MarlinSlayer
Well-Known Member
Ground blind in the woods..,drizzle fo last 4.5 hours in Carrol county…wife and daughter sitting on edge of two clearing. Am I wasting my time? Daughter saw smallish buck at 7:15, nothing since
Hunting woods in the rain
- Thread starter MarlinSlayer
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tn24
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2015
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No time hunting is wasted. Enjoy it.
I never consider being in or on stand a waste of time. Can't kill 'em sitting on the couch. 
Omega
Well-Known Member
Drizzle isn't too bad, I've killed a few in weather like that, they still move around. Downpours, not so much, I think they hunker down then, but you can still hunt for them then, the rain will cover the sound of your steps a bit.
After decades of hunting and thousands of trail camera pictures, I have concluded a deer could care less if it is raining or not. I have just as many pictures of deer moving in the rain as I do on clear days. I believe the myth that deer don't travel in rainy weather is a result of two factors:
1. Hunter do not like to be out in wet, cold weather so their system one in their brain creates a plausible story that deer don't like it either. This gives them plausible reason to stay in the warm, cozy house on those miserable days. If they do go hunting in these conditions once or twice and see nothing, this incorrect conclusion is reinforced and becomes a fact to them. (If your sample size is < 30, your conclusions do not have a high confidence of being factual.)
2. A much larger percentage of hunters hunt on dry days resulting in more deer seen and killed on those days thereby reinforcing the incorrect premise derived in number 1 above.
Correlation does not indicate causation.
Now I will say that my experience and trail camera data, does indicate that deer do not move as much during extremely windy conditions (winds >15-20 mph). My unscientific guess on the cause of this would be that they cant see and hear as well and feel less secure.
1. Hunter do not like to be out in wet, cold weather so their system one in their brain creates a plausible story that deer don't like it either. This gives them plausible reason to stay in the warm, cozy house on those miserable days. If they do go hunting in these conditions once or twice and see nothing, this incorrect conclusion is reinforced and becomes a fact to them. (If your sample size is < 30, your conclusions do not have a high confidence of being factual.)
2. A much larger percentage of hunters hunt on dry days resulting in more deer seen and killed on those days thereby reinforcing the incorrect premise derived in number 1 above.
Correlation does not indicate causation.
Now I will say that my experience and trail camera data, does indicate that deer do not move as much during extremely windy conditions (winds >15-20 mph). My unscientific guess on the cause of this would be that they cant see and hear as well and feel less secure.
backyardtndeer
Well-Known Member
As I was walking to the stand this morning I really thought I should have gotten my son up and took him. I really believed the drizzle here this morning would be good for movement, but I didn't see a thing down in the woods. I sat the same area where I saw several yesterday morning, just a different stand for the forecast southwest wind. They may have moved in my field this morning, but they didn't move by my cell cam, it had zero activity.
I think this afternoon could be really good and will get my son back out again. I have killed a lot of pretty decent deer on days just like this, especially when it is lightly misting. Deer seem to just show up.
I think this afternoon could be really good and will get my son back out again. I have killed a lot of pretty decent deer on days just like this, especially when it is lightly misting. Deer seem to just show up.
I've always heard from some old timers if a deer is bedded and it's raining they'll stay bedded but if their up they'll continue to feed . But with that said a hungry deer is going to move ....... some time .
Kick back, relax, and take a good nap.
This rain is a drizzle. Great weather to be in woods.
trout
Well-Known Member
IMO deer are on their feet more in the daytime with overcast skies. Light rain and light wind and cool weather are good signs to me and I am in my stand now with these conditions. Best of luck to you and your family today!
Days like today are my favorite days. I've killed several in the rain
MarlinSlayer
Well-Known Member
Well daughter saw one and passed.....wife saw zilch and so did I but we had a nice day together and that's what counts.
On intermittent drizzly days during the rut, I've seen some great action and taken quite a few deer. I won't bowhunt on those days anymore, but with a rifle or muzzloader, it's game on.
My observation has been that on overcast or even drizzly Misty days they keep moving longer in the morning. Bluebird days with that bright sunshine I believe maybe hurts their eyes and so they are going to bed by late morning at the latest
