quick question about stand placement

[deerhunter10]

Also if you're going to be hunting mornings and are above the ridge crest then until 9am ish your thermals will be falling down each side of the hill, potentially spooking both sides. Same applies to late afternoon after sun drops below the horizon.

This. This is also the reason I don't sit in the stand an hour early in the dark. Thermals are a silent unseen killer.

 

[WTNBowHunter]

This. This is also the reason I don't sit in the stand an hour early in the dark. Thermals are a silent unseen killer.

curious...is this a hard-fast, never going to sit there before daylight breaks? or just if the wind is light/variable at a given spot?

 

[deerhunter10]

curious...is this a hard-fast, never going to sit there before daylight breaks? or just if the wind is light/variable at a given spot?

Light and variable. I have 2 spots I won't even think about going if I don't have a 10 plus mph wind north northwest wind at that. You'll be blown at before you even get comfortable. A steady wind gives you a chance to carry them where you need them to go. Those spots don't get hunted much we don't get those conditions a ton but when we do a lot of big deer have died from those 2 spots. And that took several years of trail and error.

 

[WTNBowHunter]

Light and variable. I have 2 spots I won't even think about going if I don't have a 10 plus mph wind north northwest wind at that. You'll be blown at before you even get comfortable. A steady wind gives you a chance to carry them where you need them to go. Those spots don't get hunted much we don't get those conditions a ton but when we do a lot of big deer have died from those 2 spots. And that took several years of trail and error.

i figured you were going to say that but had to ask. i approach and hunt almost every area on the farm i'm on the same way

 

[Ski]

curious...is this a hard-fast, never going to sit there before daylight breaks? or just if the wind is light/variable at a given spot?

I wouldn't sit there until after daylight regardless of wind.

Wind pushes your stink horizontal, laterally across the terrain. Thermals push your stink vertically either toward heaven or hell.

Anytime temp is dropping your stink is being pulled downward. When temp is rising your stink is being pushed upward. Most generally air begins cooling when sun goes down and continues cooling until sun comes up again. Normally the coldest part of the day is right before dawn, so your stink is being sucked down and spread across the ground the entire time you're in your stand before daylight. Even when the sun comes up it takes time before the earth's surface warms enough to begin pushing your stink back upward. My experience is around 9am. Of course weird stuff happens with weather fronts but generally that's how it works.

 

[BSK]

Also if you're going to be hunting mornings and are above the ridge crest then until 9am ish your thermals will be falling down each side of the hill, potentially spooking both sides. Same applies to late afternoon after sun drops below the horizon.

Wow, our thermals work very different. Perhaps it's the shape of our ridges, being long, narrow hog-backed ridges? Our thermals are running downhill until the sun peaks over the horizon (in fact, even before that). Once the sun hits the tops of the trees, the air there warms and starts to rise. This draws the air from below (down along the ridgetop) upwards. So our rising thermals start as soon as the sun hits the treetops.

On a calm morning, when hunting the ridgetops, the air is going straight up starting just after first full daylight.

 

[Bell3wv]

It's not trigonometry...just hang a stand and don't over think it. Be safe.Wind.Cover your silhouette. Aim small. When they're running does, you can sit can sit in the back of your truck and shoot one.

 

[Ski]

Wow, our thermals work very different. Perhaps it's the shape of our ridges, being long, narrow hog-backed ridges? Our thermals are running downhill until the sun peaks over the horizon (in fact, even before that). Once the sun hits the tops of the trees, the air there warms and starts to rise. This draws the air from below (down along the ridgetop) upwards. So our rising thermals start as soon as the sun hits the treetops.

On a calm morning, when hunting the ridgetops, the air is going straight up starting just after first full daylight.

Depends on your ridge orientation and daylight savings. On a west pointing ridge before time falls back on Nov 3rd, you may not see the sun until after 10am, depending on how high the knob sits above the ridge run. If you're on the east side of a north-south running ridge you will get first sun like you describe. But if you're on the west side of that ridge you're the last to get sun.

 

[BSK]

Depends on your ridge orientation and daylight savings. On a west pointing ridge before time falls back on Nov 3rd, you may not see the sun until after 10am, depending on how high the knob sits above the ridge run. If you're on the east side of a north-south running ridge you will get first sun like you describe. But if you're on the west side of that ridge you're the last to get sun.

Hadn't even thought of ridge orientation Ski. You're right, an east-west running ridge is going to see very different results than a north-south ridge.