Hunting a mid day wind switch

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Aaron1987
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Hunting a mid day wind switch

Unread postby Aaron1987 » Tue Jun 06, 2017 3:38 am

I've observed and heard of several examples of big bucks moving during or immediately after a wind switch mid day, at all times of the year.

Last year we waited for the wind to switch from South to NW before heading into the stand. It was a bedding area we called the "buck nest" during an afternoon hunt in late October.

While climbing the tree about 2 p.m. I looked down to see a giant buck moving across the field, going from one thick bedding area to the other. The bedding area he headed towards favored the NW wind that came after the switch. I didn't see him come out before dark but if I'd of been setup differently, anticipating the wind switch, I might have had a better chance.

Is this buck changing bedding locations because of the wind switch? Does anyone hunt bedding during a mid day wind switch and have you had success?


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Re: Hunting a mid day wind switch

Unread postby tbunao » Tue Jun 06, 2017 3:49 am

With the wind switching from south to north west I'm assuming a high pressure system was moving in? If I remember right the wind will switch clockwise during a low to high pressure. Counterclockwise for the opposite. If your timing is correct I believe in the right situation and as you know proper pre planning that this is very doable.

I have not done this but if the timing is right I do have a point that this would work on.
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Re: Hunting a mid day wind switch

Unread postby dan » Tue Jun 06, 2017 4:15 am

AaronMW wrote:I've observed and heard of several examples of big bucks moving during or immediately after a wind switch mid day, at all times of the year.

Last year we waited for the wind to switch from South to NW before heading into the stand. It was a bedding area we called the "buck nest" during an afternoon hunt in late October.

While climbing the tree about 2 p.m. I looked down to see a giant buck moving across the field, going from one thick bedding area to the other. The bedding area he headed towards favored the NW wind that came after the switch. I didn't see him come out before dark but if I'd of been setup differently, anticipating the wind switch, I might have had a better chance.

Is this buck changing bedding locations because of the wind switch? Does anyone hunt bedding during a mid day wind switch and have you had success?

I can't remember killing one on a switch, mbut I have observed them switch beds on the wind shift many times.
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Re: Hunting a mid day wind switch

Unread postby rfickes87 » Tue Jun 06, 2017 4:28 am

2 years ago I checked my camera one day in mid October. I had pictures of a real nice 130-140s buck just this one time on camera. It was at 1:00 in the afternoon. I tried to pattern him after seeing him on camera and immediately tried checking the weather for that day on weatherunderground.com and sure enough there was a wind shift in that area that day.

Just a thought...If the weather man is predicting a midday wind shift and you're hunting in hill country during the rut, wouldn't that be a great day to hunt a saddle and catch a buck that is moving from one side of a ridge to the other???
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Re: Hunting a mid day wind switch

Unread postby JoeRE » Tue Jun 06, 2017 4:32 am

Yea this is something I have been thinking about too. Its something I have watched many times as well both in person and on trail cameras.

I have not set up to try and kill a buck specifically on a mid day switch but have used it here and there in the bigger picture. It ends up being pretty challenging to take advantage of in my opinion.

One problem is wind switches can take a lot of time to occur. I usually see the wind switch back and forth for an hour or two. Often it comes from every point of the compass for a while in hill country anyway - it doesn't just rotate at ground level according to type of front although that might be what is happening 1,000 feet up in the air!

Its a rare spot that works for all the winds that get thrown at you for the hour or two or three that it takes sometimes. With faster moving systems maybe you can dial in the timing better though. Related to that, often where we hunt is a distance from the nearest weather station that records the data we are looking at. For instance, a lot of my spots are 20-30 miles from the weather station I look at via Wunderground. We get the same weather sure but the timing might be hard to guess on slow moving fronts. Even sites like Windyty that track wind are just estimates between weather stations....

But it would be something to take advantage off if you can dial in far enough. This buck I think was a nice 3 year old and often crossed this ditch my camera was on at mid day - seems like it was always wind and/or temperature related. Around 10AM on October 21st 2016 the wind switched from Northerly to south. North wind bedding is off to the left of the photo. South wind bedding is off to the right. Its pretty clear cut in this example.

Image

Best news is this buck made it through last season 8-) But its not as simple as just setting up in this spot next year. A south wind would be coming right into his nose at that point...but it gives me some ideas.
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Re: Hunting a mid day wind switch

Unread postby <DK> » Tue Jun 06, 2017 4:38 am

I would have to agree w your assumptions, especially in the spot you are referring to. That is a great place to observe a wind shift bc youre probably getting consistent wind directions, multiple bucks living there and plus you can see everything. I think wind speeds, weather and terrain are variables to consider on this subject bc they can affect the buck's decision on the matter. Sometimes he will feel secure enough to stay put, move 30 yards, just shift his body angle or depending on the time of day he might just start his day earlier/later. As JoeRE stated, just bc the news says its happening doesnt mean anything. Maybe I just have a grudge w them bc I hunt the hills...

Im a big fan of you guys and really enjoy the work you are doing! Cant wait to see how all the hard work pays off this year, congrats on your buck btw!
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Re: Hunting a mid day wind switch

Unread postby Stanley » Tue Jun 06, 2017 4:50 am

Remember on a wind switch the wind doesn't just switch it swings and can bust you fast.
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.
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Re: Hunting a mid day wind switch

Unread postby Aaron1987 » Tue Jun 06, 2017 6:53 am

rfickes87 wrote:2 years ago I checked my camera one day in mid October. I had pictures of a real nice 130-140s buck just this one time on camera. It was at 1:00 in the afternoon. I tried to pattern him after seeing him on camera and immediately tried checking the weather for that day on weatherunderground.com and sure enough there was a wind shift in that area that day.

Just a thought...If the weather man is predicting a midday wind shift and you're hunting in hill country during the rut, wouldn't that be a great day to hunt a saddle and catch a buck that is moving from one side of a ridge to the other???

I would think so but as JoeRE says, very tough to setup while it switches because of the variable wind.

I was talking to a friend last weekend who'd been hunting a specific buck in hill country and saw this very thing happen at around noon. Said he got in the stand that morning with an East wind and by 11 a.m. it had switched to WSW. Saw the buck moving out of bedding suitable for an East headed to the opposite ridge as you mention. Busted him at 50 yards because of the wind.

Very tough indeed but there may be a way to make it work in certain situations - especially if your mobile and can adjust. He said a 40 yard move mid morning would have sealed the deal.

In the situation at the buck nest I'm describing the wind took most of the day to swing from South to NW. But it started out of the South that morning and had been blowing that direction for several days. Once the NW wind became more consistent just after lunch he was on his feet. I'm sure it's more common with a complete switch like that from South to North or East to West etc.
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Re: Hunting a mid day wind switch

Unread postby Aaron1987 » Tue Jun 06, 2017 7:09 am

Darkknight54 wrote:I would have to agree w your assumptions, especially in the spot you are referring to. That is a great place to observe a wind shift bc youre probably getting consistent wind directions, multiple bucks living there and plus you can see everything. I think wind speeds, weather and terrain are variables to consider on this subject bc they can affect the buck's decision on the matter. Sometimes he will feel secure enough to stay put, move 30 yards, just shift his body angle or depending on the time of day he might just start his day earlier/later. As JoeRE stated, just bc the news says its happening doesnt mean anything. Maybe I just have a grudge w them bc I hunt the hills...

Im a big fan of you guys and really enjoy the work you are doing! Cant wait to see how all the hard work pays off this year, congrats on your buck btw!


Thanks! Good points.

This specific area has very defined bedding as I'm sure you can see in the videos. I saw this buck 4 times in October, every time on a NW wind. The only day when I really got close to killing him was on this wind switch day when he was moving from the South wind bedding to the buck nest for a NW. The South wind bedding is 150 yards or so from the buck nest so they have to get up and move a little ways to switch. Something I will need to keep in mind.
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Re: Hunting a mid day wind switch

Unread postby Aaron1987 » Tue Jun 06, 2017 7:18 am

JoeRE wrote:Yea this is something I have been thinking about too. Its something I have watched many times as well both in person and on trail cameras.

I have not set up to try and kill a buck specifically on a mid day switch but have used it here and there in the bigger picture. It ends up being pretty challenging to take advantage of in my opinion.

One problem is wind switches can take a lot of time to occur. I usually see the wind switch back and forth for an hour or two. Often it comes from every point of the compass for a while in hill country anyway - it doesn't just rotate at ground level according to type of front although that might be what is happening 1,000 feet up in the air!

Its a rare spot that works for all the winds that get thrown at you for the hour or two or three that it takes sometimes. With faster moving systems maybe you can dial in the timing better though. Related to that, often where we hunt is a distance from the nearest weather station that records the data we are looking at. For instance, a lot of my spots are 20-30 miles from the weather station I look at via Wunderground. We get the same weather sure but the timing might be hard to guess on slow moving fronts. Even sites like Windyty that track wind are just estimates between weather stations....

But it would be something to take advantage off if you can dial in far enough. This buck I think was a nice 3 year old and often crossed this ditch my camera was on at mid day - seems like it was always wind and/or temperature related. Around 10AM on October 21st 2016 the wind switched from Northerly to south. North wind bedding is off to the left of the photo. South wind bedding is off to the right. Its pretty clear cut in this example.

Image

Best news is this buck made it through last season 8-) But its not as simple as just setting up in this spot next year. A south wind would be coming right into his nose at that point...but it gives me some ideas.

This picture has my wheels turning a bit. I also have several on camera moving during daylight on a switch. Just hadn't thought about it until you mentioned this. I'll try to find some to post when I get back to office.
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Re: Hunting a mid day wind switch

Unread postby PK_ » Tue Jun 06, 2017 7:42 am

Not exactly using the bucks movement on a wind switch but using his failure to move as Dan did on the 'obsession buck'. That is another strategy to keep in the back of your mind when a buck is bulletproof on one wind and vulnerable on another. If he has no secure travel route to switch bedding during daylight on a wind shift he is likely to stay put.
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Re: Hunting a mid day wind switch

Unread postby JoeRE » Tue Jun 06, 2017 9:41 am

Yea PK a big factor is if a buck thinks he can move bedding locations safely. I don't think they often move very far. In the example above I think the two beds are 80-100 yards apart, just right on opposite sides of the ditch and he has security cover between them.
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Re: Hunting a mid day wind switch

Unread postby Hawthorne » Tue Jun 06, 2017 10:18 am

During the rut I've seen them switch rut staging areas with a wind change midday. Bill Vale I think had a whole chapter about it in his book. I use to have the book but traded another beast for a Benoit book. I also think he had some videos about it on his website. Been awhile since I've watched them. I know he used the tactic to kill some nice bucks in Michigan. He was the first hunter I ever heard talk about the j hook in media.
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Re: Hunting a mid day wind switch

Unread postby Aaron1987 » Tue Jun 06, 2017 10:25 am

JoeRE wrote:Yea PK a big factor is if a buck thinks he can move bedding locations safely. I don't think they often move very far. In the example above I think the two beds are 80-100 yards apart, just right on opposite sides of the ditch and he has security cover between them.

This is a good point. The buck I'm referring to in this post was in his safe zone. I'd of observed him move around in this area during daylight before - he'd just been bedding and traveling the opposite direction every time.

The wind switch day was the only time I saw him going IN to the bedding. The South wind bedding area he was in is easier to hunt. These are only 100-150 yards apart also.
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Re: Hunting a mid day wind switch

Unread postby ODH » Tue Jun 06, 2017 12:22 pm

Reading through the various examples mentioned here, and given most are seeing the wind swirl for a little while before establishing a new direction, are you guys seeing the buck move after the wind becomes consistent in the new direction, or does he move once the wind starts to become inconsistent from the original direction? I am thinking there is some time gap there and if there is a pattern to the timing of his move then it makes it easier to decide where to try to intercept him.


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