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Wind in river bottom?

SaskGuy

SaskGuy

Active Member
Well...it's been a long time since I hunted this late into the season...and honestly, I'm feeling like a beginner. I found what looks like a killer spot down along a river, shallow crossing, piles of tracks, rubs everywhere, big scrapes under the spruce near the water...it just screams rut spot to me. I'm sure when things crank up they'll be running the rivers edge in the timber looking for does along it. Anyways, when i hung a stand yesterday in a perfect big spruce tree, I noticed the wind seemed to be all over the place. Above the valley it was constant, straight out of the west, but in the bottom, it seemed all over the place. Is this something I can expect in a steep bottom all the time or just when winds are strong. Like i said, it's been awhile since I hunted this long...the rut hasn't been my primary hunting focus since about 2002. This spot screams, great spot, it's only 1/4 mile from a food source where i've goteen some good trail cam pics, I know the entire river sytem is used as a travel route but honestly, the swirling wind in there scared me a bit. Any ideas on what i can expect from the wind down in there?
 
A big headache. Ive got the same kind of spot but whenever the wind is blowing at all its like a tornado dowm there. I just hunt it when its calm, which it seems like it never is.
 
I hunt a lot of river corridors and it may be why my sightings are so inconsistent. But, you take what you have available when you hunt in prime farm land areas and the only timber is in the corridors. Use the thermals as much as possible is the only suggestion I can offer.
 
If you have no where esle to hunt.........
Spray down with sent eliminator.
Put up sent bombs to the North, East, South, and West.
If you have a different spot in mind, I'd set up there.
If the there are some close ridges to the river bottom, you might want to set up on top of them and maybe try calling em up.
 
Well...I'm not overly optimistic suddenly but I'm going to stick with my guns..A guy has to do what he has to do when he's down to 7 or 8 more hunts for the yr. I guess i'll do my best to cover my own scent with eliminator as well as doe and buck scents.
 
You should be hitting the peak of the rut up there aren't ya? If so I'd try hunting the does...in and around their feeding or bedding areas. The big bucks will find them and you can take advantage of the situation and intercept him.

There will always be thermals to deal with in steep valleys like that. Sure it might be a nice constricting funnel, but you may be better off to try a spot on the ridge top to make the most of consistent wind.
 
I've seen one small buck chasing does, other than that..no sign of rut activity yet.

I guess you'd have to see the area to fully grasp the scenario. In no way have I ever been able to pinpont a bedding location, basically, when you've got a few 1000 acres of solid mixed forest with rolling terrain, you've got one big bedding area. Basically the river that cuts through the area is the best best to actually be able to guess where a deer is guaranteed to be on a search for does. In areas, the banks are so straight up and steep that the shoreline will be followed for miles by bucks cruising for does. The food source is one the west side of the river, not 250 yards from where i hung the stand but our winds are 90% from the west making setting up b/w the food and the river...stupid, and a guaranteed bust wind wise. I wish you could see it b/c I really don't believe I have a better option than the one I chose...and I know it is far from foolproof. These deer......they've chosen their safety zone very wisely.
 
so many people get wrapped up in everything being perfect. I dont think they need to be during the rut. In the last 5 days i have had three mature deer down wind worried about scrapes. I keep myself and clothes clean, so the small amount of scent I may of have, didnt bother em..

Hunt it man. one might get screwed up the next might come right through
 
I agree with gundog. Especially when you are in the final hour. The buck in my avatar came in down wind chasing does. None of them winded me as the thermals must have been taking care of me.

Good luck.
 
Thermals & staying as scent free as you can will get it done. Many of my best spots are the bottom of drainage ways and creek bottoms. Stay clean and give them something else to smell for a distraction & you WILL get a shot eventually. Remember swirling winds can help you at times as well as hurt. Good luck.
Maggs
 
Maggs is right, if we worried about hunting the bottoms around here we would never hunt. Your best bet is to hunt it on clear mornings when the sun warms the air up and it rises as long as there isn't a wind blowing hard. I know, how often does this happen right? You will most always find the best spots like that in the river/creek bottoms in hilly terrain for this very reason.
 
In the final hour I'd throw out most of the logic...reason being, is if you booger it up then BIG DEAL...it will be healed up by next bow-season. The rifle hunters will put the deer in a panic anyhow, at least that's what the shotgun season does here in Iowa.

I know your areas are extremely vast, but that's also the beauty of it too. At any given time you can see a deer emerge from those thick woods and it could be the first time you've ever seen him.

I'd be trying some aggressive moves at this point and I wouldn't worry if the wind wasn't exactly perfect. Try using some estrus or a tarsal gland from last years buck. Most importantly keep after it...because like you said, after this weekend and the time change, you're pretty much done.
 
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