Ok. I don't think I understand the stand placement and wind thing. I understand that if I am hunting a trail that my stand should be on the downwind side. But what about if I'm on the edge of a food plot? Should the wind be blowing out into the field where I plan on shooting? Or across in front of me so that every deer that enters the field downwind knows I'm there? Or should it be blowing in my face and in the direction from which the deer will be coming?
Or is it impossible when the deer could come into a food plot from every conceivable spot?
Brian

Personally,

I wouldn't want to be on the field edge.

I would want the deer walking by my stand on their way to the field. Makes it easier to get into/out of the stand without busting deer.

Your better deer know better than to enter a field during shooting light, but you may catch him traveling to the field with light left.

good luck.

didn't really answer your question, but give you something to ponder

Personally IMO if you know where the deer will be coming from it's best to hunt them on their travel routes. If you get busted of the deers final destination(food plot) you likely cause them to become noctournal and spoil the hunting but if you get busted on a travel routed they'll simply change which route they use to get to the plot.

If you can avoid both of these it's best. I'll place stands where I feel the wind will give me the best advantage. Knowing where your scent is going is key. If you're checking the wind and know that it's carring your scent across the field at a certain point you can be prepard to shoot at a deer before it reaches the point where you scent will be.

Deer and wind are both unpredictable. All you can do is try your best to keep it in you favor. In the sinero you mentioned above I'd rather my scent be out in the field as opposed to back in the woods where I can't see it.

Scouting that field at a distance and watching where the deer are entering and leaving the field would tell you where you should place a stand. Maby on both sides? Depending on the wind? (IMO)

Ditto RTA47.

To hunt the food plot, you must give some of it up due to being downwind of you.

i try and get downwind, where the wind hits the deer before it hits me. that said i'm in the mtns. and many times it changes a couple times while i'm in the stand. if i waited for perfect wind here i'd hardly ever get to hunt, or i'd end up getting down a lot. i make the homemade scent killer and use it liberally and try to get about 25 feet into a tree for added protection. i've found a big difference between deer knowing i've been in an area and smelling the actual me. sometimes i'm sure they know i've been in there and smell me residue that may be old and i don't really mind that. the only real problems i've had making deer leave for extended periods or go completely nocturnal, and they have been in the past, is when they smelled the actual me and saw me. one without the other isn't the worst thing in the world, but together is really getting busted.