Wind.........in face or back?

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nickmyron

New member
Alright guys I know that many people have differnt views on whether to have the wind at the back vs there face, but i would like to hear what you guys have to say first hand........

So what is your guys's vote, having the wind blowing in your face or at your back? and why?

Nick~
 
It kinda depends on if you want to see anything or not. If the wind is at your back, it will carry your scent downwind across your field of fire to your quarry. If you have the wind in your face, then it can't carry your scent to anything that may be coming toward you where you can see it/shoot at it.
 
Ed Sceery hunts downwind BUT he places a bottle of skunk scent in front of him believing it confuses the animals ability to detect human odor accuratly. Now you gotta remember he's shot in excess of a couple of thousand coyotes, so it is
worth a try. With the sound traveling downwind, you can see what is coming the the call.
 
To me, a crosswind is the prefered set up. But I have hunted both upwind and down and with a good scent eliminator and cover scent, I've had coyotes, bobcats and fox come right to me. The wind in your face is great, if nothing can get behind you.
 
There are many, many variables that determine whether or not I'm hunting with the wind in my face, at my back or across. If it is blowing 10+ mph, then I want the wind at my back so my prey can hear me calling. I use essence of skunk and I think it makes a big difference. You CAN cover your scent by storing your hunting clothes in a bag of leaves / pine needles / juniper, etc. and using the essence of skunk (I bought mine from blosehollow in hamilton, PA. Make sure you buy the scent vent or you're wasting your essence of skunk).

If the wind is less than 10 mph, then I know my prey will hear me so I try to get the wind in my face. If it's a very light breeze, then I try to setup with a cross-wind. I think the best thing you can do is get yourself some skunk essence and turn the tables on predators. This may sound a little gruesome, but I like to bring a dead jack rabbit with me out to the field - I drag it behind me and then when I get to my setup I slice him open and throw him down wind. If it's a cross wind, then I want the predator to smell that rabbit and home in on it instead of me. The addition of the dead rabbit gives me another advantage - and I'll take any advantage I can get!
Peace.
 
This is a touchy subject for some folks. Kind of like which is better, Ford or Chevy. My preference would be to call with the wind in my face or even a quartering wind in my face works. If you have a partner to cover your six, calling into quartering winds works real good if your partner is set up down wind from the caller. I can't speak for those who like to call with the wind, but they seem to think they can shoot the predator BEFORE they are winded and lose the opportunity to put fur on the ground.

I have had too many instances where while calling with the wind at my back, predators have been coming on the run until they hit my scent cone and swap ends so fast you don't have a chance at a decent shot. Many times they'll swap ends at 400 to 500 yards out. Nope, I will take calling into the wind as my preference.
 
What Silverfox said.

Silverfox, what are you doing on the internet when you should be out hunting today. My excuse is I have to attend a wedding in a bit.
 
Does it really matter what way your calling when you know the coyote well probably be heading downwind. Downwind is the place to pay most attention too, the direction you call really don't matter, them coyotes have very good ears as I'm sure you know.

Knowing I can't hide my human odor from a coyote, I try to confuse the coyote into taking a chance. He hears a rabbit...now he smells a rabbit....But wait!!! he smells a coyote beating him to dinner...so he better hurry and get there first. That's what I want the coyote to think if it gets downwind on me. I spray rabbit and coyote urine in a mist form into the air.
 
Well, from reading the responses, I can tell I have a lot to learn. One thing - I have seen nothing in Randy Anderson's, Verminators or Byron South's videos that goes against the "wind in your face, coyotes moving to come in from downwind" theory.

Myself, I am not prepared for what will happen to me if I come home with "eau de skunk" or "fill-in-the-blank" urine on my gear, spilled in my git-bag or anywhere my dog can find/get to it. So, for me, I will continue to hunt with the wind in my face pretty much unaided by outdoor channel products. For those of you who wish to use them, Go for it! I will continue to monitor the thread for more tips/hints. Thank you, boys.
 
I agree with Danny B, Ed Screey, really dosen't hunt with the wind at his back but he pays close attention to the downwind area and sets up so he can see a long ways down wind, On the old board this was a hot topic and Ed made his point very clear. I agree with this philosphy a coyote will most of the time come into a call on the down wind side he may do it at 500 yards or he may do it at 50 feet, they use there nose to find food and that is what he is doing.
 
The majority of the area, you're expecting a coyote, should be upwind from your position. We can't move our heads 270 degrees like owls, so we can't scan all the area every time.

Skunk scent is great if your wife/girlfriend doesn't mind the smell.
 
There or to many variables envoled to say that I always set up one particular way. That being said I am alway's aware of where my scent is going, and if I can set up where I can see the downwind side I do. That doesn't necesarily mean at my back.It could be a cross wind.You can bet that a coyote will get the scent advantage any time he can when aproaching a call. I try and set up so when he does try and get the advantage he has to expose himself. In certain set ups where there are obsticles that deter him from doing so I don't worry so much about it. If you set up where you can't see your scent cone, You will be giving up the most possible avenue of a approach.

This all being said, I hunt some country that has some ridges that offer great vantage points into big valleys I will often drop down off the edge of the ridge and call even if the wind is in my face. I know if they hear the call they will most likely respond, and have a hard time getting downwind before I get a shot (natural barrier).

Predator hunting requires a lot of common sence to be constantly sucessfull. What I always do when choosing a set up is to think it out first. I ask myself these questions. Where do I think he is? When I blow the call, where do I think he'll go? And, can I get a shot from here when he does it.

I don't use any cover scents or scent's to try and confuse their nose. I have in the past with mixed results. I have found that it is better for me to set up where I don't depend on them. Coyotes have a very sofisticated sence of smell, and I believe that it is next to impossible to defeat it. Others have had success in using the misters, but I have learned it's works better for me to play the wind and make em pay for it. A simple bark or lip squeek will usually stop them as they aproach your scent cone.

Main thing is to use comon sense, stay flexible, get as many things in your favor before you blow the call, and have fun /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif .

Good Hunting

Byron /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
I think you'd be hard-pressed to add to what Byron wrote...

I like to call into the wind, or at least set up with a crosswind. Of course, I usually call with a partner, and we set up to cover all potential approaches, with one guy watching the downwind side. It's definitely a good idea to keep your eye on the downwind side (for as far as you can) if there are no terrain features keeping them from making a circle.
 
Living in Nebraska I deal with this all the time!! The delima is if you call into a slight breeze they will always circle behind you and come in your back door, but usually have a shot somewhere in front of you before they circle. In a strong wind I call with the wind and they don't seem to wind me. I don't use scents and they are usually get very close.
 
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