WIND OBSERVATION...

[dan]

A few days ago it was cold out and windy. I was outside watching the wind blow snow dust around. Along the roadside there was a 6 foot drift that dropped down to the road. The wind was blowing towards the road and the snow dust was blowing off the drift. It was very interesting to watch. I dought there was much of any thermal activity, but there could of been. Anywho, the snow dust acted like millions of milkweed seeds and you could watch the wind current. You could see a wind tunnel right where it would be if it were a big ridge in hill country.
It seems to me, the main reason the snow dust and air was swirling was because the air was coming over the top and creating a vacuum that sucked the air up from below... Not that we did not know we had a thermal tunnel area on cloudy or cold days, but its interesting to see how it works even on a 6 foot snow drift.

[BigHunt]

yep see this all the time ...and just like a fire pit if you stand up wind of it , it will yeti and swirl around you and suck the smoke your way ...same affect the wind coming over the top, its sucking the air from down below up wards

[kurt]

the stronger the wind is the more effect you get. That's why I get surprise when people suggest real windy days in Hill country. Steady wind that's not too strong is good but when its real windy ive had troubles

[dan]

the stronger the wind is the more effect you get. That's why I get surprise when people suggest real windy days in Hill country. Steady wind that's not too strong is good but when its real windy ive had troubles

I have lots of issues in strong winds too, especially hill country.

[checkerfred]

I got busted several times this year. Some deer blew others spooked and ran, sometimes not far. Milkweed was awesome... I saw where the thermals overpowered the light winds or the wind swirled. Had I not seen the deer that just ran, I would never have known I was busted.

The beast forum is definitely training me to be more observant. I noticed on some ridges you can see the dominant wind by which way the grasses saplings and even bigger trees lean.

[ Post made via Android ]

[justdirtyfun]

I took pictures of a river levee because of the strip of snow on it. The leeward side was bare except for 1\3 down . Tbe area had no features to change the airflow . It was a great visual of the thermal tunnel.

[ Post made via Android ]

[dan]

Another real eye opener is wathing how the blowing snow reacts ( or should I say the wind blowing the snow) to hitting a wall of trees, an opening in trees, a n elevation change, etc...

[Trailcamaddict]

I noticed this exact phenomenon yesterday while snowmobiling along a field that is bordered by a big ditch. At the edge of the field there was about 8 ft of snow drift built up and at the crest of the snow you could see the wind blowing the snow over the top and then proceed to swirl (thermal tunnel). I was really cool to see with the snow showing exactly how the wind related to the difference in elevation.

This also proves that the Beast has taken over my life - I can't even snowmobile without thinking of things that relate to deer hunting!

[JoeRE]

That is a very important observation I think. I find this vertical swirling is a big deal in hill country - the forces are greater than thermal activity whenever there is at least a moderate wind, particularly on cooler or overcast days that have less thermal activity i.e. your typical november day.

Some of the places I hunt have pressure up high where the access, as a result you need to get low to get into the bucks. I have found I can hunt a leeward slope down low (in situations where deer are not likely to be up slope of me) and have my scent pulled back up the side hill somewhat consistently - it depends on the situation, its tricky. Basically I am looking for a wind that is 180 degrees opposite of what you think you need when looking at a map. Its not thermal activity - its just when there is a strong consistent wind blowing over the top of the hill, and as a bonus I LOVE these spots when there is a major wind storm, the deer stack up down there and I can get at them and at the same time be out of the direct wind. I remember a similar example of a successful hunt was shown in the Hill Country video.