I might not have been so happy about the snow during my hunt if I’d been sleeping in a tent, but I went hunting with friends who have campers. We stayed relatively warm and dry, despite the wet, heavy snow piling up outside.
On Labor Day, it was hot. My Brunton ADC said the high temperature was just shy of 80 degrees. My morning hunt started out on the cool side, and I left camp wearing my KUIU Pro Merino Zip T, Super UltraDown Jacket and Guide Jacket. Not long into the hunt, I peeled off the UltraDown jacket, and shortly after that, I took off the Guide Jacket. Dressing in layers is helpful for regulating your temperature and keeping you from getting sweaty. If you start to sweat, it makes it a whole lot harder to warm up again if you get cold.
But the evening hunt had me wearing all those KUIU layers, as well as a second UltraMerino long-sleeved T-shirt. I stayed plenty warm while I was walking, but I found myself wishing I had a few more layers when I settled down to sit and watch. I believe a pair of Axis pants, or even a pair of Super Down Ultras, is in my future for hunts when I sit and watch rather than hike.
Tuesday was even colder. The low was 11, and the high only got to 13. Not only that, but the snow never stopped. When we walked from one camper to another, our tracks were gone in 10 minutes. There would have been no way to track an animal, so we spent the day playing cards. Wednesday was a lot better – it got all the way up to 18, and the snow stopped, so it was perfect for hunting. Well, it would have been more perfect if we’d found any critters. We saw plenty of tracks, but nothing standing in them. I plan to try again this weekend, if I play my cards right. I do hope it’s a little warmer, though.
