wind-detector

[bofish-IL]

Milk weed will let you see just exactly what the wind is doing. It will amaze you how it takes off one direction just hangs for a few seconds then takes off in a complete opposite direction.

Milkweed makes me question comments like the deer was directly downwind and didn't smell me. Chances are if you let a milkweed fluff go it would show it passed 20 or 30 yards over the deer or off to the side.

One of the Wensels or Brunner tapes years ago showed them setting off a colored smoke bomb just to show the actual path of slight breeze. It floated around swirled around and did all kinds of direction changes.

[Stumpkiller]

Turkey maribou (down) feather on a thread tied to my upper bowstring.

[KSdan]

1) puff bottle with baking POWDER-works great. 2)New lesson this year:  had a friend tie thread on the end of his arrow- wow was that great to observe as a deer was approaching.

[stykbender]

Dental floss (unwaxed) on the upper limb. Flare the end. Got that tip from Barry Wensel on a video back in the '80s, worked since!

[ChuckC]

I use a piece of frayed dental floss taped to the upper limb of my bow.  

If you want to see the thermals, try taking a chunk of the fluffy yarn they use to tie yarn flies (salmon egg imitator).  Strands from that yarn almost float by themselves and come in very bright colors.  You can see that fuzz a long way.
ChuckC

[Roy Steele]

I use milk week at my ground stand and power at the car.

[cedar]

I use a 6" piece of sewing thread tied on the top loop of longbow string.

[gobblegrunter]

Until now I've used the unwaxed dental floss on the upper bowstring, but after seeing this thread, I'm gonna try milkweed...

[Charlie Lamb]

While I like using the milk weed fluff, over the years I've gotten to where I can detect the slightest breeze naturally just by paying close attention to natural cues in the forest.

First you must understand that favorable winds are almost always harder to predict than than the bad winds.
I've gotten pretty good at detecting the bad winds by listening for natural sounds associated with them, like crashing of leaves and brush and loud snorting.
Pretty dependable!
  :D

[ChuckC]

Derek. .  don't STOP using the dental floss.  it is there 24/7 and I personally have come to glance at it all the time, especially out west.

 The other stuff is not so readily available for all the time use but makes a great addendum.
ChuckC

[Bowmania]

Dental floss tied to the top string nock of your bow.  We should ALWAYS be thinking of wind, but we done because of our everyday world.  Being on the tip of your bow remind you.

Bowmania

[gobblegrunter]

Originally posted by ChuckC:
Derek. .  don't STOP using the dental floss.  it is there 24/7 and I personally have come to glance at it all the time, especially out west.

 The other stuff is not so readily available for all the time use but makes a great addendum.
ChuckC

Chuck,
Sounds like good advice that I'm gonna be sure to take...thanks!

[sbschindler]

[L. E. Carroll]

Well these have worked for me:... a very thin strand of line about 10" long with a bit of small feather or fur attached,

one of the commonly available small bottles sold for this purpose, with talc type powder,

and I have been known to light a bic lighter briefly to see which way the wind blows the flame...usually using this method just as I'm leaving the vehicle to see which way I want to head out while 'still hunting'.

Gene

[kongo]

Got a product from 3 Rivers a bottle full of white powder . Squeeze it & will detect any wind currents .

[reddust]

Dental floss on the bowstring works for me.