Waiting For the Wind to Change!

Anyone that hunts in the mountains knows all about this.  In the morning the wind thermals are coming down and then as the lower country starts heating up the thermals reverse themselves and head back up the hill.  It would all be good and well if you could 100% count on this but then you might have a dominating wind that fights against the thermals and who knows where your scent is going.  You can most likely be assured its going everywhere.  Even on still days when the thermals are more dependable, it can let you down.  The worst part of the day is somewhere between 10:00 AM and noon as that is when the thermals are trying to change directions and you cannot count on any wind direction to be consistent.  So the question remains, ‘what do you do while the winds change’?

I know whitetail hunters especially do a lot of waiting in trees, in blinds, over trails, on water holes etc, because I’ve done a little bit of that.  I’ve even done a little of it while hunting elk, but its not the mode of hunting elk that most prefer.  You’re trying to find the herds before light and then keeping them upwind you’re either calling them back to you or stalking them waiting for them to respond to your call or you getting into position to get a shot.  Then you feel the first movement of wind that is not right and you know if you don’t get out of there, you are going to move this herd into the next county when it gets a wiff of you.

Then comes that question, ‘what do I do while the wind changes?’ Your hunt is for all practical purposes over for a couple hours till the wind again has some sense of stability.

I’ve seen others do a few things and I have done some of them myself.  Take a nap? Not a bad idea if the weather is right or if you aren’t to sweaty and the air is cold.  Read a book?  This is OK and I’ve done it but in one sense I don’t like it as it puts you in a totally different atmosphere then what the hunt has you in.  I’m not a good mental multi task er.  Play electronic games? (noise turned off).  This is a least favorite way to pass the time, but I’ve seen others that do it and still stay on their toes.  It is a good time to lunch and access the morning hunt and if you are with someone else, you can exchange a few hunting stories, as there seems to be no end to them.

Just wondering what others out there do during this time of day.  Certainly I’m not the only one out there waiting for the wind to change.