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Ravines and Wind Help

cybball

cybball

Well-Known Member
I've had my place for a year now. Learning every day about deer travels. I have a ravine where bucks are traveling, but the wind down in it sucks. Wind swirls no matter what. The ravine runs down and buts against the road, where they are crossing. Perfect funnel, except for the wind. The ravine runs east/west and as they get to the top of it, they head off to the NW which is the neighbor's property.
I hate putting a stand next to the road, as the wind swirls there too and it may get stolen, as well as not really wanting to "advertise" to everyone driving by. I'm not sure about the top of the ravine as to where they cut NW as they can kind of do it anywhere. Do you guys stick blinds down in ravines like this for wind? The top end is pretty flat (bowl) and it's all in the timber. It's killing me seeing these deer on camera and not being able to hunt that spot. Every time I sit my stand down there, I see next to nothing. Day or two later and bucks running back and forth, so I know it's the wind. I use milkweed duff and it goes all over the place.
Thanks,
 
Theres really nothing you can do...you can put up a box blind and sure it will mask your scent while windows are closer but as soon as you open them for a shot you'd be done....you could try and add some things next to it to make them come to you and check things out, i.e food plot, fruit trees, scrape trees, etc....one thing you may try is a plot that has EW around it so they never feel like they are leaving cover....sometimes you just have to give the deer certain areas....maybe make this a sanctuary, hinge/TSI it to make them bed there....there are options but IMO hunting the ravine/draw itself is not much of an option...good luck

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It is very common on most farms that there are some "good" areas that you really just cannot hunt due to swirling winds, etc. Often, these areas are then turned into sanctuaries. :)
 
Daver said:
It is very common on most farms that there are some "good" areas that you really just cannot hunt due to swirling winds, etc. Often, these areas are then turned into sanctuaries. :)
Click to expand...
Sure Daver, kick a guy when he's down. LOL
 
I hunted a ton of ravines this year and actually have a very similar situation. I literally got busted from 3 different directions in the course of an hour because of swirls. I would sit as long as the wind allowed me to have some consistency, but boogied if it got too irratic. I found that with a NE wind my ravine had a predominantly east wind and on a NW wind it was predominantly SW. Explain that? Lol Problem was that 25% of the time the wind swirled or did whatever. Then you add in thermals in the morning and evening. Probably one of the most frustrating and educational hunting years because of the swirling winds. I saw tons of movement, but got busted on some days way worse than others. The hardest part was figuring out what winds work best, cuz nothing aligned with the forecast.
I do have to say that on a NW wind I had several bucks cruising with the wind in their face, but when they hit the ridge top of my ravine, the wind was predominantly S-SW, so they lost their advantage for a moment and I tried to capitalize on that. Crazy how complicated it gets. The only way to learn what works is to hunt it and see what the winds are doing. I got busted more this year than any other for sure. Hope you figure out the right wind!

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I have a spot like this. Only time I've been able to effectively hunt it is mornings with a light prevailing wind in the favorable direction and the sun coming out in full effect creating a strong rising thermal. To help I have my stand on the high side of the travel route and it's up pretty high. It can only be hunted in the AM.

Other wise I sometimes sit on the down wind edge of the timber hoping to call to a buck I see in the no go zone.

Spots like this also can get better as leaf cover drops off.
 
I'm pretty sure Skip shared this link a few years ago and it's been a gigantic help in digitally scouting properties. If you find your property & then click the 'LiDAR Hillshade' Layer you'll love it on a property with a lot of elevation changes/ridges/ravines. Might be able to show you something you're missing. IF you're comfortable you could post a picture to give us a better idea what you're working with. My 80 acre farm is very similar & a majority of it is really difficult to hunt. I've had a tank of an 8 sitting down in the deepest ravines with does the past week with no opportunity to go in after him.

https://isugisf.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=47acfd9d3b6548d498b0ad2604252a5c
 
My farm has deep ravines and steep hills, mixed with ag field, it is tough to hunt, but hey if they do not get shot, they will be bigger next year!!

*We usually hunt the top of the ridge with an emphasis on the edge of the ridge.
 
If you're hunting bottoms you may only get 30-45min in the AM before thermals rise and then again in the PM when thermals drop. May need to test this area in the offseason with different wind speeds and taking thermals into account. If you can't make it work then you'll have to figure out a way to slip higher up the hill where you can get a steady wind. If the deer are using this area when thermals are working against you then you may need to get really creative in how you hunt them. Ultimately if the spot doesn't work with the wind it doesn't matter how good of spot it is because the deer will bust you when you go to hunt it.
 
cybball said:
I've had my place for a year now. Learning every day about deer travels. I have a ravine where bucks are traveling, but the wind down in it sucks. Wind swirls no matter what. The ravine runs down and buts against the road, where they are crossing. Perfect funnel, except for the wind. The ravine runs east/west and as they get to the top of it, they head off to the NW which is the neighbor's property.
I hate putting a stand next to the road, as the wind swirls there too and it may get stolen, as well as not really wanting to "advertise" to everyone driving by. I'm not sure about the top of the ravine as to where they cut NW as they can kind of do it anywhere. Do you guys stick blinds down in ravines like this for wind? The top end is pretty flat (bowl) and it's all in the timber. It's killing me seeing these deer on camera and not being able to hunt that spot. Every time I sit my stand down there, I see next to nothing. Day or two later and bucks running back and forth, so I know it's the wind. I use milkweed duff and it goes all over the place.
Thanks,
Click to expand...
Hunting ravines sucks I lived in eastern MN. & hunted a lot of ravines and small valleys. You have to make sure that you are scent free first, I use Scent Killer spray and laundry soap. It's the best on the market, I took a huge 10 point buck & he never smelled me and I was on the ground & 10 feet away when I saw him. Don't use any cover scents or doe pee, your on the ground and don't want to be noticed if you use doe pee they are looking for does. Cover scents also. Set up the blind a week ahead and let them accept that it's safe & then hunt from the blind.
 
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