What is "cold"?

Reading a couple other threads got me thinking, at what temp/conditions would you say it's "cold"? When is it too cold to hunt?

I grew up in the North and have been through my share of chilly mornings, but it has to be pretty brutal for me to throw in the towel. What about y'all?

The temp isn't as a big of a deal for me as is windchill

34 w a 15 mph north wind is brutal

But 26 and calm isn't bad

When that historic cold front hit 2 years ago we were pig hunting when it hit. I think it was around 34 but the wind was a stiff 20-30 mph and I dam near got hypothermia. I have never had hypothermia before but it jacked me up...I got lost on my own place and to this day believe I would have died if not for a buddy there...I wasn't dressed properly and ill never do that again

Depends on the wind and humidity.

I had a hog lease in Dayton, TX that felt colder than -10 in WI.

-10 and windy takes the joy out of anything quick

I used to deer hunt, when in my late teens and early 20’s, in temps down in the low 20’s. Open ladder stands, sitting in the north wind. Don’t know what the wind chill was. No way I’d do that now. Enclosed blinds now, with heaters and hot coffee. Call me a wimp, if you want to…

When we hunted elk yesterday, it never got above 5 degrees, and ice fog, but there was no wind. It actually wasn't bad and later the wife commented I never even put on a coat. I had two layers of thermals on, and a heavy fleece hunting shirt, so I was good. If there had been any wind, it could have been brutal, and we would have changed up accordingly. Minus 10, or any minus wind chill makes you re-think just how mad you are at an animal!!!

The lowest I have hunted was -29 in Jackson Hole on a December archery moose hunt. Frost bit both hands holding the riser, but killed a nice moose on Dec 31st.

In an open window box or tree stand, 30 is the magic number. 30 and calm, 40-10 wind, 50-20 wind. Sit there very long and you will get pretty cold.

Any kind of heavy wind and I get miserable quick.

If I can exhale and see it it's cold to me
Peeing outdoors and it's steaming, it's cold to me


Don't care for snow and ice myself

It is all about the wind to me. No cold wind and I am good.

15 degrees

Cold is when thermals are a must. Very cold is when a propane heater is a must. Too cold is when the heater doesn't keep you from shivering.

Been in -59 with wind chill when we lived in Wyoming.
Had full cold weather gear on with face protection only thing showing were my eyes and they began to stick shut. Was too cold for man or beast.

Grew up in the panhandle where they have real winters unlike most of Texas. Twenties and teens are just another winter day. Single digits would make me think hard about outdoors activities. Especially with the constant wind up there.

I’d say teens, but agree the wind plays a big factor. I can usually handle being cold… or sometimes even wet. But cold and wet and I’m out pretty quick. I learned not to skimp on gear and can last much longer in harsh conditions.

I haven't met cold that I couldn't deal with yet. You just gotta dress for it. Best hunt I've ever had was in North OK in mid Nov. Lows in the teens. Highs in the upper 20s for a week straight. I was camping in a tent and bow hunting. Killed my first bow buck that trip. I remember cooking beans and rice with Catfish for lunch, then leaving the leftovers in the pot on the picnic table. When I got back from the evening hunt, it was frozen solid.
Coldest hunt was the same place, but after we built a cabin. Slept warm with a heater. One morning, it was 1 degree. Not quite 0, but 1. It was a short hunt, but we hunted.
I've learned, the secret to keeping warm is to keep your feet warm. Regardless of how many layers I have on, my feet get cold first. Pay extra $ for warm boots.

I used to sit in a tree stand 18ft in the air facing the north wind up in Oklahoma. Was some cold days then. Now it is a box blind with a Buddy heater.

Being cold when you are 20 and being cold when you are 63 are two different things. I have grown to enjoy the comforts of an enclosed blind with a heater. I`m fixing to go get into one with a heater even as we speak. Up until the last 10 years I would always just put on enough layers of clothes and tough it out, but I have gotten soft as I`ve gotten older. I used to sit on the ground and freeze to death when I was 20ish, but so did everyone else back in "The Day".

Coldest thing I’ve ever found was a tractor seat between Muleshoe and Farwell.

Anything below 55 is too cold. I will put up with it for fun and exciting things like hunting. Mr Buddy and or hand warmers go with me every time. If I have to freeze, I'm not going.

Coldest hunt was when I lived in Montana. Slept in the back of a pickup before bed liners were invented, my brother and friend and myself. It was -24 in town that night so I assume we were colder than that. When you're so cold that you don't care if you get up or just go to sleep for good.

I tried to sit once or twice in The Big Freeze. It was 9°. I kept trying to fall on my arse.

Youth weekend was a youth hunt at my place. One of the "guides" (mid-40s) hauled his Mr. Buddy heater back and forth. I own one, just rarely ever use it.

When I'm shivering and there ain't no big un in front of me.

I have hunted in -30 degree weather. Hard to stay warm at those temps.
Addly enough I find 30 degrees harder to stay warm in then -30.

Some say it's the humidity, some say it's the wind. I think it's both.

Cold air is dry air and at 30 there is almost always a stiff breeze but at -30 it's almost always dead calm.

Any time it hits single digits, before wind chill, it is cold.

Here is what the opening morning of rifle season looks like in Central WI.

We may be on the triggers early this year.

I did the same thing. I was in a winter jacket, boots, wool socks, blue jeans, and would sit for hours in the freezing darkness, out in the open, facing north into the wind as you said. I invited people out in the winter time, not because I needed company, but because it was good to have a warm body next to me to help shield me from the bite of the cold air.

Enclosed with a heater is good. I just wish the solar panels would generate enough juice for the hot chocolate machine.

Some of you must really hate deer to put up with so much to go after them. As others here will likely agree, age has a way of reducing such hatred.

You live in Houston, you should move to Cuba

Most miserable I've ever been hunting was back in high school when I was at a buddy's place around Mertzon at Thanksgiving. Didn't keep up with the weather back then - figured 30s for lows and 50s for highs...boy was I wrong...teens for lows and 30s for highs with a ripping west texas wind. Sucked.

Coldest duck hunt was around 2 degrees...Wasn't that bad with the right layers/clothes.

The day 89 duck hunters died
89 Duck hunters dead

Anything under -10 is too cold for me, been there done that and it is dangerous if not prepared.
My last cow bison was brutal, about -13 the morning I shot her.
Had some WT deer hunts in E. Wyoming that deer froze solid when left in field overnight, we stood them up for pics the next morning.
Windchill is a killer so be careful out there in cold weather.

Archery, 30-40 below 0° with wind Temps.
30min hunt. Up in tree stands.
Last seconds of hunt a doe came out by my bro's stand.
As he drew back arrow came off string.
sound of an aluminum arrow bounching of tree & limbs echoed .

We still go out in below zero Temps (in our 60's), if wind not too bad ta hunt.

On the colder days we go 🧊🎣 ing.

It depends where I am, but if it’s below 10 F I am staying by the fire.

I guided waterfowl hunts in the panhandle for 6 years. I endured many miserable conditions. Single digits with howling winds and I couldn't wear gloves because I had to be calling. I was younger and dumber and it didn't seem to phase too much at the time but I think I somehow hurt myself as I can not tolerate the cold at all now and it is almost solely due to my hands. The rest of my body can be totally fine but if it even gets slightly cold my fingers get painfully cold in a hurry. If it gets below 40 my hands start hurting. I thought maybe some kind of circulation issue but went to Dr and they couldn't find anything wrong.

I spent a week working in Michigan in January once and I don't think it got over 10 degrees the entire time I was there. I have also worked in negative temperatures in northern Kansas.Yuck.

First time elk hunting we camped about 8,500ft. Woke up the first morning and it was 9 degrees in the tent. Hunting wasn't bad because we were moving, getting out of bed each morning was the coldest part.

In a stand, I'm good down into the 20's without a heater. Past that I'm either just hanging in camp or will definitely have a heater in the stand.

16 degrees and sleeting public hunting sitting under a tree was the coldest out in the elements. I think 9 degrees sitting in a box blind with my Buddy heater was the latest. Minus 72 degrees wind chill with the wind coming off the Yellow Sea on New Year's morning in S. Korea when the new Base Commander asserted his authority and ordered a Commanders Call for the entire base was the coldest I've ever been.

Just from the title, first thought EX-wife.

Reading more hunting in the cold all has changed over the years for me. Now on blood thinners below 30 seems cold especially with high humidity, Im my teens without as good of cloths 14 was about my limit. Now I might would hunt that from good box blind and little buddy heater

My Great Uncle used to talk about that storm. He said the duck hunting was incredible, the ducks just kept coming in and coming in. Best day of duck hunting he ever saw.

I too have read about that storm. That was a bad day.

Back in high school I remember feeding the cows square bails out the back of a pickup only wearing jeans, my summer football jersey (the mesh ones), and a pair of leather work gloves with the temps in the upper teens-lower 20's and no wind. Never really felt cold. Coldest I've ever felt was 1) making an amphibious landing in near Norfolk, VA in January with about 4" of snow on the beach. We "hit the beach" in water a little over waist deep. That was miserable. And 2) rode my motorcycle from Marlin to Temple about 3am in January wearing only jeans and a t-shirt after going over to visit a good friend. It was in the upper 30's but I about froze to death! My hands and thighs felt the worst. It had been in the 70's during the day and I stayed way later than I had planned.

Cold doesn't really bother me even now unless there's wind or wet. That stuff cuts through me like a knife. I avoid that kind of weather at all costs....

So, as many others have said...it's more a factor of wind and wet vs. temp for me.

Back in the late 90s we hunted a friend's place for mule deer on a mesa southwest of Durango. It would always get cold at night, but one night in particular the wind came up and was howling and temp dropped to 9*. We were not really prepared and the all others in the party who had been primitive camping ended up inside my pop up camper. It was better at blocking wind, but still pretty drafty and no insulation, so it got pretty miserable.

In 2001 we rode motorcycles from Dallas to Sturgis with a detour up through the mountains. We stayed at a free campsite just outside of Estes Park and temps dropped to 19. We had sleeping bags, but I ended up wearing every stitch of clothing I brought for the trip, including leathers, in my light sleeping bag. Went to bed about 10, but was up by 4 stoking the fire. That made the next day of riding very long!

As many have said, wind plays the biggest factor.

Back in the day, on a working ranch, we branded old school, (brand in fire).
1) We rode out check for cattle. The other guy was dressed for it, heaviest thing i
was wearing was a Jean jacket, with some down on inside.

We got caught in snow storm. Couldn't see 5' in front of ya. Was out roughly 2hrs.
Hands & feet were so numb couldn't feel reins nor stirrups. Whin feet & hands get cold,
Theirs no keeping warm.

2) We were out throwing cake for cattle. Snow storm, i was in back of truck.
Driver hit a dip in the pasture, front tire sunk in.
We were roughly over 1mile from ranch house. i took off walking. using telephone poles as guide.
@ a 2 O'clock heading. Snow picked up.
Snow blindness set in, snow hitting face was like needles.
Ended up walking in circles.
Finally made it ta ranch house,got another pick up & got other ranch hand.

Did end up with a huge sweld-up earlobe, but that's another story, alcohol was involved.
Got several cold "cool" stories.

Social distancing from MN.

Cold tis a state of mind

With all our modern advances, it’s never too cold to hunt. I hunted the coldest day of the season last year, with my bow. It gets sub zero here. Blew my only chance at a shot for the whole season, because I was trying to warm my hands when I should have been nocked, locked, and ready to rock. So this year I will spare no expense to stay warm, but I damn sure will be out there hunting.

Best thing about the harshest point in the winter is that food is scarce, so find that and you will for sure see deer. Soybeans are awesome because as they freeze and dry out the pods open and the beans fall out, it does not happen all at once so there are almost always a little bit of beans on the snow. They are not very appealing to the deer until they fall out of the pods. They will eat the pods but they do not prefer it. Soybeans on the snow, deer will come.

I dislike any temps under 50°F.

Give me summer.

As I native south Texan that is poorly traveled I feel ill equipped to weigh in. I’ve never been too cold to hunt, but I’ve never seen the temps some of you have.

I grew up in South Dakota, to me when the temps hit -10 or the wind-chill hits -20 it's to cold for me to get out and hunt. It's a totally different kinda hunting in SD. Mostly spot and stock. Pretty much no one has a deer stand either. Wide open country where you have to move and scan to find deer. My most common shot is 250yards from a kneeling or sitting position. Most years when I go back for hunting season temps are in the teens tonight to mid. 20's and windy.

I have seen -7° and +113° on the same piece of ground.

Not for the faint of heart.

Hunting Nebraska for the first time......3 degrees with a windchill of -17 and the wind blowing 40 mph. Was a culture shock for this South Texan. That sucked, especially in wet steel toed work boots.

To me cold is when its uncomfortable. I thought 10° with still conditions in the high mountains was not bad. The most miserable cold I experienced was working in a refinery on the south shore of the Houston Ship channel at 28° with a hard north wind. That cold cut me to the bone.

Did single digits for hog hunting in February of this year. That's cold enough for me

Yep, 20's & 30's on the coast with some wind hurts. It's the humidity.

60 Below. Cochrane ONT But it was a dry cold.

A couple of years ago, I loaded the hounds and took off to the Navajo Nation to chase lions. Made the 12 hour trip in one day and was on the mountain the next morning. It was -21 degrees. One of my females was so cold that she could not travel. I roaded her about a half mile and she finally loosened up. Now that was cold.
Adios,
Gary

seen 100+ temps & -80+ temps same piece of ground here.

I’ve lived the beat end of it but never seen single digits not counting wind chill I don’t believe.

Coldest I’ve ever seen down south was one cold and clear January morning….thermometer read 13 degrees. We hunted in the truck that day.

I’ve been truly cold 4 times in my life….one was on day 5 of a 7 day elk hunt, it started snowing on the 2nd day and didn’t stop. All my waterproof gear became unwaterproof, boots were soaked and couldn’t get warm. 5pm that day we called it and the next morning packed up and headed back. Vowed to return next time with better clothing more suited to that style of hunting.

2nd time was in south Texas….26 degree morning. Dryer had broke sometime during the night and I went to the blind in damp clothes….hunter shot his deer at 7:30, I don’t think I would have made it to 8. Buddy had to gut the deer while I warmed up in the running truck.

3rd time was this past June in Idaho. Very humid and cold…mid 30’s. Had on every bit of clothing I had and was still chilled to the bone. That humidity is no joke. I’ve been 10k feet up on an Utah mountain in February and wasn’t cold….this time I was frozen.


4th time I was 12 years old hunting in Junction in February….norther blew thru and next morning was in the 20’s. My parents didn’t know how to prepare for cold weather so we were sent afield basically in blue jeans, long John’s, a shirt and a medium heavy jacket. No gloves. No beanie, suede hiking boots. Froze my little arse off and was hypothermic by the end of the morning hunt. Terrible time.

I grew up in CO above 8000 ft. I have hunted deer and elk when it was colder than -20. I have been ice fishing when it was -30. When you spend 7 or 8 months a year with snow on the ground you tend to get used to that sort of thing

I remember what minus 18 feels like. Not going to do that anymore.

That's air temp not including wind. Windchill that day was somewhere around -50. Took that pic right before i unloaded the snowmobile to head out ice fishing. Spent 8 hours that day on the ice. That same night (was even colder but my outdoor thermometer bottoms at -40 so not sure how much) the window closest to the woodstove in the cabin cracked due to the thermal differential. Fortunately it was a double paned window and the outside pane stayed intact.

Late season bow hunting spot - stayed in that day:

It was so cold one time we chopped up grandma's piano for firewood but we only got 2 chords...

Ok…that was truly bad PappawRock, but I did laugh…

And I just realized that, compared to some of you guys, I’ve never been cold. Just thought I was…

I'm sixty three and I was hunting the other day in Arkansas when it was 25 and no wind and I was comfortable. When the wind picked up and it was warming up I felt colder. It took me a couple of hours to warm up after I came in.

The older I get the less tolerant I am of extreme temps either way.

ESPN College Game day is in Bozeman, Mt this morning. I think they are saying coldest day they have ever done Game Day, still below zero up there right now. Funny watching them freeze their heinies off.


Spouse went up the mountain this morning to WT hunt, I bet it was below zero up there as it was -1 when I got up. I just told him to not freeze his nose .

Lots of stuff goes wrong when it gets below zero.

No temps will keep me from going, but I know when to call it quits. I don’t do wet AND cold. Soon as my gear gets soaked through I am out.

Give me enclosed blind with a Buddy heater like last weekend. 27*

In the open 50*

I hate it when its above 60* though.

Buddy of mine made laugh very hard one day.

"If I am cold and wet at the same time, something has gone terribly wrong."

I hunt out of my truck. Unless the heater is broken it is never too cold to hunt.

This trip was a bish…

All I am saying is some people wear bibs, I wear neoprene waders with thinsulate. So there’s that.

You got to be ready for the worst!

It’s hard to get a good piece of ground to yourself without crossing water.

I found a new problem with the cold. Sitting there all bundled up and cozy this evening, I passed out at least 6 times in a 3 hour period. Can’t be still and quiet, in comfy cozy winter clothing, and stay awake. I must be getting old.

This afternoon, 18 F, not quite cold enough for the heater but almost:

Cold is not so much the issue. Windchill is what makes me tap out, at about 15 or below,.

Cold is simply the whatever you didn't pack/plan for. I have been well prepared for single digits negative with 30 mph wind and snow where I was perfectly comfortable (in a box blind) and froze my tail off in the 50s when with a 10 mph wind when I thought it was going to be 70s with no wind.

I grew up in this area of Northern Alberta.

You are right, a person does get used to the cold. But that doesn't mean we are any better at surviving the cold.
I lost a brother to hypothermia. And I've been too close to succumbing to it myself. Never take the cold for granted.

We get spells where the mercury never tops -30 for days. Some times for a week or more.
And we almost always get a few days of -40 or colder each winter. -60 is not uncommon here.

When you get a spell like that and you have livestock you have no choice but to get out and work in that cold, And it doesn't feel that bad.
But you have to respect the cold.

Make one mistake at those temperatures and it could be your last.

Ways to survive the cold.

Stay out of the wind as much as possible.
Wear wool if possible. Wool insulates even when wet.
Keep moving.
Don't eat snow, especially yellow snow.
Never stop for more then a few minutes without building a fire.
Never wear rubber.
Carry a lunch, you will burn a lot of calories and you need to replace them,.
Carry a chocolate bar, If you play out it'll give you a quick boost of energy.
Wear layers. Don't get over heated. Sweat can kill you quick.

But the best advice is to stay inside when possible.

Been out in below 0° Temps on horse back moving cattle on a working ranch, started snowing, couldn't see 5ft in front of ya. Couldn't feel reins, nor feet in stirips.
Out throwing cake ta cattle, was in back of pick-up
Driver hit a hit small review, so I started walking back ta ranch house. Using telephone post as guide.
Snow hitting face was like needles. Snow blinded, walked in circles. Over an hour.finaly made it, warmed up a tad.
Went got other worker


Several other incedidents, alcohol involved.

Respect the cold.

I can vouch for the wool. I’m a trucker, touch freight only. I unload the trailer. Nothing is palletized with this company, they pack these trailers from nose to tail and floor to ceiling. No temperature control, these are dry vans. So I work my tail off. It’s possible to break a sweat in minus 40 ambient temp with wind blowing snow in your trailer, I do it every year. I have particularly sweaty feet. I will strip down to a pair of shorts and a camo hoodie with some hot hands body warmers in sub zero weather if I have to, perspiration never stops when you are working your tail off. If my store will keep up with me I will roll the freight down the conveyor as fast as I can.

I spare no expense for socks. I have paid upwards of $15-$20 for a single pair of good socks and I keep spares warm on the defroster in my truck for regular sock changes in the winter. For the most part you get what you pay for but there is no substitute for wool, no wool blend of any sort comes close to a 100% wool sock and even not all wool is good. The $5 wool socks at Walmart are garbage. They carry a 100% merino realtree branded sock at Walmart that is actually pretty good.

No matter how hard you work, sweaty wet feet get cold and will start hurting. I can get a lot more done between boot breaks with good socks, well worth the money.

The coldest I ever saw in the states was -42° around Helena Montana I think around 1996. You could spit and it would hit the ground as a piece of ice. If you tried to take a whiz none of it would hit the ground and it would just turn into steam. You had to take into account shrinkage from exposure to the cold along with the depth of clothing you were wearing otherwise you were going to get soaked. The temperature had plummeted nearly 30° in a short amount of time and I pretty much gave up trying to hunt. I don't think there was an animal alive that was trying to move in those conditions either. Never have seen or heard of an animal freezing to death but I'm pretty sure it happens.

I had a contract with Ford Motor Company in the '90s working as a calibration engineer. We had to figure out how to make a car start when it was 50 below zero so they trucked a bunch of stuff up into the Arctic Circle in the middle of Canada and I spent months up there. I think it hit 60 below zero multiple times. I can't tell you how many times I blew intake manifolds off of an engine and cold weather with regular power steering fluid would make the power steering pump self-destruct within moments of startup. You also couldn't drive a car if it had an air filter because it would turn to solid ice in no time flat.