Speaking as a bowhunter....

Being a right-handed shooter. I try to place my left side towards the area where I expect to shoot. Also, try to avoid being silhouetted against the skyline when the shot is presented.

Stand set ups are always the same for me. Regardless the weapon, I want it close, I want it to be a piece of cake assassination, dirty rotten unsuspecting shot right in the back. Like lighting bolt out of the clear blue sky that can't miss. Rifle or piston from a bow and arrow set up is just icing on the cake.

I like the one shot stands with concealment every where but the one intersection where several trails come together, a water crossing or ditch where they go up or down the side. I like to be high up.

But I'll take a wide open clear shot situation in a hot wood lot full of acorns if that's where the deer are. I use a climber and ever spot is on the best tree in the place I want to be. I'll turn it around on the tree if the wind changes. I want the wind blowing in my face, not theirs.

I save my miracle shots, challenges, and may bees for the target range.

So, swinging to the other side of a tree changes the wind direction? Not very intelligent.

"I'll turn it around on the tree if the wind changes. I want the wind blowing in my face, not theirs".

Maybe you will want to read his post again before you question someones intelligence.

Yeah, that's right.

Doesn't EVERYBODY know that?

What did you two get your cycles synchronized or something? I don't give a fart in a hurricane what you do. I think your stupid reply here are the first time I've ever even read ANYTHING EITHER OF YOU HAD TO SAY. If I read it, it certainly wasn't worth remembering.

Set your tree stand on the ground for all I care. Use it like a lazy boy. It'll be safer for you that way.

Why? Do I have to draw pictures here or are there people here who would move their stand rather than shoot a deer they see standing if front of them?

If I'm in a tree, in a wide open woods full of acorns and I guess I have to EXPLAIN this part to some people. If you are in that situation AND NOT CURRENTLY SEEING A DEER RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, then I'd turn my tree stand ON THE TREE to be facing in to the wind IN A WIDE OPEN WOODS WHERE DEER MAY COME FROM ANY DIRECTION.

For the compete novices out there, you are less likely to see a deer coming toward you from down wind where they are likely to smell you further away than you are to see one wander toward or past you on the up wind side. So with that complicated thought still cemented in your mind, turn to face that direction while you are looking for deer.

I've read this tip many times, and I still find this whole wind situation and stands very confusing. I am not criticizing this at all, I am just trying to understand as a beginner hunter how this whole thing works.



For example, look at the image above.

1) Fig 1 would be the perfect scenario. Deer is coming, and wind is right on the hunter's face, so the deer can't smell the hunter. Why in the hell would the deer take this route on a day like this? I thought whitetail don't like to walk in the same direction as the wind. Wouldn't the deer take another route in this case? or go to another food source - bed area?

2) Fig 2. Deer is walking with the wind on his face, so hunter turns his stand. Why wouldn't the deer smell the hunter in this case? I mean, the wind is on the hunter's face, but it is still carrying hunter's smell to the deer...

3) Yes, my artistic skills are terrible. But I am not here to paint deer, I am here to harvest them. :p. And stop the insults guys... what's the point?

Actually Ryan my post was in response to Rogerstv insulting you with the not too intelligent statement. I was agreeing with what you said since I was smart enough to understand what you said. perhaps you should re read my post as well before you decide to jump on my case!

I place stands where the wind blows from me to a barrier such as a deep ravine, a thick pile of brush, a road, a pond, etc..anywhere I expect the deer not to be. Doesn't always work out. But, that is my thought process when hanging a stand. If the deer are expected to the southwest, I want a southwest wind and will not hunt there in a northeast wind.


If the wind changes, I move to a setup based on the new wind direction. Moving myself to the other side of the tree is not going to help. It will cause is me to turn around the tree to shoot and/or get busted. I still expect deer to travel the route I am watching or to enter the field and feed where I planned. Moving myself from one side of the tree to the other does not make sense to me as the deer are still on the trail where I expect a shot and now the wind is blowing towards them.


I can picture the scenario you describe. Makes some sense if you have no where else to go.

This is what intuition tells me (Fig 2) on my post. People keep telling me "hunt with the wind on your face". And some people repeat that, as a golden "rule of thumb" and that's all there is. And I think to myself, that's not really all there is!. Right? I mean, I am a total noob at deer hunting, but it just doesn't make sense to "have the wind on your face" if deer are walking towards your back.

1) If you are on a stand, wind on your face, and deer is walking towards your back, you're screwed.
2) If you are stalking, wind is on your face, and you are NOT walking toward the deer, but they are behind you. You are screwed!

So if wind is not right, I am not turning my stand around, I am hunting somewhere else. Am I right?