Frozen Bow?

jimbar · Jan 7, 2018

A few times a year I'll leave my bow hanging in my tree overnight if I plan on going back the next morning. With it getting down into the twenties last night and below freezing for 9 or 10 hours, I didn't think it would be a good idea to get here this morning and possibly pull back a frozen bow. Is there a temperature threshold that you shouldn't go under where pulling back your bow is concerned? Of course my muscles say absolutely, just not sure about the bow.

Permitchaser · Jan 7, 2018

I hunted with my bow that sat in the truck overnight. Next morning it was 26. When got up the tree with my stand I pulled it back like always to warm up and I could hardly pull that cold bow back

mizzippi jb · Jan 7, 2018

Man,...how do people kill deer in the Midwest in the winter with a cold bow? So hard to pull back, apt to break. They must have cold weather proof bows for late season.

Duff · Jan 7, 2018

mizzippi jb said:
Man,...how do people kill deer in the Midwest in the winter with a cold bow? So hard to pull back, apt to break. They must have cold weather proof bows for late season.

Now you're on to something!

Limb warmers, like the leg warmers girls use to wear to school in the 80's. Whoot!! I'm rich!!

Or make a bow you can plug in to your ozonics machine. Like a diesel truck. Whoot! What am I gonna do with all the money?? :banana:

northgeorgiasportsman · Jan 8, 2018

Permitchaser said:
I hunted with my bow that sat in the truck overnight. Next morning it was 26. When got up the tree with my stand I pulled it back like always to warm up and I could hardly pull that cold bow back

I would say the difficulty in drawing was on you, not the bow. Were you bundled up in thick layers?

catch22 · Jan 8, 2018

I realize this is a dumb question, but like the OP said...can they freeze?

I was invited to the MW for a late season hunt and couldnt make it work with schedule, but the temps were in the single digits and the wind chill below zero..........

do those temps affect the bow at all?

northgeorgiasportsman · Jan 8, 2018

I've seen Tom Miranda hunt the Arctic with a Mathews bow and take polar bears and musk ox.

Let's examine the parts of a bow that could be affected by extreme cold. Aluminum does not get brittle like steel in extremely low temps. Bows with laminated limbs, the fibers won't get brittle, perhaps the glue holding them together might. I doubt any temps that a human would be hunting in would affect them noticeably. Strings? Like the carbon fibers, cold won't affect them.

Rubber components like silencers, monkey tails, limb-savers, etc. They might get brittle and break off, but wouldn't affect the drawing of the bow.

And as far as wind chill, it's only felt by us. If it's 10 degrees with a wind chill of minus 10, your bow only knows it's 10 degrees.

Mike 65 · Jan 8, 2018

This ^^^^^
I’d be more concerned about leaving my bow hanging in a tree overnight. It can’t possibbly be that heavy and cumbersome to carry. :huh:

northgeorgiasportsman · Jan 8, 2018

Mike 65 said:
This ^^^^^
I’d be more concerned about leaving my bow hanging in a tree overnight. It can’t possibbly be that heavy and cumbersome to carry.

I know some guys that hung their bows on tree limbs in elk camp in Colorado once and awoke to all their strings chewed on by mice.

antharper · Jan 8, 2018

I leave mine in the tree a lot , especially when I take my rifle also !

Jim Thompson · Jan 8, 2018

JB, I have left mine in the tree many, many, many times over the years with temps in single digits or below and I have hunted more times than that with it hanging beside me in those same type temps. The bow will be fine.

As for leaving one in the tree...I will leave it and backpack etc sometimes just to get in and out of tree as quiet and quickly as possible knowing I am coming back to same stand that eve or next morning.

Mike 65 · Jan 8, 2018

I can walk and climb with my pack and bow as quickly and quietly as I can without it. I don’t take a chance leaving my equipment in the woods. Anything can happen, but to each his own.

davidhelmly · Jan 9, 2018

Jim Thompson said:
JB, I have left mine in the tree many, many, many times over the years with temps in single digits or below and I have hunted more times than that with it hanging beside me in those same type temps. The bow will be fine.

As for leaving one in the tree...I will leave it and backpack etc sometimes just to get in and out of tree as quiet and quickly as possible knowing I am coming back to same stand that eve or next morning.

I leave mine all the time too, cold weather will not hurt it.

rutnbuk · Jan 9, 2018

I have seen a 3 legged dog and been to 2 world's fairs- but I aint never seen anyone leave their bow hanging in a tree overnight-wow. Not knocking you guys that do but I didn't even know that was an option- LOL-but hey if you guys say so. Besides my bow is nic named " Bow-yonce' " and she would get pretty mad if I left her out in the cold all night...lol.

j_seph · Jan 9, 2018

Only issue I had leaving mine overnight was I ended up having to head back home an hour and a half away so had to go back in and get it that night.

Permitchaser · Jan 9, 2018

northgeorgiasportsman said:
I would say the difficulty in drawing was on you, not the bow. Were you bundled up in thick layers?

I was in a full body suit that I wear and practice shooting in it. I work out with weights 3 days a week to help with bone density. One of my exercise is to help pull the bow back. I've been doing this for 25 years

j_seph · Jan 10, 2018

Permitchaser said:
I was in a full body suit that I wear and practice shooting in it. I work out with weights 3 days a week to help with bone density. One of my exercise is to help pull the bow back. I've been doing this for 25 years

Do you warm up before lifting those weights? Did you warm up before trying to pull the bow back?

northgeorgiasportsman · Jan 10, 2018

Permitchaser said:
I was in a full body suit that I wear and practice shooting in it. I work out with weights 3 days a week to help with bone density. One of my exercise is to help pull the bow back. I've been doing this for 25 years

I'm not questioning your strength, but if you have cold muscles and/or are encumbered by thick layers, it could be difficult to draw the bow, regardless of how much practice you have.

I'm not belittling you at all, don't take it that way. But 26 degrees isn't that cold. Certainly not cold enough to have any impact on the mechanical operation of a bow.

Kris87 · Jan 10, 2018

I hunted in Ohio last week where it was anywhere from -7 to around 12deg. I drew my bow a few times each sit, and it never felt any different. I wouldn't leave mine in the tree just in case something comes up and I couldn't make it back for awhile.

Permitchaser · Jan 10, 2018

j_seph said:
Do you warm up before lifting those weights? Did you warm up before trying to pull the bow back?

I always warm up before lifting weights by doing core exercises. I only warmed up that cold day by walking in. I try not to make too much noise while in my climber by doing jumping jax. But I always pull my bow back when I get settled to see if I clear everything and too warm up
Maybe I'm doing something wrong?

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