Do you consider wind speed when hunting?
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: blackbear62
09-Nov-17
Does the general speed of the wind play any part in your decision to hunt or not? I'm not talking about direction or hunting in storms. Here in Michigan it's about a 22mph wind. Good direction for my stand; but not are the trees moving. I know that's just a slight breeze in Kansas. Just wondering what others have seen or not seen in high wind. Thanks. Mark
From: BOHUNTER09
09-Nov-17
I'm hunting in a brisk wind now. During this time I will hunt regardless up to 30 mph
From: njbuck
09-Nov-17
I hunt when I can but I don't like it when it gets higher than 15 mph and conversely I don't like days with no wind at all. I actually see more deer in heavy wind as opposed to no wind.
From: sticksender
09-Nov-17
This time of year it would take much worse weather than that to keep me home. This is the magic time and I don’t want to miss any days. The negatives are they hang tighter back in the cover on windy days. And in strong winds they scent you more easily at longer distances. And of course you need to rely more on your eyes than ears to find them on windy days like today when it blowing 20. So I really should put this phone away ;-)
From: cnelk
09-Nov-17
On the latest Midwest Whitetail, Bill Winke mentioned that slight, variable breezes are not favorable hunting as they tend to blow inconsistently and can ruin your area
Your scent cone will definitely be smaller with a stronger breeze
From: T Mac
09-Nov-17
Generally over 15 I have not seen much movement especially late season but 23 mph winds forecasted tomorrow but I will be out this time of year
From: Bake
09-Nov-17
Not really. I too hate light and variable winds. I had a wind like that this morning, and it wasn't good.
I prefer a 10-15 mile an hour wind when deer hunting. I think they move well, it helps cover up my movement and the little sounds I make.
I hunt when I can get time off from work though, so I pretty much go whatever the conditions, especially in November.
From: Bowfinatic
09-Nov-17
No wind is the worst. I have killed a buck in 30mph winds just try to find a place that's shielded somewhat
From: greg simon
09-Nov-17
Really high winds I won't sit a treestand. You can get away with much more movement on the ground when it is really blowing hard. Still hunting time! If it is November and I'm not working and I've got a tag I'm hunting, weather be damned!!!
From: Z Barebow
09-Nov-17
In ND, if I didn't hunt in wind over 20 mph, I would rarely hunt.
From: DB999
09-Nov-17
IMO if we are talking November, windy conditions (to a point of course) helps throw that scent around if there is a hot doe even somewhat close. Early or late season I am like the others, a consistent 10 MPH breeze is ideal.
From: dm/wolfskin
09-Nov-17
No.
From: Bowriter
09-Nov-17
On the plans, you better.
From: Woods Walker
09-Nov-17
I LOVE very windy days. I ground hunt and most of that is stillhunting. Windy days are great because a lot of other hunters stay home, and the high winds reduce the potential area where the deer may be, so if you know your ground and where the wind sheltered areas will be for a particular wind direction you WILL find deer. The problem is when you do find them you really FOUND them, and you have more eyes to deal with. Sound isn't really a big issue because the wind mostly overrides that.
From: DartonJager
09-Nov-17
Even when the wind drove the temps to sub-zero never let the wind keep me from hunting, and even in sub-zero I have and will continue to hunt as hard as I can stand. Five years ago gun hunted public land in IL for 3 days in 0* to -12* below zero. Should've killed a good buck but just didn't. I tend to bow hunt thick nasty stuff so I prefer low winds nothing much above 10-12mph otherwise I get to little warning of a deer's approach and have a hard time getting ready and drawn before he's gone or would bust me moving. Where I am presently hunting I can barely see 50, MAYBE 60 yards so if possible I need to hear a deer coming before I see him.
From: Swampbuck
09-Nov-17
No wind sucks, but so does a wind so strong your tree is swaying back and forth. I've hunted both and prefer a nice 10-20 breeze. Still would go if it's just gusts to 30-35.
From: blackbear62
09-Nov-17
thanks for responding guys. Went out tonite and saw 5 does. The first group of three did not like the decoy and ran off. Second group of 2 came right in. They paid no attention to the wind. Groups came from both up wind and down wind. No bucks. May have to rethink feathers hanging from tail and ears of the decoy; when the wind gusted it looked like the decoy was going to fly away. Mark
From: drycreek
09-Nov-17
Light winds mean inconsistency, but if I think I can get away with it in a blind, I'll hunt if it's prime time. Not in the open air though, get busted or what's worse, just don't see anything, and you KNOW WHY.
From: midwest
10-Nov-17
I'm with Bake...10-15 is perfect in the midwest. Last Saturday was zero wind, damp, and drizzling. I knew my scent would just pool all around me in every direction but I was out to kill the first deer I saw so hunted anyway. Buck came in and smelled me at about 30 yards. He backed out but I was able to grunt him back. He made a loop and smelled me again at 20 yards. The woods were so still I couldn't draw. I stopped him as he walked away quartering hard at 25 yds and let him have it. Pretty sure I wouldn't have gotten away with that on a more mature buck or doe.
From: APauls
10-Nov-17
I hunt whenever I have the time. Just try and find the best place to do so. Yesterday was a case in point. Temp was -20 with a -29 wind chill. It was fricking cold. Sat all day besides moving stands once. It was my day off, I can't wait for it to warm up. Think I froze my ear lobes though they are killing me today lol
From: Brotsky
10-Nov-17
Blowing 40 here today. We’ll be hunting in the blind. Anything over 25 and I will not get in a tree unless it is in a sheltered draw. No buck is worth your life.
From: Olink
10-Nov-17
I'm in eastern PA and I usually don't let the wind stop me from hunting, but anything over 15-20 mph usually makes for a very boring day. Deer around here dig in like a tick when its windy.
From: Proline
10-Nov-17
I dont like bowhunting much in heavy wind (20+MPH). I find reduced movement but I also find the deer that do move are very spooked and rerally dont stop much to often a shot. Gun hunting well different story..........
From: T Mac
10-Nov-17
After 6 hours on stand today with 20+ mph winds I managed to see 1 doe. Like I said earlier if it wasn’t Nov. I wouldn’t have went out.
From: lawdy
10-Nov-17
I just spent 2 hours in a brush blind with 40 mph wind gusts, snow squalls, and the temperature in the low teens. Heard several trees snap around me. That was exciting. No animal in his right mind would be out there, except me.
From: Woods Walker
10-Nov-17
Oh but they were lawdy. That's where they live. You just need to figure out where they'd be on a windy day and go to them. Finding them isn't really all that hard if you have access to sheltered areas. Getting close enough for a shot is where the challenge is.
