Feelings about hunting in the rain??

[Bjorn]

In the rain hunting hogs on the ground works, you can stalk closer with the rain obscuring noise etc. I use a tube quiver to keep my feathers dry and wait for the perfect setup and a relaxed animal. In hard rain you will find them sleeping in tree roots etc-use your binoculars to separate fur from cover and get close-you may not see the whole animal and it can take a bit to make sure you are looking at the boiler room. Once hit I follow up right away and have never lost a hog due to rain.

[Slickhead]

I like a light mist , but with rain comes blood loss (or making it harder to see)
But it really silences the woods and IMO reduces scent

[Bowwild]

I agree with Swamp Yankee, scouting or putting up a new stand is good use of a rain day. If I do this (couple times this year already) I try to do it between 10am-2pm and then get out.

[GRAYBEARD]

Bill Carlsen said it for me. The only buck I ever lost was in the rain; it still haunts me.

[Tradtical Commando]

My philosophy is this: I've spent too much time for Uncle Sam being cold wet and hungry. There is no way I am gonna do that in my own leisure. As I write this I am 15' up a tree post rain and in the wind and cold. I'm dressed in good layers with a wind and water proof top layer on. Moral of my story: if you are dressed properly then there is no such thing as bad weather. And If I find myself under dressed and uncomfortable, then I happily pack up and head home a warm hearth, pretty woman, and hot food.

[bbell]

I live in Oregon... I don't really have a choice during the late season.:-) I just keep it in mind. Most days arent to bad. If it is absolutely dumping I will wait it out or head home. Plus I havent killed a deer yet so I dont have to worry about blood trails very often. ;-)

Brandon

[Cory Mattson]

agree with many of the posts - unofficially packed in my deer hunting Nov 5th w full freezer and tired. Was going to spend today scouting for next year but steady rain came through so I took a nap :)if I was still hunting I would have passed since this is a heavy steady rain - not intermittent - not a mist.
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[MCNSC]

Not only does rain wash out blood trails. It also may affect your shooting. What, with rain on the limbs,string,silencers,arrow and most important your tab or glove. I won't go if it is raining., may still go with a very light rain or mist. I have had my shooting at 3d shoots get worse during a good rain. I think it was the effect of the moisture on my tab. If I am hunting and it starts to rain or I go in a very light rain I try to keep my tab dry.

[olddogrib]

There are enough things that can go wrong on a hunt when conditions are perfect. When you throw in the probability of wet, matted feathers(I've not seen a waterproofing method that didn't change arrow flight),poor releases from wet gloves, the likelihood of an inadequate blood trail, etc., I'll pass.  There are days when one should stay at camp with a proper libation and fine cigar giving thanks for the blessings of hunts when the sun was shining and things turned out well!

[Matthew Bolton]

I'm too lazy to hunt rainy weather. I don't like sitting/walking around and getting soaked. Light rain is ok, much more and I'm either fly fishing or sleeping in.

[Robyn Hode]

Good Idea Swamp Yankee. I think I'll start scouting in the rain also, but if the trees start swaying I'm out of there. I've been hit by too many falling branches on windy rainy days.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

I don't why risk loosing an animal. They are to precious to me.

[VictoryHunter]

I really enjoy hunting in a light rain and the deer enjoy the rain as well. In a heavy rain though I stay in to great a chance of losing blood.

[far rider]

I don't like hunting in anything more than a very light drizzle, but I LOVE to hunt on days when it is misting, with no wind. You know the days I speak of. Big low pressure system that just sets in with light precip. Sneaky sneak I go through the pines on those days. Deer seem to move around a lot in the middle of the day, and hunter competition is non existent. Days like today however...I wouldn't hunt on a bet.

Tim

[Dave Lay]

I agree with others, and sometimes the best time to be there is right before a rain, when a front is moving in, but my self and a couple friends have all lost deer due to a washed out blood trail of a deer shot in the evening before a rain was forcasted... i really shy away from hunting in a rain or just before one is forcasted...