There are several important factors that you must take into consideration the next time you plan on hunting whitetail deer using a bow: wind, the rut, the weather and the availability of food. Let's take them in order: first we have the wind which many hunters consider the most important aspect for hunting deer (and not only) with a bow.

In many cases, a deer may hear/see you and will not get panicked nor scared; but the second the deer smells you he will immediately leave the area. If you want to avoid the possibility of being smelled by the deer you should hunt with the wind in your face or in a crosswind so that it will blow your human odor away from the animal. If you hunt an older age class deer and he will smell you it is almost certain that you won't be able to hunt the animal during the next season. Many hunters make the mistake to hunt using stands even when they are aware of the fact that the wind conditions aren't appropriate to hunt from those stands.

As far as the rut aspect is concerned, people affirm that this is the worst possible period for hunting whitetail deers. Although it is rather easy to find a location with a big deer population, getting close to one is very hard. The buck will always follow the doe anywhere she goes and the doe will run through the entire woods just to get away from the buck. It is advisable to hunt in funnel areas where both does and bucks have to pass. Some people prefer to hunting in a small neck of woods with two fields on each side and large woodlots on both ends. Under normal circumstances, both bucks and does will run through this small neck of woods; but during the rut season the does and bucks will run across open fields. Bow hunters must rely on using calls to be efficient during these periods.

The third aspect regarding whitetail deer bow hunting (which every hunter must take into consideration) is the weather issue. Hunting before and after peak rut season under favorable weather conditions will give you many chances for a fruitful hunting experience. Hunting anytime you can just before a cold front coming in after a warm period is highly recommended as you will spot and hunt more older age class bucks. The best times to hunt a buck with a bow are before a cold front moves in and a day or two after the cold front moves out (it doesn't matter if you are in the pre-rut/rut/post-rut period). Don't plan any hunting during warm days as these periods are not recommended for whitetail deer hunting. An interesting fact is that deer react to weather conditions exactly like humans do. Weather can be your greatest ally or your worst enemy.

Fourth issue in order relates to the fact that every animal (including the whitetail deer) has to eat every day - that is why the best places to find deer (regardless of the period of the year) is near their favorite food. If you didn't know, deer prefer certain foods at different periods of the year in alternate locations and also you should keep in mind that certain foods are available in specific periods of the year. The key to hunting deer with a bow is to know where and when the deer will feed. Hunters should be aware of the fact that some foods will last only a couple of days or 2-3 weeks so if you plan your hunt in an area where the food is out, you will only find tracks and droppings, but no deer.