still hunting in the rain

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still hunting in the rain

Unread postby Sticky » Wed Nov 30, 2016 3:34 pm

its is supposed to be a rainy few days in upstate sc so I was going to still hunt any good tactic to keep in mind while still hunting will be appreciated


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Re: still hunting in the rain

Unread postby mauser06 » Wed Nov 30, 2016 3:52 pm

I'm by no means a pro or expert. Actually probably pretty lousy at it lol.


Go slow. If you think you are going slow go even slower. It's almost painful.


In hill country I like to follow the top 1/3 I like to stay above that but below the crest of the hill. I try to stay above the deer. Try to use the terrain to your advantage and keep the wind and thermals in mind.

After that I try to focus on transition edges. Here it's hardwoods/hemlock or hardwoods/Laurel or Laurel/rhododendron or timber/cut.


A good rainy day is nice. Just watch your movement...I find myself moving much quicker because I can walk so quietly and they see me long before I see them and I get to see tails.


I did OK today..I could have dropped 4 doe. I had 2 more sightings..1 I couldn't ID and could have killed but never seen its head though I'm 90% sure was a decent buck. The other I had dead in my scope but couldn't see a rack due to the sun. As he took off I'm 90% sure he did have a decent rack on his head..I couldn't be sure and didn't have another good shot opportunity.

It's a form of hunting I enjoy and am making efforts to get better at.

Good luck!!

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Re: still hunting in the rain

Unread postby Sticky » Wed Nov 30, 2016 4:07 pm

thanks and I will keep these things in mind
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Re: still hunting in the rain

Unread postby dagger » Wed Nov 30, 2016 4:14 pm

Sticky I would say your best bet would be to rent a hayburner and ride that sucker all over the ridgetop and on the leeward side of the ridge. You could probably ride right up to a buck on a steed because it has 4 legs. I've often wanted to try this but don't know anyone with a nag. Just make sure the hayburner is not gun shy or you could end up in the abyss! Lmao

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Re: still hunting in the rain

Unread postby Sticky » Wed Nov 30, 2016 4:21 pm

dagger I hear you there I have accuse to hay burners to I should try that tjhis coming Saturday with my buddy I did it while I was a resident of Culbertson Montana and we rode right up on I few huge mule bucks
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Re: still hunting in the rain

Unread postby dan » Wed Nov 30, 2016 9:48 pm

You gotta know when to go slow, and when to cover ground... Slow thru unproductive territory burns time.
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Re: still hunting in the rain

Unread postby muddy » Thu Dec 01, 2016 12:46 am

I've had excellent success getting up close to big deer still hunting, but only in high winds and during the rut. As stated, go slower than slow, agonizingly slow, so slow it drives you mad... then go slower. Spend more time looking thru your binoculars over your naked eye. Look for deer parts... ears, antler tines, tail flicks, etc. Good luck, its fun and addictive once you figure it out.

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Re: still hunting in the rain

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Thu Dec 01, 2016 1:17 am

Top of ridges looking over carefully...

Stalk perpendicular to the wind (cross wind) and keep looking down the leeward ridge and diagonally in front of you as well.
You need to be looking way, way ahead of you, like +80 yards or more...
And go slow, have slow head and hand movements and utilize trees if possible to shadow your profile when you stop to glass.
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Re: still hunting in the rain

Unread postby dagger » Thu Dec 01, 2016 12:32 pm

How'd you make out sticky?

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Re: still hunting in the rain

Unread postby tgreeno » Thu Dec 01, 2016 2:45 pm

I rarely stalk deer with a bow. I've always thought it would be close to impossible to get a shot opportunity. Alot of the areas I hunt are so thick at ground level that it would be tough to slip an arrow thru. I may be missing the boat?

Have any of you actually had success killing a mature buck by stalking up on him?
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Re: still hunting in the rain

Unread postby dagger » Thu Dec 01, 2016 3:11 pm

I have come very close, if I had been by myself that buck would have died. It was pouring rain and I was still hunting in super thick woods that had logging roads going thru it and I walked within 40 yards of a giant.
I was walking down one road and glanced down the other to my right and saw him standing there facing away from me so I quickly stepped back behind some hemlocks and came to full draw.
My buddy was 20 yds in front of me and he turned around and noticed me at full draw so he came back to see what was happening and he was in the wide open with a black and white suit on because that was his only rain gear.
The buck took one look back, then another and then he bolted.
Had I been by myself that boy would have been mine.

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Re: still hunting in the rain

Unread postby dagger » Thu Dec 01, 2016 3:11 pm

I have come very close, if I had been by myself that buck would have died. It was pouring rain and I was still hunting in super thick woods that had logging roads going thru it and I walked within 40 yards of a giant.
I was walking down one road and glanced down the other to my right and saw him standing there facing away from me so I quickly stepped back behind some hemlocks and came to full draw.
My buddy was 20 yds in front of me and he turned around and noticed me at full draw so he came back to see what was happening and he was in the wide open with a black and white suit on because that was his only rain gear.
The buck took one look back, then another and then he bolted.
Had I been by myself that boy would have been mine.

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Re: still hunting in the rain

Unread postby mauser06 » Thu Dec 01, 2016 3:17 pm

I've not done much with the bow. But after this year ground hu ting and doing some still hunting is in my future. I've taken a coyote and a longbeard on the ground without a blind. The long beard was truly spot and stalk. The coyote I spotted as I was hanging my setup so I climbed back down and shot him when he came in.

I thought it'd be a waste of time but really opened my eyes...use your cover. Camo...move when you can make the move.


Also this year in Michigan i did come up on another coyote. I hit full draw and had it pretty much killed. I remembered I didn't have a license to kill it and cried when I couldn't let the arrow go.


Definitely possible to still hunt with a bow..

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Re: still hunting in the rain

Unread postby Sam Ubl » Fri Dec 02, 2016 4:01 am

dan wrote:You gotta know when to go slow, and when to cover ground... Slow thru unproductive territory burns time.


Dan nailed this one, but I'll build off his point a little.

Rain opens your eyes to truly fresh sign, versus, what you may have otherwise mistaken as "fresh" had it been dry. For example, scrapes get smoothed over with rain, so when you come across several scrapes with hoof prints and drags through it, you can bet it must have happened recently - very recently. This is prime example of a time a guy might consider slowing down, and potentially even sitting tight for a little while to observe and listen.

Rain is uncomfortable to hunt through, but it makes the woods quiet for sneaking around, but sneaking around goes both ways - for the hunter AND the deer. Fresh sign and typical spots you might think a deer would be covered up in, like a finger jutting out on a ridge, especially those primo fingers with cedars on them, are when you want to pick your steps carefully and slow down. Otherwise, if you can see through an expansive area, those are the types of terrain I will pick up the pace a little unless I see something on my way through that tells me to stop or slow down.
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