Sportsman’s Guide, Federal Ammunition, Primos, and Savage Arms sponsored a deer hunt in central South Dakota just as the Great Plains were slammed with a brutal cold spell, crashing temperatures below zero with 20–25 mph winds. Eight women braved the elements for four days, bagged some bucks, and had a great time despite the cold. Here’s how they did it.
Kim Cahalan, vice president of Media Direct, bagged her buck on the evening of the last day. “We spotted it feeding in a cornfield and closed ground until we were about 400 yards away. Apparently, the buck in the full stage of the rut saw some movement and actually came closer,” she said after downing the 7-point with a single shot.
“The weather has been freezing, yet I used Core4 Element gear. Specifically, a Moreno wool base layer that was a great help since it insulated and wicked moisture.
“On one deer drive, I got really hot, yet the Moreno wool wicked moisture and dried up quickly thanks to the base layers. A little trick — on my base layer, I put a hand warmer on the back of my neck and one on my hat, shoes, and gloves.”
Sarah Perry is director of marketing for Taurus Holding, Inc. “It’s been a little frigid,” she laughed. “I’m wearing five layers on the top and four layers on the bottom along with strategically placed hand warmers on my back, boots and gloves. I use a ski mask and one of those bands for your ears (like you ski with) and a hood from my jacket. I use Under Armor and an outside jacket to break the wind and fleece.
“The only downside is that you’re not as mobile, which hurts when you go uphill. Another time I would have used more hand warmers and placed them all over my core. I would have brought different gloves, as mine are not meant for the cold weather. My fingertips got cold and I made a fist with may hand. I used to wear two pairs of socks, and that didn’t work. I used a single pair plus toe warmers, and that worked perfectly.
“For an outer layer, I used Under Armor infrared. I had two hats on and my face was cold, but when I put the hood of the Under Armour up, it made a huge difference.”
“I was warm except for my feet,” said Cathy Williams, marketing manager. “My boots failed because they weren’t heavy enough. I had a hat and head gear that kept me warm, yet my fingers got cold because I couldn’t find warm women’s gloves. You have to buy men’s sizes. I used thermal underwear and ladies’ Guide Series Tech H20 from Gander Mountain as an outer layer.”
Kelsey Williams, Cathy’s daughter, enjoyed her first deer hunt. “Hot wasn’t in my vocabulary out here,” she laughed. “My toes were the most cold, but everything else was bearable. I had hiking boots and my feet were not prepared. I used specific cold gear and some camouflage items that fit from Gander Mountain. This was my first deer hunt, and it was thrilling.”
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