Deer walking with the wind

[nybuckboy]

I have been a deer hunter for 40 years and a bow hunter for 6 going on 7 years. I have learned so much about deer since bowhunting, in particular about their movement. I know when you kick a deer out, he will run in any direction at first but will eventually turn into the wind and run.

One thing that I have noted is when a deer is moving naturally, not being pushed, more often then not they move with the wind. I had always thought deer moved into the wind so they could smell trouble ahead. If you think about it, it makes sense, when moving slowly a deer can smell a predator from behind and use their vision to see any predator ahead. Any one else notice this?

[Buckstopshere]

You are right on, nybuckboy.

[burmjohn]

Then is their a real need to have more then one stand to hunt from solely based on wind conditions?

[crappyice]

Sounds like there is now a need to have MORE STAND locations if you are going to sit BOTH up wind AND downwind at the same time!!! It is just never easy! Its a wonder we (not me yet!) EVER kill deer!

[Doc]

Ok, I've got to say that I have seen deer walking in all kinds of directions regardless of which way the wind was blowing. I have tracked deer in snow that really have no set direction and wind direction had nothing to do with where they went. I believe deer move in a certain direction because their stomach or their sex-drive or their need for cover or water or whatever is on their mind at the time. If wind direction determined where they were going to go, during a week of constant wind direction, they would walk right clean out of their home range. The fact is that most of the deer I have tracked are big on huge circles, but mostly they really don't do anything all the time. Also, I have seen deer approach my stands from down-wind, up-wind, across wind and any other variation you can imagine. Also I have found that a spooked deer usually will initially run straight back from where it came. Not always (they don't do anything, always) but usually.

doc

[Fletch]

I gotta agree with Doc here I have seen no pattern where deer only head into the wind. Where I hunt the wind blows west or northwest all the time pretty much so if that was so all my deer would be in Buffalo. They will bed with wind in mind though for sure.

[nybuckboy]

I'm just saying from observation over the past few seasons I have noticed that when just poking along through the woods or field, eating browse or grazing often times I notice they are moving with the wind. Check it out this season and see how often you see this.

[Geno C]

no rhyme or reason to what they  do sometimes...

[sweet old bill]

100% true

[WNYBuckHunter]

As soon as I run across my hunting journal while Im unpacking, Ill look into what I have observed. I always write down where deer came from, where they went, what they were doing, general wind direction, temperature, time, etc.

[Nomad]

Well lets see the wind is most often from the west. If they always or most of the time only walked into the wind,I'd be set up along a beach in California .

[growalot]

Well Heres my take on it...wind matters... BUT....Through the 30 plus years I've hunted here and at camp this is the MAIN morning /evening patterns I observe...

The deer move with the sun...I say this because in the morning...The deer start moving as the sun is rising....They move to the west as the sun slowly rises in the east....in the evening they start moving to the east as the sun starts to set in the west..This being said

It could be just the hills...both home and camp are in steep hill country....The sun rises pushing the clod evening air out in front of it...you've all felt that sudden cold rush as the sun peeks over the horizon...then in the evenings the air is warmer at the top of the hills ...why valleys get the first frosts and we don't...they move to the warmer temps....

Just my take on it....so many ways to view things...each of us may be right due to location

[Culvercreek hunt club]

LOL @ Larry...I was gonna say the same thing...Maybe that is where all the WMU 3 deer went...They are all out here in 7 and 8

[nybuckboy]

I was sitting on a knob this morning facing east. About 700 yards away fog was moving in a  southern direction. About 300 yards closer to me the fog was moving from the west around the knob I was sitting on and turned north. The 5 doe were all walking ahead of the fog and with the wind.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

My personal observations and opinion---I believe the food, water and cover  are their primary focus while up and moving. While wind may play a role in their movements, when they are hungry they are moving from their prefered cover to the food source of the week.

I think wind plays a bigger role in their bedding and I can't count the number of times I have seen them bedded with their backs to the wind (probably as a break and to take advantage of scent movement). In the norther zone I hunt fairly hilly areas. the west wind almost always has them bedded just over or on the rim of the east facing slopes. In these type of areas I think the convection currents of the daily cycle also come into play for their bedding preference. I find them with the wind at their backs facing what they can't smell

[Doc]

My personal observations and opinion---I believe the food, water and cover  are their primary focus while up and moving. While wind may play a role in their movements, when they are hungry they are moving from their prefered cover to the food source of the week.

I think wind plays a bigger role in their bedding and I can't count the number of times I have seen them bedded with their backs to the wind (probably as a break and to take advantage of scent movement). In the norther zone I hunt fairly hilly areas. the west wind almost always has them bedded just over or on the rim of the east facing slopes. In these type of areas I think the convection currents of the daily cycle also come into play for their bedding preference. I find them with the wind at their backs facing what they can't smell

If you can apply any logic to what a deer might do (and I believe in their case logic is replaced by instinct), it certainly would make sense to let their eyes cover one direction, and let scent cover the other. Although if you check out a bedding area in the snow where several deer have bedded together, you will almost always find the beds laid out with deer facing in all kinds of directions. It almost looks random.

Doc

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Is it random...or are they al watching each others backs

[Doc]

Is it random...or are they al watching each others backs

It's hard to say anything applies all the time, but yes, what I have seen is bed patterns that looked like they were arranged for maximum vision of the entire area. Is it intentional or just some kind of randomness that looks like they have a plan? :-\  I don't know. I try not to give them too much credit for logic and deduction because after all, they're just a bunch of silly goats .... lol. But who knows how much insight Mother Nature has given them through instinct and natural selection?

Doc

[nybuckboy]

I do believe there is a method to their bedding habits.  Yes I too, have noted that the beds all face different directions and have to think it is planned b/c it is always that way. I do not believe it is random.

Regarding moving with the wind. They all have to move and face the same direction so it is different. As I said, I'm not saying they are always moving with the wind but if you think about it just makes sense. They can smell from behind... they can see ahead and their hearing works in all directions.

[Doc]

Regarding moving with the wind. They all have to move and face the same direction so it is different. As I said, I'm not saying they are always moving with the wind but if you think about it just makes sense. They can smell from behind... they can see ahead and their hearing works in all directions.

Here's the problem I have with deer always using the wind direction when they walk.

Just like everyone else who has ever still-hunted, I try to keep the wind in my face (for obvious reasons). Approximately 50% of the time, it is impossible because eventually I have to get back to where I started from. Deer have to return also, and therefore eventually have to have the wind exactly opposite of what they had.

Doc

[nybuckboy]

Agree with you Doc but how does a sail boat get back to where it started if the wind blows in the same direction? It has to attack the wind by zig zagging across the wind.

I agree that they can't always walk with the wind or in the general direction the wind is blowing but when given the chance they will.

[Doc]

Agree with you Doc but how does a sail boat get back to where it started if the wind blows in the same direction? It has to attack the wind by zig zagging across the wind.

I agree that they can't always walk with the wind or in the general direction the wind is blowing but when given the chance they will.

You know, I'll be darned if I can figure out that sail-boat question. Sometimes I go out to the lake and watch some of those guys on those sail-board thingies and try to figure out how on earth they could possibly move against the wind. I don't think I will ever figure that out. :-\  ;D

Doc