Wind patterns

[tmarbut]

Something that has baffled me over and over have been wind patterns. I will give an example....

Lets say a weather forecast shows 3 upcoming days of east winds, followed by one day of west winds, then it shifts back to east winds again. If I am waiting for a good west wind, I question whether or not to count on that west wind to be consistent enough to burn a stand over. If it is shifty, I could really screw up the area.

My question: is it better to wait for a more consistent west wind or do I roll the dice and hit the woods now?
What would you do?

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[Bowhunter4life]

I would look at wind speed the day they are calling for a west wind. If it's a light west wind say 2 or 3 mph it could be variable. Stronger west winds like say 8 to 10 mph tend to be more consistent. I would personally not want to chance one of my better location on a light and variable wind. Terrain often dictates the wind too. Hill country can make the wind do some funny things as apposed to flat land

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[cdeam]

Look at the weather. Low pressure systems present with counter clockwise wind shifts as they move into an area. High pressure, clockwise. So if you have a SW wind today and a low pressure system is forecasted to come in the next few days, you can expect wind shifts to the S, SE, NE, NW, etc. as it moves through.

Light variable winds will be shifty in hill country, regardless of weather systems. Thermals and terrain can create vacuum effects as the wind changes speed. Sorta like Venturis.

The best bet is to hunt a wind with the expectation it may only be consistent within so many degrees. Therefore, continue to throw out seeds to monitor it. If it gets really bad, move. If it's only kinda bad, it's up to you. Have fun! And remember, you might think your wind has blown an area out and still have deer come from that direction. Thermals can surprise you in good ways, too!

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