Bucks, wind in their favor?

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Strenke629
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Bucks, wind in their favor?

Unread postby Strenke629 » Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:48 pm

Sorry that I've been posting quite a bit of questions lately and if this is an obvious question.. But I have a question regarding bucks and when you would consider the wind to be in their favor when traveling; more specifically leaving their beds. I always thought that while traveling the best wind for the buck would be to their backs so they can smell behind them and see in front of them. But I'm starting to think its the other way around (because of podcasts and videos). Maybe it depends on the thickness of cover? I listened to a podcast recently that made me think.. a lot of hunters pick there stand locations and spots to hunt based on the best wind for that spot, not really thinking about what's the best wind for that buck. I know i've been doing that. I know Dan said that bucks don't have any regard for the wind when leaving their beds, but he said they get a little farther when the winds in their favor. What wind would be considered in the bucks favor?


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Ragingun
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Re: Bucks, wind in their favor?

Unread postby Ragingun » Thu Nov 16, 2017 2:09 pm

It depends on location and cover. The best general rule of thumb is the wind where a buck beds will be in his favor not yours or they wouldn’t bed there. It’s why Dan and others hunt a lot of cross winds or winds angled towards but not directly to the deer. It’s also why scouting is so important to know exactly where the trail he will use comes from so he doesn’t hit your scent walking to you.

The direction the bed faces will tell you the preferred wind when he lays in that bed. A buck that beds on a point will typically want the wind blowing from the mainland to his bed since nearly all predators will come from the land not the wet marsh or river he’s facing. That has been my experience. I’m sure there are times when that’s not true as there are no absolutes in nature but there will be always be a reason.
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Strenke629
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Re: Bucks, wind in their favor?

Unread postby Strenke629 » Thu Nov 16, 2017 2:14 pm

Yeah I agree. I have a pretty good grasp on how they bed, I'm now just trying to have a better understanding of their preferred travel. I remember that podcast about bedding at the tip of points as well, which makes a lot of sense. Would it be reasonable to say that bucks prefer the wind to their face in thick cover and wind to their back in open country?
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Ragingun
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Re: Bucks, wind in their favor?

Unread postby Ragingun » Thu Nov 16, 2017 2:20 pm

It could be more likely to have it that way but again it may not always be.

The buck will use the wind to tell him what he wants to know without having to see or get close. A couple examples: I have a few beds that are in the cat tails. The bucks will typically get up and mill around in both directions. Why? Because he’s smelling the mainland while still protected by the cat tails before he trusts that he’s safe before venturing on to the land. Next, in a similar situation the bucks in marshes will traverse crosswinds often walking parallel to the mainland with the wind blowing out to them. It all depends on what they need for information. Look at a certain area and think about what you would need to smell to keep you the safest. Don’t think like a hunter, think like the deer.
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Re: Bucks, wind in their favor?

Unread postby Strenke629 » Thu Nov 16, 2017 2:55 pm

That makes a lot of sense. I've been hunting on the wrong wind for a majority of my hunts then this year. I've been hunting with the thought of whats the best wind for me in this situation and not whats the best wind for the buck, then plan around that best wind for the buck. It makes a lot of sense though. If I was a buck I wouldn't want to walk onto dry land coming from the swamp without scent checking it first.
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Re: Bucks, wind in their favor?

Unread postby Chuck B » Fri Nov 17, 2017 12:04 am

Now correct me if I am wrong, but one of the key strategies is to get set up close enough to the buck bed so that they don't have a chance/option to scent check the whole area before they move 30-60 yards (and hopefully towards your stand). Those just-off winds seem to be the key winds is what I am finding out...
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Re: Bucks, wind in their favor?

Unread postby creepingdeth » Fri Nov 17, 2017 11:47 am

Ragingun wrote:It could be more likely to have it that way but again it may not always be.

The buck will use the wind to tell him what he wants to know without having to see or get close. A couple examples: I have a few beds that are in the cat tails. The bucks will typically get up and mill around in both directions. Why? Because he’s smelling the mainland while still protected by the cat tails before he trusts that he’s safe before venturing on to the land. Next, in a similar situation the bucks in marshes will traverse crosswinds often walking parallel to the mainland with the wind blowing out to them. It all depends on what they need for information. Look at a certain area and think about what you would need to smell to keep you the safest. Don’t think like a hunter, think like the deer.

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Re: Bucks, wind in their favor?

Unread postby mauser06 » Fri Nov 17, 2017 12:19 pm

They will move with any wind IMO so long as they feel safe.

If a buck we're to only walk with the wind in his face or tail or across his body...and the wind never changed direction, he'd be stuck walking a straight line.

They will use the wind to their advantage. But I don't believe there is a constant "wind is blowing this way so they will be walking this way".


That's why bed hunting is so popular on this forum. You can find the bed. You can determine if it's wind specific. You can figure out how close you can get and figure out how he exits the bed. You don't leave him with many options.

Bucks cruising and traveling a thermal tunnel are a great example of them using a cross wind. What happens when they get to the end of the ridge? Do they turn around and walk it again?
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Re: Bucks, wind in their favor?

Unread postby UofLbowhunter » Fri Nov 17, 2017 12:32 pm

mauser06 wrote:They will move with any wind IMO so long as they feel safe.

If a buck we're to only walk with the wind in his face or tail or across his body...and the wind never changed direction, he'd be stuck walking a straight line.

They will use the wind to their advantage. But I don't believe there is a constant "wind is blowing this way so they will be walking this way".


That's why bed hunting is so popular on this forum. You can find the bed. You can determine if it's wind specific. You can figure out how close you can get and figure out how he exits the bed. You don't leave him with many options.

Bucks cruising and traveling a thermal tunnel are a great example of them using a cross wind. What happens when they get to the end of the ridge? Do they turn around and walk it again?


I agree with you first sentence 100% , i do think that pressure impacts a bucks travel and how he uses the wind when leaving bedding,
I think it can greatly dictate on how a buck leaves his safty zone and make him use the wind. Rahter than just randomly leaving.
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Re: Bucks, wind in their favor?

Unread postby mauser06 » Fri Nov 17, 2017 1:06 pm

I'd agree. Around the house, pressure is extremely high. All through the season..I've been within sight of bedded bucks and they simply don't get up till right after dark. I see them regularly bedded on the edges of fields and such...15mins after dark he's out there feeding without a care in the world.

And absolutely will cause them to keep their guard up and be more cautious...which in turn means using the wind even more..where in an unpressured setting, they might move a little earlier, a little farther, and a little less cautiously..
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Re: Bucks, wind in their favor?

Unread postby Strenke629 » Sat Nov 18, 2017 3:54 am

I know he's not going to only move with the wind in his face. If that were the case he'd be long gone from his core area. I'm talking about moving and using the wind in pressured areas and moving out from cover in his considered core safety area.
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Re: Bucks, wind in their favor?

Unread postby headgear » Sat Nov 18, 2017 4:35 am

I think there are just too many variables to say a buck does this or that because of this or that wind. Plenty of guys shooting them wind to back and into or quartering into the wind. If you are only doing it one way you are probably only setting up one way.

I do suspect some pressured bucks will scent check areas if they are moving in daylight, they know where the pressure is and aren't dumb enough to move into certain areas. Seen this a few times but would still never say it is a hard and fast rule because most of the time not moving much at all during daylight is their go to tactic. :lol:


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