Wind and thermal question?

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Autumn Ninja
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Wind and thermal question?

Unread postby Autumn Ninja » Sat Aug 28, 2010 4:25 pm

When a buck smells danger how does he know if its above or below him?


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Re: Wind and thermal question?

Unread postby buck_junkie » Sat Aug 28, 2010 4:45 pm

Not sure ninja, maybe he don't and just runs like
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goldtip5575
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Re: Wind and thermal question?

Unread postby goldtip5575 » Sat Aug 28, 2010 8:08 pm

Not sure try hunting when he cant smell danger.IT will prob. increase your odds 3x.
Autumn Ninja
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Re: Wind and thermal question?

Unread postby Autumn Ninja » Sun Aug 29, 2010 12:00 am

goldtip5575 wrote:Not sure try hunting when he cant smell danger.IT will prob. increase your odds 3x.

Question has nothing to do with hunting...its a buck bedding question. Thanks!!!
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Re: Wind and thermal question?

Unread postby dan » Sun Aug 29, 2010 12:06 am

Thats a really good question and one I have often thought about...
I do not know how they smell what direction a smell is coming from, nor do I know how accurate that determination is... I do know that I have had deer close with the wind in my face and one little swirl and they catch my wind and know right where I am at, rather than thinking I am up wind.
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Re: Wind and thermal question?

Unread postby Arrowbender » Sun Aug 29, 2010 12:43 am

My observations are also from wind direction swirl and not from a thermal mixing area.
Several times last year I got busted by does and yearling bucks when the wind swirled. And most of the time as soon as I noticed the change the deer was gone, going in the same direction they came from. Not necessarily straight away from me. This tells me they go the way that they know it WAS safe.
I also had a few deer that acted more like Elk. Elk often times when moving in, especially to the call will walk slowly and I'm sure are waiting for swirl because it happens so often in MTN. country. These deer would noticeably become alert and then appear to be digesting wind data before busting off. These deer were more likely to go straight away from me.
Just my most recent observation. :?
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Black Squirrel
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Re: Wind and thermal question?

Unread postby Black Squirrel » Sun Aug 29, 2010 3:41 am

Arrowbender wrote:And most of the time as soon as I noticed the change the deer was gone, going in the same direction they came from. Not necessarily straight away from me. This tells me they go the way that they know it WAS safe. :?

I agree, especially a mature buck. They just go back to where they know it was safe. In the end, I don't think it matters where he thinks your smell is comming from the results are usually the same.... a buck that turned around. :x
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Re: Wind and thermal question?

Unread postby dan » Sun Aug 29, 2010 4:40 am

Arrow might be on to something... But in several of the instances I think back to, the buck would stop before bolting, get very alert and stair somewhat in my direction telling me he had some sort of directional bearing...
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Re: Wind and thermal question?

Unread postby virginiashadow » Sun Aug 29, 2010 5:32 am

dan wrote:Arrow might be on to something... But in several of the instances I think back to, the buck would stop before bolting, get very alert and stair somewhat in my direction telling me he had some sort of directional bearing...


I do agree with this as well. A few years ago I was hunting in late October. I am normally not a call or scent guy but the situation called for me to rattle. So around 1-2 pm I rattled like toward where I thought a buck was bedded based on some information. About 2-3 minutes later a dandy of a buck ran up the hill and proceeded along the yellow line in my map. I thought my wind was perfect as he began to circle me. He was within in 20 yards for 2-3 minutes, slowly circling me. I was waiting for him to take 2-3 more steps so I could get a perfect broadside shot on him. Well once he reached the green position in my map, a position above me on the hill he froze. He froze like a statue. He then looked my way and then bolted along the dotted yellow line in my map. He was a 10 pointer, with a 19-20 inch spread and a dandy. So close, but the thermals cost me. I did not realize what happened at the time. I thought something else went wrong but the more I have analyzed that encounter over the years, the more it points to the rising thermals as the main culprit that killed my hunt.

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magicman54494
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Re: Wind and thermal question?

Unread postby magicman54494 » Sun Aug 29, 2010 6:25 am

dan wrote:Thats a really good question and one I have often thought about...
I do not know how they smell what direction a smell is coming from, nor do I know how accurate that determination is... I do know that I have had deer close with the wind in my face and one little swirl and they catch my wind and know right where I am at, rather than thinking I am up wind.


I have had this happen as well. I am always amazed that they can do that.
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Re: Wind and thermal question?

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Mon Aug 30, 2010 9:02 am

I don't believe it is only about you and your scent- with thermal mixing, the buck is able to filter where your scent is coming from because it is accompanied by the distinct smell he associates from above or below, or to either side. The top of a bluff does not smell the same as the valley floor, the sides of the hill smell differently from each other due to vegetation, rot, animal dens, etc. When human scent in a thermal tunnel accompanies a directional distinction, the buck likely has little difficulty getting a directional fix on your position. Credit the nose.
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Re: Wind and thermal question?

Unread postby dan » Mon Aug 30, 2010 9:20 am

Makes sense to me Bridge!
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Re: Wind and thermal question?

Unread postby buck_junkie » Tue Aug 31, 2010 2:38 pm

Autumn Ninja wrote:When a buck smells danger how does he know if its above or below him?

Well Ninja I have put some serious thought into your question and I have come to the conclusion. I believe it is as simple as, you know when you hear a noise off in the distance and you can't quite pinpoint where the source is coming from? What do you do? You simply turn your head and try to pinpoint the general direction in which the noise is coming from. I think a buck can simply point his nose, whether up hill or down hill, and pinpoint. Even just a subtle turn of his extremely sensitive nose can pick danger out from some distance away. Hopefully if your set is correct your scent will be traveling above the wind tunnel. Just my theory.
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Re: Wind and thermal question?

Unread postby Sam Ubl » Wed Sep 01, 2010 12:54 am

dan wrote:Makes sense to me Bridge!


X2

Their survival depends on their senses and if a deer could talk, I think he/she would answer your question like Bridge did.
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