By Katherine Williams
Tracking deer in the mountains or through the winter forests? You need this checklist for cold weather hunting kit before you leave.
Hunting trips taken in winter yield great results for the experienced hunter. There is certain prey that only comes out in the cold months. The early days of winter are when that prey is fattest, having spent all summer and autumn getting ready to hibernate. If you can tap into this potential for prosperous hunting and find those animals early on, you stand in good stead for a winter filled with good eating.
But cold weather hunting isn’t a beginner’s sport. It’s not entry-level. Going out hunting in winter takes years of experience, a good gut instinct, and more knowledge than a new hunter racks up in his first few seasons. Even if you have been out in the field for years now, you can still make mistakes. When you’re cold weather hunting, mistakes can get you killed.
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Gear is the Basic Mistake in Cold Weather Hunting
There are two basic mistakes that hunters make before they try a winter trip. One is that they don’t have enough experience. Newer hunters might underestimate the terrain, the cold, or the harshness of the conditions. Asides from experience, the other mistake is in unreliable gear.
When you are alone on a mountain for a week, you need gear you can trust. Your kit must be worthy of saving your life. If your fire-making skills fail, or your heaters don’t work, if your clothes aren’t waterproof or your feet stay damp – all of these things can catch you out, isolate you, and lead to a painful death from hypothermia. Your cold weather hunting gear needs to be expert level, even if your experience isn’t.
For this reason, we always tell people that they should buy quality gear over cheaper materials. Make sure you buy gear with warranties and guarantees, and invest in long-lasting, toughened fabrics like Merino Wools.
To make choosing the right gear for a cold-weather hunt easier for you, we compiled a checklist. Follow it to make sure you have the right gear for your cold-weather hunt.
The Checklist for Cold Weather Hunting
What do you need when you are off cold weather hunting in winter? Make sure you have all these items and even more.
Multiple Socks
Take two pairs of socks for each day you are away, then an extra pair or two on top of that. If your feet get wet, you risk trench foot or frostbite. Don’t let your feet get wet.
Waterproof Gloves
Woolen gloves are great for comfort and heat, but waterproof gloves are better in winter conditions. Keeping your hands and feet warm and dry is paramount for long-term success in winter hunting.
Hats/Balaclava
Again, you will lose heat out of the top of your head. Prepare for this with good headwear.
Kit
Kit includes multiple things; each item helps you hunt. You will need your rifle or bow, a headlamp, items needed for your prey, fire-making devices, water, your knife, any other tools you use in the field. Be sure your kit is specific for winter, your tent, sleeping bag, and cooking utensils should all be winter-worthy.
Underlayers
Make sure you start with a good base layer. Long Johns allow full-body coverage, then add thicker layers as you go. Layering allows you to remove items if you get too hot but add more layers if you are too cold.
Outer Layers
You will need a good pack and a good waterproof jacket. We also advise waterproof trousers and high-quality boots for a winter hunt.
Pro Tip: Thermos flasks and hand/feet warmers can be your best friend during a winter hunt.
Are you Ready to Hunt in Winter?
Get out there, if you dare.
I'm Katherine, a freelancer. I have pursued my master's in mass communication at the University of Canberra in 2016. After completion, I joined Digiworld, a private company that is a small startup agency. I worked there for one year, have learned many new things for both career-wise and personal development. Worked as a Digital marketing manager at the Digital Solutions company, the role was in building and implementing strategies focused on Content-driven SEO, Email marketing.
On the one side, I feel nervous to start freelancing work due to many rumors speculated at that time. On the other hand, I feel too confident that my intuition said, "I'll definitely succeed in my career once I start a freelancing job". I followed my confidence and a piece of fruitful advice from my friends really aids me a lot to reach my goal. I always say to the people (asking me for tips to reach their goal), "following right intuition is more important than following an intuition"
I’ve never gone on a hunting trip before, but it’s something I’d like to try for a fresh experience. I agree that adequate gear is essential for a successful cold weather hunt – I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you for providing this checklist — it is quite useful!
Great tips – thanks for sharings. It’s important to have these items, especially during the colder times of the year.
Yyyaaayyyyy! I do believe we are so ready for hunting, in the next winter season.
Not found of hunting myself I find this info still valuable. After all most of it is good for spending a lot of time in the nature and waiting to get a nice photo of, say, a bird. As usuaL, it looks like you covered all the bases
I have never gone hunting but being out in nature like this sure does look fun.
Great tips for chilly days. Being outdoors for hours on end calls for smart dressing.
Going hunting is on my list. And I want to go hunting with my dog someday when I get it. Thank you for sharing!
Haven’t been hunting yet but I guess it will be a good idea to prepare everything when planning. It’s more challenging when it’s cold.
My brother loves hunting and fishing. I will send this article to him. I bet he will like your tips.
These items sound perfect for just everyday living here in Ireland. Although it doesn’t snow the wind chill factor makes it feel much colder than it really is plus it rains a lot. I’ll take these and apply them during winter here. Lol!!
Thanks for the tips. My country doesn’t have cold weather so I need all the tips I can get when facing one.
I just love this and enjoyed hunting with my Dad when I was a kiddo. We actually had a class for 6 or 8 weeks in 8th grade….. Hunters Education. I loved it and we went to a shooting range and everything and it was a blast. I learned a lot and hunting is a wonderful thing 😉
Interesting read. Nice tips. I haven’t ever tried or physically witnessed any form of hunting but I totally agree that one needs to be fully kitted during the cold weather.
Wow! This is such a really great list! I have never try hunting in my entire life, that sounds amazing and exciting!
Here in Texas cold weather hunting is so popular.
Great checklist! This is a really helpful guide especially to the new ones. We should always equip ourselves with all the knowledge we need before embarking on a new journey or hunting.
These are wonderful tips that will fit nicely to any outdoor activity in the winter months. It is not just for hunters.. It is for everyone that lives in a cold region. thanks for sharing this amazing post.
I’ve never hunted before. However, it’s true that you need the right gear. When cold, it’s even more crucial.
The cold weather can certainly present a challenge. It is good to be prepared so you can stay comfortable.
I have never been hunting, but this sounds like a good list of winter clothing to wear. I definitely agree about the hat since it helps your body retain so much heat.
This is a great list and even though I am not a hunter I would agree that being layered up is key. You don’t want to be uncomfortable while in the cold outdoor!
Great tips for any cold weather activity! I know I hate the cold so I always layer up! I’d rather have too many layers, than not enough! I can always take things off!
While I am not sure about hunting, a couple of recent cold weather trips (snow camping for my teen and a more civilized stay in an Airbnb for us, though hiking in cold weather) showed that your tips are spot-on… Having layers is such a necessity.
For any outdoor activity in the colder months, you need to be pretty layered up. I have had loads of experience perfecting layering. I hate the cold.
All of these are great tips, I really like the extra socks one!
I have never been hunting, but this list sounds similar to cold weather hiking/camping. Layering is definitely key!
I am such a baby in the cold. I don’t think I would survive!
All of those tips apply to any outdoor activity in the winter, not only to hunters. Being Canadian we are experts at layers, finding the right socks, gloves, toques, and more!