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Hunting in the rain

Matthewfox_45

Matthewfox_45

Well-Known Member
I’m hunting this weekend and it’s going to be rainy. How much does the rain affect your scent dispersal. I have a blind I can sit in, but with east south east winds, it would be less then ideal. Being relatively dry is a huge perk, but I don’t want to f everything up with bad winds. Just curious if anyone has experience with this situation. Thanks!
 
Matthewfox_45 said:
I’m hunting this weekend and it’s going to be rainy. How much does the rain affect your scent dispersal. I have a blind I can sit in, but with east south east winds, it would be less then ideal. Being relatively dry is a huge perk, but I don’t want to f everything up with bad winds. Just curious if anyone has experience with this situation. Thanks!
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I’m headed out tomorrow and I’ll be taking my turkey blind just in case the rain is prolonged Friday. I’ve hunted in the rain many times and have never worried about my scent or messing up a area. I don’t like to sit in the house during the rut no pain no gain! Thanks for the thread and idea
 
They are talking anywhere from 1.5-3.5 in my neck of the woods all day Friday and through Saturday morning. You can bet the moment that rain is just about out of the area I will be heading out. I’ve hunted in the rain- just not downpours. I struggle enough tracking (color blind) that I don’t need any extra added complications.
 
I've had good luck in light rains, but not steady heavy rain, I still try to play the wind. I am going back to work Friday instead of burning a vacation day. I've always done better on the front and back end of rain events, so Saturday after the rain lets up should be excellent.

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Interesting topic. I've always heard that wetness enhances smell for them (and dogs) but then again hear how it washes scent away. I'd imagine it would suppress it from moving very far but if the wind is whipping through still could go a ways. I can't say I ever hunted in a steady heavy all day downpour so am interested to hear from others. Some of my best hunts with seemingly all the mature deer in my area on their feet in daylight has been during rut in between breaks in heavy rain and treated the wind like I would normally.
 
Heavy rain sucks, no matter how you hunt it. Medium rain can be tolerable, but it depends on the wind and temps. Mid rut, as long as it's not an absolute soaker, the temps aren't hovering around 32, and the winds aren't howling, I'm out in it. Personally, I LOVE being mobile on the ground in rain and directly following rain during the rut. The leaves aren't crunchy and the deer tend to hold a little tighter. I just move really slowly and look everything over very well before progressing. Mid rut, bucks will actually come into you to check you out if they see movement or hear footsteps. I also like to sit in trees directly following rain, but man it can really suck to sit out in the open while the rain is falling and the wind is blowing. It's made for some pretty miserable sits for me in the past.
 
As for scent, I think rain helps knock it out of the air. Fog, or high humidity does the opposite though. IMO. Just like how bird dogs aren't able to scent birds as well in super dry conditions. The moisture helps bind to and hold the scent molecules.
 
I personally am past the point in my hunting career where I am likely to sit out in a treestand in a heavy rain, but I have done so various times in the past. IMMEDIATELY after the rain stops though can be dynamite. Especially if it has been dry leading up to a big rain. I think the urge for bucks to scrape "cooperative" (wet) ground is so strong that they really get after it running their scrapes after the rain subsides, even more so if it has been dry enough to make scraping difficult.

You may then want to be out just prior to the end of the rain so you are situated for that possibility. The timing of this rain, 11/4 and 11/5, cannot be better in terms of the bucks being jacked up just prior to active breeding IMO.

If a guy was really committed to hunting in the rain though, I recommend using a treestand umbrella. I can't think of something that seems more like a gimmick but is really useful and effective in the right situation. If it is also really windy though...that is problematic, as the umbrella usually loses that fight. But a steady downpour...that umbrella is the bomb.
 
I'm with Daver. When I was younger I would have sat in it. Mostly for me, thinking of tracking a buck after the rain washes all of the blood away doesn't sound fun. I have Friday off, but will probably wait until Sunday morning to get out and try to capitalize on movement. I have 2 enclosed blinds that I could use to avoid sitting in the rain, but I'm waiting.
 
It will help a guy sneak into his stand a little easier on Saturday and Sunday...I will be hunting near Cainsville Missouri and they are expecting 2 inches of rain.

After getting barely an inch in a month and half! My strategy of sitting near a pond just went out the window!
 
One of my best bucks was within 30 minutes after the rain passed through 1 morning. Went to town, ate breakfast, got dressed in the camper, and when the rain started to lighten up booked it to the stand. He came through like a madman quickly after that.

Community and hot scrapes are also a strategy I like right after a rain. During this time of the year, they will move in there to freshen 'em up.

At the end of the day, I do prefer a 30.2 pressure and blue sky's :)
 
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