Deer in the wind

[Clam]

Rather windy today in the LM:shock: !!
It reminded me of a guy who once told me that the best deer hunting was in very strong winds. I can't remember ever hunting anything in such winds (eg 50kph+) so I can't say one way or the other.
Anybody have any experiences with deer or other wild critters in high winds?

[steel_ram]

A mild breeze is nice, offers a bit of noise cover and gives wind a clear direction. Strong wind sucks. The deer hate it. They hide or bed down where they can get a view, often just on the leeward side of a ridge. If you bump them they're usually gone in a flash.

Best conditions for me have been on a drizzly day, with little or no wind. I prefer mild weather if hunting sub-alpine in early season.

[greybark]

:wink: Hey Clam , Sometimes you can be undetected when up wind (mild) in a treestand . However once the wind picks up and become strong it has a tendency to really swirl and deer readly bust you . Some hunters may be uncomfortable with the tree swaying.

REMEMBER -- Keep your Fingertab On --

[Walksalot]

If the wind is srong then there is alot of movement and I find the animals tend to move less and hang tight.

I was in my treestand when the wind picked up and it turned quite blustery. It had never bothered me and I had been in my treestand with the tree swaying before so no big deal. Well when a tree blew over close to me I couldn't get out of the tree and out of the forest fast enough.:shock: I have had alot more respect for the wind in the forest since that day.:wink:

[Elkhound]

I don't know about other deer but I have found on very windy days I find blacktails out in the open. I wondered if it was so noisy in the timber that they had to rely more on their eye sight. The more wind the harder it is to smell as well. I find the same with a heavy down pour of rain

[elkster]

On the rock, rain is good, the deer come out in the open, strong winds they tend to bed down, its too much noise for them, and they don't like to go into the open, cause the wind here usually swirls around. My 2cents.

[000buck]

i have found the harder it rains the more open they get, they must get cold from being wet and move to make heat. wind on the other hand seems to put them straight into hiding........

[Ozone]

Most of my deer have been shot in the most miserable of weather on the islands.

[farside]

The husband and i have argued this one time and again. He says that the harder it rains and blows makes the deer move around more. I say its right after the wind and rain stop or slow down that they start to move around more to feed and such

[Lingcod]

In my experiences the uglier the weather the more game I tend to see

[Foxer]

Most of my deer have been shot in the most miserable of weather on the islands.

There is an old saying for blacktails.. If its ugly outside grab your gun.

Blackies love that kind of crap.


On windy days i've found sitka and blacktails hunkered in little 'valleys' on the hillsides between their normal bedding areas and their feeding areas. They'll find a bush or some slal and hunker right in. Sort of where a little crevace or sheltered fold in the hill allows them to sit out of the wind and still have some cover.

IF you can get on the slope above them and walk along looking down.. you can get some real opportunities. But you have to know where they hang to get away with it.

[Foxer]

The husband and i have argued this one time and again. He says that the harder it rains and blows makes the deer move around more. I say its right after the wind and rain stop or slow down that they start to move around more to feed and such

I think you're right for mulies. but maybe i'm just not seeing 'em in the rain and crap :)

[huntwriter]

If the wind blows and howls deer seek dense brush and lay up. When I use to hunt in Illinois this was the best time to stalk the vast cornfields or along known deer bedding areas. Deer are highly paranoid and if they cant hear or smell properly due to heavy wind they seek dense brush or corn and sit the weather out.

About 8 to 6 hours before a weather front moves in and right after a weather front passes deer are very active. I used to watch the weather forecast during a heavy wind/rain/snow storm and then timed it that I was in the field the moment the strum ended. Usually there where deer all around me. The longer a storm takes the more the deer will move after.

As ruminants deer need to fill at least ones every eight hour their rumen (main stomach). If the deer fail to do that vital digestive bactieria begins to die off. If a storm lasts for 10 and more hours deer get desperate to eat and loose all caution.

In high wind it can pay off to stalk or hang a treestand on the wind still side of a hill or ridge. After more than 8 hours of heavy wind, like today, deer will seek this wind sheltered places to eat. In fact I was out just today after the wind setteld a bit to a nearby park and saw many deer out eating. The moment the wind slowed I told my wife "I am going to the park the deer will be out and about."

Shame we can't hunt deer around Langley, we sure have plenty deer right here in the town. Perhaps it would be time to lobby suburban bow hunting. ;)

[Clam]

Could we perhaps conclude that, generally, strong winds cause deer to seek shelter. However, eventually they will become hungrier and hungrier and, if they get hungry enough, they will sally forth regardless.

Speaking of mild breezes: tape about 8-10" of white or yellow thread to the bottom of your rifle's barrel right near the muzzle. This will show you the wind direction.