I understand this can be dependent on many factors, but what would you say?
Mike Belt":2chef82p said:I'm of the mind that one can really try to overthink deer hunting at times. That being said, I'm still a pretty firm believer in paying attention to the wind and currents. That also involves becoming a student of just how they react to terrain conditions and knowing that they may actually cause multiple wind directions at the same time at different heights off the ground. Terrain features create resistance and the end product is deflection. That deflection may result in any number of changes in direction depending on wind speed and particular feature. Any time wind blows out of an area it creates a void. To fill that void air is sucked back into it and it may be from a 180 degree different direction.
How many times have you climbed into a stand with the wind blowing one direction only to get situated and have deer blow at you from the opposite direction. How in the world did they smell you? They did because of that wind deflection carrying your scent away from the flow at ground level.
I know this has nothing to do with how far away a deer might scent you but it has everything to do with why a deer may scent you. Every situation is unique. Knowing how wind or currents might react to each one might allow you to set up in an area even if the wind appears to be wrong for doing so. I've burned a pile of floaters learning this and I think it would behoove all hunters to carry them when in the woods scouting or hunting. I guarantee you you'll be surprised at what's happening from time to time.
Mike Belt":2kqverkm said:I'm of the mind that one can really try to overthink deer hunting at times. That being said, I'm still a pretty firm believer in paying attention to the wind and currents. That also involves becoming a student of just how they react to terrain conditions and knowing that they may actually cause multiple wind directions at the same time at different heights off the ground. Terrain features create resistance and the end product is deflection. That deflection may result in any number of changes in direction depending on wind speed and particular feature. Any time wind blows out of an area it creates a void. To fill that void air is sucked back into it and it may be from a 180 degree different direction.
How many times have you climbed into a stand with the wind blowing one direction only to get situated and have deer blow at you from the opposite direction. How in the world did they smell you? They did because of that wind deflection carrying your scent away from the flow at ground level.
I know this has nothing to do with how far away a deer might scent you but it has everything to do with why a deer may scent you. Every situation is unique. Knowing how wind or currents might react to each one might allow you to set up in an area even if the wind appears to be wrong for doing so. I've burned a pile of floaters learning this and I think it would behoove all hunters to carry them when in the woods scouting or hunting. I guarantee you you'll be surprised at what's happening from time to time.