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Staying warm in extreme cold.
- Thread starter Rg176bnc
- Start date
As nice as the heater body suits and iwom's look I can't imagine using them with a saddle either. I'd be interested to hear if anyone has used one successfully.
I'm sure extreme cold is different for different areas of the county, but for me it is between 0-20 F. I have used my system to hunt numerous times in the past couple years in these temps and it works for me.
I have the cabelas extreme stand hunter coveralls. I think they are awesome. I pack them in and put them on at the bottom of my tree. Under that I wear 1 light layer of scentlok, a fleece vest, a layer of cabelas polarfleece, a layer of first lite merino wool and an under armour base layer that wicks. For my feet i have l.l. bean pac boots and I wear a moisture wicking sock under a pair of good merino wool socks. Depending how cold it is i put either 1 set of toe warmers on or if its really cold i sandwich my toes between them. I always use a hand muff if it is cold at all because i wear light gloves, but the stand hunter coveralls come with one that attaches to it. I throw 2 packs of handwarmers in there and I'm good to go. Again depending on how cold it is i wear something over my face, either just a lighter camo cover or if its really cold a fleece baklava. On my head either a regular hat with the hood pulled over or a wool hat.
I used to freeze my butt off out there all the time, but this system has allowed me to be able to stay on stand for full days in the cold. With the coveralls I always draw my bow when I get in the tree to make sure I don't hit them when I draw back, sometimes I have to adjust or strap it out of the way.
I'm sure extreme cold is different for different areas of the county, but for me it is between 0-20 F. I have used my system to hunt numerous times in the past couple years in these temps and it works for me.
I have the cabelas extreme stand hunter coveralls. I think they are awesome. I pack them in and put them on at the bottom of my tree. Under that I wear 1 light layer of scentlok, a fleece vest, a layer of cabelas polarfleece, a layer of first lite merino wool and an under armour base layer that wicks. For my feet i have l.l. bean pac boots and I wear a moisture wicking sock under a pair of good merino wool socks. Depending how cold it is i put either 1 set of toe warmers on or if its really cold i sandwich my toes between them. I always use a hand muff if it is cold at all because i wear light gloves, but the stand hunter coveralls come with one that attaches to it. I throw 2 packs of handwarmers in there and I'm good to go. Again depending on how cold it is i wear something over my face, either just a lighter camo cover or if its really cold a fleece baklava. On my head either a regular hat with the hood pulled over or a wool hat.
I used to freeze my butt off out there all the time, but this system has allowed me to be able to stay on stand for full days in the cold. With the coveralls I always draw my bow when I get in the tree to make sure I don't hit them when I draw back, sometimes I have to adjust or strap it out of the way.
DePalma said:
They are definitely bulky when you put them on, but I don't know if they would be any worse than whatever you are going to be wearing to stay warm. I don't have any problems climbing, but I do make sure I take everything slower when its that cold to be safe. I also set my trees up with the steps a little closer than I actually need so that when I have lots of clothing it is easier to climb.
I do not have any comfort issues when I am wearing it in the saddle. My biggest concern when I am wearing them is that I have to make sure I have enough clearance when I am drawing my bow. Sometimes I have to adjust the collar or chest a bit to make sure I don't hit it with the string when I draw back.
Sniper4hire
Well-Known Member
This is my biggest problem with saddle hunting. EXTREME COLD WEATHER. Layering up the way I know I need too is just too bulky for the saddle routine from start to finish. Therefore, I have to admit to all but abandoning the Saddle once rifle season is over Nov. 30 here in MI. My late season bow and blackpowder hunting is typically done from the ground or a hang-on stand. My hope is always to be tagged out on my serious buck hunting and will be at leisure pursuing a late season doe if I have the tag.
I am not a big fan of extreme cold weather either. Since I switched to my system I am able to stay warmer and on stand for longer than I ever have, plus stay in my saddle. I also typically end up shooting does come January 1 because after over a month of gun season the deer are pretty nocturnal. I keep trying for a buck though 
Sniper4hire
Well-Known Member
I'm actually OK hunting in the worst cold and have learned to layer up well over the years. This past Muzzle-load season, from a low-ground blind where I was actually reclined in a turkey chair, I was in my stand for about 6 hours and got completely snowed over until I literally became part of the landscape. Warm as toast the entire time. But darn, get up a tree 20 ft with those press points and I couldn't last two hours. LOL...
You got me thinking. I really need to start considering using a ground blind. I have a few spots that I could set one up, especially for late season like you said. I've always been a tree stand hunter so its hard to think outside that box...
Sniper4hire
Well-Known Member
I only got into ground blinds a couple years ago. Here is the sole reason. I can get in and out of the spot quick as anything and it sure matters on a crunchy morning. I'm so paranoid about disturbing a quiet woods it drives me crazy. Coming in in the dark of dawn when all is still and getting out after dark when the hunt is done just torments me.
What I have learned is to pick the ground spots very carefully so any approaching deer cannot possibly approach from my rear. It is actually a great benefit of beaver swamp hunting and having water as a tool of blocking and funneling deer. I have a couple stands in which I approach in knee deep water, and actually sit on a stool in water up to my mid-shins during the hunt. I hunt a direct nose wind only in these spots or not at all. I won't talk myself into even a reliable crosswind even. Come Muzzle load season, most of these spots are often still wet and not frozen, as swamps tend to store and radiate heat. But even if they are, the deer are pretty much programmed into travel patterns that allow the stand to work just as well if I do sit on ice. One thing I do is get low as possible as a rule and never use pop-up blinds. A favorite trick is to use 2" by 4" wire fencing or chicken wire and set a half-round wall with a couple shooting holes. I set them in June for the first time set-up so they sit all summer and early fall and get rid of all the scent they can and assume being part of the landscape. Then, about a month before deer season, I go in and decorate them with the local foliage around me. They are awesome when ready. I will get some pictures on one such set-up and post them as an example. They are so easy to do too. No heavy lugging and no theft....
However, nothing beats my Saddle spots. They are my pre-rut and rut stands and its pretty much saddle only hunting in this crucial period during deer season here in MI....
What I have learned is to pick the ground spots very carefully so any approaching deer cannot possibly approach from my rear. It is actually a great benefit of beaver swamp hunting and having water as a tool of blocking and funneling deer. I have a couple stands in which I approach in knee deep water, and actually sit on a stool in water up to my mid-shins during the hunt. I hunt a direct nose wind only in these spots or not at all. I won't talk myself into even a reliable crosswind even. Come Muzzle load season, most of these spots are often still wet and not frozen, as swamps tend to store and radiate heat. But even if they are, the deer are pretty much programmed into travel patterns that allow the stand to work just as well if I do sit on ice. One thing I do is get low as possible as a rule and never use pop-up blinds. A favorite trick is to use 2" by 4" wire fencing or chicken wire and set a half-round wall with a couple shooting holes. I set them in June for the first time set-up so they sit all summer and early fall and get rid of all the scent they can and assume being part of the landscape. Then, about a month before deer season, I go in and decorate them with the local foliage around me. They are awesome when ready. I will get some pictures on one such set-up and post them as an example. They are so easy to do too. No heavy lugging and no theft....
However, nothing beats my Saddle spots. They are my pre-rut and rut stands and its pretty much saddle only hunting in this crucial period during deer season here in MI....
Great write-up! I love your groundblind idea and can't wait to see some pictures. I have a couple spots way way back on some federal land that I can't use screw in steps for that this idea might be perfect for.
Like I said before I am a die hard saddle hunter but you can never have enough tools in the toolbox!
Let's see some pics of the results of all your hard work!
Like I said before I am a die hard saddle hunter but you can never have enough tools in the toolbox!
Let's see some pics of the results of all your hard work!
mark
New Member
when I hunt in ohio it is always cold withy a north west wind rocking the tree tops my heater body suit will be with me even in a saddle im sure . I have some staps sewed to the bottom of my ankles so I can cinch my heater suit to my boots so they wont slide if I climb with it or move in my stand another to hold it around my waist so it it doesnt slide down . don't leave home without it .
I would love to see some pictures of how you use the heater body suit work using a saddle. I would love to get a heater body suit and use it but I haven't figured out how it would work with the saddle and I think there was a thread on archery talk where people were discussing it but didn't have any good ideas.
If you can make it happen that would be great and I will seriously consider picking one up
If you can make it happen that would be great and I will seriously consider picking one up