Ok, guys, I need your opinion. I think I'm going to be able to do some night hunting for coyotes (and fox) here in PA, and I have a serious question. How do you guys stay warm all night (or part of it)? I'm probably going to be waiting over bait (which is also legal), and this is about the only concern I have. I thought about setting up a ground blind with some kind of a heater in this, but would this spook the game? Might be more touble than it's worth, but I want to hear what you guys have to say about it. I guess I could just really bundle up, but still, I think it's going to be very cold in Jan. and was looking for other options. Thanks for any help you can give me.

We use some type of ground blind/shooting shack for long extended waits over bait piles. The shooting shack can be heated with a propane heater, the shack should be out several months before hunting. The very least it will probably take a week or so before coyotes will visit out in the open with something new there. For calling and moving just bundle up!

Dave

Justin,

I night hunted before there were any pop up blinds like they have today. I built a small shack that was just long enough for me to have a bed on one of the longer walls. The bed was just wide enough for a sleeping bag and I sat on the bed to look and shoot out the windows. I would guess the shack was only 5 feet wide and 6 feet long with hinged shooting windows. I heated it with a wood burning shepherd stove. The shack was put in the woods on the edge of the field and the bait was placed about 150 yds NW of the shack in the field. Our prevailing winds are mostly from the N or NW. I put the shack on runners to be towed by a snowmobile, but putting it on a trailer would be even better.

I would hunt the clear nights around the full moon when there was snow cover. I would sit up and watch the bait until 10 or so and then lay down for a nap. I would set an alarm for 11 and wrap the alarm clock in my jacket so it would not be too loud. I would check the bait and watch for 10 minutes or so and then reset the alarm for 12. I would do this throughout the night. In this way I could hunt all night checking the bait every hour and would still get enough sleep to work the next day.

I have one of the pop up blinds and I think it would work well if you can figure out how to stay warm inside. A propane heater scares the hell out of me. Carbon monoxide poisoning could take place while you are sleeping and you would wake up dead. If it was set up in some brush or cover, and at least 100 yds from the bait I don't think it would spook the yotes. Their hearing is incredible across a snow covered field. If you have to unzip a flap or something like that they will likely bust you. I would worry less about the scent if you are located down wind.

If I could do it over again I would build a small insulated shack with wood heat that I can put on a trailer. To me it would be well worth the extra effort just to hunt that way again.

The pic below is the best night I had.

Jim

Thanks, guys, I don't think I have a spot where I could put a permament blind at, so it would have to be a portable blind of some kind. Keeping it warm inside won't be easy...but it may be worth some experimenting. Keep the responses coming, I think hunting at night would be the only way to hunt coyotes here in PA.

I agree, thats why I only suggested heating the shack with propane. I would think a pop up ground blind would be very hard to heat in any way much. An ice fishing type shack would be the very best for heating and staying safe, we always have multiple vents built in our shacks to prevent any lack of air and ventilation. Hinge drop shooting windows work pretty good. Good Hunting...

What kind of scope is that PD Huntr? Nice bag of coyotes!
Dave

#1). The most obvious, if you are not in decent shape, it is almost a worthless effort... You have to have decent circulation. Assuming you are marginally "athletic" ... This is how the military, with lots of threats and strong coffee in young men, keep young men on awake guard duty all night long... Long coats over wool pants, long underwear... Those "mummy" sleeping bags are nice, if you can find one anymore. Once they were cheap... ($30.-, used).
#2). You won't believe the effects of nutrition until you try it. Modern medicine, frankly, ignores nutrition because it could cut income by A LOT! Had an aunt who was cold until she started taking 500 mg vit. C occassionally. (Didn't want to be a pill popper...???...) Said it helped a bunch.
For your purposes, you need to work around "use." Simple "red pepper" / cayenne sprinkled into your socks before you put them on... You will know the difference. If you are "super blonde" (and they do have thinner skin-- makes vit. D easier in cloudy climes) you might want to work with black pepper or white pepper, not as strong. Paprika is about the lamest "red pepper" but if it suits you. Kills athlete's foot too, but I am not a doctor so I didn't tell you that. It is against the law (written for doctors...).
From there, again, "how close?" No end of herb teas that can help you stay awake. Plain old "green tea" ["black tea" like Lipton is fermented green tea...] has tons of anti oxidants and some caffeine. Yerba Mate (South America) is supposedly stronger in everything. BUT will these "spook" the animals. You close enough? Up wind? Mints are stimulating. Clove or just the oil. Disinfecting too. Lemon? Mild. If you are in an area of pines, you might find a scent that will help you blend. Wintergreen?

Good mummy bag and a thermos of your favorite hot tea and ...

Oh yes, the propane heaters are now available with low oxygen shut offs. In "fire problems" a). the fire uses up the oxygen and you suffocate. b). MORE DANGEROUS, the fire uses up enough oxygen to become ineffcient and instead of making carbone dioxide [CO2] it makes carbon monoxide [CO1/ CO] which is 10 times more welcome to the red blood cells in your blood than oxygen and you get poisoned... Either way your are DEAD.

Suffocation is not easy. CO poisoning is easy. But if you are not in a tight enclosure... the protection of the Low oxygen should be enough. Research it. Satisfy yourself. You are playing "you bet your life!" HAPPY HOLIDAYS, luck.

quote:

Originally posted by 12FVSS260:
I agree, thats why I only suggested heating the shack with propane. I would think a pop up ground blind would be very hard to heat in any way much. An ice fishing type shack would be the very best for heating and staying safe, we always have multiple vents built in our shacks to prevent any lack of air and ventilation. Hinge drop shooting windows work pretty good. Good Hunting...

What kind of scope is that PD Huntr? Nice bag of coyotes!
Dave

Dave, thanks.

I wasn't judging your idea of a propane heater. I was only giving my opinion of how I feel about propane heaters that I have used. I got close to going "under" with one when I was younger.

It is hard to tell what scope that is as the photo was scanned in. This was before digital cameras. It is a Bushnell 3X9 Lite Sight, on a Winchester Featherweight 243. Nothing particularly special about the scope, other than I could afford it at the time, and it worked very well. I am still using it, but for daylight use only. One of the biggest thrills of my life is watching a coyote coming across a snowcovered field in the moonlight, flicking on the red dot, placing it on his chest, squeezing the trigger, and watching him drop.

Jim

.............................................

Hey Justin,

Just remembered I was in a sportshop around Thanksgiving and I saw something that might work also???? It seemed to me it was a huge "coverall" or snow suit that you put on over your hunting stuff including boots. I didn't look at it long as I was in a hurry. It completely covered everthing including your boots. It also had a hood with a drawstring. It seems as though you would use it in a stand or blind. You wouldn't want to walk around with it. It would be almost like a form fitting sleeping bag.

Maybe someone knows what I am talking about and can help. I will try to find it on the net if I get a chance.

Jim

Justin,

It looked something like this.

Kinda spendy. The one I saw was not one of the ones in the add above, so someone else is making them also. Maybe you could find a cheaper one.

A big warm sleeping bag and a good seamstress and you could have something that could work just like the above.

Jim

quote:

I wasn't judging your idea of a propane heater. I was only giving my opinion of how I feel about propane heaters that I have used. I got close to going "under" with one when I was younger.

Oh no Jim, I didn't take it that way at all, you sound like you fully know what you are doing and from where you live I'd say you're no stranger to the cold. I actually wanted to make it real clear to the others who might read the post. I spend 2 1/2 months up here commerical smelt fishing thru the ice for 10 hours a day in the coldest winter months. -20/-30 is not unusual and thats not with any windchill factored in, I know how long you can last with the best clothes and in the peak of health.....not very long. I spend everyday in a cedar and plywood ice shack, propane heater runs off and on about 1/2 the time to keep it tolerable and livable. Vents are a MUST and it takes one low and at least two high to keep air flow happening and oxygen levels good. There are newer units that do shut off in case of low oxygen levels, not a bad idea. I wasn't really posting about staying awake....but how to stay warm and functioning if you are hunting on a really cold night. Especially if you plan on sitting all night and watching a bait site.

Dave

pdhuntr1,

That sounds pretty interesting...and the link you posted looks like it would be very warm, that one is a bit spendy, though. If I can find something like that that's a little bit cheaper, I'll definately try it out.

iiranger,

That's really interesting on the nutrition stuff, I didn't think it would make that big of a deal. I do on the other hand love Lipton Green Tea and White tea, so I will definately try that out.

12fvss260,

Yea, the gas thing is scary, I'm not sure about the portable blinds like the Double Bull, though. I would keep all windows open in it while I was in there, maybe a camp stove or handwarmer next to me would put off enough heat to keep me warm (not that the blind itself would stay warm, just hope to catch the heat off of the heater)?

I'm really new to this varmint hunting thing, so any help you guys can give me is really very much appreciated. Thanks to all!

I use Motorcycle gear such as the heated vest and the electric gloves for glassing hours on end, both are 12volt and any battery from motorcycle or car will work, whatever you want to pack. The new vests have heated sleeves I have to turn the vest on & off cause it gets to warm.

pdhtr1,
Nice pile of fur there. How to you like that Featherweight mod. 70?

Justin01,
I suppose it gets a lot colder in PA than it does in Southern Oregon. But I always wear some good thermals and fleece layers then top it off with insulated bibs and a wool coat. It gets down around 15-18 degrees at the coldest and I stay warm as toast waiting for a cat to show.

I have a propane heater thats catlaytic, I think its called a black cat or something. It works great in a tent or other eclosed area and is very quiet. I've used it quite a bit and not woken up dead yet. That was a big concern of mine with the non catalytic heaters.
Hope you get em.

quote:

Originally posted by Alan:
pdhtr1,
Nice pile of fur there. How to you like that Featherweight mod. 70?

Its a nice classy rifle. Quality of metal, stock and checkering is excellent IMO. It is not used any longer though. I like a heavier caliber for our whitetail, and I have other rifles for coyote hunting. If used for hunting again, I would likely put a utility stock on it so this one isn't damaged.

Jim

pdhntr1,

I know what you mean about the 70 Fwt., I have one in .300 WSM, and along with being nicely checkered, it has a knock out piece of wood on it! Makes me feel bad dragging it through the woods, but that's what I got it for and that's what I'll use it for.

I have a Featherweight in .223, it's also got a nice piece of wood on it. But it's a user so it has some dings and scratches. Also have a pre 64 featherweight in .243, thats a fine rifle. It doesn't have a special piece of wood,but it is scary accurate, and a real pleasure to shoot. Of all the choices I have for predator calling rifles those two are the ones I reach for most fo the time.
I wish I would have bought some more of those featherweights when they were making them.

I like hunting them in the spring and summer at night. Bugs are more of a problem than the weather. Also something to do in the off season.

Forget the sitting all night in a blind. By a electronic caller, and optronics light and start calling. Hit a spot for 30 minutes or so if nothing comes move down the road another 1/2 mile and try again. It's a lot of fun and your stay warm.

see if you can find an old hand-cranked siren... like the old ambulances used in wwII...i've got 1 somewhere, when i lived in lubbock, we hunted all towards brownfield and easten new mexico.. we'd go out and crank that old siren a few times... if we didn't hear very much barking, howling, we'd move on... the funny thing is, it ddidn't seem to scare the 'yotes any, they just barked...i also used a "mouse squeaker"... it would get the coyotes to look at me for a shot, when nothing else would...

I have hunted and shot my share of yotes but never at night. What do you all use to see them with? Spot lights, night optics, etc.? Does sound like it could be alot of fun.

quote:

Originally posted by B-23:
I have hunted and shot my share of yotes but never at night. What do you all use to see them with? Spot lights, night optics, etc.? Does sound like it could be alot of fun.

I can't speak for the others but I have just hunted them in winter when the moon is near full, waiting for them to come to bait across a snow covered field. I had no trouble at all seeing them coming in from several hundred yards away. I wouldn't take a shot at that distance, but they were very easy to see in the moonlight. All I used for optics was a red dot scope.

Jim

With a spot light you can see there eyes out 500 to 600 yards. normally if the hang up out that far you can still shoot them but most ofthe time they will come in closer 200 yards or less is good for night time just rember not to burn them "putting the spot light all around them" when the get closer than 350 yards. and a good quality scope is a must for gathering light at night

Justin, I have done plenty of night hunting but calling and not over bait. Our stands aren't for extended periods like it is over bait. The old propane heaters were CO producers. New technology is much better with Coleman and Mr. Heater making units you will find portable and safe. A pop up blind has plenty of ventilation. A trailer or shed may not. They give specs in square inches of ventilation you must have. I use a propane heater in my van, making certain to have sufficient air, with no headche and no alarm from my CO monitor. I like full suits for night hunting with layers of poly pro underwear. You should have access to plenty of cold weather gear in your part of the country.

Good hunting, Venado