Swamp Thermals

[yungbuck]

I am always learning here

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[hunter_mike]

Thanks for posting this headgear. I live in an area where hill country meets up with marshland and I actually found a buck bed with this type of setup. It was a steep valley with tamaracks and cattails in the bottom, and the tamaracks came to a point out into the cattails. Your post makes me want to go back and walk it again because now i'm sure theres more good bedding areas to be found.

Great job with this everyone thank you.

[PK_]

If the water is fairly consistent on temp, how about sticking a thermometer in it and hunting it on a day with similar temps and small swing in temps (hi-lo)? Overcast, rainy or maybe a day a front is moving in and temps will actually drop throughout the day? Although I would imagine the water will draw thermals whether it is warmer or colder than the air temp? Hmmmmmm.

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[Singing Bridge]

I'm with Palmetto... now that we've brought these difficult circumstances to light, how do we hunt them? What tactics have been successful under these difficult circumstances, where it appears the bucks can smell any predator near them?

There's only one example of buck staging out of the bedding area, what would we anticipate? I haven't spent time in frost pockets, but I have huned swamp thermals in areas that are open on one end, leading into the swamp like headgear has posted.

[john1984]

So if the red mark is the bed ,could I hunt directly south of the bed assuming there will be uprising thermals? I wonder what wind would you guys assume he's bedding there on if fields are to the south. The is a cattail marsh

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[BassBoysLLP]

It also important to note that groundwater induced thermal activity can be highly seasonal. Some areas are strongly impacted by subsurface stormwater flow and will have thermal activity following a good sized storm (i.e. easier to hunt after a storm). Other areas are just deep, cold groundwater (e.g. stereotypical spring) and hard to hunt all the time.

Also, the amount of thermal activity in these areas can be strongly influenced by manmade activities like centerpoint irrigation. During periods of regular irrigiation, the hydraulic flux of groundwater to these areas can be greatly reduced which results in reduced thermal (sink) activity during these times. For this reason, some areas are easier to hunt during the early season if irrigation is having a strong impact on the hydraulic profile.

[BassBoysLLP]

I'm with Palmetto... now that we've brought these difficult circumstances to light, how do we hunt them? What tactics have been successful under these difficult circumstances, where it appears the bucks can smell any predator near them?

There's only one example of buck staging out of the bedding area, what would we anticipate? I haven't spent time in frost pockets, but I have huned swamp thermals in areas that are open on one end, leading into the swamp like headgear has posted.

Steady wind and a steady rain are your best friends. If you are hunting near an open area, I prefer a slight cross wind that "rides" the transitional tree line rather than bounce off it like a pinball. My best encounters have been rainy days in these areas or early season when the groundwater hydraulics were in my favor.

These are some of the hardest areas to bowhunt. For this reason, I don't hunt them very often. I'd rather spend my time on a surface water marsh or hill country.

[dan]

So if the red mark is the bed ,could I hunt directly south of the bed assuming there will be uprising thermals? I wonder what wind would you guys assume he's bedding there on if fields are to the south. The is a cattail marsh

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If you hunt south of the bed you marked remember that thermals go down hill at peak movment times as thery switch at or near sunset. And the swamp thermals would towards the water too, if the swamp water is warmer than the air.

[Bigburner]

If the water is fairly consistent on temp, how about sticking a thermometer in it and hunting it on a day with similar temps and small swing in temps (hi-lo)? Overcast, rainy or maybe a day a front is moving in and temps will actually drop throughout the day? Although I would imagine the water will draw thermals whether it is warmer or colder than the air temp? Hmmmmmm.

[ Post made via iPad ]

If you live neer the coast it works much like a see breeze. If the surface of the water is colder than the ambient air temp it will create an onshore flow during the day and as the surface of the earth cools in the evening it and the surfaces of the water is warmer than land it becomes off-shore so there could be some validity to the thermometer thing b/c you my encounter a time were you reach an equalibrium and the prevailing wind direction still has control of you scent cone well after shooting light when setting up on the marsh or swamp edge May not be as valid an days with steady winds from frontal passages but on days with light winds never know. At least keep the thermals hovering kind of static rather than in the bucks favor. At least on flat ground. Then you just have to figure out if that buck wants to leave his bed without having the wind in his favor That's getting down to some straight up deer geek stuff. I'm all about Palmetto

[headgear]

I'm with Palmetto... now that we've brought these difficult circumstances to light, how do we hunt them? What tactics have been successful under these difficult circumstances, where it appears the bucks can smell any predator near them?

Good question SB, I was successful last year setting up downwind of the bed and thermal. Had some encounters in the past with a similar setup, knowing what the wind is doing and being able anticipate the thermal kicking in is huge.

After that it seems to get much harder, on some of these that are very difficult to hunt beds a guy might have to try a morning hunt and see if you can catch a buck coming back to bed late. Or waiting for a strong or stead wind could also help you beat the thermals. I've setup off to the side of a thermal or sometimes further back hoping the angle of the thermal keeps my scent away from the buck. Even if you mess up you can learn a lot by tossing a lot of milkweeds that last hour to see what is going on. A lot of times it might be setting up where they are not staging because you will surely get busted in the staging area, I wonder if a little calling could work. I've also thought about crossing upwind of the bedding area in hops of pushing their staging to an area that I have a chance to shoot them and beat the thermal.

[BassBoysLLP]

I'm with Palmetto... now that we've brought these difficult circumstances to light, how do we hunt them? What tactics have been successful under these difficult circumstances, where it appears the bucks can smell any predator near them?

Good question SB, I was successful last year setting up downwind of the bed and thermal. Had some encounters in the past with a similar setup, knowing what the wind is doing and being able anticipate the thermal kicking in is huge.

After that it seems to get much harder, on some of these that are very difficult to hunt beds a guy might have to try a morning hunt and see if you can catch a buck coming back to bed late. Or waiting for a strong or stead wind could also help you beat the thermals. I've setup off to the side of a thermal or sometimes further back hoping the angle of the thermal keeps my scent away from the buck. Even if you mess up you can learn a lot by tossing a lot of milkweeds that last hour to see what is going on. A lot of times it might be setting up where they are not staging because you will surely get busted in the staging area, I wonder if a little calling could work. I've also thought about crossing upwind of the bedding area in hops of pushing their staging to an area that I have a chance to shoot them and beat the thermal.

These headaches are very similar to mine. I'm generally patiently waiting just outside the sink hoping for a shot. Firepower really shines in these spots!

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[KLEMZ]

Or waiting for a strong or steady wind could also help you beat the thermals.

In my opinion, that is your answer to hunting spots like this. You need to wait for a wind direction that blows across a wide open area (open swamp or pond) before it hits the beds and your stand site. With less friction (hills or trees) to slow the wind, and perhaps a hill on either side of the beds to funnel and accelerate the wind (venturri effect) there will be a zone of consistent air flow (even on the gustiest of days), where you could put a stand. This will only work when the predicted wind is to continue thru the evening and into the night. If the wind calms down at dusk, this will not work. If the wind comes from any other direction than the black arrows, the terrain will affect it and cause it to swirl.
Yellow dot is stand site.
Black arrows is strong and steady wind (predicted 10-15+ mph into the night) needed to overcome thermals.

[stash59]

good stuff guys it's like being back in science class

[justin84]

Northwoods frost pocket example

Buck beds in red. Staging area in yellow.



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[ Post made via iPad ]


Any chance you still have this picture available?

[Thermals]

I call spots like this thermal bows and the Bucks no it is all most fool proof setup.

[ Post made via iPhone ]