Wind and air currents

[Buckwheat]

Helping your stand set up when you can.
Wind and air currents are not the same. Learning the difference might just help you a lot more then you think. Both are simple to understand if you understand the basics. Wind every body understands the wind and sent cone right? Well maybe? But how air currents are acting not ever one understands and you may be sending your sent tail off in directions you have not considered. Air currents can be running the opposite direction of the wind if air currents are heavy and the wind is not strong enough to change air currents direction. Air currents are controlled by hot and cold air, cold air is heaver then worm air and both are changing there location by hot air rising and cool air falling. It is taking place all day and night. I know everyone has seen leaves close to the forest floor just moving right to left in a constant motion, and there was no wind, that was from cold air currents.  Think of air currents as water poured on top of a hill and how it will flow down the hill even when there is some wind.  Think about this on your next stand.

[Buckwheat]

[Chasintail]

Ah, I see more than one person made it to Byrons seminar!! Good stuff was brought out for all of us to learn there!! Thanks for posting it for those that didn't make it.

[Buckwheat]

Chasintail
I was an hour late for his seminar, me and him must think alike.

[dreamcatcher]

Air currents are something a lot of hunters don't think of. Seems like I have always hunted on ridges. Even my own property sits on a hillside, (steep). I've watched air currents for a long time.

[Buckwheat]

dreamcatcher
You and I have been a hunter/trapper long enough that you and I just think everybody know this stuff.
 When I would call members about information on there renewal forms   they would ask me calling and set up questions. Sometimes we would talk quit awhile about hunting. I always enjoyed talking to them about predator hunting. Actually that is one of the things I will miss. Anyhow I was talking to a pretty good PPHA caller and trapper a couple of days ago and he did not pay all that much notice to air current, actually he never gave it much thought. That is why I posted about air currents. I think there is a lot to post about on this board about stuff you and I know and take for granted. I think it is time to for you and others to think about what you know and take for granted. Most of the BOARD LURKERS membership is here trying to get information. Now that I should have a little more time and my computer stops crashing, I am going to try and post more information on hunting items I take for granted everyone knows. dreamcatcher I hope you to pick you mind for the stuff you take for granted and post it. This is were mentor program is a good thing and my offer is out there to help any one that wants my help to maybe learn a little and if hunters needs to make the trip to my house for hands on use of information, give me a call and if possible we can do that to.

[chalmitch]

Good information.  And, probably the reason I am 1 for 15 with deer season.   The more I lurk the more I learn how much I do not know about the basics.

Best regards,
chalmitch

[uncle buck]

This is a good topic.  If I remember this correctly  the books advise deer hunters to hunt the top of the mountain in the morning.  Then go to the low lands for the afternoon.

One never thinks about predator hunting if this would also improve your chances.


Also one can compensate for hunting in the evening on top of the mountains by not getting in direct line with the sound source.  Hence if the thermals are blowing down the mountain in the evening.  The speaker can be aimed down the mtn but the shooter or the members of the hunt should not be anywhere near the sound source.  Might even be a better time to use the electronics instead of a mouth call.  Since most predators  always get in direct line with the  sound.



If thermals are true one should not call up the mountain and get in direct line with the speaker or sound source  in the morning and no one should call down the mtn if they are getting in direct line with the speaker or sound source in the evening.

[Buckwheat]

Thermals are a different critters then air currents. Do not get them confused with air currents.  Thermals are worm air currents that are rising, such as the ones buzzards sore on. Air currents are how hot and could air react, Air currents do not blow around, wind blows around. Air currents can and do flow down a hill all day and night under the right conditions. Cold air is heaver then worm air, so the first couple of inches to a couple of feet high off the ground cold air can be running down a hill even though right above the cold air worm air can be going up the hill at the same time. O-my gosh!! Two directions of air movements on a hill side at the same time not counting wind. Think of (air currents) as how oil and water reacts, water is heaver then oil. Think of water as cold air and oil as worm air. Wind and thermals are two other factors. I did not say anything about them yet.

[Hern]

funny how some folks give advice to set up high to call predators, they surely buck the system 'bout thesehere thermals and their only reasoning is to see a good distance
Buckwheat, good subject.
How much time does it take for human scent thermals to travel down/up a mountain?
How far does human scent thermals travel?
How far away can a canine detect human scent thermals?

[Buckwheat]

[Hern]

Am sorry, Buckwheat. I used 'thermals' instead of air currents.
I was referring to air current, not thermals.
My brain was cloudy this morning.

I know how some trapping lures carry with air currents and chose my set location accordingly. Scent distribution varies due to humidity, air temperture and wind velocity...many variatables.
I would guess most archery hunters use a tree stand to elimiate human scent at ground level and rarely think about air currents but they do consider wind direction for the most part.

[huntingisfun]

This is an interesting discussion. How consistent are air currents? Are they altered easily by the terrain?

[Buckwheat]

Hern
That is correct; some archers in tree stands are concerned with the direction of the wind and some get high enough up a tree that they hardly have to worry about the wind and sent at all in some conditions. Hern, I know you know this, but for a new trapper, The trapper would be wise to consider cold air currents no matter what sent is being used at a set. A predator kept in the down side of the air current flow side of a trap location would get to his nose in the sent trail flowing from the set and draw him to your set. A predator could cross as little as 20 feet!!!! above a set location and never smell the sent at a trap set location if prevailing winds and cold air currents are flowing down hill and he crosses above a sent trail and there is no eye appeal at the set location.

[Buckwheat]