If it's heavy rain, I'd wait for it to slack off. If only a light drizzle, it could be ideal to quiet your walk in. Deer are often active in light rain. Definitely do not take any marginal shots in rain though! Wait for the perfect, close in, double lungers, so you won't have to track 'em!

 

This is pretty much my thinking. Deer will move in anything except a torrential downpour. They may however not move a ton if they think their senses are impaired.

 

I've seen plenty of movement in the rain. This time of year it can be cold though so unless you're in a blind or have really great rain gear, I'd wait until the tail end of the storm to get out there. I'd hate to get wet and get so cold I needed to leave.

I shot a deer earlier this year in the rain. Waited an hour even though it was a good shot. There was absolutely zero blood trail. Took me 3 hours and some grid searching to find a deer that went 100yds in thick timber. Learned my lesson.

 

Great Guys thanks for the info I was leaning towards waiting till the tail end or waiting until it stopped. Once the rain stops how hard would it be to find a blood trail?

 

Welcome to Archerytalk

 

I love hunting in the rain. Unless it's a downpour, I'm out there. Steady all day drizzles can be dynamite. I like the very beginning of thunderstorms, too, when the wind is picking up and sky gets dark. Right before the lightning, thunder, and heavy rain close in, the deer are up and moving. The tail end immediately following a storm is good, too. Fair weather hunters get what they hunt for, butterflies & sunshine.

True story & cautionary tale. I shot my first mature buck of this season in late August. He was a 10pt in velvet, coming out to the beans for one quick bite before the looming storm hit. Otherwise he was almost exclusively nocturnal. I could hear thunder approaching and the wind was swaying my tree. It was time to climb down & take cover, then he walked 15yds under my stand & stood broadside still at field edge. Of course I took the shot. It was a perfect hit in the pumper and he was down immediately, no trailing needed. I climbed down and when I grabbed the fence to step over it, lightning hit somewhere on the line. It burnt my hand & leg, blew the bow from my other hand, and arced about 6ft to my brother who wasn't even near the fence. I immediately knew what happened but my entire body was numb & tingled and I couldn't move. It was like buck fever but 100x worse, and painful. Luckily it just stunned me and I was able to get my buck home without myself dying. His velvet unfortunately got ruined in the rain and his crash. That evening my wife asked what was wrong with my face. I looked in the mirror and had a severe case of welders burn.

Point of the story is deer move very well in rain and on the edge of thunderstorms, but be very careful or you might be the one getting smoked.

 

If it’s raining, I’d be more amped to be in stand (unless its a toad floater)

 

Had to read twice. Busted out laughing a "turd floater", then reread and seen "toad floater". Still funny but I like "turd floater" better.

 

it's got to rain pretty hard before they stop moving. i've seen plenty of deer out in a field , feeding in a rain that was hard enough that i wouldn't want to be out in for any reason. hardest part is staying dry and warm. deer still move, they still get hungry and if you can stay out in it, it's a good time to because the rain will mask your noise and movement,

 

"Definitely do not take any marginal shots in rain though! Wait for the perfect, close in, double lungers, so you won't have to track 'em!"

Never understood this idea. So if it's not raining I can take all the marginal shots I want?

Deer certainly move in the rain. I personally do not hunt in the rain because of the increased chances of losing a deer, even one hit fatally. Other hunters have obviously had great success in the rain. It's a personal choice, like just about everything else we do in hunting.

 

I personally do not hunt in the rain because of the increased chances of losing a deer, even one hit fatally.

My favorite thing about hunting in the rain, besides the fact that big bucks are comfortable moving the rain, is that I've never once had a deer jump the string or wind me. Odd as it seems, the rain kind of makes shooting them easier.

 

I sat in the rain all day on Wednesday. Saw the biggest buck of my life at 10, which was when the rain calmed down a little but not long after a down pour and another big one at 3:30 during some of the hardest rain all day.

I'd encourage you to hunt the whole day regardless of how hard it is raining.

 

Rain rocks!!

 

A slight rain is always good, lots of movement usually. If it’s a down pour then I would pass even though I have hunted in it

 

Hard rain and strong winds slow the deer movement. Lighter rain with less wind and we see the deer in the field in front of our house quite often. Turkeys too.
I would prefer a blind on rainy days, just my preference. I hit the tree stands toward the end of the storm. If you are lucky enough to get a deer, make a good shot, because the blood trails will be hard to find, unless you have a good dog to help. We hunt on our property, so after a shot, I head back to the house, chill out and go back with my dog. If it is dead she will find it within a couple of minutes. She has never failed me.
My favorite time to hunt is in a heavy fog. I hunted caribou in very thick fog, sat on a big rock and turned my camo inside out. I had a caribou about 10 yds away.

 

I try not to hunt in the rain.
I will get out before the rain ends so I am there when it does. The longer the rain the better the movement right after the rain.
I don't like the rain because it can be dangerous to be in a stand (slipping) blood can be washed away. Plus after 35 plus years of hunting I am not that mad at any deer to be out in that.

 

I try not to hunt in the rain.
I will get out before the rain ends so I am there when it does. The longer the rain the better the movement right after the rain.
I don't like the rain because it can be dangerous to be in a stand (slipping) blood can be washed away. Plus after 35 plus years of hunting I am not that mad at any deer to be out in that.

The point about the slipping is a good one to reinforce. Tree Stand ladders/steps can be slippery in the rain.

 

I love hunting in the adverse conditions. First the deer will slow up a bit but have seen many deer over the years in the rain. Second other people will usually not hunt in the rain so its a great time to be out alone in public areas.

Although a blizzard will shut them down.....that is hard to hunt. BUT the 24-36 hours after a blizzard I have round they are super active so its a great time to hunt. Fresh snow is always awesome too.

 

Thank you everyone. I think I will go out in it unless it is a downpour who knows what might happen.