Deer movement.........

[Zap]

Something I have noticed especially in early season when there is alot more cover and leaves.


Deer bedded north of where they want to go.
Wind from the north.
Couple of travel routes available...timber or open area(CRP/pasture/hay/whatever......).


The deer will usually move thru the open area with the wind at their back so they can use their vision better.

Opposite/choose timber......when traveling with the wind in their face.


Any thought's?

[GRFox]

You pretty much hit the nail on the head for the buck I am going to try and kill Thursday.

The entire time he is staging and making his way to where he wants to go, (which is to cross a main road after dark), The wind is at his back or quartering to his back the whole time and he is walking with out the wind in his face.

I dont personally think that it has anything to do with anything. I think we are noticing it because it seems strange and out of the norm.

But I will tell you one thing for sure, this buck beds where he beds because no one has ever walked through that area as long as he has lived. And he feels safe staging where he is staging because he has never ever been bothered by people in his "safety zone".

Maybe you are on to something here Marty. We shall see what some others think.

[Indianahunter]

That is a great observation Zap, I never really payed attention to it from that aspect. I will note that in my journal this fall and let you know if I notice similar results.

[Stanley]

I think if the buck is bedded in the timber he pretty much knows that area is safe as he is in there. I have taken a few bucks headed for open fields (picked corn or beans) with the wind at their backs. Not sure if this is what you are alluding to though?

[GRUD]

Completely normal observation, deer will typically move with the wind so they can smell what is behind them. That is why you will almost always see them enter a field with the wind so they can smell everything in the woods and see everything in the field. I agree that in really thick cover they want to smell what is in there so they might travel into the wind in that case. Over the years I have found that early season the deer rely on their eyes more than we think. The buck I killed last year moved with the wind across an open hardwoods with the wind right to me!

You can do a search on this because it has been discussed before.

During the rut however you may see more deer quartering into the wind to try and scent check areas for does but dont get this confused with their early season behavior.

[Czabs]

I don't really hunt any open areas. Almost always they have the wind in their face, however there was one time I hunted an area where they were about to head into a field and the wind was quartering at their back, which now I know why!

[headgear]

Good observation, I have seen this before too. I am kind of wondering if hunting pressure in the early season slowly changes these patterns over time. I guess it could depend on how much pressure your area gets.

I have seen deer and bucks moving with the wind at their back at all times of the season, I just see a lot more of them walking into the wind, angling or using a crosswind or terrain barrier in their favor.