early in

I was wondering if wind direction is as important in stand selection for everyone during the rut as it is any other time of the year. Do you forsake the wind direction for goodstand locationbecause ofunpredictable buck travel?

racewayking

I look at where the does are most likely to move through and start looking for buck ambush spots. I have a real nice ten I am hunting and in a week or so he will start coming in and will sit mid day in a specific spot that I jumped him in last year. I have one stand location that is perfect and covers several travel routes. This stand is on the highest point of the property and won't have wind issues on most hunts, if it does there are still travel routes covering upwind travel routes.

I have also had hunts where I would come from work and didn't have the best scent plan in action and the Bucks were nose to the ground and on the move without noticing me. I was even on my cell phone when my ex wife called freaking out about the dog and had a nice 130 class buck run under my stand and never even look up while talking at normal levels.

hillbilly archer

I do not forget the wind, I usually do good by positioning myself downwind of a doe bedding area or travel routes. That being said, during the rut they come from all over, at any given time. I hunt flat ground, big timber and they deer seem to come from all different directions anyway all season long, especially the better bucks.

GregH

In short............Hell No!

Bowtech 360

Well, personally, Im going to forget the wind and just hunt. Two days in a row now I have had deer come in from down wind and I have had 0 scent control practices. But thats my deer not yours so, its up to the normal tolerations of your deer and how distracted they will be.

wahoohunter

For me anyways, its important to remember that when hunting the rut, I'm hunting does more so than bucks. Let me explain, during the rut it is almost unfathomable the amount of land a buck will traverse looking for does. That being said, typically the does still stay in the general area with which they are familiar and in which they have been living. The bucks come and find the does. Because of this, we try and find a place where we know a good doe herd is hanging out and we try to position ourselves where we think the does will be moving. This greatly increases are chances of seeing a buck as the chances are good that with a large group of does one will come into estrous sometime during the time period we're hunting. The buck coming in, well, thats always just left to chance

Sooo, some people are confident enough in their scent control methods that they feel they can fool a doe more easily than a buck. However, during the rut it may actually be easier to fool a buck than it is is a doe because they often only have one thing on their mind and forget everything around them except breeding a doe. Again, that being said, abandoning paying attention to the wind is a poor idea IMO. While the buck may not pay attention to you, thats not whats important. Having the wind against you and getting busted by a big doe can be just as much if not more detrimental to your hunt than anything during this time of the year.

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hillbilly archer

I am 100% positive that this is definately the case where I hunt. I see it every single year, I have had bucks not pay me any attention at all as I yelled at them to get them to stop as they ran by. But the does, they are still very much aware of their surroundings, especially those wary public land does that I hunt.

rybohunter

Since almost every stand I have to go to for this time of year can produce deer from any direction, I will finally throw wind concerns out the window. There is only about one or 2 stands where I’ll have to pay attention but otherwise I like having the freedom to hunt where I want by my choosing, not the winds.

peakrut

I always take the wind serious all the time a good ol momma doe will bust just the same.
During the rut especially they are going to wind you and you just have to keep at it.
I have a couple stands setup with a creek to my back so no concern behind me.
My big buck stand has the farm behind me so no concerns there.