Does anybody know of an article on thermals and how they work carrying your scent? I have never read much and a buddy talks about them all the time, but it's when he's elk hunting out west. Does it matter more with elevation changes then on flat ground? I try to pic my stand location by the wind but was wondering if I'm not doing enough. My deer sightings have dropped to nil the past 2 weeks. Maybe there is a simple explanation to describe how it works? Thanks in advance
Thermals are a factor when you're hunting slopes of a mountain. In the morning and evening, the thermals move down the mountain in the morning, the elk can use the thermals that are moving down the mountain, to have the wind in their noses as they move up the mountain. The exact opposite happens in the evening to bring the elk back down the mountain. This isn't something you're really dealing with in Wisconsin on flat land, maybe on a very small factor on larger slopes that you might be hunting. I'd say there are other factors in play. Over hunting, October Lull, etc.
Google is my friend!! To Beat a Buck's Nose, Remember Thermals | Quality Deer Management Association Understanding Terrain for Deer Hunting Success: Thermals and Other Wind Considerations ? Wired To Hunt I would say MichiHunter hit it right with possible over hunting & the "October lull". I am one who thinks the October lull is often a result of over hunting and increased pressure from people being in the woods more often than any time of the year. Basically making the deer nocturnal, at least until they feel the urge to get up and chase does that is. Some questions to ask yourself is how often are you hunting the same stand, how many people are hunting the land, what kind of scent control are you all practicing, are you often walking the property to see where the deer went, etc.??
yeah jeremy has it right. It's backwards in Michi's description. At our Property in NW IL. We for sure play the thermals. Anywhere you have bluffs, ridges, valleys, there will always be thermals. They really do have a big effect on wind.
