Deer stand heater

I’ve got a composite stand that I run a buddy heater in. Thankful to have it as it was 7 degrees this morning here in Wisconsin. That said, you open a couple windows and it’s still awful cold. I’m wondering if anyone has ever run a ceiling mounted infrared heater in their stand. Seems like it would be really ideal. Instant heat, warming you even if the windows are open. I just don’t know if they make a low enough intensity one that it could be sitting only a couple feet above you.

Any input is appreciated.

I have the big buddy with the fan it helps a lot to blow the heat on you with open windows. You could get a battery fan and mount it above and behind your heater.

I sat in my 2 man ladder stand this morning myself. We had 4 degrees.

Set your purse down Sally!

I was sipping coffee in my Lone wolf.

riverruns wrote:

I sat in my 2 man ladder stand this morning myself. We had 4 degrees.

Set your purse down Sally!

2 things.

#1 having the heater allows my son to come out with me and stay comfortable for longer stretches of time, so that alone is worth it

#2 dude, I’ve spent years sitting out in the cold. I’ve earned my heater. Why be cold if I have the opportunity to be comfortable?

Cold is part of deer hunting to me. No fancy stands, no huge shooting lanes, no feeders. I understand the part with a kid out there, but that’s how most of us grew up. Hunting and ice fishing is being yuppitized!

John Timm wrote:

Cold is part of deer hunting to me. No fancy stands, no huge shooting lanes, no feeders. I understand the part with a kid out there, but that’s how most of us grew up. Hunting and ice fishing is being yuppitized!

And frankly I understand your view as well. However, after many many years of sitting in the cold, I’ve got nothing to prove. I like being warm. It’s the same as camping. I spent years sleeping on crappy pads in a small tent on the ground. Nowadays I prefer a camper with a bed. Maybe I’m getting softer as I get older, maybe I’m getting wiser. Guess I’ll never really know, but I’ll think about it in my warm deer stand

If you have the room a 20 lb tank with a sunflower style heater, I sat yesterday 6-11 in a hub style ground blind with Windows open.

Umm, I woulda thought the heat from the TV would have kept it warm.

Matt personally I think you are getting wiser. There is a name for it when you self inflict pain on one’s self.

If your comfortable you will sit longer , seems like a no brainer to me .

Are you using a big buddy heater?

Angler II wrote:

Are you using a big buddy heater?

Currently, yes. My real question, as originally posted, is regarding those ceiling mounted infrared heaters. Like in a shop, or outdoor patio space where they direct heat. The whole “heat the objects not the air” thing. Seems to me that would be a great way to go, but I don’t know if they make one that won’t just cook you to death.

You’d roast like a turkey in an oven with any of the ceiling mounted IR heaters I’ve seen.

IMO, best solution would be first to insulate the blind if you haven’t already. Then add a second Buddy heater or get a sunflower heater on top of a 5 pound.

And the last thing, seriously, is acclimatizing yourself to cold. Plenty of info on the interweb about this, but it is real and it does work. Our ancestors were able to be outside at -30 with none of the boutique Canada Goose parkas and crap that everyone now needs to put on just to find dinner in the freezer in the kitchen. Why? Their bodies were used to it. They didn’t “suffer” in the cold because their bodies were tuned or acclimatized to it.

Grouse

I agree with Grouse,,,, your body does tend to tolerate the change better after a few days in the cold.

What is this composite deer stand thingy being talked about in this thread?

I’ve spent my entire life in Minnesota. Ice fishing, hunting, working in the garage, just generally being outside etc. It’s really not a matter of not being able to tolerate the cold, it’s a matter of choosing to be warmer because I have the option do to so.

The only point of this entire question was to know if anyone had ever tried using one of the infrared heaters in their stand. Plenty of people use them in garages, I thought why not a deer stand?

Ultimately I’m guessing you’re right that you’d bake underneath it.

trophy19 wrote:

I agree with Grouse,,,, your body does tend to tolerate the change better after a few days in the cold.

What is this composite deer stand thingy being talked about in this thread?

It’s just a hard sided plastic shell. https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/terrain-the-range-5-sided-hunting-blind

I’d also be concerned about melting the stand in a composite (assuming this means some version of plastic?). Have you tried putting a shooting shelf in and having the heater under it? Even a little redirection of the heat coming off the Buddy heater can make a world of difference.

matthewkolden wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>trophy19 wrote:</div>
I agree with Grouse,,,, your body does tend to tolerate the change better after a few days in the cold.

What is this composite deer stand thingy being talked about in this thread?

It’s just a hard sided plastic shell. https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/terrain-the-range-5-sided-hunting-blind

You would bake in that thing! I’m honestly surprised a big buddy doesn’t keep you warm enough? I’ve hunted out of the same stand with a big buddy and honestly need to keep the thing on low. I only open the windows when needed.

The buddy heater keeps it very warm with the windows closed. My point was with all the windows open it becomes ineffective. Hence asking about the infrared that would warm you even with the windows open.

I feel like my original post has been entirely misinterpreted. Ultimately it sounds like there’s no low intensity infrared heater, like the ones on outdoor patios, that would make sense. That’s perfectly fine, I was simply asking the question because last weekend I had pondered it while I was toasty warm in my plastic deer stand with the windows closed. For those of you who say being cold is just part of hunting, that’s fine. You can have all of the cold, I will not be trying to take that from you. I have the option of warmth, thus I choose it. My toes, nose and fingers all thank me.

For the guy who suggested a shooting stand to help direct the heat a bit, I think that’s an excellent idea. I had considered building a couple simple shelves in there anyway.

I’m looking forward to enjoying one more extended weekend in the aforementioned warm deer stand.

Sour grapes on my part re: the “composite deer stand thingy”… Would be nice to climb into a nice warm cocoon.

Have a great weekend hunting!

Pete

How would you power an infrared heater? My rifle stand is wood sided but not insulated. I hunt with my windows open for the most part. If anything I close the window on the windy side. I still wear my jacket and bibs but the heater just knocks the cold down.
DT

Those overhead infrared heaters require space between it and the ceiling. Like 24″ min. Much more than you have room for.

I too use a buddy heater and hunt with the windows open. I just rotate my feet in front of the heater to jeep the toes warm. And I rotate holding my hands above the heater to keep them warm. Not ideal but does the job. I have to hunt with the windows open because I have too many crossing deer that I have to react fast for. I just adjust the windows to avoid direct wind on me.

Same. I have a lot of deer that I wouldn’t have time to open a window. Not to mention they would likely notice. So that’s why I typically have it all open.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

And the last thing, seriously, is acclimatizing yourself to cold. Plenty of info on the interweb about this, but it is real and it does work. Our ancestors were able to be outside at -30 with none of the boutique Canada Goose parkas and crap that everyone now needs to put on just to find dinner in the freezer in the kitchen. Why? Their bodies were used to it. They didn’t “suffer” in the cold because their bodies were tuned or acclimatized to it.

Do you bring a heater or portable with you when you go ice fishing (assuming you ice fish)? Or do you just “acclimate” yourself in December and then you’re good for the winter?

matthewkolden wrote:

I’ve got a composite stand that I run a buddy heater in. Thankful to have it as it was 7 degrees this morning here in Wisconsin. That said, you open a couple windows and it’s still awful cold. I’m wondering if anyone has ever run a ceiling mounted infrared heater in their stand. Seems like it would be really ideal. Instant heat, warming you even if the windows are open. I just don’t know if they make a low enough intensity one that it could be sitting only a couple feet above you.

Any input is appreciated.

I’m guessing from the responses is that no one has tried it. Give it a whirl and report back

You could also consider using the buddy heater and insulating the inside with reflextix. That might help “bounce” the heat around.

Bob’s idea with reflectix is a pretty good idea. Holds the warmth in. I’ve never been in a box stand before, just platforms. So I ACCLIMATE. As grouse says. I work out side year round and ice fish with out a heater 80 percent of the time as well.

Don’t mean to steer the thread in a different direction, but would your answers of a big buddy heater change if you were looking to heat the bed of a pick up overnight? Obviously fire/smoke is a concern but would CO2 be one as well? Could crack the topper a bit for some ventilation I suppose. I’ve never done this camping in the cold crap before!

tbro16 wrote:

Don’t mean to steer the thread in a different direction, but would your answers of a big buddy heater change if you were looking to heat the bed of a pick up overnight? Obviously fire/smoke is a concern but would CO2 be one as well? Could crack the topper a bit for some ventilation I suppose. I’ve never done this camping in the cold crap before!

CO CO2 is always a concern when using a ventless heater…actually even vented heaters. In a nut shell, I’d have no problem using it in the pickup bed, I just wouldn’t sleep with a ventless heater and I’d always make sure you have good ventilation while using.

Yep you gotta get used to the cold. We have never hunted in a blind or box. Just in the stand whether it’s a ladder stand or platform stand. I figure if the deer live in the weather(cold or warm) I should hunt in the same elements. That’s what I call “fair chase”. I’ve been doing it for 37 years and I don’t plan on changing. When I first started hunting deer, I was told to get down and walk a little to warm up. Then get back in the stand and sit until my uncle came to get me.