Morning thermals

[Exhausted]

I know this has been discussed many times, and I searched the forums, but I can't find a solid answer for my question.

Based on what I read, thermals are generally heading downhill in the early morning. That would seem to indicate that you don't want to be up high before the thermals switch and start flowing downhill. However, so many videos of Randy, Corey Jacobson, etc. show them walking in and up way before daylight.

How do you all avoid getting busted by the downhill thermals in the morning? Especially if you want to be up top to send off some locator bugles first thing?

 

[El Jason]

If you are on a ridge top you likely won’t experience thermals. It’ll be the prevailing wind. Once you drop off into a drainage, then thermals will kick in.

 

[Werty]

Depending on your terrain, use another drainage or coulee to get where you need to go. Sometimes a finger ridge will have more of a prevailing wind, than a thermal. Also I've been in one drainage when the thermal was going up, then drop over to another drainage and the thermal is going down. Good luck

 

[genesis273]

It's not long in the morning before the thermals start to rise. So we try to get higher than the elk, then parallel closer to them by the time it is rising. By this time, we're above them with the thermals in our favor.
Sometimes plans are just that and doesn't always go perfectly, but that's our mindset anyway.

 

[climbin27]

I have a ridge that runs north to south and I think elk will be coming from the west over to the east side of the ridge.
Coming through aspens and up a burn.

My initial approach has aspens and clearing to get to the middle/top of the ridge before light.

My pea brain understands thermals, but I am not sure the best way to approach the top of the ridge before light without getting my scent all over the place.

Do you sacrifice some potentially decent hunting terrain to get to your main spot?

I got my first elk tag last year and got a 6x6 but it was truly luck and right place right time as he crossed a FS road. This year I have a cow tag and going to have to work for it.

 

[cgasner1]

I have a ridge that runs north to south and I think elk will be coming from the west over to the east side of the ridge.
Coming through aspens and up a burn.

My initial approach has aspens and clearing to get to the middle/top of the ridge before light.

My pea brain understands thermals, but I am not sure the best way to approach the top of the ridge before light without getting my scent all over the place.

Do you sacrifice some potentially decent hunting terrain to get to your main spot?

I got my first elk tag last year and got a 6x6 but it was truly luck and right place right time as he crossed a FS road. This year I have a cow tag and going to have to work for it.

You can fool their eyes and ears but not their nose. Hunt accordingly

 

[DFS]

Understanding wind is one of the most important aspects of elk hunting.

 

[bmontang]

Most of the time early in the morning the objective is to get in and glass. If you’re far enough away to be glassing it’s pretty likely the thermals are getting to what you’re glassing.

If there is a ridge or valley between you and the animal the thermals are likely not going both up and down to get there.

Elk can smell you a mile away if the wind is “wrong” that’s why playing it is so important.

 

[climbin27]

I plan to come in from the bottom of this photo through the trees, before shooting light, to be on top or just below the ridge, hoping elk might be coming up from the aspens/meadow below. Red arrow is the typical travel of wind, my question is by doing this do i ruin being able to hunt the valleys behind me in the timber in the afternoon?

 

[HowaHunter]

Just pin a couple of these on and don't worry about the wind. Haha, and yes, I used to do this successfully. Might try again this year.