Tips for hunting cold weather

[JApple]

Just completed deer season here in Texas and would appreciate any help with hunting in cold weather.  I had some misses this year, fairly short straightforward shots.  On several of these I was really layered up and had a large jacket.  I noticed that after sitting for several hours in the cold that pulling the bow back etc a lot harder than normal, I don't think I was hitting full draw even though anchored at my normal spot. My two thoughts are to go down in bow weight to about 45-47 ( I currently shoot a Sarrels 50 @28, I draw about 29.5".) or getting advice from guys who hunt in the cold a lot! Thank you for any advice. Any warmup routines? Thank you.

J

[bowmaster12]

Pull your bow back occasionally during the sit. (Look around make sure nothing is coming first)  dropping poundage is a good idea.  Practice when the weather gets cold wearing your full gear. Cold weather can by mentally and physically tough.  But in the right conditions and the right set up it can make for some fantasic hunting.

[Cory Mattson]

when it's cold I get the temp then subtract 10 degrees if I am stationary on the ground and subtract 10 more if up a tree and dress for that.
I do not dress until I am less than 300 yards from stand - this means packing in clothes
White Silks - then black silk/wool blend - then green merino wool longjohns - then wool shirts as needed - with a wool vest inside whatever becomes your outter layer - which is wind blocking canvas for me sometimes
I've been able to shoot well - clean full draw unobstructed dressing like that.
I do prefer hunting on the ground when it's very cold - and shooting off my knees - very stable - and the same form as shooting standing up in the driveway.
Heat Tabs - ALWAYS - feet, hands and body - helps lessen bulk clothes - ALWAYS burn heat tabs - we don't get that many days to do this anyway.
I don't like the idea of dropping weight - no changes should be made during the season
If you are warm you should shoot just fine.
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[Joedirt199]

How cold can it get in Texas?

[goingoldskool]

I got an IWOM suit for my cold sits.... kind of pricey,  but it works well!

Good luck,  shoot straight and God bless,

Rodd

[dnovo]

I’ve collected some good cold weather clothing over the years. Problem is, I get cold easily any more and so I don’t go out near as much when temperatures are dipping. I’m ok with that.

[Trenton G.]

I wear a long-John top, fleece top, and then a vest underneath a full body coverall. All of these layers are fairly thin, and I can still shoot without needing an armgaurd to hold back loose clothing. Even though it seems light, I was out in 24 degrees tonight in the snow and was perfectly fine. I would imagine "cold" in texas is quite a bit warmer than cold here. I draw my bow back every hour or so to stay warmed up. My bow definitely feels heavier, but for some odd reason I feel like I get a better release and I almost feel like I'm more locked in and steady at full draw. It doesn't make sense to me, but that's just how it seems to work.

[Miikka]

I've noticed that some jackets I cant shoot if I'm not wearing a backpack and an armguard. Stuff gets in the of the string easily when bulking up on clothes. Practice in what you hunt with. I also go through my shotcycle every once in a while without releasing the arrow just to make sure I'm keeping warm and focused.

[Bowguy67]

Idk how you all feel about this but years back when I had surgery I was laid up about 6 months. I was in a climate controlled environment mostly during that time. Something in me changed. I couldn’t take the cold. I’d sit there teeth chattering just getting ready to go in. Got to the point it was almost impossible.
Since that time I’ve gotten better but still a far cry from the old me. Shooting was nearly impossible all bundled up. Ok so I qualified you but what I did was get an Ororo heated vest. Might sound crazy but the thing actually works and works good. I put the vest on over a t shirt, make sure I’m wearing a jacket that keeps the wind off me and I can sit pretty much as long as I want comfortably and dressed pretty light. Often I have another layer tied to my pack. Idk why I bring it, never gets worn.
A side benefit my feet, hands, etc don’t get cold. Guess if your core is warm your capillaries don’t constrict.
I’ve personally worn it down to 23 only. Maybe that’s not too cold but my buddy has worn his last week in 7 degree weather. He stayed til noon. I’d say that’s a good test.
I bought the vest first. I have 5 friends who have bought them after trying and they’ve passed on the word and others have bought them. I know it’s not traditional but for me it may have been give up as soon as the weather cooled enough. Thank God I don’t have to. Not sure how you all feel about this but I had no choice. The vest is a game changer. You’re warm and can shoot wearing less clothes

[JApple]

Thanks gentleman nice replies and appreciate the advice.   The heated vest sounds interesting though it rarely gets that bad down  here. Have a nice holiday,

J

[9 Shocks]

I got a whole array of cold weather gear.  I have hunted down to -19 and have been quite comfy other than my fingers and toes which I have yet to figure out how to maintain heat in those spots (especially when waiting for a shot or having deer in front of you for a while gripping the bow).  I like to wear a skin tight warm base layer on the bottom, then a little less tight baselayer and then warm sherpa lined pants or bibs.  On top I do the same, skin tight layer, then a banded base layer that has some extra warm padding in the kidney/lungs/arm pit area and then a vest or warm hoody, then my jacket.  So in total I'll have 3 layers on the bottom, 2 pairs of socks, 1200 gram boots, and 4 layers on top.  For hats I usually wear 2 gaiters on my neck, then a full face cover and then 2 beanie style hats.  I wear a sitka incinerator hand muff and a pair of first light fingerless gloves as well.  This is my go to for zero degrees and under.  Clear as mud I know but you'll figure it out once you get out in the nasty cold a few times.

[Tim Finley]

We go to Texas to hunt in the warm weather there in the winter. To many layers makes it hard to draw a bow you are better off with an underwear top (merino wool) a t shirt over that and a warm quiet jacket if you can find one with thinsilate its the best . On the bottoms merino wool underwear and hunting pants I use cotton but somtimes wool . Wool underwear that I use is wool x . If your feet get cold put toe warmers on top of your toes not under them .

[kadbow]

Work on your layering, with quality gear you can find a set up that works. When it is really cold I do use my lightest weight bow which is a couple pounds lighter than my others. Two things that I have really found to help are the furnace tops and bottoms by firstlite and thermacare back warmers made for sore backs. Don’t place the thermacare next to your skin, they get warm.

[Tajue17]

cold temps for me is 0 to 20's especially if any winds which makes it below zero wind chills,,  I'm not one to buy the latest and greatest cold weather tech clothing so whats always worked for me in frigid temps is the this layering   T shirt under  long john type shirt under a thin golfers type windbreaker under heavy wool irish type sweater under insulated wool jacket  or bigger size asbell pull over it depends on the wind all the layers need to fit loose or you can't move,,,, bottoms are those thin moisture wicking long johns with medium longs over them then fleece lined jeans with insulated cabelas type cold weather bottoms ( time your pee's correctly you need to get out of 5 layers trust me its not easy) .....   I'll omit base layers or other layers if its not windy out--- the wind is what I can't handle when its frigid out...   I'm pretty toasty and Ive worn that setup in -14 wind chills and sat in tree from dark to dark.   foot wear I wear wool lined baffins or another set of baffins rated for 100 below zero made for ice fisherman in Canada they suck to hike far in but your feet will never feel cold even with thin socks and standing in two feet of snow all day, if I'm dragging deer layers come right off..  for hands I don't like gloves so I use a tube type hand warmer and I'll use hand warmer packs in that..   full face mask or neck gator, thick wool knit type hat that covers ears.

I shoot my lightest and shortest bows,, I like a draw check too cause you can short draw real easy with heavy clothes on.

30 degree temps to me isn't cold its all about that wind though the wind is what will beat you every time.   


on a side note I admire you guys that hunt in 70 to 100 degree temps with skeeters and ants and snakes everywhere,  bugs flying in your eyes everytime you go to shoot , I'm sneaking down trail trying to be quiet and baby alligators thrashing off almost making me have a coronary, I remember when my thermacell died in south Carolina I actually started running from the skeeters that swarmed me!   

[ESP]

Some of the heated clothing helps. Most of my really cold stuff is waterfowl related but can get bulky.  If you have a bow that is 5-10 lbs lighter and still legal use that. Pop blinds with a buddy heater.  I’ve heard good things about the high end Sitka and Kuiu cold weather gear, I just can’t justify spending that much on clothing. 

[Overspined]

Layer, heated vest i use pnuma, on medium it lasts about 4 hrs
Hand warmer muff with chemical heat packs and kuiu thin wool gloves
Arctic shield boot covers with toe warmers stuck in the toes of them on top of toes in boots.
Gotta use clothes you can shoot with and arm guard and such
Shoot some practice shots in the headlights at the car, shoot a judo from the tree downwind, draw the bow a few times each 1/2 hr and pretend you’re shooting

My major issue is hands and feet. This all allows me to hunt MI any time.

[Bart S]

I recently realized that I have a similar problem with late season hunts. The last eight shots I have taken during August and September have all been kills, but in that time, only one out of four of my late season shots resulted in a kill, with the other three being complete misses at what should've been easy shots. Being that I only hunt deer and black bear after September, I ordered a lighter set of limbs for those cold late season hunts. While getting quality layers definitely helps (I prefer wool), I think not skimping on your calories (especially fat) is important at keeping you warm. I I've also toyed with putting those stick on toe warmers on the back of my shoulders. Good luck!

[Cyclic-Rivers]

I don't like hunting late season as much as I  used to. Mostly because the deer are usually more skiddish and mostly nocturnal after boom season. Yesterday morning was -1 with -9 wind chills. I opted for warm bed.

What others said really helps. Good quality clothing will reduce bulk. Keep you're core warm. Wear a hat and neck gaiter.  This makes a world of difference.  I use hand warmers in my pockets and in my boots as usually my hands and feet get cold fast.  When really, really cold I will put chemical hand warmers stuck to my clothing where my kidneys are and near the arteries in my thigh.  That helps keep blood warm when circulating.

[howl]

How cold can it get in Texas?

Big state. Some of it is high enough elevation to actually get really cold. The way I explain to fellow Georgians is some of those places the flat land is as high as most of our mountains.

[Sam McMichael]

When I was younger, I hunted in the cold and loved it. I was (in my mind) an encyclopedia of useful tips to keep warm. Now with age, diabetes, and arthritis all at issue, my best suggestion is to find a warm seat by the fire and stay there. I used to say to take plenty of clothes but to carry some of them in and put them on when you get to the stands. This way you don't work up a sweat, which will freeze your butt after you sit still on the stand for a while. Also, wear a good hat.