Hunting Down Wind

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G-Patt
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Hunting Down Wind

Unread postby G-Patt » Wed Nov 07, 2018 6:21 am

I've been targeting the downwind side of bedding areas and oak flats hoping to kill a buck. I hunt public land woods and hill country where the deer don't have much visibility thinking that the method of the deer traveling with the wind to their back don't really apply here. I actually face downwind trying to catch bucks using a trail leading to the bedding or oak flats with my wind just slightly off to the side of where I think they are coming. I've always hunted with the wind into my face, but I'm discovering that if I face downwind while trying to avoid my scent going into the area where I think they will come I see much more deer activity, and my odds of killing deer go way up. In fact, during my last 3 hunts, I've seen a total of 11 does and 3 bucks, which isn't bad for high-pressured public lands in Ohio. Three of those does could have been killed (I've already killed my public land doe earlier - only one allowed in OH; and the one buck I had a chance saw me and bolted). Any of you experience this while hunting thick woods and hill country? Seems like most videos by prominent hunters I see on YT seem to promote wind-in-the-face hunting vs. downwind hunting. Part of me thinks the wind-in-the-face hunting is great for hunting over fields where the deer have great visibility but not so much for public land woods and hill country. What's your experience?


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Killemquietly
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Re: Hunting Down Wind

Unread postby Killemquietly » Wed Nov 07, 2018 6:39 am

That just off wind is one of the best things I've learned off of the hunting Beast, I got my best buck ever last year using that very tactic. It's a tough guess sometimes but when it works it's like they come in without a fear in the world, but proved deadly wrong for my buck last year. I'm a firm believer!
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Re: Hunting Down Wind

Unread postby Redman232 » Wed Nov 07, 2018 7:08 am

One of the many reason's milk weed is so useful. You can see exactly where your scent is going, so you know where you need to make your shot before they hit your scent stream.
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Horizontal Hunter
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Re: Hunting Down Wind

Unread postby Horizontal Hunter » Wed Nov 07, 2018 7:20 am

Killemquietly wrote:That just off wind is one of the best things I've learned off of the hunting Beast, I got my best buck ever last year using that very tactic. It's a tough guess sometimes but when it works it's like they come in without a fear in the world, but proved deadly wrong for my buck last year. I'm a firm believer!


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G-Patt
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Re: Hunting Down Wind

Unread postby G-Patt » Wed Nov 07, 2018 9:31 am

Redman232 wrote:One of the many reason's milk weed is so useful. You can see exactly where your scent is going, so you know where you need to make your shot before they hit your scent stream.


I have a hard time finding milkweed where I live, so I use tiny bits of cotton I pluck from cotton balls. Seems to be a decent substitute.
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greenhorndave
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Re: Hunting Down Wind

Unread postby greenhorndave » Wed Nov 07, 2018 11:10 am

G-Patt wrote:I have a hard time finding milkweed where I live, so I use tiny bits of cotton I pluck from cotton balls. Seems to be a decent substitute.


Dandelions or dry cattail fuzz might work well too as a substitute. It is nice having milkweed, though. I had a mini panic attack when I couldn't find my bag, but I was able to to walk 30 feet to the side of the road and get a new batch.
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ghoasthunter
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Re: Hunting Down Wind

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Wed Nov 07, 2018 2:56 pm

greenhorndave wrote:
G-Patt wrote:I have a hard time finding milkweed where I live, so I use tiny bits of cotton I pluck from cotton balls. Seems to be a decent substitute.


Dandelions or dry cattail fuzz might work well too as a substitute. It is nice having milkweed, though. I had a mini panic attack when I couldn't find my bag, but I was able to to walk 30 feet to the side of the road and get a new batch.

dont put a wet pod on your truck dash board in the morning then turn on your defrosters in the at dark when you get back out of the woods i still havent gotten them all out lol
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greenhorndave
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Re: Hunting Down Wind

Unread postby greenhorndave » Wed Nov 07, 2018 3:16 pm

lol... zip lock bags for me.
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brancher147
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Re: Hunting Down Wind

Unread postby brancher147 » Wed Nov 07, 2018 11:30 pm

I have found if deer bed leeward then an off wind is great. If they bed windward then I hunt wind in my face.
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Evanszach7
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Re: Hunting Down Wind

Unread postby Evanszach7 » Thu Nov 08, 2018 9:59 pm

Also in Ohio, wind direction is typically out of the south this time of year. I’ve got a lot of doe bedding areas that I can’t get north of due to boundary lines. I’ve seen 14 bucks on stand this year with this scenario in 4 different sets:

Flatter terrain or heavy overcast/rainy days along transition lines with winds below 5-6 mph. Transition running west to east. Find a bowl/half moon shape along the thicker line to your north, you can usually play the swirl of wind to create a “downwind” scenario along a cruising trail. Even better if you’ve got flowing water close by to your south. Dropping milkweed while walking in to pick a tree.

* Bucks are cruising the upwind side and checking doe entry and exit trails. Found most of the cruising trails by rubs or tracks making my way in to hunt.

Think it’s working on these doe bedding areas because these lines/paths are better for cruising (less pressure, more cover, more direct path to check multiple bedding areas).

For the record, my wife doesn’t know about the last 5 bucks. She thought 2 were shooters and wants her torn apart, 1/2 demo’d bathroom finished :lol:


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