#1 hunting point

[G-Man]

2 hours ago, Jeremy K said:

That's the most foolish thing regarding to hunting I've ever read . You ask any good hunter and they all agree that wind is the number 1 aspect to hunting whitetail deer ,you will NEVER trick their nose.

Not true I kill. An 11pt dead down wind from me 2 years ago I smelt so bad I could smell myself ,was 70. Degrees that morning and I only went to stand to fix search but friend said take your bow with you.  After going up and down the tree several times dropping rivets clanging off steps  I them rotated the stand 90 degrees as well as moved the tree umbrella. 5 min later he came in dead down wind to 7 yards or so and I shot him for easiest shot I've ever had on a buck, my scent wasnt blowing over it as I had gone up and down the tree several times.. 

The most important thing is simply this.... get out and hunt!!!!

[bhunterED]

My personal #1 is to teach my kids to just enjoy the opportunity to be out in the woods, to listen to the world wake up, to put everything else in life away for a little bit and be in the moment. 

[BizCT]

25 minutes ago, G-Man said:

Not true I kill. An 11pt dead down wind from me 2 years ago I smelt so bad I could smell myself ,was 70. Degrees that morning and I only went to stand to fix search but friend said take your bow with you.  After going up and down the tree several times dropping rivets clanging off steps  I them rotated the stand 90 degrees as well as moved the tree umbrella. 5 min later he came in dead down wind to 7 yards or so and I shot him for easiest shot I've ever had on a buck, my scent wasnt blowing over it as I had gone up and down the tree several times.. 

The most important thing is simply this.... get out and hunt!!!!

That's my Dad's theory as well. Except for out west (spot and stalk using wind), he has never factored wind into hunting in NY. He only gun hunts (recently xbow too) and We don't have a ton of spots to choose from so if the options are sit at home or hunt, he hunts. You can't shoot them from a couch he says, so he just grinds it out dark-dark as many days in a row he can and typically he ends up with a nice buck or two. 

[First-light]

Be ready for the unexpected. Too many early season hunts I've seen big bucks cruising. Be ready and just not the rut!

[moog5050]

39 minutes ago, G-Man said:

Not true I kill. An 11pt dead down wind from me 2 years ago I smelt so bad I could smell myself ,was 70. Degrees that morning and I only went to stand to fix search but friend said take your bow with you.  After going up and down the tree several times dropping rivets clanging off steps  I them rotated the stand 90 degrees as well as moved the tree umbrella. 5 min later he came in dead down wind to 7 yards or so and I shot him for easiest shot I've ever had on a buck, my scent wasnt blowing over it as I had gone up and down the tree several times.. 

The most important thing is simply this.... get out and hunt!!!!

I know you kill a lot of animals but that one example does not make wind/scent direction irrelevant IMO.  Deer definitely use their sense of smell and it certainly doesn't help your odds to be upwind.  I have killed some downwind of me too and also been busted when they scented me coming in from downwind.  When they come from upwind, I haven't been busted because of scent as far as I know.  Certainly a consideration for me when I decide where I am hunting. I won't hunt a stand where I KNOW the wind direction is bad.  (Predominate wind doesn't always control your scent either - milkweed is my friend).  But to each his own.

Target rich environment certainly helps no matter the wind direction.  lol

[GR HUNTER]

If we are talking consistent, every time you go out, highest chance of success, I don't see how you don't take the wind into account. I love the woods as well, but I definitely enjoy it more when I see more critters. 

[The_Real_TCIII]

1 hour ago, G-Man said:

Not true I kill. An 11pt dead down wind from me 2 years ago I smelt so bad I could smell myself ,was 70. Degrees that morning and I only went to stand to fix search but friend said take your bow with you.  After going up and down the tree several times dropping rivets clanging off steps  I them rotated the stand 90 degrees as well as moved the tree umbrella. 5 min later he came in dead down wind to 7 yards or so and I shot him for easiest shot I've ever had on a buck, my scent wasnt blowing over it as I had gone up and down the tree several times.. 

The most important thing is simply this.... get out and hunt!!!!

Your scent didnt get to his nose for any number of reasons

[Skillet]

5 hours ago, crappyice said:

Be PRESENT at that hunt.

Too often I’m sitting in a tree worrying about what responsibility is waiting at home or work; looking at this stupid site instead of watching the woods, checking for new text updates from hunting partners, etc.

I’m hoping for more focus on the woods when I’m in the woods!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This X2. Be in the moment.

[G-Man]

1 hour ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

That's my Dad's theory as well. Except for out west (spot and stalk using wind), he has never factored wind into hunting in NY. He only gun hunts (recently xbow too) and We don't have a ton of spots to choose from so if the options are sit at home or hunt, he hunts. You can't shoot them from a couch he says, so he just grinds it out dark-dark as many days in a row he can and typically he ends up with a nice buck or two. 

My land lays east -west, wind from west (north or south) you walk out the door of house on west end of the property and your scent is blowing into the woods. Add 6 to 8 more guys and that scent is spread over the entire area. Imo not the one most important thing.. the single most important thing is to get out and hunt period.. wind, food, funnels, all are secondary. 

[dbHunterNY]

don't forget my bow, arrows, and release. seriously i packed the vehicle up one early morning at dark. forgot my bow sitting on the roof. got to my hunting spot. parked bow wasn't there. lol

seriously number 1 (after safety) would be don't cut corners. you can get away with not shooting your gun as often or not paying complete attention to what the wind is doing 200-300 yards out at the deer and still possibly be succesful. bowhunting if you hunt sloppy you will have very little success. you'll be the blind squirrel finding a nut on rare occasion only.

[G-Man]

26 minutes ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

Your scent didnt get to his nose for any number of reasons

Oh he smelled.me stomped his food looked at me came closer stomped his foot.. and turned broadside and started eating apples with his head behind a tree. 

The thing is a deer will alert if you activate one of it senses.  But it wont flee unless another sense is activated, such as smell and see, hear and see, smell and hear.. as fred bear said just dont move.. just doing that eliminates 2 of its senses hearing and seeing.. smelling you it may come closer to find you with another sense to confirm what it smells .

Edited September 4, 2019 by G-Man

[Five Seasons]

I'll answer 2 different ways. 

1. Success for me is an enjoyable experiencing with nature. This is woods therapy, seeing some cool critters, enjoying the fresh air escaping reality. To achieve this my #1 tip is to not enter the woods if my head isn't it. I'll be distracted with whatever is occupying my mind which means i'm on the phone, not paying attention or enjoying the woods. Sort of bundled with this is being prepared and comfortable. Nothing worse than forgetting snacks, water, or over/under dressed to ruin the hunt experience.

2. Success of harvesting a deer with a bow is movement. I play the wind, but it doesn't consume me. For me it's about choosing when to stand and draw. Messing this up and it just doesn't matter if they came in upwind or not.

[Steve D]

3 hours ago, airedale said:

For me regardless of the hunting weapon I am using when it comes to Deer and Varmints the wind and how it is blowing is the main determining factor in how I go about establishing a hunt plan each time I hit the timber. The nose of these animals is their number one defense.

Al

Varmints absolutely 100%. The wind while hunting fox & coyotes will be the determining factor on success or failure(providing you can shoot). For me not so much for deer but I do keep it in mind for stand selection and ground hunting.

[Five Seasons]

14 hours ago, Steve D said:

I agree with Fat and all of the above but the most important or number one for me is to be certain of my shot.  Not all shots are perfect and I would personally would rather let one walk than to attempt a shot I may or may not be able to make.

 I have let a lot of them walk even at full draw because there was a hint of doubt at the moment of truth. When I  "send it" I want full confidence in the shot even though I know there is always a chance things will go bad for whatever reason.

depending on the size of his rack of course 

[Five Seasons]

4 hours ago, Jeremy K said:

That's the most foolish thing regarding to hunting I've ever read . You ask any good hunter and they all agree that wind is the number 1 aspect to hunting whitetail deer ,you will NEVER trick their nose.

i disagree. I've shot plenty of deer downwind. yeah I know some guys shoot nice deer smoking cigs and wearing work gear, but not usually during archery and they're not usually consistent. That's all you need to know about how important the wind is. I'm not saying it's not important, but not #1.

[Steve D]

1 minute ago, Belo said:

depending on the size of his rack of course 

Not true in my case. If I  don't feel comfortable taking the shot I am not taking it no matter how big the rack is. It has cost me some nice deer but at least I could still sleep at night not worrying about a bad hit. Many times I have kicked myself for not taking the shot but would be more disappointed if I took it and it was a bad hit.

[Five Seasons]

1 hour ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

That's my Dad's theory as well. Except for out west (spot and stalk using wind), he has never factored wind into hunting in NY. He only gun hunts (recently xbow too) and We don't have a ton of spots to choose from so if the options are sit at home or hunt, he hunts. You can't shoot them from a couch he says, so he just grinds it out dark-dark as many days in a row he can and typically he ends up with a nice buck or two. 

from what i've read out west you hike so much that you're going to stink. it's unavoidable, so you have to play the wind. gun is also a bit of a free for all as many shoot deer that are bumped. My guess is that g-man's buck came in out of curiosity. sounds like an early season hunt and he heard a racket and came to investigate. Had this happen once dragging out a doe. dad and i not taking any caution and here comes a big 7 to check out what was going on lol. during gun i've had deer bust me by blinking. freaking deer...

[Marion]

Shoot where I aim

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[BizCT]

4 minutes ago, Belo said:

from what i've read out west you hike so much that you're going to stink. it's unavoidable, so you have to play the wind. gun is also a bit of a free for all as many shoot deer that are bumped. My guess is that g-man's buck came in out of curiosity. sounds like an early season hunt and he heard a racket and came to investigate. Had this happen once dragging out a doe. dad and i not taking any caution and here comes a big 7 to check out what was going on lol. during gun i've had deer bust me by blinking. freaking deer...

I've had deer eat the bush i'm sitting against. Sometimes deer just don't care. Humans on the ground is normal to them. Humans floating in the trees is not normal.

Edited September 4, 2019 by Biz-R-OWorld

[Five Seasons]

1 hour ago, GR HUNTER said:

If we are talking consistent, every time you go out, highest chance of success, I don't see how you don't take the wind into account. I love the woods as well, but I definitely enjoy it more when I see more critters. 

i think the point is that wind isn't #1 or even top 3 for some of us. It's still an important variable, any hunter will agree to that. But it's not the end all be all.

[Five Seasons]

another spin on this subject

1. 70% of success is scouting and stand prep. Screw this up and it doesn't matter how well you shoot or how scent free you are.

2. 20% be proficient with your weapon. This includes knowing when and how to draw/shoot/move.

3. 8% limit scent. combo of playing the wind and scent control.

4. 2% lady luck

[BizCT]

2 minutes ago, Belo said:

another spin on this subject

1. 70% of success is scouting and stand prep. Screw this up and it doesn't matter how well you shoot or how scent free you are.

2. 20% be proficient with your weapon. This includes knowing when and how to draw/shoot/move.

3. 8% limit scent. combo of playing the wind and scent control.

4. 2% lady luck

Luck is way higher than 2% and access to good hunting land is like 95%. You can't shoot big bucks if they don't exist on your property. Having 3 shooter bucks on your property vs. having 10 is a huge difference.

[The_Real_TCIII]

37 minutes ago, G-Man said:

My land lays east -west, wind from west (north or south) you walk out the door of house on west end of the property and your scent is blowing into the woods. Add 6 to 8 more guys and that scent is spread over the entire area. Imo not the one most important thing.. the single most important thing is to get out and hunt period.. wind, food, funnels, all are secondary. 

We need to move that cabin lol, it will count as a GTG

[GR HUNTER]

1 hour ago, Belo said:

i think the point is that wind isn't #1 or even top 3 for some of us. It's still an important variable, any hunter will agree to that. But it's not the end all be all.

I totally agree with you but that wasn't my point.

[cynthiafu]

My father and I were talking and smoking one year and a big eight pointer walked right over to us . Dad shot him at 7or8 yards .I'll never forget that . I walked over to that buck with Dad behind me and I went to grab his horns and he picked up his head and tried to get up . Lolol about shit myself . My dad laughed so hard . He said how many times I got to tell you to look at the eyes . The deers eyes were closed not open and faded lolol . He laughed at me . Lololol  I miss hunting with my dad . Going to be hard this year to but I will be out there .