What do deer do when it's raining?

So, after a super-busy month meaning I couldn't get out hunting at all, things quiet down… just in time for a solid week of rain. :yuush:

I haven't hunted deer that much, but I'd kinda assumed that, like goats, they'd just hole up and take shelter if the weather was unpleasant. But I've been noticing my couple of calves and the neighbours' alpaca don't seem that fazed by the rain, and have been out grazing away like nothing's different. (There's not much wind, which I assume helps.)

My question for you more experienced stalkers is, what do deer get up to in rubbish weather? Is it still worth getting out after them, and do you do anything different?

Cheers.

Not an experienced stalker, but I have some big doe eyes. I reckon deer would do what you'd do - stay warm and dry, chill out with the famdam, maybe have a sneaky shag. Walking around in the rain probably isn't high on the list :)

Not sure what they do when it's pissing down , don't really want to either . I do no when it immediately stops raining is a great time to bag one , that's the case in fiordland anyway. Me and a mate got cabin fever and went for a walk in horizontal rain sleet and snow to see a stag feeding flat out in a really exposed river flat one day . He was as happy as a pig in shit . We froze our arse off . Hinds wouldn't be that silly .

I have more success when it's raining.Your own scent is dampened quite considerably and stalking onto clearings etc from wet quieter bush certainly helps.
Not all deer like wet dripping canopy and will be quite happy out in the rain,besides they love a little dressing over their salad.
Under extreme conditions they can/will be laid up under overhangs,windfall etc,another chance to jump them and in most cases very close indeed.

Variables.
But the punga's can be a great place when it's raining real bad. This is also the time you learn how good a red dot scope is and what a waste of time a standard one is.......

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Originally Posted by Wirehunt

Variables.
But the punga's can be a great place when it's raining real bad. This is also the time you learn how good a red dot scope is and what a waste of time a standard one is.......

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Whats a red dot scope?

A modern aperture sight. Fucking fast and rain doesn't matter. Best thing to use out of a machine to ;)

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Originally Posted by Wirehunt

A modern aperture sight. Fucking fast and rain doesn't matter. Best thing to use out of a machine to ;)

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Have you used one on a shottie wire hunt ?

Na, but a mates oldman did and that was real good to use. An A5 from memory.

[QUOTE=Wirehunt;107535]A modern aperture sight. Fucking fast and rain doesn't matter. Best thing to use out of a machine to ;)[/QUOTE

:)

They carry on living as usual, but tend to drop their guard a little bit. You will often find them way out in the open on drizzley rainy days.

At the end of the day, you ain't going to see deer sitting on your couch...unless your watching a hunting DVD.

Father Christmas knows all about Rain Deer

Japs don't like rain apparently, I listened to the old wives tail and didn't hunt them in the rain. Reds on the other hand don't care

I see more deer in the rain - always on or near ferns or small clearings.

Still cant shoot the fuckers though

Chris

I thought they just moped about home, saying "I'm bored!" Oh, no. That's the Dears.

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Originally Posted by Tussock

They eat. They don't have houses. Food is what keeps them warm.

You go, can't go hunting, it's raining. Deer does not go "it's raining, better stop being a deer".

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+1, providing its not too windy - that I find they hate...cant hear the predators coming! ;)

I do a lot of my stalking in quite thick native, prefer the rainy days seem to be able to get way closer in on them. Got a spiker out grazing in the middle of the day on a drizzely/foggy day in forestry cutover a couple of years ago.

Rain dulls our senses too. I just hate big rain, drizzle is ooosh!!!!

Oh, and they love having a play in the snow.....

I defiantly see more animals bush stalking in the rain.
River flats can produce at the oddest times also like 2pm .
Unless its is really Pissing down with cold wind also then they hole up somewhere out of the rain and wind and so do i :beer:

Sent from my GT-S5360T using Tapatalk 2

Funny you say about the hares Tussock, I went out for a goat once, the heavens opened, not a goat in sight but the hares were just sitting in the middle of the paddock, I could just walk up to them and pop them pretty much point blank.

Got about 5 in one paddock, dopey as in the heavy rain.

When iwas a lad we had live capture deer mostly some goats sheep and pigs.
Any rain at all and all goats would be under the trees. Deer would be running round chasing each other and generally playing silly Buggers playing.
The deer would only go to shelter if it was really Pissing down or very windy or both

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Originally Posted by Wirehunt

A modern aperture sight. Fucking fast and rain doesn't matter. Best thing to use out of a machine to ;)

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I couldnt shoot that well with one on a rifle or shotgun when I was shooting. I even managed too loose a one, out the door while shooting:oh noes: Went bare with the shotty and used a low power scope (german 4 reticule was my fav) on the rifle. A lot of the blokes I worked with or know, swear by aim point/red dot scopes for machine work. Greyghost would have wrecked a heap of them in his day.;)

I do have a wee cheap Bushnell red dot for my rifle. It is fast and plenty good enough to a 100 However deer look pretty small thru the thing beyond 50:D

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Originally Posted by veitnamcam

When iwas a lad we had live capture deer mostly some goats sheep and pigs.
Any rain at all and all goats would be under the trees. Deer would be running round chasing each other and generally playing silly Buggers playing.
The deer would only go to shelter if it was really Pissing down or very windy or both

Sent from my GT-S5360T using Tapatalk 2

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Does it depend on the season? Obviously rain is a welcome releif in the warmer months but would it still apply in mid winter when their chances of warming up are reduced?

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Originally Posted by R93

I couldnt shoot that well with one on a rifle or shotgun when I was shooting. I even managed too loose a one, out the door while shooting:oh noes: Went bare with the shotty and used a low power scope (german 4 reticule was my fav) on the rifle. A lot of the blokes I worked with or know, swear by aim point/red dot scopes for machine work. Greyghost would have wrecked a heap of them in his day.;)I do have a wee cheap Bushnell red dot for my rifle. It is fast and plenty good enough to a 100 However deer look pretty small thru the thing beyond 50:D

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How would they go on game birds on a shottie ?

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Originally Posted by Wirehunt

Oh, and they love having a play in the snow.....

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Yip,same with Yuppies:bouaaaaah:

You wouldnt be able to give any lead, the dot would be of the bird would it not?

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Originally Posted by Munsey

How would they go on game birds on a shottie ?

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I dunno mate. I did watch a mate of mine shoot clays quite well with our work gun which had one mounted, in Haast once. However he also would have wrecked a few of those sights in his time but. Hes done nearly 40 yrs on machines.

Ive found the same as doinit, seems they get sick of wet undergrowth and dripoing canopy and get onto clearings or stand just on bush edge. Reasoning may be wrong but thats where ive seen them.anyway

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Originally Posted by R93

I dunno mate. I did watch a mate of mine shoot clays quite well with our work gun which had one mounted, in Haast once. However he also would have wrecked a few of those sights in his time but. Hes done nearly 40 yrs on machines.

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Would love to try one on the birds , but they look so fragile and what your saying ,would stop me buying one .

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Originally Posted by Munsey

Would love to try one on the birds , but they look so fragile and what your saying ,would stop me buying one .

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My one I got from Sinclairs was cheap but I had the same on a venny gun and its still going after 5 yrs as far as I know.
You would also possibly have to ruin a good gun by mounting one as well Munsey. Not worth it just for a play. Trust me shotguns used for aerial targets are not meant to have scopes.

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Originally Posted by Gibo

Does it depend on the season? Obviously rain is a welcome releif in the warmer months but would it still apply in mid winter when their chances of warming up are reduced?

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Even when it was bloody freezing rain and sleet.
goats under trees first
pigs next sheep after that deer last in order of worsening conditions.
This was all in paddocks tho.... even if wild stock.

If its just raining head to your usual spot weather its farmland,doc managed bush or clearings.

In my experience your chances are better than average in normal rain/drizzle/fog.

If strong winds and or heavy rain sus out your previously scouted shelter spots(rock overhangs,big logs,depressions etc(with sign of occupation) )
Or stay at camp and cook a feed and get on the piss:ORLY:

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Originally Posted by Munsey

Would love to try one on the birds , but they look so fragile and what your saying ,would stop me buying one .

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Mines done a lot of pretty hard work now Munsey and still going fine.
The main use of the one I used on a shotgun was rabbits, whether that makes a difference I have no idea.

Seen just as many deer when raining as when fine. I agree that Sika may be a bit more fussy than Reds and try to shelter. I've spooked them from under fallen logs and under over hanging banks etc. when you see an object or landmark that you think you could shelter under, slow down, bring your rifle to your shoulder and move in slow. Chances are, a deer thinks the same as you. Seen it happen and I wasn't ready

The number one overall thing deer do when its raining is..........get wet!:D

I was thinking about this theory last week when I decided to go bush in the rain. Found some nice looking undercuts under cliffs where animals rest up over the night, but got unlucky twice with no sign of an animal. Very hard to spot anything resting up especially if its a bit dark.