Wind tactics

[TomBow]

Seems to me that this year's bow season has been the windiest I've ever experienced and this weekend's forecast looks like will have plenty.

What do you do when the wind is blowing? Ground Blind, Still hunt; what are your tactics that have proven successful? Thanks and Best of Luck!

[bigbucks]

Try to find a place that's really sheltered from the particular wind, where there's food they're after. I've figured out one spot, where the windier it is out of the W or NW the better. It's almost a guarantee the deer will be there on those nights. It's a high sloping hayfield on the SE side of a big heavily wooded hill. There's almost no wind at ground level, even though it might be blowing 20mph or better. I found it mostly by accident, while hunting another great spot for NW wind, that just didn't seem to produce when it was really windy. When I'd walk out after dark on those nights I'd walk by this spot to get to my truck & was always bumping 3-5 deer. The pattern finally registered with Mr. Dullwit here. I know of another spot that's good for windy conditions, down in a really low spot in the middle of some ridges. I don't have a stand there right now & can't remember what wind is best for it, have to do some more thinking. There's a salt lick there.

I've been really frustrated this year though, as my only good spot for strong SE wind seems to have dried up, temporarily I hope. I haven't hunted it yet, maybe I should anyway, but there's almost no sign there.

[Stratosman]

I don't mind some wind, it keeps the scent going in the same direction and also helps mask your movements to deer. Gale force winds on the other hand can be tricky, I usually don't let the wind dictate whether or not I go hunting, but if it's really blowing I try to pick stands that are somewhat out of the wind, but the problem with this is that there are wind currents that are formed bt strong winds, and if you can find an area that is somewhat sheltered, the wind is often swirling in these areas and unpredictable, so you have to keep that in mind. I am not a stillhunter but this is a good time to do so, due to the fact the sounds you make will be muffled by the wind. I know it's not fun when the tree you're in is rocking back and forth.

[TomBow]

Lemme get a bit more specific and see what you think:

The property that I plan on hunting is open (cut corn) on the west and north sides. The field that is on the north is shaped like a tipped over "d" with the largest part half on the property with corn on the neighbors side and the top portion of the "d" is alfalfa bordered by big woods (off property) on two sides and rolling wooded pasture on the south edge of the field, the entire length. The alfalfa is down a gentle slope, decending about 30 ft. as you head east. The swamp on the south and east edge of the pasture is downhill from the alfalfa. What would you do? (based on STRONG west wind forecast)

[BLACKJACK]

Good topic! I was debating the same thing with the strong wind forecast for tomorrow morning.

You didn't say whether you were hunting in the morning or evening. I have one stand that is a good morning stand if I have a SE wind because the deer are heading to their bedding area, but in the evening I want a NW wind so I can waylay them on the way out of the bedding area.

My first thought on you scenario is that you need to get on the east side of the property with the forecasted west wind. Are they bedding in that swamp? In the morning that could be a good spot. In the evening, up on the north end by the neighbors timber would be a good bet. The spot where the alfalfa meets the corn would also be a good spot. Bucks will be cruising looking for feeding does, the does will probably be feeding on both the corn and alfalfa. Good luck. Let us know how you do.

[mudman]

depends on the land you hunt. I have a big overgrown field they bed in and I am lucky enough to have a railroad that was built up 10-15' burm. I get on top of that and glass the field and look for bedded deer. If I see one that I would like I will go ahead with a stalk. To be walking into the wind is nice definitly won't smell you and they have a hard time hearing you as well.

[TomBow]

Mr. Black Jacque Schelac,

C'mon man, I am a bowhunter, I'll be witnessing the activity from an hour before the sky lightens until the darness returns! It's that "anything could happen" time of year and I've got the time so...color me, "huntin'-bound!". Ok, enough of my tom-foolery.

I think mud's option is right with my thinking "sitting by the corn and alfalfa by the neighbors woods".

Yes, the deer do bed in the swamp, heavy duty trails going in but I haven't been ambitious enough to slog in there, figuring I'd bide my time by the edges and wait until they come out, just enough. I have a metro hunt tomorrow AM then the ST. Wendel spot (referred to above) for the rest of the weekend. I really hope the forecast is wrong but them fellers'll be actually RIGHT sometimes!! Believe it or not!!

[Ole #1]

The most important thing to me is just sitting in my stand, I don't worry about the wind and usually always sit in the same spot. I do have 4 or 5 stands to hunt out of, but there is one stand that I like and that's where I sit.

I wouldn't make a decision on if I go, or where I'm going to sit based on the wind. Just be as scent free as possible and get out there, that's my 2 cents.

Ole

[bigbucks]

TomBow, I can't totally visualize the property, but if there's an out of the wind corner, with a heavy trail coming out of that neighbor's woods, I'd setup down wind of that within 20 yards or less if possible. Lately I've seen a lot of deer in harvested bean fields, alfalfa fields, & coming in or out of corn (usually standing corn). My dad & other relatives have been seeing the same thing. A lot of deer in fields mid-day & early afternoon too. The feed bag is on now & I've seen enough does running across roads lately to think the bucks are doing some chasing now. Dad's seen deer in crop fields right up by his buildings this week where we never ever see deer.

[TomBow]

Thanks Big, yup that's pretty much the way I've figured it's gonna go, just a bit of tweaking once I get there and the wind does what it's going to do. I'll be downwind of the trails and I hope a biggun never knows what hit him.

[BLACKJACK]

Tombow, I know you're a hardcore bowhunter from some of your posts. You have my respect and admiration if you sit in your stand all day long! I've done it twice slug hunting and they were the longest days of my life!! Do you carry a lunch and a water bottle and a pee bottle and a book? I know that this time of year you need to be in your stand as much as possible but I can't do it all day. Never say never though, I've been eyeing a funnel that I think my qualify as an all day sitting spot.

This whole wind question intrigues me because as opposed to Ole, the wind direction always dictates where I sit. If the wind direction isn't right, I don't sit in that stand, I sit in a different one. My belief is that you're going to be busted if the deer come downwind from you and I don't want to educate the deer to that spot. I want the wind blowing in my face from the direction that I think the deer are most likely to come from. I go out to the National Weather Service web site or weather.com before I go hunting and find the wind direction graph for the next few hours and plan my hunt accordingly. Right now the NWS is predicting a 29mph NW wind with gusts to 39 for 7 AM tomorrow. It also predicts that it will change from from SW to NW at about 4 AM and also a 40% chance of rain. With that type of wind, I'm opting for a ground blind tomorrow morning, and I hope they're wrong about the rain.

Anyway, good luck to all this weekend! May we all make the right stand choice and shoot straight!

[Ole #1]

Here's my thing about wind. I hunt in the woods and the winds swirls, there is no downwind because it blows everywhere. I will sit in the spot that has the most deer trafic, if I were not hunting in the woods, things would be different.

Ole

[TomBow]

Ole brings up a good point. I have been amazed this year while I've been wind-checking (small bottle of corn starch) the topography will really do a number on the wind, swirling, going the opposite of the "forecast". For example, the wind can be forecasted so be from the SE and I get to the woods and it's blowing the opposite direction. It should get more consistent with more leaf drop but it's tough to predict. I agree that you should get out it the wind isn't being favorable to your stand sight.

As far as the all day sit, OH YEAH, lunch and beverages is needed. I spent all day yesterday in two stands, one until 10 AM, the other until dark, a sandwich and a thermos of coffee. The early afternoon was gun-hunt stand set-up and chainsawing of 20 trees (sounded like) on the neighbor's property until 2 PM, then at 3PM, the other neighbor's decide to come through the open field with a truck and an ATV, then go hunting around on property that isn't theirs, including coming over the fence 50 yards from me Me: HOWDY! (twice) UP HERE! (uh, ya bowhunting?) YES! (oh, we'll get outta here) THANKS! The only deer I saw was about 5 minutes after shooting hours at about 35 yards.

During the windy day (saturday) I saw a deer by moonlight in the morning at about 15 yards, then nothing all day. The landowner said the deer were out after dark, about a dozen. I was expecting something to happen yesterday, conditions were freegin perfect. Thanks Neighbors! Guess I should have moved when the first guys showed up. Oh well, dat's hunteen!