I have never seen a deer on days that the wind was up to 10 or 12 miles an hour. I have always gone with the assumption that they cant smell well on windy days, so they bed down until it calms down.

What do yall think? Take in mind I live in north west Texas where there is not much tree cover and very flat land.

St. Steven with a rose, in and out of the garden he goes.

Your correct in your assumption, with high winds come swirling, etc it does effect one of their best line of defence...smell.

I've noticed the exact same thing. And even if the deer were active I think it'd be a lousy time to hunt because you'd never get close enough with those high winds swirling.

If the deer around here bed down everytime the wind was over 10 mph. We would be hunting some pretty skinny deer LOL

I think 25-30 mite start to effect them. I will take a 15 mph breeze over dead calm any day. those calm mournings are when your scent really swirls around.

Im bringing this thread back to the top. I plan on hunting this afternoon, the wind is gusting at 15 miles an hour. Should I stay home or do you think it will be worth my time. The high for today is suppose to be in the 70s.

St. Steven with a rose, in and out of the garden he goes.

I have to point out here that I never used to think they moved in the wind, but on Wednesday I was hunting and the wind was howling, you couldn't hear a thing in the woods. I hunted for two hours, saw 8 deer FEEDING ON ACORNS, eventually arrowing a nice 5 pointer just before dark. I can't wait for another day like that!

Think about it. A 10 -15 mph wind is probably the average wind speed. That wind speed will have no effect on deer movements. If it did deer would starve to death!!

It blows 10-15 here for weeks on end. It is not alot of wind and much better hunting than in light and variable winds.

Hunt and hunt hard, your deer will be moving as usual.

burnie in Va. a 10-15 mph wind has no real effect on deer movement. Having said that I will continue saying that when it is gusting 25 mph or more I will hunt into the wind looking for any place that will break the wind, be it a gulley or a tree line, deer will bed down for a while during a windy period, but hunger will make them move and so will the rut. They will tend to stick in areas with a wind break, still hunting works best, only move when there is a gust into the wind and stop and scan any time you can see a new piece of real estate, scan low, they may very well be bedded down. They generally will have their backs to the wind, so once you have spotted one you will want to aproach from a crosswind and keep a close eye on them, only move when thier head is dow nad the wind is blowing. It is a tough way to hunt, but can prove productive and just remember no deer has ever been shot by someone staying at home.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

YESTERDAY IT WAS WINDY HERE IN NJ, WINDS WELL OVER 20/25 MPH. SO I GOT OUT OF MY STAND, AND WAS STALKING INTO THE WIND, SAW NO DEER, BUT I DID SEE, AND STALKED A BLACK BEAR THAT WAS ABOUT 375LBS., GOT TO WITHIN 25 YDS. OF HIM, THEN STOPPED, WATCHED HIM WALK AWAY.

Rack Attack
If you dont mind me asking, what parts are you from. I hunt Kent county (Jayton Texas). The wind doent blow all that much there. Id say about 5 to 10 miles an hour on the average, that is excluding storms. I use to live in Lubbock, the wind never stops there.

St. Steven with a rose, in and out of the garden he goes.