Hunting in rain???

[bowhntineverythingnh03743]

Hey TG-
   So as I sit here and look out the window as the rain is coming down I wanted to ask the question if you change up your gear when it is raining? I have never taken one of my longbows out in the woods when the wet stuff is coming down for fear that something may happen if that one moment of opportunity presents itself. I have missed out twice last year switching back to a wheel bow and shooting my largest doe one rainy night and my 190# 7 pointer two weeks later when the rain was forcasted.
I really want to take my longbow out tonight but need some advice on anything different that you all may do. My arrows are in a cat quiver so the fletchings are covered....

What do you all do????

[meathead]

Just go hunting.  That's what I do.

[Bjorn]

Go hunt!  

[tenbrook]

I spent a weekend hunting in the rain a few weeks ago.  I liked the fact I could walk around in silence.  When the weather cleared there seemed to be animals everywhere!

[LB_hntr]

I'm walking out the door in a half hour to hunt in the rain. Suppose to rain non stop thru Tuesday morning and I will be on stand every morning and evening during that time.
  Good luck and happy hunting.

[ChuckC]

I've hunted in the rain many times, not really by choice, but because it was raining and I was off work.  I would advise to just limit your shots to only the best.  Blood trails may be compromised, although other means of tracking (footprints etc) are sometimes more evident in the wet soil.

I have walked up on deer in a heavier rain cause neither they nor I could see or hear the other.

ChuckC

[Bill Turner]

I don't worry about my bow when I'm hunting in the rain, but I am concerned about my feathers. I keep them covered as much as possible. A light rain is OK from my point of view, but I will sit out a heavy down pour with the idea of heading out as soon as the front passes through.

[Mr. fingers]

I freshly wax my string  add a fletch cover. If  my bow gets really really wet when I get home I take it down (3 piece)  let it dry out before putting it back together.  
If its pouring rain I stay home till it lets up. Yesterday  they predicted rain all day . It was raining at 4:30 when I got up went back to bed til 6:00 got up it had stopped an the sky was lightening. So I got ready to go stepped out the door and rain again drove to one of my closer spots figuring it would be a short hunt. The rain stopped on my way there got,in my stand at just before 8:00 and it did not rain a drop till almost noon then it rained all day. No deer but I did a little still hunting slash scouting on my out.........sorry babbling          

[AkDan]

please send one plane ticket with gps coordinates to stand and what one I need to be sitting in.   I'll keep your seat warm   !  

I do nothing to hunt in the rain but I do go through my heads after the rain stops and either just wipe them or wipe and reapply chapstick/vasaline whatever I have on hand to the heads to keep things from rusting.

[reddogge]

Heavy rain will wash out blood trails. I know for a fact.

[threeunder]

Just personally, I don't bowhunt in the rain.  Way too likely that the blood trail will get to missing.
Just a personal choice.
Ken

[AkDan]

you gotta shoot something before you can worry about a blood trail getting washed out...it can happen, and you could loose a trail on a bright sunny dry day also....imho I'd go and make the judgement call if its presented!  A day in the woods beats anyday anywhere else minus maybe everything but a hurricane or tornado lol!

[subsonic]

I like to hunt right before a rain storm or right after.  I seem to have good luck in those situations.  I will hunt in a drizzle/light rain, but not in a steady rain.

I have a good friend that has had luck over the years hunting in the rain.  He stalks and covers a lot of ground because there is less noise.  I would add that he does this with his shotgun.  Typically he will jump a deer out of its' bed and shoot it.  Always reminded me of bird hunting in a way.  Lots of fast action.

[Ric O'Shay]

Rain doesn't really bother me, but when lightening starts dancing around, I don't want to be up a tree on a metal ladder stand.

Also, is you use the wool string silencers, you might want to pop the string a few times or risk getting a bad shot and heavy shower from the water trapped in the wool.    

[woodchucker]

Unless I'm missing something... The biggest possible deterant, is a washed away blood trail.

Why would you switch back to a compound???  :confused:

[stagetek]

Not a fan of hunting in the rain. If it starts raining when I'm out there, I'll probably stay. But if it's a steady rain before I'm out there, good chance I'm staying in. I do, however, enjoy hunting when it's snowing.

[Bow Bum]

See alot of deer right after it rains. I've only shot one in the rain/immediately after,and nearly lost a good blood trail on a solid double lung deer becasue the forest floor was so wet from it having just rained... I'd do it again though.

B

[Knawbone]

Light rain is ok, but a steady rain keeps me home. For one, it's no fun hunting in rain I don't care how good the hunting is! Two, you owe it to the animal to be able to find it. Three, I hate hunting in the rain!