i try and get downwind, where the wind hits the deer before it hits me. that said i'm in the mtns. and many times it changes a couple times while i'm in the stand. if i waited for perfect wind here i'd hardly ever get to hunt, or i'd end up getting down a lot. i make the homemade scent killer and use it liberally and try to get about 25 feet into a tree for added protection. i've found a big difference between deer knowing i've been in an area and smelling the actual me. sometimes i'm sure they know i've been in there and smell me residue that may be old and i don't really mind that. the only real problems i've had making deer leave for extended periods or go completely nocturnal, and they have been in the past, is when they smelled the actual me and saw me. one without the other isn't the worst thing in the world, but together is really getting busted.