Prevailing winds and deer stands

[TheHammer]

It has been my experience in the areas I've hunted the past 40 years or so (West/South Texas along the Rio Grande, and Southeast Texas), that no matter where, the wind seldom blows out of the West. About the only time we get West winds is during a change period when a front is coming in... Typically the wind will be south to southeast and as a front approaches the wind direction will rotate around toward the West, then Northwest, Northeast, then North until the front passes. As the prevailing winds return, the wind shift will go from North, to Northeast, East and finally back to Southeast/South... Having said all that, if the area I am wanting to hunt allows, I will place my stand on the West side of where I expect to take the shot. The terrain and game movement patterns will often not allow that, but when it does, that's where I start with a new area.
I've never hunted around the San Angelo area or much above the I-10 corridor.

This is my experience too. Any front will bring with it a NW wind during the season. It can be good to have a stand for it, because odds are it should be good if you have a West wind due to a front pushing in.

[Shane]

Good info from all above. We get mostly some version of south winds (SW - S - SE) most of the year until cold fronts come through. Then it's NW - N - NE for a day or two. You need setups for both directions really. But there will be more days with south-ish winds than north during deer season - especially early in the season.

Even so, you'll still get busted in more open country by deer circling downwind of the feeder before they come in. If you can find a spot for a setup that has some kind of natural barrier the prevents deer from coming in from downwind, it's ideal. If at all possible, set up near a big drop off, a large stock tank, a super thick tangle of brush and cactus, a neighbor's high fence, or whatever you can find that hinders deer movement downwind of you.

[Gunnyart]

Good advice all.

[Hoss163]

Two sets one facing NW and one facing SE .