Pennsylvania Game News - November 2016 - 60

40-minute periods that end with a reward.
If you like to drink coffee or hot chocolate to keep warm, you should be aware
of the associated problems. Caffeine
contributes to dehydration, which makes
you feel cold. Some research has found
drinking a hot liquid fools your body's
heat-regulation system by causing a brief
warm-up, followed by a quick cool-down.
Lukewarm is the better way to go,
some scientists say.
A full bladder also can give you the
chills on a cold day. Your body has to
expend valuable energy to keep all that
urine warm - energy that is better used
warming your extremities.
So don't hold it. Take along a bottle to
relieve yourself and chase away the chills.

Laying It On

If you hunt with a vertical bow, you
have to think about string interference
when you dress.
Bulky clothes can catch a moving bowstring, which could compromise accuracy.
That compels some bowhunters to
hunt with limited or lighter garments that
provide insufficient warmth.
I'm a big fan of wearing a lot of thin,
tight, stretchy layers on cold days, rather
than having a few bulky layers. When you
move, those bulky layers tend to move
together, like when you lift your arm and
your jacket and shirts come up with it.
Thin, stretchy layers hug your body
and stay true to its contours, no matter
how you move.
That's a perfect recipe for keeping your
clothing out of the string's travel path.
When the mercury really drops, I wear
- only after I'm settled into my stand, of
course - a lightweight T-shirt and set of
long johns made of wicking material.
No cotton! Over the T-shirt, I will wear a
long-sleeve shirt. On my feet, I'll have a
60

pair of thin sock liners.
Next, I'll put on a set of polar-weight
long johns. These have fleece on the
inside, which helps trap heat against my
body while wicking perspiration out. I'll
put on a pair of thick, wool socks that go
all the way up to my knees.
Over all this, I wear heavy-fleece pants
and a form-fitting fleece jacket.
In my pack, I'll have a fleece sweatshirt, or a snug, fleece vest I can put on if
it gets colder. This combination keeps me
warm and doesn't impede my shooting.

Making Heat

Being on stand doesn't mean you can't
move quietly and carefully. Some movement helps get adequate blood flow to
your extremities, particularly your legs.
Sitting on a seat can impede the flow of
blood to your legs below the spot where
they press the hard edge of the seat. But
even if that flow wasn't impeded, your
body will still slow the flow of blood to
your legs on a cold day.
In an effort to conserve body heat for
your major organs, blood vessels constrict
in cold weather to reduce blood flow to
your extremities and skin. Couple that
with crimping the veins in your legs by
them pressing against a seat edge, and
cold feet are on the way.
Movement promotes blood flow.
Wiggle your toes while sitting. Stand
up every half hour on a cold day to get
some blood moving to your lower legs.
Your body has an automatic way to
achieve this same goal: shivering.
When it gets cold, your muscles shake
to promote the burning of some energy,
which helps create body heat.
But if you don't move until you're
shivering, the odds are, you'll be pretty
miserable. So move around a little on your
own before your body takes over.
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Game News - November 2016
