Hunting can be a challenge, and this is especially true during the winter season. The only hunters who can honestly say that they have never made a mistake while afield are hunters who have not spent much (or any) time hunting. While it is inevitable that a few mistakes will always be made, the winter season only seems to amplify the number of mistakes that most hunters will make.
While there is no way to ensure that you will have a mistake-free hunting season this winter, there are a few things that you can do that will dramatically reduce these mistakes and help you avoid them. Here are some of the most common mistakes that hunters will make while winter hunting!
1. Avoiding the Rain or Snow
Let’s face us, nobody actually likes to hunt in bad weather. Whether it is rain or snow, it can be downright miserable to sit and hunt in. But while it may be a common practice to head back home as soon as some bad weather rolls in, this is quickly changing. More and more hunters are realizing that the deer are still active during rain or snow, and in fact, they can use it to their advantage.
Most hunters, myself included, actually look forward to and welcome some wet weather. A slight drizzle or a light coating of snow on the ground will usually get the deer up on their feet and moving around. Not only does it get them more active, but it will significantly help with scent and sound. Deer rely on these two senses more than anything, and during some winter storms, this can help you finally seal the deal on the buck that you have been after all season. Staying out in bad weather can be a long, miserable experience (especially if you are not prepared) but the reward could be well worth it!
2. Not Coming Prepared
When hunting in cold weather, it is even more important to come prepared. The colder weather of the winter season brings its own set of challenges and difficulties, and if you are not properly prepared for them, they could even prove to be fatal. Staying warm is an obvious one, and you should always bring the necessary gear to stay warm and comfortable (but more on that later!) Your body will also burn calories much faster in cold weather, so bring extra food, snacks, and water is vital to staying warm, alert, and ready for when a deer comes walking by.
Being prepared also entails bringing the proper accessories and letting someone know where you will be hunting that day. An extra pair of gloves and a warm hat can quite literally become a lifesaver if the weather takes a turn for the worse or for some reason you can’t make it back home. Some simple hand warmers can make a long, cold sit into a comfortable one. And the more comfortable you are, the longer and harder that you can hunt!
3. Too Many Layers of Clothes
As we mentioned, staying warm is generally the number one priority while hunting during the winter. Many hunters however will make the mistake of wearing too many layers of clothes while sitting in their stand. When you layer up with too many clothes, it can lead to multiple different problems. One is dehydration, as it will cause you to sweat more and the added clothes dry out your body much faster. Keeping yourself as dry as possible should be a huge priority to stay warm. The water will actually conduct your body heat away very quickly, and the evaporation will cool you down even further.
Another downfall of too many clothes is your mobility. Especially if you are bowhunting, having too many layers can potentially keep you from functioning with your weapon properly and missing out on an opportunity. What is the point of sitting out in the cold weather all day long, just to miss your perfect opportunity to kill a big buck because you had on too many jackets and you couldn’t pull your bow back properly? Or worse, your clothing clips your bowstring at the shot, and you either miss or place a bad shot on an animal?
Both of these reasons are why we have created the GoHuntVest so that you can properly keep your body dry and warm without having to wear multiple layers of clothing to do so. Thanks to the vest’s internal heating system, it can keep you warm without having to wear a ton of layers of clothing to do so. And because it is a vest, there are fewer sleeves to potentially get in the way of your bowstring, causing a miss or bad shot.
The heated hunter vest - GoHuntVest - has three different heat settings for different comfort or weather conditions. This makes it very versatile, and it will last up to 8 hours long on a single battery charge. This makes it perfect for those long winter days in the treestand that could otherwise be miserable without the proper gear.
You can pick up your own heated hunting vest on sale at:
We just launched our new collection where you will find our new heated hunting jacket (GoHuntShell), our new heated hunting vest, our new heated hunting socks, and our hunting boots for winter!
Final Thoughts
Winter hunting can be extremely rewarding, but it is full of challenges that are unique to the season and the cold weather. If you are serious about hunting in the winter, you owe it to yourself to avoid these three mistakes that many hunters too often make. Pick yourself up a GoHuntVest, pack plenty of snacks and water, and don’t be afraid of a little snowfall and you can finally stand a much better chance of killing that monster buck that you have been dreaming of this winter season!