Whitetail Hunting in the Rain

I won’t lie; I hate hunting in the rain. There are only three things that will make me deer hunt in the rain; peer pressure, season coming to a quick end and if I am guiding. Other than those, you can get a hold of me inside a nice dry building somewhere. One of the main reasons I hate hunting in the rain is because I wear eye glasses and I am unable to wear contact lenses most of the time. Hunters who wear eyeglasses know exactly what I am talking about, but I do know for a fact that deer hunting in the rain can be successful and I do recommend it.

First off, rain hunting is different than the most desirable hunting days and sometimes doing something different is what a hunter needs to do for not only a chance at success, but to break up tired routines.

For the most part, it is a commonly accepted knowledge that most deer hole up or rest during a moderate or heavy rain. I have seen plenty of deer out feeding in the rain and I have had normal traffic near my treestand during the rain. However, the action is definitely slower and I concur that deer like to lie in cover during rain storms and a lot during normal rains. Considering this fact, still hunting is a popular flavor of hunting style and rain can be your best friend.

Rain covers scent. Everyone knows the smell of rain but what most people smell is the nitrogen in the dirt being stirred up by rain drops impacting the ground. Rain also stirs up dust and pollen.  I am not a scientist, but I like my chances when nature is naturally polluting a deer’s keen nose.  If you can neutralize a deer’s smeller even a tiny bit, I am all on board.

Rain keeps things quieter. Wet ground is nice to sneak on, but when rain drops are moving branches and leaves and making cover noise, I like that too. When every single piece of a deer’s environment is moving around due to rain, a deer has a thousand distractions which could possibly keep it from seeing the one movement that counts, you. Rain will help you be a better hunter. It will cover lazy foot placement or dumb mistakes. So, if you are like me and hate the rain, do yourself a favor and give it a try.