Do deer always travel with the wind in their face?

[Tom Anderson]

When traveling from, say, a bedding area to a feeding area, do deer always travel with the wind in their face so they can pick up on smells?  Do they select different feeding areas based on the wind direction?  Just wondering...

[robslifts]

not in my area  they go everywhere upwind and downwind

[ishiwannabe]

Deer will go where they want to, and try to use the wind to their advantage. I have seen deer go with the wind before....actually I have had a few sneak up on me that way.
Of course, as pressure increases, they use the wind more. They will usually bed with the wind to their backs though.

[Jeff Strubberg]

Of course not.

If they did, they would all be on the east coast by now...

[ckruse]

4 out of 5 deer surveyed said wind direction did not matter to them. This survey was conducted in my freezer!    

I think a big mature buck probably pays the most attention to this. However, put a hot doe in front of him, and you have the makings of a great hunting story and maybe a trophy. CKruse

[Flesner]

No wonder we have too many deer in west central Ill., because they all walk with the wind in their face!

Now, When they get to the Mississippi, do they swim with the wind in their face or do they swim with the current in their face?  :confused:

[Ray Hammond]

bucks will often move crosswind during the rut..because its a more efficient way of scent-checking for hot does.

They usually bed with their back to the wind, eyes downwind-smell anything coming behind..see anything coming in front where they cannot smell.

[Kip]

If they alwways did that in a few days of a S. wind in La. all our deer would be in the gulf and a big front all in N E. Texas or Ark.Kip

[Terry Green]

West coast Jeff...west coast.  :D

[The Night Stalker]

Good Answer Ray. They often will sight check one way and scent check the other. They will walk on the side of a hill not on the peak but a eye level with the peak. The cross wind will be blowing over the peak for them to scent check while at the same time they will be looking down hill for does. I have seen them do this then when they spot a doe, run down and circle them briefly then return to the side of the hill walking and searching. You are also correct about when they bed, they ofter prefer a hill. I also think that most trophy bucks approach a thick bedding area with the wind in their face.

[Wary Buck]

Terry beat me to it...

[Doc Nock]

LOL...

I've seen a goodly number just have the wind up their butt...where that approach made my buddy's brittany light headed, deer seem to trust their eyes ahead and let the wind tell em what was coming up behind them...

Have had a number of my amigos notice the same thing hereabouts..maybe it's them funky Pensyltukey deer...  

[Guru]

Terry and Bryce both beat me to it      

 Some very good answers here.....

[Bonebuster]

We shouldn`t kid ourselves. They may not use the wind ALL the time but they do alot of the time.
Older deer anyway. The younger, less wary ones are all dead.

Some rarely move from cover during daylight, these deer I believe live by their nose. Introverts. These are the skulls we find, where the teeth are worn flat, and the pedicles are huge.

While you are gutting the deer that just walked in with the wind, he/she is standing in a thicket
waiting for your putrid smell to leave so they can "relax".

[NightHawk]

From what I've noticed bucks will bed on the point of a ridge at least part of the day. Study your topo maps, the ridges that come to a point facing east or southeast will usally be a good place to ambuse a nice buck. The points that face the west usally act as funnels. Look for travel routes and rubs half way up them. This what I have noticed

[Arwin]

I noticed that in timber that isn't as thick and more open, the deer will move with the wind to their back, and more with it in their face in thick cover.

[GingivitisKahn]

Originally posted by Doc Nock:
I've seen a goodly number just have the wind up their butt...

Then they've been eating my wife's venison chili.  That's what happens me anyway.  :-D

[Kevin Bahr]

If you wear some Scent Lock clothes, it doesn't matter...    

(pass the coffe, hehehe)

[Jeff Strubberg]

Bored at work, Kevin?

[Dustin Waters]

heck no if that were true every deer and its brother would be on the shore of lake michigan around here.  The wind is a consistent N-NW wind around here.  Very nice to have a predictable wind