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brig
10-01-2008, 06:03 PM
Hey all, I was just wondering something, I'm fairly new to hunting, this is my second year and I haven't yet bagged anything. But what i was wondering is when hunting in the rain, are the deer going to act any different? Will they be more likely to hide and find cover, or will they still be out and about?

jrjonesy
10-01-2008, 06:08 PM
In my experience you are just as likely if not more likely to see deer when it is raining.

The one consideration is that rain washes away blood trails to some degree.

kenadiens
10-01-2008, 06:37 PM
Fairly new to hunting but have been told that deer tend to be out and about more in the rain.

Offroad
10-01-2008, 06:49 PM
I've had great luck hunting in the rain. I tend to see a lot more deer. It seems that they tend to be out in the open a bit more especially if it is a bit windy as well. I think they move out into the open, or the edges of openings,more because the wind rain impair their sense of smell and their hearing. They seem to depend on their vision more. Hunting the edges of clearcuts about 20 yrds in the bush and periodically moving out to the edge and glassing the cut block has been good to me. But thats just been my experience. The best thing about hunting in the rain is the lack of other people out hunting. Good luck out there.

Chuck
10-01-2008, 07:21 PM
I agree with the others. Although it's a bit miserable and not really that much "fun", hunting in the rain and a bit of wind will better your odds. Deer, or so I've experienced, don't seem to care that much. Also I feel that during the "dark" of the moon also seems to help.

Ron.C
10-01-2008, 07:31 PM
I love hunting in the rain,

Barring an all out downpour of a storm, I see alot of deer moving all hours of the day when it's raining and if your into still hunting or stalking, the rain quiets everything down and allows you to really poke through the bush without making a sound. Sure, It doesn't help blood trailing at all, but it can be done. On a final note, I think rainy cold days keeps alot of guys at home or in their trucks and out of the bush which is just fine with me.

brig
10-01-2008, 08:16 PM
Thanks a lot for the info guys, I really don't mind getting a little wet, I just wasn't to sure about the deer. But sounds like they don't mind either so hopefully i'll get lucky!

doubled
10-01-2008, 09:44 PM
Well I have had both experiences in the rain. If it has been raining for a while, then I tend not to see many deer but if it has only started or has only gone on for a little while then I do see deer out and about. Also on the intensity. Heavy rains will keep animals down.

Shooter
10-01-2008, 10:09 PM
Before and after storms deer tend to feed lots. During a storm they may hunker down to ride it out. That being said, they tend to not like being in the timbers too much when it is windy as well. All in all some of the best hunting can be had in adverse weather.

Browningmirage
10-01-2008, 10:14 PM
i love hunting in the rain...it just feels like home...

trailhunter
10-01-2008, 10:22 PM
I also love hunting in the rain. Walking in ferns and shilal is near imposable when the rain isnt pounding down covering your sent and niose. Ive snuck up on deer within 20-30 yards and they had no idea i was there. Really cool feeling knowing your undetected. Ive had a deer almost jump over me while they detected my buddy coming in the timber from above me. When it rains get your self a good pair of rain pants and water proof boots and go have fun.

I work out side and i HATE working the rain.........it drives me nuts. But im mad if its not raining on the weekend for hunting lol

tomahawk
10-02-2008, 06:54 AM
I really don't mind getting a little wet, I just wasn't to sure about the deer. But sounds like they don't mind either so hopefully i'll get lucky!

Think about this from a deer's (or any wild animal's) perspective........they live 24\7\365 outdoors. They have never known anything but the weather conditions that happen each and every day and season whether that is snow, sun or rain or whatever.

Animals have a couple things that are important to them (other than ruttin) and that's eating and safety. Weather is one of their lower priorities IMHO.

MichaelB
10-02-2008, 07:51 AM
Definately found deer to be a bit more cautious in the rain. Just a safety issue for them as they can't pick up scent as well and it impairs their hearing. Necessary for them to rely on their eyes more so be careful on the last stalk (more important as a bowhunter than with a rifle but very important nonetheless). Easier to be quiet on the ground as the rain softens up everthing.
I love hunting in the rain. Makes me feel renewed and alive. It's like being baptized by mother nature.

The Hermit
10-02-2008, 08:30 AM
Well I have had both experiences in the rain. If it has been raining for a while, then I tend not to see many deer but if it has only started or has only gone on for a little while then I do see deer out and about. Also on the intensity. Heavy rains will keep animals down.

Agreed and in addition, I find the perfect hunting weather is as the weather changes in either direction. So if it has been really sunny and hot the deer will be moving in the forst hoiurs of a good sprinkle. After a long wet spell they will be out the first day of a good hot sunny day (all day).

Stone Sheep Steve
10-02-2008, 09:33 AM
Last year on the last day of muley rifle season a huge storm blew through....heavy rains and high winds. I'm sure many guys bailed for home or their vehicles.
As soon as the storm was over I've never heard so many gun shots going off. My partner's was one of them....BC Bairdo's group was two more of them( and a couple of dandy bucks!).

SSS

Tikka7mm
10-02-2008, 10:55 AM
I have definitely had more luck when it's raining and like someone else mentioned I also really pay attention to the moon phases. I don't seem to have as much luck when the moon is high and bright the night before a hunt. Having said this a full moon won't prevent me from going out but I just seem to have more luck when the moon is smaller.:wink:

Frango
10-02-2008, 01:52 PM
A long time hunting partner now dead and gone for a few years had a saying "if its raining hard stay in bed" He was a great hunter and knew his stuff.I grew up on a rather large mixed farm and I can tell you most cattle,horse etc like to be dry as much as we do .But when the rain stopped chow down time...

tooley
10-02-2008, 02:16 PM
I agree with everyone else, if it's raining but not pouring hunting is usually very good. I have never had much luck if the wind was blowing hard though!

dino
10-02-2008, 02:29 PM
The only way to hunt blacktails is in rain.You can sneek up on anything.

huntwriter
10-02-2008, 04:20 PM
Hey all, I was just wondering something, I'm fairly new to hunting, this is my second year and I haven't yet bagged anything. But what i was wondering is when hunting in the rain, are the deer going to act any different? Will they be more likely to hide and find cover, or will they still be out and about?

If it rains hard deer will sit it out in thick cover, animals like getting wet as little as we do. On the other hand if it’s just overcast or a light drizzle it can be one of the best times to hunt as deer move almost all day long. The best times to hunt is eight hours before and right up to the point a severe weather front moves through an area. Right after a severe weatherfront passes is also a good time to be hunting. As a bonus wet weather will make walking less noisy. I went out yesterday and it was so dry it sounded like walking on pop-corn. I turned around and went home. It's pointless to hunt in the heat and dry.

Here in the Kamloops region hunters should be in the woodsright now. There is a cooler wet weather front moving in and the deer are all on the move.;)

moosinaround
10-02-2008, 04:24 PM
Definately found deer to be a bit more cautious in the rain. Just a safety issue for them as they can't pick up scent as well and it impairs their hearing. Necessary for them to rely on their eyes more so be careful on the last stalk (more important as a bowhunter than with a rifle but very important nonetheless). Easier to be quiet on the ground as the rain softens up everthing.
I love hunting in the rain. Makes me feel renewed and alive. It's like being baptized by mother nature.
Baptized by mother nature! Excellent!!!

brig
10-02-2008, 04:37 PM
Well we're heading out this weekend for a couple days, so the weather should be alright for hunting. We only have 2 days and we'll be hunting around princeton in an area we've never been before. Where would the best place be to find them, Would they still be up high? Last year we hiked the edges of cutblocks, we seen a lot of bedding spots but the only deer we seen were does. Are bucks usually found in different areas or did we just get unlucky last year?

humble hunter
10-02-2008, 06:36 PM
I would have to agree with the fact the best time to hunt blacktails is in the rain. They come out of the forest canopy and you can usually see them off of the road in cutblocks. As for snow, the muley rut and a snowy, blowing day equals a big buck day.

Shooter
10-04-2008, 05:06 PM
We were out in the pouring rain today. Hiked for a few hours this morning and drove a bit later on. All in all we saw 40 deer and 6 were bucks. 1 was a borderline shooter but we passed anyways and the rest were 2 points and Spikes. So ya. hunting in the rain keeps em moving all day generally. And when they do bed they tend to be in the open more it seems. We spotted a number of them bedded out in the open today.

Barracuda
10-04-2008, 05:17 PM
hot rain is nice to be in but cold rain is not.

a slight drizzle isnt too bad with very little wind and yes some animals will bed for a bit if the rain is hard but if you can catch the time when the rain has literally just stopped it makes for some pretty productive hunting and game watching

dougan
10-04-2008, 05:49 PM
they cant hear preditors comeing in the thick stuff in the rain so they tend to find a more open area were they can hear better and or see things comeing in my opinion