The following is from an interview with renown whitetail hunter Bobby Worthington, we had a chance to get his thoughts on wind as it pertains to deer movement.  

What kind of wind do deer prefer?

Assuming we are talking about wind direction and not velocity, I believe there are basically two broad elements or reasons that cause deer to move. These two reasons are, 1) environmental (exterior) elements such as weather conditions, food availability, etc. and then there are 2) biological (interior) elements, which can be, hunger, rutting behavior, and whatnot.

Of all the environmental conditions which influence daily deer activity, I believe the weather is the most obvious and visible to hunters, even though we, with our artificial heat and layered, insulated clothing - cannot relate to weather as a deer can.

As far as direction is concerned, I believe deer prefer wind out of the north, not because of the direction on the compass, but because a northerly wind generally brings in a high-pressure cold front. In the fall and winter, when we are interested in deer hunting, deer have their winter coats on and therefore, are uncomfortable when the weather is warm. This is obvious because they do not move nearly as much, or as long under those conditions. Therefore, all things being equal, I prefer a northerly wind to hunt because I believe deer prefer it. Deer move their very best, on a clear frosty, cold morning blown in by a northerly wind. Therefore, I feel safe to say that is what they prefer.

Will deer move in high winds?

Generally speaking, deer do not like to be out and about if there is a high wind blowing. When I say high you can assume I am talking about 10 miles an hour and more. Wind diminishes a deer’s senses. It hurts their sense of smell; it hurts their hearing, and it affects their eyesight because everything is moving around them. I have actually seen deer run out into the middle of an open field during high winds because they got spooked by all of the movement and sounds around them in the woods. Of course, no weather condition will override the rut. The rut trumps everything. If high winds coincide with the whitetail deer breeding season, I will not let that stop me from going hunting. Nothing means as much as time in the woods hunting - during the rut.

What wind is most optimal for hunting?

I prefer a northerly wind to hunt because I believe deer prefer it and move better then. There may be circumstances where hunters, me included, would prefer, let's say, a southerly wind direction because of a particular stand setup. If I have a stand location in a tight funnel where a southerly (or other wind direction) is needed to hunt it from, that is my optimal wind direction at that location.

In conclusion allow me to say that to make the best use of our hunting time, we should hunt when deer are moving the most. Therefore, the internal and external conditions that affect deer activity/inactivity need to be analyzed more. The above information is general rules about deer movement and the wind that I believe will be helpful if you take them to heart. Deer movement is more complicated than most hunters realize. In my new book Final Quest (which will be available in August) I have a whole chapter dedicated to this subject. Regardless of the weather conditions, my advice has always been to hunt every opportunity you have available; of course, it goes almost without saying that we should never hunt in unsafe weather conditions. Happy hunting, Bobby Worthington

This is a photograph of an old Tennessee buck that I named Gimpy. I am very familiar with him and I know he is 8 ½ years old. Bucks of this age do not move a lot during daylight hours that is the reason it is important to understand as much as possible about the conditions that cause deer to move.