Glenn
Dunning is a member of New England Outdoor Writers Association
(NEOWA) and contributes monthly to Outdoors Magazine
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Outdoors Magazine, September ‘10 Issue, Traveling Outdoorsman col. Submitted by: Glenn Dunning |
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“Forget the wind; Just hunt…” The advertising agency that thought up that slogan for a popular scent proofing system really should be fired, don’t you think? Personally, the concept is so insulting to anyone who knows anything about hunting that it destroys the product’s credibility from the get-go. In reality, I can think of no other single issue related to hunting that is more complex and to suggest that this challenge can actually be mastered is fool-hearty. Following the old adage of always hunting with your nose into the wind, simplifies the impossible. Wind direction is not an absolute; it can blow in multiple directions somewhat simultaneously. How many mornings have I sat a stand at the top of a ridge with a prevailing cool breeze from the west or northwest – the direction from where most of our weather comes from up here in Vermont. My platform faces west and looks down a hemlock covered hillside where deer cross on their way between bedding and feeding areas. The problem is that while the dominant wind direction is from the west, there are always thermals in hilly country that run up and down slopes based not on direction but the heating and cooling of air temperatures causing breezes to run from the top of a ridge to the bottom or vice versa especially during the first and last few hours of shooting light. For most big game, the sense of smell is dominant even over eyesight and even when there is no detectable breeze and animal like a deer or bear can pick up human scent in a wide periphery. Outsmarting your quarry’s nose is more about luck, perseverance and understanding weather than scent elimination products and lures. For instance; are you aware that your scent attaches itself to moisture molecules in the air and is then distributed depending on air movement? That means that your presence in the woods is much more easily detected on cool damp days than on dry warm ones. Taking the concept one step further, there is a reason why game movement is generally at its highest during the early morning and late evening hours of the day. During those times, air is often more moist and predisposed to scent distribution. Once the sun comes up it dries the air out. Deer and other animals are in sync with those subtle changes and move more freely because their ability to detect danger is heightened. Does that mean that hunting is more difficult on rainy days? Not necessarily. A cloudy day with misty, foggy conditions promotes scent distribution but winds are usually somewhat consistent and the ground is quiet. On the other hand, hard rain will drive scent down to the ground significantly impairing distribution. Another consideration is how animals react to different wind conditions. Here in Northern New England, it’s been my experience that a windy day can shut game movement right down. When the wind is blowing hard, it is more difficult for deer and other animals to scent because everything is being blown around. Additionally, the woods are noisy with creaking trees and limbs coming down plus there is all kinds of movement as leaves, shrubs and trees sway in the wind. A skittish whitetail will normally lie down until things calm down. But this does not mean that all game in different parts of the country respond to these conditions the same. In the Midwest, plains states and parts of western Canada the wind blows almost constantly and often has little to no affect on game movement. The point is, the subject of wind, scent control, animal behavior, etc is endlessly complicated and manufactures who portray their products as being the ultimate solutions to situations that are so variable and complex show disrespect to all the serious sportsmen and women they are trying to impress. That said, I purchase and use a select few sex attractant lures during certain times of the season and under specific circumstances. I never head out without a complete spray down with scent eliminator spray (I also carry a small spray bottle with me in the field). My hunting clothes live on the porch to keep them free from smoke and other household odors. I hunt into the wind and I still spook more deer than I sneak up on undetected. But understanding a little bit about the nature, weather and science gets me closer to more game and keeps me from spending a lot of money on stuff that just isn’t as good as it’s advertised to be. |
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