Hills & Thermals Whitetail Hunting Web Class

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Use Thermals to Your Advantage!

Did you know that most of the bucks featured at the top of this page on my wall were shot hunting hills and thermals? It's true!

Yet many of the most experienced hunters I know even have trouble with thermals.

Let's face it, 50% of all whitetail hunters hunt in enough hills to experience thermals and to really learn why you would you hunt in one location in the morning or another location in the evening—or vice versa.

There are a lot of tricks and tactics that you can take advantage of and throughout this Web Class, I'll teach you how to "cheat" the wind and how you should use the wind to your advantage.

I'm hoping that the experience that I have with hills and thermals—going back to the early '90s—will guide you to success!

Hills and Thermals Screen Cap

Learn from an innovator in whitetail hunting since 1995

Featuring 16 online video lessons in over 8 hours of video grouped into 3 modules, you’ll learn:

  • Saddle, Bench, Draw and other topographic terms and what they mean during the hunt
  • Morning and Evening Thermal Trends
  • How to "cheat" the wind and "forecast" it
  • How food affects where bucks bed in hill country
  • Determine the right location during the right time of day and how elevation plays a huge role
  • Why your stand location and elevation affects your scent
  • How deer move through hills
  • Using ditches and draws to your advantage
  • How to hunt in an actual valley (very tough!)
  • The quiet "Lee Side" Hunting Advantage

... and much, much more!

Jeff With Buck

Your Instructor

Jeff Sturgis takes decades of pursuing his passion, and then professionally transfers those pursuits into the enhancement of his client’s, reader's and viewer's hunting and habitat experiences, across the entire country. Jeff prides himself in creating the healthiest free-ranging deer herds in the world of whitetails, as well as taking on the challenge of hunting the oldest bucks in the neighborhood. Not only has he been able to create, own and operate a successful business in the whitetail industry since 2005, but he has been able to work along side his wife Diane while doing so.

Jeff received the QDMA's Deer Manager of the Year award in 2004, and hasn't stopped learning since. After studying and creating over 1000 whitetail videos and articles, as well as working on over 1000 client lands across 26 whitetail states, Jeff is in a league of his own when it comes to the ability to design your habitat, herd and hunt - anywhere a whitetail roams!

I gotta thank you!
—Lee G- Ohio

I highly recommend any of Jeff's books to any serious whitetail hunter and manager. By far some of the most beneficial whitetail literature today.
—Michael M

Thanks Jeff. I just had 2 weeks off due to covid19. We made tremendous progress implementing all your knowledge. completely changed how I look at my land.
—Stu

Great channel mister ! I wish you were my dad. Lol
—Jenn

Hey Jeff. You are fantastic at what you do, I think i speak for a lot of people when I say, Jeff is doing what he was meant to in life!
—Hyena

Thank you so much for your free information. Great stuff! You inspire me with every video to improve my land!
—Butterflycatcher

I watched the whole class in just a couple days, very good stuff! I especially liked the first video because it goes through his thought process.
—David

It was my pleasure to get the class. I enjoyed watching it and really appreciate all of the content WHS makes and it was easy to give the patronage.
—Sam

So much of what people have told me turned out to be purely anecdotal and not based on the "science". Exceeded my expectations...which were high to start with!
—Eric B

This info is incredible! You have me riveted to the screen and will be using this info and passing it on.
—Dennis

Course Curriculum

Section 1: The Advanced Basics of Hills, Thermals and Whitetails
Elevation Advantage Rules (24:43)
Food Positioned Bedding (07:56)
Common Topo Terms (11:16)
Hill Country Scent Control (08:37)
Section 2: Critical Hills and Thermal Hunting Strategies
Where Do Bucks Bed In Hill Country? (27:25)
Forecasting the Wind (13:15)
Using "Clean Air" Above The Soil (09:02)
Lee Side Hunting Advantage (18:01)
How to Cheat the Wind (11:53)
Section 3: Exactly Where To Hunt In Hills and Thermals
Mid & Lower Point Hunting (15:06)
Evening Thermal Trends (26:42)
Morning Thermal Trends (26:48)
How To Hunt In A Valley (17:04)
Hunting the Top of a Draw (16:29)
Risk and Reward of Ditches and Draws (09:02)
"Plan B" Thermal Attack (21:06)

Hills

PLUS: Exclusive bonuses...

Exclusive WHS Hat

Most deer hunters love hats, and we know you will enjoy this exclusive, high quality hat made exclusively for this web class! Hopefully you will want to collect them all!
$30 Value

Workbook

Make sure to follow along with your web class workbook that will be personally signed by Jeff and mailed to your shortly after your purchase. For this second class, there is room for notes on each page, as well as pages to begin designing your program towards the end of the book.
a $30 Value

3ebooksincluded

... worth over $120!

Free eBook Collection

Along with the “How To Design Your Deer Hunting Parcel” web class, enjoy our first 3 eBooks as further foundations of content to assist you in more accurately designing your hunt, habitat and herd.
—$60 Value

Future Discounts For Upcoming Web Classes

After you purchase this web class, we're giving you a 20% Off savings code for a substantial savings on any other web class series that is in our library in the future. (This offer extends to retail price only, and your savings code can be used at any time after the initial 30 day introductory price for each web series.)

Membership In WHS Private Facebook Group

This is a private, “Members Only” Facebook page that is only available by invitation to web class purchasers and site visit clients. Are you tired of wading through the plethora of poor online advice? Then you can take advantage of high-quality discussions with passionate hunters and habitat managers who share a common goal of getting it done right the first time.
Priceless!

Learn from my decades of experience hunting in hill country

From the first time I hunted 700 foot elevations in Pennsylvania back in the early '80s and then moving to Wisconsin and Minnesota in 2002 and beyond, I took those decades of experience and have narrowed all that knowledge down to the best content you'll find in this web class.

I talk to hunters all the time about hills/thermals. And I even have clients where I'll come to their property—clients who've paid pay me a lot of money for me come check it out—and even though they've hunted hills for decades, they're really not experienced when it comes to making good decisions throughout the hunt guided by hills and thermals.

These concepts work, and have been originated by me personally and have been proven over decades of work by tens of thousands of viewers, readers and clients. While these are the concepts that flood my books and over 1000 articles and videos that can be found on my website and YouTube channel, this is the most comprehensive set of content that can be used to effectively hunt hills – within the steps that you should work to complete them in.

My WHS Web Classes are the next best thing to having me come teach you about thermals on your land in person, and I am excited to open the availability of these classes to a far greater number of folks than the number I personally work with per year – at a much more affordable price!

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the course start and finish?

The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.

How long do I have access to the course?

After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.

What do I need to access the course?

If you have an Internet connection and a modern web browser, you'll be able to view the content.

Can I download the course for offline use?

Not at this time but please let us know if this is something you need. We might be able to make accommodations due to your circumstances (eg spotty/slow Internet, plane trip, etc.).

Is the course available on other formats (eg DVD, audio only).

Not at this time. However, please let us know if this is something you would find useful.

Are there closed-captions / transcript available?

Not yet, but please let us know so we can make accommodations.

What if I am unhappy with the course? Is there any refunds?

If you are unsatisfied, please let us know so we can address your concern.

I purchased the class—how do I login?

After you purchase the class, you will be prompted to create a password to this website and setup your account. If you forgot your password please try resetting it.

What Others Are Saying


Jeff visited us in Central Michigan for the first time in the spring of 2022. In the 3 years we have hunted the property before Jeff’s consultation we had shot 4 bucks all scoring between 95”- 105” Jeff came out and gave us a plan. The biggest take away for us was to create significantly more depth of cover and access. Jeff had us move our food plots away from the middle of the property to create layers of bedding and helped us understand how to use the topography of our property for hunting access. I watched hours and hours of Jeff on YouTube and had a pretty good idea about what he was going to recommend, but having him in person able to apply his management philosophy to our property specifically directly made it easy. We started making changes immediately and that first hunting season, shot a 130” 5 year old 10 point.
This year, our switchgrass is coming in our food plots are expanding, and our blinds and stand locations are even better than before. We still have plenty of work ahead of us, but now, we have a plan. Thanks Jeff and the WHS team!

Bryan K- Michigan

I've been a fanatic whitetail hunter for 26 years and counting. Over the years I've read just about every whitetail magazine, book, & blog to increase my odds of success. The 2nd year after reading Jeffs book and implementing his tactics, improvements, proper balance of food and habitat, etc... an increase of herd to around 70 deer by the end of season (not kidding your sightings will increase as the season progresses including bucks!). I harvested 2 awesome 8pts, passed on 18 immature bucks, and harvested 4 does to help balance the herd. My results may seem too good to be true...something like a fad diet....but trust me once you start to read this you won't be able to put it down and once you implement Jeff's concepts and design strategies....you will be able to take your hunting success to the next level you so desire!!! I promise;)

Anthony G

I've found Jeff's concepts to be original, refreshing and highly effective! Not only do his concepts of defining deer bedding and movement patterns based on food sources work extremely well, but his use of the weather aligns with my own experiences for determining exactly when a mature buck will be on his feet. Jeff's teachings cover the entire spectrum of attracting, holding, building and hunting a great deer herd - even on small parcels!

Cory

We purchased our farm 4 years ago in the Wayne National Forrest in Southern Ohio. Year after year, it seemed there were 2 deer that would live on our farm year-round. Following these deer and finding multiple years of sheds we have spent each year attempting to harvest these 2 particular deer as a special memory for the beginning of our farm. Over the years these deer seemed to elude us in every way. Only 1 time in 3 years did we see one of these deer in person during daylight. After Jeff’s visit in September 2022, we only had a couple weeks to implement a small portion of the plan Jeff laid out for us. Once deer season started we not only had more day light photos of a dozen mature bucks but we were able to pattern the 2 that had eluded us for years. I was able to take down this 6.5 year old 164” Southern Ohio deer and my father was able to take down his 8.5 year old deer only 3 weeks later. We are very grateful for Jeff’s efforts, and we are extremely excited to see what changes the rest of his plan brings to our farm in the future!

Jaime D- Ohio

These are my top 5 archery bucks i've taken all from the same property over the years using all the tactics i've learned from watching his video's!! The biggest in the middle scored 171-3/8s! Got my first archery buck when i was 15 & I'm turning 28 in June soo it took abit of time, but in my area I'm fairly well known for getting these bucks in that short time cause most hunters here maybe get lucky & shoot one like that in a whole lifetime lol

Tyler S

Hills & Thermals Whitetail Hunting Web Class

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