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Q:
Do you bow hunt for whitetails in the rain? If so, how heavy does the rain have to become before you pack it in? I made what I thought to be a good shot on a big doe on the first day last year in a steady drizzle. My son and I were able to take the blood trail about 30' or so and it was gone, washed away by the rain. The buzzards found her for me the next day, maybe 100 yards away in the bottom of the adjoining hollow. The entrance/exit was text book. I will probably venture out in a very light rain in the future, but not in anything heavier. I spoke with an experienced and nationally known archer at a sport show and he concurred, no more bow hunting in the rain for the same reason. Your thoughts?
Question by 007. Uploaded on March 01, 2010
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Answers (12)
I'll pack it in when it gets more then a mist. I've had the same problem before when I lost a blood trail in the rain. I just hate shooting them if I can't find them.
I don't bowhunt in the rain either. Rifle, yes, but with a bow there are just too many variables involved.
i dont bow hunt but it can be toad strangler out there and i will still head out
I hunted in the rain. but see you gota use the moon guide. had a buck at 20 yds.
I have hunted in rain in the past enough that I have sworn off sitting in the heavy stuff. I know a lot of people say that deer move in rain but I haven't seen enough of them to make it worth it.
No matter if hunting with gun or bow if I feel that conditions are making it that I would not be able to recover an animal that I have shot I then stop hunting.
I have only hunted in the rain a couple of times with bow and had the same problem but caught luck and found the doe and that has been in a good rain but since then haven't had to hunt in rain now rifle I have been out in some heavy rain hunting and didn't mind it. There is one story of turkey hunting with my dad that we hunted and it was raining and left and about 2 hours later we got a call saying that a tornado had hit the building site on the land we had just left a couple of hours ago
I will hunt in anything. I have been hunting on the same land for the past 15 years. I know the land like the back of my hand, and have a lot of faith in my tracking skills, and those of my hunting party. If the rain does completely wash away your trail, you just have to get a few good buddies and spend a long time in the circle search patterns. No one said you have to find the deer immediately, but you owe it to any shot animal to search until you cant search anymore. I would not take a questionable shot ever, but I especially make sure of my shots in the rain. I've seen quite a few deer moving in bad conditions. So I cant bring myself to stay inside, and wonder: what would I have seen if I were out there today? You will not shoot anything laying in bed or on the couch!
I will bowhunt in light rain because deer activity seems good in that weather. In heavy rain, not so much. If it's raining i may avoid areas where tracking will be difficult because of dense brush and low visibility. I only take a slam-dunk shot always
I hunt in light rain. Use Rage 2 blade broadheads. They make such a big wound the deer bleeds out in moments. Most do not make it out of my sight. There are photos on my profile page. Check them out and see for yourself. Haven't lost a solidly hit deer since making the change to Rage.
I don't bow hunt in the rain because of the difficulty in tracking. I rifle hunt in light rain but pack it in if it is a torrential downpour just because it isn't fun. I have shot deer in the rain just fine. I think you can sneak closer to them when it is wet.
I don't hunt big game in the rain for exactly the reason that got you in trouble. That and the fact that it's miserable. I do hunt waterfowl in the rain but the dogs don't seem to have much trouble finding the birds.
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I'll pack it in when it gets more then a mist. I've had the same problem before when I lost a blood trail in the rain. I just hate shooting them if I can't find them.
I don't bowhunt in the rain either. Rifle, yes, but with a bow there are just too many variables involved.
i dont bow hunt but it can be toad strangler out there and i will still head out
I have hunted in rain in the past enough that I have sworn off sitting in the heavy stuff. I know a lot of people say that deer move in rain but I haven't seen enough of them to make it worth it.
I will hunt in anything. I have been hunting on the same land for the past 15 years. I know the land like the back of my hand, and have a lot of faith in my tracking skills, and those of my hunting party. If the rain does completely wash away your trail, you just have to get a few good buddies and spend a long time in the circle search patterns. No one said you have to find the deer immediately, but you owe it to any shot animal to search until you cant search anymore. I would not take a questionable shot ever, but I especially make sure of my shots in the rain. I've seen quite a few deer moving in bad conditions. So I cant bring myself to stay inside, and wonder: what would I have seen if I were out there today? You will not shoot anything laying in bed or on the couch!
No matter if hunting with gun or bow if I feel that conditions are making it that I would not be able to recover an animal that I have shot I then stop hunting.
I have only hunted in the rain a couple of times with bow and had the same problem but caught luck and found the doe and that has been in a good rain but since then haven't had to hunt in rain now rifle I have been out in some heavy rain hunting and didn't mind it. There is one story of turkey hunting with my dad that we hunted and it was raining and left and about 2 hours later we got a call saying that a tornado had hit the building site on the land we had just left a couple of hours ago
I will bowhunt in light rain because deer activity seems good in that weather. In heavy rain, not so much. If it's raining i may avoid areas where tracking will be difficult because of dense brush and low visibility. I only take a slam-dunk shot always
I hunt in light rain. Use Rage 2 blade broadheads. They make such a big wound the deer bleeds out in moments. Most do not make it out of my sight. There are photos on my profile page. Check them out and see for yourself. Haven't lost a solidly hit deer since making the change to Rage.
I don't bow hunt in the rain because of the difficulty in tracking. I rifle hunt in light rain but pack it in if it is a torrential downpour just because it isn't fun. I have shot deer in the rain just fine. I think you can sneak closer to them when it is wet.
I don't hunt big game in the rain for exactly the reason that got you in trouble. That and the fact that it's miserable. I do hunt waterfowl in the rain but the dogs don't seem to have much trouble finding the birds.
I hunted in the rain. but see you gota use the moon guide. had a buck at 20 yds.
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