Wood bows in extreeme cold

[Jesse]

Just wondering what your experiences have been. I was planning on heading north this morning for the last two days of the season but I'm having second thoughts due to the 28 below wind chills. I have shot my bows in really cold temps but not after sitting in that kind of cold for an hour. Has anyone actually had one blow just from being too cold?

[Hillbilly]

I have read several people who have hunted up in the far north say that yew wood is brittle and can blow in extreme cold. Other than that, I don't know.

[Justin Snyder]

Someone else would have to take my bow out for it to be in those temps. This is one desert rat that wants nothing to do with those temps. I have hunted in the miserable cold, but never had a shot at game and I'm not taking off my gloves to shoot stumps when it is like that.  

[sailordad]

Jesse,

we are at -16 right now with windchills hitting -35 to -40.when it gts this cold i dont shoot outside.
hell i wont even leave the house today.only time i leave the house when its this cold is to go to work.
if this keeps up,come monday i may call in sick.
i have heard of people breaking bows in extreme cold.cold air is dry air,the colder the drier it gets.
not to mention everything seems more brittle in the cold
jm2cw

[George Tsoukalas]

Wind chill reading only affect living things. Nothing to do with bows. I've shot selfbows in 0 deg F temps. Never shot yew in anything under 40 deg F though because other bowyers have reported mishaps in the cold with yew. Jawge

[half eye]

Jesse,
      I'm thinking about the arctic natives using wood bows and they seemed to work ok for them. They made theirs cable backed....but I understand that was for increasing or decreasing the power based on what game they were hunting and not the weather. They also used whatever drift-wood or bone they could come up with to make the bows. (less than perfect bow wood). I've lived in Iceland for two years and I can tell you this old retired guy dont do cold no more!!!!
      I believe that the finish you choose for the bow, or the resin in the wood would account for more damage than the cold/ wood thing would.....good luck with that sub-zero stuff and be carefull...it will all come back to haunt you someday
half eye

[Hrothgar]

I personally wouldn't want to risk breaking a self bow in 10 degrees on down, yet I know the northern natives hunted in a lot colder than this. I quess maple, juniper or ash should hold up in extreme  cold. Guess it depends on how hungry you are and how fresh the trail is.

[zenmonkeyman]

My guess is that bows made from wood that comes from cold climates may hold up better than those from warmer climates.  If you go, leave the bow in the cold at all times (don't subject it to warm-cold-warm-cold-etc) and it probably wouldn't hurt to check the moisture of the bow before you take it outside.  I'd consider throwing it in the hotbox before taking it out.  Just some educated guesses.

[Jesse]

Thanks for the replies. I decided to sissy out today. The other guys went up coyote hunting with rifles and I was going to go for deer. They gave me a real hard time about staying home but oh well. I might go tomorrow instead.
I should have been more specific. I will be using a bamboo backed bow not a selfbow. I think it would be alright but man would that hurt getting slapped it the face in by a limb in that cold. I have shot my bows including selfbows in those temps but not left them outside for that long. I'm getting less adventurous every year or maybe smarter. I wouldnt have thought twice about it several years ago. Even went winter camping with no heater in negative 20 once. When I woke up the only thing that wasnt covered in ice from my breath was my pillow under my head ind a little were my breath hit it. The rest of the pillow and the whole inside of the tent was rock hard from frozen condensation. It was a dry cold though so more tolerable. When it gets about 30 to 40 degrees it gets damp and miserable I think I was colder camping at Pappy's in the rain a few years back
Getting soft I tell ya

[George Tsoukalas]

I shoot year round (except my yew bows). I just give the bows about 5 mins to get used to the cold. Then I shoot. Jawge

[dragonman]

Jesse-S ,,I know what you mean, I think it is called getting older . I asked the same thing last month, its only about -1 or-2 degrees C in the daytime but I was a bit worried, because I may have the bow out for 8hrs at a time, but nobody seems to know for sure! everyone has heard rumours of breaking bows , but not much real evidence. Quite important to find out I would say. Especially for you guys in the North where it gets much colder than here. Perhaps some experimentation is needed??

[sailordad]

alright im up for experimentation
i live in minnesota winters can get bitter,high temp right now is-2 f.
since i dont build many bows since i got hte knapping bug,how about everyone make and send one of every differant design and wood
and next winter or even this year i will take them out and shoot them and see what happens to them.
i will be quit scientific and keep notes and charts and 8x10 color glossy pics(just like at ALICES RESTUARANT)

[dragonman]

whats your address? I'll get some bows off to you right away, 

[George Tsoukalas]

"... but nobody seems to know for sure! "
LOL, dragonman, for the third time I shoot all year round in temps far colder than -2 C. I went stumping in 0 F weather. I have never broken a bow in the cold. A well designed and crafted selfbow will not break in the cold. I just don't shoot yew in the cold. I don't know how much more emphatic I can be. I live in NH. We don't consider 28 F (-2C) cold. That's just a refreshing temperature-a welcome break from 95 F summer weather. Yes, I shoot my selfbows in the summer too. You'll probably give out before your bows will provided they are well built. Jawge

[dragonman]

Sorry George , I wasn't paying full attention but still it would be good to have more evidence to make a definate  conclusion! not that I doubt you, maybe you just make very good bows