A friend of mine is from Florida, and is planning a guided hunting trip into Canada this winter, and isn't sure what he is in for. So he emailed a list of questions, which I answered, and provided some additional information for him. Domeguy is considering an ice fishing trip up here this winter, so much of this will be relevant for him, and for anyone else in the Northern reaches. Please feel free to question, comment, and/or criticize.

From my buddy:

January 15, 2017, I will be in Kapuskasing, Ontario, wolf hunting!!!
Here is the URL for the outfitter.

http://www.kapriveroutfitters.ca/home

Essentially, we will be hauled out to ambush sites via snow machine sled,
sit there for up to six hours in a partial blind made by shoveling a hole in
the snow, then hauled back in a sled.

Questions:

1. Do you think a .243 Win Mag rifle, shooting 90 grain bullets at about 3,000 fps
is an appropriate rifle? It is scoped with a 3x9. I canl sight it in at 240 yards and
can hold dead on out to 300 yards - aim above the front leg and center of the
body top to bottom - bullet will be up or down only 3". Sound right? My other
rifle is a .300 Win Mag - same ballistics with 180 grain bullet, a 6x18 scope.

2. I will layer the clothing. Their web site has a detailed explanation of what to
wear - summary is a wicking layer, a cotton layer, a wool layer, and the outer
water resistant layer. Will that be enough? I can add another short Cabellas
insulated hunting jacket. I have Patagonia Sinchilla [old pop bottles] long johns -
1 pair of lightweight, one pair of medium, and can wear both, along with jeans -
do I need a wool layer here?

3. They say it can be as low as -30 C. Do any of you guys know of someone
who would loan me appropriate boots? [My shoe size is 11 1/2 D]. The only
boots I have are the rubber felt lined things I use at the May Long, and I hope not to
have to spend up to $500 for boots to be used once in my life. I will try to find
electric boot warmers.

4. Gloves - I have a pair for goose hunting, and can get a pair of wool ones under
the outer layer, and maybe even some wicking ones. Will that do it? Also will
look for hand warmers, for gloves and for kidneys.

5. I will take along a 1'x1'x2" foam pad to sit on going out and at the blind. Is
that enough?

6. Will take along an adjustable, collapsible shooting stick.

7. Will buy a full face cotton mask [can't use wool as I will break out].

8. I have goggles to protect my eyes.

9. What have I missed?

Detailed answers please - I hope to bag a wolf and survive the experience
without harming my 79 year old body. And no, I won't be walking any more
than 25 yards out in the woods!

Many thanks in advance.

Hey Joe,

in response:

1. .243 is more than enough gun for your intended prey, assuming of course, that you do your part.

2. Find out how far you expect to be travelling by snowmobile to get to the hunting locations. Dressing for an hour long skidoo ride at 50 MPH is a little different than sitting in a hidey hole out of the wind.
- Your layering sounds fine, but make sure you have additional clothing with you. small daypack. if you get damp/wet (snow/perspiration) having a dry change of clothes is the difference between enjoying yourself and tolerating the day.
- Consider a pair of insulated pants rather than jeans. I personally see no benefit to jeans whatsoever. A decent pair of cargo pants (lined) with pockets can be invaluable.

3. I do not know anyone with that size of boot. Most of my friends are normal sized... lol You may want to look at just buying an additional set of liners for your boots, something better rated.

4. I wear a very light pair of stretchable gloves as a base layer ( usually 3 pairs for $1.00), and pull a heavy pair of mitts on over top if needed. The gloves are enough to keep the wind off your skin, and to handle your rifle without touching the cold steel bare handed. I take a 1/2 dozen pairs with me, and as they get wet, simply change them out. Plus, I can shoot with them on.

5. Assuming you are able to sit upright for the entire time, that pad will suffice, even thinner would be fine, it just needs to insulate your body from the ground. However, it is difficult to spend that much time simply sitting upright. So you may want to consider a mat or something that will allow you to lay down as well. If there isn't much snow, your hole may only be a foot or two deep, so a prone or semi prone position may be necessary. Look at something like a yoga mat. about 1/4" thick neoprene, 2' wide x 6' long. will roll up into a 5" cylinder.

6. If you are comfortable using a stick then fine, but also be prepared to be shooting from sitting, kneeling and prone as the terrain and prey dictate.

7. Good idea, make sure to try on several for fit. make sure you have good visibility. Make sure you can move your head in all positions without it slipping over your eyes. Make sure that you can breathe through it easily, and that it doesn't cause your glasses/goggles to fog up. In addition, bring a decent toque. You may find that a full face balaclava is too hot, but you still want to cover the head. Yes, you can just roll up the balaclava, but it'll stretch it out, and get wet from your perspiration/snow. If that is your primary source of warmth for the snowmobile ride back, you'll freeze.

Googles are good, assuming you can wear them without fogging them up (while breathing through a full face). And they may be invaluable while on the snowmobile. (do they provide a helmet?) Also make sure that you have a decent pair of tinted lens (ie sunglasses) On a clear sunny day in the winter, it is about a bajillion times brighter out than a typical Floridian would expect because of the reflection off the snow.

9. Others: food/water. Even sitting/laying around you will be expending energy trying to keep warm, be prepared to replace it. Keep in mind that anything in a pack will freeze in time. I typically tuck a bottle of water into an inside pocket of my coat to keep it warm. If it starts getting low, I'll refill it with snow, and let my body heat melt/warm it before drinking it. (Don't eat snow/Don't drink icy cold water!) You can tuck a hotshot into the pocket to keep the cold away from your body, and to help warm it, but make sure it doesn't melt the plastic bottle.

- Thermos: Since you're not humping it, add a thermos to your pack. there is nothing like a hot cup of tea and/or soup to warm the soul.
- Toilet paper in a ziplock bag. Enough said.
- additional toilet paper/kleenex. One thing about being out in the cold, it will make your nose run. a hanky if fine too, but only if you have an inside pocket for it. Blowing your nose in a frozen rag ain't fun.
-additional toilet paper/kleenex. If you do not have caps on the end(s) of your scope, you can wad up some tp, and 'screw' it into the ends of the scope to keep the snow out. Nothing sucks more than raising a gun for a shot to find the scope plugged with snow.
- if you do find snow in your scope, do not use your finger to clear it, nor blow on it. you'll fog it up and be fucked for the day. grab a stick, twig, end of strap/belt, anything that is the same temperature as the gun/scope.
- that said, pay attention to your breathing any time you are near your scope, an exasperated exhale can fog it up mighty quick at -30.
- if there are warm up shelters available, leave your gun outside, unless you plan on being in long enough for it to completely warm up (hours), if you don't, it will fog/ice up.
- If you are hunting multiple days, have enough clothing for each day, in particular, socks and underwear. You can wear used socks again, but unless laundered, they won't be as warm (and probably kinda crusty!)
- practice shooting (from all positions) while wearing your expected attire. it is one thing to hit a target at 240 while on a bench rest in a t-shirt. It can be another while 1/2 laying in a hole with 5 layers of clothing, a balaclava and hood while wearing goggles.
-when you get back to camp, you will be chilled. Immediately get out of EVERYTHING, and redress in warm dry clothing. After that long outside, you will have layers of cooler air trapped in your clothing, and adding additional layers will not warm you. better yet, have a shower if available, and then redress.
-have additional footwear for back at camp/town. do not wear your boots unless you absolutely need to. They need time to dry.

* And the #1 most important thing *

If you wear your boots for more than five minutes, no matter for what or where; when you take them off, take the liners out and put them somewhere to dry (on a heat vent/over the stove/etc) Even if they do not feel wet, they are. Dry them religiously! Cold feet=cold body.