I rode last Saturday’s storm out in a southern Indiana cabin with Carl and Gary Cloud. They prefer to hunt in the rain, but not when there is lightning and strong winds. Light rain was still with us on Sunday morning. Carl and I were hunting one of their airtight, custom-built wooden ground blinds, while Gary was at another. In front of their blinds are winter rye food plots. The deer like this greenery now, but they also have many other things to eat. This will get better as colder weather moves in.
I hunted through Tuesday morning. We saw more deer from the stands in the evening. However, on Monday, Carl and I saw four from the stand and another four on the way in about 11 am. I drove down the road for cell service and saw five more at 11:42 and another two at 12_08 pm. That evening, we saw fresh tracts in the food plot. This made us realize that the deer moved at midday in most areas.
I saw a total of 16 deer on Monday. I had shots at small bucks and does. Carl did not carry a weapon. While it’s interesting to see many deer, there is an underlying reason for this observation. In a previous article, I explained the Cloud theory on thermals. A short review of thermals is that your scent descends when the air is cooling and rises when it is warming. This often occurs regardless of wind direction.
Carl and I had a lot of time to talk while sitting in the stand. He explained that if you are on a ridge at first light, your scent will spread as it falls to any deer below. One exception is to sit on the ground at the top of a draw. Your scent will only carry down the ravine. If you have a ridgetop tree stand, move from the ravine to your stand when the sun begins to warm the air and the thermals reverse, usually, about 9:30 am.
I saw this firsthand on Monday morning. The ground was wet, and as the sunlight hit the food plot, we could see steam rising. Gary took me for a hike in the woods. In his hand was a spray bottle full of powder. In an open bean field, the wind was constant. However, when we got into the woods, the wind was funneled through ravines and changed depending on the lay of the land.
Gary showed me a hole he dug in the creek bank where he shot a big buck. Not much of his body was above ground level. Deer coming down the ravine could not scent or see him. Deer moving up the bottom could. The wise old buck’s nose did not deceive him. He just got outsmarted.
During those hot days in August, Carl would work the food plots with a tractor. The deer paid him no mind and would often enter the field as he was leaving. This got the Cloud brothers to thinking. The more times they walked to their stands, the fewer deer they saw. They were leaving scent and/or being seen along the way. Why not drive their ATVs to the stand?
They put up camo shields behind their blinds to hide them from view. They soon learned that the sound of those gas engines didn’t bother the deer. We had deer appear within 20 minutes of shutting off the ignition.
The Clouds also shower daily with scent-free soap. They rigged an ozone dryer to put their hunting clothes in every morning and wear rubber boots.
I have it made when hunting with these guys. I get picked up and dropped off at the cabin door. About three steps and I’m out of the ATV and into the blind. While hunting, I’m listening to college and pro ballgames with earbuds.
Is this really deer hunting? It is if you’re 81 years old.
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