Wind Direction -- More important for approach or on stand?

[StickersNKickers]

Got a question regarding wind direction. If you had to choose between the wind being better for your approach to your stand, or while sitting your stand, which would you choose? Preferably the wind works for both, but sometimes it may not.

An example...I have a stand that is near a deep ditch, which runs thru heavier cover where deer travel to and from cover/bedding to food. There are trails on upper side and lower side of the slope, with my stand in between. I can access easiest from the same side of the ditch as the stand is on, so I had pretty much only hunted with the wind favoring my approach (wind blowing away from the heavier cover and ditch). Last year I tried hunting that stand with the wind blowing toward the ditch so scent would blow away from the upper side trail and high over the lower trail, accessing from the other side and crossing the ditch. This seemed to work well for the approach as well as having scent blowing away or over the deer (not to say there is no chance that they will see/hear/smell me using this approach). The ditch is now washed out too much to cross. So, access for now is from the same side as the stand. This is just one example.

 

[KnuckleDragr]

That's a tough one. I guess for me, I'm spending most my time in the tree, so it makes sense to have the wind better at that time rather than the approach. More often than not, I bump at least one deer every time I walk in anyway. Whether they smell me first or see me. Keep in mind this is coming from a guy who is not tagged out yet. Might be the reason!

 

[kurtg308]

I kind of have the same situation. So I am interested in hearing peoples opinion. I have a creek that runs southwest on my property, and I have a couple stands on each side of the creek in different spot. Its a great funnel but I worry about my scent on my entrance route. If the wind is out of the east then I am golden, but that doesn't hardly ever happen. What has helped me is that I spray my boots with many gallons of sent killer and then when I am done with my apple I crush it with my boots. This has helped when the deer to get my route, they don't seem mind as much. I do the best I can with what I got.

 

[rc10pt]

For me during the hard rut I'd lean towards having the better wind for the approach because the bucks have been coming from any and every direction while in the tree anyway and when they are chasing or searching they haven't paid a lick of attention to me weather up or down wind.

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[EVIL X]

Just me thinking, I would say better wind for your sit, because I can change my route to some extent to and from the stand.

 

[arm]

I'm having a tough time coming up with one answer; depends on the situation. If I'm going to my stand for an evening hunt, I won't go in where wind heads towards bedding. But if I'm going in well before sunrise for a morning sit, I will risk my scent going towards bedding. Something that works out great for me and might give you something to think about, mornings where the wind is calm, I have a stand where I can enter with thermals basically in my face. Then when the wind picks up, I have the wind in my face while I exit the same direction.

 

[SEIowaDeerslayer]

I think the trick is finding spots where you have the advantages on both. Tough to find those spots but once you do they are money.