{"id":606,"date":"2024-09-16T21:21:24","date_gmt":"2024-09-17T02:21:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/atomiccoffee.com\/WWA\/?p=606"},"modified":"2024-09-16T21:23:08","modified_gmt":"2024-09-17T02:23:08","slug":"cold-hunting-safety-tips-for-you-your-dog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atomiccoffee.com\/WWA\/cold-hunting-safety-tips-for-you-your-dog\/","title":{"rendered":"Cold Hunting Safety Tips For You & Your Dog"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Warden
Warden Dale Hochhausen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By WDNR\u00a0Conservation Wardens Dale Hochhausen of the Mississippi River Team and Ben Mott of Waushara County<\/strong><\/p>\n

When it comes to cold-weather duck hunting, the top priority is warmth \u2013 yours and your dog!\u00a0We\u2019ve compiled some of our tips to stay safe and warm so you can enjoy your hunts. Being cold can ruin a hunt pretty fast, so let\u2019s avoid that with some easy-to-use tips.<\/p>\n

\"Warden
Warden Ben Mott<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cMy hands and feet get cold easy, especially as I get older\u201d, Warden Dale said. \u201cHunting ducks during the last few weeks of the season can bring on challenging weather conditions, which is when the die-hard hunters are still out.\u201d\u00a0Warden Ben agrees, and as someone who hunts with dogs, he says it is best to think of those hunting mates, too.<\/p>\n

Both wardens say whether you are thinking of yourself \u2013 or you and your dog \u2013 layering will be key.\u00a0Even for a dog, you ask? Don\u2019t they come with a coat?\u00a0\u201cTrue, most retriever breeds with a proper coat are protected from the cold to some extent. Double-coated breeds offer protection in extreme temperatures, both hot and cold, but adding a neoprene jacket to your canine friend offers them multiple benefits,\u201d Warden Ben said. \u201cVests offer a layer of protection from the wind when the dogs are out of the water, allows them to not lose as much heat, allows them to actually warm the water that is left in their coat more efficiently instead of that water turning to ice. And, if the dogs are breaking ice during a retrieve, the vest can protect the dog from becoming cut up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Warden Dale\u2019s tips:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Dress in layers: Put the clothing\u2019s moisture wicking layer next to your skin.\u00a0 Not just your body core (upper and lower body), but also your feet. This is vitally important.<\/li>\n
  • What about your head? I don\u2019t wear ball caps later in the season. I switch to stocking hats when the temps turn cold.\u00a0 Look for stocking hats with bills, to keep the sun out of your eyes.\u00a0 If it\u2019s really cold out and\/or windy, wear a face mask or balaclava.<\/li>\n
  • Gloves or mittens? While hunting, you typically have to wear gloves versus mittens.\u00a0 This is one area I will spend a little extra money to buy good insulating gloves that shed water.\u00a0 If it\u2019s raining and\/or snowing out, it\u2019s important to carry several sets of gloves. Why? Because once your gloves get wet, it\u2019s impossible to keep your fingers warm in cold temps. At least that\u2019s true of mine as I don\u2019t have those big sausage fingers that stay warm!<\/li>\n
  • Budget warmth: Hand-warmers and toe-warmers to help keep extremities warm.\u00a0 They\u2019re a cheap investment to help stay warm.<\/li>\n
  • Waders: Heavy insulated waders are important, probably 600-800 gram minimum, depending on how well the person can take the cold.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have neoprene waders because I also use my chest waders in the early season. However, the butts have 600 grams of insulation.\u00a0 I wear wader pants inside these chest waders, which are very warm.\u00a0 Plain rubber knee boots or chest waders offers no insulation, especially once you start wading around in the water.<\/li>\n
  • Dry your clothes between multiple day uses: If you hunt multiple days in a row, make sure you put your waders and\/or boots on a dryer. There can be moisture in the boots which isn\u2019t going to help with staying warm.<\/li>\n
  • Float coat, 4-season jacket and a rain jacket: If you\u2019re out in a boat, wearing a float coat not only provides flotation, but offers good insulation and sheds water.\u00a0 I routinely wear a float coat while I\u2019m working from a boat in late fall and early winter. If it\u2019s raining or snowing, even though you may have a waterproof 4-season-type waterfowl jacket, it\u2019s beneficial to wear a rain jacket on the outside everything to help shed water and stay dry.<\/li>\n
  • Take your phone: Cell phone in a plastic bag or waterproof carrying case.<\/li>\n
  • Tell someone of your hunting\/travel plan: If traveling by boat, let someone know where you\u2019re going and when you\u2019ll be back.\u00a0 Monitor weather conditions and if weather conditions get too bad, there is no duck worth risking your life over.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
    \"hunting
    Jeff Martz hunting with his late dog Comet (far left) and Warden Mott\u2019s two Tollers, Grizzly (front) and Leinie<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    Warden Ben\u2019s tips to keep your dog safe and warm:<\/h5>\n
      \n
    • Behavior clues: Whether you use a vest or not for your dog, you need to be paying attention to little things. Watch for uncontrollable shaking\/shivering. Watch for the dog to change their behavior \u2013 if your dog never hesitates to retrieve and one time they do \u2013 they may be telling you it\u2019s time to stop.<\/li>\n
    • Pack a towel: Have a towel for your dog to remove that excess water between retrieves. You know how chilled you get when your skin is wet and the cold air hits it. Same thing happens to your dog. So, dry them off.<\/li>\n
    • Heat that blind: If hunting from a blind, even a small blind heater can do wonders for you and the dog\u2019s ability to stick it out on those late season days.<\/li>\n
    • Hypothermia watch: Remember the water is cold and can take more out of your dog than you might expect. We all want to have the tough retriever that never stops even with icicles forming on their face and coat \u2013 but remember they have limits, too. Sometimes it\u2019s up to us to realize what those limits are before it\u2019s too late. If you do get into a situation where your dog may be reaching hypothermia, contact your local or emergency vet as soon as possible for how to proceed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Some of the best days waterfowl hunting can be those late season hunts, but they also can turn dangerous in a hurry. Taking a few of these steps can keep you safe and keep you hunting a little bit longer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      By WDNR\u00a0Conservation Wardens Dale Hochhausen of the Mississippi River Team and Ben Mott of Waushara County When it comes to cold-weather duck hunting, the top priority is warmth \u2013 yours and your dog!\u00a0We\u2019ve compiled some of our tips to stay safe and warm so you can enjoy your hunts. Being cold can ruin a hunt…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":610,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-606","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-words-from-the-wardens"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomiccoffee.com\/WWA\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/606","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomiccoffee.com\/WWA\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomiccoffee.com\/WWA\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomiccoffee.com\/WWA\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomiccoffee.com\/WWA\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=606"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/atomiccoffee.com\/WWA\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/606\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":614,"href":"https:\/\/atomiccoffee.com\/WWA\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/606\/revisions\/614"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomiccoffee.com\/WWA\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/610"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomiccoffee.com\/WWA\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=606"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomiccoffee.com\/WWA\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=606"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomiccoffee.com\/WWA\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}