Wind 101

[Brad]

I sill continue to struggle with this, so I thought I would start a thread where we can try and cover why a buck does with his nose and when. We have had lots of discussions on when a buck would want the wind blowing straight to him, straight away from him, or a cross wind etc. The way I would like to do this is rather than naming how a buck would do something in a given scenario, lets pick the conditions when a buck would want the wind one way or the other. I have always tried to walk with the wind in my face but that is not always possible and I feel there are times where the deer are not in a location to cover that anyways. LEts make this thread simple enough that someone who has never bowhunted and knows nothing on wind and how it effects deer would be able to get an idea. This should be a simple subject, but I sure struggle with it.

Times when a buck would want the wind blowing right to him

Times when a buck wants the wind at his back

Times when he will want a cross wind.

How a buck will walk, circling into wind, etc.

Lets look at this from all parts of the season, not just the rut or early season etc.

[Zap]

sometimes they just want to go somewhere and walk the easiest route......

[Bucky]

When going to a food source they typically like a cross wind to check for danger... unless they are cruzing, then wind direction seems to have minimal effect... they are going from A to B

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[Brad]

When going to a food source they typically like a cross wind to check for danger... unless they are cruzing, then wind direction seems to have minimal effect... they are going from A to B

[ Post made via Android ]

So for cruising bucks I should set up so the wind is going anywhere except where I anticipate them to walk most of the time? Lets say you are set up off the edge of a food source in the transition cover, I should be fine so long as the wind is not blowing straight in front of me (where I would expect to shoot)?

[Zap]

When going to a food source they typically like a cross wind to check for danger... unless they are cruzing, then wind direction seems to have minimal effect... they are going from A to B

[ Post made via Android ]

So for cruising bucks I should set up so the wind is going anywhere except where I anticipate them to walk most of the time? Lets say you are set up off the edge of a food source in the transition cover, I should be fine so long as the wind is not blowing straight in front of me (where I would expect to shoot)?

Consult Murphy on that.

His law usually applies....

[BowtechHunting]

Well, le t me start off by saying that I had full intention to go this morning, but as I was checking the weather I noticed it was a waxing gibbous, almost full moon, and I can say that I have rarely seen deer in this moon phase. Not to mention it's 10-15 mph winds. However peak cruise times is going to be at noon today when the moon is diretly overhead. So, I'm trying to stay out of the woods until the best time. I went yesterday morning and I seen nothing. And today isn't that much different based on conditions. What I'm saying is that I've all the sudden pyched myself out of going hunting this morning because of negating conditions. Right now the wind is 6-8 mph, but when I got up it was howling.

To add to the thread, I've hardly seen deer with winds over 10mph. I would much rather wait for a good time other than burn up a spot and ruin that area, even though hunting time is limited. I know some of you guys don't hunt until the conditions are just right.

So what do you do? I'm not going to see anything sitting here on the couch watching the weather. I know in the past when I did see deer it wasn't by chance, the conditions were right. I believe that anytime the wind is gusty, deer are going to be hesitant about moving, but they have to get up at somepoint. So what do you do?

I used to just go whenever I felt like it, but as I get older and time is limited, I want to increase my chances of seeing mature bucks and not just spikes and does. However, I love deer hunt regardless if I see anything or not.

So what do you do?

[Autumn Ninja]

However peak cruise times is going to be at noon today when the moon is diretly overhead.

Underfoot.

Keeping it very simple. As for what a buck wants (wind) just keep bedding in mind, dont over think it.

In all other situation, keep the wind in your favor.

[muddy]

Keep the wind in your favor as much as you possibly can on stand approach as well as in the stand. I don't give deer as much credit to be the thinkers that some of you do. I'm not hunting beds either.

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[BowtechHunting]

However peak cruise times is going to be at noon today when the moon is diretly overhead.

Underfoot.

Keeping it very simple. As for what a buck wants (wind) just keep bedding in mind, dont over think it.

In all other situation, keep the wind in your favor.

I'm trying to keep simple, but it seems the more I read about moon phases and changing weather patterns along with barometric pressure I start confusing myself when the best time is going to be. I'm a firm beliver in burning out a place, I've done it before. I just want to maximize my efforts with my limited time.

Any luck your way Ninja? We need all need to get together and hunt when you got some vacation time.

[dan]

As Autum Ninja implied, you may be taking the wind to the point that it would be very confusing to new hunters... They often bed based on the wind, and do some traveling based on the wind, but you never know for sure what they will do away from the bedding area...
As far as tendency to react to wind, I think your going to get a wide variety of answers. What I have Observed, and what I read and hear from others seems to be very different.
I have had guys tell me they live in an area where mature bucks are very rare and they only see one every few years, then tell me that mature bucks in there area always walk nose into the wind. How would they know if they only seen a few?
I have also heard this from guys who have shot and do see mature bucks... But I shot a lot of bucks and seen a lot of bucks moving wind to tail in heavy pressure areas...
Me and Andrae went over this in a very long conversation a couple weeks ago while interviewing him for the DVD and other than one detail we both had very similar observations on wind and deer movement, and keep in mind we are hunting different states, and he is on unpressurized managed land, while I mostly hunt heavy pressure public...
Bedding has a lot to do with with wind... Where exactly they choose to bed, and how they get to that bed, has to do with wind and thermal activity. I think it has been covered a million times on here as to where they bed on what wind.
When they enter a bed... This is where me and Andrae disagreed a bit, but after discussion about exact scenarios, I have to bow to the master whom has killed and observed more mature bucks in bedding areas in the AM than me. Bucks like to come to a bedding area wind to back and then hook into the wind smell the bedding area before laying down... In hill country they tend to come from below horizontally and then hook straight up. Andrae kills they right where they hook up and claims its the only vulnerable spot in there defense. We will cover that better in the DVD. Its hard to predict morning to bed movements because of the ways they use the wind and wind currents near the bed.
Evenings however, are much easier because bucks come out of bedding without much regard to the wind...
They go straight thru the staging area where the readable sign is. They do tend to move earlier when the wind is in there favor. And I often wonder if guys in pressure areas who claim bucks only move nose to wind are setting up back farther and seeing the bucks that move early.
From bedding to food:
Bucks seem to go from point "A" to point "B" using cover with little regard to the wind.
At a feild, food plot, or feeding area:
Bucks seem to like to have the wind to there back. This is not to say they won't check an area by going down wind 1st, but I don't see that a lot.
I was hunting a very small food plot last week and this was on my mind... I had a bedding area above me about 100 yards, and one beside me about 50 yards from my tree. This was the second time this spot has been sat. Dave shot a nine pointer there Opening week. 1ST, I had a nice looking 2 year old come out of the bedding above. He staged where they always do, but then turned wind to back and did not follow any trails. I watched him walk about 300 yards before I lost vision. Then another smaller buck came out of the bedding beside me. This was interesting. He walked straight towards the food plot from his bed 1/4ering into the the wind till he got 10 yards from the plot where he stopped and looked over the plot with his eyes real well. After about a minute of staring he turned and did a semi circle around the food plot till the wind was at his back and then walked straight to the plot and feeded across wind to back. Every bite he would raise his head while chewing and survey down wind while smelling behind...
This is typical. When in a food source, I typically notice them facing down wind while feeding. Watching downwind, smelling up wind. When the buck got 5 yards from the tree at the end of the plot he turned and walked into the wind till he got to the other side of the plot and then he turned around and started feeding towards me again, wind to back. He was there doing this for about an hour. At about closing time he turned, walked away straight into the wind stopping once to murder a tree.
During the rut:
During the rut stages you start seeing a shift in travel, instead of random or wind to back, you see more quartering into the wind, This is not about protection, its about smelling and locating does.
In hill country its the Leeward slopes, in farmland or other terrains its about smelling air currents to locate does. Funnels on the downwind side of large areas that could hold does might be good spots...
When pressured:
When bucks are pressured:
When a buck is being tracked, is wounded, is bumped out of a bed, etc... The 1st thing they do is head for cover, next the travel down wind so they can smell whats pursuing them.

The one thing that is very important to remember is that these deer are not always going to follow these "rules" these are just things that after years of hunting and pursuing you start to notice patterns. All we can do as hunters to up our odds is hunt based on what they are most likely to do... There is no such thing in the whitetail world as "always, never, or guaranteed"

[Autumn Ninja]

Any luck your way Ninja? We need all need to get together and hunt when you got some vacation time.

I just meant that the moon is underfoot today at noon, not overhead...and not worth a mid-day set, IMO.

On vacation now...it started the 25th with 90 degrees...wouldnt take a booner for it so I didnt go...poored down rain all day friday as the front moved in, so set it out also. Got up yesterday running a 102 temp. aching all over....might try'em this evening if I start feelin better.

[whitetail4ever]

In terms of hunting on a windy day though, I have learned that you should be out there regardless of wind SPEED. I few years ago, I was set up on a field edge on the LAST DAY of regular season bow. Beforehand, I was watching the Packer/Bear game (I am a Bears fan, yes!), and the Packers were crushing them, so I did not watch the whole game and went hunting at half-time. Anyways, the winds were 30+ MPH with 40+ wind gusts. I was chilled to the bone by 5:00. I had my doe decoy out, and at 5:45 (last light) a bruiser came walking right to the doe decoy from my left out of nowhere. I had an easy 12 yd shot and missed!!!!! He was a gnarly buck too. I think I was too cold to even draw my bow back, but the fact that it was so sudden, I didn't have time to prepare mentally for the shot. If only we could have a second shot! Moral of the story? HUNT WHENEVER YOU CAN...I know that time is limited. I better get used to that concept because I am going to be a first time dad come February! HAHA!

[muddy]

In terms of hunting on a windy day though, I have learned that you should be out there regardless of wind SPEED. I few years ago, I was set up on a field edge on the LAST DAY of regular season bow. Beforehand, I was watching the Packer/Bear game (I am a Bears fan, yes!), and the Packers were crushing them, so I did not watch the whole game and went hunting at half-time. Anyways, the winds were 30+ MPH with 40+ wind gusts. I was chilled to the bone by 5:00. I had my doe decoy out, and at 5:45 (last light) a bruiser came walking right to the doe decoy from my left out of nowhere. I had an easy 12 yd shot and missed!!!!! He was a gnarly buck too. I think I was too cold to even draw my bow back, but the fact that it was so sudden, I didn't have time to prepare mentally for the shot. If only we could have a second shot! Moral of the story? HUNT WHENEVER YOU CAN...I know that time is limited. I better get used to that concept because I am going to be a first time dad come February! HAHA!

Yeah, if the time of the year is right get out there. I've shot some great bucks on days where the wind was howling 30-45+ mph.

[BowtechHunting]

. Anyways, the winds were 30+ MPH with 40+ wind gusts.

I too have been on a few sits where my initial thoughts were "I'm not going to see anything in this mess". Low and behold I see a flock of does and a small buck. So, yeah I agree with you, hunt when you can regardless of the winds. But, I also want to be smart about it so I don't muddy up a spot and ruin my chances on a buck that I'm chasing. I have no idea where he is bedding, but I've seen him twice in the afternoon going down the field edge at the same hour. But when I hunt him I don't see him. So, I'm thinking that he is moving when the conditions are right, and I'm not there when the conditions are right. It's aggravating as crap! I'm hunting in town on a 20 acre plot with lots of hard woods spread out around me (mostly field). So, I just don't know what to do.

Thanks guys for all the information. Keep it coming. I'll post the land in a bit to give some more info.

[BowtechHunting]

Here is the land where I seen the buck. He's about 120ish 8-10, good buck for this land. I would like to get him before rut kicks in and he vanishes. If I hunt stand 2, the wind swirls a lot and turbulent. I need a NE, E wind. Just unsure where he is bedding.