Milkweed Weight VS Scent Weight - Opinions Needed

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Re: Milkweed Weight VS Scent Weight - Opinions Needed

Unread postby Bonedoc » Sun Mar 17, 2019 1:44 am

I bought a bulk pack of white maribou at the local craft store for a few bucks and trimmed the downy fibers off the bottom of each stem to use in place of milkweed. I think it works just as good, and one bag should provide years of use. The idea of using milkweed to monitor wind direction was an eye opener for me. Thanks Beast Forum and Dan for the info.


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Re: Milkweed Weight VS Scent Weight - Opinions Needed

Unread postby KRONIIK » Sun Mar 17, 2019 2:48 am

Wolfshead wrote:I set up on the east side of a corn field with my Brother In-law on the other side about 500 yards away.
To check the wind after i set up I let go some milkweed.
After the hunt my Brother In-law told me he had milkweed fluffs floating to him from the field.....


I've released dyed marabou from height on stand after getting it setup, and watched it float away in the direction I expected it to, only to have it drift right past me from upwind an hour or more later!
I surmised that it had drifted on the wind in a HUGE circle around a bank of wooded hills in the distance.
Subsequent observations confirmed this phenomenon.

I wasn't really setup "downwind" of the beds afterall, once I got the BIG picture!

I didn't change my setup though; I think my scent would have dispersed almost completely after travelling that far (?)
Thoughts (?)
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Re: Milkweed Weight VS Scent Weight - Opinions Needed

Unread postby Lockdown » Sun Mar 17, 2019 11:04 am

dan wrote:
elk yinzer wrote:
Longbowwally wrote:Thanks elk yinzer for relating your experiences...

I hadn't thought of using smoke or soap bubbles as a comparison to milkweed - great idea.....


It just came to me one day when I was playing outside with my 2 year old daughter who loves bubbles. The bubbles were basically suspended in air, zero wind whatsoever. Then I grabbed some milkweed that was right in the garage. It dropped slowly to the ground. Then I decided smoke would be the ultimate test so I did that and the smoke rose which made sense since thermals should have been rising. This was just a quick observation on my driveway, nothing overly scientific.

Did you remove the seed? I have not compared, but I envisioned bubbles to be much heavier...As far as smoke goes, I did test wind currents with that and found that the smoke is heated by a lit smoke bomb and therefore rises un-naturally cause its lighter than the colder air.


As always, there’s a lot to think about. Blowing bubbles with exhaled lung air means the air inside it is warm. Maybe as warm as 98 degrees...

One the other hand the bubbles could have been produced by a bubble blowing machine. Which means the temp in the bubble is the same as the air temp.

I can see how the difference in the two would produce differences in rise/fall of the bubble.
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Re: Milkweed Weight VS Scent Weight - Opinions Needed

Unread postby dan » Sun Mar 17, 2019 3:03 pm

Lockdown wrote:
dan wrote:
elk yinzer wrote:
Longbowwally wrote:Thanks elk yinzer for relating your experiences...

I hadn't thought of using smoke or soap bubbles as a comparison to milkweed - great idea.....


It just came to me one day when I was playing outside with my 2 year old daughter who loves bubbles. The bubbles were basically suspended in air, zero wind whatsoever. Then I grabbed some milkweed that was right in the garage. It dropped slowly to the ground. Then I decided smoke would be the ultimate test so I did that and the smoke rose which made sense since thermals should have been rising. This was just a quick observation on my driveway, nothing overly scientific.

Did you remove the seed? I have not compared, but I envisioned bubbles to be much heavier...As far as smoke goes, I did test wind currents with that and found that the smoke is heated by a lit smoke bomb and therefore rises un-naturally cause its lighter than the colder air.


As always, there’s a lot to think about. Blowing bubbles with exhaled lung air means the air inside it is warm. Maybe as warm as 98 degrees...

One the other hand the bubbles could have been produced by a bubble blowing machine. Which means the temp in the bubble is the same as the air temp.

I can see how the difference in the two would produce differences in rise/fall of the bubble.

I just went back to my facebook page and found the video of me blowing bubbles when it was 25 below -0- All the bubbles went straight up. Must be the heat of the breath. Not like thats normal temp variance between breath and air though. Here is a link: https://www.facebook.com/HuntingBeast/p ... 27?__xts__[0]=68.ARAD2H3kbYuQnj45mDLjEb0PclOtr_N4b6DQLUeHsB4ZB3xbK8KaDomWi_LR63T021PB7Jn7pDI1sbzBmUXhPxE5dv2pDjW47KO72-bfnCnFHk-iBGkVOSB_U791udP4FAkz-lNVEuvISqJMGlyoVhCKRxTedQiNDbjuZQ2tgjtDbnSkiQrzk56-_tXgy8LjmhxXDc2UrXo54Qz0gMwK88VRVBLmG9fUKqgKWgzBA1P8diCFcVaFZPdh3sxjSUNZwIJXPJa1K2Qh7NjeUOgAPWSNL9sQ57fj77NdYNRZmzme7WxYLcFqAQDmqttFzgp9O_ARXHf-QkKEuygwu5IO3x7Bvo762nig&__tn__=C-R
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Re: Milkweed Weight VS Scent Weight - Opinions Needed

Unread postby Lockdown » Sun Mar 17, 2019 8:48 pm

dan wrote:
Lockdown wrote:
dan wrote:
elk yinzer wrote:
Longbowwally wrote:Thanks elk yinzer for relating your experiences...

I hadn't thought of using smoke or soap bubbles as a comparison to milkweed - great idea.....


It just came to me one day when I was playing outside with my 2 year old daughter who loves bubbles. The bubbles were basically suspended in air, zero wind whatsoever. Then I grabbed some milkweed that was right in the garage. It dropped slowly to the ground. Then I decided smoke would be the ultimate test so I did that and the smoke rose which made sense since thermals should have been rising. This was just a quick observation on my driveway, nothing overly scientific.

Did you remove the seed? I have not compared, but I envisioned bubbles to be much heavier...As far as smoke goes, I did test wind currents with that and found that the smoke is heated by a lit smoke bomb and therefore rises un-naturally cause its lighter than the colder air.


As always, there’s a lot to think about. Blowing bubbles with exhaled lung air means the air inside it is warm. Maybe as warm as 98 degrees...

One the other hand the bubbles could have been produced by a bubble blowing machine. Which means the temp in the bubble is the same as the air temp.

I can see how the difference in the two would produce differences in rise/fall of the bubble.

I just went back to my facebook page and found the video of me blowing bubbles when it was 25 below -0- All the bubbles went straight up. Must be the heat of the breath. Not like thats normal temp variance between breath and air though. Here is a link: https://www.facebook.com/HuntingBeast/p ... 27?__xts__[0]=68.ARAD2H3kbYuQnj45mDLjEb0PclOtr_N4b6DQLUeHsB4ZB3xbK8KaDomWi_LR63T021PB7Jn7pDI1sbzBmUXhPxE5dv2pDjW47KO72-bfnCnFHk-iBGkVOSB_U791udP4FAkz-lNVEuvISqJMGlyoVhCKRxTedQiNDbjuZQ2tgjtDbnSkiQrzk56-_tXgy8LjmhxXDc2UrXo54Qz0gMwK88VRVBLmG9fUKqgKWgzBA1P8diCFcVaFZPdh3sxjSUNZwIJXPJa1K2Qh7NjeUOgAPWSNL9sQ57fj77NdYNRZmzme7WxYLcFqAQDmqttFzgp9O_ARXHf-QkKEuygwu5IO3x7Bvo762nig&__tn__=C-R


It's interesting to watch, Dan. Notice how your breath that doesn't end up in a bubble rises much faster, and also several bubbles rise quick but then suspend. I'm sure its due to your breath in the bubble cooling as it rises. "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction".

I've thought about this many times on very cold late season hunts... "How is it that a deer can smell me when my body is 98 degrees and its below zero outside. My scent should rise fast like my breath." - I can tell everyone right now there's more to it than that.

In my mind milkweed is the most accurate indicator out there, but I don't think it's 100% apples to apples. Scent stream... yet another of the puzzle pieces to ponder ;)
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Re: Milkweed Weight VS Scent Weight - Opinions Needed

Unread postby PK_ » Sun Mar 17, 2019 10:22 pm

This was my very first thought when Ozonics showed that wind floater hitting the deer. My thoughts were confirmed when dan did the same things with 0 scent control. My thoughts are the actual human scent streams were slightly higher. But I could be wrong.

Doesn’t matter. I will still use milkweed and refuse to worry about scent control.
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Re: Milkweed Weight VS Scent Weight - Opinions Needed

Unread postby dan » Mon Mar 18, 2019 1:01 am

PK_ wrote:This was my very first thought when Ozonics showed that wind floater hitting the deer. My thoughts were confirmed when dan did the same things with 0 scent control. My thoughts are the actual human scent streams were slightly higher. But I could be wrong.

Doesn’t matter. I will still use milkweed and refuse to worry about scent control.

I just honestly believe that some deer don't care that your there. I have had so many deer show a little reaction like stop, sniff the air, then look right at you, and then go back to feeding that its pretty obvious we get smelled a lot more than we think.
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Re: Milkweed Weight VS Scent Weight - Opinions Needed

Unread postby KRONIIK » Mon Mar 18, 2019 4:47 am

dan wrote:
PK_ wrote:This was my very first thought when Ozonics showed that wind floater hitting the deer. My thoughts were confirmed when dan did the same things with 0 scent control. My thoughts are the actual human scent streams were slightly higher. But I could be wrong.

Doesn’t matter. I will still use milkweed and refuse to worry about scent control.

I just honestly believe that some deer don't care that your there. I have had so many deer show a little reaction like stop, sniff the air, then look right at you, and then go back to feeding that its pretty obvious we get smelled a lot more than we think.


I agree, and that segment of one of your videos in which the milkweed lands on the deer's nose confirms it.

Maybe your main scent stream flowed the same as the milkweed, maybe most of it floated a little higher and went over the deer.
But you picked that milkweed tuft out of the pod and released it with your bare fingers.
Your scent was on the tuft that landed on the deer's nose.

He smelled you, but didn't care.
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Re: Milkweed Weight VS Scent Weight - Opinions Needed

Unread postby Longbowwally » Mon Mar 18, 2019 5:34 am

I think, notice I said I think lol, that deer can tell the difference between fresh human scent and scent from a human from several hours ago. It only makes sense to me that must be the case or else deer would be freaking out all the time from old and new human scent... I would imagine that they can tell the difference in 'age' of scent from the 'intensity' of it...i.e...fresh human scent would smell stronger than hours old scent...

So, I wonder if when deer don't react to what you know is your scent blowing to them that maybe they are not getting the full 'intensity' of the scent for some reason and think its not a current threat.....Like when you see a deer following the path you walked to your tree but at a curiosity level instead of blowing out of there - maybe they aren't getting a strong scent due to wearing rubber boots or whatever reason - whereas sometimes in the same situation they cross your walking path and blow out of there like they've been shot at.....At least in my mind this makes sense but I'm not sure if thats right....

Fun things to ponder.....
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Re: Milkweed Weight VS Scent Weight - Opinions Needed

Unread postby PK_ » Mon Mar 18, 2019 7:27 am

KRONIIK wrote:
dan wrote:
PK_ wrote:This was my very first thought when Ozonics showed that wind floater hitting the deer. My thoughts were confirmed when dan did the same things with 0 scent control. My thoughts are the actual human scent streams were slightly higher. But I could be wrong.

Doesn’t matter. I will still use milkweed and refuse to worry about scent control.

I just honestly believe that some deer don't care that your there. I have had so many deer show a little reaction like stop, sniff the air, then look right at you, and then go back to feeding that its pretty obvious we get smelled a lot more than we think.


I agree, and that segment of one of your videos in which the milkweed lands on the deer's nose confirms it.

Maybe your main scent stream flowed the same as the milkweed, maybe most of it floated a little higher and went over the deer.
But you picked that milkweed tuft out of the pod and released it with your bare fingers.
Your scent was on the tuft that landed on the deer's nose.

He smelled you, but didn't care.

Good point. I do agree. Because I know for a fact it happens with ground scent.
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Re: Milkweed Weight VS Scent Weight - Opinions Needed

Unread postby Bigb » Tue Mar 19, 2019 9:02 am

I recently thought about milkweed and the weight of my scent as well. I know milkweed us extremely light with almost no weight but I feel so is scent. Now I just use as little milkweed as possible for the situation. If I'm in a stand where I can't see more than 50 yards, I just use enough to see it go that far. If I can see a ways, I'll use a few small pieces and if I can't track them, I'll get a big bigger piece. I personally like to use as little as possible at hope it reacts closer to what my scent molecules would do. Again, that's just me sitting in a tree and thinking when nothing is going on and try to reason with myself that would be better when I toss milkweed. lol. I see people on the beast FB page that say they use 10 pods a year, I would have to be constantly throwing milkweed all day long on all my hunts to go through that much!
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Re: Milkweed Weight VS Scent Weight - Opinions Needed

Unread postby elk yinzer » Wed Mar 20, 2019 3:05 am

dan wrote:
elk yinzer wrote:
Longbowwally wrote:Thanks elk yinzer for relating your experiences...

I hadn't thought of using smoke or soap bubbles as a comparison to milkweed - great idea.....


It just came to me one day when I was playing outside with my 2 year old daughter who loves bubbles. The bubbles were basically suspended in air, zero wind whatsoever. Then I grabbed some milkweed that was right in the garage. It dropped slowly to the ground. Then I decided smoke would be the ultimate test so I did that and the smoke rose which made sense since thermals should have been rising. This was just a quick observation on my driveway, nothing overly scientific.

Did you remove the seed? I have not compared, but I envisioned bubbles to be much heavier... As far as smoke goes, I did test wind currents with that and found that the smoke is heated by a lit smoke bomb and therefore rises un-naturally cause its lighter than the colder air.


No, I never toss it with the seeds. I have noticed some variability in milkweed depending how compressed or essentially how beat up it gets in my pockets. It may not have been perfect, fluffy milkweed with the fresh parachute shape. In the end it's just an observation and I don't think it really matters, milkweed is a better, more practical representation than anything else we can take in the woods to gauge the wind currents.
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Re: Milkweed Weight VS Scent Weight - Opinions Needed

Unread postby Wetfoot » Wed Mar 20, 2019 3:13 am

DaveT1963 wrote:I spent my entire life without a single addiction (outside whitetail hunting) and then Dan and HB comes along.

Hi my name is David and I am addicted to milkweed.

That is all.

Yeah, my wife has a few choice words for Dan (regarding my hunting obsession ala Beast), Lol. Yet, she does sit down and listen when I'm watching some new u tube content. (She grew up in a hunting family and enjoys knowing more than dad and brothers, I expect)!!! :lol:
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Re: Milkweed Weight VS Scent Weight - Opinions Needed

Unread postby dan » Wed Mar 20, 2019 5:18 am

Wetfoot wrote:
DaveT1963 wrote:I spent my entire life without a single addiction (outside whitetail hunting) and then Dan and HB comes along.

Hi my name is David and I am addicted to milkweed.

That is all.

Yeah, my wife has a few choice words for Dan (regarding my hunting obsession ala Beast), Lol. Yet, she does sit down and listen when I'm watching some new u tube content. (She grew up in a hunting family and enjoys knowing more than dad and brothers, I expect)!!! :lol:

Surprisingly, your wife ain't the 1st to use those words in reference to me! :lol:


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