Must be more careful

[Hawk78]

I almost bit the pipe yesterday. I went dove hunting with a long sleeve camo shirt, pants, and leather snake guards around my legs. I wouldn't know if a snake bites me, unless I saw him/her do it. Anyways, it got pretty hot and the wind died. I sat out there from 2 till 5 and only saw around ten birds and only got a couple of shots. We had a cool front come in Saturday, so most of our birds flew further South. Got to wait for more birds to come on down.
Anyways I got to feeling aweful, got home and took off my leather snake guards, breeches, and pull up, to see steam rising, literally. With the a/c running, feeling aweful, then I started spinning and hurting in my chest. I immediately transferred into my shower and cut it on with cold water and sat in there 5 minutes or longer.
I forget at times that I cannot sweat from my waistline down. I was minutes away from having a heat stroke at 42 years old. I will take extra water and a towel hunting and fishing (or target practicing) to allow me to manually cool my lower body down, just in case its really hot and I do not want to quit.

I've also come to the conclusion that the game warden that told me dove hunting depends on the highs & lows was correct and how quick a corn field is cut is less important that the weather. Thinking about it, the doves traveling from another state do not know how long any particular field has been cut. And thankfully, my dad talked to 3 brothers who farm a little further up the road yesterday. I know of them because we are the same age, but they went to the city school while I went to the county. They said we could dove hunt all we wanted on any of their land. They also said they were in no hurry to disk in the corn! One of them found one of our male dogs after he was hit by a car last year and called dad. The dog fully recovered and his name is Lucky!

 

[azmntman]

With yer challenges I would try n hunt with a partner. I am guilty, I go wood cutting alone but shouldn't. Get a Buddy or tell yer wife you did and its a high school girl on the cheer squad and the wife will go!

 

[azmntman]

BTW I hunted dove 2twice never saw one dont plan to go back. Gotta kill 10 for a meal.

 

[Hawk78]

With yer challenges I would try n hunt with a partner. I am guilty, I go wood cutting alone but shouldn't. Get a Buddy or tell yer wife you did and its a high school girl on the cheer squad and the wife will go!

lol

 

[Hawk78]

BTW I hunted dove 2twice never saw one dont plan to go back. Gotta kill 10 for a meal.

I have killed my daily 15 limit countless times. If you wrap a piece of bacon around them and grill them over charcoal, you will be hooked like me. Delicious and very fun to shoot. But nothing like trap or skeet.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I will take extra water and a towel hunting and fishing (or target practicing) to allow me to manually cool my lower body down, just in case its really hot and I do not want to quit.

FIRST..., you were likely a "heat casualty" of heat exhaustion before you got close to heat stroke. AS SUCH you will be, for the next 15-30 days, more susceptible to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Hunting with a buddy is a good idea.

Remember that water that is pretty cold and you drink it cools your body core from the inside, while you are taking steps to cool your body from the outside. Some of that cold water on a rag applied around your neck, will help you as it cools the tissue around the arteries to your brain. Not just straight water either. A little bit of potassium goes a long way to prevent heat cramps. Take several boxes of raisins as eating a box of raisins give you some potassium and some calories as your body needs energy as well as fluids to fight heat problems. Eating a pickle is also a good idea.

You might want to consider traditional switchel as a part of the fluids that you carry as well. Maybe omit the sugar/molasses and use artificial sweeteners...


LD

 

[troy2000]

I have killed my daily 15 limit countless times. If you wrap a piece of bacon around them and grill them over charcoal, you will be hooked like me. Delicious and very fun to shoot. But nothing like trap or skeet.

I got lucky this year; have 40 doves in the freezer and didn't even go hunting. It's handy to know an extended family who are all avid hunters...

 

[azmntman]

I used to supply a dirt poor family with squirrels. They were sooo glad to get em.

 

[Dibbuk]

Hawk78, I have a similar condition, When venturing into the heat, I wear one of those "cooling towels" that you soak in water. The evaporation lets you stay cooler. One helped me survive a trip to the middle east.

 

[rdlowe]

Yikes Hawk, be careful out there. Goes for everyone else, too. We’ve had some deadly heat this year here in TX and elsewhere it’s been even worse. It pays to take a few minutes to learn the signs and symptoms of heat-related injuries and to know what to do. I’m saying this in a general way for the benefit of all of us.

 

[rafterob]

Yes, sounds like heat exhaustion. Interestingly, it may now happen to you more easily. Apparently it only takes once to whack out your regulatory system. Plenty of water is the key but certain conditions are hard to overcome, like high humidity. It happened to me on a cloudy day with temps in the upper 70's but high humidity. I was in the woods chain sawing, got real dizzy, dropped the saw and fell to my butt. Sat there for 30 minutes before I could get up and walk to the house.

 

[Bob McBride]

Be careful Hawk. As a Marine Corps Infantryman back in the 80’s and 90’s I bumped up against heat stroke many times and had heat exhaustion innumerable times by the time i was 20 so it can easily happen at any age, but we get more susceptible to it as we get older. Like said above its not always related to dehydration, so be very careful out there, especially if you have a special consideration or are exerting yourself. Like Rob above I do a lot of chainsawing in the summer and I’m always hyperaware of my equilibrium and any lightheadedness. Be safe, be smart, and be self aware. Non of the things we do related to our hobby is worth missing, nor is it worth getting into serious trouble over.

 

[Sidney Smith]

It's been a real slow season for me so far. Been out three times and have taken as many shots. None of the corn has been cut yet. Once it's cut the birds will come in.

As to heat stroke that is no joke. I always dress light for dove hunting. Usually just camo shorts and T shirt and a hat. Snakes are not an issue where I go. Always bring water and try to sit in the shade.

 

[Sun City]

I'd rather subject myself to a 5 gal cold water enema than try to dove hunt! Not fun with sweat running down the crack of the hinny!

 

[hanshi]

Take a golf umbrella and use it for shade. Don't take heat lightly, it can be a killer.

 

[Dale Lilly]

With yer challenges I would try n hunt with a partner. I am guilty, I go wood cutting alone but shouldn't. Get a Buddy or tell yer wife you did and its a high school girl on the cheer squad and the wife will go!

Or shoot ya'

 

[SDSmlf]

I'd rather subject myself to a 5 gal cold water enema than try to dove hunt! Not fun with sweat running down the crack of the hinny!

Have never had the 5 gallon cold water enema, so can not speak to it from personal experience like you, but have gone dove hunting in the Carolinas and enjoyed it.

 

[russellshaffer]

Doves are expensive meat. I got pretty good over water troughs with a 12 gauge unmentionable in the early 70's but I did expend a fair amount of ammo. Blackbirds make a pretty good substitute for doves, just a little small.

Doves are expensive meat. I got pretty good over water troughs with a 12 gauge unmentionable in the early 70's but I did expend a fair amount of ammo. Blackbirds make a pretty good substitute for doves, just a little small. Never tried the enema, though. Bet no one can top that story.

 

[Hawk78]

FIRST..., you were likely a "heat casualty" of heat exhaustion before you got close to heat stroke. AS SUCH you will be, for the next 15-30 days, more susceptible to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Hunting with a buddy is a good idea.

Remember that water that is pretty cold and you drink it cools your body core from the inside, while you are taking steps to cool your body from the outside. Some of that cold water on a rag applied around your neck, will help you as it cools the tissue around the arteries to your brain. Not just straight water either. A little bit of potassium goes a long way to prevent heat cramps. Take several boxes of raisins as eating a box of raisins give you some potassium and some calories as your body needs energy as well as fluids to fight heat problems. Eating a pickle is also a good idea.

You might want to consider traditional switchel as a part of the fluids that you carry as well. Maybe omit the sugar/molasses and use artificial sweeteners...


LD

What is traditional switchel?

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

What is traditional switchel?

A drink kind of like lemonade made with water, sweetener, an acid (vinegar or citrus) and typically ginger was added and the ginger acts as a calming agent to the stomach: