Playing the Wind - You're doing it WRONG!

We all see it.  The same hunting buddy, a friend on Facebook or a family member that always manages to put down a big, mature buck every year.  Often, the bucks seem to keep getting bigger at every passing season.  You can almost time it, November hits and there’s a text or another picture online with them sitting behind yet another giant. We find ourselves shaking our heads and asking, “How the heck do they do it every year?” 

There is a saying that “10% of hunters kill 90% of the big deer” and for the most part this is true but how do they do it?  Obviously, you can’t kill big deer if you don’t have them, but it goes well beyond that.  Do they have premium hunting grounds?  Do they have endless amounts of time off work to sit on stand?  Are they simply the luckiest hunters you know?

The answer may be based on several factors but most importantly they understand the wind, how mature bucks use it and why they travel where they do.  Playing the wind is the single most important factor in harvesting mature whitetails.  You can have the best piece of property, ample big bucks on camera, and some of the best stand locations imaginable but if you don’t understand how to utilize the wind in these locations you will be left asking why again at the end of this season.

An old Iowa buck doesn't get old by being careless. He knows his surroundings, uses terrain to his advantage and, most importantly, trusts his nose because his life depends on it.  If you want to consistently get close to mature bucks, you need to think like one.  Most big, mature bucks will always utilize the wind, especially when leaving cover and entering ag fields.  Having a set up that allows the wind to be in the bucks favor at these points while preventing them from catching your wind can make the difference between watching a buck from clear across a field and having one step out right below you. 

“To increase your chance at killing a big, mature whitetail, starting hunting locations where the wind is in the bucks favor while just enough in yours at the same time.” 

Most hunters understand the basics and apply them when hunting.  Keeping the wind in your favor based on anticipated deer movement or using thermals in hill country to their advantage by simply hunting high in the mornings and save the valleys for the evening hunts.  It’s a strategy that obviously works and is a safe approach but doesn’t always put you in the correct position for harvesting mature buck.  We are going to take this a step further and stop basing our stand locations on what wind is solely in our favor.  To increase your chance at killing a mature whitetail, start hunting locations where the wind is in the bucks favor while just enough in yours at the same time.   

Obviously, knowing how deer use your property and where they bed are key.  Spring scouting is the ideal time to get a full understanding of this, identify bedding areas, travel routes, and set up a plan for fall.  Summer scouting from a distance should just be to verify this and non-intrusive.    Most hunters are under the impression that playing the wind simply means having the wind blow from available cover out into ag fields and setting up in between. That may work for most deer, but mature bucks can be a different story.  The image below is an example of utilizing the wind in a way that a mature buck has the wind in his favor entering a field while the hunter maintains just enough of an advantage his wind does not cross paths with a buck as he approaches.

There are two big advantages to this set up. 1) A buck is comfortable approaching with the wind in his face where he can identify any threats prior to entering the field all while the hunters wind avoids his approach. 2) Any deer entering the field will be upwind after entering and while feeding to avoid spooking deer after they pass your location. This also allows for a safe exit once available light expires.

One of my favorite stand set ups is utilizing both wind and thermals in early November to place myself in the direct path of cruising bucks looking for doe’s this time of year.  I want the wind to be in the bucks favor as he travels and push the limits to get as close as I can while not letting him know I’m there.   This time of year, the bucks are on their feet cruising between bedding areas and scent checking larger pieces of cover for estrus doe’s from a distance. 

This set up requires two things: 1) A clear, sunny, blue bird morning where thermals will be rising fast once the sun heats the woods below.   2)You’re not getting on stand first thing in the morning.  Deer will be moving from ag fields to timber during this time and your thermals do not have the morning sun yet to raise your wind.  Going in at dark will just alert every deer in the field to your presence.  Plan your entry later once the sun is coming up and sneak in.  You are not hunting every deer coming in from the ag fields, you’re targeting those bucks cruising mid-morning into the afternoon between bedding areas.  Any bucks that happen to come from downwind once you’re on stand after sunrise won’t stand a chance of catching your wind as it will rise well above their heads. 

One of the biggest mistakes hunters make is assuming a buck will always take the shortest or most obvious path between bedding and feeding areas.  Mature bucks often choose routes that give them a scent advantage.  A buck may travel along the downwind side of a ridge, skirt the edge of a bedding area or cruise a particular contour where he can smell what's ahead without exposing himself prior to entering a food source.  That's especially true of older bucks.  The key is figuring out these likely movements and set yourself up in a location where a mature buck feels the wind is at his advantage while it’s yours at the same time.

The Rut: When Wind Knowledge Becomes Critical

The rut creates some of the best opportunities to encounter a mature Iowa buck.  Bucks begin covering more ground, checking doe groups, cruising funnels and searching for receptive doe’s.  But don't make the mistake of thinking the rut turns mature bucks into reckless animals.  It doesn't.  Even while chasing does, older bucks continue to use their noses.  A mature buck cruising a ridge may intentionally travel with a crosswind so he can scent-check the area ahead.  He may circle downwind of a doe bedding area.  He may use a ridge point to smell multiple bedding areas without walking directly into them.  Those behaviors create opportunities for hunters who understand what the buck is trying to accomplish.  During the rut, pay particular attention to the downwind side of doe bedding areas.

A mature buck may cruise the perimeter of a bedding area rather than walk directly through it.  Funnels, inside corners, ridge points, creek crossings and transitions between timber and open ground can become extremely valuable when the wind creates the right scent stream that is in the buck’s advantage so long as you are not sitting in it.

“It's better to hunt him tomorrow, than to educate him today” 

If you are unsure if you can hunt a particular location without him catching your wind or if a wind shift is predicted during your upcoming time on stand, stay out.  If the wind is wrong, you won’t kill him.  It’s better to hunt him tomorrow, than to educate him today.   Mature bucks will tolerate a considerable amount of pressure depending on what it is.  Farm activity bumping them or even seeing a hunter entering from a distance is not a deal break but having them wind you while on stand is a different story. 

Study your property. Study the terrain. Watch how the wind behaves in different conditions. Learn about your thermals. Identify the routes where a mature buck can move while maintaining a scent advantage.  Then hunt those locations only when the conditions are right. Keeping the wind in the buck's favor while also maintaining a slight wind advantage while on stand will give you higher odds of a close encounter this fall.