Wind!

[Dusty]

I ran out of my beloved smoke in a bottle this year part of the way through a 2-3 day spike out. “No worries” I think as I drop my pack to dig out my backup. After about ten minutes of rummaging through my pack like a burrowing mole then a complete yard sale I was slapped in the face with the reality that it wasn’t in there. I won’t say there were tears, but I can’t say there weren’t either!
I feel pretty naked without it. Never again will the smoke in a bottle tragedy of ’23 repeat itself… never again.

 

[EastHumboldt]

After five days in a wilderness camp with no shower, scent control is out the window. One time my kid stuck his head in the tent and said “Whoo… smells like smoked butthole in here”.

Even for rifle hunters wind is super important.

 

[Cedarsavage]

Come hunt the wet side, you won't need the wind checker because it'll tell you something different every 10 seconds

You can see 30 yds and the elk spook at 60 yds thanks to the constant swirly winds. Very frustrating! I'd rather hunt spikes on the east side at this point.

Sounds a lot like upper Michigan. Wind is always swirling here

 

[Bluegrassvw]

So true. I knew nothing about the "wind" until I started bowhunting elk in the mountains. Since I've started that endeavor, I no longer practice "scent control" for deer hunting. I play the wind. My deer success and sightings have went up considerably.

Same

 

[huntingaddiction]

I ran out of my beloved smoke in a bottle this year part of the way through a 2-3 day spike out. “No worries” I think as I drop my pack to dig out my backup. After about ten minutes of rummaging through my pack like a burrowing mole then a complete yard sale I was slapped in the face with the reality that it wasn’t in there. I won’t say there were tears, but I can’t say there weren’t either!
I feel pretty naked without it. Never again will the smoke in a bottle tragedy of ’23 repeat itself… never again.

That's never good. I definitely would feel the same way without it. It amazes me how often I am wrong about which way it is blowing. If you have a positive direction you can play the wind a lot closer too. We stayed on a bull for 4 hours this year and on multiple occasions he was probably within 20 yards of catching our wind. Thanks to smoke in a bottle we can play it a lot differently.

 

[huntingaddiction]

After five days in a wilderness camp with no shower, scent control is out the window. One time my kid stuck his head in the tent and said “Whoo… smells like smoked butthole in here”.

Even for rifle hunters wind is super important.

I guess that is my point...a lot of gun hunters never even consider the wind, but once you have archery hunted, you know how important it is. I have found a lot more success with all weapon types by playing the wind.

 

[LVaughn]

This year has been decent as I tagged an archery buck and muzzy cow elk in WA. With that said, I have spent a ton of time in the field and have observed some other hunters and it really surprises me when I see some of the tactics.

I will say, I grew up muzzleloader hunting and never really thought about the wind until about 10 years ago when I picked up a bow. I really didn't think about then until I was out hunting with a buddy one day and he had wind checker. Hunting changed for me that day and my success rate is much higher.

As an example, this last weekend, a couple buddies and I got on a herd early Sunday morning. The wind was pretty good and we had a spike with 5 cows coming our way right at daylight. This was perfect, we were about 100 yards from the truck and one buddy had a cow tag while the other needed to shoot a spike. They were on a trail that passed about 75 yard up the hill from us and our wind was perfect. At 379 yards I felt the wind hit the back of our neck and the elk stopped, stuck their noses in the air, then turned and ran the other direction. Those elk smelled us from 379 yards away.

Another example, when I killed my cow this year I elected to get the wind in my favor and come up on the elk. I ended up closing the distance even though the elk could see me, because they never smelled me. Another hunter made a comment as they had watched me kill her, he asked how I had got that close. It was simple, I had kept the wind in my favor, the same guy had elected to sit higher in the canyons and when those elk were coming up, they could smell him. They all ended up coming back down to the bottom and going up another canyon.

I have watched guys push elk with the wind blowing the wrong direction. I have had guys cut between a bull and I this year in Montana with the wind blowing the wrong direction. It never works out having the wind at your back.

The reason I bring it up? If you are hunting hard putting in the miles and still having a hard time finding success, check the wind. It might just be that key detail that will bring you success. I don't care how many scent eliminators or cover ups you use. If the wind is blowing towards them, they can smel advice

 

[ReaptheHeat]

Plenty of guys (easily a dozen groups) up high on the ridge near me in the morning as the wind comes downhill. It shifts a few hours after first light uphill. I have to wonder what's going through their head

 

[LVaughn]

This year has been decent as I tagged an archery buck and muzzy cow elk in WA. With that said, I have spent a ton of time in the field and have observed some other hunters and it really surprises me when I see some of the tactics.

I will say, I grew up muzzleloader hunting and never really thought about the wind until about 10 years ago when I picked up a bow. I really didn't think about then until I was out hunting with a buddy one day and he had wind checker. Hunting changed for me that day and my success rate is much higher.

As an example, this last weekend, a couple buddies and I got on a herd early Sunday morning. The wind was pretty good and we had a spike with 5 cows coming our way right at daylight. This was perfect, we were about 100 yards from the truck and one buddy had a cow tag while the other needed to shoot a spike. They were on a trail that passed about 75 yard up the hill from us and our wind was perfect. At 379 yards I felt the wind hit the back of our neck and the elk stopped, stuck their noses in the air, then turned and ran the other direction. Those elk smelled us from 379 yards away.

Another example, when I killed my cow this year I elected to get the wind in my favor and come up on the elk. I ended up closing the distance even though the elk could see me, because they never smelled me. Another hunter made a comment as they had watched me kill her, he asked how I had got that close. It was simple, I had kept the wind in my favor, the same guy had elected to sit higher in the canyons and when those elk were coming up, they could smell him. They all ended up coming back down to the bottom and going up another canyon.

I have watched guys push elk with the wind blowing the wrong direction. I have had guys cut between a bull and I this year in Montana with the wind blowing the wrong direction. It never works out having the wind at your back.

The reason I bring it up? If you are hunting hard putting in the miles and still having a hard time finding success, check the wind. It might just be that key detail that will bring you success. I don't care how many scent eliminators or cover ups you use. If the wind is blowing towards them, they can smell you!

Great advice

 

[Jaquomo]

The "hunt all day" guys who bowhunt have no idea how many elk they spook. There are places where the wind blows consistently throughout the day, and it's possible. But in the NoCo mountains it starts mixing up around 9:30 and may not settle until the sun drops behind the mountain to the west. Yet guys hunt in this swirling mess because they read or saw a video of someone doing it somewhere and having success. We used to have a wind sock in front of our camp, and it tied itself in knots every day.

I stay away from elk when the wind is bad. I would rather hunt elk than continually hunt FOR elk.

 

[huntingaddiction]

No wind would make it easier. Swirling wind is the worst.

I don't think no wind would be helpful. That would only enhance their hearing. It just surprises me how many people don't even think about the wind. I guess it shouldn't as I grew up never once thinking about the wind. I also shot does most years as a kid and now I pretty consistently shoot decent bucks. Don't get me wrong, I'm not shooting giants, I could never hold out long enough to do that and my goal is to fil my freezer every year.

 

[CMS829]

No wind would make it easier. Swirling wind is the worst.

In my experience, no wind at all.. like dead calm....makes for a very quiet day with little critter movement. Maybe thats just me.

I have a high location I am STILL trying to figure out since September. I am 100% convinced that these bulls are in his spot precisely because the winds are all over the place 99% of the time. Its like they get a 360 degree protection blanket. There's no good way to get to them without getting busted,

 

[Hnthrdr]

One of my favorite quotes is: elk will hear you twice, see you twice, but only smell you once.

They are much more tolerant of disturbances but when they catch your scent, game over

 

[Ross]

Wind=

 

[Bigborealaska]

The wind will give you up in a hot second. Bad thing is it carries so if the animal is 10 feet away or 200 you're likely blown.