Hunting, so much fun........

[ScottsGT]

So the morning started off at 5 a.m. with the alarm clock going off. The temp outside my house was 30 degrees. I got out of a warm bed, next to my warm wife to go hunting with "hunting buddy". So after topping off the oil in the old Samurai, loading up the gear, I have to make the necessary stop at Bojangles for breakfast, since my loving wife would not get out of bed to cook me breakfast at 5 a.m.

So 30 min. later, I arrive at the farm and meet hunting buddy. We sign out to our stands, and instead of him walking, I load him up, his gear and drive him to his stand so he has a shorter walk. I then proceded to my stand. Well, on the way out, hunting buddy tells me that the temp was in the teens according to the thermometer in his truck. (The farm is 20 min. north of my house and there is a big temp difference all the time)

So I get to my parking location, and jump out and start getting dressed in my thermal zip up overalls. Now imagine a 325 lb.guy ( yea, in a Samurai) trying to climb into a zip up overall at 6 a.m. in the woods, still dark. Well, it got worse. The zipper got stuck as I'm zipping down my leg. About this time the fingers are numb with no feeling. had to pull overall back off, unstick zipper, and climb back into overalls. Got that side zipped, now time to do other leg. Well, half way down, that zipper sticks.

Now I have reached a moment in my life that I have come to realize that the Kroger meat market is 72 degrees and the meet is prepackaged. Lots of nasty words started to come out of my mouth (that would embarrass Arts grammaw) at this time, and I could care less about spooking any deer that might be on the property. Overalls have to come back off and the dance continues. After several minutes of fussing and cussing, I'm finally zipped up and starting to get warm, but there is still no feelings in my fingers.

So I start loading up all my gear, which includes a small back pack with my bottled water, beef jerkey, pull over hood, gloves, assortment of knives, etc., my M1 Carbine, a military issue down sleeping bag to throw over me, and one of those fold out chairs you see at all the soccer games, since the hard plastic chair in the stand is going too hard for me to fit in with all the clothes I'm wearing. (remember, I'm 325 lbs, and those plastic patio chairs are not designed for guys my size)

So I get to the stand, start to climb the ladder while wearing my gloves with the fingers cut off with the mitt covers, and realize halfway up that the ladder rungs are covered with very slippery frost/ice. (Not the best gloves for gripping ladder rungs) Did I also mention that the guy that built the stand builds the rungs about 20" apart? Go figure, he's only 5'6" with short legs, but he builds the ladders for the Jolly Green Giant. I think he's trying to save a buck on the 2 X 4's! Remember the part about all the clothes I was wearing? Try lifting your legs 20" with 3 layers of pants on. Not too easy!

Well, half way up, I go down about half way, complements of the ice and the "sure grip" gloves. Finally after much grunting and groaning, I make it up in the stand with all my gear and then have to remove the plastic patio chair so my fold out soccer mom chair will fit. OK, It's been three trips up and down the ladder just to get in the stand. So I fold out my chair, with hands still numb, sit down, put on the pull over wool hood and slide my glasses back on. With all the huffin' and puffin', the glasses instantly fog up. More nasty words follow......

So now my glasses are clear, cussins' good for that you know, I proceed to unload the necessary items from the back pack. At this point, the only necessitys I could think of was my bottle of water, and one of those chemical hand warmers. Unroll the sleeping bag and put it over me. Well the hand warmer is finally getting warm providing me some relief. So, I settle in for a few hours of relaxiation in the stand. Well, 10 min. later, nose is frozen since I cannot wear the hood properly due to glasses fogging up again. So I do the next best thing, pull the sleeping bag over my head and fall asleep.
30 min. late I wake up, look around, see nothing and pull bag back over head.

This routine goes on for another hour and a half and I finally give up, pack it up and head to the heater in the Samurai. The kicker was that my bottle of water is now a water slushie!! Swing back around to pick up hunting buddy, and he shows up wearing two different gloves. Looks like he had his problems too!

BTW, we never saw the first deer! I think hunting season is over for me

 

[TMM]

bad preperation. prepare for this next time and i bet you'll enjoy it more.

 

[Oldnamvet]

With me the final insult is when my buddy shows me a picture of me sleeping and deer walking by. I can stay awake for 10 hours yet the deer comes by during my 10-minute after snack nap.

 

[ScottsGT]

bad preperation. prepare for this next time and i bet you'll enjoy it more.

OK, just how do you prepare for 20 degree weather?? I had on long johns, don't own contacts, couldn't help the zipper hanging up.
I did procrastinate on topping off the oil.
And actually, one one of the stands, I built a new ladder!! As miserable as it was, in a sick way, I had fun

 

[esheato]

Haha.. I know how you feel, because I fall asleep everywhere. Deer, turkey and duck put me to sleep. I always wake up curled up in a hole in the ground...there isn't anything better that I can think of.

Ed

 

[joebogey]

I've requested a new deer stand for Christmas. One of those lounge type stands ya know. My ol Amacker with the flat seat just ain't safe to sleep in.
Course I have been known to sit on the foot platform and hang my arms over the seat portion to keep from fallin out. But then I've usually got so many clothes on, I can't get back up.

 

[f4t9r]

I have had days like that
take the good with the bad !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mustanger98]

My version of preparation... get my deer tag at the store, go home and put on orange goose down vest or heavy orange coat, pick up gun, walk to wherever I think they might be. The deer will be by sooner or later. (And my grandparents are the landowner.)

I gave up on stands a long time ago. My hip replacements and artheritis (and I'm 31 years old) preclude me from needing to climb. I figure if I can't see it standing on the ground, I probably don't need to shoot it. I didn't give up on trees- I just use them as cover and/or something to strap my seat too. And I see deer regularly for most of the season, but it's a matter of harvesting the one I'm after.

How do you prepare for a cold day? In my case, I figure how I need to dress for the day in general. Either I'll stay warm or get cold, one way or the other. Either way, I generally enjoy being out there or I wouldn't go.

 

[ScottsGT]

I'll admit it, I'm an amature at hunting. Only been going for 5 years now. All I have ever seen is a few does out of my range and had a few yearlings under the stands we use. Never have shot one. Our stands are 4' X 4' boxes with a roof on top mounted on 4X4 poles with a ladder leading up to a door on the front. Everyone tells me you need to get up high so they cannot smell you as easy, not for sight. I think the land owner needs to restock
Actually, the property next to ours has hunters running dogs across our areas all the time, and I think the deer have just gave up and moved on to quieter areas. Not to mention all the dogs that homeowners in the area own. Every hunt I've been on in 5 years, there is a dog running thru the woods yappin' his big mouth, either chasing deer, rabbits or squirrels.

 

[Subby]

20 isn't really *that* cold. If you have decent clothes, and it's not uber-windy or rainy/sleety, you can be relatively comfy sitting in 20 degree weather all day. One of my personal tricks is wearing as little as possible on the way to the stand. Wear your long johns/pants, with a t-shirt on top. When you arrive at stand, peel off your sweaty t-shirt, drop your drawers, and let the sweat evaporate for 10-15 minutes. Then dress in your dry warm layers. The real key to staying warm is staying dry. A good set of polypropylene undies, fleece and wool outies, you're in business all day. I hear ya on the glasses fogging up, I haven't come up with a real satisfactory solution for that. Balaclavas fog the glasses up, ski masks fog the glasses up, and it makes it kinda rough to spit your tobacco juice when you're wearing either. It helps if you can grow a beard, chapstick works wonders as well. If 40 mph winds are blowing sleet in your face, there's really not a whole helluva lot you can do besides trying to find a good spot on the lee side of the hill. Comfort out in the woods is kinda relative. You just have to accept the pain as part of the experience, that's just how it is.

Sub

 

[PCGS65]

ScottsGT, I love storys like that! It makes me realize I'm not the only one that things like that happen to.
Talk about glasses fogging up almost every time I go hunting no matter what I try my shooting eye lense fogs up? Why can't it be the left one?
Anyway it's a lot of fun.

 

[Deer Hunter]

I've only hunted in that kind of tempature once, and it's no fun. Imagine an 11 year old kid, given a 30-06, and told to stay on a stand for four hours in 20 degree weather with only one layer of clothing and a jacket, no gloves, and a baseball cap.

I went to sleep too, haha.

Well, now that I'm a bit older, I can enjoy hunting. Although I have never enjoyed hunting in stands, I prefer tree stands or just sitting next to a tree and waiting.

 

[mrb302]

One of my personal tricks is wearing as little as possible on the way to the stand.

Sub

+1

This is a great trick for keeping warm. I've worn all my heavy layers from the truck to the stand and sat freezing in 40 degree temps.

Now I wear 2 layers less than what I think I'll need while I'm walking. Once I get up the tree (climber stand) I wait 5 minutes and add the other two layers. I can stay warm for hours even on 30 degrees or less.

Typical 30 degree attire includes:

short sleve t-shirt, long sleeve t-shirt, sweatshirt or thermal henley, fleece vest, heavy outer jacket

thermal underwear, BDU style pants, heavy insulated overalls

fleece barclava and fleece beenie

I roll up the heavy jacket and overalls in my stand as I pack in. The gloves barclava and beenie are in the jacket pockets, not on me. As long as I'm moving carrying all of this in my stand on my back + a rifle, I stay warm. Once I find the tree I want to climb, I lay the jacket and coveralls on the climber section of the stand. Climb up, relax for 5 minutes, suit up. This keeps me warm becuase I don't sweat during the process and therefore don't get wet.

Good luck, and don't give up hunting. It's the thrill of a lifetime to pull the trigger on a nice meaty buck who wonders in too close.

BTW, I'm 6'3" 260lbs.

 

[Barbara]

If had to depend soley on my hunting abilities to survive, I would be much thinner than I am now. In fact, I'd be dead.

Maybe next year.

 

[LAK]

What Subby said.

20 isn't that cold; with good gear and the right preparation.

First recommendation is a base clothing layer of silk long johns; available at good sport chain stores. They weigh almost nothing, but add a degree of insulation all out of proportion to their bulk. Regular cotton long johns can be worn over silks if desired.

I like an intermediate layer of 100% cotton flannel; pants and a collared shirt (buttoned up to the neck, the collar can be turned up to cover the neck).

A quality pure wool sweater can be added as an intermediate layer depending on your state of metabolism.

Quality pure wool jacket and pants. I have a number of jackets; Harris tweed etc, and a particularly good pair of vintage brown wool Australian Army pants. Hold your pants up with (depending on what side of the Atlantic you went to school) suspenders or braces in place of a belt. A belt restricts movement, blood flow, digestion etc - you'll be far more comfortable without one.

Outer shell; wax cotton jacket is good if the freeze turns to rain unexpectedly. Otherwise I like a windproof cotton shell. Genuine Ventile cotton is excellent if you can afford it. Likewise overpants if desired; I have a pair of lightly insulated British Army overpants made of cotton or polycotton with Goretex interlining.

I like these combinations because if things warm up considerably into the day the outer items/layers can be shed one at a time.

Pointer: know your size and meaurements in general, feet and inches, metric and anything else - and browse the evilBay. I have aquired a number of very upmarket, very high-dollar clothing items, some new with tags, for a fraction of their retail price.

Surplus Russian military hats - the ones with the thick lining and wraparound flap are hitting the market in great numbers at this time. I have an old East German Army version that has served well for about 15 years but I am adding a couple of the new Russian ones. These hats are very warm and versatile; I've used mine in temperatures as low as minus 60 F.

Pointer: Scour the 'Bay, surf the web, keywords: Ushanka Russian hat. They are going for $10 to $25. Expect to pay alot for shipping if you buy from a seller in Russia because of their export permit costs etc. But they are well worth the money.

Best gloves or mitts are soft wool. Some of the best I have used are the traditional Dachsteins made in Austria. Although popular for winter mountainering they are suited to any cold environment. For shooting you can modify them (or have someone else) by cutting a longitudal slit in the right place for the trigger finger. The slit can be lightly buttonhole stitched to stop it fraying if desired. A lihter pair of gloves can be worn inside mitts, and of course additionally silk gloves can be worn as excellent liners.

The right socks are very important. I like quality wool, or brands like Thorlo of various materials and weights. Sometimes a lighter weight pair inside a heavyweight pair. Silk liners add comfort and warmth.

Best boots for lounging around in cold weather are felt-lined like Sorel brand etc. Make sure you buy them matched to the socks, number of sock layers, you will wear in them; and not too small. If you habitually wear your boots laced up very snug for walking or climbing, loosen them when you settle down to allow your blood to circulate more freely.

A couple of other pointers offhand; a closed-cell foam pad to sit on and lean against. In other words cover your seat or chair. It will stop the heat rushing out through the compressed clothing under your backside and back. Another is a child's sleeping bag worn over and around the feet, legs and lower body when seated - just remember to peel it off before attempting to walk or climb down from your deerstand!
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