Rain or no rain for hunting?

I have found that it helps. Well, a light rain anyway or just after a moderate to heavy rain. It seems to me that the grass/plant foragers like deer and rabbits like the light rain and afterwards better. Maybe makes the grass fresher, crisper? I also like it because it makes my movements quieter.
 
On a game factor, I find right after a nice rain is nice. I like to go sit in a bean field right after a storm comes through, all the little groundhogs come up and about to feast when it settles. Deer on the other hand, it is always too dang cold in OH to rain when it is season.

I like to hunt during a good rain just because I find it refreshing and fun. I will be out in the middle of a storm getting a good spot so I can have fun afterwards. But, that is just me and I'm a little weird anyways.

F-C
 
I like a light rain if it isn't TOO cold out; the noise helps me sneak through the woods because it masks my shuffle. The deer don't have a lean-to to get under, so I look for them in the low pines or somewhere they can stay a little dry. The water helps keep the leaf crunching down too. Wet sticks don't make such a snap, and the noise of the rain hitting your coat can be ameliorated by wearing hush fabrics. I hate to get my gun wet, but that goes with the territory. I really prefer a light snow as it takes longer to get wet, and the flakes make it harder for the deer to spot movement. Just my humble observations after 35 years of making mistakes that keep the big boys alive. Enjoy. CB.
 
I would pay God a hansome dollar to give us some rain (or snow even better) for the Eastern WA deer season once in awhile. It's been so dry the last umpteen years that deer hunting has become impossible. I like it damp and overcast. Seems to be the ideal conditions for some reason.
 
Rain not only is ok, but it is to our advantage as noisy, stinky human beings - It dampens sounds, keeps odors down and the ground is moist and less noisy to walk on - So if you have a choice, a light rain can drastically improve your chances of a score. Remember to dress for it though - It sucks to be wet and cold!
 
I think Rain is probably the best thing that can happen after I get to my stand. It washes your scent out from where you walk to your stand.

From coon hunting with dogs, I have found that once it starts to rain, it gets very hard for a dog to pick up a trail, and if it rains hard or for very long, you might as well go home.

By washing out the human scent it seems to make deer move better if there are very many hunters in the area. Most hunters will pack up and go to the house, leaving the die hards like me, sitting in there stands with no trace of human scent in the area.
 
I have had good results hunting in a light rain. It masks your footfall, and scent. A driving rain is a different thing though, and tends to put the deer into their bedding area.
 
I like a light rain. After it stops it seems like the deer start moving. I once sat all day in rain, sleet and snow and took a buck that evening at 5PM, after I stalked it from 150 yards.
 
As mentioned, a light to moderate rain is good, provided you have good enough gear to stay dry, and you're willing to clean your gun/bow thoroughly back in camp.
 
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