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Nature’s Wind Detector
By Mark Melotik
Late summer is a great time to collect a supply of nature’s wind detector, a useful addition to any hunter’s gear, particularly bowhunters. And it all starts with a simple trip to an overgrown grassy field.
You’re looking for mature milkweed plants that produce distinct, horn-shaped seed pods in late summer. As you likely discovered as a kid, the tubular pods are filled with seeds and floss, a material attached to the seed that allows it to travel on the wind, similar to dandelion seeds.
In just minutes, a good milkweed patch will help you fill a gallon-sized plastic bag of milkweed floss that will last you a couple of seasons.
What many don’t know is that owning a good supply of floss can even help you become a better hunter. Confused? It’s as easy as using the floss frequently up in your treestand setups to help you learn tricky wind patterns. When in doubt, send some flying.
This is especially eye-opening in hilly or otherwise steep terrain where wind currents and morning/evening thermals can be notoriously temperamental. Sometimes how the wind currents at your stand site act might well be the exact opposite of the actual prevailing wind direction. But you won’t really know until you check it.
Once you know how a specific forecasted wind really works on a specific stand site, be sure to log that info in your phone or hunting app for future reference. You just might be miles ahead the next time you hunt there — and for that you can thank nature’s wind detector.