How windy does it have to be to keep you from hunting?

[LiveFree1776]

Supposed to be pretty windy this sunday (25mph) which is the only day I can get out each week.  The last time I went out and It said the wind was 21 mph my ground blind was blowing all over the place and I didn't see one deer.

 

So i guess my question is, is 25mph too windy to even bother making an hour and a half drive?  I'm thinking it is, but I really hate to lose a day due to the weather.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Two words. Still Hunt.

[chiefbkt]

Like WNYBuckHunter said, still hunt.  Especially if it's windy and rainy.  

[blackradio]

I love still hunting on windy/drizzling days. 

[First-light]

Two words. Still Hunt.

What he said. BTW last Sunday I had a tree fall 50 feet from me. I was on the ground and it was a big one! Be carefull out there.

[Five Seasons]

not a still hunter, but if you had the land where you could be certain you're not bumping them to other than go for it. My cutoff is usually 25mph, and if my freezer was empty i'd hunt out of a ground blind. anything over 30 and i'm not in the woods. the deer aren't moving much there either.

[DanceswithSkunks]

Having spent some time in Kansas, the locals had a method to determine if it was safe to go out. You crack open a window. Stick a 3 foot section of boiler pipe out. If it bends it's OK to go out. If it get's ripped out of your hand best stay inside till the wind lays down.

 

Still hunt through the softwoods in the bottoms, sheltered gullies and on the lee side of a hill. A North wind blowing over the top of a ridgeline running East West will change direction and actually blow in the opposite direction, up hill on the lee side. deer use this to scent check below them while they lay down watching the ridgeline above them.

[Doc]

I guess the question was aimed at gun season. For me the answer differs with bowhunting vs. gun hunting. After opening weekend, I kind of need the noise killing wind. Also a little wind tends to keep the direction more consistent than those light breezes that react to every little rise or hollow in the ground and those thermals.

 

Yes, once the guys start emptying out of the woods, I have to go find the deer instead of waiting for somebody to push one to me. So, that means I am out there stumbling around the woods, and these days I need all the cover I can get.

[LiveFree1776]

This will be on long island, so it would be bow hunting... and I have only hunted out of a ground blind... it is a pop-up tent blind, i think it will blow around too much in 25mph winds so I may have to not use it or get some diesel stakes.

[LiveFree1776]

plus, this is my first year out hunting, and my freezer is empty.  up until this point, I have taken a shot and hit a buck (was unable to recover it though, this is still a very sore subject for me) and last weekend I had a nice 8pt walk within 20 yards of me but he was facing me the whole time.  Then after he stood still for about 2 minutes, he put his nose up in the air, took some deep breaths, definately smelled me, stood for anouther 30 seconds and turned around very fast and walked back where he came from.  Learning from last last time, I just watched and did not force a shot I didn't have.

 

I would just really like to get my first deer, whether it be a buck or a doe.  Then I can have some meat to eat and possibly a picture to put up under my name on this forum.

[josephmrtn]

Having spent some time in Kansas, the locals had a method to determine if it was safe to go out. You crack open a window. Stick a 3 foot section of boiler pipe out. If it bends it's OK to go out. If it get's ripped out of your hand best stay inside till the wind lays down.

 

Still hunt through the softwoods in the bottoms, sheltered gullies and on the lee side of a hill. A North wind blowing over the top of a ridgeline running East West will change direction and actually blow in the opposite direction, up hill on the lee side. deer use this to scent check below them while they lay down watching the ridgeline above them.

I like this method

[PREDATE]

Gun or bow, still hunting in the wind can pay off. The deer will know where to go to get out of the wind. Just use your noggin and get in there.

Are you driving 1.5 hours to L.I. to hunt? Couldn't you drive the whole perimeter of the island in 1.5 hours?

[Merlot]

I consider it too windy when I see white caps on the camp pond.

[LiveFree1776]

Gun or bow, still hunting in the wind can pay off. The deer will know where to go to get out of the wind. Just use your noggin and get in there.

Are you driving 1.5 hours to L.I. to hunt? Couldn't you drive the whole perimeter of the island in 1.5 hours?

 

I am going from fairly far west to far east.  Now the spot that I hunt is usually a little bit inside the tree line alojng a trail deer use close to an open marsh.  Because that is so open do you think they will avoid that trail?

[PREDATE]

The wind probably whips across the marsh, but it's still worth a shot. I'd prefer to be in a stand of pines down in a valley.

 Keep the wind in your face and enjoy the day in the blind!

[HectorBuckBuster]

If it is that windy I have a 40 acre corn field calling my name !

 

[dbHunterNY]

very windy... tornadoes even.  here in eastern ny we always have a leeward side of the mountain.

[Jeremy K]

Alot of leaning trees where we hunt , im not worried about the wind affecting the deer as much as im worried about having a tree cave in my skull.

[genesee_mohican]

You can't get them if your not out there. Windy days are great for sneaking up on deer, especially in standing corn.

[NFA-ADK]

 25 mph of steady wind would be hard but this is coming from someone who hunted the day before hurricane Sandy hit.  Plain and simple if I have the time to be in the woods I am going, wind, rain, cold, snow bring it on!  That's what good clothes are for! 

 

20-25 mph gusty winds and I believe deer do shut down.  They don't like all that tree and branch movement it prevents them from seeing predators.  If it is that bad on LI, I will usually pass.  Sometimes no matter what the weather is doing, I am hunting.  I love hunting bad weather!  Good time to scout during the season.  

[BizCT]

not a still hunter, but if you had the land where you could be certain you're not bumping them to other than go for it. My cutoff is usually 25mph, and if my freezer was empty i'd hunt out of a ground blind. anything over 30 and i'm not in the woods. the deer aren't moving much there either.

I still hunt 8 acres everytime I hunt from 10am - 2pm. I catch them in their beds and either shoot or pass and continue on my own. They don't get up and run away. I take 3 steps look and listen. Sometimes a few hundred yard walk could take me over an hour.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

[Doc]

Alot of leaning trees where we hunt , im not worried about the wind affecting the deer as much as im worried about having a tree cave in my skull.

Seriously .... We have had some winds this year where I actually felt a bit uneasy about the dead limbs that were coming out of the trees. I had one situation where a huge tree had come down between the time I walked in the trail til the time I walked out. When they talk about "widow-makers", I have seen quite a few potential examples this year. During those high winds days, I noticed that I stopped worrying about how the deer would react, and started spending my time checking out all the dead limbs overhead .... lol.

[Five Seasons]

I still hunt 8 acres everytime I hunt from 10am - 2pm. I catch them in their beds and either shoot or pass and continue on my own. They don't get up and run away. I take 3 steps look and listen. Sometimes a few hundred yard walk could take me over an hour.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

 

i know how to still hunt. But to your point, if you do pass on a yearling, your neighbor might not. There goes next year's 8.

[dbHunterNY]

the tree caving in ones head comment pulled back a memory.  I was in stand and had a big white birch fall within probably 5' of my treestand  whole tree went flying right past me and hit the ground.  wasn't a fun time.

[NYbuck50]

Tornado's within 10 miles. Otherwise im going