Hunting in the rain

[Marc]

I do not like hunting in the rain, primarily due to the physical comfort and extra work of cleaning my gear.  But I actually believe I have had a higher percentage of success hunting in the rain...  Especially intermittent rain...

I look for areas of cover that provide protection adjacent to areas of clearing where the birds can stand and dry off when it is not raining.

The toms at this time of year are fairly pre-occupied with sex, and probably similar to humans, conditions have to be just right for the females to want to engage....  This is probably to our advantage...

Birds are far less vocal in the rain, but often, if I can drum up a gobble, eventually a bird works in...  Many times I get that initial gobble, and then birds come in quietly sometime later.  If I get a gobble, I generally stay put in the rain, unless I feel there is a strong tactical advantage in moving.

If I do get a gobble, I settle in, and start some periodic lonely yelps and clucks (nothing aggressive)...  And wait patiently...  Almost always in the rain, those birds just seem to appear, and generally quietly.  All the sudden, I wake up from my daydream, and there is a tom...

I am not a fan of blinds, but hunting in the rain is one of those times that I would consider it...  Biggest reason being, is that sitting still for that long with no knowledge of a bird close at hand, I am more likely to move and run off a bird I did not even know was there.

Often times the birds show up during the breaks in the rain...  When it slows down or stops for a bit, is when I become more attentive...  As soon as it stops, I throw out a couple yelps, and then some periodic contented clucks or purrs...  Periodic, as in every 5 minutes or so (which when I am hunting seems like a heck of a long time to NOT call).

It seems to me that in the rain, a tom will more actively seek out a hen, rather than waiting for a hen to come to him, which gives us the advantage...  The fact that they do so quietly is the downside...

[OldSchool]

I like to hunt fields anyway, but especially when It's raining. Rain and the wind that often comes with it, cuts down on how far I can hear birds if they're even gobbling to begin with, and out in the open I can see exactly where the birds are. I can try to call them, back away and circle to get into a better position, whatever.

My ears aren't what they used to be, and when you throw in some rain and wind it makes it tough for me to hear much else. Unless I hear a bird gobble I can set up in the woods in known turkey areas and basically blind call, or I can set up along a field in known turkey areas and see what's going on around me for a good distance. I guess I feel like I'm more in control of the situation when I'm someplace where I can see. If nothing else, at least I'll usually get to see some birds that I probably wouldn't have scanning a 30 yard circle around me in the woods.

Bob

[WyoHunter]

I killed my first gobbler in the rain because he gobbled at the thunder. He came to the call in a hurry. A few years later I shot another bird while it was raining. I'm a lot older now and generally don't hunt when it's raining. I'll venture out while it's misting occasionally but never in a good rain. 

[MK M GOBL]

I use a blind in the rain and setup on a field with a DSD decoy or 2. These boys put on a show in a complete downpour!

MK M GOBL

[fredw]

Hunting in the rain can be very productive.  I prefer fields and, if I don't have access to a blind, will use of the tree umbrellas.

[g8rvet]

Tree umbrella user here too.  Love that thing.  I head to a field and set up and call sparingly.  Love those days when it spits and stops.  Killed several birds, most of whom came in quiet.  I killed one a couple years ago late in the afternoon, about 2 hours after it had mostly stopped.  I had not heard anything and was bored to tears.  had my phone out playing around on it and he came in quiet.  Made it to about 6 steps from me. He just angled away and I set the phone down and picked the gun up SLLLOOOOWWWWWLLLLLLYYYYYYY and shot him after a cluck at about 15 yards.  tagged me out that year.  The only reason I knew that this bird was there was because I had found fresh strut marks.  I had killed the Big Dog about a month earlier and this bird never gobbled, at least when I was there. 

[Farmboy27]

I don't enjoy it at all.  but, I have had great luck over the years on rainy days so I still hunt in it.  Kinda like buying a diamond for your wife,  its no fun and even hurts a bit, but the results can be epic!!!!

[surehuntsalot]

I don't hunt in the rain anymore, if I'm out hunting and a storm comes up then I will head to one of my shooting houses and wait it out, but just sitting in the rain, don't hunt nothing in the rain.

[fallhnt]

Birds are out in all kinds of weather. You wont kill em' at home or in camp. Use your scouting and set up in fields and wait. Or if you want to start near a roost ,maybe you can get it done and get with a bird before you get to wet. I always say," The forecast calls for turkey pain."

[stinkpickle]

There's no better time than when the rain finally stops and sun peaks out.

[Farmboy27]

Like I said, I don't like hunting in the rain but the birds are still out there.  They don't have warm, dry houses to sit in so they're out there doing what turkeys do.  If I had everyday of season to hunt I might skip the rainy days.  But I don't so I hunt every chance I can, rain or shine.