Looks like our first winter weather is coming

remy3424

remy3424

Well-known member
Here in NW Iowa, there are saying Saturday morning, cooler and a few inches of snow is what they are predicting now...after it slides thru South Dakota I am assuming. The older I get, the less I am feeling like fighting the weather, Maybe it will just be a little of nothing. Guessing it is time to dig the chaps and hand warmers out of the bag.
 
What forecast are you looking at that shows snow accumulation for NW Iowa? While there may be a streak of cold air allowing for more than an inch of snow to fall during a particular timeframe on Saturday, I feel like the ground is too warm for accumulation.
 
Definitely a few days of colder weather coming to the area starting Sat.

No snow or rain/snow mix predicted where I am. But the lows on Sun and Mon morning appear to be in the teens. I'll be in my deer stand 20 feet up in a tree. I am fine with a cold snap. It keeps the animals on the move more during the day.
 
Well, the rain just turned to snow about 10 minutes ago. If it stays this light. it should be OK. I have a college kid going out with me this morning, waiting until 8:30 to get a bit brighter out there.
I don't think there is supposed to be too much, but yes, the ground should be warm and Tuesday they are saying a high temp of 58.
 
I hunted a river bottom with the young guy this morning, about an hour after the snow started (it snowed the entire time we were out), there we filter strips along it, but the birds were in the 15 foot tall willows that were in the corners, low in the waterway. With only 2 of us, it was hard to be in the right place, needed 2 more guys to cover the water side also. I walked through one of these willow thickets. These willows still had their leaves on their canopy. Every time you bumped one, the new fresh snow cascaded down on you. I was soaked after that, but the young guy did have one that exited on his side and was had. The next pocket of willows, I got to the back side and did have one come out that I stoned, but fell on the wrong side of the river in the pocket of willows on that side. At the end we had a blocker (w/ a truck) , a ride to the beginning, where I changed out of my entire upper level of clothes. We hunted the opposite side and saw one hen. Got soaked again, while motoring thru a stand of willows to get to where my rooster fell. I got cold, wet and one rooster. I was done after that. No limit today, but I am OK with that. I will take the young fella and a couple of his buddies out to the CRP tomorrow and hopefully get our birds in a couple hours. Tough conditions were had here today.
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remy3424 said:
I hunted a river bottom with the young guy this morning, about an hour after the snow started (it snowed the entire time we were out), there we filter strips along it, but the birds were in the 15 foot tall willows that were in the corners, low in the waterway. With only 2 of us, it was hard to be in the right place, needed 2 more guys to cover the water side also. I walked through one of these willow thickets. These willows still had their leaves on their canopy. Every time you bumped one, the new fresh snow cascaded down on you. I was soaked after that, but the young guy did have one that exited on his side and was had. The next pocket of willows, I got to the back side and did have one come out that I stoned, but fell on the wrong side of the river in the pocket of willows on that side. At the end we had a blocker (w/ a truck) , a ride to the beginning, where I changed out of my entire upper level of clothes. We hunted the opposite side and saw one hen. Got soaked again, while motoring thru a stand of willows to get to where my rooster fell. I got cold, wet and one rooster. I was done after that. No limit today, but I am OK with that. I will take the young fella and a couple of his buddies out to the CRP tomorrow and hopefully get our birds in a couple hours. Tough conditions were had here today.
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Get some water proof gear! Hunting in wet snow in cotton pants sounds like misery.
 
AtTheMurph said:
Get some water proof gear! Hunting in wet snow in cotton pants sounds like misery.
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I learned on a 10 day outward bound winter trek out of Ely, Mn as a junior in high school the importance of not wearing any cotton…inner or outer layers…feet, head, anywhere…strictly poly propylene against the skin, then layer with wool.,,today fleece works well. We were snowshoeing or x country skiing and had a dog team…winter camped with no tents, just plastic tarps. Got down to -25….i did my own trips after that, camped in sub-40 below on one trip. My hunting pants now are strictly nylon athletic pants from Walmart…$15…burrs don’t stick…I’ve never noticed being wet or not…if it’s real cold I’ll wear poly athletic pants as first layer.
 
I use surplus military goretex bibs. Keeps wind and wet away and doesn't restrict movement too much. I also have a cheap goretex shell with hood I use for the top. Only thing I don't like is that if you're really hoofing it, can get steamy inside, but I've learned to curb my enthusiasm as I have gotten older.
 
AtTheMurph said:
Get some water proof gear! Hunting in wet snow in cotton pants sounds like misery.
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I started in a canvas coat, might have lost some of it's water repellency over the last decade, and Filson waxed canvas chaps. My lower level wasn't terrible, but most of the moisture before my first change came from down the collar and in the front (I should have buttoned it up more). The second coat was a sponge, but I started dry again.
My lower level, no matter the temps, are cotton jeans. If the temp is mod 30s or better, I have a pair with the nylon fronts. Otherwise jeans with a set of chaps keeps me comfortable in hunting conditions. If it is cold I will wear a polypropylene shirt as my base layer. I am no longer even thinking about chasing pheasant in sub zero temps. I don't need that and I don't think the birds deserve it either. I work hard to provide a place for them to thrive and make it thru the frigid conditions when they come.
 
My young fella from yesterday brought a friend and we hunted our CRP today. The wind was about 10mph higher and the temps about 10* lower than yesterday, but no precip today! I met them at 10:00, we each shot our own limits and were heading for the trucks in just over an hour. I only had a single when they each filled their limits. In about 10 minutes I had my second and third. I would have to give my dog a B+ grade today. He recovered most of the birds we downed, finding several that we would not have without a dog, we lost no birds. Walking out to the trucks, we must have seen 200 birds, I am not sure I have ever seen as many as I did today. That makes it worth the time and money put into the habitat. A great hunt and hopefully left an impression with the young guys and they will keep after birds.
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