Playing the wind..a different view
09-16-2008, 07:14 AM
#11
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location:
Posts: 21,043
RE: Playing the wind..a different view
It's funny you mention me in this, GR8....because I'm becoming more and more of a "play the wind" guy as I learn more.
The other thing you kind of elude to.....is a topic I've seen discussed here a few times....by guys I trust implicitly in all things "whitetail". You mention a buck's "cycle" (though not in those terms). In my past....I'v been relegated to hunting the does and waiting for the bucks to find them. It's worked out "OK", so far.....but I know I'll need to change to make myself a better buck hunter in non-rut times.
Back to your point....
When I know a buck is frequenting a certain area.......you damned right it's wind be damned. I might position myself in a different portion of the area I know he's been in.....is "working".....but here's where I'll give myself a little credit. I considered myself, in the past, a buck hunting "opportunist". I'd take what they gave me. "Passive" most of the time. But when I knew my '07 buck was in a particular area......I put on the heat.....and hunted that area hard. I saw this buck on a friday morning....and had him at 5 yd sin the darkness. I went to the same tree the next morning and almost bagged him....having him at 9 yds with no shot. Couldn't hunt him SUnday....and a meeting at work kept me out of there Monday. Tuesday morning I had an iffy wind, but I KNEW I had to go where he was......wind be damned. I moved 40 yds up and killed him when he came from straight downwind of me. I went where he was. It was the most aggressive I've ever hunted.....and I'd do it agian......if I get the opportunity.
When you know he's "in there" GO GET HIM.
The other thing you kind of elude to.....is a topic I've seen discussed here a few times....by guys I trust implicitly in all things "whitetail". You mention a buck's "cycle" (though not in those terms). In my past....I'v been relegated to hunting the does and waiting for the bucks to find them. It's worked out "OK", so far.....but I know I'll need to change to make myself a better buck hunter in non-rut times.
Back to your point....
When I know a buck is frequenting a certain area.......you damned right it's wind be damned. I might position myself in a different portion of the area I know he's been in.....is "working".....but here's where I'll give myself a little credit. I considered myself, in the past, a buck hunting "opportunist". I'd take what they gave me. "Passive" most of the time. But when I knew my '07 buck was in a particular area......I put on the heat.....and hunted that area hard. I saw this buck on a friday morning....and had him at 5 yd sin the darkness. I went to the same tree the next morning and almost bagged him....having him at 9 yds with no shot. Couldn't hunt him SUnday....and a meeting at work kept me out of there Monday. Tuesday morning I had an iffy wind, but I KNEW I had to go where he was......wind be damned. I moved 40 yds up and killed him when he came from straight downwind of me. I went where he was. It was the most aggressive I've ever hunted.....and I'd do it agian......if I get the opportunity.
When you know he's "in there" GO GET HIM.
09-16-2008, 07:38 AM
#12
Site Buck Guru
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Racine, Wisconsin
Posts: 5,922
RE: Playing the wind..a different view
I hunt the wind at all times no matter how small the spot is. My reasoning is that they won't come by you if they know you're there. Even if they did tolerate some human scent, do you think they'd tolerate it enough to come close enough to give you a shot?
Second of all, I believe that deer do move about their areas in a cyclic pattern, usually circular in nature. This is mainly due to their feeding patterns. If they're in an area, it could last for 2-3 days then they move. It seems that they'll reappear in about 5-7 days. This is what I've noticed in the areas that I hunt.
Second of all, I believe that deer do move about their areas in a cyclic pattern, usually circular in nature. This is mainly due to their feeding patterns. If they're in an area, it could last for 2-3 days then they move. It seems that they'll reappear in about 5-7 days. This is what I've noticed in the areas that I hunt.
09-16-2008, 07:47 AM
#13
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location:
Posts: 21,043
RE: Playing the wind..a different view
Hey Greg.....
While I do have the utmost respect for your abilities with these animals....AND I trus tyour judgement for your woods.....my experience (not the length of it....jsut the aformentioned single experience) taught me that caution can sometimes be thrown.....well....to the wind. Your strategy would have been the exact same as mine, that morning....because it started with a great wind. We had a weather system moving in....(I remember this because I thought I might get rained on....and I dropped my tree umbrella as I was climbing, that morning).....and the wind shifted abouta minute before the buck I shot came from my downwind side.
If you would have climbed down....I wouldn't blame you OR question your tactic. It worked out for me in this lone instance......but like I said.....if it had started out as a bad wind....I'd have still been in that area. I knew HE was.
Not contradicting your tactics in the least. just giving a real-life scenario that "worked out". Your tactics speak for themselves. Mine did in this one instance.
You NEVER "know".
Good luck this fall.
While I do have the utmost respect for your abilities with these animals....AND I trus tyour judgement for your woods.....my experience (not the length of it....jsut the aformentioned single experience) taught me that caution can sometimes be thrown.....well....to the wind. Your strategy would have been the exact same as mine, that morning....because it started with a great wind. We had a weather system moving in....(I remember this because I thought I might get rained on....and I dropped my tree umbrella as I was climbing, that morning).....and the wind shifted abouta minute before the buck I shot came from my downwind side.
If you would have climbed down....I wouldn't blame you OR question your tactic. It worked out for me in this lone instance......but like I said.....if it had started out as a bad wind....I'd have still been in that area. I knew HE was.
Not contradicting your tactics in the least. just giving a real-life scenario that "worked out". Your tactics speak for themselves. Mine did in this one instance.
You NEVER "know".
Good luck this fall.
09-16-2008, 07:53 AM
#14
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 7,571
RE: Playing the wind..a different view
On the other hand. Why would a deer in big woods (lets assume the deer has never gotten a wiff of a human) be alerted to human scent? He has no experience to relate humans and danger.
09-16-2008, 08:05 AM
#15
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Phoenixville, PA USA
Posts: 5,541
RE: Playing the wind..a different view
It is an interesting view and one that I share to a degree. I do believe that in more densely human populated areas the affect human scent has on deer is lessened. I still don't throw out the consideration for where the wind is blowing either. Now I won't sit at home if the wind isn't perfect, or I'd never hunt as the guy you mentioned said. On the other hand if the wind is dead wrong I usually try to have another back-up stand in the area that I can hunt that will give me a better chance with that wind. It's hard to argue with that guy's success, but I'm not quite prepared to abandon what I've been taught over 20+ years of hunting.
09-16-2008, 08:35 AM
#16
Site Buck Guru
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Racine, Wisconsin
Posts: 5,922
RE: Playing the wind..a different view
From my experiences, in densely populated areas where deer have abundant contact with humans, it seems that they definitely take notice ofthe human scent and will not proceed until they have accessed the situation. I have never seen a deer that has detected human scent continue on it's path toward the scent. Usually they will skirt the scent and try to remain undetected. They do not flee wildly, they slink around the offending oder as quietly as possible.
There are always cases where a deer is directly down wind from a human and does not seem to detect it or perceive it as a threat. These deer are usually deleted from the gene pool! [:-] I've killed deer under these circumstances as well. I always error on the side of caution when hunting these animals because once you're busted, they'll be doubly on alert.
On the other side of the coin, I've had deer approaching me from up wind that have suddenly stop, look around and decide that for some reason that it's not safe and go the other way!!?? I don't like giving them the chance to detect me before I can get a shot.
There are always cases where a deer is directly down wind from a human and does not seem to detect it or perceive it as a threat. These deer are usually deleted from the gene pool! [:-] I've killed deer under these circumstances as well. I always error on the side of caution when hunting these animals because once you're busted, they'll be doubly on alert.
On the other side of the coin, I've had deer approaching me from up wind that have suddenly stop, look around and decide that for some reason that it's not safe and go the other way!!?? I don't like giving them the chance to detect me before I can get a shot.
09-16-2008, 08:43 AM
#17
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Central Minnesota
Posts: 9,445
RE: Playing the wind..a different view
Well I hunt small wood patches that Is located with ag land that Is farmed and visited often by farmers. I know for a fact that when or If I hunt a not so good wind I'm In trouble. These deer here In my area do not tolerate human scent like they do for this guy that Bob Is talking about. If they did tolerate It some I'd be having a higher taxidermy bill every few years then. I find It hard to believe that these bucks this guy hunts are ok with human scent, that really surprises me but In no way am I calling this guy a liar. During bow season the area I hunt doesn't get a whole lot of hunting pressure, when the gun season opens Is when the pressure really turns on and thats when you see deer running around with there tounge's hanging out from being chased. There are real pain to hunt from then to the end of the season.
Interesting philofosy to say the least there Bob. Whatever works though for this guy I guess, more power to him.
Interesting philofosy to say the least there Bob. Whatever works though for this guy I guess, more power to him.
09-16-2008, 08:45 AM
#18
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location:
Posts: 21,043
RE: Playing the wind..a different view
In all fairness, Greg.....I was 20'+ when this occurred....and the wind shifted ABRUPTLY in his favor. There's a solid chance he never got my wind.....as he was likely so close it blew right over him.
Timing, in lieu of "tactic", probably saved my day.
Timing, in lieu of "tactic", probably saved my day.
09-16-2008, 08:53 AM
#19
Typical Buck
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Becker County, MN
Posts: 550
RE: Playing the wind..a different view
My experience says that immature deer may tolerate some human scent at times...
Mature deer will NOT.
I cannot think of a single time that I have had a mature buck within bow range that the wind wasn't to my advantage.
Mature deer will NOT.
I cannot think of a single time that I have had a mature buck within bow range that the wind wasn't to my advantage.
09-16-2008, 08:56 AM
#20
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Eastern Shore MD
Posts: 2,487
RE: Playing the wind..a different view
There is no doubt in my mind that a higher level of human contact/interaction lessens a deer's fear of the scent.
I live this everyday. I hunt some areas that are almost Urban. And the deer will smell you, look right at you, but not spook.
These "more aclimated" deer need a combination of alerts to be tripped. IE if they catch your scent and movement you're busted... Otherwise you can get away with being less scent cautious.
The opposite is true for deer w/ less human contact. I've witnessed a doe do a backflip when she crossed my trail, and head straight where she came from. Either I stunk real bad that day, or she was like Holy **** there's a person here!
EDIT:
However, I always play the wind as best i can.
I live this everyday. I hunt some areas that are almost Urban. And the deer will smell you, look right at you, but not spook.
These "more aclimated" deer need a combination of alerts to be tripped. IE if they catch your scent and movement you're busted... Otherwise you can get away with being less scent cautious.
The opposite is true for deer w/ less human contact. I've witnessed a doe do a backflip when she crossed my trail, and head straight where she came from. Either I stunk real bad that day, or she was like Holy **** there's a person here!
EDIT:
However, I always play the wind as best i can.