Do you back out?

[PK_]

This is something I have wanted to ask for a while. I hear guys all the time talk about the wind switching and they climb out of the stand. I have never, ever done this and I don't quite understand it, unless you have another spot nearby and enough time that you can switch to it, with the wind being right…

Some reasons I haven't done this are:

1. Many times I have had bucks come from the opposite direction I anticipated
2. I have deer 'downwind' every year that never wind me
3. Even if they were to wind me, I would think they would smell where I was sitting even if I climbed down, burning the spot anyways. At least if I am there I may be able to get a shot before he winds me.
4. I rarely hunt the same spot twice or a specific buck, so if a buck does wind me there I am not usually coming back to hunt him or that spot again until next year
5. I'm stubborn?

All I can think of for now… any thoughts?

[ZSV]

This is my third year bow hunting (first year with this site), so my opinion probably isn't worth much, but I can think of 2 situations where I would switch. 1. If I was in hill country hunting a leeward side and the wind switched opposite directions I'd probably move to the other side of the ridge. 2. If I was hunting a river bend like Stanley talked about in his podcast with your scent blowing toward the river and the wind switched to the opposite direction I'd probably find an opposite bend.
Otherwise in flat marsh or farmland I'd probably stay put...

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[C&T Archery]

I picked Depends.

At times I have decided to sit tight. This is usually on a straight evening hunt and if things change with about an hour left I stay.

But if there is a shift in weather during rut and I'm on an all day sit, I will make the move if time allows.

[muddy]

I should probably have voted back out but voted depends.

The majority of my stands are for very specific winds. If the wind moves too much then I'm giving away too much. If the stand is for Sale wind and it's going to SE or SW I'll often stay, but once it goes a full 90° I'm outta there. At the very least I'll climb down and move 50 yards with my Lone Wolf set up. If 80% of the deer are going to come from one direction and then the wind switches to blowing that way it's just counter productive to be stubborn, stay, and educate deer.

I'm not hunting specific bucks or beds though, not my cup of tea.

[ Post made via Android ]

[oldrank]

When hunting public ill sit tight. Basically for the same reasons as u stated. Also because of the usual pressure deer get bumped around.

[ Post made via Android ]

[hunter_mike]

On evening hunts I sit till last legal light every time no matter what.

But if its a morning hunt and the wind is poor it will convince me to get down from the stand earlier than I would have.

[wmihunter]

I rarely move once set up except between morning and evening stands

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[backstraps]

I voted depends

If um on a blind hunt, where I have not confirmed a mature buck bedding near by I sit tight, figure my entry and set up scent is there already.

On the other side of the coin, if I know a mature buck is bedded and my scent changes and is headed towards his bed, I'm out of there and take my chances he doesn't cut my entry and set up scent.

Tough call to back out for a couple reasons. ..afternoon pretty much done unless another site is close enough to get to.
Another reason it's tough for me to backout, is like you mentioned, a buck "may" come from another direction

[ Post made via Android ]

[backstraps]

Shouldve also said, depends on where I'm hunting.....hill country seems like wind is ALWAYS changing :)

[ Post made via Android ]

[JoeRE]

Depends, if the wind is blowing right toward where I expect most deer to come from I quit, although sometimes I climb down and just move a little ways, even just sitting next to a tree on the ground. If there is still a decent chance of deer coming through and giving me a shot I stay put.

[bones09]

I generally stay put unless i know for sure the wind is "exactly wrong". Like blowing directly at a bedding area you expect movement from. Many times a wind just off "exactly wrong" can be the best wind.

[Redman232]

Unless it's just plum flat terrain, it usually doesn't take much of a move to make the wind work for you. If the wind switches close to last light, your probably doing more harm than good by moving, but if you've even have just an hour left of light I'll make a move if I need to. Heck I've moved 3 times in one morning before and thanks to those moves I was covered up in bucks. Again most of the time it only takes small movements to make the wind work for you, if it does a 180, I have moved farms completely. Like said above if you're going to get busted by 80% of the deer you are not stacking the odds in your favor.

[briar]

PK I am with you and for the exact same reasons.

[dan]

On most of my sits I stay put... Reason is, I have already got my scent in there and burned that bridge... Being mobile, sometimes you can switch trees, but if your scent is blowing towards the bedding area you have a much bigger chance of getting winded by getting down to ground level... When hunting rut cruisers, I move if the wind is wrong.

[Edcyclopedia]

On most of my sits I stay put... Reason is, I have already got my scent in there and burned that bridge... Being mobile, sometimes you can switch trees, but if your scent is blowing towards the bedding area you have a much bigger chance of getting winded by getting down to ground level... When hunting rut cruisers, I move if the wind is wrong.

X2

Already stunk it up...
Hopefully the height of the stand will be kind to you