Modern clothing technology has hit the hunting industry, giving deer hunters a wide variety of products to keep us comfortable in any hunting condition.
Just as technology keeps northern hunters warm when it is brutally cold, it helps us Southerners stay cool when it’s unseasonably hot during winter months.
Every deer hunter in Mississippi has experienced warm weather even in December and January. It can happen and usually does. Despite the rare polar fronts we have had in past seasons, the norm is for some very warm days throughout the deer season.
Welcome to hunting in the South.
Dressing down
When daytime temperatures exceed the need for even a lightweight jacket during deer season, I go back to wearing some of my springtime thin camouflage turkey hunting shirts and cotton pants. Those Mossy Oak Treklite® garments are ideal for overly warm weather days during our winter season hunts.
And, of course, consider layering. Warm days can still have cool mornings that require a light jacket, which can easily be removed in the stand or shooting house as it warms.
Just the same, an afternoon hunt that grows cool as sunset approaches can necessitate having that same lightweight jacket that can be donned as temperatures fall.
The best bet when the daytime temperatures swing wildly, go light and then layer up as needed.
Cool garments
The market is saturated with choices to help hunters cool down during a hunt. Without listing so many trade names, or manufacturers product names, just know to look for any clothing item bearing the term “lite” in the product description or hang tag.
This will usually indicate the product is made of some cool cotton, cotton-synthetic mix, or polyester.
Recently the market is offering several “wonder” wicking fabrics that cool quickly and transport moisture (sweat) away from the body. These fabrics work to keep the skin dry and cool.
Those elements can also contribute to a collateral reduction in scent dispersal, even though scent killer sprays are advised during those warm winter days.
When hunting days turn warm, put on stuff that can cool you down.
