When is cold weather a factor?

K

Kevin G.

New member
I thought this might be a good topic to talk about with the recent cold snap on the east coast. With temperatures dropping below the double digits during the day and wind chills dipping under the subzero mark, how many guys are still heading for the bigger water coastal zones in the late season?

Don’t get me wrong, I am a very motivated duck hunter and when its time for the weekend to roll around or when I can afford to take a day from work I make every effort to head for open water. I am also accustomed to living in cold weather (went to college in Billings MT where -10F to -20F is the winter norm). But my question is, in your opinion when does the weather begin take away from an enjoyable hunt and have the possibility to compromise your safety?

Sure, everyday in duck season is not always peaches and cream and there are risks associated even in the early season, but does extreme cold weather ever keep anyone from heading out? Does a responsible duck hunter have certain alarms to trigger when not to leave home? Do you make it a point to hunt with a buddy?

Since I don’t have but mainly the weekends to hunt now a days, I am more than likely to head out in this type of weather but don’t get me wrong safety is going to be an over the top number one concern (not that this isn’t always the case). Extra clothing and supplies will be taking up the left over room in my sneakbox and I will be very observant of all the details.

Just thought this might be an interesting topic to discuss with the other hunters in our community.
 
This may sound like a silly response, and not the one you're looking for, but I don't usually, directly factor in the safety issue. I look at it as more of "too much work". When I feel it is too much work trying to stay warm, keeping the equipment working, keeping the decoys clear of ice, to make it fun anymore, I just stay home.
Sometimes it depends on the time of year too. Earlier this season, we had an sudden, exceptionally cold snap for about a week. While all of the little ponds and marshes froze over, my nearby large reservoir remained open with the water temps above freezing. We launched at around a windy 12 degrees. We had no problem staying comfortable and keeping everything working partly because the ground and water wasn't so cold. Later in the season, we had virtually the same conditions, only even slightly warmer around 20 degrees. BUT by now the ground and water was a lot colder. Everything froze up quickly. That wasn't so fun.
My thoughts anyways...


Jon
 
Went out today fought ice made the best of the situation. Even spent the day with a wet foot and I found out my waders have a hole in them. Still a good day cause I wasn't at work ;)
 
Jon, I appreciate the comment. I have often thought of some of my hunts in the same way. Thinking about it that way, that need of extra work could in fact lead to a compromise in safety. Wether it be in gear malfunction and lead to over exertion etc etc..

There are so many variables involved, and that's part of the reason why duck hunting is so addictive, there is always something new! Its just the case of when it might be out of reach in terms of being safe I guess.
 
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Chris, I always think of hunting in that same way! Even if the birds are out of reach its always a better day than at work!
 
I couldn't get out today because of ice. I guess that is a cold weather factor. Ice and wind often determine my choices. Cold not so much. I work much harder at staying alive than I do at staying warm. At this time of year that generally means staying out of the water. (Not off of the water)
 
When your young and -umb you do stupid things, to kill ducks and geese (been there done that a lot of years) and God willing live to tell about it. When you are older, and have put in many seasons you Know the odds are against you...

It's that simple. You hunt when you want to, not when you think you have to. When the birds are in a place you can killem', you do. Scouting IS the hunting, then it's a Shoot and how much the risk. If your single no holds bar, if yer a family man...
 
12 below here this morning. I stayed home--but my season closed last Saturday. Don't think I'd have been out even if it was legal . . . . .
 
Well its midnight here and I just came in from recovering the boat my son was to take out in the morning with his friend tomorrow. Temps about 20 tomorrow but the wind is to pick up to 30 or so not good. Our rule is below 20 or no go. I took a couple of bags out of the boat for them to go to a walk in spot which should be out of the wind. I know he will not be happy when he gets up but safety rules in our house. How about dogs in the cold? I tend to be on the cautious side with them when it gets too cold.
 
Kevin~

As Paul mentioned, the wind is most important to me. It typically has not kept me off the water, but does determine where I hunt. And, I always have a "Plan B" - a way to avoid trouble if things do not go as planned.

All the best,

SJS
 
We usually hunt the open water regardless of the temperature and the wind on Lake Champlain is big factor as well as getting in the water. We always have a plan B and plan C and once the temps are in the single digits the norm is to have at least two boats in the same general area ( SAFETY ! SAFETY! SAFWETY! ). The call to pull the plug ion a hunt is a totality of the circumstances and as someone mentioned earlier in the thread, how much work it is to keep or go hunting. I have hunted in as cold as -9 on a bright sunny day and had a great hunt with no issues. I have also had +30 and not been able to keep snow , and ice off the blocks and had an all around nasty adventure.
But it is still better than being at work. Being safe is the key and you don't always have to go back to were you launched from
 
Here on the Gulf Coast, wind is actually more of a factor for me.
A very strong south wind is hard to deal with, all our big water will be 3' chop, plus it pushes a ton of water up into all our bays and marshes, spreading birds out. If we have a big south wind, I will most likely stay in bed.
A strong north wind is easier to deal with, since it exposes the mud flats on the north ends of the grass beds and along the channels, actually making it calmer downwind. But there is a limit to that, if its 25+mph, I am not launching in the dark, I will wait for daylight, even in protected channels.

Rain is a deal killer for us. Normally means its really warm or a chance of lightning or worse.
 
10 (maybe 15) degrees is where I see the conditions degrade. Ice can form really fast is the water is still and lock broken trails back in harder than before. Wind or current at that temp can move ice around and pack it into a thick layer. Even on saltwater if there is wind and current the soft salt ice can pack at pinch points or harbor mouths. Spray can build on the boat pretty quickly if there is a wind. Motors, electronics etc... all are harder to keep going at that temp too. 20 is a world of difference from 10.
I don't get really excited about hunting big water in 10 degrees unless everything is right, which includes no strong winds, no long period of ice accumulation previous, no heavy currents and someone else around.
 
We had a really cold day here last week that everyone one was talking about. We had a 20 MPH wind and 34 degree temps. Man it was cold - had to put a Columbia shell over the polar fleece - brrrr. Then every 5-10 years we'll get a big cold snap with morning temps in the low 20's and the ice in the pond will stick around until noon and you have to be careful to not get your dogs legs cut up from running through the ice. Just brutal sometimes.......bwahahahahahaha.
 
After 60 Yrs. Of Duck Hunting ,I can tell you You better evaluate Severe Temp, single digit or below 0 .Having both great shoots as well as almost drowning & suffering from Hyperthermia, thing twice about all the Dangers you will encounter. NEVER GUN ALONE.You better have top notch equipment in dealing with the ICE & Temps. Where you launch & The ice you have to break just to get to some open water to hunt alone can be very Dangerous.Iced up decoys in a short period of time , are the birds even going to handle if they are still in your area, Don't forget they are SMARTER then we are & are going to fly to better Places to feed etc. you better ask yourself is it all worth it. I dont mean to sound like An OLd CRONY, Just would like to Make the Younger Generation aware of what Dangers they are going to deal with. Duck Hunting has been in my Blood all these YRS. but you have to ask yourself is a few Ducks worth it. I also realize that some of us have HONEY holes that make it easier..Every YR. under those severe conditions you read about some Duck Hunters being lost. PAUL
 
Under 10 degrees I'll choose a spot the dog doesn't have to get wet on the way in and will bring his hide. Zero, I stay in camp and make a big breakfast.
 
Jon Yenni has watched me freeze all season. It has more to do with the individuals as it is an individual's body.

My problem is I have lost just shy of 30 pounds and I am missing the insulation,

Don't worry, I am working on gaining it back.
 
Cold is always a factor.

I think for me, it is more a matter of how much work it is as was mentioned above. I always migrate to smaller water when it is cold so I don't have those worries. However, the smaller water is always small streams which present their own challenges. Many of these waters are fast moving and they change throughout the season as to where trees and other debris accumulate. I never float a stream for the first time of the season in the dark. Never. After the first time I still tend to float as the sun is just coming up so I can see without using a light. I want to keep my hands free. I don't have to rush to the spots as I am always the only idiot out at these times so there is no rush.

I also hunt places where I can walk out and be at someone's house within a couple mile max should I run into trouble. I also start the morning with a lighter contigent of clothes as the last thing I want to do is sweat on the float/paddle down to the hunting spots. Sweat equals bad news

It also seems that I look forward to the first hunt when temps have gone south and will hunt 34- days in a row. After that, I'm not as excited to get out as I then remember how much work it is dragging the gear down to the river and how much more work it is dragging it all back up.

With that said, there is no better time to hunt when most water in the area freezes. Very peaceful and loads of ducks and geese flying around.

Mark W
 
20 degrees is about it for me. If the temperature isn't going to get above that, I don't go out in a boat any more. I will walk into someplace, but much of the area I hunt is really not accessible without a boat.
 
This week we went for an afternoon hunt on a cove in a salt pond. The temperature was about 18 degrees when we arrived at the boat ramp around 11:30 a.m. For me, the hunting spot was an approximately 2-mile boat ride from the ramp. My friend, not needing a boat ramp, had put in at a spot about a mile closer.

When we arrived at the hunting spot there was a little open water. We spent about an hour clearing out some of the ice in that partly-open area, and set out the decoys.

We hunted until about half an hour before the end of legal shooting time. At that time I noticed that the decoy area had filled in with ice all the way across. This is my 15th season duck hunting, and I don't recall ever having seen this happen before.

I looked back in the direction I'd have to travel to get back to the boat ramp, and noticed that there was a lot more iced-over area than there had been on the way in.

I had several concerns: (1) would we be able to get the decoys out? (2) would the ice strand us far from our vehicles? (3) Even if we made it back close to our vehicles, would ice prevent our getting our vessels out of the water?

My friend was traveling in a light kayak, so, at this particular area, it didn't seem too likely that he'd be stranded, but I was in my duck boat (which, empty and without the motor, weighs about 215 pounds); so it seemed a real possibility that my boat, and possibly my 45-pound motor too, would be stranded.

Well, with darkness, the very low tide, and the ice, it ended up taking me about an hour-and-a-half to make it back to the boat ramp which (thank God) was completely ice-free, though an area fairly close to it's side appeared to be iced right from the shoreline quite a ways out into the water.

I don't think I will go out hunting a spot like this again in those conditions (or anything even close to it). I feel very fortunate to have made it out safely.

By the way, I think this was a good thread idea, Kevin. Thanks for starting it.
 
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