Wind accuracy

[Nepabowhunter28]

Anyone have a great go to app that is accurate for wind direction upon driving to the hunting spot? I have tried a few and usually get 3 different directions. I’ll check before heading into the spot with my milkweed and sometimes all 3 apps will be wrong…

[<DK>]

Huntstand and weather channel are the two I use. Huntstand being my go to but there's is only a 5 day forecast. Hunting hills and timber, I take those w a grain of salt. The key for me is checking it while scouting (even if its the wrong direction for a hunt), I have to hunt it to find out for sure and note it.

Different regions will deal w issues more than others. windyty.com shows a great illustration of that. Wind speed, past/future wind forecasts, elevation, terrain features and transition lines are factors that determine what happens in the spot.

I like to look at what the wind has been doing days leading up to and following the day of the hunt. If its been S wind for 3 days straight and a N wind is coming - I will likely see both N and S wind currents thru the evening. NW wind does not always mean NW. It can mean N & W wind currents.

There are spots I can completely cheat and there are spots I am still struggling to conquer. Iv learned some of the best big buck spots in the woods have tough wind conditions and may require the completely opposite wind direction than suspected.

[Boogieman1]

Yes! It’s called trial and error General direction is great to know. But hate to tell ya no app will ever be able to predict what air will do with the current vegetation, terrain in your specific area, as well as what problems the velocity will cause. That my friend takes time screwing the pooch!

[Ryan549]

The forecasted wind is NEVER correct at my home property. I have a spot between 2 ridges that run north and south. Took a bit to figure out that a West wind isn’t so…. I find that with some public around here too. I’ve gone to set up on a certain wind, but in the actual spot it is much different.

[brancher147]

You gotta learn what the wind is doing at your spots in relation to the forecast and actual wind. There are many variables and it takes years to get a handle on

[Dewey]

I’m surrounded by 400 foot wind turbines. Getting an instant/accurate wind direction is just outside my door. Then I fine tune with milkweed at my hunt location.

[buttonbuck]

Anyone have a great go to app that is accurate for wind direction upon driving to the hunting spot? I have tried a few and usually get 3 different directions. I’ll check before heading into the spot with my milkweed and sometimes all 3 apps will be wrong…

Download an app called Windfinder. Very accurate for general wind direction. If its going N 3hrs later S 3hr N 3 hr W then you know switch winds. Watch the weather fronts on wunderground as well.

[Jurist]

I got the windy.com app.

Just by scrolling on the timeline I can see how the wind will change from 7 AM to 7 PM. I found it to be very accurate. Gives you the windspeed direction all in a simple visual. Here’s a picture of what one of the screens looks like.

01705A78-2A5D-4DE8-A31C-6B473BBCBBDF.png

And you can put a little pin on the screen it will tell you what the speed of the wind is right at that spot, or at least their estimate of it.

I think it’s great for knowing how the wind will change in an area you’re hunting as time progresses so you may be able to use the wind to get into a place and then the wind will change right when you get there so it’s more advantageous for hunting. But it’s all a crapshoot, because you get a big pines and everything that are distorting so your wind is getting thrown good 1520 yards One Direction and I also need hooks to the left because the pines are catching the wind and sending it wherever. And that’s what the milkweed is for.

[Nepabowhunter28]

Huntstand and weather channel are the two I use. Huntstand being my go to but there's is only a 5 day forecast. Hunting hills and timber, I take those w a grain of salt. The key for me is checking it while scouting (even if its the wrong direction for a hunt), I have to hunt it to find out for sure and note it.

Different regions will deal w issues more than others. windyty.com shows a great illustration of that. Wind speed, past/future wind forecasts, elevation, terrain features and transition lines are factors that determine what happens in the spot.

I like to look at what the wind has been doing days leading up to and following the day of the hunt. If its been S wind for 3 days straight and a N wind is coming - I will likely see both N and S wind currents thru the evening. NW wind does not always mean NW. It can mean N & W wind currents.

There are spots I can completely cheat and there are spots I am still struggling to conquer. Iv learned some of the best big buck spots in the woods have tough wind conditions and may require the completely opposite wind direction than suspected.

Thanks that was super helpful information, I’ll keep all of that in mind.

[Adam B]

Well, hopefully you’re not like me.
I have no idea who decided the wind direction should be a reverse math problem like some common core math stuff they’re sending my kids home with, but when I was complaining about it always being dead wrong on weather I was informed of something that seems very odd to me.
If it says NE to me I thought that meant that the wind was blowing NE. Unfortunately that’s not correct lol. That means it’s coming out of the NE but actually blowing SW
The accuracy of weather went up about 90% after being informed of that.

[PK_]

You have to know what the wind does in the spot you want to hunt with the forecasted wind.

[<DK>]

If it says NE to me I thought that meant that the wind was blowing NE. Unfortunately that’s not correct lol. That means it’s coming out of the NE but actually blowing SW
The accuracy of weather went up about 90% after being informed of that.

That is a common mix up, a friend of mine just asked me that the other day too.

[DeadHeadSpread]

Wunderground app has served me well for hourly wind direction forecast and overall weather.