Hunting in the wind?

So this past weekend, when the cold front came through, there were also sustaining 20mph winds. As I sat up in my tree stand I had quite a view... and yet saw nothing but soybeans and birds flying about. A couple years back, my first season hunting, I sat under similar circumstances in KY and never saw a thing...

Am I wasting my time hunting when it's so windy out? I'd been told that the deer don't like to move much when it's so noisy out, as they can't hear as well (good for the hunter though). What do your years of accumulated experience say?

I'm near Findlay Ohio if it matters...

Deer have a tendency not to move much on very windy days. I will hunt on windy days but I usually keep it to a minimum.

I would agree and say that I tend to see less movement on windy days. I do also think that the terrain your hunting plays a big part in deer movement as well. If your hunting on a hill side or valley/ravine or somewhere where the wind is not blowing as bad movement for the most part seems to be Ok, from my experiences. I was sitting Saturday morning when the cold front moved through and had 5 does move through the woods, although it was a little later than I usually see them, about 9. There was also 4 other guys hunting the same area and they saw nothing so maybe I just got lucky.

I have 3 stands I hunt out of and if it is windy I will play the wind and use the best stand for it. I did not go out on Sun. for that reason swirling winds in my area. I think you do more harm then good by sitting in a stand with swirling winds, you may say you didn't see anything but it doesn't mean deer were not in your area and smelled you or other hunters before they even came close to you. also don't buy into a steady wind if it is blowing hard enough and depending on the terrain it will swirl around to some degree. now if it is around Oct 31 or later I will try and play the wind but will be out there wind or not due to the rut coming on.

well I know I am the odd man here
but I many many times hunted NO matter what wind I had due to a stand was hot
and I have killed several of my biggest bucks, on WRONG winds for that stand, I killed them out of

as a fact, when I hunted my fav place in Ohio
it was one a stand property
I hunted that same stand for 7-10 days straight many times!
and normally had bucks under my stand daily, and had many BIG 150+ bucks show up from places wind , or what many would say wind
wouldn't have allowed them, or they wouldn't have hunted that set up?
I hunted this place for 10+ yrs too, so wasn't a fluke ,one time deal

when a stand is in a GREAT place, or in a HOT spot deer are using RIGHT now!
THAT
to me, is the time to be in that stand, hell with the wind
NOT saying don't hunt other places if you have many days to hunt and can save a spot for better winds!
just saying if you only have limited time and stands(or just good stand locations) as having 25 treestanda and all being in low odds places isn't any real help LOL
I simply say,

do GOOD scent control, and HUNT!!

I've killed well over a 100+ deer too
so I'm not a rookie at killing deer and a bow hunter for over 30 yrs
before all the gadgets and scents came out! and killed deer my first yr bowing and almost a few every yr since!
and I still use almost teh exact same scent control I did when I started hunting
was extra careful back then and still think that many can do as well IF they wanted!
many hunters do a lot of things I would never do, before going into the woods
and thus, why many I think fear the wind so much!

your right mrbb there are stands that just seem to produce deer most of the time. always hear
of farmers going out 1st day of gun standing by there favorite tree and having a buck hanging back at the barn before noon. and not just 1 year but year after year. a lot is that the place is just an area where deer always travel all the time or get pushed by other hunters wind or no wind. we use to drive deer and have standers play the wind and a lot of the time the deer would run with the wind to their backs not into the wind and we would get fooled. so good cover scent is a must but, don't count on playing the wind as a sure thing when it comes to deer they will do a number on you when you least expect it.

Yea, I get the playing the wind thing... it seems like 2/3 people say only hunt when the wind blows this or that direction while you guys say to heck with it... so I'll probably keep doing what I have been.

My true question is in regard to wind velocity. On days when it's just plain stupid windy (not so uncommon up around Findlay), am I wasting my time? For one, arrows fly a little erratic in high winds... and it's just plain noisy out in the woods!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts...

And what about thermals you have to take those in account

I have similar results myself over the years and have wondered if it was just me or everyone else has the same issue. There's only a few times that I have saw anything and when I did they moved quick through field or moved through on a brisk walk not stopping for anything. Now if I see the wind will be sustained that high I don't go out. Just my opinion though. On Flip side to your question do you experience little movement on cold clear mornings no wind. Seems to me when it should be perfect conditions I don't see much.

As for actually hunting on very windy days
i always try to hunt spots that I know will be more protected from winds
areas with lots of pine trees, or in deeper spots were they can hide from the wind
and I do my best to stay out of tall tree stands, as between the wind moving the tree and the wind itself
making shots can get tricky
and also try to keep shots closer on high wind days
but yes you can hunt
invery open places
where winds are high a lot deer adjust to them, in some places where its nOt common, many deer will sit them out
waiting for better feeding conditions to happen

I guess we all can go back and forth on when to hunt in the wind, where to hunt in the wind, and should I hunt in the wind. someone even stated am I wasting my time hunting in the wind. the answer to that one is simple you are only wasting your time sitting on the couch. I have never killed a deer there except on a video game or in my dreams falling asleep. I just never had any luck in a strong swirling wind even if deer are out they get spooky on every little noise. A small branch may fall and they move quicker or change their direction. yes you should try and play the wind when ever possible but like on Sun. when a 6PT. came into my stand and to my mock scrape in front of me. then walked right past my stand and behind me but never smelled me. one reason I had sprayed myself with my home made scent killer. some one said they never see deer on a clear cold morning I say give me it to me like that every time. I guess what I am trying to say is everyone has a theory on how to play the wind but we all know deer will do a number on you when you least expect it wind or no wind. if they didn't we all would just use scent killer check the wind, do the play the wind game and, climb into our best wind stand and kill the buck we are after. that is why I like the pre-rut and rut period it some what takes the wind portion out of it. if you are as scent free as can be bucks have one thing on their mind. during that time I am in a tree wind or no wind.

JMHO if the wind was unbearable where you were then the deer felt the same. Next time try hunting deeper into the woods or sheltered areas when the forecast shows strong winds like that.

Well I think I've counted at least two votes for "If you don't like it, the deer probably don't either" or "If it's too windy, move to a more sheltered location"... which helps me to rule out where I was when it was blowing so hard! If I have to choose between a farm that is mostly wide open soybeans and a little corn vs. the big woods... it's not such a hard decision anymore!

Thanks :bigear:

I have been out during hard winds and nearly walked right up to deer I shot one a few years back with a shotgun at 6 feet I think during hard winds deer stay bedded for the most part