How do you guys keep your hands warm?

[hightop_hunter]

Hot hands are the ticket in minus 30c

[buckeye_hunter]

I wear a button down wool camo shirt as my outter layer. I leave one button undone and keep my string hand in the shirt gap there. Also, you can buy an overly long wool sweater off of E-B@# and just pull the sleeve down over your string hand. Any sweater will do as it can be a lower layer with camo or plaid over it.

[Guru]

Greg, I use a gloves almost all the time when I hunt. Bow hand gets a full glove, string hand gets a glove with the 3 middle fingers cut off half way. I use a superglove and slip the glove right over it so the three leather fingers are exposed.

As it get colder, I add a hand warmer in each pocket. The big ones when it's real cold.

I always try to hang my bow as conveinent as possible so I can keep my hands as long as possible in my pockets.  When the time comes to grab my bow, I grab it, and get my string hand right back in my pocket grasping the warmer if the shot isn't happeneing just yet.

When the time comes I take it out and do the deed. If it doesn't happen quick, I try to get my hand back in...the key for me is to keep the warmer in my hand, in my pocket as close as possible to the shot.

I'll also go to a slightly heavier set of gloves as it gets real cold.

I know what you mean about hands not working well when cold...it's always a battle for me too...cold finger just don't work well!

[bowmofo]

If you put your hands in the snow or some water as soon as you go out, it will send a message to your brain to send more blood to your hands, if your in good health and not just sitting on stand you should be good   :rolleyes:

[macksdad]

I have the handwarmer that is like a fanny pack. I bought it from cabelas for 20 bucks it has a pocket to put stuff in the front and plenty of room for handwarmer pouches works great and my string hand never gets cold with just a shooting glove on.

[guspup]

Muff here......with handwarmers if cold enough.

[reddogge]

I'm one of those blessed with not getting cold hands.  I used to duck hunt and run the boat out, put out decoys, set the boat blind up all without gloves.

For bowhunting I use a thin brown cotton glove with a shooting glove over that and a heavier glove with rubber nubs for my bowhand.  If keeping them in my pocket won't work I have a muff that straps around my body.  Haven't needed any handwarmers though.

Now the feet.........they are a different story.

[Covey]

I wear fingerless wool gloves. I put them on then put my shooting glove on. Works good for me! Jason

[Sam McMichael]

I wear fleece gloves and put my tab on the same as if I were bare handed. Works fine, but I would recommend practising this way to get get used to it. On colder days, I also use a handwarmer, but fortunately in Georgia, we don't get a whole lot of bitter cold, which allows for lighter gloves than some of you guys require.

[Wary Buck]

[Wary Buck]

[Wary Buck]

I keep my hands in my pockets or hand muff till the last possible minute.  (I am really intrigued by the new cold-weather Sitka coat available later in 2011 that has both a full zipper AND an integral hand muff).  I wear a lighter weight glove that I can use in conjunction with a tab and keep that inside the pocket/muff till the last second (and often with a hand warmer too).  A heavier weight glove or mitt on the bow hand.

Years ago, my taxidermist brother made me a hand muff out of extra hide from a bison turned inside out.  WOW, does it keep you warm.

[7 Lakes]

I've worked for a system of Wilderness Camps for over 30 years.  The first winter outside in the NC mountians I learned.  

The body will send warm blood flowing to the torso and head to keep your core temp 98.6 or you'll die.  If this means killing the fingers, toes, nose and ears with frostbite so be it. Do what you need to do to keep the scalp and torso warm and the body will have warm blood left for the rest.    

 I also noted that you "held the bow at ready"  for 30 minutes.  Does that mean drawn? or bare handed.  Even warm blood can't keep a bare hand from feeling the effects of the cold on the skins layer of nerves.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

I agree with what Guru said, I hang my bow up so it takes minimal movement to get my hands on it. I leave it hung up until I see the shot getting close, then grab it with my bow hand and keep my shooting finger hand in my jacket pocket with a hand warmer in it until it's time to shoot.
I have even switched hands before if one is getting too cold, so I can warm the other one up then switch back for the shot.
There shouldn't be a need to hold your bow for a solid 30min. waiting for a deer to feed within range, but I know that every shot is different and I wasn't there so I don't know what situation you were dealing with?

Have you tried one of those bow hooks with a swivel in the middle that screws into the tree up above your head? You can swing the arm either direction you need to so your bow will be at the ready directly in front of you within easy arms reach. I love mine.

[GingivitisKahn]

Originally posted by buckeye_hunter:
I wear a button down wool camo shirt as my outter layer. I leave one button undone and keep my string hand in the shirt gap there. Also, you can buy an overly long wool sweater off of E-B@# and just pull the sleeve down over your string hand. Any sweater will do as it can be a lower layer with camo or plaid over it.

Don't think I've ever owned a sweater with sleeves long enough to cover my orangutan arms *and* hands.  I'd love to try that trick though.  Maybe I could buy two sweaters, cut the sleeves off of one and sew them to the ends of the other.

   

[gvdocholiday]

I use the mittens with the top flap that folds back revealing fingerless gloves underneath.  

I've cut down the fore, middle, and ring finger sections all the way down and where my shooting glove as a liner.  On my bow hand I have a form fitting spandex glove with a black leather palm and finger pads.  With this mix matched setup, the poi is the same as when I'm wearing nothing on my hands.

[Hood]

Originally posted by Stumpkiller:
I have a belt pouch lined with fleece (synthetic shearling, I guess) that Winona used to sell.  I can shoot with a merino wool fingerless liner inside of a Thinsulate "Glomitt" type mitten.  Works pretty well.

   

   

This is what I try to do, but I've always wanted to try and stitch something on the outside of the glove to cover all my fingers. Wish someone would make a product like that...

[Skipmaster1]

Thanks guys. I think it was just a bad situation. I usually have no problems staying warm. I had the bow hung in an easy to reach place but with so many deer at such a close range I didn't want to take the chance of putting the bow down. It would have only taken a step or two from one of the deer in the right direction and I would have had a shot in just a few minutes, instead of 30. I usually just shift my hands into my muff but it just didn't work out that well.Oh, well thats hunting. I guess it was just a tough break. I was fine once the deer left and I was able to put my hands back in my muff. It wasn't even REALLY cold, it was about 14 degrees with no wind, not cold enough that I had to put my jacket on to stay toasty. I do think I'll be using a glove with the 3 fingers cut off of it and my shooting glove under it next year.