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Love Cold Weather Hunting

boyne bowhunter

boyne bowhunter

Moderator
Staff member
SH Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2016
Messages
8,178
Location
NW Michigan
Am I the only guy REALLY likes late season hunting? I can't really explain why numb fingers and toes are something I look forward to every year but I really do like the late season hunts here in northern Michigan. My buddies all think I'm a looney but It's my favorite time of year to be out in the whitetail woods.

Pressure is down, snow is on the ground giving a white backdrop, no bugs, no rain (I'll take snow over rain every day of the week) and personally I love the challenge of sucking it up to meet the cold head on. The only downsides are the deer are definitely skittish after the orange army retreats and eventually the white stuff will get deep enough to prevent my access to some of my favorite hunting spots.

These last two days have reminded me how much I enjoy the winter hunts, including (not despite) numb fingers and toes. Morning temps have been right around 17-18F with light breezes. In spite of the heavy pressure of rifle season, I'm still seeing daylight deer, including bucks and enjoying every minute of it. Who's with me on this?
 
I hunt public land in a state without much agriculture. So, there's no "here's the deer num nums to get my weight back up after the rut" areas that I know of to hunt. I see very few deer after rifle season. Like I've hunted 8 days in December and only saw a few does total (one year I remember).

I do like being the only person in the woods though.

Rinella from Meateater said there's different types of fun, and one type is where something was really tough and you enjoy it more looking back on it than when actually doing it. I think hunting in extreme conditions is like that, especially when other people won't do it.
 
boyne bowhunter said:
Am I the only guy REALLY likes late season hunting? I can't really explain why numb fingers and toes are something I look forward to every year but I really do like the late season hunts here in northern Michigan. My buddies all think I'm a looney but It's my favorite time of year to be out in the whitetail woods.

Pressure is down, snow is on the ground giving a white backdrop, no bugs, no rain (I'll take snow over rain every day of the week) and personally I love the challenge of sucking it up to meet the cold head on. The only downsides are the deer are definitely skittish after the orange army retreats and eventually the white stuff will get deep enough to prevent my access to some of my favorite hunting spots.

These last two days have reminded me how much I enjoy the winter hunts, including (not despite) numb fingers and toes. Morning temps have been right around 17-18F with light breezes. In spite of the heavy pressure of rifle season, I'm still seeing daylight deer, including bucks and enjoying every minute of it. Who's with me on this?
Click to expand...
I’ve grown more fond of it as I’ve gotten older. I don’t mind the 20-30 degree days really, it’s when we get that temp range or lower with a 10+ north wind, I question my sanity then. But the woods are less crowded and the quiet has some sort of serenity that’s just…different.

Part of me likes it but as soon as I read @raisins post I identified with that so maybe I’m just a masochist. I remember the really cold days I stuck it out and how good it felt to gut a deer a couple of those times, both for pride and warmth, and I had some of the most fun I’ve ever had in the woods not shooting a deer last year when it was brutal and I did an all dayer, didn’t see another car let alone person.

Drug a doe damn about 3/4 of a mile through knee deep snow. 18-19 years old and it took me hours, first thing one of the guys at the farm said as I was rolling in was “No way I’d shoot a doe back there, not worth the work.” I like to think he was wrong.
 
I like the snow, as long as the temps don't get to cold and windy. 20-30 degree afternoon with snow and some sun shining is gorgeous. Down state we seem to get a day of cold and snow, than 35 and rain. Which is almost worse.

Do you change anything in your set up when the snow is on the ground? Are you still 1stick climbing? Then rappel? An issues with ice clogging anything?
 
boyne bowhunter said:
Am I the only guy REALLY likes late season hunting? I can't really explain why numb fingers and toes are something I look forward to every year but I really do like the late season hunts here in northern Michigan. My buddies all think I'm a looney but It's my favorite time of year to be out in the whitetail woods.

Pressure is down, snow is on the ground giving a white backdrop, no bugs, no rain (I'll take snow over rain every day of the week) and personally I love the challenge of sucking it up to meet the cold head on. The only downsides are the deer are definitely skittish after the orange army retreats and eventually the white stuff will get deep enough to prevent my access to some of my favorite hunting spots.

These last two days have reminded me how much I enjoy the winter hunts, including (not despite) numb fingers and toes. Morning temps have been right around 17-18F with light breezes. In spite of the heavy pressure of rifle season, I'm still seeing daylight deer, including bucks and enjoying every minute of it. Who's with me on this?
Click to expand...
You are the man! I don't mind hunting in the 20's - 30's, but I'm not fond of hunting when it gets in the teens. Not sure how you guys do it, but I guess you get used to it. I do enjoy when the orange army disappears and it feels like you have the woods to yourself. Temps can get down low here and into the teens, but I'm glad its not normal for my area. I do think advancements in cold weather clothing and gear sure make it more tolerable.
 
I grew up in WNY near Buffalo and still live and hunt here exclusively, We can get feet of snow in a night due to lake effect squalls and blizzards. To me it’s just a part of hunting season. Do I enjoy freezing? Not really and brutal wind chills are definitely not enjoyable. But a cold crisp morning with a fresh snow and low to moderate winds….. that’s huntin’!
 
By the way, tomorrow morning should be a good morning and we’re definitely getting some snowfall. Unfortunately I can’t go out in the am as I have to take an elderly family member to a dr’s appointment. I do plan on getting out in the afternoon however.
 
I like it a heck of a lot more now that I've figured out sweat control and gear a bit more so I can stay without losing feeling in my feet and shivering so much I think I'm going to cramp... But I dunno, I'd still take a T-shirt hunt over a late season one most days.
 
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