What happens during rain

[Guest splitg2]

I always wondered what big bucks do during the rain. Do they try to stay dry or do they move because they are uncomfortable. Does a light or heavy rain make a difference

Thanks

[ildrhntr]

It has been my experience that it depends on a lot of different factors. I think they are a lot like we are in it depends on the individual deer.

[HOYTnMUZZYboy]

In my past experinces with hunting in the rain the mature bucks tend to slow down a bit. With the noise of the rain hitting the leaves it makes it harder for them to hear and pin point where danger maybe coming from. As the leaves and ground cover soak up the water obivously it makes things soft which in turn makes it harder for deer to hear things moving in there direction. But during the rut, like most things all bets are off. Hope this helps a lil.

[Mirage]

i would guess that they tend to bed down in heavy rain because they cant hear as well. but there is always those deer that do the opposite of what i think and they seem to outnumber the ones i understand...lol:)

[crazylegz70]

I really dont have any experience hunting in the rain, but a family friend told me that the biggest deer he has shot was in the rain. He was on a treestand overlooking a field and the buck was running up the field edge and from what I got of the story, it was pouring rain.

[wadeocu]

In short, I don't know the answer, but I'll describe an experience I had on a rainy day last gun season.

I hunted all morning from sun up until about 11:30 when the wet started to wick up inside of my rain suit. It had rained steadily and moderately all morning long. I saw three solo deer walk by at different times that morning - two does and a spike. All three were browsing and seemingly unaffected by the rain.

I went in for lunch and to dry out. Everyone else in camp had slept in due to the rain (spoiled pansies). They all went out into the field at 1:00 after the rain slacked off. I went back out at 3:00 when the rain actually broke and the sun peaked out. I approached my stand from the rear walking up a gully and quietly climbing out at my stand site. I climed up the ladder and while I was still getting situated (thankfully I had already chambered a round) I saw a nice 10 pointer and respectable 8 walking through at about 200 yards. Another fellow shot a smaller 8 point about five minutes after I shot the 10 and said it was in a large group of deer coming out to feed in a food plot. The two other guys hunting with us that afternoon both said they saw deer come into their area within a half hour of my shot. No one had seen anything that afternoon until the rain broke.

I think this experience showed that in the Mississippi river bottoms that we hunt, they move after a long day of rain breaks and the sun comes out. I saw deer in the rain that morning but they were the odd young single deer. As soon as the rain broke, deer were moving all over the place. I think there was certainly a correlation.

Here are the two deer taken that day:

[the one]

thoes are two nice deer

[elkoholic]

Unless it is an absolute down pour I have observed better deer movement during rain storms and if in an area that allows for it, spot and stalk hunting can be very successful. Even in or around bedding areas I would not hesitate to try to slip and spot a bedded buck and then put a stalk on him. The deer move to the feeding areas earlier (sometimes there is movement all day long during a light rain) and staying on stand all day can pay off. Scent, sound and sight are all blunted by the rain. High winds are another story and will usually make the deer very jumpy and they will move less. Of course, anytime a storm breaks and the skies clear the deer will be on the move. If at all possible, be in the deer woods at this time.

[wtnhunt]

Killed my best deer to date in a light drizzle. Deer tend to move good when there is a light rain, but not so much when it is a heavy downpour or high winds. Have yet to kill a deer in heavy rains despite sitting out in downpurs on too many occasions to count.

[Born4it]

Before and after it rains I've heard are good times to be out. Wind never helps, but if you're not out there you never know!

Good luck!

Ryan

[Guest Mark_85]

i've always had luck with light drizzles seems to me deer move more. With the rain I think its a hit and miss. I've seen stories in deer hunting magazines where deer were struck by lightning. From my personal experience some deer tend to move some stay put.

[razortec_hunter]

well, i shot my first deer in a light rain, i had not seen any deer move for 2 weeks then we had a light rain and i went out hunting and shot my first deer within the last hour of the hunt,

i belive a light rain moves deer pretty well, other than that i just like hunting in rain for the experience, it's kinda cool seeing a big buck walk through the trees when everythings silent except for raindrops on the leaves,

[Flintlock1776]

I always found they slowed down their routine as the rain/wind got stronger but in moderate/light rain or with the storm moving out they start to show up.

[Guest Andrea]

Have killed them in light rain and also killed one right after a tornado had plowed thru. None in a downpour.

[coondog]

I have seen and shot deer in a light rain this sometimes will really get the deer moveing especialy if its been dry but a hard down poor I would think they would tend to hole up in the thickets.This is just from my personal experence here in Oklahoma. One thing to keep in mind is trailing after the shot if you don't drop him or see or hear him fall could get hairy trailing him up.

I know that alot of time after the rain a fairly active scrape is a good place to to hunt as he will be by to freshin it up of corse current phase of rutt has alot to do with this.

[Guest Swampman]

IMO it isn't wise to hunt in the rain. If you need to blood trail, you won't be able to.