Barometric pressure more important then wind?

[corydd7]

I always see wind being a huge consideration as it should be but for me I pay more attention to barometric pressure.  

Anyone else? When I can get high up a tree I never feel like I get winded but I also take very good care of clothing and other things that can bust me. I think the pressure has more to do with movement then moon cycle as well. Am I crazy? 

Besides wind what are your most important hunting factors? 

[suburbanfarmer]

I have tried to use the pressure and what i gathered is that the rise of pressure with a cold front approaching is the key. Always saw more deer.

Now is it just the cold front ?? any body's guess

[phade]

Pressure 30 and over is what I believe is considered good. 
 

I can’t say what is or isn’t more important. But high pressure cold bluebird days 5-10 mph wind is about as good as it gets.

[Kmartinson]

Imo all of these factors are are equally important. You can watch a chimney smoke on a day when the presure is dropping and see how it's effecting thermals and in theory the way scents carry. Often times it's dropping right to the ground regardless of wind. 

I like wind because is covers a lot of sound when moving around, and some times when it's stronger is see deer move to places with greater vantage points or flat out in crp. Also when wind changes directions it can make deer move I surmise  it's not working for the bedding in terms of sight direction.

Some times temperature drops can trigger deer movement but that often comes with presure and wind direction change.

Breeding variances have to play into this also.

It all makes me pay attention to where my scent is going, in the end I believe this is key to the way deer move.

[corydd7]

Yeah wind definitely allows for sound cover. So many variables depending on how,where, and when your hunting. Temp drops definitely run hand in hand with high pressures. 

Agree phade over 30.0 and I'm in the woods even if I'm in a light rain or snow.

[Swamp_bucks]

25 minutes ago, phade said:

Pressure 30 and over is what I believe is considered good. 
 

I can’t say what is or isn’t more important. But high pressure cold bluebird days 5-10 mph wind is about as good as it gets.

That’s why I’m excited for tomorrow have those conditions lining up for my area.  

[Versatile_Hunter]

If you have onX you get a free Deercast subscription. What do you guys think about their local predictions? I haven’t looked at their algorithm but they seem to factor in pressure, wind, precipitation, temperature, and historical rut data. 

[Moho81]

If you have onX you get a free Deercast subscription. What do you guys think about their local predictions? I haven’t looked at their algorithm but they seem to factor in pressure, wind, precipitation, temperature, and historical rut data. 

I’ve occasionally looked at their predictions and have found no correlation while in the field. I just check it for today and it has good conditions until 8am then it goes to great until about noon then back down. We had doe’s in the field at dawn and nothing sense. It’s also starting to rain which according to the prediction is now in the great time frame.


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[mowin]

Wind is the most important. Doesn't matter what the BP is, if you get winded it's over 

I like to hunt before a storm system rolls in. Deer move more, but one can't always wait for that perfect BP.  

[dbHunterNY]

Wind affects where I hunt. Pressure affects when I hunt. I don't mean cherry picking a certain day when conditions are perfect. I can't do that but hunt when I can. If the wind is cranking I might ditch a stand with perfect wind for a marginal one that's protected from the wind where deer might be loitering more and not on edge. If low pressure is rolling in signally inclement weather I might hunt the whole day over a more open but higher energy food source to ensure I catch deer packing in food before riding things out. High pressure I'll cherry pick times only for a specific reason (patterned or spotted buck).

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[genesee_mohican]

The best deer movement days in my opinion are days following a big cold front and temperature drop. The pressure will be on the rise, winds lay down and it's a nice sunny day.  Hard to beat those days. 

Here's an article I found on BP and deer movement: https://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/big-buck-zone/2011/10/how-barometric-pressure-affects-deer/

[Kmartinson]

On 10/7/2022 at 11:06 PM, Versatile_Hunter said:

If you have onX you get a free Deercast subscription. What do you guys think about their local predictions? I haven’t looked at their algorithm but they seem to factor in pressure, wind, precipitation, temperature, and historical rut data. 

You have to be in the woods to make some of those factors relevant. I hunt any day I'm free basically, so it doesn't change what I do. I may take it into consideration when making a plan, buy I'm going either way.

[Jeremy K]

I pay attention to the calender more then anything ,if it's not a work day I'm going hunting . 

[Five Seasons]

On 10/7/2022 at 9:25 PM, phade said:

Pressure 30 and over is what I believe is considered good. 
 

I can’t say what is or isn’t more important. But high pressure cold bluebird days 5-10 mph wind is about as good as it gets.

I'd second this but would add that swirling winds even on a relatively calm day are the worst. I'd take 10-15 and consistent over 0-5 and swirling, especially early season with the wild temp swings that the sun will have on thermals. 

Edited October 12, 2022 by Belo

[Judoka95]

I fall in line with @dbHunterNY I use wind to determine where I will hunt and weather to determine when I will take days off to be in the woods. I always see more movement on the days right before a storm or big temperature drop.

I saw an article about the relationship between higher wind and increased buck movement. So if it is going to be windy right before a storm I'm going to find a way to get out. 

I try to get out as much as possible but I save a few vacation days for when everything comes together.

[Five Seasons]

4 hours ago, Kmartinson said:

You have to be in the woods to make some of those factors relevant. I hunt any day I'm free basically, so it doesn't change what I do. I may take it into consideration when making a plan, buy I'm going either way.

this here depends on goals too. over hunting early will greatly decrease your chance at a big buck, which as we know is not everyones goal. Overhunting early will have less an impact on doe and smaller bucks. Of course one of the top reasons many of us hunt is the escape, and I belong to this club so I'm still getting out there if I can and conditions are right. 

[phade]

29 minutes ago, Belo said:

I'd second this but would add that swirling winds even on a relatively calm day are the worst. I'd take 10-15 and consistent over 0-5 and swirling, especially early season with the wild temp swings that the sun will have on thermals. 

Swirling has more to do with terrain features. The weather is secondary - the terrain dictates what happens. Doesn't matter if the wind or thermals are lower speed or higher speed, the terrain makes scent spreading do what it does. If it swirls at 5 it'll swirl at 10 if all else is the same.

I also should have clarified my statement about pressure above 30 in. It really is more correlated (I theorize) to high pressure above the norm at the time of year.

[Five Seasons]

22 minutes ago, phade said:

Swirling has more to do with terrain features. The weather is secondary - the terrain dictates what happens. Doesn't matter if the wind or thermals are lower speed or higher speed, the terrain makes scent spreading do what it does. If it swirls at 5 it'll swirl at 10 if all else is the same.

I also should have clarified my statement about pressure above 30 in. It really is more correlated (I theorize) to high pressure above the norm at the time of year.

fair point. I guess maybe I should have clarified to say "changing winds". On Tuesday the wind started out of the North, changed to NE in an hour and by sunset was out of the south. It was annoying. 

[phade]

4 minutes ago, Belo said:

fair point. I guess maybe I should have clarified to say "changing winds". On Tuesday the wind started out of the North, changed to NE in an hour and by sunset was out of the south. It was annoying. 

Those are the days that for me I usually make a conscious decision to hunt or not or hunt a stand that I am willing to risk. No wind days are tough in the evening but you can make a decision on it. AMs can be workable if you know how a spot reacts to thermal lift. A few of Moog's spots were like that - you could hunt a no wind or even the "bad" wind on an aerial. In reality the scent lifted as soon as the sun rose and pulled scent up and over the down wind location. You didn't want to get into that stand too early, right at grey light was best because of it. But it was really cool to see happen. 

Like all things managing pressure vs seat time is not a black and white answer. 

[dbHunterNY]

i'll add to what Phade said. not just terrain topo but habitat and what we call edges also play a big role influencing wind direction and thermals.

[phade]

8 minutes ago, dbHunterNY said:

i'll add to what Phade said. not just terrain topo but habitat and what we call edges also play a big role influencing wind direction and thermals.

Yeah, I consider all that terrain. Dicing terms, but agreed.

[Kmartinson]

5 hours ago, Belo said:

this here depends on goals too. over hunting early will greatly decrease your chance at a big buck, which as we know is not everyones goal. Overhunting early will have less an impact on doe and smaller bucks. Of course one of the top reasons many of us hunt is the escape, and I belong to this club so I'm still getting out there if I can and conditions are right. 

I'm hunting public land buck beds until 10/25

[wolc123]

Like most of the others here, I have never been concerned with barometric pressure for deer hunting.  Maybe a little for fishing, because that does seem a bit better, during higher pressure.  

I always take the wind into consideration.  As mentioned prior, if a deer smells you, then it’s game over.  Barometric pressure is quite irrelevant in comparison.  Moon phase might have a greater effect, and I never paid any attention to that either.  If I have the time, I am hunting in a place and method determined mostly by wind direction.  
 

Maybe it is something that I would consider, if I had more free time to pick and chose when I hunted. 
 

I do agree with the op, about the possibility of lessening the effect of wind direction and scent detection.   Scent free soap and deodorant helps.  I have also used hot cider and Evercalm as cover scents, with good results on mature buck and doe (considerably tougher to fool).  
 

Edited October 12, 2022 by wolc123

[Nomad]

I just sit in a tree . Never even thought about barometric pressure and frankly wouldn’t understand it . I barley pay attention to the wind , thermals  I do wear them when it’s cold . 

[BizCT]

this here depends on goals too. over hunting early will greatly decrease your chance at a big buck, which as we know is not everyones goal. Overhunting early will have less an impact on doe and smaller bucks. Of course one of the top reasons many of us hunt is the escape, and I belong to this club so I'm still getting out there if I can and conditions are right. 

When I want to hunt but the wind isn’t right, I go to public land. It’s a nice change of scenery anyway


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