Ethics of bowhunting in rain?

[JPH]

It is a tough, tough question. We wait all year for this and it goes by quickly. Many of us get a mere handfull of days in the stand as it is. A deer that gets a razor sharp arrow through the pump station is going to die within a short walk from your stand.

ON THE OTHER HAND, bow hunting is a game of inches and so much of what happens is beyond our control. I have had well hit deer travel over 100 yards. Any brush pile can hide a big animal from view. A steady rain does not make a blood trail harder to follow, it destroys it! It is wrong to shoot a deer with anything but high percentage shots with a high percentage chance of a quick recovery.

My personal choice is this. I will hunt in a light drizzel or under the threat of a passing shower. Under these conditions my shot selection becomes extreemly limited. I will remain on stand during a rain shower, but I will hang my bow up and watch. I will not even bother to go out if the forecast (which I watch like a hawk) calls for sustained rain.

[JOEL]

pouring rain i pack it in otherwise i stay and only take a "perfect " shot then i listen for the crash.i get on the trail right away no 30 min wait.My recent trip it rained at some point everyday.i didnt drive and pay all that money to sit in camp

[AfterShock95]

hunting in the rain doesn't bother me I just make sure if I do take a shot its one of those shots I don't second guess and I always remember that once that arrow leaves the bow its out of my hands. I always make sure if I do take a shot in the rain the deer is in the open with no little sticks around to mess up the shot but. But like I have always said if your not sure let it walk

[msbadger]

I love hunting in a heavy misting fog...or a drizzle is OK but actual rain no...I'll sit in a rain if no thunder...and wait for it to clear...Now if rain is imminant and I get a shot ....it really has to be a shot I'm very sure about

[Legnip]

I've read all of the post so far, and I tend to agree with most everything said. I run into a similar problem when hunting in the snow belt, since we can get 3"-6" of snow in a heart beat. I've had to track deer sooner than I would have liked to, because it started to snow. Tracking in the snow is normally a great advantage, since you can follow the track even if the blood is just spotty, but even those can get covered up with the new snow.

[gunther89]

To me it seems like the deer move best on days when it is that drizzle where its real hard to see.  The deer feel more comfortable and move all day.

[dxthunter57]

ive never taken a deer in the rain either
I do think that if you have shot enough and shot often than it is the same as shooting anything else
Im not saying if u dont like to hunt in the rain than u dont practice enough im not saying that at all
yes you have to worry about yardage becuase visibilty is not as good
yes you should ALWAYS try and make a good shot on a deer
but rain is rain

[howhill1]

i shot my best buck in a lite drizzle but i agre with all who say stay home in a steady rain.  snow can be a factor as well. we lost a doe during pistol season about 6 or 7 years ago. a steady snow fall began to cover every thing we looked for a day and a half but never had any luck.

[HiddenHornsRanch]

Personally I enjoy hunting in the rain, but never have nor will I probaly consider taking a shot on a deer with a bow while its raining...complicated enough trying to make a shot when its clear sometimes and Ive heard many hunters in our area have lost very good bucks, I only know of 2 that were brought in around my area and talk to about 6 others that lost their deer in calm conditions (these guys been bow hunting many years)...One buck was a 160 class 10 pointer, and another was a 140 class 13 pointer, huge bucks for our area and proof of what antler restrictions have done for us compared to 5 years ago...when I get pics Ill post em.

[bigwisconsinbucks]

I don't like to hunt in the rain especially with a bow because of the loss of the blood trail. Just as I shot my buck this year it started to rain. It had been clear skys all day until he came in; then it started to get dark off to the west. I decided I would take the opportunity if it presented itself and it did. A light mist started after I released my arrow and soon it started to rain hard. Luckily I found my arrow with all the blood on it and a spot of blood at the last spot I saw him. Luckily as you may remember from the story I found him the next day.