Gun hunting in the rain

[sleek]

With archery, blood tracking is a big part of recovery,  and hunting in the rain is a terrible idea for most. But what about gun hunting? I ask because it's supposed to rain my entire Thanksgiving break and I havent got a deer yet. I'm in thick woods, 100 yards is a long shot and using a .44 mag lever and scope. I have taken only one deer with a gun before,  and she dropped inside of 20 yards, no tracking needed. Yall more experienced types have any reservations about gun hunting in weather?

[Hawkdancer]

Well, a good heart lung shot with a .44 mag  "should" drop a deer "in it's tracks" IF it is standing broadside!  However, I shot a mule deer doe at 15 yards with a .58 cal and round ball, hit a rib going in and exited between 2 ribs and she ran 75 yards before she fell!  On the other hand, we searched for over 6 hours in the rain for one my granddaughter thought she hit and never found a blood sign.  If you can get out between showers you may be all right.  Good luck and shoot straight!
Hawkdancer

[PEARL DRUMS]

Most gun shot deer wont die much quicker than a well placed arrow. In the end? A blood trail in the rain is all the same regardless of the weapon used. If you go, I would be 110% certain of my shot and make a 110% perfect shot. The closer a deer is when you shoot the better the chances you watch it fall over. 

[bjrogg]

I agree with Pearl. I've seen lots of deer shot with 12 gauge slug from selfbow range run like they weren't even hit. Seen them run a 100+ yards with their heart blown to pieces. I'm sure every year people think they missed when they fatally shoot them. Always remember exactly where they were when you shot. Exactly where they went after you shot. Look for other sign to. Not Just blood. Tracks swirls in mud puddles. Likely places they would go.

Like pearl said make a good shot. It's just as important with a gun as it is with a selfbow. Maybe even more so. A bad shot with a selfbow might survive. With a gun it's pretty sad.
Bjrogg

[Marc St Louis]

I have shot a lot of deer with my lever .44 mag and nearly all went down on the spot.  The ones that didn't went less than 40 yards.  I have to say though that I used a hard cast bullet with gas check on all the animals I shot with my .44 mag, both deer and bear, with complete pass through.

[JEB]

I only hunt in the rain because I have some nice hunting shacks to do it from.  I reload my own shells and use Nosler ballistic tip bullets in all the loads including the 223 round that two of my grandkids use. A good round and a well place shot will down a deer in quick fashion.

If you are a good shot, shoot them in the head. They will travel about 4 feet.

[bjrogg]

I live in shotgun only zone. Never used a 44 or .223 for deer have for fox and coyote.

A 12 gauge slug make a pretty good hole. I've seen with my own eyes a buck shot from about ten yards through the heart run over 100 yards like nothing happened. Until he did a hi ho silver on his rear legs and flipped over stone cold dead.
 
I've seen people empty their guns on deer as they ran away and watched them fall over dead. The only shot that hit was the first. I've seen them drop like a stone to, but you just never know for sure. Sometimes their dead and their brain just doesn't know it.
Bjrogg

[Ed Brooks]

With a rifle, I like to break the neck, no tracking and nice clean piece of meat

[Deerhunter21]

would you shoot it in the neck?

[Ed Brooks]

would you shoot it in the neck?

The white patch under his chin is a good target also butt of the ear. But yes I’d shoot it in the neck.

[sleek]

Thanks for the replies, guess I will just go and see what's offered to me for a shot.

I like using the neck meat in stews and pressure cooker. Think I will keep my shots aft of the shoulder. 

[Ed Brooks]

Good luck!

[Eric Krewson]

I have never been able to figure it out, I can drop one deer in its tracks and hit the next one in the same place and off it goes. I think it is the adrenaline thing, a calm der is more likely to go down than one that is one alert.

[bjrogg]

I have never been able to figure it out, I can drop one deer in its tracks and hit the next one in the same place and off it goes. I think it is the adrenaline thing, a calm der is more likely to go down than one that is one alert.

I agree Eric.

Sleek if you hit em good you should be able to find em. If your in brush they probably won't go far. Look for blood on brush to. Not just the ground. Good Luck. Hope you fill your tag.
Bjrogg

[Mo_coon-catcher]

On a broadside shot you could aim for the upper shoulder about 2/5 down, 3/5 up. Essentially just above centerline squarely where you don’t want an arrow. A heavy 44 mag bullet will go right on through but breaking both shoulderblades and likely the spine on its way through while punching holes through the top of each lung. Atleast shocking it enough to make its legs fail if the spine isn’t hit directly. So most of the time will drop on the spot. If not, they won’t go far with both shoulders broke. It’s a shot placement for larger heavier cartridges and bullet. Which a 44 mag will do fine. Since that’s a lot of solid matter to go through. I like Ed Brooks train of thought too for the rainy days. Plus you don’t blow up the heart, which to me it one of the better eating parts.

Kyle