swirling winds

[powderhogg01]

I have noticed that 2 of the 4 drainage I hunt seem to have very variable winds. I have sent some powder watched it drift away and turn and come back at me.. one minute its in your face the next at your back. These are the areas I have been finding the best signs as well. any advice for beating the wind when it just wont hold the same bearing?

[Tigger]

Whew. An easy question! Just dont stink!

Sorry, couldnt resist.

My real answer would be this; minimize your odor. It may not be 100% effective, but if it is 25% effective, that helps. Also, try and determine if there are times of the day that it is more stable...early and late come to mind when the "wind" is calm and you are only dealing with thermals. Stay out of there at other times and minimize the length of time you are there. You have probably thought of those already, but it can be tough in those situations.

[wawhitey]

If the wind is always screwy find the nearest effective area with stable winds. Why risk spooking your quarry? I drove 40 miles today, unloaded my quad and rode 7 more miles, then hiked a mile into an area i wanted to call for bear/ cougar. The weather is screwy today, wind changing direction constantly, blowing every which way, so i just left. Pain in the ass to go all that way and not even try, but bailing on it was the smart thing to do. Id rather go back another day when everything is in my favor, than risk educating my prey when my chances of success are slim. That goes for every type of animal you can hunt.

[powderhogg01]

I do work the thermal in the morning and evening. its just a several thousand foot climb up to a.spot to have wind change.. what do i do, go all the way up and out of.the trees and wait til.evening before going back in? I usually spray down before entering the woods, climb at a pace that I Don't pour sweat. what else is there to do?

[Bow4me]

And what if you have been in 3 or 4 days? Last year it seemed like no matter where I went the wind hit me in the back of the neck.

[zpd307]

I also find the best sign in these swirly wind areas.... I do believe that's why the elk like them, they get scent from every direction.....

[powderhogg01]

I figured as much, the wind moving in various directions would really help an animal stay on top of what was is in there. So doing my best to keep my odors down, heres what I typically do. I store my clothes in a plastic tote with a nice pine branch in it. The day before the opener I will wash all my clothes in scentkiller laundry soap, then place them in the tote again with the pine. Day of I wash with unscented soap and use dead down winds hair shampoo, topped off with their deodorant as well as spraying down with there sprays. I feel like after a day in camp my clothes smell like a sooty pine tree from the pine and smoke mix.
I heard someone say that smoke might be blowing the elk out if the area so I am going to try being fire free this next trip out and keep the scent of wood smoke off me.
so assuming I have now dine just about everything I can to keep my scent down, whats the best tactic for these areas? I am really focused on hunting these areas, as they are the only areas withing this unit that have very few hunters. one drainage I am always alone.. and that is how I like it, but the winds make it so difficult.

[Huntrgathr]

Animals are in those swirly spots for a good reason. Personally, I don't believe in scent control other than staying out of the wind. Don't go into those areas where the wind swirls- it won't work. Wait for the elk to leave these areas to hunt them. I have been able to find certain times of day in some swirly spots where the thermals/wind will stabilize for brief periods and been able to walk right in on animals but it's hard to learn these patterns without being there and blowing out the game. Fight the wind at your own peril..

[powderhogg01]

in my case, I have 4 particular canyons I am hunting. the first has a well known destination lake for 4wheelers and jeepers.. this canyons is always humming with vehicles and loud mouth drunks on the atvs... I tend to avoid it until the season is ending and most of these buffons have gone home. the second canyon has a forest service access road that goes 3/4 of the way in then dies and its foot traffic only. I like this spot as it has the easiest to find water holes and wallows and the water tends to die off mid mountain leaving these hot spots of activity around spots where the springs bubble up. the third canyon is nearly impossible to get into from the main road as it is roughly 60 degrees and to this day of over 6 years living in the area.. my tracks are still the only ones found inside the beginning of this canyon. It does get better once you get up at the tree line, which is where all the big muley are hanging out. this canyon has so much water in it that hunting water is nearly impossible, so I tend to try and hunt this area early and late with the thermals and the feeding animals.. the final canyon is impossible to get into from the main road as it is a cliff band, but if you hike over the ridge of the previous canyon you will enter this secret spot. the winds here are predictable, but the animals seem to avoid this area until the muzzleloader guys get after it.
of these canyons the first one is quite predictable with wind but sucks being around so many yayhoos, the other canyons are tough to access (my style) and hold tons of game yet are not predictable when it come to wind. all these canyons involve a huge climb to get into the animals terrain, so once im up there its really hard to back just back out, so I will go up above treeline, but as many of you know early afternoon above treeline can end in some electrifying activity of the sort I try to avoid(knew a guy who got zapped once.. his burns were enough to send me running downhill when I see the flash)
once in the thick trees the wind seems to a bit more stable, however nothing worse then sitting on a spot for 3 hours only to feel the wind shift on your neck...

[Tigger]

One thing that may help a smidgen is to buy some of those wind fibers. They last longer than the powder when up in the wind and it may give you a little better feel of what the wind is doing. Also, one other thought. Look over the terrain very carefully. Is there a small ridge or drainage that may make air patterns a little more consistent in one particular area?

[Ghost]

One thing that may help a smidgen is to buy some of those wind fibers. They last longer than the powder when up in the wind and it may give you a little better feel of what the wind is doing. Also, one other thought. Look over the terrain very carefully. Is there a small ridge or drainage that may make air patterns a little more consistent in one particular area?

I use feathers from an old down pillow, Ive watched a feather for 5 minutes go up the hollow, down the hollow, across the hollow and back the other way. Just nuts how switchy the wind can be at times.