question on tree stand height affect on scent downwind

[goosifer]

I am looking at a weather forecast on Monday of 2-3mph winds from the SSE for the first three hours and then flipping to NNW winds of 4 to 5 mph for the next three hours. I was thinking the heck with it and get in the 20' high north facing stand. My question specifically is, will being in a 20' stand cast my scent farther downwind than a 16' stand would? In this case, with winds so low, I doubt there is much of a difference, but if the wind was 10-15 mph, that could be a difference. Any aeronautic engineers on the forum?

[mowin]

Well, if it was totally flat area, with no valleys or hills or other terrain variance, it POSSIBLE that deer close to your stand might not smell you.  The farther they are the more chance of your sent reaching the ground and there nose.  

[goosifer]

7 minutes ago, mowin said:

Well, if it was totally flat area, with no valleys or hills or other terrain variance, it POSSIBLE that deer close to your stand might not smell you.  The farther they are the more chance of your sent reaching the ground and there nose.  

Yes, the immediate area is relatively flat. i was thinking the same thing. The tree strand is 10 yards back from a brush hogged trail that goes east-west that the deer use from time to time. If they are on the trail, I should be OK scentwise in either direction, I'm thinking.

[mowin]

Well, your the only one who knows that area well. I've been known to push the wind limits. Some with outstanding success, some with dismissal results. Lol

[Nomad]

It doesn’t matter if it’s 5mph or 20 if the wind is wrong .

[nyslowhand]

Lets call-in Mythbusters to do an experiment with a smoldering pot and see where the smoke disperses at various heights & wind speeds! Bet we'd all  be surprised at how concentrated &/or dispersed the smoke would be...

Pretty sure this is really effected more by just how much intrusion (human scents) the deer encounter during the year. If they detect human scent, become sort of used to it and don't view it as a threat - your scent while in the stand isn't as big a deal as one might think. On the other hand, if you don't go into your hunting area much, other than to hunt I'd assume the deer would be much more alarmed by your scent...!?!

Of course, every deer will react differently, as will does vs bucks or young vs old. Then there's the dumb-a$$ things a mature buck will do when he has one thing on his mind.

Aren't some of the highest density of deer populations in suburban areas, parks, golf courses, etc?? What's that say about deer and their avoiding human scent?

Another example closer to home for me, are the big orchards. When you have 20-30 apple pickers in there everyday with their scent, by-products, music, tractor traffic, etc. Once the sun goes down, pickers leave, the deer are right into the orchards every night. So where does human scent play into this possible avoidance scenario???

Edited November 12, 2017 by nyslowhand

[Doc]

Keep your eyes open for a milkweed pod. Dry it out and put it in a zip-lok bag and keep it in your pack. When you are in your stands, turn a few of these tings loose, and answer all the questions you may have about how certain wind directions react at your stand and beyond. Usually you will have some surprises. Try it in different atmospheric and weather conditions.......more surprises. Back before I finally came down out of the trees, I found that there are some damp or rainy conditions when the wind at certain stands started right out blowing almost straight down to the ground. It always seems to be an education in what happens to scent after it leaves your immediate location. A small notebook to record these revelations can always serve to answer your own question in the future.

[coonhunter]

Doc hits it on the head. The powder bottles seem like they work well, but a milk weed will give you a true perspective. I have setups that deer will come right thru even though the wind appears to be right at them. Milkweed shows the current arcing and carrying above them.