Leeward huntnig

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BassBoysLLP
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Re: Leeward huntnig

Unread postby BassBoysLLP » Thu Oct 16, 2014 1:42 am

dan wrote:
Im thinking the wind has to be pretty strong for this to happen. A steady light wind, not so much.

It really don't take much... Without the wind vacuum thermals rise straight up... Drop milkweed and watch it follow the terrain up the hill. Thats vacuum.


Agreed 110%. The pressure drop is less, but it is still there.


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Re: Leeward huntnig

Unread postby mzldr2 » Thu Oct 16, 2014 9:00 am

Crazinamatese wrote:
PalmettoKid wrote:
dan wrote:
PLB wrote:
dan wrote:Wind speed can in some cases make the elevation height of travel vary slightly, but if anything, stonger winds make it even more likely they will be on the leeward side.

Agreed but the thermal affect won't be much if anything with winds that strong..

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image

Actually, a lot of the wind tunnel effect has nothing to do with thermals... A lot of it comes from vacuum created by the air speed above. and if its calm in the valley below the wind, you should still have good thermal rise to boot.


Yes. I have been saying this for a while, I noticed this before I came across this site and the 'thermal tunnel' concept. Higher wind speeds will pull air currents up the leeward side even at times when the thermals should be falling…

Think of how water flows around a river bend...


The wind going over a hill creates a friction layer that circulates the air back up the leeward hillside.
Image






What timing! I was going to post this question after my experience last night....same As photo. I picked a spot that I never hunted and was going to hunt Leeward side of hill based on SSE wind. When I arrived, wind was blowing 180 deg opposite. It was blowing UP the hill.

My question (and I apologize if it was answered, I stopped at this post) is how can you tell or be prepared for this circulation? From Topo Map? Does it always do this or does wind speed make a difference (last night was 10-12)

Also, if this occurs regularly, does that mean that a Buck will probably never use this side of hill because wind will never be coming down at his back?
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Re: Leeward huntnig

Unread postby mzldr2 » Thu Oct 16, 2014 9:10 am

As an example, here was the terrain I was hunting and approx area I was :


Image

Is there something telling that would indicate that S or SSE wind is going to roll back up the hill...
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Crazinamatese
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Re: Leeward huntnig

Unread postby Crazinamatese » Thu Oct 16, 2014 9:29 am

Reality is, wind tunnels, thermals, etc., are very hard to predict simply because air is something we cannot see, and there are so many variables to consider such as the shape of the terrain, temperature, wind speed, time of day, and elevation. A prevailing wind blowing over a ridge or hill puts pressure on the air on the leeward side. This also creates a line of friction that pulls air upward and creates a circulation that pushes air up the leeward slope. I firmly believe there has to be a strong wind to create this effect. Also, a strong prevailing wind is usually not constant. The wind speed is usually rising and falling. A day with sun shine, thermals do play a role of rapid rising of air parcels closer to the 1/3 elevation line. A day with no sun=no thermals. Any rising air on a sunless day is more likely dependent on strong enough wind to create enough friction to move that air upward. This is all my opinion on what I have researched on my own so far on this sort of topic.
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Re: Leeward huntnig

Unread postby Ridgerunner7 » Thu Oct 16, 2014 11:07 am

Do uou guys like to try to be just above the thermal tunnel, in it, or just under it? Which of these is best for undetection? I have good spot that is just at the tip of a deep drainage/draw. I questioned if I should be just above the trail high, or just below it lower. I chose about 20 yards above the trail as high as I could get. I got busted by a doe as she walked below me on leeward side just above the draw. Any input on this scenario??

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Re: Leeward huntnig

Unread postby dan » Thu Oct 16, 2014 8:45 pm

On a ridge side, I like to be just above the thermal tunnel... I try to get high enough to get in the wind stream, but ultimately, your scent will sometimes drift to where the deer are and is hard to control... Trick is to shoot them 1st chance you get.
The ideal set up is not on a ridges side though, if possible, I like to be at the top of a steep draw that has my wind blowing down the draw. As the deer funnel around the draw to where all the trails funnel together to go around, it often takes them out of the wind tunnel and allows you to hunt without getting winded...

I totally disagree that you need a strong wind to have thermals rise along the terrain and create a "wind tunnel"... I have hunted terrains like this most of my life and check each spot with milkweed. Even when it feels dead calm you can watch the milkweed follow the terrain up the hill till it gets to the point where it collides with the actual wind.
I will go on to say that I have even seen thermal/vacuum effect on tiny 10 foot high ridges in relativity flat land. I have stood in a slight valley and dropped milkweed at my feet and watched it suck up along the ground till it rises up the ridge to the wind current and at the same position dropped a milkweed head high and watched it shoot back the other direction. in the actual wind.


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