How to Use Thermals while Mountain Hunting, with Randy Newberg

Randy Newberg learned about hunting in the mountains the hard way; by making mistakes and not understanding how the thermal flow of warm and cold air changes the wind directions uphill or downhill. You can fool an elk's eyes or ears, but you will never fool their nose.
Every successful elk hunt manages the wind. That requires understanding thermal activity and what you can do to use those thermals to your advantage and keep that advantage as the direction of the thermals change.
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[@Cr0cket20]

Great use of the rock for a better visual explanation.

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Glad you liked it.

[@clavy5420]

Couldn't have found a better rock for a visual representation. Very well explained. Thanks for the info

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Glad it was helpful.

[@UsherLinder]

Great lesson! A real-life lesson, played out before our eyes, and then great use of a rock to represent a mountain.

[@Fresh_Tracks]

It happened that morning. I see it often, so I figured it might be useful.

[@billbreeding797]

Good info, thanks from a southern AZ resident. God Bless America 🇺🇸 🙏 ❤

[@Diamond_R_Bar]

They were always explained to me as upslope/downslope winds when I was taking wildland firefighting classes. Whether you’re hunting or fighting fire, it’s helpful to understand what the wind/thermals are doing at different times of the day. Thanks for the video

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Thanks for watching.

[@cwiller]

Anabatic and Katabtic winds. It's a big learning curve for the new mountain hunter. Good explanation.

[@TheWVgoodguy22]

Thanks for sharing the most important thing an aspiring western hunter needs to know to be successful. How to watch for those thermals and wind out there each day that can ruin a hunt as quickly as it began. Definitely makes sense and that was the perfect rock for such a demo.

[@JohnRobinson_Oklahoma]

Thanks Randy PHD (Professional Hunting Dude)👍🦌🤠

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Or as a close friend says, professional BS'er. Thanks for watching.

[@JohnRobinson_Oklahoma]

Randy Newberg, Hunter Thats something else we have in common then. LOL

[@flinginairos]

Great video Randy! I'm a whitetail hunter in the mountains of WV and it works the same exact way here and the deer bed just like the elk you mentioned in the video. I setup to catch them coming out of their beds in the evening and have to watch the thermals and the wind very closely! Thanks for taking the time to make this!

[@Fresh_Tracks]

That's cool to know. I often forget that some of the land east of the Big River is also mountainous. Thanks for watching.

[@toddhammer7729]

Very good explanation of the mountain thermos

[@steven-adamski]

Good explanation. Thanks!

[@kodysmith1049]

Great videos. I am hoping to use all your tips to prepare myself for a youth elk hunt next year!

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Good luck.

[@wildfishwildplaces5079]

Great info! Out west we almost always live or die on hunts with the thermals

[@maguelsommer8404]

Awesome explanation! Thanks for educating and explaining things simply!

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Thanks for watching.

[@paulflores5499]

Thanks so much Mr. Newberg for your knowledge and vital information. :) The elk hunting guru of P.L. :)

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Thanks for watching.

[@JM-rt8po]

Great video lesson Randy! Keep ‘em comin’

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Will do.

[@haulinashoutdoors2675]

Great explanation

[@randynez7223]

Thanks for the tip,love you man.

[@Randy_Savage_ohyeah]

Excellent demo.and explanation! I'm sure it will benefit many hunters.

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Thanks. Hope it helps some.

[@alaskaadventureservices6246]

Brilliant explanation. I particularly love your use of that rock as a teaching prop.

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Glad you liked it. Thanks for watching.

[@GB-wh3kg]

Great illustration. As a young hunter I just B-bopped along and stumbled into game.wish I knew this stuff back then. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and keeping it PG for the young viewers.

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Thanks for watching. I did the same when I first started hunting. Hope someone watches and it prevents them from making some of the mistakes I made.

[@kenethmargerum5881]

I've been watching a lot of your videos thank you for sharing your knowledge

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Thank you for watching.

[@SolidSnake_1776]

Thanks Randy, very informative.

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Thanks for watching.

[@caseroj6020]

Real interesting subject. I am aware of how temperature affects the density of fluids (gases and liquids) but living in Florida I was not aware of how pronounced it is in the mountains. I can tell you this though the same effect is present on flat landscapes. In the early morning hours when the entire area has reached thermal equilibrium from the previous night there is no wind to be had anywhere. As the sun rises though and heats the atmosphere and the surface of earth the density of the atmosphere begins to change. That density differential is the driving force behind wind.

[@sheerwillsurvival2064]

Very good video where experience counts 👍🏻🧐

[@chrisromer8014]

All the little pieces add up to the whole. Great tip

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Glad you liked it.

[@Pkdarkan]

That was amazingly well explained thanks. 🇲🇽

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Glad it was helpful!

[@portugeeprepper6821]

Great explanation 👍🏼 thanks

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Thanks for watching.

[@curlytavs8781]

Good info to know thank you

[@trevorakerman]

You found the perfect rock for the demonstration.

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Agree. Thanks for watching.

[@bluegrassblue66]

Most important part of mountain hunting Elk. I am a paraglider pilot and understand thermals better than most anyone. Mid day archery hunting while understanding thermals and how they develop clouds has harvesting me many elk.

[@Fresh_Tracks]

You would surely know better than most. Thanks for watching.

[@ryanvanderveen8889]

Good stuff to know, thanks!

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Hope it helps.

[@spineblaZe]

Thanks!

[@paulflores5499]

So what about cool cloudy days? or rain/misty days like here in Wa. State I have often wondered about this, thanks for the visual Mr. Newberg. Good luck this season(19). :)

[@ravenfeather7087]

The wind is an amazing phenomena. During your presentation you mentioned that on one side of crevasse in the rock the air could be rising and the other side moving down hill. I think it's also true that where those two air masses connect in the bottom of the crevasse, or canyon, those two masses can create a vortex that gradually moves up the canyon as the morning progresses. Thinking of air movement as being very similar to water movement makes it easier for me to understand it. Because air moves in the same fashion as water does. For instance, a layer of cooler water can be going in one direction at the bottom of a column of water while at the same time a layer of warmer lighter water can be moving in the opposite direction. And at the interface the two mix and swirl. Air moves like water does. There are rivers of it that flow, eddy, and rise and fall just like water does. Lakes of it where cooler masses get trapped in depressions in the landscape. Places where it tumbles down slopes and flows like waterfalls down drops in canyon bottoms. Huge masses of it that move across the landscape rising and descending along the slope of the land mass. Gaining speed and slowing. Tumbling and rolling. And where it rides the land mass, with smaller portions of it rising, falling, and vortexing as it encounters smaller intricacies of the landscape.

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Good analogy.

[@jacobhauzen8557]

Man I have learned a lot from you Randy.

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Glad to hear it!

[@wadesoutdoors1914]

So when the thermals rise you need to be above elk or deer trails , with wind to back ,?and in mornings start at bottom work way up with wind to face but thermals dropping.

[@gc641]

Hey Randy, I experienced the very thing you are explaining yesterday, we thought we could put a stalk on a herd of elk, boy were we wrong, those critters disappeared in thin air for unknown reason. Well now I know, I'd have to say though those elk got out of dodge in hurry without us seeing them bolting for it, very stealthy critters. What an incredible experience that was, thanks for your videos.

[@Fresh_Tracks]

We've all had that happen. I've checked the wind and was sure the thermals were with me, only to have it change 180 degrees when I got to the adjacent slope. When that happened, all I heard was the sound of elk hooves. Thanks for watching.

[@oscartalbot7496]

good job Randy bad ass

[@mauricepierre9250]

Yeah, that rock you're next to is probably more relief than we have here in South Florida 😸

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Too funny.

[@dwindi0406]

So do you always try to approach from the bottom of a ridge, if you're starting early in the day?

[@trophyhusband4728]

Thank you for this and all your youtube videos. Do overcast conditions or cold fronts have an effect on thermals?

[@Fresh_Tracks]

It can. Warming and cooling from morning to afternoon to evening are what causes them.

[@Steve-ze3kl]

Soaking up as much info as I can, thank you for this. How much wind checker do you use on a hunt? Is an extra bottle recommended? Thank you

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Not much. I do always have an extra with me at camp or in the truck.

[@wadesoutdoors1914]

I have a question. So if the thermals are dropping you hunt the bottom side of the trail ? Also a white tail buck prefers the wind over his back with thermals rising so he can smell both directions . How would you set up on him ? Any advice would be appreciated.

[@Catch_Em_Slippin_TV]

So if they bed up top during the day i feel like it would be almost impossible to sneak up there for an evening sit without busting something up if thermals are rising. Should I be at the bottom bowl of the mountain if im hunting evening ?

[@billhanson827]

Drainage Winds = Night to Morning Winds, happens when heavier cold air at higher elevations fill in lower areas. Convective Winds = Late Morning to Afternoon Winds, happens when the sun heats the land and the warmer air rises.

[@HomeGrownPyro1]

Which is more important the wind or the thermals? Reason I ask is the mountain side I hunt usually the wind and thermals are doing the opposite of each other and makes these bucks seem impossible to hunt

[@theRealSteveHolly]

What happened on the hillside at 1:11? It looks like a huge cloud of dust just appears...

[@recordingstudiotech]

So do you typically setup camp low to take advantage of the thermal coming downhill in the morning?

[@Fresh_Tracks]

My camp is always a few miles from where I hunt, so it is not an issue.

[@jacobm1001]

Thank you for sharing your life and wisdom. You may want to do a video on long range shooting considering thermals , temp and spin drift. If a guy or gal only deals with it a few weeks a year , a handful of times in their life it's like a Rubik's cube

[@Fresh_Tracks]

I'm the last guy who is qualified to provide any insight on long range shooting. Just not something I practice. Thanks for watching.

[@GB-wh3kg]

Just get closer. That's long range shooting not hunting.

[@BearShark44]

Hey Randy - in Brad Herndon's top selling book, "Mapping Trophy Bucks," he says the opposite. Morning thermals go uphill, so hunt high to low. Evening thermals go downhill, so hunt low to high. I understand the bit about the sun and how thermals can switch and swirl, but in general, which is right?

[@Fresh_Tracks]

I've never read the book, but I can assure you that what we showed here is how it works in the mountains.

[@PhatSack23]

Randy - what’s your opinion on scent blockers? I know that Sitka gear helps with scent control , but they advertise a lot of products like Scent Kill to mask your scent. In your shows , I never see you using them , what’s your take ?

[@Fresh_Tracks]

A waste of time and money, in my opinion. Elk hunting requires too much exertion. You will be sweating, breathing, and creating odors that no spray can get rid of. The clothing that supposedly reduces scent is not designed for active hunting like elk hunting. Playing the wind is the only way to do it.

[@michaeljakeman6890]

How far away can elk smell? If I’m glassing on the ridge, would that detour them from moving up?

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Possible. Depends on how far that ridge is. I am giving them at least a half mile distance before I am comfortable.

[@blackforest270]

Read the book " Advanced Hunting" by Francis E Sell,the chapter on know your winds,the book is old and hard to find but worth every penny!

[@CapnAhab89]

blackforest270 just ordered it. Thank you.

[@galereynolds4171]

Thanks Randy. Now does the scent away spray do any good

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Nope. A waste of money.

[@galereynolds4171]

Thank you my friend

[@MrJustus88]

In your opinion, How well do any off those scent blockers work against Elk or Moose. I’m not even sure if they are working against the deer i have hunted for.

[@Weatherby406]

MrJustus88 Like randy said in my opinion you don't fool there nose. I don't believe they work on deer either. You can never eliminate all of your scent unless you play the wind and thermals correctly. What people don't understand is allot of scent comes from your breath as well.

[@Fresh_Tracks]

From my experience, they don't work. I never use them. Might help a bit in a tree stand with predictable winds, but in something as active as elk hunting and with elk relying on their nose as their most trusted sense, those are a waste of money.

[@samueljones2878]

Could you please do a video on gps and using at night cause I find myself not hiking far enough cause I'm not sure I trust myself hiking a mile or more in the dark out in the mountains.

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Hmm. Not sure what would be on that video. Using it at night is the same as using it during the day. Trust it and you will be just fine.

[@Diamond_R_Bar]

OnX Hunt App on your phone. Much cheaper than a gps and works just as well if you plan ahead and save your maps before you go off the grid

[@samueljones2878]

Will Robb I hunt alot of places without sign on my phone would the app still work ?

[@Diamond_R_Bar]

Yes, if you save the maps for the areas you plan on going to it will track your location without a signal or on airplane mode.

[@samueljones2878]

Will Robb that's awesome I appreciate the help.

[@Honkers716]

I'm confused. I watch a lot of your videos and you talk about glassing from the top of a hill as the sun comes up and hits the western side of the slope. How do you glass in the morning on top of a hill without your thermals going down hill?

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Be careful in which high spot you choose to glass from. Most often I am glassing a northerly direction, NE, or NW, so the sun is at my back. I might be glassing many ridges away, so the worry of downhill thermals is not a concern. The morning downhill thermal is surely something to be aware of, which is why I am not glassing from ridges where I think animals might be right down below me.

[@Honkers716]

@@Fresh_Tracks that makes way more sense. Thank you so much for replying.

[@oscartalbot7496]

just when you thought you new it all damn....spoken by a true ELK ASSASSIN

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Thanks for watching.

[@cornville2]

Dang it Randy I thought this Vid was going to be about Underwear ??? Haha Just Joking . Good Video as always .

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Trust me, nobody wants a video about my underwear.

[@CenturianCornelious]

I thought this would be about night vision -- I'm in Kansas, where there is no such thing as a thermal! lol

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Funny stuff.

[@iddddaduncan]

Also thermals last longer if your hunting up a creek bottom

[@leontheprofessional9324]

Can you elaborate on that a little? I'm just getting into this so this is the first time I've really looked into the stuff about thermals

[@jake9705]

I am dumb. I thought this video was going to be about underwear...

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Now that's funny.