Education on wind thermals while hunting

[BillyBoB]

I am fairly new to hunting and have studied several topics that hunters face while in the hills. I usually hunt northern Utah and firmly believe in paying attention to wind direction. I keep a small bottle with me with scentless powder in it to use to check the wind. However, I have been doing alittle bit of studing online about wind thermals (wind direction in morning/evening) and have found quite a few different views on this subject. I am curious to hear everyones experiences and opinions on this subject.

Thanks

 

[BuckSnort]

Bottom line..Warm air rises...Cool air falls

In the morning when it starts warming up your scent will be going up mountain...Towards evening when things start to cool it will be going downhill...

This is a rule of thumb...All that can go out the window in the mountains where you get lots of swirling breezes..

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[mmwb]

Bucksnort's last sentence is key. There are currents and eddies within the main currents that can wreak havoc if you are not continually watching for them. On a clear day, take your powder out and at different times of day put a bit in the air and watch it (with your binos if necessary) and see how many direction changes it makes over a few hundred yards.

 

[WapitiBob]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-13-12 AT 12:27PM (MST)[p]Wind is wind, thermals are thermals.

The first cpl hours, thermals are going down, then swirl, then head up. Everywhere I have hunted it takes 2-3 hours before they switch and head uphill in the morning.

 

[1FastGambler]

All you need to do is to wear scentlock. I think their slogan is, "Forget the wind and just hunt."

If you wash your clothes and spray down with the scent elimination stuff, the critters will never know you're there.

In case you didn't notice, the above is intended as a joke. I do think that scent elimination products are effective at reducing scent, but they can not eliminate it.

Seriously thou, thermals follow the sun up in the morning and down in the evening.... as a general rule of thumb. Weather, topography, etc will be more of a dominating factor most of the time.

All of the comments others provided are correct.

You're on the right track by using a wind checker. When you need to refill your windchecker bottle, use baking powder. It is silly to worry about your powder having scent because your stinky butt is already alerting everything downwind. You just need to know which way it's blowing so you can take the correct route to get in range and make your shot.

 

[txhunter58]

The only way I have been able to effectively hunt thermals is that when they are working, I hunt sidehill instead of hiking up or down hill.

All statements are correct so far. I will only add that in the middle of the day when the sun is warm and thermals are headed up hill, a cloud can go over the sun and suddenly the thermals switch and head down hill until the sun comes out again.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

 

[swbuckmaster]

All I know is it doesn't matter which way the wind is blowing it seems to always blow at the back of my neck towards the game im hunting when I close the distance to about a hundred yards or less.

I find it almost impossible to get a steady wind/thermal in the high country.