I imagine most of us have situations, decisions, or choices that challenge us every season. Most of the time rules of thumb, experience, and seasoned advice help us choose correctly.  However, I always struggle with a few things each season.

Here's one of mine: Hunt the wind.

I can usually expect certain game movements morning or evening and choose my stand accordingly. But, I have several stands where a deer can come by in at least two directions which makes it nigh impossible to be down or cross wind.

When in this situation I will hunt higher than is the normal for me, not much else you can do. Problem is, as I get older what I consider "high" seems to be getting a lot closer to the ground.  

Without moving the stands i'd say hunt them with the wind goin to the least likely place you think they will come from.  Also, hunt them in the morning and let the thermals help you out.

I try very hard to hunt the wind.. It kills me that all of my deer still come from where they are not suppose to which is downwind. Sometimes I want to just forget the wind and just hunt.. BUT hunting the wind is a critical part of hunting.. So Im with GA hunt higher!

Hey Roy:  I remember reading a book by Roger Rothar years ago, in it he explained some of his best stands sites were almost up wind from the deers travel corridors. What he did was set up as much cross wind as possible, allowing the deer to get much closer before they cut his scent cone. Of course Roger is a great shot and usually sets up farther from the run than most hunters. I have used this stratergy many times myself, of course it doesn't work every time, thats why we call it hunting instead of killing.  Or you could just order some of that no scent camo and just hunt 360...  :D    RW

Shut down one of the trails by some obstruction or another, limbs, branches, etc..., even a piece of clothing that has human scent. that will make the deer use one trail, the one you plan, J

I would just get on the ground a ways before your stand on one of the trails and take them out.

I used to worry a lot.  Pick your most reasonable theory and hunt it.  Fact is,  unless you hunt with your back against a cliff or bluff deer can come from 360 degrees at any time,  some of those are gonna smell you.
ChuckC

I appreciate the advice, really!  This thread is turning out a bit different than I intended. I was trying to see if other folks had "dilemmas" they face when bow hunting. The example I gave is certainly a real one for me. I should have realized the folks here are so helpful you'd want to get me past this dilemma instead of sharing yours.

RW my pal, are you messing with me?  Seems you've seen some of my anti-scent-lok posts, huh?

While that wind-thing is a dilemma, I do exactly what some have suggested. I don't worry about it too much and just hunt on calm or west wind days (most common anyway for my area). The deer usually come from the south. If they are on the other side of my tree during a west wind I just have to be ready before they get a whiff. The only deer I bagged in 2011 from one of these dilemma stands.

jbat,
When I worked at the Kingsbury FW area in LaPorte, IN back in the early 80's, I placed sweaty socks at two fence crossings to 'bounce' the deer to my trail. It worked like a charm!

In Missouri (1991) on the August Busch WMA I built a brushpile to prevent deer from using a trail 30 yards and coming to me at 20. First time I hunted the stand a nice, lone doe came down the trail. I thought, yippee, here we go!  That dad-burned Doe jumped right over my brushpile instead of changing trails!  I would never have guessed a deer would go to that much trouble?

I had the same issue with a trail block this year.  Built a big brushpile to block a trail I didn't want the deer to use and I still had deer that would sneak through it from time to time.

I didn't build it, but used a fallen tree that funneled deer past a certain point and not "anywhere on the hillside".  Worked great. Guess I will be helping nature this year and making certain it stays an intact blockage of some sort.
ChuckC

Perfect spot to ask. . .   OK  is it appropriate to use fallen trees / brush/ etc as a funnel device ?

Is it appropriate to put up a multi strand string fence to do the same thing ?

Is it appropriate to build a multi strand fence making an "X" through the whole dang woods, or a large portion of a large chunk of woods, with the very center of the X missing, so that ALL the deer moving anywhere near are funneled past that center (and you in the tree) ?

Lots to consider and discuss
ChuckC

Try just staying on the ground, and shift with the wind..... nothing like getting up close and personnel at eye level with your prey.