How often do you actually see deer travel with wind to back?

[BigHunt]

Thinking back I have noticed that in hill country bucks often enter a field from the lowest point in the evening, and if you go into a field that has a low spot or drainage in the evening, no matter where you stand your milkweed goes to that drainage after thermal drop occurs which is usually before the bucks show up...

yep! great point

[Stanley]

Thinking back I have noticed that in hill country bucks often enter a field from the lowest point in the evening, and if you go into a field that has a low spot or drainage in the evening, no matter where you stand your milkweed goes to that drainage after thermal drop occurs which is usually before the bucks show up...

I think this is pretty accurate. Deer tend to enter open fields "even in moderately flat ground" in low spots. I think it keeps themselves out of sight and to use the thermal currents.

[Bowhunter4life]

Thinking back I have noticed that in hill country bucks often enter a field from the lowest point in the evening, and if you go into a field that has a low spot or drainage in the evening, no matter where you stand your milkweed goes to that drainage after thermal drop occurs which is usually before the bucks show up...

Absolutely agree! I have seen this so many times here in the hill country land I hunt. Great post dan

[ Post made via Android ]

[Redman232]

Thinking back I have noticed that in hill country bucks often enter a field from the lowest point in the evening, and if you go into a field that has a low spot or drainage in the evening, no matter where you stand your milkweed goes to that drainage after thermal drop occurs which is usually before the bucks show up...

I think this is pretty accurate. Deer tend to enter open fields "even in moderately flat ground" in low spots. I think it keeps themselves out of sight and to use the thermal currents.

I agree 100%, doesn't matter if it's a crop field or CRP and it only takes a couple feet of elevation change to draw thermals and completely hide a deer with any vegetation present. If you enjoy seeing a lot of deer adjacent to low spots is a great place to set up. (Low spots also hold moisture longer keeping vegetation greener longer)

[Ghost Pointer]

I'm going to draw a map later on and see what you guys think of some examples...Stanley or Dan if you could draw up a quick map of examples that would be nice...

I killed a buck from this location. The sequential order was; Glassed from the black spot by the road. Saw a couple of bucks using the blue travel route. Used an observation stand yellow circle next time the wind permitted. One buck used the blue travel route. The wind was from the west both times. I now am pretty sure I have a pattern going that will net me a buck. "Buck going from bed to corn". I waited for the next SW wind and slid in for the kill (orange a/white stand site). The red line is my travel route All three times I observed/hunted the wind was virtually to the bucks backs. This was a low impact type of hunt (I am most comfortable using this style). Notice I did not disturb the bedding/travel route/food source, area any of the times I was there, snuck in snuck out.






Would this also be an example of hunting a "just off wind"?

[ Post made via iPad ]

[Stanley]

I'm going to draw a map later on and see what you guys think of some examples...Stanley or Dan if you could draw up a quick map of examples that would be nice...

I killed a buck from this location. The sequential order was; Glassed from the black spot by the road. Saw a couple of bucks using the blue travel route. Used an observation stand yellow circle next time the wind permitted. One buck used the blue travel route. The wind was from the west both times. I now am pretty sure I have a pattern going that will net me a buck. "Buck going from bed to corn". I waited for the next SW wind and slid in for the kill (orange a/white stand site). The red line is my travel route All three times I observed/hunted the wind was virtually to the bucks backs. This was a low impact type of hunt (I am most comfortable using this style). Notice I did not disturb the bedding/travel route/food source, area any of the times I was there, snuck in snuck out.






Would this also be an example of hunting a "just off wind"?

[ Post made via iPad ]

It could be considered off wind,sort of. In this case I used a S/W wind which was favorable for me not the buck. A south wind would have also worked. A west wind would have also worked. A S/E wind would have really been considered what I call an off wind. If the wind is hitting the bucks back side as he travels like it was on this hunt I don't consider this an off wind. If the wind is hitting the bucks nose as he travels this would be an off wind.

[headgear]

Would this also be an example of hunting a "just off wind"?

A "just off wind" has the wind going in the bucks favor but also in your favor as well. Let say you are in a stand facing north, the wind is blowing from the nw. The deer might be traveling west into the wind so they can smell a lot of the territory in front of them. You are setup just downwind of the trail they are taking so essentially the wind is hitting both of you in face but you have the advantage. There are a lot of angles and cross winds that can be used (thermals as well) but hopefully this makes sense. I don't see a lot of bucks traveling during shooting light with wind to back on public land so I try and work cross winds or just off winds as much as possible.

[BassBoysLLP]

Thinking back I have noticed that in hill country bucks often enter a field from the lowest point in the evening, and if you go into a field that has a low spot or drainage in the evening, no matter where you stand your milkweed goes to that drainage after thermal drop occurs which is usually before the bucks show up...

Absolutely agree! I have seen this so many times here in the hill country land I hunt. Great post dan

[ Post made via Android ]

X4. I think I posted the same observation in the hub thread yesterday.

[Singing Bridge]

If a buck is in heavy cover he often moves into the wind so that his escape route is back the way he came from. This is his safest route as he knows no danger is behind him.

I agree with this and see it a lot in the swamps I hunt. If a buck picks me off by sight or smell he will also retreat back the way he came from, as he feels safe moving back to where he has already been. The cover I hunt is so thick the bucks really cannot use their vision to protect themselves up ahead in the direction they are travelling. They use their hearing a lot to protect themselves from the rear (and all directions), while nosing forward in the heavy cover. The danger that remains when moving this way is if a wolf or a pack of yotes are trailing their ground scent, but the buck stops frequently and listens for danger approaching from the rear.

[Ghost Pointer]

Thanks for the explanations (Stanley, Headgear) I am slowly starting to understand what you are saying about hunting "just off winds". I would love to see or hear more examples.

[Jonny]

Bump. Really good topic

[flinginairos]

Thinking back the last 3 bucks I killed came in with the wind mostly to their back. Most have a slight cross wind so they have some advantage.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Same here. All the bucks I can think back on I killed from their beds were traveling wind to back or a slight crosswind.

[ghoasthunter]

I would say that 90% of the bucks I have killed came in with the wind to their backs. It is like Dan said, that is how I set up to kill them. I also believe a lot depends on the amount of cover a buck is traveling through. If a buck is in heavy cover he often moves into the wind so that his escape route is back the way he came from. This is his safest route as he knows no danger is behind him.

When a buck heads to a food source he is coming from a safe zone into an unknown zone. He uses other deer ahead of him to alert danger and he has the wind to his back to alert him of danger. I have always set up with this mind set and has worked pretty well over the years. I also have always thought a stud/breeder buck in the rut moves through cross winds in search of a hot doe. I also think the older non breeder bucks still move with wind to their backs, in heavy cover especially. JMHO

The parallel trail offers the buck two scent opportunities; one the ground scent and one the cross wind scent. This is why I set up to use both those things to my advantage. The wind coming from the doe bedding area and the ground scent on the doe trails. Win win.

I see the same mature bucks definitely are using wind and thermal as often as possible mature bucks try and stay where they can use all their senses while traveling. they use thermals a lot for travel. checking stands and does they really are good at staying hidden for that reason.

[Rob loper]

I see this alot and must be missing somthing but what does one mean when they respond to somthing on forum whe they say. “ bump” ?

[ghoasthunter]

I see this alot and must be missing somthing but what does one mean when they respond to somthing on forum whe they say. “ bump” ?

I too do not know what this means lol