Traveling Up Wind of Bedding?

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

HB Store


Strenke629
Posts: 59
Joined: Tue Mar 07, 2017 5:25 am
Location: Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Traveling Up Wind of Bedding?

Unread postby Strenke629 » Wed Oct 04, 2017 3:59 am

So I have a question regarding traveling up wind of a bedding area. Maybe if your traveling into your stand location and only have one way in and that's up wind of the bedding area your hunting. How far do you have to be away from the bedding area up wind to be confident that your wind won't blow in and spook the deer? I know there are a lot of variables that come into play like, cover and terrain and such, but what is a good rule of thumb to go by? Lets split the question in two. How far do you have to be away from a bedding area in open flat terrain like a swamp? and how far do you have to be away from a bedding area in hilly timber terrain? Thanks for any advice!


dan
Site Owner
Posts: 41587
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2010 6:11 am
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HuntingBeast/?ref=bookmarks
Location: S.E. Wisconsin
Contact:
Status: Online

Re: Traveling Up Wind of Bedding?

Unread postby dan » Wed Oct 04, 2017 4:09 am

My observations have taught me, some will jump and run from 400 yards, and some will let you walk by 20 yards away if you don't stop or make eye contact. I also believe its huge to go in early if you have to go upwind. Get thru quick, and as far back as possible... If at all possible I try to find a way not to get my wind in there.
Strenke629
Posts: 59
Joined: Tue Mar 07, 2017 5:25 am
Location: Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Re: Traveling Up Wind of Bedding?

Unread postby Strenke629 » Wed Oct 04, 2017 4:15 am

Thanks Dan! with those deer that didn't get up at 20yds away, did they tend to be hesitant to get up in the evening? would they tend to wait until it got dark because of that contact they had with you? Or did they get up out of their beds at the usual time, because they felt that they were now safe that you passed?
dan
Site Owner
Posts: 41587
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2010 6:11 am
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HuntingBeast/?ref=bookmarks
Location: S.E. Wisconsin
Contact:
Status: Online

Re: Traveling Up Wind of Bedding?

Unread postby dan » Wed Oct 04, 2017 4:21 am

Strenke629 wrote:Thanks Dan! with those deer that didn't get up at 20yds away, did they tend to be hesitant to get up in the evening? would they tend to wait until it got dark because of that contact they had with you? Or did they get up out of their beds at the usual time, because they felt that they were now safe that you passed?

If I got in early they seemed to move normal, if I got in late they were still weary. I had my scent blow into a bedding area last week on a hunt. I went past about 100 yards from bedding and circled to where I wanted to hunt. Went in about 4pm. No deer went to where my wind blew from. Which, I would of expected some movement that way. When I set up, a couple does got up from 25 yards away as I climbed the tree and crashed right thru the bedding area snorting. 4 deer came out of that bedding area later and walked by like nothing happened. 4 deer at that spot, is a lot. 1 was a very mature doe.
User avatar
Stanley
Honorary Moderator
Posts: 18734
Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2011 4:18 am
Facebook: None
Location: Iowa
Status: Offline

Re: Traveling Up Wind of Bedding?

Unread postby Stanley » Wed Oct 04, 2017 4:41 am

My advice would be to hunt that area on a different wind.
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.
User avatar
headgear
500 Club
Posts: 11625
Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2010 7:21 am
Location: Northern Minnesota
Status: Offline

Re: Traveling Up Wind of Bedding?

Unread postby headgear » Wed Oct 04, 2017 5:57 am

Stanley wrote:My advice would be to hunt that area on a different wind.


There are times where the buck might not be there on a different wind, just something to think about.

Strenke629 I have crossed upwind of bedding and still shot the buck so it can 100% be done. Like Dan said get in early and stay as far back as possible, every buck/bed is different so you just have to keep trying and see what works and what doesn't.
User avatar
uncleron
Posts: 125
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 12:14 am
Location: SE MI
Status: Offline

Re: Traveling Up Wind of Bedding?

Unread postby uncleron » Wed Oct 04, 2017 6:54 am

I have 1 such area that I pull this off pretty consistently. It's a 30-40 acre alder swamp and the deer bed 50+ yards from the edge. The deer can leave in almost any direction for food, but it's all 1/2 mile or more away. Often times it seems wind will dictate which direction the older bucks leave.

One of my trees is a large white pine, right on the edge of the alders. I access from an open field and stay out 150 yards or so from the edge of the alders. When I get even with my tree, I make a 90 degree turn and head straight for the tree as quickly and quietly as possible. I always do this on an afternoon hunt so rising thermals probably come into play too. The deer come out of the bedding and have no idea I'm there. I've even had several come from directly downwind and they usually don't smell me as long as there's a slight breeze keeping my scent above their heads.
Strenke629
Posts: 59
Joined: Tue Mar 07, 2017 5:25 am
Location: Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Re: Traveling Up Wind of Bedding?

Unread postby Strenke629 » Wed Oct 04, 2017 7:15 am

Thanks for the comments! I'm new to this style of hunting especially in the public land so honestly I'm just trying different things. Last spring was my first solid season to spring scout so I have some bedding areas I'm trying to figure out. I've been doing a lot of observation sits and things to see if I can pattern anything. I don't want to get aggressive with a spot, sit it, and blow the spot on a guess or hunch. I want to make sure I hunt it at the right time, at the right spot, on the right wind. I've been listing to a lot of podcasts throughout the summer and pretty much every single experienced person I listened to said that you should only hunt a spot once or twice besides observation locations. Every big buck they've shot has been on the first sit. So I've been really taking this stuff I've learned throughout the summer seriously.
User avatar
bowfreak8
500 Club
Posts: 599
Joined: Tue Jul 18, 2017 2:58 am
Status: Offline

Re: Traveling Up Wind of Bedding?

Unread postby bowfreak8 » Wed Oct 04, 2017 7:42 am

If I have to walk upwind of bedding I try to stay off the bedding as far as possible and move through the area as quickly as possible. I don't want to linger around too long.
User avatar
uncleron
Posts: 125
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 12:14 am
Location: SE MI
Status: Offline

Re: Traveling Up Wind of Bedding?

Unread postby uncleron » Wed Oct 04, 2017 7:47 am

Strenke629 wrote: I've been listing to a lot of podcasts throughout the summer and pretty much every single experienced person I listened to said that you should only hunt a spot once or twice besides observation locations. Every big buck they've shot has been on the first sit. So I've been really taking this stuff I've learned throughout the summer seriously.


This is generally true for bed hunting. However during the rut, it's possible to sit a spot a few times and still kill a big buck, especially if it's a good bottleneck. As long as you're not spooking does, the bucks will be there. And if you screw up on 1 big buck, it's still possible for another big buck from a different area to use that bottleneck.

Your access is usually the biggest key in how many times you can hunt a spot. The more difficult the access, the less times you'll get away with it. On public land the easy spots are usually overhunted. But once in a while, some are overlooked. On private land, some of my best spots are the ones that require the least amount of walking, and they can be hunted over and over.
User avatar
flinginairos
500 Club
Posts: 931
Joined: Sat Sep 20, 2014 7:11 am
Location: WV
Status: Offline

Re: Traveling Up Wind of Bedding?

Unread postby flinginairos » Wed Oct 04, 2017 8:05 am

uncleron wrote:
Strenke629 wrote: I've been listing to a lot of podcasts throughout the summer and pretty much every single experienced person I listened to said that you should only hunt a spot once or twice besides observation locations. Every big buck they've shot has been on the first sit. So I've been really taking this stuff I've learned throughout the summer seriously.


This is generally true for bed hunting. However during the rut, it's possible to sit a spot a few times and still kill a big buck, especially if it's a good bottleneck. As long as you're not spooking does, the bucks will be there. And if you screw up on 1 big buck, it's still possible for another big buck from a different area to use that bottleneck.

Your access is usually the biggest key in how many times you can hunt a spot. The more difficult the access, the less times you'll get away with it. On public land the easy spots are usually overhunted. But once in a while, some are overlooked. On private land, some of my best spots are the ones that require the least amount of walking, and they can be hunted over and over.


This is a really good point. It all comes down on how you get in/out on how many times you can get away with it. I just did my second sit in a bedding area last night and have encountered 3.5 year old bucks both times. The buck I saw last night was on my cell cam this morning that I have set up to monitor that area so I know he's bedded there again today. I will for sure sit that spot again with the right wind/conditions. It would be dumb not to, because I obviously haven't pressured them out of the area and I have two sits worth of intel to cash in on. Nothing in this game can be taken as absolute fact. I'll hunt a spot until I feel the game is over. Sometimes thats one time, sometimes it five 8-)
User avatar
Stanley
Honorary Moderator
Posts: 18734
Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2011 4:18 am
Facebook: None
Location: Iowa
Status: Offline

Re: Traveling Up Wind of Bedding?

Unread postby Stanley » Wed Oct 04, 2017 8:40 am

headgear wrote:
Stanley wrote:My advice would be to hunt that area on a different wind.


There are times where the buck might not be there on a different wind, just something to think about.

Strenke629 I have crossed upwind of bedding and still shot the buck so it can 100% be done. Like Dan said get in early and stay as far back as possible, every buck/bed is different so you just have to keep trying and see what works and what doesn't.


I like the odds of my wind not blowing into the bedding area. If you make a habit of your wind beating you to a spot you will be in for some long empty hunts. Yes, you can luck out and kill one with your wind blowing into the bedding area. I just don't like the odds. I can honestly say I can't remember ever killing a good buck with my wind blowing into the bedding area. I have walked 2-3 miles many times to hunt a spot 1/4 mile away.

The biggest difference in consistently hanging good bucks on the wall, and hanging one once in a while, are how well you manage your hunts. Takes a lot of time and effort to locate a good bed/bedding area. Hunting it smart will pay huge dividends in the end.
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.


  • Advertisement

Return to “Deer Hunting”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 95 guests