By Nick Simonson

One of my favorite outdoor competitions – beyond the Bassmasters Classic, those old late night Lumberjack Games on ESPN Ocho, and any local ice fishing derby that boasts a good meal and warm social afterward – is the Fat Bear Week hosted online by the Katmai National Park and its supporters.  The organization selects 32 huge Alaskan brown bears in the park each year; specimens that are known to put on over 500 pounds from summer into fall pushing many of them to over a half a ton in weight, thanks to a diet which can include more than 100 pounds of salmon in a day. The public then votes in an online bracket comprised of the bulging browns and a winner – the fattest bear in all the land – is crowned.

A similar thickening occurs among hunters in the uplands a bit closer to home, where thankfully brown bears remain several hundred if not more than a thousand miles away from my front door.  With the winter shift already on, snow on the ground throughout much of the upper Midwest, and still a ton of pheasants to pursue in the sloughs and snowy grasslands, the conditions hardly hinder an outing, unless travel gets a bit dicey.  Simply donning a few more layers can help get one out there after the biggest and most brightly colored roosters of the season.  However, with the thickening of hunters in preparation for the first tastes of winter, come a few helpful reminders to still get the best shot at a flushing bird.

First and foremost, the clothing one wears can impact how a shotgun is mounted both by the movement of the firearm and where it ends up positioned on the shoulder.  Check to make sure that jacket pockets, vests, and the normal movement of the butt of the firearm isn’t impeded by the change in clothing worn.  Practice a mount a few times to be certain that nothing gets in the way, or adjustments can be made mentally and then make sure the fit and feel is right. 

The first thing that knocks me out of the uplands in cold weather are frozen fingers. That often means wearing gloves to keep snow and moisture away and to help block wind to keep feeling in my hands.  In conjunction with that comes the cumbersome challenge of clicking off a safety and getting an index finger inside the trigger guard when a shot sets up.  This can be overcome by using the thinnest glove possible that still provides good grip and some protection. Bow hunting gloves provide a solid and non-interfering base layer for fingers and are good until things get down into the teens, and they can easily be covered with bigger gloves that can be pulled off when a dog gets birdy and put back on once a rooster is in the bag. Consider the options to keep hands warm, while still being able to keep that manual dexterity, noting the slight layer of rubber on the palm and inside the fingers makes sure a gun stays firmly gripped and fingers don’t slip.

Finally, on the coldest days of the late season, facemasks can be a must to extend time in the uplands.  Make sure as you mount your firearm that the thickness of a balaclava isn’t interfering with a shot.  A good cheek-to-stock connection and the same visual of the bird down the barrel of the gun may require a tighter press of head to gun to overcome the slight distance created by the material of a facemask.  Try to get away with a thinner balaclava made of synthetic material, as opposed to a bulkier cotton or wool facemask which may be thicker.

Just like in the natural world, to survive the oncoming winter conditions in the field while pursuing pheasants or other upland game, layers have to be added.  Instead of fresh salmon that bulks up the famous Alaskan bears for winter, however, it’s thicker jackets, gloves and headgear that can change the game.  Knowing what to wear and how to adjust to it can help offset the shift and bring more success for the season’s biggest birds.

Simonson is the lead writer and editor of Dakota Edge Outdoors.

Featured Photo: Hey Big Boy.  Bagging that big December rooster may come down to staying in the field longer with extra layers adding warmth.  Adjust to the physical change by practicing a mount, finding the right gloves, and making sure hats and facemasks don’t change the view down the barrel. Simonson Photo.