Doc Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 Well, the New York bowseason is about to start Friday, and they are calling for an all-day rain. Now, just because they are predicting it doesn't mean that it will happen, but it does bring up a question. It's opening day. They are calling for rain all day, occasionally heavy. You get up in the morning and sure enough, it is raining. Do you crawl back in the sack or bravely put on your rain gear and head out? This kind of scenario poses all kinds of problems for me. First of all, let me say that I have some pretty good rain gear and a nice dry house with a nice change of dry clothes is never really that far away, so comfort is not really an issue. What is an issue is the danger of losing a bloodtrail due to any potential downpours. Unless you take right off like a marathon runner after a hit deer, steady heavy rain can dilute blood sign almost completely and make, what would normally be just a challenging blood trail, become a complete impossibility. While it may not be raining that hard when you leave for your stand, the potential for one of these "gully washers" always lurks in the skies on these types of days. You know how crappy you feel when you lose a hit deer under any circumstances, and how a wounding loss could destroy your attitude and enjoyment for rest of the season, but this weather is putting the odds in favor of that happening. On the other hand, this is opening day. You have been waiting and preparing all year for this day. Also, it is understood that deer still move quite nicely on this kind of rainy drippy day and often seem to be walking around in a funk that just has them not paying attention like they normally would. There are also some scent and sound-dampening aspects to a rainy day. Could be that you even took the day off from work to go hunting. That's some pretty heavy pressure to get out there in spite of the weather. I'm retired now, so I can be a bit more chosey than some, so I think that if it is raining Friday morning, I probably won't go out until it shows some signs of ending. So, what do each of you do under these circumstances? Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYBUCK Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 Re: Rainy Day Bowhunting Doc Remember last year opening day, we were in a hurricane. It was nasty. I will be out there reguardless, hope to sit all day but if I get too wet and cold I will have to take a break. Also a good time to do some scouting and check out what the deer are doing. I haven't been in my woods at all this year except to check on my stands. I can't wait to be out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossman Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 Re: Rainy Day Bowhunting I'm in the same boat. Do I take opening day off or wait till a better day, weather wise. Figures, we have had great weather the past two weeks, now it has to rain opening weekend. Besides, I would rather not bow hunt in the rain, kind of har to follow a blood trail of they run!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swamphunter Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 Re: Rainy Day Bowhunting Thats a tough one. Looks like it might be my last day hunting this afternoon. Our ML season opens on Sat here. With a gun I will probably hunt and at the range I have 30 at max with foilage, I'll probably neck shoot whatever comes in. With bow, I'll probably pass with the rain, write it off as a bad weeks of the season and hope to score later. Also I can finish a couple chores around the house that have been haunting me all year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanH Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 Re: Rainy Day Bowhunting Man that sure does suck! I hope things work out and you are able hunt hunt! Oklahoma weekend is looking pretty good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 Re: Rainy Day Bowhunting I dont hunt bow if it's raining, just beacause of loosing the blood trail...... Now if its just misty i'll go out ,,,, Just have to get a good clean shot at the heart so you're not tracking to long ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dg Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 Re: Rainy Day Bowhunting It ain't a problem for me, I'm goin. My rain gear is noisy, but I want to be out there ready if/when the rain stops. I'll take it off then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NY911Bowhunter Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 Re: Rainy Day Bowhunting Good Question! I am also in the "same boat" about the water (rain!) I too have taken Opening Day off as I always do. As many of you are aware, this is the last season I will be able to hunt my Grandfather's land due to a sale. This is the only place I have to bowhunt. I will be out there NO MATTER WHAT....rain or shine. If it is too rainy to sit - I will walk around and take more pictures, take my cameras down - start pulling treestands.... This sale is apparently iminent - the surveyors were up there this week. My cousin does that - he wrapped all of our treestands in orange surveyors tape!! I can't wait ti get my film back either - they found one of the cameras!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 Re: Rainy Day Bowhunting i hunt in the rain. i must admit i don't like morning hunts too much anymore. don't know why. i see quite a bit of deer movement in the rain. one thing i'm wary of in the rain though is to make absolutely sure of the shot because of the threat of the rain washing away the blood trail. that happened to me once. i shot a deer on a chrystal clear evening. on the way to the truck to dump my stand and get my flashlight it started to pour and washed away the blood trail. i never found that deer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 Re: Rainy Day Bowhunting Im here in Putnam county. I am dealing with the same dilemma. but i talked to my father who also took the day off, and we both will be out there rain or shine. Just gotta make that arrow count. Good luck to the rest of you ny boys this friday. we might need it with the rain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 Re: Rainy Day Bowhunting I'm sort of like you Doc. I'm older and I can go hunting just about any time I want to, any day of the week. Might as well choose the days where the weather is better and more conducive for deer movement. I have hunted in the rain once this season already and passed on going out 3 other times in the rain. Horizontal rain with high wind always keeps me indoors when it comes to bowhunting. Well almost always, as you can see I already made that mistake once this season. Thanks tropical storm Mathew. If it's late pre-rut, during the rut or I'm hunting out of state, I'll probably climb into a treestand if it's raining unless is 70+ degrees and balmy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robk Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 Re: Rainy Day Bowhunting some of my best days was when it was misting but for a hard rain you need to be where the deer are as they will stay out of the rain as much as possible though i know they will get hungry but we usually go under the canopy and hunt in there as you will get some movement. a hard rain is not going to work for sure. but if you ride it out and it goes to misting or stops then it won't be long and you will have a lot of movment they are hungry for sure and moving after a rain rob k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted October 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 Re: Rainy Day Bowhunting [ QUOTE ] some of my best days was when it was misting [/ QUOTE ] Yeah, you're right. I have seen a fair amount of activity on wet days. And, I swear that there are times when the deer just go into a mental state of depression. They seem to walk around with their heads drooped down and really aren't as sharp as during dryer weather. It really is good ambush weather. And, of course those guys that are into still hunting, I would imagine live for damp rainy weather. But I still have a problem with potential blood trail loss if the rain starts to really pour after the shot. Oh, and there's one other little goody that is supposed to come with this rain and that is high winds. Now that's almost worse news than the rain. That is one thing that will really bug the deer. They don't seem to move as well, and those that do are just constantly on set. The combination of the rain and wind, will probably keep me indoors. Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimT Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 Re: Rainy Day Bowhunting I do not like to bowhunt in the rain. I lost a bear last year due to rain washing away the blood trail. Never again. I hope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitetailkiller Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 Re: Rainy Day Bowhunting rain gear and head out!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rem308 Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 Re: Rainy Day Bowhunting I have already packed my 'Gunbrella' in my backpack to try out. I will just get in the stand and put the umbrella up and sit back and enjoy a nice rainy morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted October 14, 2004 Report Share Posted October 14, 2004 Re: Rainy Day Bowhunting Doc, here today was exactly that kind of day. A moderate drizzel. Yes, I went out bowhunting! Put up my Buck Wing umbrella and stayed relativly dry. However, saw around 20 deer, five different bucks, none were shooters. The only way I'd a shot at a good buck under those conditions, would be a well placed quartering away shot right on down through the lungs and heart. OR... no shot at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted October 15, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2004 Re: Rainy Day Bowhunting Well, here's something to think about. Rainy day evening hunts can often result in after-dark blood trailing. About the only thing that makes after-dark blood trailing even possible is the fact that blood is wet and will reflect back at a light source. That little bit of assistance is gone completely when the entire ground is wet. You had better have one heck of a good blood trail. Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted October 15, 2004 Report Share Posted October 15, 2004 Re: Rainy Day Bowhunting I had that exact scenario 2 weeks ago. Weatherman said rain all day on Sat. I got up at 05:00 and it was raining pretty good. I rolled back over and went back to sleep. I have a lot of time to kill deer. The temps are too high for my liking anyhoo. Fortunately, tomorrow is supposed to be a lot cooler with high of 60 degF. I will be out then. I have only hunted a couple of evenings over the past 2 weeks as its been too warm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTbowman Posted October 15, 2004 Report Share Posted October 15, 2004 Re: Rainy Day Bowhunting On my property it seems like the deer come out of the woodwork on rainy days. They hit the green fields and I mean hit -em early! The best time for spot-n-stocks which are very possible due to the noise rain and wind creates, also how quiet the wet ground is to walk on. I hunt the rains... However, your right, you can count on zero blood trails, even if it stops raining. Wet ground will mask wet blood on our VT leaf cover of oranges, reds, etc... Its that type of day that puts even more stress to make the perfect shot or don't shoot at all. The one I got a week ago was shot during a rainy evening hunt and it took 3 hours to locate the body. Not blood trail. Body. No blood to follow so its an instant grid search. Lucky for me the 7" reflective tape wrap I put on my arrow was still stuck in it.. LOL Nothing like a golf flag to late your deer after dark... LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTbowman Posted October 16, 2004 Report Share Posted October 16, 2004 Re: Rainy Day Bowhunting 5 Point- I dont want to steal this guys post so I sent you a PM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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