Not so many years ago, I would have thought nothing of venturing out into thirty-degree-below-zero weather to go coyote hunting. Well, I guess I still do that. But I’d also head out into that kind of weather to shoot at a target with my bow or gun, just to get practice in the kind of weather I’d be hunting in. In fact, tomorrow’s show is about exactly that.
But as I’ve gotten older, I tend to try to find a way to do those sorts of things inside, where it’s not so cold. We have an indoor shooting range near Cheyenne, and when the mercury drops below zero, you’re more likely to find me inside at that range than out on my backyard shooting range at my house.
We also have an indoor archery range in Cheyenne. I’ve let my membership there lapse, but one of my New Years resolutions is to renew it for the year. And to actually use it and get some practice.
I’m not to the point where I completely avoid the cold yet, though. I may try to stay out of it to practice, but if there is hunting to be done and the thermometer is bottoming out, I’ll still head out into the elements. However, when I do now, I do it with a bit more technical gadgets. I have a set of rechargeable handwarmers that have three settings – nearly unbearable, second degree burn inducing, and deep-fat fry. I have a heated vest that runs on Milwaukee tool batteries, and a set of electric socks that’ll melt the snow around my boots. It all makes for a much more comfortable couple of hours out in the cold.
I hope I can keep staying warm enough to enjoy those forays into sub-zero temperatures for many years to come. I may need to invest in some new technological gear down the road, but I’m OK for now.
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