High wind hunting

Jim Timber

5 year old buck +
When do you stay home?

I've never had any luck seeing deer when it's windy - like 15 mph with higher gusts. Today's a prime example of me on the couch with 14 and 24 respectively as reported by my phone.

Just curious if anyone's experience differs?
 
I've never had any luck seeing deer when it's windy. Sat yesterday for 8hrs with 15+mph winds and never saw a deer. Been on stand for the last 3hrs and winds are 20-30mph and no deer sightings so far. Only reason I'm sitting is because I have shot four bucks on Nov 4 between 10am-3pm in the last ten years.
 
A year ago tomorrow is my aniversary of missing a giant just before sunset. I'll be in the woods for sure.

Today I think I'd do more harm than good. The winds blowing the wrong direction to use it with scent too. I'm breaking out the golden estrous for the rest of the week despite not being able to get 'em to hit it in daylight last year.
 
Yep went out at 1. Thinking I would sit till dark, ha was froze in less than an hr went and voted now at home eating dinner French onion soup
 
Was out last Friday and winds were 24 mph. Only went out as it was last weekend of Oct. No doe movement until last 30 minutes. The only reason they were moving I believe is because a small buck had pushed them out of their bedding area.

I will tolerate the wind, but will not go out if it is raining.
 
I'm at the property now I had to get some stuff ready for the tractor delivery. I'm sitting in the stand contemplating whether I should stay or go home and get my banking done. I think maybe I'll sit till 4 and decide then.
 
The MN DNR uses the wind "excuse" every other year. ;) Yep......I don't see nearly as many critters when it's windy either.......but the calm that follows the wind is usually the real prime time. Like at dark many days.
 
Dusk is my favorite hunting time, but I've shot plenty of deer at 11am too.

Last years opening weekend was brutal windy here. Nothing was moving.
 
It's been windy here seems like forever. Tonight it was a good 15-20 with gusts seemed like 50. No choice now though, as the 10 day forecast is the same. Hunt the wind or miss the rut. I can't remember a time it was so windy every day for weeks on end.
 
Looks like 24 hours of rain coming in tonight. :(
 
We've had some blustery years recently. I don't know when it changed, but I do remember wind wasn't as much an issue earlier in my hunting.
 
The wind always seems to blow here. I think to some extent the deer adjust, but still move here. If it is gusting into the mid 20s or higher, I generally dont bother hunting though.
 
More open farmland = more wind
 
Get out and walk em up in the wind. Use the wind to sneak up on potential bedding spots and then they often won't go too far before stopping to look back at what was making the noise that got them out of bed.
 
Hunting high winds is the worst
 
Too many negatives to hunt in high wind. Most of them already mentioned, but a couple that I also factor in are the possibility of getting hit by a blow down limb, and trouble with accuracy when bow is being blown around & tree is swaying back and forth. But I do love that calm just before dark...
 
I love sneaking around in high winds with a 20 inch barrel 308 brush gun in my hands. I have killed a couple this way. Cedar thickets are good because not as much movment in them. I think deer feel safe. Walking up a shallow creek at one of my old honey holes has produced well for me also. I walked with 12ft of a mature doe doing this once.
 
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