Wind Direction in Whitetail Hunting

A great obstacle to overcome in hunting whitetail deer is their incredible sense of smell. There are many scents on the market available to help overcome this issue; however, I have utilized many of them and although many work somewhat, none have proved to be able to completely deceive a whitetail deer’s ability to detect the slightest hint of human odor.

There is one method effective in overcoming this issue; always hunt with the wind in your face. When still-hunting, always choose a direction to travel so the prevailing wind is either in your face or a crosswind. When stand-hunting, determine the prevailing wind direction versus likely whitetail deer routes; position your stand so it is downwind of the deer routes.

Prior to leaving home to go whitetail deer hunting, get on the internet, go to www.weather.com and check out the current and forecasted weather and wind directions for the entire day. Sometimes the forecasts are incorrect, so also check the wind direction when driving to your whitetail deer hunting area. Flags and fires are good ways to determine the wind direction while driving. Utilize this information in conjunction with a hunting area map to determine the best approach to your stand or still-hunting area.