The most common hazard the hunter faces from the cold weather is frostbite. This is as a result of not having the proper hunting clothing to cover the entire body, such as warm dry socks, gloves and hat or head covering.  The old idea of layering your winter clothing remains a good idea. Wearing several thicknesses of the right hunting clothing helps hold heat in but also permits you to remove garments for comfort as it gets warmer throughout the day. Remember it is better to be warm from the start, than to get cold and try to warm up. A precaution is, that you must be very careful to not perspire underneath all that clothing and then set down in the cold windy weather. This can be very dangerous also.

            In freezing weather, if a person is not dressed warmly enough, the extremities such as the hands, feet, ears, and sometimes entire face may begin to freeze. Frostbite is very dangerous! If completely frozen the skin will die and later turn black, in fact the part that has been frostbitten may have to be amputated!

(1)  At first numbness and often sharp pain in the part of the body that is being affected by the cold.

(2)  Then all feeling goes away as the part of the body gets more frozen.

(3)  The part of the body that is frostbitten gets pale in color and feels hard when touched.

TREATMENT OF MILD FROSTBITE

If the skin still feels soft when touched, the person probably has “mild frostbite”. Wrap the part with a dry cloth and warm it against another part of the person’s own body or someone else’s. For instance if it is the hands which is the most common form of frostbite  stick them inside  their outer garments next to their own skin. The body heat will warm them up at a slow rate as to not cause complications.  Try to keep the person moving to keep the blood flowing though the veins, which will help to bring feeling back to that part of the body affected.  Get the person out of the cold as quick possible.

            Take caution and do not start treatment of severe frostbite until you are in a place where the person’s whole body can be kept warm during and after treatment. It is better to let a hand or foot stay frozen for several hours than to let it get warm and then freeze again.  When you get to a warm protected place:

(1) Fill a large container with warm water (not hot) that feels comfortable when you hold your hand in it.

(2) Soak the person’s frozen part in the water until it gets warm.

(3) If the water cools, add more warm water. But take out the persons hand or foot while you do this. Remember they cannot feel how hot the water is and it is easy to burn them.

(4)As it gets warm the frozen part will become very painful. Give some aspirin or some other form of pain killer that would be available.

(5) When it is no longer frozen, the person must stay warm and rest.

(6) Be very gentle with the part that was frozen. Treat it as you would a severe wound or burn. Seek medical help at this point.

Raymond Stiner