Imagine if you will, you come home one night to find a thief with a loaded .357 pointed at your nose. You get away unscathed. Now the question is how long will you remember this?
Only problem with this logic is you're giving a deer the same brain power as a human.....which I think is flawed. Just a difference of opinion.
Now reconsider the deer who smells a human that causes him alarm/harm. He will remember.
Granted. But for "how long" is debateable. I don't give them the same credit some do in this arena.
If you want to move stands when the eind gets wrong, I will have to agree it can be accomplished. I will not risk this unless conditions are totally in my favor. ie., exit route, entrance route to another stand and amount of cover between me and where I think deer may be. I will not chance letting a deer see me over letting them wind me.
Agreed.
If they are lenient enough to see me and not leave, then smell will probably not play a role here. On the other hand, if they are lenient enough to smell me and not leave, why should I move a muscle. I really believe a deers eyes play just as vital a role in survival as their sense of smell.
Again....common ground.
I think everyone pays attetion to the wind, but I don't think I'd risk getting down and changing too often. If I'm not seeing any deer it's one thing, but if I see deer in the distance, I figure take the chance of getting winded rather than getting spotted getting down and walking to another stand.
Agreed. If he winds me from a distance.....he's got a good idea (or heck....he KNOWS) I'm in the area. If he SEES me.....he's got my stand location pinpointed. You take a risk either way. If I want to hunt that stand again.....I don't see one being more important than the other.
Lets ask this question again in another 10 years and see if some opinions change.
Again...good point. BUT....I'll be willing to change it up and try other methods in the future. If no one else is willing to risk change, though....the conversation won't have much merit.
Got news for ya, big mature bucks will usually never blow, he will just turn around and slowly walk away.
I've seen this occur. Very true.
I had a big bastard bed down 60 yds from me one morning. The wind was in my face andI was going to be super quiet until he decided to get up and move along. I knew where he was heading. I felt the wind shift and hit the back of my neck, it wasnt 3 seconds he stood up and walked 180 from the source.
Again...rock and a hard place. If he'd SEEN you, too....he'd put ANOTHER piece of the puzzle, together.
Its just another level of hunting guys. If your happy killing what ever happens along than thats great and fun.Sometimes you can luck into a great buck doing that. If your picking out a single buck, the dominant buck, than tactics have to change.
While I have to trust you on this.....and I will be playing the wind.....if I'm able to take 3.5 yr old deer and older on a (pretty much) yr to yr basis in my future endeavors.....SOME credence will have to be paid to my methods, also.
LOTS of good information passed along in this thread. I appreciate all of it. Thanks.