Ridgetop hunting question....what's the right wind?

[NotEnoughDaysOff]

We have a ridgetop stand that sits like this, imagine a north/south woodline, with ridgetop field on the west side, and wooded hillside on the east side.

We have a stand on the woodline, a few yards in, expecting the deer to run north and south along the field edge. My question is, if hunting in the evening, is the correct wind the direction that carries my scent away from the woodline and out into the field? If deer end up out in the field, they are at eye level, and downwind, so they would surely wind me.

On the flip side, if the wind is from the west, that takes my scent in the direction of the deer trail, but I would be elevated well above where the deer travel, so it could be carried well over their head by the wind.

Which do you guys consider correct?

 

[DannyBoy]

Depends on who you ask!!?? We had a pretty good discussion on this last year about this time. http://iowawhitetail.com/forum/showthread.php?t=32107

MY preference would be to have the wind blowing into the timber. Having deer at eye level is difficult enought, but with the wind in their advantage, it would be nearly impossible to be productive. Just my thoughts, I'm sure others will feel otherwise.

 

[NWBuck]

Although it isn't always possible, my preferred stand is a place where wind can take my scent high above any deer that me be downwind. I'd choose a wind blowing into the timber as well.

NWBuck

 

[River1]

Consider a NE or SE crosswind that blows into the field from the least likely direction you'd expect them to come in. Catch my drift? I do that on occasion. This kinda stuff takes a bit of a gut feeling depending on your experiences there.

 

[Liv4Rut]

Ridge tops are tough, hunt high in the morning and low in the evenings. Never know you may have a wind you think is going to the field but it will be pulling right down on top of you. I have had that happen too many times to count. I hate big ridges.

 

[SEIowaDeerslayer]

I'd hunt the wind blowing into the timber and hunt high, like 30'. Like LIV said you may have the right wind but on ridges the wind can tumble on you and actually blow in the complete opposite direction its actually blowing from.

My best spot is on a hardwood ridge. 2 years ago is when I started hunting it and only had a 20' stand up, didn't see much there. Last year I got smart and went 10' higher and its turned out to be my best spot.

 

[jjohnson]

I would like the wind blowing into the woods too but it can be very touchy. Your thermals will be pulling your scent down.

I've got similar stands that I hunt both ways I guess.

 

[NotEnoughDaysOff]

Wow, I can see I'm not the only one asking this question, and the opinions differ widely. It's interesting, but the one consensus seems to be that if you think you're high enough, you're not. I guess the best strategy is to get as high as you can without compromising shooting lanes, and try to be as scent free as possible, and the rest is debatable.

It would be a really good thing to know how far away a whitetail can smell a human, or at least an order of magnitude, like 100 yards, 300 yards 500 yards, more. Seems like there should be a minimum concentration in PPM that they can pick up, and one should be able to make a reasonable assertion. The other thought I'm having is if my scent blows out over top of them, and later settles into the valley, yes, maybe they can smell me, but are they really smart enough to know where I am, considering that the air could be moving in a different direction when they catch my wind? In that scenario, to "escape my scent trail" they could come right past me.

 

[antlerfreak]

It would be a really good thing to know how far away a whitetail can smell a human, or at least an order of magnitude, like 100 yards, 300 yards 500 yards, more.


Far enough that they will smell you without you even knowing or seeing them. But I agree with you alot of times they may catch your wind at a distance, circle way around, but in a case like yours may very well end up right under you. Your biggest problem with a stand like that is burning it out. too much scent down that ridge is going to make older bucks change there scent checking patterns up and down the ridge, I would be more apt to hunt with a NE or SE wind into the field, but also like someone els said hunt the ridge high in the morning and low in the evening.

 

[cedar creek]

You say if the deer are in the field they are at eye level. That means the actual ridge is farther west in the field some place. If the deer are coming to the field in the evening on the east side of your stand from the timber; you'll pay hell trying not to get winded by a wise buck or doe with a west wind. Especially in the evening! You are better off figuring a quartering wind for evening; or just hunt the stand on mornings while thermals rise.

 

[NotEnoughDaysOff]

You say if the deer are in the field they are at eye level. That means the actual ridge is farther west in the field some place. If the deer are coming to the field in the evening on the east side of your stand from the timber; you'll pay hell trying not to get winded by a wise buck or doe with a west wind. Especially in the evening! You are better off figuring a quartering wind for evening; or just hunt the stand on mornings while thermals rise.

That is exactly what I've been trying to do, thinking either the deer will move along the trail below me and be too far below me to wind me, or they will come out in the field and I'm downwind. The stand is actually down off the ridge top/field edge slightly, to gain proximity to the trail that parallels the field edge. One thing I should have mentioned, the field is only a few hundred yards wide, with timbered hillside beginning again, so the field actually is the top of the ridge. So with an east wind, deer cruising the other side of the field probably will scent me, so burnout is an issue. I guess that was part of my decision to try hunting the stand in a west wind. Perhaps I should swap strategies and see how it goes, as stand burnout could be an issue either way. One thing is sure, the bucks are there as we have them on camera, I'm just not in the right spot, or hunting the right wind. Hunting in the mornings would be great, but I have to work for a living. Someday maybe.........

 

[DOR]

Very particulars dependent. Are you hunting in the morning or evening is first big variable. whats your access situation, etc......If the ridge is extremely steep and you climb up it from the bottom Im going with the West wind everytime.

If its a spot you must access from the top then a quartering wind like ne or se blowing at you as you enter from the top. Really just depends. Bottom line is wanna go with the approach and exit that has the highest odds of not winding/bumping deer. If its a set and hunt one time deal....well you can be more liberal with your choices of wind direction.

No black and white answwer here im afraid.

 

[cedar creek]

That is exactly what I've been trying to do, thinking either the deer will move along the trail below me and be too far below me to wind me, or they will come out in the field and I'm downwind. The stand is actually down off the ridge top/field edge slightly, to gain proximity to the trail that parallels the field edge. One thing I should have mentioned, the field is only a few hundred yards wide, with timbered hillside beginning again, so the field actually is the top of the ridge. So with an east wind, deer cruising the other side of the field probably will scent me, so burnout is an issue. I guess that was part of my decision to try hunting the stand in a west wind. Perhaps I should swap strategies and see how it goes, as stand burnout could be an issue either way. One thing is sure, the bucks are there as we have them on camera, I'm just not in the right spot, or hunting the right wind. Hunting in the mornings would be great, but I have to work for a living. Someday maybe.........

I think deer moving on the hillside below you will most definitely smell you with a west wind in the evenings. With the thermals dropping, and a west wind; you'll be busted every time. The only thing you can count on is deer moving in the field upwind of you; or deer moving north & south inside the timber. Unfortunately; you'll be educating too many deer down wind of you if you use that stand in the evening with a west wind. Bumping deer entering and leaving stand is definitely a consideration also, and leaving a stand downwind in the timber won't help. Walking the field upwind bumping deer in the dark is even worse. I would only hunt the field edge with a quartering wind that didn't blow to field access trails.