High wind hunting?
 

I usually don't hunt when it is very windy. 25mph winds tomorrow morning. I have one stand that will hardly be affected by the wind and I will hunt that stand if I go out. Do the deer move when it is this windy, is it worth it? Movement for me has been all about 6:15 and I can just make out shapes.

RE: High wind hunting?
 

They eat every day. So yes they will move but I know what you mean it is tough to stay on stand when it is real windy. Seems to me that spot you have not affected by the wind would be a good one for a deer to seek shelter.

RE: High wind hunting?
 

High wind for me = spot and stalk. When the wind is blowing hard, it is hard for deer to detect your moveement because every thing around you is also moving, and it's alsohard for them to hear you, and it's easy to keep the wind in your favor!!
I killed both of my doe this fall when the wind was gusting upto 35 mph. They never knew what hit 'em!

RE: High wind hunting?
 

I have hunted deer several years now and until this year, I thought windy days meant horrible hunting. That has all changed this year. I live i nthe mountains, and so although my home is in a valley, my best spots to hunt are on ridgetops that can be extremely windy especially 20 ft up a tree. Anyhow the 2nd week of October it got reallt cold and windy, rain also. It was the worst day of bow season. It got light at 7:00 and at 7:30 with tears in my eyes from the wind snot runnin down my face, I told myself 30 more minutes, I couldn't take it. And right then, here he came, decent 8pt., but a definite shooter here. I dropped him in horrible winds. Then, yesterday, we had 20-30 mph winds, with 45 mph gusts. Just plain windy day. Last night at 4:50, same stand, my tree bending back and forth, HERE HE CAME. A nice, heavy horned 8 pt., that I dropped a 50 yards, not a bowkill, but my best buck to date for sure. So this year, both my buck tags got filled on extremely windy days, days that mos guys don't hunt. The deer don't leave the woods when the weather is bad, so as long as ur in there u have a shot. This time of year especially, you have to be in a stand. Anyhow, wind will never keep me out of the woods, it just may make me miserbale while I am there. Maybe get to the stand later, and leave earlier if it really bothers you.

RE: High wind hunting?
 

I like the winds....I have strategy that has paid off for me alot. I find the prominent wind. I then set up next to some thick cover taking advantage of the wind. For example, if the wind is blowing from the North, I find thick cover running from east to west or vice versa. I then hunt off of the thick stuff on the "protected" side,, or in this case due to the North wind, I hunt on the Southern part of the thick stuff. The reason for this is that the deer around here walk tight to the thick stuff, using the wind to smell what is in the thick stuff, and look out into the open to see any threat. Set up downwind on the opposite side of the thick stuff facing away from the thick stuff so they won't see you when they are hanging tight, moving and feeding.

Vashadowhunter