How to set up in relation to wind?
 

Title pretty much says it all. Ive been keeping a pretty good log on different wind directions on my new property to get a sense of what the wind is gonna be like on any given day during hunting season and I would just like to know how exactly should I be setting up, especially in relation to any kind of scent attractant. The only knowledge that I know is that I am supposed to stay downwind of the deer as they have exceptional sense of smell, but if im using scent bait, whether it be estrous, buck urine, or what have you, would that need to be upwind and wouldnt my scent potentially get mixed into it?

I honestly don't use any attractant scents but am aware of spreading my own scent. I always pay attention to the wind and try to stay downwind of where the deer or elk are expected to be. I have used cover scents occasionally but feel for the most part they work more on the hunter rather than the deer or elk. Stay downwind and in a stand up high is my best tactic. I always try to have multiple stands and try to use them for the best wind advantage. In addition I always try to not keep going to the same stand multiple days. Changing my spot helps to keep my stands fresh. Hope this helps.

Don't count on air movement to be the same morning and evening. If there is any sort of elevation around the air can move in opposite directions morning and evening. The same if you set up on the edge of the woods. the air tends to move into the woods in the evening. Even if there is no breeze the air still moves. If I set up in a spot I'll rarely hunt it longer than a couple of days, there are exceptions but generally, two days is my limit in one spot.
Forage or habit tend to be the major predictors of Deer movement. Man stink can ruin an area. IMO attractants may spook more than they help, Deer notice things out of the ordinary. Spot where they tend to move from bed to food or food to bed and where they have been feeding. If you scout an area give it a rest, usually a few days before you hunt there. Last thought as long as you are breathing you are spewing the by-products of your metabolism. I've found scent to be a lesser factor compared to being at the right spot at the right time.

Don’t overthink it.

Personally, I don’t typically care for the hassle of attractants. Food brings the ladies to the bar, and frat boys chase ladies. That’s the trick.

I used to set up multiple stands or blinds over a given hunting spot to allow me to hunt different sun and wind positions, but have largely given that up for many years now. An attractant scent, in theory, is potent enough and sufficiently enticing to drive a buck to do something he wouldn’t otherwise do. Frankly, even smelling both human and attractant scent together should (in human logic) build confidence that the area is at least sufficiently safe for the doe to be there, and like I said, frat boys chase ladies...

So in general, an attractant drag should cross near enough to a travel area to draw the buck’s attention, and then the attractant disperser should be placed upwind of a travel area to cast scent to the area. Active dispersant scent should certainly overwhelm the lingering scent of a Hunter from hours prior... so as I said in opening...

Don’t overthink it.

I also agree don't over think it, and to be honest a LOT of how much human scent bothers/effects a deer's movement is really based on a lot more variables than the wind it gets the scent from

as a deer that lives in close proximity to humans, will NOT be bothered by human scent as a deer that lives far into a large forested area where human contact is rare if at all

deer will react to thinks in way different ways, based on how and where they live and feed and sleep and so on!


the simple answer to your question is, to HUNT so the wind NEVER carries your scent to where you think deer are, or will be coming from

the use of scents
is, to place them where the wind will carry there scent to where you think deer are or will come from!

the issue I have with using scents is, well most times there a waste of $$$, from tons of trying over decades, I will say I personally think they spook more deer than they lure in
as scents can work both ways

deer live in there CORE area there whole lives and they will get to know what deer live there and there scents of local deer, when you add in new smells/scents to things, from deer scents to cover scents, your IMO< giving deer an alert something NEW is in the area, which then MIGHT place them on higher alert, trying to find what is making that scent, and or change there normal pattern due to the new scent in there home area!
If I had the options to have deer relaxed in there normal ways, over one looking for something
I will pick the relaxed deer to hunt,
they already have excellent skills at picking out hunters why give them more reasons to look harder!

can do scents work at times YES they can,
but not often enough to get me to spend my $$ anymore on them!
just work to be as scent free as possible and stay still, try and make your set ups easy to get into and out of without teaching local deer you are or been there
way more important than using scents IMO!

Thanks for the input! I was generally under the same assumption but just kinda wanted a quick sounding bored to make sure my own logic was sound.

Thats what I figured, I have already started plotting wind directions from weather reports in the general area from morning and evening times so I can choose a couple of different spots to set a treestand or blind.