

[Tecumseh]

As long a it's not a hard driving rain.I've sat in sleet and freezing rain.

[buckee]

I think it depends a lot on where you are hunting, and what the terrain is like also.,

There are some places, I would not want to bow-hunt in the rain, because without a blood-trail, finding the animal would be very, very difficult.

Then there are other places, where if lacking a good blood trail, visibility for a long distance, plus relatively open or not over-grown terrain, makes it easier to find an animal, without a blood trail at all.

I think it's up to each individual hunter to weigh those odds and make an ethical decision on whether to hunt, or not to hunt in the rain. JMHO

[hoytman26]

I hunt in the rain as long as its not a total washout. My buddy shot this buck in 06' We were hunting in the nasty, misty rain. 139"http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r201/hoytusarules/PB070046.jpg

[Leo]

I think it depends a lot on where you are hunting, and what the terrain is like also.,

There are some places, I would not want to bow-hunt in the rain, because without a blood-trail, finding the animal would be very, very difficult.

Then there are other places, where if lacking a good blood trail, visibility for a long distance, plus relatively open or not over-grown terrain, makes it easier to find an animal, without a blood trail at all.

I think it's up to each individual hunter to weigh those odds and make an ethical decision on whether to hunt, or not to hunt in the rain. JMHO

I think Buckee nailed this one.

Bottomline, if you are hunting in an area where a lack of a blood trail would prevent you from finding the animal, do not hunt there in the rain.

We have plenty of super thick swamps here that will absolutely swallow any animal that runs just 75 yards. If you have to walk the grid pattern to find the deer, better bring a chainsaw.

On top of that, when rain is a possibility, it really isn't that cold. Otherwise, obviously, it snows. The time you need to find the animal in is limited by the temperature. The warmer the weather the faster you need to find your harvest, to avoid spoilage.

I routinely throw the customary 30 minutes of waiting in the toilet, if I know the animal was hit good and I hear him fall. If I truly know the hit was good and I heard him fall, I find the arrow, FIRST! and start tracking immediately. The time it takes for me to get out of the stand is enough for the deer to expire on a good hit. Temperatures here during the hunting season average 70 degrees. You are racing against spoilage on the hot days. Seriously, if it's raining the bow gets left at home. Even gun hunting is a race on the warmer days in thick swamps.

[HUNTINGMAN]

I think hat the rain and other nasty weather is the best time to hunt,as long as it is not raining so hard that you cant see or lightening.As for washing away the blood trails,just shorten your shots and only take those that you are certain of and dont take any chances.

[oldreloader]

I choose not to hunt in the rain.Where I hunt finding one without a blood trail would be very difficult.Plus the older I get the less I enjoy sitting wet and cold up a tree.LOL

[Guest WY Hunter]

There are some risks as mentioned by other members but I sure like being in the woods when the rain is comming down. I guess you just gotta use common sense.

[bowonly]

OK, here's my two cents on hunting in the rain. As long as lightning is not popping all around me, I'm going to stick it out regardless how hard or light it is raining for this one simple reason: I want to be in that stand when it quits. I can't tell how many deer sightings and/or kills I've experienced immediately following a downpour. In fact, the largest buck I've seen to date was right after a 2 hour gully washer. And another thing, when you live and hunt in Louisiana you kinda have to get used to hunting in the rain.

[fly]

I'll hunt mornings in hard rain ,but generally not evenings (especially if the temp is over 60). I believe in waiting a while after the shot to ensure the deer is dead. Hard rain will wash away a blood trail and finding a deer in the dark is hard enough for me with a blood trail.

[Zambo]

I enjoy being out in a light rain, it seems to get the deer on their feet. I have never shot a deer in the rain and probably will not for fear of losing the blood trail. It's still enjoyable to watch and learn from the deer. It's all part of the hunting experience.

[Ravin R10 man]

I'll hunt light rain..even short downpours under my buckwing portaroof umbrella.

this allows you to stay out there, and when the rain stops and the deer are moving you arent..well except when you draw your bow..LOL

[Tom2008]

I'll hunt in the rain, but it depends on how hard it is raining I guess. If it is just a down pour I'll probably head out. Rain can be a good time to see deer or even after a rain so sometimes it is worth it to wait it out.

[M00N]

It depends on how hard it's raining. If it's raining really hard we don't because the area we hunt, unless the deer drops in its tracks, which in archery isn't likely, you lose sight of it almost instantly after the shot and have to use blood trails to recover your deer. So, if it's raining too hard it isn't really fair for us to go out and shoot a deer and then be unable to recover it and instead just feeding the coyote.

[RangerClay]

I'll hunt light rain..even short downpours under my buckwing portaroof umbrella.

this allows you to stay out there, and when the rain stops and the deer are moving you arent..well except when you draw your bow..LOL

I have one of those. They work great if the wind is not blowing too hard.

[ShaneB]

i hunt no matter how bad the conditions even if i no i wont get a shot cuz anythings better than sitting in the house wondering what i might have missed

[wildthing]

I don't like to hunt in the rain to much. Not because I can't stand to sit in it, but more because if I happen to release an arrow, I want to be able to have a blood trail to follow...even if I know the hit is good...you never know...we have all spent enough time in the woods to see things get hairy. If is hard enough to blood trail under the best of conditions.

[tlott89]

Oneida man- i have 2 of those and they work fine for me.ur gonna get a few sprinkles on ya but its better then if u didnt have it and end up soaked.as far as shooting deer in the rain,i only take shots that im sure i can make a good shot with and tend not to wait as long.if its pooring because by the time i get my stuff all around and climb back down that will be 10-20 mins anyways

[Guest cheezbuck7]

I shot a buck once before on an evening hunt.A hard rain came in and we lost all blood.Lucky for me I had enough friends to go out and help scour the woods the next day to find him.Clipped one lung and the buck still traveled about 200 yards.So me personally will never hunt in the rain again.Got lucky once it might not happen again.

[scotman]

I missed a buck at 15 yards when I was 16 still hunting in the rain. So anything under 15 yards I look straight down the shaft! Still hunting in the rain is alot of fun you have the wet leaves under your feet and the sound of rain to muffle any noise you make. sneak and peak.

You can follow just more than blood if you do hit one. I look for freshly broken branches,broken twigs, tuffed up leaves and dirt. Depending on how hard its raining you will be able to spot leaves and brush without water droplets on them. The deer will knock the water off them as they go by them. But it all depends if your comfortable tracking that way.

[aksheephuntress]

I love the rain..the harder the better.

....We have to get used to it, anyway,here on the Kenai.....a virtual rainforest!!lol

[Swamphunter]

Other than worrying about losing a blood trail, I love bowhunting in the rain. As long as it is not a downpour, a light rain does not bother me, I will hunt in it. Makes it nice and quiet for still hunting.