Would you go big game hunting on the opening day of the season, if there were thunder, lightning and rain? Would you immediately leave the woods, if all three listed above, rolled in while in your tree stand or stalking game?

[Boone609]

Rain and thunder I'll do from a tree stand, but lighting, I'm out.

[DakotaMan]

Absolutely. I've nearly been blown out of a tree stand in 50 mph winds while dodging 4" limbs flying through the timber. Rain will never stop me (I have good rain gear) and my feeling about lightening is that when your number is up, it is UP. My wife has been hit by lightening (and live) but I never have.

[va-gobbler]

I have been through many storms and inclement weather events while hunting and few of them ever sent me home. I waited out a severe T-storm last year by climbing down and back up the tree again after the lightning cleared (killed a big doe once back in the tree).
The only time weather sent me home was when snow storms moved in and dropped higher amounts than expected during an evening hunt. No need to risk an over night stay in the mountains without shelter and a foot of snow or more coming down.

I love hunting immediately after a hard rain (especially in early season) or during these types of weather events. It gets the deer up and moving.

If a storm pops up, I'll usually ride it out. I keep a set of those cheapo Coleman PVC rain clothes in the pack just in case..Usually can only get 1 or 2 uses before they are ripped to shreds but they weigh nothing, cheap, and don't take up a lot of pack space. I don't get too worked up about the rain and thunder, but when the wind blows big limbs down, I get concerned!