GRIZZLYMAN

Hunting high is probably the best way to hunt in the wind, but if you are on the slope of a ridge, you may still have problems with any up draft. I hunt high, and use scent control, but not the suits. Tried Dead Down Wind on an exotic hunt last week and I am convinced that is good stuff. I had deer and pigs coming within ten feet of me on the ground.

hunter9022

I try to hunt the wind, and take a little care in scent control, but i dont get overly uptight about it. I smoke on stand and have had deer walk from down wind a few minutes after putting one out. But, the places i hunt have people on them quite a bit and they dont seem to care as much about human scent unless you get back into some of the less impact areas.

fun2hunt

I wash my clothes in baking soda, use scent killer and hunt the wind.

Killer_Primate

I totaly agree with Kevin1 and GregH.
My worst season ever, I'm pretty sure was because I thought I had a good handle on scent control, and was overly confident. I was using scent killer on my clothes. and had a new scent lock suit - man I was ready! (You do realize reactivating your scent lock in the dryer means making them smell like your fresh laundry!)
I usuallyhung my old clothesout side, or when it is raining in a trashbag with leaves and dirt, and play the wind. I'm pretty sure they can totally smell the scent killer sprays, and I know the wind is the trick. Wind not in your favor, change locations!

Rob/PA Bowyer

Ya'll that play the wind and don't use scent control could never hunt the property that I hunt, the wind changes regularly and deer come from all directions. There is NO good wind no matter where you put the stand. It's a funnel and like I said, a deer could pop out in any direction. That being said and like I said before, there is an acceptable level of human odors that a deer will accept without busting. NO, Whatever, you continue to do what you do and I'll continue to do what I do and have deer downwind, I'll watch them scent me and come to alarm, but not bolt. That's my goal, no blowing, no tails in the air wave good bye. I might not get a shot and they know there is a human near, not close enough to spook (that's what they think) but near none the less, it's a difference of blowing the deer out of your area or just letting them skirt you.

I'll take the skirting deer over the blow and go everyday. My routine works for me no matter what some internet forum guy or gal controdicts it so I'll keep using gimicks and proven methods to success even if the success is only in my mind. What ya'll do in your woods doesn't affect me or the deer in my woods.

I've "hunted" the wind forever and I've never seen it.

shed33

Rob, Ditto!

Any buck in my area that has age on him is going to circle downwind anyway in almost all calling scenarios..no matter the wind..direction..

I hunt mountains..huge forests..try playing or waiting ona consistent wind..if you wait for one..you will never get off the couch...

GMMAT

When I was playing college baseball....I was a catcher. I had MANY things that I did in my pre-game ritual that "I" thought improved my chances at success. Were they all tried, true and proven methods? I seriously couldn't give a rat's axx. "I" thought they worked.....and I did them. I'm not talking about rubbing a dead mouse's ear over my equipment 4 times.....I'm talking about legitimate warm-up routines.

WHY IN THE WORLD wouldn't a hunter want to take EVERY precaution they could to AID in becoming "AS" scent-free as possible? I'm not going to purchase a big bubble to walk to my stand in......but I have to have camo, anyways.....and I can afford the scent-blocker type stuff......so what are we really talking about, here????

This is insane. It's like bragging about being a complete axx and still getting the best girl.....and telling the other guy he's a tool for going about courting in a gentlemanly fashion. Why in the WORLD woudn't you at least do everything in your power to stock the odds in your favor?????

I don't get it....

jeff

Full_Throttle

Abso-freaking-lutely!!!!

Mikey S.

"Playing the wind" to me is just a cheap translation of "learning your woods". Every hillside, valley, hollow and ridgetop has it's own "personality" when it comes to wind direction. Learning the "prevailing" wind of your stand sites is a helpful tool. I have figured out for me personallyand my locations in SW Pa, that the prevaling winds are usually S, SW, or W during normal weather patterns. Later in the bow season, when low pressure weather comes into play, north based winds tend to take over on certain days, often causing me to flip-flop my approaches to hunting certain areas since the wind is coming the opposite direction. So what do I do? I have stand sites for the South and West based wind patterns, and stand sites for the north based patterns.

I truly believe I get busted every time I enter the woods because I can't fool every single deer out there. I don't let it bother me, I just base my hunt on a certain group of deer in a certain bedding or food source and be done with it. I concentrate on hunting them, not the entire local herd. If buck A busts me becaue I walked in on the wrong wind direction, that's ok, he'll have to get over it, because I'm gonna bust buck Bsince my stand site for that day is designed to kill him. You can't fool them all, but you can fool the ones you want to hunt. Break down the woods, break down the deer, it get's easier and less stressful.

early in

Rob, what you said about them skirting you but not blowing out of the area, tailsflaggingand a snort thrownin [:@] is right on!! I couldn't agree more.