# Do high winds affect deer movement?



## cnmodaw (Aug 3, 2008)

I plan on going out tomorrow and wednesday here in michigan, I cheched the forcast and it is suspose to be windy with winds upwards to 24mph! Will that have a big negative impact on seeing any deer? It is also suspose to warm up, its been in the high 40's to low 50's and going to be warming up to the high 50's and low 60's. With the pre rut starting up within the next week i am pushing to get out there but I dont have a lot of experience with high winds. Any input would be very very helpful! Thanks


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## Auburn3808 (Oct 5, 2009)

They didn't this past weekend for me... 10-15mph winds... I thought my tree was going to blow over...

but I saw plenty of deer... all the way from noon to dark... they weren't even acting skiddish or anything.


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## arrowslinger200 (Aug 13, 2005)

10 to 15 ok,over 20,25 not so good.


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## Jellio (Sep 5, 2007)

Depends on your area and the deer in it......so far this year the biggest buck I've seen was on the windiest day of they year the winds were 25mph or more and the buck couldn't have cared less. A few days later it was windy again and I had doe come in and she looked like she had seen a ghost every time the wind blew she would jump around like a cat on hot tin roof. My take on it is the deer still have to eat and go to the bathroom at some point so might has well tough it out and see what happens. If you don't see anything you can blame it on high winds. Maybe in heavily hunted area's the deer make the conection that foul weather and high winds mean hunters aren't around so they can actually get up in move around easier.


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## e-manhunt (Sep 14, 2004)

the common wisdom is that they stay put when the wind gets too heavy. Not my experience at all. i've seen deer all day when the tree I was sitting in whip-sawed back and forth in the wind.


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## deer16pt (Dec 17, 2005)

My expierence has shown they move in the heavy winds. They donot like swirling winds (Winds constantly changing direction). I've seen them walk very cautiously in swirling winds.

It's the wind direction which changes their patterns from what I have witnessed.


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## cnmodaw (Aug 3, 2008)

Thanks for your reply I will stick it out head out in the morning. thanks again!


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## crwdz7 (Oct 20, 2006)

I have seen deer on very windy days and I think they still move. They just move more cautiously. One reason people might think that they don't move in wind is because they can't hear them. I've seen a lot of deer that I would not have seen had I not heard them first. I'm sure I miss seeing a few deer on windy days.


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## PossumKicker (Jun 8, 2009)

Wind definately affects deer movement. Here in Oklahoma we get our fair share of wind. Deer move much more with a light wind, however, we have periods where the wind will blow for days on end. During those times I feel like they are more likely to move during daylight hours. But if the wind is going to let up in a day or two, be sure to be in the woods when the wind lays - thats when the magic happens.


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## buckhunter2054 (Aug 3, 2005)

Deer still move but, it does affect them. They are really jumpy and jittery when it's windy. Just lastnight I had a doe come in and everytime the wind would gust up she would literally jump and really look around. They don't like the wind but, will move it in.


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## jbsoonerfan (Aug 15, 2008)

PossumKicker said:


> Wind definately affects deer movement. *Here in Oklahoma we get our fair share of wind.* Deer move much more with a light wind, however, we have periods where the wind will blow for days on end. During those times I feel like they are more likely to move during daylight hours. But if the wind is going to let up in a day or two, be sure to be in the woods when the wind lays - thats when the magic happens.



Understatement of the year right there. It is blowing like 30+ mph today

I was gonna hunt this evening, but it may be :beer: and hot wings in front of the TV instead


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## AintNoGriz (Sep 28, 2006)

Hunted last night in 30+ winds, saw squat!


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## bigrackHack (Jun 11, 2004)

In this part of Texas, 20mph winds are considered a slight breeze :lol:. It all kinda depends on where you live and what the deer are used to. Even when it's fairly windy here (30+), the deer still move. They've gotta do their daily eat/sleep/drink routine. On those days, I concentrate on lower and/or sheltered areas. They stay on the downwind side of shelter belts, fingers of brush, etc. That's my experience, anyway.


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## dougedwards (Sep 5, 2010)

*Depends*

because two most prominent defensive senses of a whitetail are smell and hearing. Both are negatively affected by a strong wind blowing. However, one of the biggest bucks I have ever seen was chasing a doe around a beaver pond in a 25mph wind. 

A stubstantial wind could work in our favor if it has been blowing all day and then subsides right as the sun begins to fade into the west. Deer will usually come out from bedding without the usual paranoid posture but with a determination to find food or sexual fullfilment.

Doug


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