Prior to landing, the pilot was unable to evaluate the wind direction and velocity at the airport due to the lack of a windsock and the lack of recorded weather information. The pilot evaluated the winds from a nearby lake. While landing on runway 17, the airplane encountered a gust of wind which blew the airplane into the weeds. The airplane struck a bale of hay and came to rest on its nose, resulting in substantial damage to the aft fuselage and empennage. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident. The pilot indicated on his accident report form that the accident could have been prevented by maintaining a higher touchdown speed to compensate for the winds.