Cameraman Freezes, Hunter Survives
By Brenda Valentine. (First lady of Hunting)
 Leaving
the woods due to the cold is not an option when you are a professional
hunter. For months I zigzag across the country with cameraman in tow, searching
for hunting opportunities that teach and entertain TV audiences.
Dressing in layers and wearing high quality-clothing helps, but it is
the hour after hour of stature like vigils, which chill me to the bone.
It seems that the more miserable the weather conditions the more animal
activity I see, therefore my most productive days afield have been those
when others questioned my sanity for even being outside.
Several years ago I was bowhunting in northwestern Iowa. Icy wind blasted
continually. I had packed a brand new Heater Body Suit in my gear. After
the first day of shivering on stand, I pulled out the Heather body Suit.
Other hunters were skeptical of this new concept of staying warm but when
I tried it on and saw how slick it worked I packed it for the morning hunt.
The next morning I slopped in my Heater Body Suit and soon was enjoying
the tranquility of the morning. I suddenly caught movement to my left.
It was a massive buck slipping through some small evergreens. It seemed
almost a automatic response to shrug my shoulders which unzipped the Body
Suit and allowed it to fall away from my arms an chest. In one fluid movement
I had the bow drawn. The 14-point, 330-pound buck was oblivious to my presence,
offering a 30-yard broadside shot. He did not make it out of sight. Needless
to say, that evening in camp everyone wanted to borrow my Heater Body Suit.
In recent years I carry two. One for me and one for the cameraman. In
even the rawest situation we can both be comfortable during an all-day
stint on stand. This past season I hunted Wyoming whitetails in late November.
The wind blew, snow fell and temperatures plummeted. I took only one Body
Suit to save on luggage and since the cameraman was a Wyoming native I
figured he was accustomed to the cold. It was well before daylight when
we trekked up the mountain. In a huge old pine were two treestands, one
hung a few feet above the other. While he situated the video camera in
the upper stand I slipped into my Heather Body Suit and prepared my rifle.
Hour after hour I peered through the snow-blown timber in search of a mature
buck. I often noticed the tree shaking even when the wind was not blowing.
Several hours later the cameraman whispered down to me that he couldn't
take it any more.
"I'm shivering so hard that the tree is shaking" he said. Once on the
ground he told me that I had to be the toughest person he'd ever seen.
"Nobody can endure that kind of cold, even if they are used to it." I was
stuffing my Suit into the backpack as I replied, "I'm not tough at all,
just prepared." The look on his face said it all. While he was turning
into a human icicle; I was cozy, zipped up to my chin a Heater
Body Suit.
TSS Heater Body Suit
www.heaterbodysuit.com
E-Mail: tssequip@heaterbodysuit.com
TSS Equipment Company
14302 Pigeon River Rd.
Cleveland, WI 53015
Telephone: 920-565-3273
Fax: 920-565-2733 |
