Bucks with the wind in their faces:

[loneranger]

I read an article that said most mature bucks travel with the wind in their faces. Do you agree? The article said to set up your stands accordinly.

 

[JNRBRONC]

I used to try to follow that idea when setting up stands but now I feel it is a myth. I have seen too many bucks not following that "rule" to believe they really think about wind direction that much. A "rule" I would pay closer attention to is their travels will take them on the downwind side of cover they think might be holding does.

 

[Shredder]

All depends on if that is the direction he is wanting to go....the last one I shot had the wind at his back, the one before that was cruisin crosswind....

Outside of the Rut....I'd say that your hunch is as good as it gets

 

[Fulldrw]

It always seems to me that bucks are traveling quartering away from the wind. I always figured it was so that they could cover good ground smelling what was behind thing and watching for what they couldn't smell. Might not be true though, it's just how it always seems to work out when i take note.

 

[TallTines]

If this were true a week long NW wind would put a buck in Oregon. Not true in the least bit. Deer will go where they want to go whether the wind is right or not. Most of the mature deer I saw this year were all traveling w/ a cross wind and one going w/ the wind. So that's why I'll cut the wind alotof times where a deer thinks it's in his favor but it's also in mine. hopefully you get what I mean.

 

[bowhuntr311]

IMO... When a buck is moving on his own they do what they want. Rut is a different story, walking cross wind allows them to cover alot of ground wiht their noses.

I have read alot of articals in different magazines about making deer drives/pushes. Half say push with the wind so he doesnt smell the standers. Half says drive against the wind becuase bucks will always break into the wind.

I know a number of old timers that say if a buck can smell the standers and thinks he can get back between the drivers they will do it and run with the wind out the back of the drive.

Yesterday is a testimant of my own. A buddy and I were set up about 20 yards apart with the smokepoles on the end of a small strip that was being pushed to us. 2 Fawns ran out with the wind with a decent buck behind them. He must have spotted me reloading becuase he turned and went back along the side of the drive no shot

Oh well, there is next weekend.

Dean

 

[matchedset]

I think they pretty much do things according to comfort levels,or stress levels.Unpressured deer act different than pressured deer.You know what they say, once they know they are being hunted.Once they find out they change there travel patterns to avoid you.But I seen alot of mature bucks moving cross wind or with the wind.But my observations are mostly during prime time.

 

[Ghost]

Bucks that don't use the wind die.....hunters that don't use the wind don't kill bucks that do....

Seriously...wind direction very seldom is the sole determining factor for travel direction, or time of travel, for a mature buck.

Wind direction and "air currents" are two different things that are often not considered when choosing a stand location and when to hunt it.

I have a couple of stands that deer could possibly show up from any direction, at any time, and be traveling in any certain direction. Even though you always read or hear, "Don't hunt a stand until the wind direction is just perfect!".....these stands get hunted by me when the feeling is right, regardless of what the computer is telling me the wind direction is.

Heck, do any of you watch TV? Forget the wind.....just hunt!

(Just kidding on the last comment...that was a line from a Scent Lock commercial!)

 

[1arrow]

well put Ghost

 

[miff007]

Have not noticed bucks walking into wind they seem to be point A-B on their chosen route, but when rattling/calling they almost always circle to the downwind side of the source of the noise to investigate...