Wind Indicator

[Rangerz]

Curious what people prefer for wind indicators:

Bottles of Powder?

Wet your finger and hold it up in the air (Old School)?

Dust?

Other ideas?

Thanks.

[twinkieman]

I powder, called Smoke in a bottlr.

[Swede]

I use a squeeze bottle filled with corn starch. It is cheap and reliable.

[planebow]

I always have smoke in the bottle. Tried other things but this works the best for me.

[ishy]

Bottle with powder

[easeup]

I don't leave camp without the stuff - Windicator brand- but all of the above works good.

[Heartwood]

"smoke in a bottle" is the best we have seen. Super fine powded, floats on the slightest breeze.

[ElkNut1]

Baking soda & corn starch, have used both & have never let me down! Used them for many years & very reasonable to re-fill. I use an old eye dropper squeeze bottle.

ElkNut1

[Toby]

Squeeze bottle with chalk line chalk, colored makes it easy to see. Have also used cornstarch, works good too.

[Rangerz]

Thanks all. Kind of like the line chalk idea. Have several bottles sitting in the garage.

[BRazz]

I also carry one of those squeeze bottles. They work great.

But in addition, I tie a very fine thread to the end of my bow stabilizer for those moments when reaching into my pocket is too much movement. This doesn't work nearly as well as the powder (which carries in the wind for several yards), and the wind that catches the riser of your bow is certainly affected by your body standing in the way... but it's better than nothing.

[Wyo67]

Squeeze bottle with line chalk. Plus a couple spares in the bottom of the backpack in case it gets wet.

[Ridge Ghost]

In addition to the chalk bottle, I attach a grouse down feather to a string and suspend it from the top limb of my bow. It won't display the detailed wind swirls that chalk or powder will, but it will give you a general direction of the wind, and you can look at it constantly while hunting without having to pull a bottle out. The only trick is keeping it dry in bad weather.

[Olydog09]

Have you guys noticed how most companys have started filling their bottles only half way up and coloring the outside of the bottle or using a label so you can not see how high up it is filled. I know this is a minor thing but for some reason it really pisses me off. Thanks for the cornstarch and chalk line ideas. I have tried baking soda but it is a little thick for the plastic bottles. I like the eye dropper idea though.

[BRazz]

I wonder if that's the same as cereal boxes - "product measured by weight not volume and some settline may occur" type a thing.

[WapitiTalk1]

I have always just felt the wind on my face/neck and/or stuck a wet finger in the air. My hunting partners throughout the years would follow my finger assessment with a "puff, puff" of their bottle, confirming what I already knew; that the thermals or wind was going that-a-way I did get a couple of bottles of the Moccasin Joe Low Light Smoke stuff to pack this year. Probably not the best idea to stick my finger in my mouth after a day of throwing elkduds at my partner

[Rangerz]

Always used to use the finger trick when running bird dogs.

[wawhitey]

In addition to the chalk bottle, I attach a grouse down feather to a string and suspend it from the top limb of my bow. It won't display the detailed wind swirls that chalk or powder will, but it will give you a general direction of the wind, and you can look at it constantly while hunting without having to pull a bottle out. The only trick is keeping it dry in bad weather.

I like the feather on a string idea. I think I'll do that at my ambush spots this year. Last winter during the 2 days I got to hunt late elk there was a timber survey ribbon in a tree and I was perched on a rocky ridge overlooking a bench on the east side. When the wind would turn the ribbon let me know and I would climb down the very steep west side of the ridge a ways and wait it out. Worked really well.

[kyle1112]

Squeeze bottle from REI is a buck or two and corn starch is in the cupboard at home. Works great!

[Gselkhunter]

Powder bottle will show you what the wind is doing better than anything else. I use unscented baby powder. I have less clumping problems than with corn starch or baking soda.

[Lefty]

I buy smoke in a bottle at the end of the season for a buck. I carry a back up filled with blue chalk or corn starch
I have dental floss hanging from my top limb,
Early mornings before the wind picks up
I use smoke a lot.

And the rest of the day the side of my face that hurts is the direction the wind is coming from or the direction the the grass is laying down

[8seconds]

Nothing new just a variation of what has already been offered - I tie about 8" of sewing thread to both ends of my recurve and notice while i manuver through the woods. I've also used frayed ends of dental floss, but have leaned toward the sewing thread in recent years. I also carry a bottle of commerical powder for in close antics just to be sure I'm in sync. I too like the eye dropper baking soda and will probably opt towards that in my gear.

[Blackhorn]

ABC fire extinguisher powder works awesome, and it doesn't clump.

[poisonarrow]

A feather is "good medicine". Most Native Americans have a feather hanging in their vehicle.

[rudyc]

I've used frayed dental floss tied to the string on my longbow for years. When I was moose hunting in Newfoundland my guide asked me what it was for. I told him "it lets me know when the jig is up"!!

[Glacier Country]

I use a cotton ball and a safety pin attached to my pack ,and my grunt tube.Tear off a little piece and flick it. you can see the wind currents for 20 yards or more. Also makes great fire starter,especially when combined with petroleum jelly,or anything similar. Just think about a cottonwood tree seeds and how well they float on the breeze. Same thing with the cotton ball pieces.

[bloodarrow]

Ive got a little squeeze bottle with chalk in it, but Ive also been known to take the insides of a milkweed pod and use that...especially when hunting whitetails from a tree stand.

[Fridaythe13th]

I just bought some corn starch from walmart for a buck hope your right. sound to easy to be true.

[ElkNut1]

Corn starch will work great!

ElkNut1

[luvelkhunt]

usually just throw some grass or dust up in the air, then to confirm I tell my buddy to pull my finger and start sniffing. if his eyes start watering I know the wind is going towards him.

[archeryplus]

Corn starch here

[Indian Summer]

Corn starch, line chalk, and talcum powder all work great. But for me it's Smoke in a Bottle. Their powder is so fine it really is like smoke and will float longer so I can really pick up the slightest thermal.

[elkaholic]

I use a little Elmer's glue bottle and micro bubbles. Technically I think they are called alumilite microbubbles. It works awesome and you can get a big tub for around $7 at a hobby store.