How to Hunt the WINDWARD side

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johndeere506
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How to Hunt the WINDWARD side

Unread postby johndeere506 » Tue Dec 19, 2017 3:24 pm

What if the leeward side has houses, or is a plateau, or is private lands, or just isnt huntable. How do you hunt the windward side? Do you focus on thickets on the hillside, points, benches? Where do you setup, and above or below what features?


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Re: How to Hunt the WINDWARD side

Unread postby Stanley » Tue Dec 19, 2017 5:00 pm

We talk about hunting the best spot on the property you hunt effectively. When the wind does a 180 then the leeward side becomes the windward side and vice versa. :think:
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Re: How to Hunt the WINDWARD side

Unread postby cameron » Tue Dec 19, 2017 5:31 pm

Stanley wrote:We talk about hunting the best spot on the property you hunt effectively. When the wind does a 180 then the leeward side becomes the windward side and vice versa. :think:


What Stanley said...listen to him, he knows his stuff
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Re: How to Hunt the WINDWARD side

Unread postby dan » Tue Dec 19, 2017 10:56 pm

When there bedding windward they are bedding like in farm, or like in big woods, etc. They are using transitions, and spots where wind swirls, etc.
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Re: How to Hunt the WINDWARD side

Unread postby brancher147 » Tue Dec 19, 2017 11:55 pm

I like to hunt the windward side. I hunt wherever the deer are and some places it is the windward side, or you just don't have access to the leeward side. Where I hunt most mountains run N-S and the typical wind is out of the west, an east wind is extremely rare. So, if you don't have access to hunt the east side of the mountain, you have to hunt the windward side most of the time. I like to setup near bedding or between bedding areas above or in cliffs above a bench or in a small saddle. If it is a saddle where multiple ridges come together then setting up is easier and I like to be on an east or south facing hill in the morning with the wind blowing my scent over a draw with rising thermals, and will sometimes move in the evening depending on thermals. As Dan said, deer that use windward side to bed usually bed in places the wind swirls, and you can't really setup right on them, you have to setup the closest terrain feature or funnel with a consistent wind.
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Re: How to Hunt the WINDWARD side

Unread postby PK_ » Wed Dec 20, 2017 2:25 am

Cover>*
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Re: How to Hunt the WINDWARD side

Unread postby johndeere506 » Wed Dec 20, 2017 2:45 am

dan wrote:When there bedding windward they are bedding like in farm, or like in big woods, etc. They are using transitions, and spots where wind swirls, etc.

Some of the deer I saw while bedded did seem to be out in the open, on a larger point where it was flatter on top. Now that I think about the scenario it did seem like a bigwoods type bedding setup.

That seems a little obvious now, like I should have thought of what you mentioned. I think I was caught up trying to figured out why they were there due to the hills. Thanks for the info!
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Re: How to Hunt the WINDWARD side

Unread postby johndeere506 » Wed Dec 20, 2017 2:50 am

brancher147 wrote:I like to hunt the windward side. I hunt wherever the deer are and some places it is the windward side, or you just don't have access to the leeward side. Where I hunt most mountains run N-S and the typical wind is out of the west, an east wind is extremely rare. So, if you don't have access to hunt the east side of the mountain, you have to hunt the windward side most of the time. I like to setup near bedding or between bedding areas above or in cliffs above a bench or in a small saddle. If it is a saddle where multiple ridges come together then setting up is easier and I like to be on an east or south facing hill in the morning with the wind blowing my scent over a draw with rising thermals, and will sometimes move in the evening depending on thermals. As Dan said, deer that use windward side to bed usually bed in places the wind swirls, and you can't really setup right on them, you have to setup the closest terrain feature or funnel with a consistent wind.

Sounds like you know exactly the type of setup I'm hunting. The prevailing wind would keep you out of this spot most days if you waited for windward, and its not local to me. I have seen deer using the windward side, so maybe some terrain features are the best thing to do.
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Re: How to Hunt the WINDWARD side

Unread postby johndeere506 » Wed Dec 20, 2017 2:54 am

PK_ wrote:Cover>*

Ill definitely be checking the cover better. I think Dans tips and finding the best cover will show me what I need to know.

I just ordered the latest Hill Country DVD, and Ill have to dig up the original HC DVD I have at home somewhere.
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Re: How to Hunt the WINDWARD side

Unread postby tim » Wed Dec 20, 2017 4:47 am

I never understand this question. You wait until the wind blows the right way to make it leeward. The only thing making any hill leeward is the direction of the wind.
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Re: How to Hunt the WINDWARD side

Unread postby checkerfred » Wed Dec 20, 2017 5:51 am

tim wrote:I never understand this question. You wait until the wind blows the right way to make it leeward. The only thing making any hill leeward is the direction of the wind.


Because some places hardly ever get a certain wind direction during the hunting season. Like us we hardly ever get an east wind and if we do it will be with thunderstorms. Yet I know of some public that you’d need an east wind to be able to hunt. So you either wait and possibly only hunt it once in a thunderstorm or hunt windward
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Re: How to Hunt the WINDWARD side

Unread postby checkerfred » Wed Dec 20, 2017 5:52 am

dan wrote:When there bedding windward they are bedding like in farm, or like in big woods, etc. They are using transitions, and spots where wind swirls, etc.


Dan is there somewhere here that you talk specifically about big woods? I don’t recall anything and would love to read it. I assumed big woods hill country would be the same as typical hill country so I’d love to check this out
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Re: How to Hunt the WINDWARD side

Unread postby tim » Wed Dec 20, 2017 6:01 am

Checkerfred, that’s exactly how it works. You wait for the right wind as in any setup. All my spots are this way some years you have a more consistent westerly wind some years more east or southerly. I hunt accordingly.
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Re: How to Hunt the WINDWARD side

Unread postby tim » Wed Dec 20, 2017 6:03 am

I guess I’d rather hunt the correct wind for a spot once and have a better chance at a Deer than trying to hunt the incorrect winds and not have good odds multiple times
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Re: How to Hunt the WINDWARD side

Unread postby johndeere506 » Wed Dec 20, 2017 6:37 am

tim wrote:I guess I’d rather hunt the correct wind for a spot once and have a better chance at a Deer than trying to hunt the incorrect winds and not have good odds multiple times


How about one easy example...If you are gun hunting from a ridgetop, and there are deer on the windward side, how would that be incorrect to hunt them there? Im sure piles of bucks have been killed from ridgetops, or the windward side of a ridge.

I'm far from experienced in the hills, but I was able to get several deer in shooting range while scouting and still hunting my first couple outings, which included the windward side. I'm not willing to not hunt that area if the prevailing wind says I "cant" for the few days I'm there.

I understand the leeward is ideal, but there are still deer over there, if you can figure out how to hunt them.


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