Hot tips for hunting success
Let's face it, deer hunting is a percentage game. The longer you're in the woods the better your chance of success. And there's nothing I like more than bowhunting from a great stand all day long in November. It used to be an endurance event for me, staying there until the shivering got the best of me, climbing down with stiff knees and frozen hands. Now I can easily go from dark to dark and I look forward to the cold. The colder the better. Cold works wonders getting the bucks up on their feet during the rut. Here are some tips so you too can look forward to a cold day in the woods when the deer are really moving.
I start with a scent-control layer, and add an expedition weight top and bottom - everything I wear is made from synthetic fibers to be breathable and moisture wicking. Wool can smell and requires more care when you wash it, while cotton will get wet and steal your warmth.
When I’m hunting somewhere where I do not have electricity, I use a vapor barriers as part of my foot routine. I put on a light pair of scent-killing socks, then recycled plastic vegetable bags, and then a heavy pair of socks. The bags form a vapor barrier that keeps your heavy socks and boots from getting wet with perspiration during the day - you may not be able to dry your boots overnight. You get the bags from the grocery store when buying apples, tomatoes, or bananas, then are recycled for hunting. Used once then discarded, the bags also keep your boots from developing foot odor.
Most times, when I can plug them in, I use electric boot dryers overnight.
I add a battery powered heated vest, sweatshirt, zip-vented insulated coveralls, and 1000 gram insulated high rubber boots. The boots contain odor and keep my feet, ankles, and shins warm like nothing else. Everything is well covered, but not too bulky. I dress so I will be able to sit in my stand for an hour or two but not all day. I need to be able to walk carrying my gear and climbing treestand without breaking a sweat, so I will need to come up with other ways to keep myself warm all day.
I used to bring chemical heat wraps for my back (the therapeutic ones from the drug store), and after a few hours on-stand, would do a Chinese fire drill to snake a heat wrap around my torso (quite a trick inside the coveralls!) - the warmth would keep my core feeling toasty for the rest of the day. I may still do that if the temps get extreme, but these days I rely on my Ororo heated vest. When I start to get cold I turn that on, and I bring an extra battery for all-day sits.
I wear a hand muff around my waist and stoke it with lots of chemical hand warmers. Usually two packages for a total of four handwarmers. With only light fleece bowhunting gloves on my hands, the muff acts like the warmest pair of mittens imaginable. The only problem is packing up my climbing treestand at the end of the day with just the light gloves - the metal stand saps the warmth right through the gloves. If it’s cold and I have ridden my e-bike to get to my stand, I include a pair of oversize warm gloves to pull on over my light gloves for the ride in and out.
I bring a neck gator and fleece hat to put on when I'm up in my stand. I find that pulling the hat over my camo baseball cap works just fine for me. And I'm sure to bring plenty of food and drink for the long day - when your body runs out of fuel it will begin to cool, and your own defense mechanisms will shut down blood flow to your extremities. Keeping your internal fire burning is critical for keeping everything else warm.
But now you're thinking "that just doesn't seem like enough to keep me warm all day in the bitter cold." It isn't. The key to my approach is having another layer to go over everything - either the Heater Body Suit, or the IWOM XT insulated hunting body suit. This isn't a paid product placement (I don’t have any sponsors) - I bought a Heater Body Suit a decade ago and I love it. It's like a sleeping bag with feet - I carry it up to my stand, and after an hour or two I cool down and climb into it. It has straps running across your chest to hold it up, so if a deer comes along you just quietly unzip and reach for your bow. The HBS is held from falling by the straps, and doesn't get in the way at all.
Getting into the HBS while standing in your treestand takes great care - be sure to move only one arm or leg at a time, and always wear a safety harness. Yes, it is one more bulky thing to lug into the woods, but I find that it's not hard to roll up and fasten to my climber with a bungee cord. I have hunted out of it for a week in Saskatchewan, and another week in Alberta when the temperatures were well below zero.
In 2022 I bought an IWOM XT and hunted in it several times. You wear it like a coat when you are walking into your stand and then, when you start to get cold, you release the bottom section and zip it closed. Fully deployed, the IWOM XT turns into a sleeping bag with arms. It has all sorts of features, like a built-in hand warmer, face mask, and hood. The main advantage is that you can wear it in to your stand, rather than lug it in as a rolled up bag, and it’s a lot easier to deploy/get into. My first impression is that it’s an improvement over the HBS, but maybe not quite as warm.
My wife has a pair of remote control heated insoles for her ski boots and swears by them. I have a foot injury that keeps me from trying heated insoles so I just rely on the 1000 gram boots inside the HBS, but I am sure they would work. If you get cold feet when hunting, give them a try.
Do you know that feeling of being in the perfect spot, at the perfect time of the year ... no place else you'd rather be? Follow these tips and you'll be able to sit there comfortably all day long and get your shot at the big one.