Milkweed Weight VS Scent Weight - Opinions Needed

[Longbowwally]

I was watching Dan and Mario's youtube video '2017 Season in Review'.
Dan mentioned he had milkweed that went straight to the deers back so he knew they smelled him but just didn't react.

This thought of Dan's brought to mind something I've wondered about and would like to hear opinions as I'm not a scientist and am just relating my thoughts from a redneck common sense angle lol ....

*** It would seem to me that milkweed is heavier than our scent molecules, and so while milkweed would show wind direction and thermal tendencies, it would drift lower quicker than our scent molecules...***

What are your thoughts on that....

[dan]

Sounds like your having a hard time realizing scent control don't work... Have you tried milkweed? The reason we use it is cause once the seed is removed it is almost weightless. Its puffed out natural design just follows the air current and any one whom has put any kind of attempt into using milkweed and watching how it follows air currents will tell you the same. I have also watched milkweed flow away from me take a 90 degree turn and predict right exactly where deer will show a reaction. I and others can chime in have also hunted out of trees and watched milkweed gradually drop to ground level and the deer under my tree and under the milkweed don't smell me, but the ones where the milkweed gets to there head level do... I have had deer directly down wind at ground level show no reaction as well.... If you really want to see my results look at my 2017 journal. At the end I charted how many deer got down wind, how many reacted, etc... There were some hardcore scent control people who did the same and had worse results getting spooked deer more often than me, and I where the same clothes everyday and rarely wash my hunting clothes, wear work boots and tennis shoes on a lot of hunts as well...

[Longbowwally]

Thanks Dan for the reply - I was hoping you would respond as I respect your opinions...

I do use milkweed - more this past season than previous seasons- and this past season I focused more on wind direction and thermals in my hunting - this past season I did not use any scent control sprays as I have for many years - and found no difference in deer reaction to my ground scent than when I used the scent sprays - thanks for opening my eyes to that....I do wear muck boots I use only for hunting and also keep my clothes in airtight containers - but that's it for scent control....

I'm not doubting yours and others experiences by any means, but was just throwing out a thought - like I said I'm not a scientist and am just using redneck common sense for most of my thoughts lol ....I love thinking about these types of things as I'm always trying to improve on my hunting....

Hope this clears up where I'm coming from with my thoughts....

[elk yinzer]

Agree...and it's saying nothing relative to scent control. I've done side by side comparisons of milkweed, smoke, and soap bubbles on a calm day. Milkweed is by far the heaviest of the 3. It's a good approximation, but it's not perfect.

[Longbowwally]

Thanks elk yinzer for relating your experiences...

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

[elk yinzer]

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.

[DaveT1963]

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.

[Longbowwally]

David thats pretty funny lol .....

I like to keep an open mind about things as there's always something to learn.....Which is why I started this thread - i.e. Dans experience with milkweed going to the deer but they not smelling him or at least not reacting to his scent....I guess I just have a curious mind and wanted to understand why that happened...

I love milk weed too...It's taught me a lot about wind, thermals and terrains effect on them....

[NYBackcountry]

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.

I agree, on all fronts. One episode of Wired to Hunt I keep downloaded and listen to frequently is episode 243 with Ryan Furrer. Lots of discussion on how pressure effects thermals, those dead calm blue bird days. They also touch setting up smoke from a tree stand or a generally confusing/difficult to hunt area. It also got me thinking more about being cautious of all day sits based on the conditions.

[hambone]

I remember an old Paul Brunner video, where he set off smoke bombs from his stands in the off season to follow thermals and swirling wind currents. The video was pretty revealing for back then. Surely, milkweed weighs more than scent molecules. But unless they are "Pigpen" nobody can see their scent molecules. For hunting situations, I've yet to find anything that trumps milk weed as a windicator.

[dan]

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.

[brancher147]

I have watched a very light fog lift with rising thermals. I could see the fog very well as the sun had just crested the ridge. The fog right in front of me was doing different things than my milkweed. And I am sure scent is lighter than milkweed or fog. But milkweed is definitely the best indicator we have.

[KRONIIK]

That's why I carry both milkweed AND a butane lighter.

(I set the milkweed on fire before letting go of it!)
Helps to see it in low light, too.



Just kidding-don't go burning your marshes down, Guys!

[greenhorndave]

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.

I once lost my stash on the way from the truck to woods and I went through junkie-like withdrawals.

I was only saved by the few pods I found on a fence line.

[Wolfshead]

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.....