Rainy Days Ahead - Does this change your plans?

[seeker88]

Have been counting down the days until Archery opens, get the He** out of Phoenix and up into the great outdoors. We've had our game cam's up since June and have had lots of bucks and bulls (please let me get my archery elk next year...) hitting our water holes on a daily/semi-daily basis now for weeks.

 

We've had a few days in our area where there was some rain, but nothing to extreme so it didn't seem to affect the deer patterns. However, there's a 40% chance of precipitation starting today (8/19) and going on until at least Monday (8/26).

 

We originally had planned to sit our water holes, but with all this rain I'm starting to feel this may not be in our best interest. Has this rainy forecast made anyone else change their minds about sitting a waterhole or trails that lead to them?

 

Please share your thoughts on this or if you've experienced a similar situation in the past!

 

Best of luck to everyone!

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest 300ultramag.]

They can feed on the new green up and get hydrated this way for days. Just check ur tank for sign

[wildwoody]

wheres that weather forecast for . clients wells

[mpriest]

I gave up sitting water in the northern country a while ago because of all the monsoon moisture. I plan to spot and stock and sit trails in funnel areas I found. Good luck

[seeker88]

Good to know, 300ultra. I've heard they stay hydrated off of plant life but wasn't aware of how long they would use that instead of actual water.

 

Wildwoody, you are very close! Mormon Lake weather is what I used for that screenshot. I'll be hunting the lower/mid portion of 6a. How about you?

 

Mpriest, this will be my first year hunting the northern country. I have a few funnels that lead to water that we're considering too. Might be a better option then sitting the actual hole with all this rain. Since I've always hunted 24b prior to this my tactics have been sitting behind my binos, so this should be interesting...

[ready2hunt]

Unless there is a ton of standing water I would still hit your water hole. However, i would glass if there is some open country in the general area. I have always had more encounters with deer by glassing them and stalking them.

 

Water is just hit and miss when there is a lot of rain. Besides 1/2 the campers in the state set up shop in the unit this time of year. They can keep the animals moving.

[BackwoodsHunter]

Planned to sit water in 23n but it has been raining so much I don't think I'm going to do that now. Anybody else gonna sit water with all the rain?

[JLW]

Planned to sit water in 23n but it has been raining so much I don't think I'm going to do that now. Anybody else gonna sit water with all the rain?

as long as it's not down pouring!

if it is then I guess still hunt into the bedrooms.

I had deer, turkey, javelina all come in while it was raining off and on a couple seasons ago while sitting a tank. missed 2 shots in 1 day! awkward shot out of the blind is what I'm blaming that on. LOL! that tore me up!

 

James

[azbowhunter88]

They get used to coming in to water daily. You would be surprised but they come to water in the rain at times.

[ccran]

Deer always seem to be moving as soon as it stops raining. It doesn't bother them, it won't bother me. As long as my rain gear is in the pack. Plus it softens the ground for 'neaken up on them.

[Scooter]

They like to get some warm sun and shake/dry off on the sunny hillsides in the mornings down here if it rained hard overnight... I tend not to hunt them over water in the early season because the waterholes down here get dove hunters all the time. I like to glass them up between feeding and bedding areas.

[bonecollector]

I will still be sitting water as long as its not pouring rain like JLW said. I have pics of wet deer still coming to water.

[galiuro mountain man]

No waterhole sitting unless it is lunch time, spot and stalk for me, always.