Few people actually enjoy bowhunting in the rain. It can be uncomfortable, especially if you’re not dressed for the weather. But it’s a short season, and if your hunting time is limited, you may need to hunt in inclement weather. Here are some adjustments you’ll need to make to bowhunt in the rain.
Obviously, the first thing that comes to mind when talking about bowhunting in the rain is having a blood trail wash away, which could result in an unrecovered animal. Realize that losing a blood trail is a real possibility. This isn’t to say that under normal hunting conditions you should take poor shots, but if you can’t rely on a blood trail, you should only take very high-percentage shots so the animal goes down quickly.
My friend Aaron Opsteen said during rainy weather, he takes only chip shots and prefers to hunt where he has greater visibility.
“I tend to be cautious with my shots,” he said. “You will probably lose blood. Take high-percentage shots. I tend to pick stands with better visibility to watch the deer after the shot. If you can see 100-plus yards, you’ll watch most deer tip over.”
If the deer doesn’t go down quickly, you’ve got a judgment call to make. If you push the deer, it will travel farther. If you leave the track, the blood trail might be washed away by the time you return, but hopefully the deer beds and doesn’t move far. Even if you lose blood, you may be able to find tracks or do circles in the direction the deer was moving.
These days, with tracking dogs and drone recovery services, finding a deer with little or no blood trail is a bit easier, but you should still take only high-percentage shots, whether it’s raining or not, and use these resources only as a last resort.
But it’s not all about the blood trail. There are other factors to consider. Deer usually move OK during a light rain, so it’s worth hunting. However, they’re not likely to be on their feet in a real downpour. If you’ve got a cold front and the rain is just ending, deer may be eager to get up and move or feed. The tail end of a rain event can be a great time for deer activity.
With good rain gear, you can endure your time on stand. You’ll need rain gear that keeps out water without being noisy like rubber or vinyl. Waterproof, breathable fabrics like Gore-Tex keep the rain out but allow moisture to escape so you don’t sweat. You’ll want a quiet fabric, which is sometimes a bit of a trade-off over total waterproofness, but specialty bowhunting rainsuits have a good balance of keeping you silent and dry.
One option is to hunt under evergreen branches, creating an umbrella effect. Or forgo the treestand and sit in the comfort of a pop-up blind.
In addition to a billed cap, you may want to wear your hood. A three-piece hood is a feature that’s easy to overlook, but when it’s time to wear it, it makes turning your head easier than a standard two-piece hood and results in less visibility loss. Hoods do sacrifice some visibility. And they may alter your anchor point, so practice shooting with a hood.
Rain silences movement as well, both yours and your quarry’s. You can get away with a little more noise, but you also may have a deer sneak up on you.
Another thing to consider is that metal steps and treestand platforms can get slick in the rain, so be extra cautious when climbing and descending or even just standing on your platform. For this reason, again, a pop-up blind is a great choice for hunting in the rain.
Don’t let a little rain “dampen” your bowhunting experience. Dress for the weather, take high-percentage shots and use a little caution. You may be surprised how willing deer are to move in a little rain.
