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NEVER hunt a south wind???

BackSpasm said:
Yes, I agree, the data set is a large REGIONAL sampling but the "data" presented was "I began to analyze the data in our mega hunting database....it became clear that a south wind was dismally unproductive."
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Yeah there's a large amount of "trust me" in it. But an incredibly important main point is that he flat-out states that wind direction does not show any effect.
 
This thread is making me crazy.

Yes, it's location-specific. He says that in the book. Yes, it means you'll hunt less. Much less. He says that in the book. Hunt less, kill more is not a fair trade off for some folks. I get it. He gets it. But the data is the data.

I don't think he's much of a "beast style" hunter. He's mainly focusing on travel routes. Makes sense, because that's easier to not booger up. Most folks (myself included) mess up more than they succeed when hunting bedded deer. Moving deer are easier to kill, and they move down here when it's cold. His approach is "smarter, not harder." Why would he grind his butt off to kill deer when he can just hunt when the hunting is good, and bass fish or make money if it ain't? One is only given so much time on this ball of rock.

Sure, you can kill deer any day, maybe. But Sheppard's goal isn't just to kill deer here and there, maybe. Success for him is a deer or two every sit, and he has been achieving it for a long time. I'd guess there are maybe 3 or 4 guys on this forum who MIGHT be able to touch his kill numbers, but they wanna argue because it goes against the rhetoric and they killed that buck one time.

I get not everyone is a cardiovascular specialist with the ability to hunt at will. Not everybody lives on the edge of public land in Wisconsin, or travels the states to hunt whitetail full time, but we still listen to Infalt and THP because some of their points apply to us. It's baffling to see Sheppard thrown out by so many people, especially of they haven't even read the book.

My hunting success went up dramatically when I started saving my best spots for the coldest weather. I'm 100% sure it would for others living in the southeast as well. And you'd have more time to squirrel and duck hunt on the not so great deer days.
 
Good write up and point @Nutterbuster I obviously missed some finer details that only reading the book can clue in on.
 
WHW said:
Wind doesn't dictate when I hunt but it does dictate where I hunt.
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I'm very curious as to your thoughts on this, since you and Dr. Sheppard have helped me tremendously with what you've written. I've killed 4 deer so far this season by pretty closely mimicking your process for finding feed trees.

Have you noticed increased daytime activity away from bedding type areas on relatively cool days? Sheppard isn't so much a wind direction guy as he is a "hunt the cold fronts" guy. His belief is that cold weather is the biggest factor contributing towards increased deer traffic during hunting hours in his area.
 
Pressure adds another dimension to the chess game. If I pattern a buck on accessible public (smaller piece near a town and with nice parking/trails), then I feel like I have to go in early. If I wait until good weather, then he has already been disturbed by squirrel hunters, youth season firearm, and early doe season.
 
Nutterbuster said:
I'm very curious as to your thoughts on this, since you and Dr. Sheppard have helped me tremendously with what you've written. I've killed 4 deer so far this season by pretty closely mimicking your process for finding feed trees.

Have you noticed increased daytime activity away from bedding type areas on relatively cool days? Sheppard isn't so much a wind direction guy as he is a "hunt the cold fronts" guy. His belief is that cold weather is the biggest factor contributing towards increased deer traffic during hunting hours in his area.
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Congratulations on your season. You're off to a great start.

I've also bought and read the doctor's book. One has to appreciate the success and experience that he's had. And, I can relate to a lot of his hunting strategies. But, not hunting a southerly wind would have eliminated at least half of the deer that I've killed, not to mention the ones that I've had encounters with.

Our predominant wind is from the southeast. As a front comes in it shifts to the north by way of the west. The north wind quickly turns into a easterly wind that settles into a southeast wind until the next front comes through. My favorite time to hunt is the second day after the front. And, I've seen more deer during that time than any other wind direction. But, I would never consider only hunting during that short window of opportunity.
 
Nutterbuster said:
Have you noticed increased daytime activity away from bedding type areas on relatively cool days? Sheppard isn't so much a wind direction guy as he is a "hunt the cold fronts" guy. His belief is that cold weather is the biggest factor contributing towards increased deer traffic during hunting hours in his area.
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I've never read a word of Dr Sheppard's books. I just know some spots you have to hunt on certain winds. If you find a hot spot on public land or land you don't have control of who is on it, you better hunt it as soon as the wind allows it, which ever wind that is, because their patterns may change or someone else may go there and bugger it all up. Saving a spot to hunt just for a north wind for no other reason than deer move more when its north is ridiculous to me. And if you are rifle hunting, shooting 500 yards down a shooting lane through a thicket, yes, you will see more deer on a colder day more than likely and you don't have to worry about buggering it up at that distance. If you are trying to get a deer 20 yards from your tree, its a different story. Using a weapon to cover more ground is smarter if you want to kill that way. But to get them at 20 yards takes different skills.
Option 1: I could hunt one cold day and cover a 500 yard shooting lane through a thicket and have a good chance at saying I have a 100% success rate at hunting deer.
Option 2: Or I can scout and read sign, covering lots of ground learning how the deer use it for days or years and set up to get one to pass 20 yards.
I do both, but option 2 is more rewarding to me.
 
I killed my largest bow buck Oct 1st on a SW wind. Had an encounter with another larger buck last year from the same tree on a SW wind. Couldn’t get a shot. Also killed doe late last season from the same tree.SW wind. It’s the only wind I can get into this particular spot. I’ve hunted the other side when it’s from the (NE) a few times and haven’t seen a deer. I am in SC and southerly winds usually have warmer temps associated with them. Both of these deer were on their feet a few hours before the end of shooting light. I think it’s situational. Id say hunt whatever wind keeps you in the game. 1603909984667.jpeg
 
I’m starting to see a trend of satire thread posts...heavy arrows...light arrows...wind direction...scent control...60 yard shots...I feel exploited
 
S wind this past Saturday.....

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You guys crack me up! Thanks for all of the input (and frustration) streaming in. Food for thought!


@Nutterbuster very good point about hunting corridors vs. bedding


Also nice to have an appearance and some wisdom from @WHW
 
mattsteg said:
Yeah there's a large amount of "trust me" in it. But an incredibly important main point is that he flat-out states that wind direction does not show any effect.
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I understand this completely. I read the book and hear what you all are saying loud and clear. He even says "the wind and barometric pressure are along for the ride" in regard to fluctuations of temperature. I see the association between the wind and the tmp but the good Dr. is not entirely clear on this point. He states verbatim that ANY SPOT that requires a south wind to hunt has "statistical odds of taking a deer...so near zero that it isn't worth the effort to climb the tree." That info, even couched in the cold front association/north wind findings, is extreme to me no matter where you are.

Another thing that is worth pointing out, is that he even says in the text that he data set is largely from people hunting "field in the afternoons" with outfitters. These data are from box blinds and ladder stands more than mobile set ups and travel corridor hunts. I think that would make a HUGE difference in your recorded sightings on warm days.
 
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