Gentle breeze can put fear into hunt for big game
The powerful storm that blew through Las Vegas on Saturday night was a clear reminder of the destructive capability of wind, but for hunters pursuing big game, it isn’t high winds that worry them. It is the slight breeze felt on the back of their neck that scares them the most.
Those of you who have felt that breeze know what I am talking about. So does my friend Jed Topham, a lucky recipient of a 2018 archery antelope tag.
Accompanied by his eldest son, Will, the Henderson resident spent a handful of days earlier this month looking for a buck on which to put that tag.
One day, the duo watched a dandy buck bed down under a juniper tree high on a slope where he had a good vantage point from which to look over his territory, a specific area carefully marked for the annual rut.
During the rut, buck antelope mark their territory with a series of scrapes. Using their hooves, they rough up the ground and then urinate down their back legs, letting the urine run into the scrape. They follow that up by defecating in the scrape.
As you might imagine, these boundary markers have a rather pungent odor and let other bucks know when they are about to trespass. Finding these scrapes, and recognizing them for what they are, can open the door of opportunity for an observant tag holder.
From his bed under the tree, the buck could keep a sharp eye on his harem of does and remain prepared to defend them against interlopers. An antelope’s vision is quite keen and has been equated with binoculars of various levels of magnification. Let’s just say they can see unwary hunters from a long distance.
Between Jed and the buck were three of four juniper trees he could use to conceal his movement, but Jed would have to move slowly and keep at least one of the trees between him and the antelope. Step by slow step, Jed made his way across the hill, moving from tree to tree until he finally made it to within 40 yards of the buck’s hillside lair. All seemed to be going as planned.
Jed began to draw back on his bowstring, but just as he prepared to anchor and take the shot, Jed suddenly felt the chilly fingers of an unwanted breeze slide across the back of his neck on its way toward the antelope. The animal snorted two or three times, jumped suddenly to his feet and left Jed standing in the dust.
At times a stiff wind can help a hunter by covering the sound of his footsteps and causing his scent to circle in such a way that a game animal won’t know which direction it is coming from. This can cause an animal to hesitate and provide a hunter with some extra time to make the shot. A gentle breeze, on the other hand, will carry a hunter’s scent wherever it blows.
To keep a check on the wind, some hunters carry a squeeze bottle filled with talcum powder, corn starch or even baby powder. By giving the sides of the bottle a quick squeeze, the hunter shoots a mist of powder into the air. Because it is light, the powder is blown in the direction of the slightest breeze and gives the hunter an idea of what steps he must take to keep his scent from being discovered.
I use something a little different. While tying flies a few years ago, I realized just how small and light a partridge feather can be. So, using a lightweight fishing line, I tied a partridge feather to the rifle rest on top of a set of shooting sticks. All I do is keep an eye on the feather to know what the wind is doing.
After watching the buck run into the distance and out of bow range, Jed and Will regrouped and moved further up the valley where they found a small spring that ran above ground for about 80 yards. There was no cover whatsoever, so they set up a portable blind.
Midway through the next day, a buck slipped into their set and Jed was able to make the shot.
Freelance writer Doug Nielsen is a conservation educator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. His “In the Outdoors” column, published Thursday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NDOW. Any opinions are his own. Find him on Facebook at @dougwritesoutdoors. He can be reached at intheoutdoorslv@gmail.com.
