Feeding areas due to wind direction

[Matt6506]

I've been lurking on here for a while and am very impressed and intreged about beast still hunting. My question is whether or not there's and coorilation between where bucks feed and wind direction. I have this piece of public land and I've noticed that I see the bucks feeding in one field with a north wind and a different field with a south wind. I have identified multiple buck beds for both wind directions, however it seems that the bucks go to the field they are bedded close to. Is this a coincidence or is there any logic to it?

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[cdeam]

From what I can tell they bed according to wind and choose food based on quality. If the two fields are equal, they'll be in the safest one closest to where they bedded that day. Once they feel the field is safe to feed in I see them feeding wind to back alot. Just don't count on it all the time.

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[JoeRE]

This summer has been an interesting one for me because I have been able to observe deer 5-6 nights a week in the bean field behind my house. I have never had the opportunity to have that number of observations in one spot before. The field is sort of rectangular with two low areas, one in the back (north end) and one in the middle. With southerly winds most deer enter the field in the north low area I think because its the closest to where their south wind bedding is. When we have northerly winds the deer enter the field in the center low area about 300 yards south of the other area because its closer to their preferred north wind bedding. Its extremely predictable. Once in the field they feed across it regardless of wind direction because they are heading toward other food sources to the west.

I knew they tended to prefer low/secure corners of fields for entrance and bedded dependent on wind but seeing it night after night gives me a new appreciation for the predictability. So to answer your question travel routes can change a lot with wind, not just so a buck can clear a field with his nose but also the most accessible "good" entrance point may change a lot due to wind. Preferred food sources are still going to be hit, its more how they are accessed.

[PK_]

Great points.

[Stanley]

Welcome to the Beast. Yeah I believe the bucks bed to feed patterns are based on locality for sure. This why you see the bucks spread out and in bachelor groups. Bucks bed in certain areas and go to the food sources close to those areas.

[dan]

They choose where to eat based on what they are hungry for... Sometimes we only see a certain buck in a certain field on a certain wind, and that's not because he is only feeding there on a certain wind, but more because he only beds near there on a certain wind...

Once at a food source in an open area you will notice mature deer feeding "wind to back" for safety reasons, but that don't mean they come to the food wind to back, they just situate them selves in that manor once they are there feeding.