Deer Movement in the Rain ? less or More?

[MUSKYMAN1011]

Do you guys Bow Hunt in the rain?

If so, have you noticed a difference in deer Movement?

Thanks in adavance

BK

[B. Amish]

Depends how hard it's raining. A light rain with little wind may have little effect. Heavier rains and stronger winds have shown me little movement. But, if it's been raining for a day or two, I love going out when it lets up. This looks like it could be the situation tomorrow.

And of course, when it's seeking time for the bucks, rain doesn't change a lot.

[MUSKYMAN1011]

Thanks for the info...do you think the Bucks are seeking does yet?

[B. Amish]

No. But that doesn't mean it can't happen at any time. Does can come into estrous early.

Generally, daytime buck activity will pick up the last 3-4 days of October.

[fishin58]

Wives tale I have been toold, that deer hate corn in the wind, because they cannot take the loud rustling and cannot not hear a predator. I think deer move more b4 the storm to get settled. The only deer I saw this weekend was when I took the last corner iin the truck (about a 1/2 mile from my stand)1 buck and 4 does ran in front of me. Dang

[MUSKYMAN1011]

When do you guys expect the corn to come out?

are they taking beans yet?

[96trigger]

The beans are getting hit pretty hard right now in SEMN. The corn will get it next as long as they are willing to run the dryers, and most are. I expect a good chunk of corn to be gone by the last week in October. Serious corn picking is about 2 weeks away yet.

[mrklean]

i love to hunt right after a rain they move more then

[Jari Razskazoff]

All i know is that when the ground is wet you cant hear those darn squirrels shufflen' around behind my tree stand making me think there are deer comin' when there really isn't.

[UdeLakeTom]

I got a nice buck during a drizzle a couple of years ago and a friend got a 10 pter when she got cabin fever and had to go out to her stand during the rain.

[BowTech03]

I think that during a lite rain big deer and small deer a like feel a little more safe with the cover noise. I have noticed that with a lite rain that they will move a little earlier in the the pm than normal.

[hartner62]

Usually if its pouring outside I will sneak around in parts that I don't have stands in as to not leave my scent all over. I think it gives us an advantage with the sound of the rain and walking on a wet quite ground rather then walking around in dry leaves. Worked for me last year.

[archerystud]

I think they move better in a light rain.

[bassNspear]

i think they lay tight when it rains!

[UMDSportsman]

How is tracking in the rain? Does anybody worry about loosing the blood trail in the rain? Never wanted to risk it, I have passed on a shot or 2 because i worried about this.

[harvey lee]

I have had good luck in a very light drizzle but I don't hunt in the harder rain. My biggest concern in the rain is the tracking of the deer as one will probably have next to no blood trail.

You should be commended for letting those deer walk as you have a high percentage chance of not finding the deer. That of course is archery hunting and as far as the gun hunting goes, yes I will then shoot as they just don't travel to far when shot well.

[slimngrizzly]

I think deer hunker down in the heavy rain. Light rain has little effect. As it comes to be mid-october now I wait for a good rain! Once the rain passes the bucks will freshen thier scrapes often immediately!!! If you know of a hot active scrape that a good buck is using, get on it while its still raining cause when it stops, this otherwise nocturnal deer will often come to reactivate it!!!

A strategy that has worked often.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I'm glad Harv chimed in. I was going to post the same as him. Deer may move just fine in rain, however, your chance of harvest goes down, tracking a blood trail in the rain is near impossible. We owe it to the animal, that if we take the shot, we do everything we can to harvest that animal. Hence I dont hunt in the rain.

If its a mist, or really light rain and you are in a thick wooded area it can stay somewhat dry and you can still track. But at that point I need the perfect shot.

[fishinmajishin]

How about scent in a light drizzle? I believe you have to watch the wind even more when the air is damp. Odors are more pronounced when wet.

[maros91]

I like to hunt in the rain. Heavy rain is a no. Deer seem to feed earlier in the day when there is a light rain. I went out Sunday night. I got to my parking spot at 4:45pm and there were 2 does already in the beans. I walked to my stand on another bean field and was in stand at 5:15 and had deer coming to the beans at 5:30. On a regular day they were coming at about 6:15 to 6:30.

[matthothand]

Deer are active enough during rain and wind but too many hunters write off those days. I have hours of footage of deer passing by my stand in the rain during shooting hours. The really heavy stuff I haven't hunted in too much and instead use the big storms to do my scouting, stand hanging, and camera related activities. I'm looking forward to more rain later this week for all of the above. I hunt in the rain because I've seen deer in the rain and killed deer in the rain. I'm comfortable with the shots I take. None of the three does I've taken so far this year have gone more than 30 yards and would've been recovered all the same if it were raining. (Thanks for the gaping holes, Rage!) You can get around quicker and quieter in the rain too. What I'm saying is it's ok to hunt in the rain.

[harvey lee]

It may be ok to hunt in the rain but one will lose deer more than not as one will have some bad hits.

[colonel42]

If (if's and but's) were fruits and nuts my what a Christmas we would have. I hunt rain or shine or in other words when ever I get a chance. I seen more deer sitting last year in Camp Ripley when it was raining then I normally ever see on stand. An umbrella was nice to have. I do have to agree about the tracking though. I know where I hunt the woods are so think it would be near impossible to find any sign of blood in the rain. Still like being out in it though. Sure would have to be a great shot presentation for me to shoot.

[icefishing21]

I shot a doe last year opening weekend in the rain. it was raining pretty good for about 2 hours and she was just walking through the woods like it wasnt even raining. good thing she only ran about 40 yards before she bedded down for her last time.

[big drift]

While I don't believe deer move in heavy rain or wind I have observed do so in light to moderate conditions. I have taken a number of deer that hide in the corn during heavy weather and managed to sneak up on them.

In rain a trick I use is after a shot that I am concerned about getting blood washed away I get out a spray bottle with hydrogen peroxide. If my trail starts to thin out or disappears I spray the area and watch for the foam and bubbles even a trace amount watered down will work as long as it is fresh the longer you wait the less effective it is.

I also look at the trees and brush but work ground up rather then looking for blood higher as the blood gets washed down.

I do not care for these blood lights under rain conditions as the blood seems to diffuse the light when the area around it is wet.

JMO