Bob Foulkrod used this trick as part of his bowhunting school, which he conducted at his Troy, Pennsylvania, facility. Scent control and detection were significant parts of the learning process, and Bob made things very realistic by having archers shoot from tree stands, from logs, and even from a rolling log, which was particularly challenging. He also helped hunters on public land by identifying old apple trees and asking “students” to pick a stand and advise how they would hunt that spot.
Seeds in the Wind
As you will see in the following video, Foulkrod gave each hunter a packet of milkweed seeds and asked them to release them once they were in their stand. I was surprised to see how many ways the tiny parachutes floated from my location. Yes, the wind may be from one direction, yet the milkweed seed showed that air currents swirl around obstacles before they eventually reach the ground. In warm weather, the seeds may rise with thermal air currents and sink on cold, damp mornings.
Rolling Currents
When I bought into a hunt club, my “spot” came with it and is located on a bench on the west side of a mountain. I was surprised to learn that even with a west wind, deer to my east didn’t always detect my scent. Thinking back to Bob Foulkrod’s advice, it happened because the wind seemed to roll like an ocean wave as it crossed the flat bench and turned upwards. Milkweeds are in pods now and will quickly disperse their seeds as fall turns to winter, and I urge you to try this experiment as you hunt. All you need is a small container or plastic bag, and have some fun the next time you climb into an elevated stand. This YouTube video illustrates how informative this trick can be: