Figured out something about scent control down south.

[Cajunshooter]

I just noticed something over the past two weekends that I never realized before. I think this could make a significant difference in what some of us are accomplishing with our scent control techniques and what some of us aren’t.

Last year I started (because of you great guys) dropping milk weed, when I’m headed out to my spot and when I get there and once I get in the tree.

Most of the time I do this, the milkweed will slowing start to drift downward and somewhat head in the direction of the wind but often it would change directions several times. No matter what it would hit the ground or a bush fairly quick.

So this weekend and last weekend and around the same time last year, I notice that the milkweed almost immediately goes straight up and quickly takes off with the wind, in exactly the direction I would expect it to.

Also I’ve noticed the deer coming in seem to have no idea I’m there and are perfectly calm.

This has got to be because of the consistently higher barometeric pressure and dryer air conditions. Also that we now have a pretty persistent steady wind, rather than the normal blow and calm, blow and calm that we usually have.

So now I know that this is an absolute change from the first 3/4 of our season. Unfortunately these weather conditions leave me only a few weeks left of hunting.

What I’m now beginning to wonder is if this isn’t the main reason that some hunters seem to get so much better results from their “scent control” methods. I do a lot for scent control (I’m not going into all of that) but I have never thought any of it worked. Over the last two weeks I would swear on a stack of bibles that I now have my scent control figured out. Now I’m starting to think that I have in years past screwed up my hunting grounds by hunting when the weather conditions weren’t what they are at this time of year. So does that mean I should just wait until this time of year to hunt?

I think if you are hunting in the Midwest/northern states you probably have a lot more likely success with what you are doing for scent control than we do down here in the south. I am really starting to wonder what to do about all of this. That’s all I have to say about that.


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[flinginairos]

I think you nailed it. I notice the same exact thing. On those days where the milkweed just kinda sinks slowly I try to setup where the deer will come from my level or a little higher so my scent stream is dropping below them. It’s much like the falling thermal in the evening, but like you said it has a little more variability in its direction. Whether you practice scent control or not I think it’s worth knowing and observing these types of things.


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[Cajunshooter]

I think you nailed it. I notice the same exact thing. On those days where the milkweed just kinda sinks slowly I try to setup where the deer will come from my level or a little higher so my scent stream is dropping below them. It’s much like the falling thermal in the evening, but like you said it has a little more variability in its direction. Whether you practice scent control or not I think it’s worth knowing and observing these types of things.


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Well that’s the other problem down here. There are no different levels. It’s pretty much all one level, thick, high humidity, and practically no wind or swirling wind, almost all season.


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[bigjoe]

Living in Va., a lot of times early season would be 80 degrees + high level of humidity. I could not imagine hunting in Louisiana, Ala, Ga etc. for early season.


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[swampsnyper]

Well that’s the other problem down here. There are no different levels. It’s pretty much all one level, thick, high humidity, and practically no wind or swirling wind, almost all season.


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Tree tops and open fields, waterways pipelines, etc., act a lot like a hill top and a valley.

 

[Cajunshooter]

Living in Va., a lot of times early season would be 80 degrees + high level of humidity. I could not imagine hunting in Louisiana, Ala, Ga etc. for early season.


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Haha our early season usually starts off at 90+.


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[Nutterbuster]

Have you read Dr. Sheppard? He talks about the phenomenon you describe in his book. He only hunts cold fronts. I believe that in addition to increasing daytime deer activity as you describe it also makes your scent less noticable. I always feel best from a scent profile standpoont 30ft up a tree on a cold day with smoke rising straight up from the chimney.

 

[Cajunshooter]

Have you read Dr. Sheppard? He talks about the phenomenon you describe in his book. He only hunts cold fronts. I believe that in addition to increasing daytime deer activity as you describe it also makes your scent less noticable. I always feel best from a scent profile standpoont 30ft up a tree on a cold day with smoke rising straight up from the chimney.

Haha man not only have I read his book, I’ve talked to him on the phone a couple of times and we’ve emailed several times.

You are right, that is what he advocates. Do you realize I would have to miss hunting October, November and mostly December to do that. We just don’t have good strong cold fronts until then. That is what I’m actually beginning to think about doing but man it is extremely hard to convince myself to simply not hunt all that time. At the same time I’ve nearly killed myself trying to hunt those conditions and I’m really starting to think I may have screwed up my hunting spots.


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[Islandshooter]

Haha man not only have I read his book, I’ve talked to him on the phone a couple of times and we’ve emailed several times.

You are right, that is what he advocates. Do you realize I would have to miss hunting October, November and mostly December to do that. We just don’t have good strong cold fronts until then. That is what I’m actually beginning to think about doing but man it is extremely hard to convince myself to simply not hunt all that time. At the same time I’ve nearly killed myself trying to hunt those conditions and I’m really starting to think I may have screwed up my hunting spots.


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Our season ends today and I haven't seen a cold front yet, hahahaha! But milkweed was THE lesson of the season for me (thanks Uncle Lou). Nebraska definitely had some cold front for my hunt, and the milkweed on the thermals was HUGE!! No more wind checkers

 

[DaveT1963]

Thermals can get you, but you can also learn to play them

 

[Cajunshooter]

Our season ends today and I haven't seen a cold front yet, hahahaha! But milkweed was THE lesson of the season for me (thanks Uncle Lou). Nebraska definitely had some cold front for my hunt, and the milkweed on the thermals was HUGE!! No more wind checkers

I just looked at your profile to see where you’re located. You are almost exactly 6 months older than me. All your toys were made out of wood also huh?


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[Cajunshooter]

Thermals can get you, but you can also learn to play them

That’s the thing though Dave. Most of the season my thermals are simple, straight down and spread along the ground. That’s it until some time in December.


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[Islandshooter]

I just looked at your profile to see where you’re located. You are almost exactly 6 months older than me. All your toys were made out of wood also huh?


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Hahaha, yep my dad made most of them! Took me duck hunting in Louisiana once, great time over there! I can't do opening day anymore, can't carry enuff thermacells with me!!

 

[Kurt]

Haha man not only have I read his book, I’ve talked to him on the phone a couple of times and we’ve emailed several times.

You are right, that is what he advocates. Do you realize I would have to miss hunting October, November and mostly December to do that. We just don’t have good strong cold fronts until then. That is what I’m actually beginning to think about doing but man it is extremely hard to convince myself to simply not hunt all that time. At the same time I’ve nearly killed myself trying to hunt those conditions and I’m really starting to think I may have screwed up my hunting spots.


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Maybe in the early season, instead of not hunting your honey holes, use that time to get into some different spots.

 

[Cajunshooter]

Maybe in the early season, instead of not hunting your honey holes, use that time to get into some different spots.

Yeah I kind of started doing that hoping to maybe learn something or spot their movement from afar, but I pretty much don’t see anything. I guess its still better than not being out there though.


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[Nutterbuster]

Haha man not only have I read his book, I’ve talked to him on the phone a couple of times and we’ve emailed several times.

You are right, that is what he advocates. Do you realize I would have to miss hunting October, November and mostly December to do that. We just don’t have good strong cold fronts until then. That is what I’m actually beginning to think about doing but man it is extremely hard to convince myself to simply not hunt all that time. At the same time I’ve nearly killed myself trying to hunt those conditions and I’m really starting to think I may have screwed up my hunting spots.


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That's awesome. I've never had the pleasure of meeting him, but I always keep an eye out for his articles in the local hunting magazines. He shows up in Great Days Outddors pretty frequently.

Our hunting in south Alabama is really only worth fooling with in January and the new February season. Most of my bucks over the years come from cold, north winds during that time. I squirrel, duck, and hog hunt; and frog gig in the early season. When I can't stand it and have to deer hunt, I don't hunt my "good" spots. I try new places or hunt tertiary stands.

It takes some getting used to, but saving prime spots for prime time a la Sheppard has made me a better hunter. I'm not saying I never kill deer during the early season, but it's a LOT better hunting on cold rut days.

I've developed an intense appreciation for nice squirrel rifles and Grumman canoes also as a nice side effect.

 

[weekender21]

Our NC property is in the mountains, 2600-3300 feet in elevation. Out of 20 or so sits this year, all in different spots, I can say that the wind followed what the forecasted prevailing winds were maybe twice. The humid, damp conditions down south certainly don't help!

 

[Cajunshooter]

That's awesome. I've never had the pleasure of meeting him, but I always keep an eye out for his articles in the local hunting magazines. He shows up in Great Days Outddors pretty frequently.

Our hunting in south Alabama is really only worth fooling with in January and the new February season. Most of my bucks over the years come from cold, north winds during that time. I squirrel, duck, and hog hunt; and frog gig in the early season. When I can't stand it and have to deer hunt, I don't hunt my "good" spots. I try new places or hunt tertiary stands.

It takes some getting used to, but saving prime spots for prime time a la Sheppard has made me a better hunter. I'm not saying I never kill deer during the early season, but it's a LOT better hunting on cold rut days.

I've developed an intense appreciation for nice squirrel rifles and Grumman canoes also as a nice side effect.

I’m slowly convincing myself to do the same thing. Now I’ve just got to convince my father in law and sons adopt the same philosophy.

That’s the other thing that makes this so difficult. Our rut long over and the weather is just now getting cold. During the rut we are still at 85 degrees and no dependable wind or barometric pressure. It is hard to convince yourself not to go hunt during rut.


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[Islandshooter]

I generally saved it up for the two week visit to Nebraska. Maybe a sit or two in some private timber, but it just stays so hot and the prevailing wind is usually wrong for the transition zones. Hard to hunt pine forests without scouting. Hard to scout with hip snake boots and bug suits. Oh, it can be done for sure. Guess I just saved it up for different terrain.

 

[IkemanTX]

Any time I can get pressures above 30..... I know my milk weed will rise here in north Texas.

It has been really amazing the last two seasons to see the correlation between high pressure and rising thermals. Almost makes me want to only hunt high pressure days.

Also, I always hear from these Midwest hunters that hunting cold fronts is a game changer for them. Big temp drops get guys excited all over the country. BUT, I have noticed that real cold snaps just SHUT DEER DOWN completely around me. I think the deer around here are just as big of wimps about cold weather as the local humans are. They are so optimized for 108 degree summers that a low 20’s cold front in the fall has them hunkered down for the 1 or 2 days until it warms back up.

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