I’ve always associated thermals with mountainous hunting or anything other than the flatlands we have here. Had something interesting happen today and just curious if thermals played a part in it.

Surprised by your question WB. Thermals are thermaling regardless of elevation. We’re pretty flat in SE VA as well. I’ve seen weird stuff with the difference in tree height on the edge of a field or cutover making the wind do weird stuff.

Curious what happened to ya.

Earth heats and thermals go up. Earth cools and thermals go down.. if you're in hilly area, the cooler low land air will get pulled up the hill in the morning when temps rise and just the opposite in the afternoon.

Need sloped ground usually, up hill, down hill for thermals to be there. Mornings and evenings.
Probably would have them also on flat ground with cool to hot. Dry harvested field next to cool timber or irrigated field. Would think any slight prevailing breeze would cancel this though.

Cold air always goes to the lowest space , so as the sun rises, the cold air goes down to the lowest space.

If you're sitting on a higher elevation, the cold air will flow from you to the lower elevation.
Same as it's always colder before dawn , it seems darker also.
The sun's rays are warming the air higher in the sky, and the colder air goes down towards the earth.
Warm air rises while colder heavier air sinks.

Did you get busted in a ground blind?

This^^^^

And even in flatter areas there are always lower areas such as creek bottoms, river bottoms, marshy or wooded wetlands, etc.....the thermal currents dip in these areas in the evenings as air temp cools. When cool air can't go any lower it scatters and settles....unless there is a low level wind strong enough to move it in a certain direction. You'll get scented by deer more in the evenings than mornings as thermals rise with the warming...pulling air currents upwards until they hit the wind and turns in whatever direction wind is blowing.

This is spot on description too^^^^

Water is a heat sink so can have warm air rising over it.

Thermals explained as simple as I can.

All things equal, flat land/no wind.

Land has various colors/materials.

Dark colors or masses like water absorb solar heat. Light colors or vegetated (insulated) do not.

Now assuming cold air, or just cooler, air mass in place the warmed surfaces heat the air above and hot air rises.

Now throw in variables of terrain wind and weather and thermals can be fickle but one constant is found most everywhere. Sunrise which usually occurs at the coldest time of day so thermals are most prevalent and likely to be generated after sunrise as the sun heats the ground surface.

The inverse can be true as the sun sets and the ground effect diminishes.

Ok, that’s what I thought but it’s really never played into my hunting…until today.
With this moon, cameras have been showing the buck I want to see coming in about midday. Well, I went to feed and checked the wind while at one particular stand and thought I’d come back and sit a little while when I get done.
So, about 1115 I was in the stand. It was 86 degrees with a W/NW wind.
I ran a doe out when walking in and climbed on up. This is my lock-on stand and it’s between 3 trees real close together and no more than 12-15ft max high.
First deer, button buck, came in from upwind. No issue. A doe and fawn came in next still upwind. I’d been dropping floaters to check the wind and noticed it rising up instead of drifting to the ground.
Next thing I know I hear walking behind me and braced for blowing and deer scattering.
Instead it kept getting closer, then stopped. I heard it go West then back East. I’m facing North and about to strain my eyes trying to see without turning my head. I now realize it’s multiple deer and getting real close. To my East about 5 yards from my tree they file past…2 8pts and a 4pt that’s still in velvet. They run the doe and fawn off and go straight to feeding.
Now these aren’t “mature” bucks, but 10 years ago I would’ve taken either 8pt, lol. I drop another floater and sure enough it goes right where the deer came from but it’s still rising. I get a brainstorm and pull up the local weather on my phone and it’s 91 degrees now.
With those bucks at the feed deer started walking around everywhere. I had deer North of the bucks, West of the bucks, more coming from the South (behind me) and from my East. Basically I’d had deer 360 degrees around me and the West and South deer would stop and stick their noses in the air, but none spooked. I even had a deer bed down so close to the SE I couldn’t range it.
Anyways, it was a good sit even though it was HOT and nothing spooked. Only thing I can contribute it to is rising thermals in the drain and a very light steady wind. And NO, the buck I really wanted to see never showed.

Edited to say I may be way off base, but it’s the only thing I could think of.

Thermals only go up. They do not go down. Downdrafts go down.

buzzards sure are good at finding them

I guess your right. Same principle though dealing with temps. Just opposite.

Same thing as longjohns

That is exactly what got me interested and studying on thermals. Figuring out why buzzards pick certain morning loafing spots. Those will usually be close to where thermals generate.

Part of the reason the deer that smelled you didn't spook is because you/ya'll have been walking in there regularly and baiting the site. They're mostly use to a little human scent....and add in that you are very selective on spilling blood there.....so those deer accept the human intrusion there because you haven't let the air outta one there yet.

It'll change when you do. They will be less tolerant of your scent drifting around there and decrease daytime visits.

Deer will walk the thermal tunnel on the top 2/3 rds of a hill too. They bed on the leeward side so they can see in front of them down the hill and get the air from behind them. Terrain has a huge effect, just like a rock creates an eddie in the river.

Yep.
I think water can affect thermals.

I have really good evening tactics for thermals and deer hunting, works great.