Does rain change deer movement?
Boggess says that other researchers have found light rain can increase deer movement, but heavy rain can decrease it. Still, he says there is no consistent effect of rain across all the whitetail's range.
Damp conditions on the forest floor enable you to move quietly through the woods, making it ideal for still-hunting or spot and stalk. While damp conditions seem to benefit a deer's sense of smell, a heavy rain works to a hunter's advantage by washing away ground scent.
Many hunters claim that warm weather shuts down deer movement during the rut, as will rain and wind. While this may hold true much of the year, the fact remains that when a doe is ready to be bred, it doesn't matter what the weather is, nor the time of day.
The window just after a heavy rain event ends is particularly fruitful—likely because deer that were bedded down through the storm are now hungry and eager to get moving.
It is a little easier to tell when the rain will stop or let up than it is to tell when it will start, so your best bet is to hunt after the rain. Deer move a little more after the rain than before simply because of their empty bellies.
Basically, the colder the weather is, the better your odds will be for seeing deer. "The amount of cloud cover or the lack of cloud cover is the second most important factor impacting deer movement. Rainy weather isn't good. Cloudy skies are somewhat better for spotting deer movement.
Whitetail deer will always be active and on the move except if the weather is severe, such as there being a downpour and a lot of wind. Therefore, if you are able to endure a little rain, you will most likely catch that big buck on your trail cam right when the rain begins to stop.
A steady autumn rain helps wash away human scent more quickly. This is a tricky situation, however, as humid, damp conditions also help a deer's sense of smell. That's because a whitetail is not that unlike a canine.
Deer may bed down during a downpour, but the best time to take advantage of movement is often right after the rain lightens to a drizzle or stops completely. Hunters who try to wait out the rain at home and then hit the woods often run the risk of bumping deer on their way in.
Much like a person who knows a storm is coming and tries to get chores done before it arrives, Ditchkoff said deer movement also increases dramatically ahead of and immediately in the wake of a weather front. "Any time there's a weather change, you're going to have considerable deer movement.
How soon do deer move after rain?
When the rain quits, even if only for 30 to 45 minutes, I know the deer generally will move then. You'll find the best opportunity for taking a really-nice buck with your blackpowder gun during the rut right after a rain. Bucks will move out of thick cover to freshen-up their scrapes as soon as the rain stops.
As a result of this deer may move and feed during the day when there is light rain, drizzle or snow, because the low light factor and limited visibility make them feel secure. However, they don't often move during heavy precipitation, because they not only feel uncomfortable, they also can't see or smell very well.