I was just wondering how many tough it out or just call it a lose and stay home?
Suppose to get winds here up to 20 maybe 30 mph gust. Im goin anyway! I dont get much time in the woods, so I try to get there all I can. Huntin on the ground.. of course!
Thanks Jason
I'm here in the same boat... good luck
We had 20- 40 mpd winds here in Ks. Last Saturday. We did not see anything in the morning, but that evening with the wind still blowing my son watched a 8 point make a scrape 15 yds away, then had two does come by. Unfortunately was not able to get a shot on them.
Myself and my other son did not see anything.
I took one opening day and was surprised to see anything in the 25 mph wind with 40 mph gusts and rainy. Right at dusk as the wind dipped a bit (and 20 minutes after it stopped raining).
Surprisingly, standing corn can be a good place to slowly walk perpendicular to the rows in heavy winds. I have never had success but have seen some glimpses of nice deer doing this. Works best if you have more than one person doing it.
And old quote that is still a goodie:
"The best time to hunt is every chance you get."
Deer will not like the wind either so find a place where you can get out of it and they will likely be there as well. I like the ground for high winds.
I'll do some stalking when the wind is blowing. Other than that I'll call it a day.
They will be out. I've seen plenty of good bucks with 20 mph winds with gusts to 30mph during the rut.
I also have no problem with hunting in the wind.
Unlike very very calm days, you can get away with some movement and noise.
Trees were rocking this day with winds 30-40mph, very gusty. Deer get very confused.
(http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f196/jjeffer/10buck.jpg)
From stories here, I've had to change my mind about windy days.
Logic tells me skittish deer are hunkered down in the lee where they can see forever on windy days.
I have no such "refuge" lee areas where I hunt, so I've laid off, but see enough such success stories here regarding windy day takes, I'm changing my mind.
I still won't hunt in a real rain... can't justify possibly loosing a blood trail.
Been kept out of the woods here at home for varied reasons this year. Season end Sat.
I'm going to get out mid-state tomorrow mid-day and it's to be blowing and spitting drizzle. I'll be out.
Snow on Fri. Might be lucky. "C'mon, Hamstring, work with me! :) "
Not a fan of hunting windy days but I can hunt when I can hunt. Those days are decent for still-hunting. Still-hunting in the wind beats Tetris in the basement by a long shot.
Its 50-50 on those days Covey so why not hunt?...I'm ground hunter too and on days like that you cant keep the wind in your favor but theres no harm in still-hunting on those days...I enjoy it.
High gusty winds are very discouraging for me but there are advantages to hunting in them. I feel like I can get away with a lot of movement whereas on a calm day I feel like I am being watched the entire time in the stand.
Where I mostly hunt is nothing but ridges and valleys and you never know where your scent is being carried to on light winds. If the winds are strong and primarily from one direction I can live with that.
Being retired I can pick and choose most of the time but when I worked I hunted when I could no matter the winds.
Yeah I hunt windy days......and have had good success at times....but I totally change my local.
I hunt the thickest block of woods in my area....even if its a bedding thicket. Its amazing at the difference in sightings, experiences I've had especially in blocks of 20 to 30 ft pines. And, its amazing how those pines block so much wind....so much it feels 10 degrees warmer in there.
I learned this long ago after watching deer after deer pile into a pine thicket one morning when the wind got to gusting....I got out of my stand and went in my self. I waltzed right into a heard of about 20 of them...ended up killing my biggest buck at the time, a nice 8 pointer, due to that experience....and had a 4 pointer at 6 feet.
Just last year I put up with the wind for an hour and a half one morning in a hardwood strip near where I killed that freak buck......I got down and went into those pines behind me and started easing around in there. I saw 11 deer....yeah, most of them saw me 1st...but I almost got a shot at one of 3 nice bucks. I now have a good idea where to set up in there. Might not see as many standing still, but I wont spook as many either.
Lots of folks wont hunt the wind....I don't mind if I am in a place I know they should go.
Kinda like home-dentistry: it can be done, but it may not be worth the trouble.
Killed an 8 pointer today and it was extremely windy.
He would completely freeze when the wind started blowing and I could tell that all his senses were shut down.
I was able to kneel, then stand, then draw and shoot, all this movement within 30 yards of him on the ground.
Wind is your best friend. If they are rutting, which they are right now, they will move no matter what.
I subscribe to the theory that I can't kill anything from the couch. To heck with the wind
Winds light from the North tomorrow AM....aw yeah !
When the wind is high the deer are spooky. I hunt heavy cover on these days.
Lesson learned last year. If the wind can catch your arrow, it will. I missed a real brute because of high wind gusts. I'll stay near the cedar thickets on windy days from now on.
I'm not a big fan of hunting in the high wind. But, when I do I like to stay on the ground and find some thickets that I would think deer would go to stay out as well. The pure calm is just as bad, the deer can hear every movement. I feel a soft breeze (in your favor of course) is the best hunts for me.
Had a nice mature 6 come in on last Saturday, southeren Ks. 20-40 had myself tied to a tree, good deer just not in the right position to take a shoot. Don't get enough days in the woods the way it is can't waste one on the wind. Besides where else do I get a ready made excuse when I miss.
I hunt the ground....so for me its a go.... In fact the winds are going to be gusting at 15-20 mph...
So Im hoping it hides my noise....
I havent had much luck in the wind in a few years but when I was younger I seen deer in the wind. Maybe it was cause I hunted more :)
If you skipped to the end - go back and read Terry's post. If it is windy, get on the ground and into the thick.