RIStrutStopper

I had a good wind on Monday but nobody told me the deer would come from the wrong direction and hang out just out of range downwind and behind me...

huntingson

If the wind isn't in the right direction I will go to another stand. I do everything I can to ensure that I only hunt stands when the wind is right for them. With that said, many of my stands can be approached by deer from literally any direction. In those cases, I will hunt so long as the wind is favorable, meaning not blowing towards the more likely avenues of approach.

I have no idea why people don't hunt when it is windy. The deer are still out there and they still move.Even a 25mph wind does not really do all that much to your arrow flight out to 40 yards. If you don't believe me, go try it. It will push it a few inches and that is all.

LittleChief

My brother has an interesting theory on that. In his opinion, the deer move less on very windy days because all of the deers primary defense methods are severely limited. He saysstrong windsdo all of the following:

1. Makes it difficult for deer to catch the scent of predators(including us).
2.Puts everything in motion, making it difficult for them to spot movement.
3. Creates a loud environment,diminishing their ability to listen for danger.

Personally, I've never noticed much of a difference in deer movement on windy days.

burniegoeasily

Lol. I live in North West Texas, the wind never stops blowing. If it gets above 25 mph gusts, I tend to pack it in. Even with that said, the windy times are the times to work cliffs and funnels. Ive shoot some good bucks on windy days. Easy to stalk, and they will hull up out of the wind some times. Just got to find them, then its easy to sneak up on them.

virginiashadow

This has me thinking. I finally found (after two weeks) a good acorn flat. For some reason there are not alot of acorns dropping this year. Last year they were everywhere. The wind they are calling for tomorrow is a so so wind for my hunt in the morning. I am just deer hunting right now, not buck hunting. I want to put some meat in the freezer. I am worried that if I wait for a perfect wind, that the food source will run dry in the meanwhile. What do you all think?

I have deer coming from an oak flat that is maybe 100 yards long and tightens down into a short saddle. I was walking on white oaks and fresh droppings for almost 30 yards through this saddle. I believe they are coming from south to north. They are calling for a northeast wind. I think I can sit on the west side of the saddle, up high and that my scent will not cut over.

Edit--they just changed the wind again for tomorrow to a NNE---I can't hunt that spot with that wind. Only thing is, it is perfect them to travel into with their noses, but terrible for me to sit to get busted.

Planter

I always try to play the wind but doing it requires more than a handful of stands.I have 10 good stands but that still doesn't cover many options and sometimes time off to hunt is scarce so you just gotta go with the lesser of the evils.

I much prefer a nice steady 3 or 4mph wind but it's always a gamble. How many time have you set up only to have the wind change? Other than sticking my head out the door all I can do is listen to a forcast and hope their right %50 of the time.

OR YOU CAN FORGET THE WIND AND JUST HUNT!!

shed33

I will not compromise the windin and onany big bucks turf. I used to roll the dice at times relying on my scent minimization. I often can nottrust what the weather forcast states because the mountains here do funky things with the wind, instead I use a tactic were I enter an "area" and have multiple options to choose frombased on the wind/thermals that I find at that very instant. Once I get close to my area of choice which usually meansvery close to a used bedding area Ithen pick what I feel is my best option for the hunt that evening. (Its like getting to the line of scrimmage and calling the best play I can after I assess what the defense is going to give me from a scheme standpoint.) Sometimes it means walking an extra 1/2 mile around a mountain and entering it from the back side. Sometimes it means tucking into a ground blind only 20-30 yards from a stand that just wont work that evening due to the winds. Nevertheless, I always an will only hunt a big buck if and ONLY ifthe wind is right. That used to not be the case...

As far as scent minimization goes, I adhere to a very strict regimen moreso for residual scent thatI will be leaving behind. I expect toexit the area leaving very little evidence that I was there and I expect a buck that finds my scent streameither during the hunt ( he gets down wind or he's oneI elect to pass on) or he shows up wellunder the darkness of night when hes out hounddogging... I expect himto pick up what he would translate as a weaker odor and less threatening, like I hadbeen there many hours oreven days earlier. One that I feel will allow me to hunt that area again without him changing his routine.

As far as the RUT goes..(which this thread isnt referring to Iassume)Play/huntthe down wind side of travel routessitting in a funnel, on an edge,saddleor inside corner, and kill the big boys that get towed past by the shelas...