Summer: Stand Preparation Time

It would seem as though the vast differences between the weather of the summer months and deer season would mean that the weather patterns are completely different. The summer, however, is the perfect time of year to begine understanding the weather patterns in order to begin preparation for stand palcement in the fall.



It's important to understand the direction from which the wind will blow precdeing both low/high pressure regions as well as warm and cold fronts. Even if you have permanent stands set up in an area, certain weather patterns and thus wind directions make the stand almost unhuntable. Granted, scent control/elimination can help protect one from being detected, but, remember, a big buck may only have to locate you one time and he may be gone from the area until after the season is over.



We have a bow stand at one spot on our property overlooking a spring and a draw. The stand is at the top of a ridge and between the draw and the adjacent draw there is a flat area. Weather patterns are crucial when preparing to hunt this stand. Normally, warm air convection would cause air to rise in the morning. Being at the top of the ridge, this is a postive as the air would not carry your scent down into the spring and basin. However, given the wrong direction of wind (southeast in this case), your scent can be blown directly into the basin. Then, when the warm air convection occurs the scent will merely hover in the area ruining your hunt for that day and days to come. Hunting a northwest wind at this stand is essential or you can count on these thermals blowing up your hunting for days to come! Granted, this is only one example, but its significance is no less as it exemplifies just one reason why understanding stand placement and weather are crucial.



We all know that the serious deer hunter knows to hunt the wind. And, with scent-elimination products today it is much easier to remain hidden than it once was. Still, understanding the weather patterns in your area is very important as even with scent control deer can still detect one's presence. Understand your property's makeup and how it affects the winds. Know where the thermals are most signifcant, find where air is likely to hover and become stagnant, doing each of these things will not only increase your chances and taking a trophy whitetail but give you a better understanding of the environment in which you live. Both of which, to me anyways, are very satisfying.