Thermal issues

[Harold Money jr]

I hunt a farm that has a consistent East thermal every morning until about 9:00a. It doesn't matter what direction the slope is facing. When the sun warms the slope, It will usually be a west with which ever north or south is happening at the time. Most of the deer movement that I hunt there are moving north and south. During youth season and muzzleloader it is DEADLY to setup on the eastern side of the farm facing into that thermal then when it starts to switch, going across the pasture field and sneaking into a patch of woods with the wind in our face. We usually don't make it to our stands because the deer don't have a clue we're there and seems like they haven't noticed the wind has recently changed. I've noticed it has to be a constant 9mph+ north, south or west to overcome the thermal. Anyone have a similar place?

 

[megalomaniac]

Dozens.

Understanding thermals, Lee currents against prevailing winds, and how to access and hunt those spots without spooking deer are the difference between consistently successful hunters and those who just get lucky once in a while.

 

[BSK]

Dozens.

Understanding thermals, Lee currents against prevailing winds, and how to access and hunt those spots without spooking deer are the difference between consistently successful hunters and those who just get lucky once in a while.

^^^^
This!

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Dozens.

Understanding thermals, Lee currents against prevailing winds, and how to access and hunt those spots without spooking deer are the difference between consistently successful hunters and those who just get lucky once in a while.

Couldn't have said it any better.

Harold, I'm a terrain map guy and can't predict or game plan anything without a terrain map. If you have one and want to share, it may help paint a clearer picture of what's going on.

 

[Harold Money jr]

I guess my title was a bit misleading. I was trying to impart some hunting wisdom in the form of a question hoping to get a bit of dialog going.
I've hunted literally my whole life, since there were few deer in the early 70's until now with an abundance. It's funny the same places that somehow spoke to me in my early teen years were good areas, I was sabotaging them by hunting on the wrong wind or hunting them too much. The areas are 300% better producers now, than years ago until I learned to play the wind and most importantly thermals.
It pays to learn what the thermals do in the predawn areas that a person hunts and in the evenings when they often switch.
It also took me years to learn that how you hunt in October affects the numbers you see in November, even during the rut.
I hunt cattle farms and almost without fail within 30yds of an outside fence corner that juts back into the woods is a great place to hang a stand in cattle country.
Mega, you surmised my point with a lot less words to get confused about, thanks! I'm proud to be an old school hunter who is still learning stuff each year and learning the hows and why's of different areas and deer. I really appreciate the wealth of knowledge that is spread here.

 

[poorhunter]

Dozens.

Understanding thermals, Lee currents against prevailing winds, and how to access and hunt those spots without spooking deer are the difference between consistently successful hunters and those who just get lucky once in a while.

Which is probably why I don't kill often! I've tried to understand the way thermals work, but it takes way more time on each stand than I put in hunting them. Where I came from in Indiana I (mostly) only had to worry about wind direction and not thermals, but in the hills and hollers I hunt now it's maddening.

 

[BSK]

It pays to learn what the thermals do in the predawn areas that a person hunts and in the evenings when they often switch.

In ridge-and-hollow country, you HAVE to learn how morning and evening thermals work. In the mornings, the rising sun hits the top of the ridge-lines first, warms the air near the ground, and then that warmer air starts to rise. That draws air up out of the valleys to replace the rising air at the ridge-tops. This produces constant uphill thermals just after sunrise, as long as the prevailing wind isn't stronger than about 5 MPH. In the evenings, the shade in the valleys allows that air to cool and start running downstream like water. There will be consistent streams of cooler air running down each valley.

 

[BSK]

It also took me years to learn that how you hunt in October affects the numbers you see in November, even during the rut.

And now you know why we quit bowhunting our property. The October pressure greatly reduced our daylight sightings in November. We made the decision to give up bowhunting to have better MZ and gun hunting.

 

[megalomaniac]

Which is probably why I don't kill often! I've tried to understand the way thermals work, but it takes way more time on each stand than I put in hunting them. Where I came from in Indiana I (mostly) only had to worry about wind direction and not thermals, but in the hills and hollers I hunt now it's maddening.

A lot of my places with thermals I didn't even realize until I hung a stand and hunted them. You learn quick something is wrong when deer blow at you upwind from the prevailing winds and don't come in. On my best spots I solved that by installing airtight shooting houses. Otherwise, I try to hunt the same general area by gaining more elevation on the terrain feature I want to hunt.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

In ridge-and-hollow country, you HAVE to learn how morning and evening thermals work. In the mornings, the rising sun hits the top of the ridge-lines first, warms the air near the ground, and then that warmer air starts to rise. That draws air up out of the valleys to replace the rising air at the ridge-tops. This produces constant uphill thermals just after sunrise, as long as the prevailing wind isn't stronger than about 5 MPH. In the evenings, the shade in the valleys allows that air to cool and start running downstream like water. There will be consistent streams of cooler air running down each valley.

Also those South facing slopes in the morning forcing air up...contrary to North facing slopes.

 

[Harold Money jr]

I've found bucks, especially older bucks, cruise down wind of where the does are, staying in a thick area, if you're in with the does you won't even know he's there. He won't blow like a doe he'll just tuck tail and sneak off. The young bucks run in on doe groups, pick one out and run her all over before she's ready. I think that's why they get shot the most. Watch an experienced bird dog how he checks thick areas for birds, before he goes in, before it's worth his time it's the same concept.

 

[BSK]

I've found bucks, especially older bucks, cruise down wind of where the does are, staying in a thick area, if you're in with the does you won't even know he's there. He won't blow like a doe he'll just tuck tail and sneak off. The young bucks run in on doe groups, pick one out and run her all over before she's ready. I think that's why they get shot the most. Watch an experienced bird dog how he checks thick areas for birds, before he goes in, before it's worth his time it's the same concept.

Excellent point. Although we have stands and shooting houses on the edges of food plots, my favorite stands are back off the edge of the food plot far enough that from the stand, I can barely see the edge. Older bucks will skirt the food plot on the downwind side scent-checking the plot for does, just far enough back that they cannot be seen from the food plot. I want my stand just far enough back that that buck cruises between me and the plot.