If you’re like most of us deer hunters, we start preparation for deer season during the summer months leading up to fall. That could mean anything from camp work to cutting roads or setting up new stands. It’s a labor of love and there’s no better feeling than enjoying the fruits of your labor on opening morning!

Unless you own or have access to a large tract of land, many times we set up “The Spot” and that’s our favorite place to go. Or in the case of some leases or on smaller property, you might only have one stand location. If you’re in Texas like me or in another state that allows baiting, then you likely have some type of timed feeder, gravity feeder, or trough feeder to help increase the odds of seeing deer.

Planning for the Unexpected

So, what do you do if you check the weather before going out and the wind direction is bad for your setup? Do you put on antimicrobial or scent-eliminating clothing, drench yourself in scent-away spray, carry in some type of ozone emitter, and hope for the best? Unless you set your feeder 400 yards away, any experienced hunter will tell you that’s a bad idea. It’s almost impossible to completely eliminate your human odor and the sensitive nose of our quarry will bust you in a hurry! 

You’ll leave the stand feeling defeated after hearing the siren song of deer snorting in the brush and totally busting up your hunt. Most likely it will be a doe or maybe several and they will stomp, snort, and run most any good bucks completely away from your area. And if a good buck smells you, it’s game over. They may never show themselves in the open in daylight or could avoid that stand altogether.

Ever been there? I know I have and what I’m writing comes from experience. Deer spend their entire lives trying to avoid predators and they were designed to do it well! What’s the best option to avoid this? You can either skip the hunt or plan in advance with another stand setup.

Tips for Hunting Blind Placement

There are no food plots where I spend most of my time and therefore, we can’t just move across the field. I’m lucky enough that even on small acreage, we can still set up our stands for alternate winds. It’s a lot of work and can be costly, but the last thing I want to do is sour “The Spot.” The other blinds might not be in the best location or in the highest traffic area but it beats ruining your best stand, and during the rut, almost any well-placed hunting blind can be productive. 

If you happen to be in a situation where you can only have one stand, then set up two different blinds looking over the same feeder. That might seem like overkill and it’s difficult to do in some situations, but it’s totally worth it to know you can sneak in and hunt undetected! All those hours on the road, sweaty summer days full of hard work and mosquitos, and time spent daydreaming will not be wasted on Mother Nature switching the wind on you.

This summer I moved two stands. One is dedicated to a bad wind and the other is a second blind on an existing feeder. Last year was humbling in the wind department and my best spot was almost always bad for the wind. I tried the laundry list I mentioned earlier and kept the windows closed. No luck but that’s not happening again!

Deer season in Texas is almost here and I’m looking forward to seeing hard work and preparation pay off. I hope this advice can do the same for you. If you’ve got questions about setting up the perfect hunting blind this season, get in touch with me at Wdunson@NationalLand.com or reach out to your local Land Professional.

Happy Hunting!