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Deer movement in the rain?

Bowkills

Well-Known Member
2,577
85
Nw oh
Just googled it and didn't find my answer. Why do I see many more deer on their feet during a normal to light rain event reguardless of time of day....net says they'll stand up to shake off but seems they r out all over when they usually wouldn't be. Just wondering y it's above normal for times of day they'd be bedded...
 

Strizzi

Junior Member
308
65
Disclaimer this might be bullshit: I was always told they are more active during light rain because they can’t hear predators as well due to the wet ground and light rain won’t deter predators like a heavy rain/storm would.
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
Nothing worse than loosing a blood trail due to the rain, it doesn't stop them from moving.
First hunt of 2015’ i was introducing my old man to the property I hunt. I told him I was going to put the rain in my face and stalk in to this bucks bed and kill him. I did the stalk, it was a different buck and not the one I was after. I couldn’t bring myself to spend my buck tag on the first hunt and not kill the ONE I was after. Dad didn’t believe me, so I drove up the road and the buck was still out feeding 30 yards in front of the tree I snuck into. The same tree I told him I was going to. He called me all kinds of names! Lol. I ended up eating my tag that year and have never trophy hunted since. Lesson learned! Meat eater
 
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Maxxis31

Junior Member
738
53
Deer wood's
Haha, sometimes those lessons only teach us that you don't pass on something the first day that you would take on the last, firm believer, meat eater !!
 
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Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
Someone posted a study on here a while back that had some pretty interesting data on buck movement in wind and rain. I'll see if I can't find it but the basic principal was mature bucks moved more in a light rain than they did on nice days. And there was an uptick in movement when winds reached a sustained 7mph and that movement increased up to like 17mph. It wasn't until 18+ mph winds did they drop off with movement. And they barely moved at all when winds were below 3mph. These were wild GPS collared bucks.
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
Someone posted a study on here a while back that had some pretty interesting data on buck movement in wind and rain. I'll see if I can't find it but the basic principal was mature bucks moved more in a light rain than they did on nice days. And there was an uptick in movement when winds reached a sustained 7mph and that movement increased up to like 17mph. It wasn't until 18+ mph winds did they drop off with movement. And they barely moved at all when winds were below 3mph. These were wild GPS collared bucks.
I think it was @cspot
 

OhioWhiteTails

Senior Member
Supporting Member
8,482
191
Flatlands
My thoughts on this is that it messes with their ability to hear and also smell (to some extent). What I don't understand, is that they move very naturally, not skiddish and on high alert like they do on windy days.

I've had some really good encounters during a light rain.
 

Redhunter1012

Senior Member
Supporting Member
I was under the impression that light rain masked smell and sound, so they preferred to atleast be up to see.

I see quite a few deer up and moving in the ooen ag fields on high wind days. Same principle, they can atleast see danger
 

Bigcountry40

Member
4,555
127
I was under the impression that light rain masked smell and sound, so they preferred to atleast be up to see.

I see quite a few deer up and moving in the ooen ag fields on high wind days. Same principle, they can atleast see danger
Where we live its always windy ;), in Northwest Ohio the deer hunting was so fragile as it is, I never really messed around with if it was blowing hard or raining much.
 

Bigcountry40

Member
4,555
127
I always try to hunt or fish right before a big storm is coming in and have had great success seeing lots of deer and catching fish.
 

Fletch

Senior Member
Supporting Member
6,078
118
I never see any deer in the rain.... But then again, I never go out in the rain... Main purpose of being outside hunting is to enjoy myself... Getting wet and cold is not my idea of enjoyment...
 

Sgt Fury

Sgt. Spellchecker
I’ve noticed deer tend to move more in a light rain...also lots of movement right after a big storm ends. As far as wind, anything over 15 mph really hampers good deer movement...anything over 20 mph, I won’t waste my time and will find something else to do.