Feelings about hunting in the rain??

[Tracker2]

I try not to bow hunt when I know its supposed to rain for the plain fact that It is hard/near impossible to blood trail your kill effectively when the rain is washing it away so quickly.

Do any of you guys live by this or do you have other tactics when hunting in the rain? Its one thing to run into rain when your already out there, but Having blood trailed a few deer in the rain its SO hard to get a proper retrieval. Especially if you want to give the deer time.

Thoughts would be appreciated.

[Paul Shirek]

For the most part, I do what you do for the same reasons. A light mist or occasional shower I might chance though...

[old_goat2]

Some of it depends on terrain, but for the most part I ditto what Paul says.

[Pine]

If you need to blood trail in the rain use a spray bottle filled with hydrogen peroxide and spray on the ground . It will foam up on blood .

[LB_hntr]

I hunt in the rain all the time. Some of my best hunts have been in the rain. I do try to hunt a little different in teh rain by trying to hunt "scrub" terrain or broken terrain (something that is good cover for deer but i can see along ways from my tree stand in so that i can watch the animal go down or atleast watch them for a long ways. I also scale back my shooting distance. on a nice day im very cofortable taking shots at deer at 25 yards (seldom do i actually shoot that far but im comfortabe if i needed to). in the rain I tend to pass shots unless they are 15 yards or less. But when i see rain in the forcast i get excited as it usually means great hunting in my areas. super hard rain is a pain to sit thru. but most often its not super hard or it comes in waves rain, stop, rain, stop, rain, stop, etc.

[Stickbow]

I wont purposely hunt in the rain due to the chance of a bloodtrail washing away.

I have chose to pass on shots at Elk and Deer because of it, it is just not worth it to me.

I love to still hunt though once a rainy weather pattern quits, critters seem to want to move and it is quiet.

[Hoyt]

I did when I was much younger..but don't care to sit in the rain now days..especially today..32 degrees. Will go when it stops mid day.

[xtrema312]

A lot depends on the amount of rain, what the rain is doing, time of day, and cover type around me.

I will not hunt a heavy rain or with heavy rain close to hitting.  I define heavy as something that will wash out a light but reasonable blood trail in less than 3 hours.  I will not take a shot with very much rain at all late in the day.  I will hunt a light rain or clearing weather in morning particularly when the leaves thin out where I have a real good chance of getting on a trail before it is gone, can see the animal moving longer distances and can see well to spot other tracking clues.  

I had to hunt a lot of rainy weather and wind this year just to get out much.  It was one of those years for me on my Friday and Saturday hunting schedule. I did pass on shots four times this year due to heavy rain setting in.  I chose to just set in a blind and watch / scout some days.

Last year I shot a deer with light rain starting about 1-hr before dark.  The doe jumped the string and I got a forward angling hit behind the shoulder as she dropped and turned away.  The blood trail was too light to follow in the rain and dark.  Next day blood was long gone. I had to grid search the next day.  Never found her and totally disrupted a great beading area sending a great buck for my area off the property for the rest of the year from what I could tell.  That was all around a bad deal.  I had shot one the year before under almost exactly the same conditions from the same stand with better results.  That one ran in a better direction where it was a lot easier to find, but still had to grid search for that one due to no blood trail.  In the past I just didn't hunt in the rail, but bad weather timing the last few years has me hunting a little more in less than ideal conditions.  I got a lot more conservative again this year. It cost me shots, but then I didn't loose anything either.

[Bowwild]

I have not gone out if raining or threatening rain for many years. I have been caught out in a drizzle or two but I end the hunt quickly.

My reasons are two:
1. I don't want to risk a poor blood trail.
2. Deer season is long, I can be picky and choose.

I will admit #1 doesn't hold water (pun intended). Most of the deer I have killed over the years didn't require a blood trail to find. However, in the rare case where I don't see or  hear the deer fall, a blood trail is very important.

[hitman]

I don't pay much attention to forecasts. IF ITS NOT RAINING i go out. Too many times forecasts cost you valuable hunting time. A light mist is fine for me then if it sets in I go home.

[Bill Carlsen]

Lost several deer due to rain washing out blood trails. For me, the feelings of losing an animal are not worth the risk.

I agreewith hitman about the weather forecasts!

The older I get the less I want to deal with the rain, mud, and hard blood trails.

If I am on a hunt like an elk hunt or something, I will hunt most every day - rain or shine. At my lease, I will usually skip the rain!

Bisch

[ishoot4thrills]

I'm with Bowwild in every way concerning rain. Especially about being picky when there's a long season. Although deer movement does tend to slack off after the rut/gun season around here so the effective deer season isn't as long as it may seem.

If I get caught in the rain while hunting, then so be it. But I don't intentionally hunt in the rain except for maybe a light mist.

[Roger Norris]

I do my best to not hunt in the rain. Matted feathers, bad bloodtrails.....not worth it to me.

I have been caught in remote areas where I didn't have a choice. Far from camp, and rain happening. I usually take cover under a big conifer or with my handy mini tarp, and stay dry. And yep, twice when this was going on deer came by....and I shot them. Looking back on it, recovering those deer was more than a bit of luck.

[Swamp Yankee]

I'll scout in the rain; nice and quiet for sneaking around; but won't hunt.

[two4hooking]

I almost alway need a blood trail.  I will not hunt in the rain...now just after....that is different.

[Fritz]

I must be "maturing", because after a couple of sits in the rain this yr I will not be doing it anymore. A mist I will set in, but not rain.

[joe ashton]

dido.
A light mist I'm going out. But real rain nah.
Here in Colo we frequently  get  rain  in the mid afternoons but generally it stops in an hour or so and the sun comes out  On those days I just curl up under a tree and wait it out.

[Sam McMichael]

I used to hunt frequently in the rain, but that was when I hunted with the rifle. Now that I hunt only with the bow and have just gotten to the point I don't want to get wet, I stay home when it rains.

[Tom Leemans]

I hate sitting in the rain and tracking in the rain. If I am out in it though, I'm glad I wear wool! I usually watch the weather radar and get out there just as it's quitting. Gives everything a chance to settle down before they get up and move and I get in without making a bunch of noise.