Dead (from) Downwind
 

Just wondered how many of you have killed a deer that came in from a place totally unexpected for that set.

Not downplaying "playing the wind", at all.......just wondering if it's as common as I think it is.

Thanks.

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

I shoot alot of deer Never worrying about the wind! What I do worry about is being anal about being scent free! Seriously can not remember the last time I was winded!

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

I shot a big one a few years back, some may remember the story on it, after I shot it, it started pouring and I had a hell of a search party looking for him for 3 days with no sign of him, the wind was blowing right to him and thats the direction he came in from, right out infront of me.

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

3 of the last 4 bucks I killed were all dead down wind of me when I killed them. 2 of those three came a significant portion of the way FROM that down wind direction, and the 3rd was just cruising to the downwind side of me.

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

SIDEBAR! (time out):)

wis...you hunt with your face looking downwind?

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

No no no, when I started huntign that afternoon there was no wind, then the wind happend to pick up out of the east, at my back and he came in straight from the west, he never knewI was there. Wish I could have found him he was awesome.:(A once in a lifetime buck and lost him, since that day I have not hunted if they are calling for more than 30% chance of rain.:(

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

I do that sometimes. Depends if it’s a situation were I need to use the tree for cover, or if its cold, it helps from getting pounded in the face with the wind. My eyes water up a lot. I hate facing directly into the wind.

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

I've had deer come from the downwind many times. 2 of the last 4 buck I've taken came from behind me. (Downwind).

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

Thanks, wis.....Ryan. Makes sense.;)

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

I would say Im pretty lucky on taking most of my deer from the direction I thought they would come especially in evenings when I do 90% on my hunting after work. I hunt allot of big woods fingers that dump into fields so most evening hunts they can really only come from 1 direction. Of course during the rut bucks can just appear from anywhere.

When I hunting morning near bedding areas is when I have had more deer come from various directions, but hunting mornings usually happens 1 time every 2 weeks.

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

In November of '03 I took a 169" with a 7" drop-tine that came on a trot to rattling antlers from dead down wind and the opposite direction of all the best cover. I have also passed many bucks that came from the "wrong" way.

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

Honestly.. over the past 5 or 6 years probably not a one deer I've taken wasn't according to my plan.

Years before that maybe. But I don't remember so well anymore.[&:] My mind is aging along with my knee.[&o]

But I do take many deer on winds many would feel taboo. Deer on the downwind side. But they were all expected.

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

So from my quick reading here....im finding out that even though most of you "plan" to harvest a deer from one direction, alot of your harvests are coming from unexpected locals?

I used to be under the impression that you shouldn't hang a stand unless you have the wind directions for certain sits figured out...but after this thread it looks like any ol' tree on the trail will work;)

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

X2!!

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

"The best laid schemes o' mice an' men/Gang aft agley" for sure, esp bowhunters lol.

My top two bucks were arroweddownwind of my position.

-fsh

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

I've killed a few that came from the wrong direction but many, many more came from where i expected. Personally, I try to avoid areas where a deer can come from "anywhere".

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

Both does I killed last year were directly downwind of me. The first doe and 2 others comfortably fed in front of me for 30 minutes at 20 yards until I finally shot one. I get pretty crazy about trying to stay scent free, and have seen many more deer since doing so. I tend tohunt the wind to a point, but it is notusually thedeciding factor for me when picking a stand that day.

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

The last doe I shot, walked 360 degrees around me feeding, milling, for 20-30 minutes All within 20-30 yards with another doe. When the muzzy zipped clean through her at 18 yards and she made that 25 yard death run. The other doe just stood there looking bewildered.

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

Yup. I've had it happen more times than I care to admit, which is one of the reasons I don't see many mature bucks, IMO. I've shot several does that not only approached from downwind, but were downwind when I shot them.

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

me shot one last down wind of me
[align=left] [/align]

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

Bucks can smell better than does?

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

I've deaded deer downwind in the dead of winter. I have also deaded deer directly upwind during a dog gone dirt storm.

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

I've shot one doe as she " crosseddown "wind of me last year.6 yard shotasthe game was over according to her nose. :D Wind switched and she popped over a rise before I could move. Tis the one nice thing about ground hunting and hunting slough areas/pinch points. I usually just move to the other side. Otherwise I try tosetup up so deer won't normallyget dierctlybehind me ( down wind )if at all possible. That can be tough with the does as they wander all over but the bucks generally seem to have a place in mindto get to and are less likely to wander like a doe.Only a coupledeer haveever come in from dead down wind. All does and they busted me from the ground.The few times I was in the tree... they didn't have a clue. Dead down wind might not be so dead down wind from a tree as many would believe. My Marlburo windchecker says otherwise also. :D

Tim

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

I have klled deer downwind,I think deer show up from a direction other than what I have set up for many times but not really unexpected,because where I hunt the deer have too many bedding and feeding options to chose from,I believe that to really know where the deer will be coming from you have to have a specific bedding area and a specific feeding area that the deer are almost always using,and all bets are off if you or someone else contaminates that area,like someone else said try to be as scent free as possible and hunt your set.It is alot easier to know where the deer are coming from when coming to a food plot than hunting deep in the timber.

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

I could care less which way the wind blows and I've had great success. I wash all of my clothes in the scent free detergent. Plus, I spray my clothes with it and put coon pee on the bottom of my boots. I really believe if you use a more powerful smell i.e. coon pee it really hinders their sense of smell.

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

Wow, there really are some deer hunting nuts on this board. It is 12:30 am cental time and we're talking hunting LOL!!

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

So what are you saying?? We have no life?? [8D] :D :D

Tim

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

Some of you guys really do need to get a life. ;)[8D]I now see why GMMAT has like 3 million posts.

RE: Dead (from) Downwind
 

I have deer come in from down wind all the time and I am very rarely winded. I am very picky about my scent. I did shoot a buck two years ago that i think came in from downwind. Funny thing is I have some friends who ask me why I spray down,etc. LOL!

rick