Wind direction / set up question

[dburt]

Ok, I have maybe a stupid question, but it's got me to thinking. I know the general rule is that you want to be facing the wind so your scent is blown behind you (the area where you can't watch anyway). Sometimes this can vary a little for me if I don't want to be facing a setting or rising sun, but the more the wind is blowing in your face the better. I also understand that deer tend to travel into the wind to maximize that sense. Correct me if that's not true. If this is the case, it actually seems like you're more likely to get deer coming up from behind you, or on one of the two sides, headed into the wind. So I'm wondering if it'd be better to have the wind on one of your cheeks so that you could see the deer traveling right in front of you.

I know there are tons of other factors - again the sun in your eyes, terrain being maybe the biggest, bedding areas, a desire to keep an eye on a specific field or feeding area, and so on. But, assuming you're in flat woods with no other factors to consider, how do you guys look at this? Interested to hear your feedback!

 

[Mike Belt]

I always try to pay attention to wind direction but as we all know, the wind sometimes doesn't listen to the weatherman's predictions. Swirling, direction changes, thermals, and terrain influenced back winds all can upset the best laid plans of mice and men. The best you can hope for is the deer showing up close to where you thought they would and setting up downwind of there. I will say this... seldom do I see deer traveling directly into the wind. In fact it would almost be impossible for them to get anywhere if they only traveled into the wind. Ninety percent of the time I see them traveling with a crosswind and usually (at least with the bucks) that wind is quartering over their backs. Personally, I like finding setup spots where the "projected" travel path may make a turn. Even when the wind favors the deer sometimes those turning points can temporarily disadvantage them.

 

[chebuck]

I fight this same problem with one of my stands. As it is a big cedar thicket behind the stand and a big crop field infront. On a south wind the wind blows toward the field. On a north wind it blows toward the cedar thicket where I can't see. It doesn't seem which direction the wind blows I'll eventually end up getting winded.

 

[Mike Belt]

My advice (for what that's worth) would be when hunting fields you'd be better off with the wind blowing into the field. If a deer scents you in the timber he's not likely to even step into the field. If he makes it into the field at least you will have seen him and hopefully determined if you're going to shoot or not and done so before he scents you.

 

[TN Whitetail Freak]

With wind it can be as general or specific as you want to make it. The more you know the more you can hunt a spot. essentially you can hunt a specific spot on nearly 340 degrees around it if you know the right information. I've began using just off winds and my big buck sightings have gone up the past 2 years. than the previous years outside the rut. Sure it might be a wrong wind for some but if you know where a deer is then you can get just close enough where most would think would blow a stand up but setting just off gives bucks a false sense of security though your there waiting on him, ready to kill the deer right before he crosses that line of busting you.

 

[TN Whitetail Freak]

Here is an example i drew up on a random spot at laurel hill wma. assume the buck is bedded on the point of water there, the green lines being the exits out, you can see all the variable wind directions you could get away with by know where the deer is laying. Essentially you can nearly hunt it on every wind imaginable except a north western wind.

 

[Mike Belt]

Agreed you can set up just on the edge of a buck's sensory detection zone and possibly kill him before he scents you but you may tip off a lot of other deer doing so in the process. With higher mph winds you can also set up right on top of where you expect him to appear with the winds blowing your scent over his head and he'll never know you're there.

 

[TN Whitetail Freak]

Agreed you can set up just on the edge of a buck's sensory detection zone and possibly kill him before he scents you but you may tip off a lot of other deer doing so in the process. With higher mph winds you can also set up right on top of where you expect him to appear with the winds blowing your scent over his head and he'll never know you're there.

good point....I've had that happened before