Upwind downwind sidewind all over wind

[20ftupatree]

I was just replying to a post in "bow hunting" and I started on about wind direction dictating my entrance and exits in the woods. Then I got to think about how many deer I've had and have heard stories about having deer come in from behind with the wind in your face. A close friend of mines father actually had a heart attack in his watch sitting at the base of a tree when this RACKER came in from behind him .........never heard it till he was standing literally 10-12 FEET away, The man got so startled he had a true blue heart attack. My question is (I know there are guys who had this experience) but when wind changes while you're sitting, how many of you panic and have to move to another stand or blind to play the wind and how many don't think it's THAT big a deal and sit where they are. I know guys who have different stands for wind purposes but for me it's really only my major concern when walking in if the wind is out of the west then I know which stand I'm going to but while I'm there if it changes an hour into my hunt I'm not getting down just to go to another stand because the wind is blowing the wrong direction. But maybe that's why I don't shoot as many deer as others I know....I mean a man could spend his day walking in circles. Whats your take?

[solon]

i agree with you - i don't change stands once i'm in it. I've had similar experiences - where deer have walked up behind me with the wind at their backs - them darn deer don't always follow the rules...

[fasteddie]

i agree with you - i don't change stands once i'm in it. I've had similar experiences - where deer have walked up behind me with the wind at their backs - them darn deer don't always follow the rules...

Those darned deer don't read the books that we do !  ???

[Slugger09]

My stand location is just as strange.  Through out the day I have a swirling wind, but all the deer come from behind me, so much so that this year I'm taking a chance and I turned my stand around to face that direction.  They always start from behind me and move around to the front without scenting me. I once had a beautiful 8 pointer come from behind me and it startled me, and he took off from my movement.

[Buckstopshere]

Good point.

A hunting buddy and I were discussing the same thing. And he has a number of stands on his property that always seem to produce. And on the other hand, we probably all have set up great looking stands, but they are terrible.

There is a lot more to the wind and thermal air drift than what we know. I have amused myself for years with milk weed silk, taking the pods into my stand and pick off the seeds and let the silk blow away to see the direction of the wind. Countless times I have watched the milk weed silk blow away as I figured, only to see it blow back 180 degrees perpendicular! maybe 50 yards away.

Point being that there are so many cross currents, updrafts, downdrafts, changes in direction, even the Venturi effect. Years ago a hot air balloonist got trapped in a wooded hollow here, outside of Wellsville. He couldn't go down because it was just trees, but when he went up, the wind off the ridge blew him back down. He finally came out sideways...like the way to get out of a rip current in the ocean.

But the wind is not always kind to deer, any more than it is to us. I am sure that deer get fooled by it to, thinking they can smell what's ahead...but because of a change...they walk up to us and give somebody a heart attack. The wind is not on anybody's side and that's why we can kill big, smart deer with a bow and arrow.

One other thing about the wind. We don't know about scent...really. How can a bird dog retrieve a freshly shot pheasant and then on the way back...go into full point on another live bird. Wouldn't the smell of the fresh bird...maybe still alive, overpower the scent of a live bird on the ground? I've seen it a bunch of times.

And on another day, the dog couldn't find a bird if it was tied to his collar.

Old dog trainers talked forever about...Scenting conditions....and some times deer can smell us and other times they can't. Depends on the scenting conditions.

[Geno C]

in most cases the wind is almost certain to change throughout the day. i never hit the panic button, i always stick it out in that stand. ive had deer come in from all different wind directions. they never seem to follow the same guidelines we do and can be some what unpredictable...

[nyslowhand]

I'm agree totally!

Hunt in a thicker area and deer seem to move around in random directions regardless of wind.

If I followed the "downwind rule" for the prevaling NW wind, I could only hunt along one side of my property.