Wind related question. TN mountains

[jwilkstn]

There will be a thermal tunnel, very high. They will likely be bedded right at the top or bottom of the bluff, whichever gives them the better advantage and escape.

The entire hollow may have a constant rolling wind tunnel when the wind is really blowing. Sort of like your empty truck bed on the highway with the tailgate up.

Thanks for the insight.
I intend to spend way more time near the top third this year than I previously have and hope to recap my observations in the coming months. Based on extensive time spent hunting the lower half of such terrain I can say with certainty that any time there is any wind competing with the daily thermals I see constant swirling, back and forth and every direction on the map.

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[cdeam]

Within that 50 yards of the bluffs is the thermal tunnel. It might move depending on wind velocity and direction. Ive found the thermal tunnel higher or lower depending on changes in the degree of slope at different points. Pay attention to what the wind does throughout your hunt at various speeds. You may find a sweet spot (say 7 mph) where the wind behaves and cooperates with you. Remember those speeds and try to set up where the wind is almosy wrong for you and almost rigbt for the deer.

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[October's Assassin]

Here's another example of a similar area. Plateaus at the top with a bluff dropping off into a series of benches falling several hundred feet down to the valleys.


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yep most of my topo's look like that

[October's Assassin]

Within that 50 yards of the bluffs is the thermal tunnel. It might move depending on wind velocity and direction. Ive found the thermal tunnel higher or lower depending on changes in the degree of slope at different points. Pay attention to what the wind does throughout your hunt at various speeds. You may find a sweet spot (say 7 mph) where the wind behaves and cooperates with you. Remember those speeds and try to set up where the wind is almosy wrong for you and almost rigbt for the deer.

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so do you think the thermal tunnel is normal like hill country (updrafts meeting the wind coming over the top) ? Or could a thermal tunnel in this area be the updrafts coming up the mountain and hitting the bluff and churning around at the 50yd range from the bluff? does that make sense?

[dan]

Ok im gonna post a picture of an area i hunt. Its about 900 ft elevation change from the bottom to the top. All around the top is bluff (marked in red).
There cant be a normal thermal tunnel like hill country right?

Sure there is... Bigger scale though.

I believe most bucks bed up high within 50yds to the bluff.

If they are using wind and thermal combination, for sure.

Are they totally depending on rising thermals while in bed?

Totally? no... tHERMALS DON'T RISE THE WHOLE TIME THEY ARE BEDDED. I am no "mountain" expert, but some hills I have hunted come close to mountains in size. When they bed near the steap drop at the top, they are usually bedding leeward and using thermals. When they bed 1/2 way up they are usually on a terrain feature such as a bench, and often use a crosswind in conjunction with thermals.

Are they more dependent upon vision and hearing maybe?

In some bedding areas I am sure this is true... But any steep side hill bedding is usually playing somehow into wind currents.

[bowkill00]

Almost identical country to where I hunt. But here deer don't have a choice to bed on leeward side if wind is outa west. They bed on west side. East side of mtn is 80-90 miles to eastern side. But deer bed up at the top....right under the bluff rock wall. If you have access to the top of the beds...sneak up to the top, assuming the thermals can cover your access , and look off on established beds. I've killed several doing this. It's deadly. Good luck this season.

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[bowkill00]

Almost identical country to where I hunt. But here deer don't have a choice to bed on leeward side if wind is outa west. They bed on west side. East side of mtn is 80-90 miles to eastern side. But deer bed up at the top....right under the bluff rock wall. If you have access to the top of the beds...sneak up to the top, assuming the thermals can cover your access , and look off on established beds. I've killed several doing this. It's deadly. Good luck this season.

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[jwilkstn]

Totally? no... tHERMALS DON'T RISE THE WHOLE TIME THEY ARE BEDDED. I am no "mountain" expert, but some hills I have hunted come close to mountains in size. When they bed near the steap drop at the top, they are usually bedding leeward and using thermals. When they bed 1/2 way up they are usually on a terrain feature such as a bench, and often use a crosswind in conjunction with thermals.

Thanks for weighing in. Makes sense to me

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[jwilkstn]

Almost identical country to where I hunt. But here deer don't have a choice to bed on leeward side if wind is outa west. They bed on west side. East side of mtn is 80-90 miles to eastern side. But deer bed up at the top....right under the bluff rock wall. If you have access to the top of the beds...sneak up to the top, assuming the thermals can cover your access , and look off on established beds. I've killed several doing this. It's deadly. Good luck this season.

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Interesting. Have you known then to bed that tight to the bluffs in areas where the access is only from the top, though?

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[October's Assassin]

[quote="bowkill00"]Almost identical country to where I hunt. But here deer don't have a choice to bed on leeward side if wind is outa west. They bed on west side. East side of mtn is 80-90 miles to eastern side. But deer bed up at the top....right under the bluff rock wall. If you have access to the top of the beds...sneak up to the top, assuming the thermals can cover your access , and look off on established beds. I've killed several doing this. It's deadly. Good luck this season.

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So your saying come in from the top and peek over the bluff on them? I like that. Good idea

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[October's Assassin]

Thanks for everyone's input! It's all been helpful

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[jwilkstn]

I had a chance today to go out for a couple hours scouting an area near the map I posted earlier in this thread, and made it a point to specifically look for beds. What a difference knowledge and a clear goal makes! First I actually jumped a really nice buck out of his bed. Didn't get a great look at him, but a definite 3.5+ and shooter to me. I checked out his bed and it really didn't look like it was an often used one. Still, great knowledge. I proceeded on and got to the next area I had selected and found a classic example of a lone buck bed on the tip of a north-facing point that falls off sharply below with thick understory all around, the bluff to his W/SW,a draw to his E, and he could bed with a south wind and be unapproachable. Really cool. I followed the faint trails out of there and found where the one to the south J-hooks around and turns into his bed about 75 yards away. Picked out a perfect ambush tree and now to wait for a SW west wind one morning this fall.

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[October's Assassin]

I had a chance today to go out for a couple hours scouting an area near the map I posted earlier in this thread, and made it a point to specifically look for beds. What a difference knowledge and a clear goal makes! First I actually jumped a really nice buck out of his bed. Didn't get a great look at him, but a definite 3.5+ and shooter to me. I checked out his bed and it really didn't look like it was an often used one. Still, great knowledge. I proceeded on and got to the next area I had selected and found a classic example of a lone buck bed on the tip of a north-facing point that falls off sharply below with thick understory all around, the bluff to his W/SW,a draw to his E, and he could bed with a south wind and be unapproachable. Really cool. I followed the faint trails out of there and found where the one to the south J-hooks around and turns into his bed about 75 yards away. Picked out a perfect ambush tree and now to wait for a SW west wind one morning this fall.

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Very nice! Could you post a topo showing where the deer bed was and possibly all trails. That would be very informative

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[October's Assassin]

Also the buck you jumped, was he bedded there for a specific wind? Did you have any milk weed to check wind?

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[jwilkstn]

Where I hunt is big mountain terrain, so the subtle terrain at the top of this big cove isn't highlighted as well as it is in person when you walk it out, but here is a topo with 20' contours of the awesome bed I found.

http://s40.photobucket.com/user/jwilker ... ml?filters[user]=14081147&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=1

The tip of that icon is the bed. The point faces north more than the map shows, with that spring originating to the east of the bed. My cell phone pic doesn't do it justice, but the bed was off the flat top of the point in thick undergrowth. One single cleared spot with droppings and a few hairs. Not as many hairs as I've seen later in fall/winter/spring, but a definite buck bed nonetheless. To the east is an old salt lick from the days when this was private land. There is a faint trail leading to it. To the south is a faint trail with several prior year rubs. I selected a stand tree 75 yards or so south weber the trail curls to the east and down the bluff.
Here's a (lousy) pic of the bed itself

http://s40.photobucket.com/user/jwilker ... ml?filters[user]=14081147&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=0

Doesn't do it justice, but the terrain falls off sharp on 3 sides and the understory is thick in the immediate area.

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