Heading to SW PA for the archery opener tomorrow and I was looking at wind predictions for the next few days. They are calling for a couple cold fronts in the next few days and was wondering how I was going to handle the midday wind shifts. For example winds are predicted to be out of the S during the morning then shifting to the NW around lunch time. Curious how others handle early season wind shifts. Do you hunt a south wind set up, NW set up or both?
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Mid day wind shifts
- Zona
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- headgear
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Re: Mid day wind shifts
I generally look for beds that would be good for the deer on a south wind. I know the bucks might move in hill country but a lot of times in the swamps they will hold tight or just make a small adjustment.
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Re: Mid day wind shifts
I would look at how the wind is coming into your area. I believe a cold front is part of a low pressure system and in a low pressure system, the air mass turns counter clockwise. a warm front (high pressure system) the air mass turns clockwise. you can use that information to plan where you sit as you know how the air will be moving when is passes through your area.
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Re: Mid day wind shifts
So what you have to consider:
It's a S wind spot. He bedded there when it was a S wind. I'm already here, and if he's in the bed he's still there... Will he adjust at wind shift for you to get a kill? If he doesn't is he still bedded there and your in position already to get him? Really to comes down to whether you think they are shifting midday also.. But is that a reason to move? Or a reason to set up accordingly that morning?...
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It's a S wind spot. He bedded there when it was a S wind. I'm already here, and if he's in the bed he's still there... Will he adjust at wind shift for you to get a kill? If he doesn't is he still bedded there and your in position already to get him? Really to comes down to whether you think they are shifting midday also.. But is that a reason to move? Or a reason to set up accordingly that morning?...
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- Zona
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Re: Mid day wind shifts
My thought process was to position myself near a south bed in line with the closest potential W - NW bedding area just in case the buck decides to adjust to the wind.
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Re: Mid day wind shifts
Zona wrote:Heading to SW PA for the archery opener tomorrow and I was looking at wind predictions for the next few days. They are calling for a couple cold fronts in the next few days and was wondering how I was going to handle the midday wind shifts. For example winds are predicted to be out of the S during the morning then shifting to the NW around lunch time. Curious how others handle early season wind shifts. Do you hunt a south wind set up, NW set up or both?
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In the early season I hunt evenings most of the time, as my mature bucks are nearly always inside the bedding areas about 20 minutes before I can see. The 2 1/2 year olds tend to show up at the edge of the bedding area right at first light.
It sounds as though the bedding in question here is, "wind specific." For me, whether or not the buck will change his bed at midday because of a shift in wind direction has a lot to do with hunting pressure. In swamps and marshes they tend to stay put most of the time and rely on hearing and vision to protect themselves- rather than expose themselves with any distance of a bedding change. What I actually see a lot is a very short move to a better wind position on the same small, dry hump or island. It ends up being the same puny area despite the wind change. But in hill country and ridge bedding, the buck may well shift during the daytime if there isn't too much hunting pressure. It would not be unreasonable for you to do an evening hunt based on the wind direction "at that time."
If the buck is in farm country and bedding in a thicket, he may shift his positon inside that thicket with the wind change at midday. We really don't know enough about your hunting area to go into much detail.
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Re: Mid day wind shifts
You have to remember the wind will not just switch it will swing, so you could be stinking up 180 degrees of cover. I try and not a hunt a swinging wind. I think I would wait for the afternoon hunt after the wind has made its swing. It's hard to do but sometimes watching football is more productive.
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.
- Zona
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Re: Mid day wind shifts
I am sorry, I should have provided better details of the area and my intentions. My question is based on a suburban hill country evening hunt. Mature bucks in this area are usually bedded well before dawn as stated above. Thanks for the input, lot of variables to consider.
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Re: Mid day wind shifts
Sounds good Zona, put the smack down on a Beast!
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Re: Mid day wind shifts
were hunting pretty similar areas...actually were probably within 20-30 miles of each other...
i find a lot of buck beds are heavily related to sight...yes they are also often wind based...but they are bedding on the edge of fields or on high points with the wind/woodlot behind them and what they cant smell they have an amazing view of...
like was said...sometimes on a wind shift they will get up and move...but in our area i highly doubt it because they still have the sight advantage and because of the pressure they see they know its probably best not to move...
like was said watch the wind shift...i dont plan on stepping foot in the woods till after that takes place...but im going to hunt as if the deer are bedded on a south wind banking on them NOT moving...IF they do move im going to try to be in the position to cut them off as they are enroute...
the other thing is the wind shift will be later in the day...closer to dark not morning...my thinking is if it was closer to morning they may be more prone to move...but being closer to dark they will likely sit tight and get up when they are ready to...which if i was a deer bedded and the wind shifted and made me nervous i would get up a few minutes earlier before i couldnt see as well....
the other thing we got working for tomorrow is the higher winds...with the leaves on the trees still its going to be LOUD in the woods...that'll cover our sound...but at the same time wind makes deer nervous and cautious so thats a catch 22...9 times outta 10 the wind will die as the sun sets...again making for prime hunting...
and....both my draggin buddies are out of town this weekend......
yep...i have high hopes of killing a buck tomorrow! lol
i still gotta decide where to go...i know what ridge i am heading to...just not sure exactly where...i know it pretty dang well...if it is good conditions for sneaking in i may throw the stand on my back and go till i start seeing fresh rubs...
i had an apple tree i wanted to hunt....and still might....but i had a camera in it for over a month and although it wasnt functioning properly i dont have pics of anything big...i have atleast 2-3 coming off the other ridge right after dark that id shoot in a heartbeat though...
i find a lot of buck beds are heavily related to sight...yes they are also often wind based...but they are bedding on the edge of fields or on high points with the wind/woodlot behind them and what they cant smell they have an amazing view of...
like was said...sometimes on a wind shift they will get up and move...but in our area i highly doubt it because they still have the sight advantage and because of the pressure they see they know its probably best not to move...
like was said watch the wind shift...i dont plan on stepping foot in the woods till after that takes place...but im going to hunt as if the deer are bedded on a south wind banking on them NOT moving...IF they do move im going to try to be in the position to cut them off as they are enroute...
the other thing is the wind shift will be later in the day...closer to dark not morning...my thinking is if it was closer to morning they may be more prone to move...but being closer to dark they will likely sit tight and get up when they are ready to...which if i was a deer bedded and the wind shifted and made me nervous i would get up a few minutes earlier before i couldnt see as well....
the other thing we got working for tomorrow is the higher winds...with the leaves on the trees still its going to be LOUD in the woods...that'll cover our sound...but at the same time wind makes deer nervous and cautious so thats a catch 22...9 times outta 10 the wind will die as the sun sets...again making for prime hunting...
and....both my draggin buddies are out of town this weekend......
yep...i have high hopes of killing a buck tomorrow! lol
i still gotta decide where to go...i know what ridge i am heading to...just not sure exactly where...i know it pretty dang well...if it is good conditions for sneaking in i may throw the stand on my back and go till i start seeing fresh rubs...
i had an apple tree i wanted to hunt....and still might....but i had a camera in it for over a month and although it wasnt functioning properly i dont have pics of anything big...i have atleast 2-3 coming off the other ridge right after dark that id shoot in a heartbeat though...
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