Wind
Wind is the most influential environmental factor in hunting. This cinematic HuntFish page breaks down wind direction, speed, thermals, and terrain effects all in a flowing, card-less layout that matches your moon and hunting pages.
Wind is the most influential environmental factor in hunting. This cinematic HuntFish page breaks down wind direction, speed, thermals, and terrain effects all in a flowing, card-less layout that matches your moon and hunting pages.
Deer rely on the wind to survive. They bed with the wind at their back, face danger, and travel with a crosswind whenever possible. Understanding how wind interacts with ridges, bowls, cuts, and edges is the foundation of smart hunting.
Bed with wind at their back
Travel with a crosswind
J-hook into bedding areas
Use wind to scent-check food sources from a distance
Wind speed changes everything. Light winds swirl. Moderate winds stabilize. High winds push deer into cover but can also spark midday movement when gusts settle.
**03 mph:** Swirling, unpredictable, risky for access
**412 mph:** Ideal, stable, predictable movement
**1320 mph:** Deer hug cover, move cautiously
**20+ mph:** Movement drops until winds calm
Thermals rise in the morning as the sun warms the ground and fall in the evening as temperatures drop. In hill country, thermals can override wind direction entirely pulling scent up or down valleys and slopes.
**Morning:** Thermals rise
**Evening:** Thermals fall
**Midday:** Thermals stabilize
**Cloudy days:** Thermals weaken
Wind determines access, stand choice, bedding approach, and how deer will use the landscape. The best hunters dont fight the wind they hunt with it.
Hunt crosswinds to stay undetected
Use terrain to bend wind in your favor
Avoid swirling bottoms on calm mornings
Use high winds to slip into bedding areas