Rain!

[iccyman001]

Lets talk rain.

My unit has been having lots of rain since March and I have a feeling that I will be chasing them in some wet weather.
So my question is what tactics will be changing or what should stay the same?


From the get go I am thinking I may not be worrying about my waterhole as much.
I\'ll leave my camera over it in case they still hit it, but there are LOTS of pockets where water can form up after a good rain that is much easier for the elk to hit verse hitting my hole.

One thing I know is I will not sit out during the rain, I will use it to my advantage.
I\'m thinking this will really bring out the spot and stalk timing.

Rain to cover my noise, rain to cover my scent, and lots of mud to crawl around in to get closer. (Gary, Francis, and Tim know my obsession about crawling)

I can also be aggressive with the rain. Give me an elk in sight and some heavy rain, and I\'ll probably sprint right up to shooting distance :upthumb:





Id just like to hear what you guys may do different or the same.
I could just be overthinking this and I just need to hunt, but any rain experience stories or tips are much appreciated. :upthumb: :wave:

 

[mtnmutt]

Don\'t do what I did in mid-September 2013 during the 1000 year flooding rains...call. Yeah, I did not know better. There were NO hunters hunting and I was out there in the rain and yes, calling. Later, I found out that this was stupid...calling in the rain. If I had known better, I would have had a great opportunity because...did I mention that over that weekend there were NO other hunters to be seen. At least I learned that I could handle hunting in the rain. I kept drawing my bow to make sure nothing (peep, etc) was clogged by raindrops.

Here are my plans for rain...ambush and/or spot and stalk. Since I have mostly thicker pine forest, there are limited places I can spot and stalk. I will setup on my trusted game trails and look more intensely for movement. It is darker during rains, so movement is harder to see.

My limited observations show a lot more movement by critters immediately after a storm blows through.

 

[huntography]

We hunted in the middle of that rain that year for a few days in a row and called in multiple Bulls.

They were pretty vocal on their own too which helped us locate them in that crazy rain/flooding.

R


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[iccyman001]

Don\'t do what I did in mid-September 2013 during the 1000 year flooding rains...call. Yeah, I did not know better. There were NO hunters hunting and I was out there in the rain and yes, calling. Later, I found out that this was stupid...calling in the rain. If I had known better, I would have had a great opportunity because...did I mention that over that weekend there were NO other hunters to be seen. At least I learned that I could handle hunting in the rain. I kept drawing my bow to make sure nothing (peep, etc) was clogged by raindrops.

Here are my plans for rain...ambush and/or spot and stalk. Since I have mostly thicker pine forest, there are limited places I can spot and stalk. I will setup on my trusted game trails and look more intensely for movement. It is darker during rains, so movement is harder to see.

My limited observations show a lot more movement by critters immediately after a storm blows through.

I\'m going to ask. Why was it bad calling in the rain? Does the rain muffle the sound? Or are you just taking away your advantage, them not knowing where you are because of the rain?

 

[iccyman001]

We hunted in the middle of that rain that year for a few days in a row and called in multiple Bulls.

They were pretty vocal on their own too which helped us locate them in that crazy rain/flooding.

R


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That\'s good to know they will still be vocal. Give me a chance to really get in on them. :upthumb:

 

[cnelk]

One thing to remember about hunting in the rain is you tend to heat up more when moving.
Even the expensive \'breatheable\' gear traps your body heat.

I like to take off any rain gear as soon or much as I can.
In 2013 during the rains, I sat in the canopy of a tree in my stand without any rain gear.

We also called in many elk that week too

 

[Hackbow]

I hunted in constant rain both in 2011 and 2013. My absolute best calling result ever was a slobbering mid-sized 5 pt that wanted to fight me bad in \'13. Too bad I completely blew the set-up and shot. Both those years I was soaked to the bone but had multiple elk encounters. I think the rain allowed me to get a little closer than when it is dry. I\'m guessing that it is mostly because it is somewhat easier to read the wind properly. I don\'t believe I am experienced enough to know what other differences one should expect.

I do know that I will be out hunting if it is raining. I only have 9 days in which I can hunt this year. If it is coming down too hard to shoot, I will either hunker down if I like the spot or take the opportunity to move to the next spot and be ready to get after them when it lets up.

 

[mtnmutt]

Hmm, people on another forum, that I won\'t mention, told me that calling in the rain wasn\'t a good tactic. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

In 2013, my hearing was far worse. I could not hear bulls bugle. Plus, the rain masked the sound of branches breaking when an elk approached. I also found it harder to see into the pine forest during heavy rains.

With one deaf ear, I will never be able to hear well in a noisy environment (restaurants and outside in the rain) or be able to pinpoint the direction of a sound. I have to rely on my sight.

I would love to spot and stalk elk. I had a blast one year doing spot and stalk on mule deer.

 

[Pop-r]

Sometimes rain very much calms vocal activity & sometimes it seems to very much ramp it up! Don\'t consider it a mistake to call because it\'s raining!

 

[mtnmutt]

I\'m going to ask. Why was it bad calling in the rain? Does the rain muffle the sound? Or are you just taking away your advantage, them not knowing where you are because of the rain?

The people on another forum told me it was a bad idea because elk stop talking. Based on the other postings here that doesn\'t appear to be true. They were vocal. It was mid-September and by all accounts, the bulls would start talking. For my area, the bulls truly start getting vocal around September 7th. I know this from last year and talking to hunters who have hunted there since the 1970s.

Those CO September 2013 rains were all days rains for multiple days in a row which is rarely seen in CO. I don\'t know if they were vocal in my area during those rains because my hearing was far worse in September 2013 than it is now. Last September (2014) was the first time I could hear a distant bugle after a successful right ear operation in January 2014.

Having hearing makes elk hunting a bit easier, especially during the rut.

 

[elkmtngear]

I think elk bugle when they bugle...rain or no rain.

That being said, I have observed cows completely ignoring my calling in light rain...like they didn\'t even hear me.

Having the SLIP System can be a real bonus on a rainy day...I can enjoy a nice dry shelter in a downpour anytime, anywhere!

Where it really became a necessity was when I hunted Southeast Alaska in 2011...It basically rained nonstop for 7 days. We spent long days slogging through muskeg and swamps in waders, with our umbrellas over our heads.

 

[Deertick]

Yeah, I hate to pile-on, but that year that it rained (2013) was the year I heard more bugling than ever (though I have no evidence to say the rain had anything to do with it -- I may have just hit the right dates.)

 

[iccyman001]

Some great information being posted.

 

[WontQuit]

So, I\'m going to tag on to this post because I love hunting in the rain. Actually, like others have said, it usually thins out the hunting crowd. That being said, I usually hunt without rain gear on and by the end of the day or rain event I am soaked to the bone. I am thinking of buying a rain coat at least .... I have heard a lot of people talk about different jackets but would like to hear recommendations and pros/cons if anyone would like to help me out. I\'m going to place a Cabela\'s order today or tomorrow....\'
Thanks in advance, Marc

 

[mtnmutt]

I have heard a lot of people talk about different jackets but would like to hear recommendations and pros/cons if anyone would like to help me out. I\'m going to place a Cabela\'s order today or tomorrow....\'
Thanks in advance, Marc

I use an 8 year old Cabela\'s Dry Plus Jacket. It kept me dry during those multi day CO rains in September 2013. It isn\'t as breathable as Gore-Tex. It has a mesh lining. It is bulkier than I prefer. Not form fitting, therefore, string slap can happen. I practice shooting with the jacket on. It does pack down into its own pocket which I do when packing in for a spike camp.

Every year, I use Niwax TX Wash-In to replenish the waterproofing.

I have experienced the early symptoms of Hypothermia. I will never go without a rain racket when rain is predicted. It also keeps me warm in cold winds or when temps drop, therefore, I generally have it with me all the time.