It is always best to do a little footwork in preparing for the hunt. With all the other details that go into planning for the fall archery season it is easy to overlook the most obvious. Our feet take a beating in the hunt. Every outdoor trail and each hunt we trek through brings us one more reason to attend to their needs

Begin a regimen that will keep or get your feet in good condition before hunting season starts. Prevention starts here with routine care and time for your feet. Proper care of the feet can be as simple as pampering your piggies at home. Most foot and nail problems can be avoided if you don’t ignore caring for the feet. Inexpensive products like a pumice stone, lotion, nail clippers and files are all you need to do general foot work for your feet and toenails. Care of toenails includes soaking, filing, clipping, washing and brushing debris from beneath sides and edges of the nails.

Professional spa pedicures require a modest fee of about $35 according to Pam, a spa associate in Warrensburg , Missouri . A typical session includes relaxing in a pedicure spa chair with vibrating rollers from the back of the chair itself, and a massaging footbath before exfoliating dead skin from the soles of the feet. Nails are then trimmed, filed and the cuticles are pushed back before toenails are polished. This posh treatment lasts about 45 minutes.

Sweat can also be a problem in cold weather. Wear socks with wicking material. The purpose of wick is to draw moisture away from the body. Materials with nylon and spandex blends provide wick for perspiration and these fabrics are also quick to dry. This eliminates the moisture that is required for the odor causing bacteria to grow. Be sure the grams of Thinsulate material in your boots is not too high for the outdoor temperature. Moderate grams of insulation work well in moderate temperatures; hence higher gram insulation is needed in colder temperatures.

Erin Patterson, PR Manager for Lacrosse Footwear, Inc offered advice for following this basic rule of thumb when wearing Thinsulate® products. Erin suggests, “Early in the season a 200 to 400 gram Thinsulate® boot is a pretty good choice. Mid season, November and December choose 600 grams for the proper warmth. Again this is just a rule of thumb. Southeastern natives may not be acclimated to a colder outdoor environment so they would need more grams of warmth protection. Anytime late in the season 600 grams and up are recommended for hunters.” Erin also said, “We make boots with up to 1500 grams of Thinsulate® at Lacrosse, Inc. Thinsulate® is a trademark product. The simple difference between Thinsulate® and Thinsulate®-Ultra products lie in the number of grams. A Thinsulate® product above 400 grams is considered Thinsulate®-Ultra.” The lightweight LaCrosse Garrison 10-inch women’s 400 Gram Thinsulate® boot is my choice hunting boot this season. They are temperature rated -25 to -40 and come with a soft thick boot liner. Obviously I am cold natured. Even so there is a LaCrosse boot to fit my outdoor/hunting comfort level. At a modest price of $84 you can enjoy the same comfort I do in these boots this season.

Odor is easily masked with baking powder inserts in between use. Wash feet daily and never wear socks that are in need of washing. It goes without saying if your boots stink the whitetail you are hunting will be on to you through that awful scent. Hunters Specialties makes a superb no scent deodorant. Some hunters use this as well for knocking out foot odors.

By this time of year we have planned for everything outdoors and if necessary bought the boots for the upcoming season. Select boots that are well fitted and provide a comfortable support to the entire foot; heel, arch and toes. Only you know if your boots fit or not. A pinching boot or a boot area that rubs a blister today will only hurt worse tomorrow after another wearing. Obviously opening day of deer season or that hunt out west is not the time to break in a new pair of boots.

Use extreme caution upon outdoor terrain. Most hunters are not out in the field every day. Don’t we wish we could be though? For those who walk on rough ground daily it may be second nature to step cautiously. For the rest of us fall archery season brings us as much uneven soil we care to blaze a trail through, so be careful.

We know hunters watch for toxic snake species in other countries.  Don’t ignore the fact that poisonous snakes abide throughout the US .  There are lesser known poisonous snakes in each state. Know every species in and around your state of hunting preference. Arm yourself with knowledge and awareness and if you frequent outdoor destinations where there are known to be toxic and poisonous species take a snake bite kit. Snake bites can make you ill and in some cases kill the victim. Less than 30 miles North of Sedalia, Missouri a Rattlesnake which is not as common to that area bit a woman while she was tending vegetables in her own yard. Despite the lasting injury and debility of the bite, she did live. Snake bites can happen in your front yard and in the back woods throughout the United States . Hunters are likely to encounter more toxic and poisonous snakes in western states. Wyoming is a state that offers a mix of cold nights and even snow fall that is followed by warm sunny days. This unusual season can bring big game hunters across the path of poisonous snakes that are out to capture the warmth of those sun rays despite recent cold temperatures.

My suggestion to ladies who hunt during seasons when snakes are still active: purchase snake proof boots. This precaution leaves you without worry of where you step in relation to a snake. In early and mid fall the extra protection of snake proof boots will give a fearless approach through snake country and it will help you focus on the hunt. BassPro® makes a comfortable RedHead® 13-inch Ultra Snake Boot for ladies that fit well enough that hunters can walk afield without discomfort the first time they are worn. I have a pair that I put on right out of the box to scout CRP fields and thick timbered hedge rows. These are my favorite and most comfortable snake-proof boot choice. They are available through BassPro® at an affordable price of $79.

Injuries in the field like blisters and more painful twists and sprains do happen. Activated cold and heat packs provide relief and are small enough to slip into a pocket with a cache of band-Aids. Keep them in your pack and you will have them if they are ever needed.

The single most important complaint ladies have about cold weather hunting is keeping those tootsies warm. Cold feet keep more ladies out of the winter woods than anything else. Wool boot liners that fit snugly into your boots give an extra layer of warmth against wind and cold. Fabrics with wicking properties are better sock choices if you want to stay warm in cold wind or freezing temperatures. Water proof boot treatments are also an important consideration. Resting feet on layers of newspaper or other insulating material will keep to a minimum the cold transfer from the wind, ground, metal tree stands, etc.

Layering the entire body with warm clothing will help insulate from head to toe in extreme cold weather. Start with a warm bodysock and a complete line of accessories which include socks from Carol Davis Sportswear. Wick is the first layer against the skin and wool the next layer. The third layer should be non-cotton and the final outer layer is a coat and insulated bibs. Keeping the entire body layered in protective gear including feet and head is key to maintaining proper warmth in the elements.  Plan ahead with protective gear that includes wool socks and insulated boots and everything in between the first layer to an outer layer of rain gear.