Subzero hunt presents unusual challenge

[Where's Bruce?]

Apparently when hunting muskox in the Arctic in -20* weather or colder...you need to store your wood bow and arrows in a temp-protected case cuz the limbs can break when you draw and frozen arrows in serious cold fly differently. Anyone have any experience with this? What works best?

 

[Beendare]

No experience with this…bumping it and in for the info

If you dont get an answer, Rick Valdez that owns Stickflipper Archery in Utah will know- good outfit, good dude.

 

[nevadabugle]

I do not have any real world data on wood bows. But, I shoot predominantly carbon and foam limbs. I will often target shoot with them this time of the year when Temps in my part of world are single digits. I have never noticed tuning issues or had a failure. Synthetic limb materials are supposed to be more stable across all temperature ranges.

However my bow is only outside for the shooting session. Hours, not days on end. Not sure if my experience would be different if the bow had bee in those Temps for days. I can't imagine so, but I don't have a data set to back it up.

One thing that I can verify is that my shooting deteriorates at those Temps. Cold fingers, cold muscles, bulky clothes, etc do not improve my accuracy.

 

[5MilesBack]

Personally, I wouldn't go in the dead of winter. I watched a muskox video of a guy bowhunting in much warmer temps and without snow. I'd choose that hunt.

 

[Tod osier]

Apparently when hunting muskox in the Arctic in -20* weather or colder...you need to store your wood bow and arrows in a temp-protected case cuz the limbs can break when you draw and frozen arrows in serious cold fly differently. Anyone have any experience with this? What works best?

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You probably just need a better bow and arrows that will withstand the rigors of the hunt.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Personally, I wouldn't go in the dead of winter. I watched a muskox video of a guy bowhunting in much warmer temps and without snow. I'd choose that hunt.

It's a spring hunt in Kugluktuk, one of the very few you bring the meat home. Those Greenland area hunts don't allow you to keep the meat. Screw that! I'm a meat eater. That's a deal breaker for me.

 

[Beendare]

But those Greenland hunts like hunters…some of those Eskimo guides are dicks.

 

[TX_Diver]

Randy Cooling talks about it briefly on episode 244 of the stickbow chronicles.

Don't think he had any issues or did anything different, but he made a point to not bring his bow in/out of the cold frequently I think?

Let us know what you learn!

 

[Steve O]

I’d call Norm rather than ask here. I’d also probably not take my fancy bow but one with a dymondwood riser and basic simple limbs.

Set freezer to lowest setting and try a few shots just after taking bow and arrow out.

 

[Boxerboxer]

Primitive Archer forums is where I'd ask this kind of question.

 

[bobinmi]

I’d call Norm rather than ask here. I’d also probably not take my fancy bow but one with a dymondwood riser and basic simple limbs.

Set freezer to lowest setting and try a few shots just after taking bow and arrow out.

I would not do that. Fast temp changes and laminations are not good bed fellows. I routinely hunt in the teens and below, never had an issue with a stickbow. I'll never forget the look on my fathers face though when he took a browning backdraft compound out of the truck and realized that the heater had caused the limbs to delaminate. He tossed that thing away from him like a snake and the tech was sweating when he put it in the press.