Pennsylvania's firearms deer season opens on Saturday. Here's how hunters can prepare.
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — This weekend, hunters from the Pittsburgh area will be out and about as deer hunting season begins, and there are quite a few things hunters must keep in mind, from clothing to maintaining equipment.
Nick Hoffman is the host of "Nick's Wild Ride," a show that has aired for 10 seasons on the Outdoor Channel. Hoffman has hunted all over the world, and he says the opening weekend of the upcoming season is important for several reasons.
"It's such a big deal for so many families, that it's about so much more than going out there and taking an animal," Hoffman said. "It's about tradition, it's about culture, it's about filling your freezer for the rest of the year. It's about sharing camp with your family and your friends, and also it's about being out there in nature and watching the morning come alive and watching the sunset."
How to layer to stay warm
NTA Enterprise is a company based on the North Shore that manufactures Huntworth, an outdoor clothing line that is one of the main sponsors for "Nick's Wild Ride." For more than 20 years, they have advanced the technology to keep hunters warm, most recently with a feature known as "Heat Boost," a method that involves special stitching inside the garments and can help generate up to 30% more heat.
They began by creating work gloves, but after hearing the concerns of hunters, they transitioned into creating apparel that now meets the need to stay warm outdoors throughout the day.
"Any clothing line is going to start with a base layer," says Karen Skolnick, director of marketing and the owner's wife. "It is what's going to keep your core warm. You want a base layer that can wick moisture away from you and quickly dry so it doesn't stay clammy against your body.
"You then want to go to a mid-layer to encapsulate the heat that you have from your base layer, and then you're going to start looking at outer garments. At this time of year, windproof is critical."
Huntworth echoes the importance of staying warm throughout the day while hunting, and he says it's one of the biggest priorities when out in the elements.
"There is nothing that is more miserable and can ruin a deer hunt for you than to be cold because you start to get fidgety, of course you're miserable," he said.
Besides keeping your core and head warm, having gloves that are both warm and functional is also important.
"If your gloves are really bulky and insulated, you're not going to be able to handle your bow," Skolnick said. "You're not going to be able to handle your rifle on it, so you want form-fitting gloves that will allow you to have the dexterity you need, again, but that keeps you warm, keeps the wind off your hands."
Experts say it's important to maintain your equipment
Hoffman believes that maintenance of the equipment in your hands is a year-long effort, not just when hunting season begins.
"The bow or the rifle that you might be shooting, you not only have to maintain it properly, but you also have to shoot it all year long," he said. "A lot of people don't do that."
When is deer rifle season in Pennsylvania?
Nov. 30 is the official opening of firearms deer season in Pennsylvania, followed by the final Sunday hunting date of the year on Dec. 1. Deer season continues until Dec, 14, with the lone off day being Sunday, Dec. 8.