What do you do when it's dead calm?

Discuss deer hunting tactics, Deer behavior. Post your Hunting Stories, Pictures, and Questions/Answers.
  • Advertisement

HB Store


whitetail_addict
Posts: 292
Joined: Fri Oct 04, 2013 1:23 pm
Location: Western Wisconsin
Status: Offline

What do you do when it's dead calm?

Unread postby whitetail_addict » Sat Sep 20, 2014 3:31 pm

The wind was blowing pretty good all day around here until I got home today. Based on the wind direction I had a couple of spots in mind so I headed out anyway. When I got to the first spot the wind was pretty much non-existent. I checked it in several different spots and it more or less just floated around where I was standing before dropping to the ground. Sitting there would have likely meant my scent would just pool up around me and I likely wouldn't have many or any deer get within range. I didn't even make it to the tree I planned on hunting before deciding the first spot wasn't worth a sit under less than ideal conditions so I decided to save it for a better day and try another spot not too far away. Well, when I got there it was the same situation with the wind essentially dead. Again I decided not to hunt the area and stay out of the spot to avoid burning it up under less than ideal conditions.

In the end I ended up not even hunting and instead just doing some drive around scouting on a few areas. This is not something I've elected to do much of in the past but with a better awareness of the importance of playing the wind now I just felt like it was the best thing to do for the long haul.[glow=red]I'm curious what others would do or do under dead calm conditions like this: hunt anyways, scout, stay home?[/glow] In the future I hope to have enough spots that would give me some options up high on ridges or something that would likely have at least a light but steady wind under similar conditions. I was down on flat ground tonight and the winds just weren't such that I felt comfortable sitting in any of the stands I had in mind.

I want to mention also that there wasn't much thermal activity at all tonight as the temperatures seemed to stay pretty much the same until dark.


User avatar
PLB
500 Club
Posts: 6974
Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2010 3:49 pm
Location: NE Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Re: What do you do when it's dead calm?

Unread postby PLB » Sat Sep 20, 2014 4:02 pm

Personally as long as the wind wasnt variable like 0-5 mph and not blowing to where the deer are likely to come from, I would have hunted. But its a long season here and taking a night off from one of your good spots because you didnt feel comfortable isnt a bad idea.. Driving around observing isnt a bad idea this time of season..

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image
Obsession Bows
Lone Wolf Alpha and sticks
User avatar
Stanley
Honorary Moderator
Posts: 18734
Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2011 4:18 am
Facebook: None
Location: Iowa
Status: Offline

Re: What do you do when it's dead calm?

Unread postby Stanley » Sat Sep 20, 2014 4:27 pm

Light variable winds are just plain tough to hunt. I kind of think waiting for a better wind would be a good option.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
dan
Site Owner
Posts: 41588
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2010 6:11 am
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HuntingBeast/?ref=bookmarks
Location: S.E. Wisconsin
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: What do you do when it's dead calm?

Unread postby dan » Sat Sep 20, 2014 9:05 pm

I love calm evenings... Bucks seem to move earlier and you can hear them coming. Yea, there is some disadvantages. But there is give and take on every hunt. In a lot of areas heavier wind means more swirling. If they reach my scent pool and I think its a shooter... I shoot him. Goes back to the whole "face the deer or face away" thread... I am facing him and shooting the 1st opportunity. The longer you allow a shooter to hang around the more chance he will detect something.
briar
500 Club
Posts: 1700
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 3:57 am
Status: Offline

Re: What do you do when it's dead calm?

Unread postby briar » Sat Sep 20, 2014 11:53 pm

Where i am from calm/variable winds are so much the norm. For years i was so discouraged by trying to understand what i was doing wrong being unable to hunt the wind correctly....then i lived in the midwest for a bit and found out it wasnt me at all. Now i do my absolute best to hunt the wind, but if it swirls it swirls...here its just part of hunting

[ Post made via Android ] Image
User avatar
PK_
500 Club
Posts: 6894
Joined: Tue Nov 20, 2012 5:10 am
Location: Just Off
Status: Offline

Re: What do you do when it's dead calm?

Unread postby PK_ » Sun Sep 21, 2014 9:48 am

Unless there is a front or something moving through dawn/dusk are always like that down here. I am realizing last couple season how important thermals, whether from the sun or swamp can make or break your hunt. I have a lot of setups these days where I am below the high water mark and at prime time am or pm the swamp is pulling my thermals towards deeper water.

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image
No Shortcuts. No Excuses. No Regrets.
Everybody's selling dreams. I'm too cheap to buy one.
Rich M wrote:Typically, hunting FL has been like getting a root canal
Exophysical
Posts: 283
Joined: Mon Aug 26, 2013 9:18 am
Status: Offline

Re: What do you do when it's dead calm?

Unread postby Exophysical » Sun Sep 21, 2014 10:02 am

I go still hunt an area that I've got no real stake in, I've taken a few deer this way but often its just hail mary scouting. Go wander around that area that you just know has to hold some good deer but you're not familiar enough with to really have much of a game plan, you'd be surprized what you find.
They say millwrights can fix anything except a broken heart, but I've even got a tool that can do that!
User avatar
Milk Weed Seed
500 Club
Posts: 1822
Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2011 2:17 pm
Location: Northern NJ
Status: Offline

Re: What do you do when it's dead calm?

Unread postby Milk Weed Seed » Sun Sep 21, 2014 11:49 am

Light / no wind, thermals are key.
Also don't fart in light / no wind, unless you smell like roses :lol:
[glow=red]Happiness is only a gut pile away[/glow]
Autumn Ninja
Status: Offline

Re: What do you do when it's dead calm?

Unread postby Autumn Ninja » Sun Sep 21, 2014 2:08 pm

I love dead calm day's...I just set up and let the terrain carry my scent in a safe area, away from where the deer are gonna be. I can also get by with hunting some lower areas that I can't hunt on windy days. The deer also move earlier (here) on calm day's.

[ Post made via Android ] Image
User avatar
chasemukluk
Posts: 217
Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2012 2:11 pm
Location: Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Re: What do you do when it's dead calm?

Unread postby chasemukluk » Mon Sep 22, 2014 9:10 am

Milk Weed Seed wrote:Light / no wind, thermals are key.
Also don't fart in light / no wind, unless you smell like roses :lol:


Deer fart too! Watch the video!
[bbvideo=425,350]www.youtube.com/embed/c9GU4P-1AWI[/bbvideo]
User avatar
PLB
500 Club
Posts: 6974
Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2010 3:49 pm
Location: NE Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Re: What do you do when it's dead calm?

Unread postby PLB » Mon Sep 22, 2014 11:52 am

chasemukluk wrote:
Milk Weed Seed wrote:Light / no wind, thermals are key.
Also don't fart in light / no wind, unless you smell like roses :lol:


Deer fart too! Watch the video!
[bbvideo=425,350]www.youtube.com/embed/c9GU4P-1AWI[/bbvideo]

Lmao!!! :lol: thats awesome!!!

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image
Obsession Bows
Lone Wolf Alpha and sticks
User avatar
yungbuck
500 Club
Posts: 1153
Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2013 4:27 pm
Location: Indiana
Status: Offline

Re: What do you do when it's dead calm?

Unread postby yungbuck » Mon Sep 22, 2014 4:03 pm

Who knew ha

[ Post made via Android ] Image
nothing but a simple minded god fearing public land bow hunter
Bucky
Posts: 5586
Joined: Tue Aug 31, 2010 12:35 am
Location: Appleton WI
Status: Offline

Re: What do you do when it's dead calm?

Unread postby Bucky » Tue Sep 23, 2014 2:38 am

Hunt thermals.... they still exist
"When a hunter is in a tree stand with high moral values, with the proper hunting ethics and richer for the experience, that hunter is 20 feet closer to God." Fred Bear


  • Advertisement

Return to “Deer Hunting”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Hunt1997, Nudimeyer and 87 guests