Tracking in the rain?

[Slow Jigger]

At this time I choose not to hunt in the rain but how many do? I can only think the rain makes tracking even more difficult? Am I missing days when I could hunt and I am making to much of it. I am not talking about downpours but days when it is just a light rain or drizzle?

The way this fall is going I am not sure the rain will ever stop!

[harvey lee]

I almost never hunt in the rain unless its a very,very light drizzle. If I can put a good hit on the deer then the tracking might not be too bad. Early in the season when the leaves are still on the trees, I will hunt in a little more rain as the canopy of the trees will slow the rain drops for a bit. If its raining hard I will not hunt.

[DonBo]

Days of light rain or drizzle are my favorites to be in the woods. I believe deer are less wary and move more on these days.

That being said, you do need to be more pickey on the shots you take. If you wait for the perfect 20 yard broadside shot tracking should be of little concern because the deer typically drop in sight, or not far away. Blood trails are easy to follow in a light rain situation for longer than you may think. Heavier rain is a different matter, better to catch up on your sleep.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I like you dont hunt in the rain... The way I look at it... Yep, its probably cost me deer. You cant harvest a deer sitting on your couch at home... But then again, I have never lost a deer that I couldn't track because I lost the blood trail in the rain.

[bigbucks]

I've got to agree with DonBo. I think you'd have to cut down your range a little, but the deer move in those conditions. I've often gone out in those conditions & had it quit. I've also gone out & it got too heavy, so I got down & went it. It's a feast or famine crapshoot kind of a hunt, you just have to kind of play it by ear. It takes a fair amount of rain to wash a good blood trail out.

[BLACKJACK]

I won't bow hunt in the rain, I've seen too many blood trails that are just splatters of blood, they're hard enough to follow without rain washing them out. You owe it to the animals to do your best at recovering them.

This fall is unusual, the every other day rain will soon pass.

I do agree that deer do move in the rain, but right before or right after a big storm front is even an even better time to be out, in my opinion.

[HootTooten]

You got it BlackJack.

I think deer do move in the rain and snow. However that being said I think as soon the precip. stops is when the deer REALY start to move. You wont be able to get ready and out to the stand in time to catch them during this time. One has to sit through the conditions and when it stops get ready and stay still IT'S GO TIME.

[DonBo]

Quote:

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I've seen too many blood trails that are just splatters of blood, they're hard enough to follow without rain washing them out.

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IMO a bit of moisture actually helps small splatters of blood expand to be MORE visable. I am not saying rain helps you follow a blood trail because obviously there are different degrees of rain, but the point is, light rain or drizzle would not be the end of a good blood trail.

Keep your shots short and true, just be there.