hunting in gusty winds
 

i dont know about you guys, but ive never had good luck hunting in high gusty winds, i live in central pa, and its supposed to be 25 mph winds with gusts of 40 mph tomorrow, wouldnt you figure i have tomorrow off, anyone have any suggestions on hunting in the wind... i dont mind breezy, but this will be really crappy...
thanks

RE: hunting in gusty winds
 

Try hunting a bottom or pine/cedar thicket- somewhere that prides some shelter from the wind. The deer move alot less, stay closer to their bedding areas, but I wouldn't just give up either.

RE: hunting in gusty winds
 

yea i guess thats the sensible thing to do, i just question if the deer move at all in high gusty winds... i never see them... i see them before it starts and when it slows down, but i think its to spooky for them to move in those high gusts....

RE: hunting in gusty winds
 

Firehawk gave good advice, hollows and cedar thickets give good protection from winds.
I know what you mean about the winds, we have been getting alot
of windy weather here.

Good luck

RE: hunting in gusty winds
 

Still hunt some standing corn.

RE: hunting in gusty winds
 

I used to not hunt when winds got over 20 mph. Finally, I said screw it...can't kill a deer sitting at home or in the office...so I went out anyway. Actually, the only two times I've seen some quality deer this year were w/ high gusty winds. This time of year, they'll be more times than not. Just have to be sitting in your stand when they happen to walk by. A rutting buck doesn't care about too much other than sticking w/ their chosen doe. I do believe that barometric pressure might have an effect on them more than anything else when it comes to the weather.

For those of you that have a pine thicket on your property...I'm jealous!

RE: hunting in gusty winds
 

I went out this morning in 30-40 mph winds. I have a tree stand in a low area filled with pines. I figured the deer wouldn't be moving in the hardwoods and since the does would be seeking shelter the bucks would follow.

I saw 4 bucks this morning and passed on a perfect 25 yard broadside at a 130's class 10 pointer. He was perfect....just not nearly as big as others in the area. Great morning to say the least! All before 8:00.

RE: hunting in gusty winds
 

thanks guys, i have the next 4 days off, its the last of the season...
let you know if i connect...

RE: hunting in gusty winds
 

I hear ya Wilk,
I hunt in NJ and in late Nov, December and January we can get some gusty days. As others have indicated already, head down hill and into a hollow or ravene. I have a few spots that have produced on windy days and it's been because I hunted in a deep valley with a small river running along the bottom. Windy as heck on top, but not as windy on the bottom and the deer seem to change their travel to the lower land on those windy days. I'm talking the 20MPH plus windy days to almost whaling kind of wind.

RE: hunting in gusty winds
 

I too have seen plenty of activity over the years in very windy conditions. I've learned to believe faithfully that it's all about the barometric pressure. When the pressure drops before a storm activity is good, when the storm arrives and pressure bottoms out, it's baaaad. Then when it passes and pressure rises again it's good hunting. I might sound like a nut but I'm a firm believer in this. Where I hunt I've accually found that the most critter movement occurred when pressure is between 29.80 and 30.29, no matter what the wind is doing. That took quite a few years to come up with that. Call me crazy, but thats my opinion. Good luck man.