cameras eye

Another great idea, Tominator. Until I tried this method of testing the wind currents, I never realized just how easy those currents change. Enjoy the Hunt!

Each of us brings to this forum our experiences and things we've learned from others. I've been hunting for over forty years and still enjoy conversing with fellow hunters and hearing of their experiences, for through our talks we all pick up tid-bits we can use in future hunts. Question, how can we gain the best knowledge on wind direction. I've seen the recent hunting shows on TV. Most all of the hunters use a small puff sprayer which sprays a small amount of powder into the air. From the ground, it will show a hunter the wind direction at their present elevation. But what about the tree stand hunter? I have found wind currents can differ depending on elevation and the topography at ground level. The powder sprayer will tell me what the wind direction is at my elevation in my tree stand, but will not always tell me what changes are present at ground level. What I've been using for over thirty years is simple to put together and extremely inexpensive. I now carry a small 35 mm. film canister packed with cotton balls. When I get into my tree, and several times throughout my hunt, I'll check wind direction and the thermal conditions. The wind velocity will determine how much of the cotton fibers I use, but in all tests, I simply remove a small amount of cotton fibers and release them into the wind. The white fibers are easy to follow for long distances and they tell me two very important things: 1) They show me if there are any wind direction changes at ground level and where those changes are and 2) The fibers either rise or fall as they travel. This tells me the present thermal conditions of the wind currents. (Is my scent rising over or falling to the buck in front of me). In mountainous areas and especially tree stands, knowing this can be especially valuable. The idea came to me when I was a member of the "Stump Sitters" some thirty years ago. I recently saw a marketed product using the same idea. But Hey, for less than a buck, anyone can have and use what I call the Thermal Windicator. Give it a try. I hope it helps your hunt!