Two sides of one coin
Rain and wind are often seen as poor conditions, but read well they offer opportunities. It all depends on intensity: a gentle drizzle is a blessing, a windstorm is to be avoided.
Light rain: a windfall
A bit of rain or drizzle offers several advantages:
- Wet ground and damp leaves muffle your steps: still hunting becomes far quieter.
- Rain washes scent away and shortens the reach of your odor.
- Game keeps moving and feeding, often along the edges of cover.
- Right after a shower, activity surges back; be ready when the sun returns.
It's an excellent time to move slowly through the woods rather than sit on stand.
Driving rain
A violent, prolonged downpour pushes game to bed down under dense cover. The animals' smell and hearing are dulled by the noise of the rain, but their activity drops. Save those days for scouting or wait out the downpour.
Wind: the key nuance
| Wind | Game behavior |
|---|---|
| Light (< 15 km/h) | Normal activity, ideal for scent control |
| Moderate (15-30 km/h) | More nervous game, stays in cover |
| Strong (> 30-40 km/h) | Game bedded in shelter, senses on alert |
Strong wind stresses game: it can no longer trust its hearing or smell with all the leaves and branches moving. It then beds in sheltered hollows, dense conifers, and downwind lower slopes. In high wind, look for it there rather than in open terrain.
Bottom line
Light rain and light wind are your friends; driving rain and strong wind are your cues for patience. And always keep wind direction as the priority for moose and deer.