How do you hunt the wind...?
12-07-2008, 05:40 PM
#31
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Where the ducks don't come no more
Posts: 4,420
RE: How do you hunt the wind...?
ORIGINAL: dukemichaels
No.. no.. looking into the field with their eyes. They would be scent checking the areas they can't see well into.. like the woods.
I'm really not cutting this clearly am I.
I guess this is the same reason we see so many trails parralelling the prevailing downwind side of ag fields? Deer scent checking the field for anything amiss before going out to feed?
I'm really not cutting this clearly am I.
No I get what you are saying... I think it was my example that wasn't cutting it. When the bucks are still in the woods.... they obviously can't see out into the field... so they scent check it first... of course though... thats only one... my bad.
12-07-2008, 05:46 PM
#32
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location:
Posts: 21,043
RE: How do you hunt the wind...?
No I get what you are saying... I think it was my example that wasn't cutting it. When the bucks are still in the woods.... they obviously can't see out into the field... so they scent check it first... of course though... thats only one... my bad.
12-07-2008, 06:10 PM
#33
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Northwest suburbs, Illinois
Posts: 2,075
RE: How do you hunt the wind...?
ORIGINAL: GMMAT
In my example....that's the opposite of what they were doing (scent checking the field). They were traveling WITH the windto get to an area where they could feed, at ease......using their sense of smell to protect them from what they couldn't see (the thicket they just came from) and using their senseof sight to protect them IN the field.
No I get what you are saying... I think it was my example that wasn't cutting it. When the bucks are still in the woods.... they obviously can't see out into the field... so they scent check it first... of course though... thats only one... my bad.
12-07-2008, 06:43 PM
#35
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manassas, VA
Posts: 3,612
RE: How do you hunt the wind...?
In my example....that's the opposite of what they were doing (scent checking the field). They were traveling WITH the wind to get to an area where they could feed, at ease ......using their sense of smell to protect them from what they couldn't see (the thicket they just came from) and using their sense of sight to protect them IN the field.
This is what I have seen time and time again.
12-07-2008, 06:52 PM
#36
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Southeast, Va
Posts: 3,965
RE: How do you hunt the wind...?
so we can all agree that we don't want our scent blowing where they are coming from correct??
Bedding
filedstand location swamp
hardwoods
where do I need the wind blowing for this scenerio??
where do NOT want blowing?
Bedding
filedstand location swamp
hardwoods
where do I need the wind blowing for this scenerio??
where do NOT want blowing?
12-07-2008, 09:22 PM
#37
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location:
Posts: 1,032
RE: How do you hunt the wind...?
ok, this year where i hunt we have had alot of bad cold wind. in the wind we have not seen one deer move. but right after the winds we c alot. now we have seen some sitting on the side of hills letting it blow over them. but not seen none move in the wind so i hate wind and here in ky never c them move in the wind
12-07-2008, 09:31 PM
#38
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Indiana (southern)
Posts: 6,146
RE: How do you hunt the wind...?
I can explain mine better with pics. Here are two of my areas. The first is a large thicket that i hunt the back corner of, why? The corner of choice is the down wind side of the thicket. The bucks hang on this side so they can scent check the whole thicket while cruising back and fourth, and get a visual on the open woods side because its slightly elevated. They pop out on the back side look around and go back in. This is my favorite set and it was teaming with bucks this season. In one day i seen 10 bucks and 12 Does. This is where i killed my 155 buck in 2005. I seen three bucks in this spot over 120" this season, all in range but i was never able to loose an arrow on any of them.
red= thicket outline
brown =is predominant wind direction (subject to change)
Green= is buck/Doe activity am & pm
blue= is buck and Doe activity mornings comming in from fields
white dots=are stand locations
white arrow= is where a 160 buck got lucky this season, he was on course and decided to head another direction,I had a 25 mph cross wind and had him at 42 yards, i didnt shoot.
this is a place where the other guys on the lease are to lazy to make the long hike in
I like to keep it that way 
The thickets kind of steer the wind in different locations
ANOTHER FAVORITE
There are 5 thickets here and the deer are bouncing between them. I have multiple stand sights for the wind situations. I love this spot!! I seen one buck over 120" here and again never was able to shoot,,,just out of range.
Red= thickets
yellow= is a man made ditch
green= is deer movements
white dots with redare the prefered stands
brown= predominant wind (subject to change)
and again, some of the out of the way spots no one likes to make the walk.
I have to many other locations....this is all you get to see [8D]
red= thicket outline
brown =is predominant wind direction (subject to change)
Green= is buck/Doe activity am & pm
blue= is buck and Doe activity mornings comming in from fields
white dots=are stand locations
white arrow= is where a 160 buck got lucky this season, he was on course and decided to head another direction,I had a 25 mph cross wind and had him at 42 yards, i didnt shoot.
this is a place where the other guys on the lease are to lazy to make the long hike in
I like to keep it that way The thickets kind of steer the wind in different locationsANOTHER FAVORITE
There are 5 thickets here and the deer are bouncing between them. I have multiple stand sights for the wind situations. I love this spot!! I seen one buck over 120" here and again never was able to shoot,,,just out of range.
Red= thickets
yellow= is a man made ditch
green= is deer movements
white dots with redare the prefered stands
brown= predominant wind (subject to change)
and again, some of the out of the way spots no one likes to make the walk.
I have to many other locations....this is all you get to see [8D]
12-07-2008, 10:24 PM
#39
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Central Minnesota
Posts: 9,445
RE: How do you hunt the wind...?
Simple, just hunt the down wind side of where you expect the deer to be, or be coming from.
Also....I'd ask how many depend solely on the forecast wind direction for that day/hunt.....and who uses a windicator (of an kind) to discern the true wind (direction/thermals/etc...).
12-07-2008, 11:15 PM
#40
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: West Ky.
Posts: 1,161
RE: How do you hunt the wind...?
ORIGINAL: Cougar Mag
Hmmm, surprised to hear Duke say that. Now as impossible as it is to always travel into the wind EXCEPT in the rut, I find quite the opposite in my area. The majority of the time I see the mature deer(bucks and does) travel into the wind. Not always but the majority of the time. I also believe that many times if not most of the time, mature deer will wait until darkness to enter their feeding areas(open areas) if they do move against the wind.
I don't believe whitetail try to travel into the wind. Especially bucks of older age. At least.. not most of the time.