Ever had a buck directly down wind that didn't wind you?

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Stanley
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Ever had a buck directly down wind that didn't wind you?

Unread postby Stanley » Thu Aug 25, 2011 4:54 pm

Just curious if anyone has slipped a big bucks nose that was directly down wind of you. I had this happen in 1994 a huge 12 point buck 170+ was pushing a doe. The two of them ran directly at me from down wind, the doe kept going the buck stopped now out of my wind at 10 yards no shot. he stood there for about 5 seconds and then continued pursuit. A minute later a nice 8 point (125 caliber) came the exact same way and got my scent and stopped. He wouldn't take the same path but hooked way around and then followed the bigger buck and doe. My question, did the big buck and doe not smell me because they were breathing through their mouths. Did they just not care? I was on the ground. Thoughts, any similar instances? This is the only time that has ever happened to me.


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: Eever had a buck directly down wind that didn't wind you

Unread postby GRFox » Thu Aug 25, 2011 5:29 pm

And Is it possible there was a wind swirl or some thermal factor that caused a wwinnd shift, and the wind happened to not make it to that buck?

Or was the 170 so jacked up, psychotic and focused on getting laid that he didn't even let your scent bother him? I think with how, "crazy" I have seen some bucks behave furring the rut, it might be possible thathe just didn't. care about you ebbing there?

I don't have enough experience with close encounters with rruely mature bucks to know for sure but im thinking these could be possible scenarios.

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Re: Eever had a buck directly down wind that didn't wind you

Unread postby Dewey » Thu Aug 25, 2011 6:22 pm

GRFox wrote:And Is it possible there was a wind swirl or some thermal factor that caused a wwinnd shift, and the wind happened to not make it to that buck?
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I have had quite a few downwind of me that never picked up my scent and I am positive that it had to do with wind swirl or thermals like you said. When I started using milkweed that really explained and made me understand alot of the weird things that happened with my scent.
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Re: Eever had a buck directly down wind that didn't wind you

Unread postby dan » Thu Aug 25, 2011 8:29 pm

I have had plenty of deer appear downwind that never winded me, or at least did not react. Sometimes they smell you but don't show immeadiate reaction. Happens a lot in rut.
As far as not smelling you cause they are breathing hard? I don't buy that. I was filming a hunt in Iowa once and an ATV went thru a nearby woodlot kicking up a lot of deer that mostly ran my way. I got down and waited for a shot. As the deer passed by running full out, the ones that passed up wind never new I was there, the down wind ones spun around on a dime when they hit my scent steam right in mid run. I have seen it on drives too.
I say your deer was to wound up with rut to care, or your scent stream was rising over there heads at the time they passed. A milkweed pod in your pocket would of told you after they got past.
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Re: Eever had a buck directly down wind that didn't wind you

Unread postby GRUD » Thu Aug 25, 2011 11:38 pm

Ive have some come in directly downwind, only 2.5 yr olds though. One I remember came in to work a scrape, I know he smelled me and looked up at me it the tree. He just continued on working the scrape like he just didnt care. I actually got a shot off on this deer but the arrow deflected. I had another 180+ inch monster below my stand before daylight once and he just moved up the fence row. After light, he circled downwind of me and stood in the field at about 70 yards broadside for about a minute looking my way. I was really tempted to take a shot but held off, eventually he just wandered off across the crp field.
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Re: Eever had a buck directly down wind that didn't wind you

Unread postby Southern Man » Thu Aug 25, 2011 11:46 pm

When I first started bowhunting, I believe it was my second year, mid October, I was in a stand in the back of a long narrow weed field. The field came to a point and thats where I was at. The deer would routinely cross the back of that point about 25 yards out. This particular evening, the wind was blowing from the woods behind me straight out into the field. A good steady breeze. A doe and yearling came from my left and crossed right in front of me. Mama came first and as soon as she hit my scent, she almost did a backflip and ran back to the woods edge. She came back 3 times to smell me and the last time she stopped and stretched her body and nose to where she could smell me. Finally she turned around wlked back to the woods and circled around me on the backside, came out into the field on my right and headed off down the field edge. It was getting close to dark and I thought that was it for the day, so I lit a smoke. A couple minutes later I seen a deer coming out of the woods. A small buck, then another small buck, and finally a bigger one. Looked like a 3 year old, a nice buck for sure. All three came out, crossed, and actually fed around on the weeds for a bit. None of them paid any attention to my scent. Finally they moved off down the field on the right side following the doe. I never could figure out why they didn't smell me. The wind was as strong as it was with the does and stayed the same direction.

To make it even more crazy, I had 3 arrows in my quiver. I shot all 3 at the largest buck and missed everytime. :cry: Back then I shot an old wheel bow with an extremely heavy arrow and it made no sound when shot. Out of arrows, all I could do was watch them walk off.

All I could figure is that they were geneticly retarded bucks.
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Re: Ever had a buck directly down wind that didn't wind you?

Unread postby U.P. MAN » Fri Aug 26, 2011 12:55 am

Last years H.S. video one of the guys shot a deer that was "downwind" he went on and on about how good scent away and his clothing was. He went as far as to break out his windicator powder and put a puff into the air. You could see on the video the powder head right towards where the deer he shot had been and then suddenly veer off up and to the left. Do they really think noone watchting the video would see that?
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Re: Ever had a buck directly down wind that didn't wind you?

Unread postby headgear » Fri Aug 26, 2011 2:20 am

The mature bucks downwind have alwasy busted me. With zero scent control I have had several mature does and younger bucks seemingly ignore me. Others would react a little, they knew I was there but didn't really spook.

One thing is for sure bucks have a lot in common with male hunters, we can all get a little dump when we are chasing a doe.
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Re: Eever had a buck directly down wind that didn't wind you

Unread postby Stanley » Fri Aug 26, 2011 2:38 am

Dewey wrote:
GRFox wrote:And Is it possible there was a wind swirl or some thermal factor that caused a wwinnd shift, and the wind happened to not make it to that buck?
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I have had quite a few downwind of me that never picked up my scent and I am positive that it had to do with wind swirl or thermals like you said. When I started using milkweed that really explained and made me understand alot of the weird things that happened with my scent.


This was 20 mph wind not light and variable. Both the big buck doe had mouth open and tongs out. This is what made me think about breathing through their mouths and not smelling me. The smaller buck got me just a short time later. Like I said this is the only time this has ever happened to me with a mature buck.
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: Eever had a buck directly down wind that didn't wind you

Unread postby Stanley » Fri Aug 26, 2011 2:47 am

dan wrote:I have had plenty of deer appear downwind that never winded me, or at least did not react. Sometimes they smell you but don't show immeadiate reaction. Happens a lot in rut.
As far as not smelling you cause they are breathing hard? I don't buy that. I was filming a hunt in Iowa once and an ATV went thru a nearby woodlot kicking up a lot of deer that mostly ran my way. I got down and waited for a shot. As the deer passed by running full out, the ones that passed up wind never new I was there, the down wind ones spun around on a dime when they hit my scent steam right in mid run. I have seen it on drives too.
I say your deer was to wound up with rut to care, or your scent stream was rising over there heads at the time they passed. A milkweed pod in your pocket would of told you after they got past.


Both the big buck doe had mouth open and tongs out. This is why I was wondering if they were exhausted would it be possible they were breathing through their mouths. I don't know? I was on the ground and the wind was strong. The smaller buck picked me off, just like normal. This is the only time out of hundreds of encounters with mature bucks this ever happened.
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: Ever had a buck directly down wind that didn't wind you?

Unread postby Stanley » Fri Aug 26, 2011 2:48 am

headgear wrote:The mature bucks downwind have alwasy busted me. With zero scent control I have had several mature does and younger bucks seemingly ignore me. Others would react a little, they knew I was there but didn't really spook.

One thing is for sure bucks have a lot in common with male hunters, we can all get a little dump when we are chasing a doe.

Me too, except this one instance.
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: Eever had a buck directly down wind that didn't wind you

Unread postby Stanley » Fri Aug 26, 2011 2:55 am

dan wrote:I have had plenty of deer appear downwind that never winded me, or at least did not react. Sometimes they smell you but don't show immeadiate reaction. Happens a lot in rut.
As far as not smelling you cause they are breathing hard? I don't buy that. I was filming a hunt in Iowa once and an ATV went thru a nearby woodlot kicking up a lot of deer that mostly ran my way. I got down and waited for a shot. As the deer passed by running full out, the ones that passed up wind never new I was there, the down wind ones spun around on a dime when they hit my scent steam right in mid run. I have seen it on drives too.
I say your deer was to wound up with rut to care, or your scent stream was rising over there heads at the time they passed. A milkweed pod in your pocket would of told you after they got past.


I had milkweed in the pocket. With 20 mph wind I didn't need to use it I knew where my scent was blowing. Kind of like a fart in a wind storm using milk weed in strong wind. LOL
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: Ever had a buck directly down wind that didn't wind you?

Unread postby dan » Fri Aug 26, 2011 4:23 am

Breathing thru the mouth? Good question.
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Re: Ever had a buck directly down wind that didn't wind you?

Unread postby headgear » Fri Aug 26, 2011 4:39 am

I just think the buck had one thing on his mind and that was the doe in front of him, same thing for the doe, she had a buck on her tail and was trying to get away. They do crazy things during the rut. Now the 2nd buck was trailing them, pretty much following their scent and was probably paying a lot more attention to his nose which is why he winded you. The breathing through the mouth thing could very well be what happened here, not that their nose didn't work but they were obsiouvly very preoccupied with each other and catching their breath, not so much on scent.
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Re: Ever had a buck directly down wind that didn't wind you?

Unread postby Stanley » Fri Aug 26, 2011 5:07 am

headgear wrote:I just think the buck had one thing on his mind and that was the doe in front of him, same thing for the doe, she had a buck on her tail and was trying to get away. They do crazy things during the rut. Now the 2nd buck was trailing them, pretty much following their scent and was probably paying a lot more attention to his nose which is why he winded you. The breathing through the mouth thing could very well be what happened here, not that their nose didn't work but they were obsiouvly very preoccupied with each other and catching their breath, not so much on scent.


Yeh, I have had many mature bucks hot on a doe get down wind but I have been busted every time but this one time. Smaller bucks yes, I have them continue on course directly through my scent. Even some of them hook around where they knew I was.
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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