Hunting in the Rain

Heavy Rain. Sure, it’s great for the water bird hunter, but what about the whitetail deer hunter? When the rain does indeed drum against the windowpane, isn’t the hunter better off inside? The answer is yes and no.

Rain and deer activity

A whitetail’s routine is affected little by light rain. However, weather can change where that routine takes place. Here, we’ve separated these possible changes into two categories — sensory changes and bedding or cover changes.

It’s no secret deer rely on their senses of smell and hearing as top lines of defense. Rain can influence both. Swirling clouds of scent molecules, both good and bad, can be rain-washed from the air, making it difficult for deer to smell that which their nose would have otherwise known. The steady pitter-patter of rain on the leaves also fills a deer’s ears with aural clutter (potentially predator-disguising clutter).

Deer recognize these situations and will often attempt to compensate by increasing the emphasis placed upon the third sense — sight. How? Through heightened visual awareness, which is something the animal can accomplish easily by frequenting areas which offer extended fields of vision. Hidden meadows, field edges or power line right-of-ways are three examples. Simply put, go to where deer can see, and you’ll see deer.

Rain can also affect where deer bed both for the night and in the short-term. Typically, light rains will see little or no change in bedding location. However, heavy rains will often push animals into more protective nighttime cover. Weather can also influence where daytime deer can be found, topographically speaking, particularly in very open or vast terrains. Often accompanied by wind, rain can mean a move toward the leeward side of any geographic change in the landscape, be it as slight as a low timbered ridge or as severe as the slope of a 200-foot canyon. Experience can reveal such rainy-day hiding spots. However, these locations can also be revealed with the help of high-definition mapping software or on-line satellite imagery.

Comfort is key while hunting deer in the rain

Given today’s technologically advanced clothing, footwear and accessories, there’s no reason for the rainy day hunter to be anything but comfortable. Comfort in the rain is all about being prepared; however, comfort doesn’t only mean staying warm and dry on stand. Comfort also means being confident with each and every piece of your hunting equipment — shotgun, rifle, muzzleloader, bow, boots, gloves, hat, jacket, etc.

Rainy Day Deer Hunting Strategies

Rainy day strategies are an individualized thing with tactics that are dependent on the whole of the hunt itself. However, there are guidelines whitetail hunters might consider when anticipating a soggy outing.

• Light rain or drizzle: No change in tactics. In most cases, a light rain has little effect on animal movement. True, normal activities such as feeding might be delayed slightly or, as is often the case on cloudy days, the crepuscular (dawn and dusk) movements might be extended into late morning or early evening. However, either or both changes can been seen as advantageous.
• Moderate rain: A moderate rain calls for some improvisation. Try still-hunting. Cornfields are excellent candidates for such tactics. Reverting pastures, too, especially those with multiflora rose or blackberry thickets are another good choice, as are field edges, pine stands and clearcuts. Where possible, spot-and-stalk can be effective. But it’s important to remember when still-hunting, it’s the eyes and not the legs that spell success.
• Heavy rain: Most hunters will wait a heavy rain out. During such toad soakers, every living thing with a brain stem seeks some sort of shelter, as should you. The drying out period following a rain, however, can prove productive as animals resume normal activities.