Playing The Wind

[Mccallister25]

I always hear everyone talk about how important it is to play the wind, and I completely agree that it is a very important factor when it comes to deer hunting. This raises a question for me though.. What happens when your unable to play the wind?

I hunt a stretch of woods behind my girlfriends house where Im only able to place one stand, and thats the only spot I have to hunt no matter the direction the wind is blowing. Whenever I go out there I take every measure I can to be scentless, but is that always good enough? I cant speak on too much experience with the spot, as last season was my first time hunting there. What are yalls view on playing the wind?

[clayton86]

I do my best but in all honesty I've killed more deer and predators standing in my footsteps down wind from my stands. The last 5 fox I shot came from where my truck was parked and I just walked threw. My big 8 I shot followed my path in from the cow pasture as well down wind.

[Mccallister25]

Thanks Clayton. So your saying that if I, or anyone for that matter, take the right precautions its probably not as big a deal as everyone makes it out to be? Dont get me wrong, I buy the scentless stuff, and like I said I use every bit I can to cover any scent that may be on me but sometimes I think scent is such a "big deal" to make the companies money.

[clayton86]

It's just my .02 I have buddy's who smoke and drink in the stand and kill monsters every year. I think I pay more attention to the wind for shot placement then anything else.

[crazyjoeclemens]

I think using cover scent and scent-free soap/ laundry detergent can help a lot, if wind isn't ideal, but if they say it's guaranteed to block 100% of all scent, it's probably a gimmick. The only thing that's totally foolproof is playing the wind. Option b is using a ground blind. You can set them up early and let deer get used to them and when you get inside to hunt, they contain your scent fairly well. I have a spot I hunt sometimes, but if the wind isn't right, I'll hunt another spot.

[MNfishguy]

I don't really worry about scent too much.  I figure that no matter where you sit you will be upwind from some areas and downwind from others and you really cannot help it.  Unless of course you are trying to hunt along a deer trail, food plot, etc. 

[Montanaro]

I've seen wind not matter and I've seen wind spook deer down wind or at least put them on high alert.

Do what you can to eliminate scent but don't let wind ruin a hunt. Some of my best days were when the wind was swirling. Some days bucks are more worried about esterus in the air than a wiff of armpit stinch

[clayton86]

This season I've seen deer every time but on 3 occasions. Them 3 times were when I was playing the wind so that it wasn't blowing over bedding and feeding areas along wth known travel routes. The rest if the times around 7 I hunted stands where the wind was blowing my stink at the deer each time I had them come in and within petting distance. I spray and wash with dead down wind products.