While I was on my last archery elk hunt of 2021, I was reminded of how important it is to submit to the basics. I spotted the main herd early in the morning from my vantage point. The elk had been feeding in the nearby wheat fields all night and were wrapping up their nighttime routine. I watched as they chose which timbered drainage to bed in for the day and then made my move to get into position. On this particular day, the wind was howling, and it kept me from closing the distance and getting an initial chance at the herd bull. Understanding the nature of wind and thermals, I decided to circle way around the drainage and position myself above the elk. I found a nice little patch of timber out of the wind, and the waiting game began.

If you haven’t hunted out west, particularly any of the northwestern states, you will not clearly understand the importance of wind and thermals. I am not talking about the wind patterning that whitetail hunters deal with. It is an entirely different concept when you add the mountains into the picture. The wind is a relatively easy concept to understand. It is an unpredictable natural force that does pretty much whatever it wants. Some days you will be fortunate, and the area you are in carries a steady wind all day, while most of the time, you find yourself battling its inconsistency.

Thermals are probably a more complicated topic, but they are equally as important as the wind. To explain thermals, let us take a step back and revisit our elementary school science class. If you can think that far back, try and remember when your teacher explained the movement of hot and cold air. Once air begins to heat up, it will rise, and vice versa; as the air cools, it will fall. This is important when you find yourself in or around mountains. At night when the sun hides itself on the horizon, the air begins to cool with the decreasing temperature and then sinks to the flatlands from the mountains. The opposite occurs in the late morning when the sun reappears and heats the mountains. As the temperature rises, the air never fails to follow suit.

You might wonder why thermals and wind are such a big deal. When you are hunting animals whose only desire and purpose is to survive, you have to consider the factors that keep them alive. Elk specifically have very keen noses, and they rely on them almost entirely. They have both wind and thermals figured out and have found how to use them to their advantage. Going back to my story in the beginning, will help us to understand the whole process. Those elk that I had located started in the flatlands. It was early morning and still very chilly. All night they had the cool air dragging the thermals down to them to smell any danger. As the day began and the sun started to warm the ecosystem, the elk started up the mountain to bed while the thermals were still coming down. This allowed them to smell anything in their path that might try and harm them. They always seem to time it perfectly, and the moment they reach their destination to bed down, the air heats up enough to cause the thermals to rise. During the day, the thermals go straight to the elk, and they will smell anything trying to follow them to their resting place.

This is why I waited until the thermals switched and then circled up above the elk. It put me into position to come down the mountain with the thermals and wind in my favor. Unfortunately, the wind that day did not follow the thermals and kept me from getting close enough for an opportunity. I watched from my perch as another hunter walked down below the elk, where they caught his scent and pushed over across the private land border. The other hunter never even knew that the elk were there, but that is another factor to consider when hunting public lands. You have to share both the elk and opportunity.

I explain these concepts because they have made me a better hunter, and I know that they can do the same for you as well. Whether going on a guided hunt or trying to get it done for yourself, they have immense application in hunting success. If you understand how to use them to your advantage, your guide will be able to give you more opportunities. You will find that it is easier to get close to the elk, and you will avoid jeopardizing all the work you put into finding the elk.