# Understanding and Hunting the Wind



## davidhelmly (Feb 27, 2017)

As bowhunters we all live and die by the wind and I know I struggle with it sometimes! I was on the Midwest Whitetail site this morning to see if the newest off season video was up yet and I watched Winke's Blog from 2/23/17, he did a great job on it and it has some great info about how terrain features affect the wind. How many times have you been setup perfect for the wind and have a deer spook that isn't downwind from you, this video may help explain that. I don't think I can post a link to the video since I'm affiliated with them but it isn't hard to find on the website and is worth a watch, "Winke's Video Blog 2/23/27."


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## 1eyefishing (Feb 27, 2017)

Thanks for the heads up! 
I've been having trouble setting up when I know which way the wind SHOULD be blowing, but for a short while right before sunrise, it blows gently the opposite way for a while before turning around and blowing in the predicted direction... very frustrating! This seems to happen most often on a very light wind.


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## JSnake (Feb 27, 2017)

I watched that other morning and enjoyed it. I think he was using some kind of synthetic fiber as his windchecker, not sure why he's not using milkweed. I found out about milkweed last year - it's a game changer when it comes to trying to understand the wind. 

With a powder bottle you see what it's doing right around you. With milkweeds, you can watch the fiber move for 50 yards or more depending on how thick it is and how good your eyes are. It's the best indicator of what your scent stream is actually doing.


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## dfhooked (Feb 27, 2017)

Do you feel that you can prep stands and your hunting here in the se pine woods like you can in the Midwest? The one thing I have always noticed when hunting the Midwest versus Ga is that you can gauge your wind direction in the Midwest but in Ga due to terrain rises and other factors the wind swirls much more. Also in GA with so many pines I say hunt where you have confidence cause you don't know where the deer are traveling each day. This theory applies to middle ga pine/food plot properties. If you have a lot of ag then yes you can plan similar to your Midwest strategies minus the rifle influence of deer pattern changes.


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## Kris87 (Feb 28, 2017)

I know there's plenty that won't agree with me, but I really don't hunt the wind very much here in GA.  It changes direction and swirls way to much for me to base my decision on it.  It has to be a pretty sustained wind, with higher than normal speed for me to really NOT go to a stand I want to hunt.  I've had much better success the last few years since I've changed my strategies.

I understand the Midwest has a much more constant, consistent wind, so I would agree with it there more.  Here, not nearly as much.


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## watermedic (Feb 28, 2017)

Some pinch points and creek bottoms have contours that push winds in certain directions that benefit us as hunters. Most of them can be scouted using topo maps. 

That is the good thing about journals. They allow you to look back and see what the weather app or news channel said the wind was going to do and what it was at the actual location.


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## The Fever (Feb 28, 2017)

Kris87 said:


> I know there's plenty that won't agree with me, but I really don't hunt the wind very much here in GA.  It changes direction and swirls way to much for me to base my decision on it.  It has to be a pretty sustained wind, with higher than normal speed for me to really NOT go to a stand I want to hunt.  I've had much better success the last few years since I've changed my strategies.
> 
> I understand the Midwest has a much more constant, consistent wind, so I would agree with it there more.  Here, not nearly as much.



You will never kill a big buck like the one in your avatar with that mindset!!! 

I run into an interesting problem here in Tallahassee. We have unusual terrain features having decent hills and being right on the coast. The weather forecast is wrong 50 percent of the time or just doesn't apply in the areas I hunt. I try my best to play the wind but my most successful hunts have been on marginal wind set ups. I have also moved mid hunt before too.


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## livetohunt (Feb 28, 2017)

I watched the blog and like when he gets into technical parts of hunting like the wind.  I never hunt a stand unless I feel the wind will be correct. Some stands I've learned how the wind swirls and have adjusted my hunts accordingly..Hogbacks seem to be a great place to set up especially if they are steep.


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## kevincox (Feb 28, 2017)

Nothing like hunting a stand with the wind direction perfect for 2 hrs and then changing wind direction and thermals get you when deer began moving 15 mins before dark. Very frustrating until the steady NW winds show up in late Oct -Nov


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## JSnake (Mar 1, 2017)

I don't let the wind 100% dictate where/if I hunt but I think it is always good to be aware of what it is doing in your immediate area.

I do however believe in focusing on the leeward side of hills and you have to know the predominant wind direction to do so.


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## Jack Ryan (Mar 1, 2017)

I've not found ANYTHING that explains wind and air currents and the odd things it does better than a pinch of dog fur dropped from my own tree stand.

That stuff floats on air forever and if you have trouble seeing it just turn loose a bigger pinch of it. It's free every time I brush the dog and I just fill old pill bottles and such with it and toss it in the dog food barrel.  Any time I need another bottle just pick one out.


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## rjcruiser (Mar 2, 2017)

I don't hunt with one here in GA, but in the midwest, I believe a decoy helps with calming deer down.  I believe I've been able to get away with a lot more having a decoy 20 yards from me than if I didn't.

There's no proof to this theory...other than I've killed 2 decent bucks the last 2 years (the first two years that I've had the decoy).


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## southerndraw (Mar 27, 2017)

I've set time after time playing the wind direction...if I saw 11 deer that morning they came from every point on the compass. I hunt more on sign and sightings than anything.


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## Jim Boyd (Apr 3, 2017)

Great blog, David - thanks for the heads up. 

I always WORK to get the wind right but, as all hunters, get busted at times. 

What I don't do is hunt a stand that I know has the wrong wind direction just because I think it will have action.... I just wait it out. 

Appreciate it!


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## brobi9 (Apr 23, 2017)

Kris87 said:


> I know there's plenty that won't agree with me, but I really don't hunt the wind very much here in GA.  It changes direction and swirls way to much for me to base my decision on it.  It has to be a pretty sustained wind, with higher than normal speed for me to really NOT go to a stand I want to hunt.  I've had much better success the last few years since I've changed my strategies.
> 
> I understand the Midwest has a much more constant, consistent wind, so I would agree with it there more.  Here, not nearly as much.



Kris, what is your strategy if you don't base stand selection off of wind? You just follow your gut instinct?


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## Kris87 (Apr 24, 2017)

brobi9 said:


> Kris, what is your strategy if you don't base stand selection off of wind? You just follow your gut instinct?



It comes down to the time of year, and what I think the deer are doing.  I've had great success early season because I typically know where bucks bed on my properties, and that makes it easier to hunt them.  Like I said, I don't totally ignore the wind.  If its early season(or late as well since food is key), and my wind is going to be 100% wrong, like its blowing straight to a bedding area from whatever food source I'm on, then I'll likely skip that spot.  I always hang my sets based on the most dominant wind we have here in NE Georgia.  

As for the rut, I don't base anything off the wind really since bucks are always on the move.  They can come from pretty much anywhere, so its impossible to really base it off of wind, unless its blowing to a doe bedding area maybe.  I've pretty much tossed that out the window for around here.


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## deast1988 (Apr 24, 2017)

I try to find known hangouts. Base which tree I climb based off the wind at time of set up. I coat everything with scent spray. I wash all cloths with scent killer type stuff. I try to prevent sweat. I don't put my boots on till I'm where I'm hunting never too An from where I'm hunting. Just in general I try to be low impact if I know wind will be marginal. I hunt lots of remnant farms 15-50acres with my club An some bigger farms mixed in. If I'm hunting morning or Evening ill have spots in mind where I would like to hunt but let wind let me know what I think I can get away with once I'm there. I keep A summit An lone wolf climber ready to roll for most cases in an area I wanna hunt I can be mobile.


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## livetohunt (Apr 24, 2017)

I see two common denominators in all successful bowhunters that CONSISTENTLY  harvest mature bucks. They always hunt the wind, if it changes they change. They also hunt with very low impact, obsessed with not letting the deer know they are being hunted to the best of their ability.


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## Jim Boyd (Apr 24, 2017)

I watched the blog again, heck - I am afraid to hunt ANYWHERE!

Dave talked about the two common denominators of successful big buck hunters - I just want to hang around with a FEW of these guys so I can learn. 

I fear, in Illinois, some of my stands are definitely in the wrong area. In fact, it feels like MOST of them are. 

Think I need a real reassessment of my stand locations ....


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## davidhelmly (Apr 25, 2017)

livetohunt said:


> I see two common denominators in all successful bowhunters that CONSISTENTLY  harvest mature bucks. They always hunt the wind, if it changes they change. They also hunt with very low impact, obsessed with not letting the deer know they are being hunted to the best of their ability.





Jim Boyd said:


> I watched the blog again, heck - I am afraid to hunt ANYWHERE!
> 
> Dave talked about the two common denominators of successful big buck hunters - I just want to hang around with a FEW of these guys so I can learn.
> 
> ...




I agree Dave, anyone I know that consistently kills mature deer always hunt's the wind. I've spent a lot of hours talking to Winke (waaay more listening than talking) and he is an absolute freak about playing the wind! He hunts very cautious, makes sure he has good entrance and exit routes for the wind and he stays on the outskirts of the action to lessen his chances of being busted and he consistently kills monsters. His farm in Iowa certainly isn't like hunting here in Ga but I believe his tactics would work anywhere.

I'm with Jim in that most of my setups probably need to be rethought and adjusted, I would love to be one of those guys that consistently kill mature deer but I imagine I will keep my streak of a good buck every 5 years or so...


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## Kris87 (Apr 25, 2017)

I also don't think you can compare hunting in the midwest where the wind is constant most of the time to hunting here where it is not.  Too much difference in both terrain and wind.


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## Jim Boyd (Apr 25, 2017)

I am not gonna be able to move all the ones in Illinois I need to move - at least not this year. 

I will only have two days to work there over the Labor Day weekend and when I get there in November, I am sure not gonna be moving stands. 

I am gonna hunt the ones I trust and try to use my climber otherwise. 

Heck of it is, I had a great place picked out for a stand (in my mind) but now am afraid to set up there.


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## kevincox (Apr 25, 2017)

davidhelmly said:


> I agree Dave, anyone I know that consistently kills mature deer always hunt's the wind. I've spent a lot of hours talking to Winke (waaay more listening than talking) and he is an absolute freak about playing the wind! He hunts very cautious, makes sure he has good entrance and exit routes for the wind and he stays on the outskirts of the action to lessen his chances of being busted and he consistently kills monsters. His farm in Iowa certainly isn't like hunting here in Ga but I believe his tactics would work anywhere.
> 
> I'm with Jim in that most of my setups probably need to be rethought and adjusted, I would love to be one of those guys that consistently kill mature deer but I imagine I will keep my streak of a good buck every 5 years or so...


If you lived in Iowa you would kill a giant every year. From what I've seen successful southern bowhunters are usually very very successful up North.


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## Kris87 (Apr 26, 2017)

kevincox said:


> If you lived in Iowa you would kill a giant every year. From what I've seen successful southern bowhunters are usually very very successful up North.



This is very true.  Everything is much harder here.


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## Cole Henry (Apr 26, 2017)

kevincox said:


> If you lived in Iowa you would kill a giant every year. From what I've seen successful southern bowhunters are usually very very successful up North.



I couldn't agree more.


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## Ihunt (Apr 26, 2017)

Just keep a bag of cotton balls in your hunting bag. You can pull off a few strands from a piece of a cotton ball and just let it go. It floats a long ways, cost little, and you don't have to pet the dog every time you go out! Lol


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## Jim Boyd (Apr 26, 2017)

I agree, David would slay them up there. 

On the right farm, the chances at what we consider big deer, are just so much more prevalent.  

I would say this though.  Let's call a Midwest hunt 10 days and let's say it is in the first half of November. As good as it gets, right? We hunt like we are never going to get another chance - daylight to dark every day. 

I would venture to say that if we took that approach in the south during the same peak of the rut period (yes, the calendar days would likely be different.... if I was going to hunt 10 days straight in my area of SC, it would be 23 Oct - 1 Nov) we would also have multiple chances at mature deer. But, we don't.... or at least I don't.  I take breaks during the day. I rarely if ever sit all day. I rarely if ever hunt 3-4-5-6 days in a row with NO break. 

I can tell you this, if we did this in the south, I think our chances would go up precipitously. 

The mature bucks would not be as big in the south but you would likely have multiple chances on good bucks during a 10 day period. 

You would on my SC farms and I just about posistive you would on David's farms too. 


Maybe discipline is key.


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