Wind and deer movement

[zeilingerz8935]

Hi all,

Im a little confused on how wind effects deer movement. Growing up i was taught to use scent elimination spray, scent lok gear and to keep the camo off when you cook bacon in the cabin etc.....So i never really worried about trying to play wind in my benefit. I never thought i had a need for it...Of course I've been busted before but when you smell like you took a bath in beer from the night before no scent elimination suit or spray can help your problems then :)... Do Deer travel with there nose in the wind at all times? If so, will deer avoid areas because the wind isn't blowing right? Like food plots or water soures? Or do deer just travel with the nose in the wind to spots that they will eat sleep or feed at etc...

I appreciate any help or tips on better understandinget wind and the effects of bowhunting. I feel that over there years I may have missed some good opportunitit's because I wasn't playing the wind right.

Thanks




1

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[ruttnhrd]

Dan has talked a lot about this. And his conclusions in my opinion are yes and no. Deer do not always travel nose in the wind. But they will check the wind before entering areas like food plots or beds. They will bed in certain areas more based on the wind. If you do some reading in the best tactical threads you will learn a lot. But the best advice I have ever got was "Don't cheat the wind, always play it"

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[DaHunter]

Playing the wind doesn't mean setting up directly downwind of bedding and hoping a mature buck walks to you. Doesn't usually work.

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[magicman54494]

my impression from following many big buck tracks is this:
they play the wind when they need to.
lets say there is a doe group in an area west of the buck but the wind is in the east. he will still go there traveling with the wind but when he gets there he will swing around and use the wind to scent check.
if he senses danger or is traveling thru an area where he encountered danger before he will most likely use the wind to scent check.
A buck about to enter a field is like a person walking down the sidewalk. we pay no attention to the cars until we need to cross the street then the only thing on our mind is the cars. A buck gets real scent serious when he gets near a field but will travel with the wind to get there.
I have seen them travel with the wind, across the wind and with the wind at their back all the same amount. When bucks are traveling during the rut they seem to have a destination in mind and head there regardless of wind. they use the terrain to get there the easiest way which has them turning all the time.
Interesting side note: I once watched an older doe walk along the edge of a field, turn the corner and walk way down that edge. then she came back and entered near the corner. I'm convinced she was scent checking the area before she was willing to walk out into the field.

[whitetailassasin]

my impression from following many big buck tracks is this:
they play the wind when they need to.
lets say there is a doe group in an area west of the buck but the wind is in the east. he will still go there traveling with the wind but when he gets there he will swing around and use the wind to scent check.
if he senses danger or is traveling thru an area where he encountered danger before he will most likely use the wind to scent check.
A buck about to enter a field is like a person walking down the sidewalk. we pay no attention to the cars until we need to cross the street then the only thing on our mind is the cars. A buck gets real scent serious when he gets near a field but will travel with the wind to get there.
I have seen them travel with the wind, across the wind and with the wind at their back all the same amount. When bucks are traveling during the rut they seem to have a destination in mind and head there regardless of wind. they use the terrain to get there the easiest way which has them turning all the time.
Interesting side note: I once watched an older doe walk along the edge of a field, turn the corner and walk way down that edge. then she came back and entered near the corner. I'm convinced she was scent checking the area before she was willing to walk out into the field.

This man knows his stuff. I don't at all want to disagree with anything he's said. I just want to add I see mature bucks and does, when exiting bedding headed to food or water the path there wind direction, from what I have observed means little. But when they get to food, water, doe bedding, they will check wind for safety, or scent check. Just my 2 cents

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[Stanley]

Killed a lot of good bucks with the wind at their back. magicman54494 is spot on as for my experiences also.

[<DK>]

What you learn on here about wind and thermals, should make everything in the past of your hunting life make total sense.

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[dan]

I agree with others... The main time I see deer travel with regards to wind is rut. And it does not appear to be for safety, but rather for finding does. Occasionally you will see bthem circle a food source to come in at the lowest point in the evening to catch the dropping thermal, or circle down wind of a known hunting stand, but for the most part they go from point a, to point b, outside of the rut. Bedding is a different story. They tend to smell check chosen bedding areas and enter wind to face, turn around and stare down wind looking at there entrance trail. They tend to leave there beds without much regard to wind.

Do Deer travel with there nose in the wind at all times?

If this were true, they would end up in china when we have 3 weeks of the same wind direction.

[Southern Man]

Do Deer travel with there nose in the wind at all times?

If this were true, they would end up in china when we have 3 weeks of the same wind direction.[/quote]

Yea. I read once that if deer always traveled with the wind they'd all end up on the beaches of the west coast

[Mibowfreak]

my impression from following many big buck tracks is this:
they play the wind when they need to.
lets say there is a doe group in an area west of the buck but the wind is in the east. he will still go there traveling with the wind but when he gets there he will swing around and use the wind to scent check.
if he senses danger or is traveling thru an area where he encountered danger before he will most likely use the wind to scent check.
A buck about to enter a field is like a person walking down the sidewalk. we pay no attention to the cars until we need to cross the street then the only thing on our mind is the cars. A buck gets real scent serious when he gets near a field but will travel with the wind to get there.
I have seen them travel with the wind, across the wind and with the wind at their back all the same amount. When bucks are traveling during the rut they seem to have a destination in mind and head there regardless of wind. they use the terrain to get there the easiest way which has them turning all the time.
Interesting side note: I once watched an older doe walk along the edge of a field, turn the corner and walk way down that edge. then she came back and entered near the corner. I'm convinced she was scent checking the area before she was willing to walk out into the field.

This man knows his stuff. I don't at all want to disagree with anything he's said. I just want to add I see mature bucks and does, when exiting bedding headed to food or water the path there wind direction, from what I have observed means little. But when they get to food, water, doe bedding, they will check wind for safety, or scent check. Just my 2 cents

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These guys really hit the head of the nail on this one.

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[vermonthunter16]

I have been paying attention to the wind a lot when out checking a local spot this summer. I have seen a strong pattern for a certain buck where he will enter the bean field from certain angles/ areas on different winds. It has been a little eye opening for me to say the least. It's nice to be able to look at the wind, and then know to watch an exact spot (within 10 feet) and know he is going to enter the beans from that area. I just need to find how to apply that to a hunt.

[JohnFunn]

If you watch the rainy day buck vidio on the extreme whitetails tactics channel on youtube, it gives you a pretty good visual of the buck movement in reguards to wind. I know it was eye opening for me when i watched the vidio and saw how the hunt was laid out by Dan on his diagram....the bucks were clearly moving from point A to point B like he says they will do over and over again....

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[headgear]

I think magic is spot on as well, I have seen and killed deer with all winds. I do think deer move a little more care free in the safe zones like bedding or remote travel routes. I have seen them travel more carefully in places they know might hold danger during daylight hours, they certainly know where the pressure is and can use the wind more often in these areas. However the smart ones just avoid these areas during shooting hours.

[DaveT1963]

Agree with Magic.... older bucks know WHEN to use the wind

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[DaHunter]

Would anyone care to post a stand setup (morning and evening) showing where best to position your stand in relation to his trails/bedding/food? Better to be on a quarter wind spot, cross wind spot, downwind? That's the exact detail I struggle with and over analyze.

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