Afternoon hunt - wind questions / discussion

[Edcyclopedia]

How important is the 2AM - 8AM wind direction for you to choose the afternoon hunt/stand?

Secondly, how will a changing wind direction throughout the day (say 8AM-3PM) influence your decision on what stand location to hunt. Assumming you have a 1/2 dozen locations to choose from?

Do you default to the afternoon wind even (as an example) if your wind shifts 90-270 degrees from early AM to mid afternoon?

How about sunny conditions to cloudy conditions and the effects of speed of wind and pull from thermals - height on hills for bedding?

[ Post made via Android ]

[BassBoysLLP]

In most cases, I'm picking the best looking (security) bed based on the pre-dawn wind and picking my approach and exact stand location based on the afternoon wind direction. Only consistent exceptions are skinny ridges in hill country and thick security cover where a buck is more apt to get up and move around during the day. In those cases, I'm going to weigh more on the afternoon wind direction. I also believe a buck is more apt to "sit it out" on secondary points/spurs that are a little deeper in the valley due to intrinsic amount of swirling that happens in those locations; however, these bucks have historically been the most difficult to kill as they tend to wait it out.

Under most conditions, I'd rather hunt a sunny day when a cool, high pressure cell is moving in. Thermals are strong and consistent. If the forest floor and canopy is moist, I'm more apt to set up high as the rising thermal will persist longer under those conditions. These are my favorite evenings to hunt as you have a little "extra protection" if the wind drops to nothing at dusk. If the forest floor is dry, I'm more apt to sit a little lower on the ridge line, preferably off scent sump located near bedding. There is often a cluster of droppings, browse, and buck sign in these locations. In a multiple scent sump scenario with changing winds, I'm picking the scent sump that allows the buck to travel to the location with the wind to his back. The biggest issue with big shifts in wind is access. Often your pre-defined access doesn't work and it can difficult to find something that works.

Just my 2 cents on the subject.

[dan]

Varies greatly based on terrain I am hunting... If your talking hill country and/or wind specific beds I am mainly hunting the morning wind direction for evening bedding, but they do move sometimes mid day when the wind shifts.

[justdirtyfun]

This situation is a good opportunity in my mind. But my first hand experience is very limited. The deer should have less protection from intrusions. I am very curious about this, good stuff that we will be dealing with till late season.

[ Post made via Android ]

[Stanley]

Great questions Ed. By the way great talking with you yesterday. I think you must monitor the wind direction closer to hunt time than 2 AM to 8 AM. I think an hr before the hunt is much better. I am constantly monitoring the wind, temp, weather. The problem with a wind change is it does not normally go from West to East. The wind makes a swing and you must be aware of this you don't want the wind swing into the bedding area.

I have said this many times I would much rather hunt an overcast day. I love overcast. That said I see more big bucks move on sunny days. So go figure. I think a buck knows everything sees worse on sunny days. JMHO

[dan]

Great questions Ed. By the way great talking with you yesterday. I think you must monitor the wind direction closer to hunt time than 2 AM to 8 AM. I think an hr before the hunt is much better. I am constantly monitoring the wind, temp, weather. The problem with a wind change is it does not normally go from West to East. The wind makes a swing and you must be aware of this you don't want the wind swing into the bedding area.

I have said this many times I would much rather hunt an overcast day. I love overcast. That said I see more big bucks move on sunny days. So go figure. I think a buck knows everything sees worse on sunny days. JMHO

Stan,
I think Ed is referring to wind specific bedding... So if a buck beds in a spot for a certain wind/thermal advantage in the early AM, he is asking if that buck will still be there in the evening if the wind changed directions during the day.

[Muy Grande]

Am I right to assume that a buck might shift sides of a point based off of a midday wind change? Say, it starts out SW in the morning but during the day starts swapping around to NW as it heads toward being straight out of the north.

[Stanley]

Great questions Ed. By the way great talking with you yesterday. I think you must monitor the wind direction closer to hunt time than 2 AM to 8 AM. I think an hr before the hunt is much better. I am constantly monitoring the wind, temp, weather. The problem with a wind change is it does not normally go from West to East. The wind makes a swing and you must be aware of this you don't want the wind swing into the bedding area.

I have said this many times I would much rather hunt an overcast day. I love overcast. That said I see more big bucks move on sunny days. So go figure. I think a buck knows everything sees worse on sunny days. JMHO

Stan,
I think Ed is referring to wind specific bedding... So if a buck beds in a spot for a certain wind/thermal advantage in the early AM, he is asking if that buck will still be there in the evening if the wind changed directions during the day.

My bad.

[Edcyclopedia]

Good info so far... Thanks!

Dan, you are correct with my question but have a little more info to add...

Example: I've had winds blow 270 degrees from early AM until 3PM, thus making a mature buck possibly move 3-4 times during the day.
If they are on a point style ridge the wind may only be good for 90 degrees worth of shifting wind (possibly more common bedding style).
If they are on a hilltop then they may have 360 degrees worth of options (probably rare)

Then @ 4 or 5PM it shifts another 90-180 degrees, will the mature buck tend to want to move or sit tight until dark...?

[BassBoysLLP]

Am I right to assume that a buck might shift sides of a point based off of a midday wind change? Say, it starts out SW in the morning but during the day starts swapping around to NW as it heads toward being straight out of the north.

Yes. "Might" is the right word. I'd expect more movement on narrow ridges/points than wide ridges/points. I've seen it several times in the hills. A couple times in the marsh. Never in relatively flat farm country.

[Autumn Ninja]

I've had a lot more luck hunting a consistent wind.

If/when there's a major shift I hunt with what the wind is doing right now in mind. I've seen bucks get up and relocate during the middle of the day on numerous occasions.

[ Post made via Android ]

[BassBoysLLP]

I've had a lot more luck hunting a consistent wind.

If/when there's a major shift I hunt with what the wind is doing right now in mind. I've seen bucks get up and relocate during the middle of the day on numerous occasions.

[ Post made via Android ]

Care to elaborate more on your observed movements? Distance, topography. You know the hills better than most.

[ Post made via Android ]

[Autumn Ninja]

I've had a lot more luck hunting a consistent wind.

If/when there's a major shift I hunt with what the wind is doing right now in mind. I've seen bucks get up and relocate during the middle of the day on numerous occasions.

[ Post made via Android ]

Care to elaborate more on your observed movements? Distance, topography. You know the hills better than most.

[ Post made via Android ]

Im not sure how far they go. I've seen thim simple shift 30-40 yard form one side of a point to the other side and I've seen get and completly leave the area or ridge I has hunting.

How far a buck would travel to relocate (IMO) would be determined by the size of his core. But this theory is strictly speculation, I have no evidence to support such claim. Bucks don't become mature by venturing out of there comfort zones.

[ Post made via Android ]

[BassBoysLLP]

I've never seen them leave a ridge completely. Good to know. What was the pressure situation in that case? Peripheral cover? Wind to back the whole way? Sex in the equation?

[ Post made via Android ]

[blizzardhunter]

Great thread