Prepping for a snowy hunt

[Stein]

I have chains but haven't put them on for years hunting WA and MT.  If I need chains, I'm on my way down, not up.  If you need chains to get up, what happens if conditions get worse?

[jackelope]

I’d rather do what I can to get myself out there than turn around and go home. Chains, good boots, good gear. You can go for it or you can go home and sit by the woodstove. Even if it’s a flop and it doesn’t happen, at least you tried.


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[pope]

I prefer snow to rain any day. 

Dress in layers.  Hiking around can get pretty hot, and you DON'T want to get your clothes all sweaty.  Once you stop moving, that sweat\water will freeze and\or cool you down very fast.  So wear layers and be ready to vent and strip outside or even inside layers as needed.

Also, breathable fabrics help prevent that moisture build up.  Again, moisture is your enemy.  Avoid it.

Avoid cotton - stick with good moisture wicking materials - especially your base layer.

Be ready to stay the night - so always have your pack on you, and carry the 10 essentials.

Extra chemical pocket warmers are good to have if needed.  I typically tent camp and having one down by your toes can be nice.  Add more if it get's REALLY cold. 

Again, avoid moisture in your tent - especially your sleeping bag (condensation from the walls or floor or just accumulations on the bag from the air over night - make sure your tent is breathing). 

I always put on clean dry base layer before going to sleep.  If you are getting cold, sleep in a warm stocking cap. 

Good boots and socks are a must.  Gators also really help. 

A kid's sled can make dragging a deer (or injured person) quite a bit easier.

If you plan to sit, make sure you have something insulated to sit on.  Same for sleeping.  The cold ground will suck your heat away - so have a good insulation layer under you. I sleep on a cot and then have a thermarest on top of that for extra padding and insulation.

Don't skimp on fire starter.  I typically make my own with TP, Paper towels, or cotton balls and Vaseline. 

Make sure folks know where you are headed.  Leave a note in your car - especially if you change plans.

Make sure you have fresh batteries for any electronics (headlamp, flashlight, etc) and have spares handy.

Some sort of goggles can be handy if wind really starts whipping.

Chapstick.

Stay hydrated.

Good advice. Wafisherman has obviously been out in the snow a few times. A typical mistake is to over dress on the approach. You get out of the truck or your tent and it's cold, so you bundle up and start hiking up the mountain. Next thing your know, exertion has you too warm and you are sweating heavily. Now your base layers or more are drenched and this will lead to discomfort or possible hypothermia. To avoid this, start your hike with fewer layers than are comfortable. Also hike slowly to avoid over heating. If you are dragging a sled for game retrieval, put your pack on the sled as you slog up the mountain (keeps your back dry). Of course being in great shape helps combat this problem. Regarding clothing, I find wool stays comfortable through a large range of temperatures and (although heavy) is the best insulator when soaking wet.

[littlemac]

I have found that a compass and gps are essentials in the snow even more so than normally.  Snow makes a landscape totally different than normal and a familiar area becomes strangely unfamiliar.  A few years ago my gps had run down and I left it in the truck.  I got disoriented and it took my compass and some good reasoning to cut a road I knew was in the east.  All ended well but without the compass who knows.

Having hunted that area for 20 years or more I would never have thought I’d be lost/disoriented.

Being able to make a fire and sit under a tree if a storm hits unexpectedly can lift your spirits too.  Once in Montana elk hunting while sitting out a storm I had six bighorn sheep walk within 50 feet of me and the small fire during some relatively heavy snow. 

Be safe and warm out there.  Great tips in this thread.


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[bhawley76]

A good strap, come along, and hand warmers are a must.

[trapp01]

Gaiters, glasses, backpacking stove, 0 degree sleeping bag, 10x10 silnylon tarp. I would hate to spend the night lost AF without those. plus those items fill my pack up a bit so it doesn't feel sloppy on my back.

[CAMPMEAT]

No chains in Curlew? You killing any big bucks?

I don't like deer meat, so no. A friend of mine does every year. In fact, his entire family kills some big bucks.