Which Wind to Hunt?

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Tim H
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Which Wind to Hunt?

Unread postby Tim H » Wed Apr 24, 2019 7:55 am

As I scout and find certain bedding areas and travel routes that I want to hunt I'm keeping in mind of the wind and thermals.

I think the wind/thermals can be a complicated subject as we don't always know what bucks are going to do and when. It's damn if you do, damn if you don't. I think the more you hunt the wind/thermals, the better you will get and the luckier you will get.

If I'm walking in and setting up, I'm going to want to have the wind in my face. Right? But would a buck move a certain direction for a hunter's wind? Would an off wind be a better situation?

It's like you can almost always hunt a good wind and bad wind at the same time depending on your outlook and experience. Thoughts?


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Tim H
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Re: Which Wind to Hunt?

Unread postby Tim H » Wed Apr 24, 2019 9:29 am

Here is a makeshift visual. In the alders/transition/high grass is where I have found the beds, dropping’s,rubs, etc. So assuming deer will move towards the clearcuts to feed, what winds seem best for where?
41D9CEA9-0DB3-4542-A893-304A6A42862A.png
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Re: Which Wind to Hunt?

Unread postby Evanszach7 » Wed Apr 24, 2019 3:04 pm

NorthwoodsWiscoHnter wrote:As I scout and find certain bedding areas and travel routes that I want to hunt I'm keeping in mind of the wind and thermals.

I think the wind/thermals can be a complicated subject as we don't always know what bucks are going to do and when. It's damn if you do, damn if you don't. I think the more you hunt the wind/thermals, the better you will get and the luckier you will get.

If I'm walking in and setting up, I'm going to want to have the wind in my face. Right?

Not always for me. I’m more concerned about my wind not blowing to the bedding area. For example, I’m hunting a west facing ridge with wind coming east to west, I might access from anywhere but east depending on how the surrounding terrain or density of the cover is going to make the wind swirl.

But would a buck move a certain direction for a hunter's wind? Would an off wind be a better situation? My best hunts are on an off wind, typically not wind to face. Just seems tough in hill country to setup just below them if they’re bedding wind to back and watching ahead.

It's like you can almost always hunt a good wind and bad wind at the same time depending on your outlook and experience. Thoughts?


Pretty situational. In the rut I’ll sometimes setup wind to face if I’m hunting leeward, but I’m hunting for cruisers then. Then again, downwind of doe bedding I’m usually setup on a crosswind. Typically my best access route depends how exactly I’ll end up with the wind, but I’m aiming for just off wind.
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Re: Which Wind to Hunt?

Unread postby Uncle Lou » Thu Apr 25, 2019 9:23 am

I'm definitely not dan, but I have watched all his DVDs, and I stayed in a holiday express last week.

What wind would give a mature buck (because dan taught me we are not hunting deer) the advantage to move to the clear cut to feed. Push that advantage as hard as you can. Some may call it cross wind, to almost wrong wind.

Or, now this is me talking,get a buddy set up where when you push the wind and it busts you and he slips out. The buddy whacks it. Then you need to possibly know the exit trail. Gosh, I hope there is not more than one exit trail. This hunting stuff can be hard.

That's all I got.
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Re: Which Wind to Hunt?

Unread postby Uncle Lou » Thu Apr 25, 2019 9:24 am

And good luck to your Brewers tonight :P
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Tim H
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Re: Which Wind to Hunt?

Unread postby Tim H » Thu Apr 25, 2019 1:15 pm

Uncle Lou wrote:And good luck to your Brewers tonight :P


They already lost. :lol:


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