25 mph and 10 windchill where I am heading today. But nice the next 4 days -- 20s to start and low 30s end of day, wind 15 mph or lower.
Hmmm..correction. That is current wind. Looks like it is going to get up to 29 mph by the time we get there today, so will feel a little colder.
Good question on whether to hunt those conditions. That is some serious wind. You have to figure it is gusting higher too. I might be inclined to make hikes shorter if I did attempt it. I've hunted down into the -30s windchill, which isn't as fun on the face.
My dog doesn't have a thick coat, so I generally limit our hunts to 0 deg or above actual temp. Depends on the windchill a bit too. As mentioned above, I have a waterproof fleece vest I use for her when it gets below 20ish actual temp. That might be a good temp for your springer to suit up too. It probably depends on how shaggy she is. If coming from a warm climate, and not acclimated to the cold, you could put something on her at 30, if it isn't going to get much above freezing during the day. The dogs are protected a bit from wind being so close to the ground.
At 25 deg, 25 mph, and 10 windchill at the couple spots I'll hunt the last couple hours of the day today, I won't put anything on her except her light orange top vest for visibility.
The longer they are out in the cold, the more calories they will burn. If they can normally go all day, but you see them slowing down in the cold, good time to get them back to the vehicle to warm up. Shorter hikes, with warming up between is another way to avoid that.
My dog doesn't like me stopping in the cold either. She wants to keep moving to keep her temp up.
Last edited:
. Just be careful your eyelids don't freeze shut. On a more serious note, I wear a base layer every time out. I have thin moisture wicking tops/bottoms for warmer temps and heavier, base layers such as the UA Base 3/4 layers. Never cotton, never denim. It only takes once dropping through some ice and having a trek back to the truck to rethink that. Merino wool socks are another non-negotiable for me. Balacalva Ski type masks that wick away moisture keep my ears, face, neck warm. I wear a baseball hat on top of that because they are very thin but effective. I sweat alot so I have two I rotate if I am hunting hard for the day. Your springer should not have an issue with the cold unless you have recently groomed her. With that being said, my Viszla's are short haired, especially Willow. The only vest I use is a protective vest called the Kuga vest. I use it so I can see them better in the fall and a wind barrier when it is colder. I hunted -10F with no wind one day a few years ago. Just shortened up the walks with warmup periods in between.
