When cold to cold to hunt with a selfbow?

[DV IN MN]

Looking at hunting this weekend here in MN and it is calling for temps in the low teens and single digits to zero next week. At what temperature can a self bow receive damage from drawing or shooting in the cold?

[mullet]

When my toes and fingers are stinging.

[DV IN MN]

What's that about 65 in FL? Won't see that until Turkey season. 

[PatM]

 For all intents and purposes it doesn't get too cold.

[Dakota Kid]

If wood failed due to cold, a good freeze with a high wind would cause massive deforestation like wild fires. Ice storms can do some serious damage but that's more the additional weight to the tree rather than temperature. Some adhesives and synthetic materials don't fare well in sub zero temps, but an all wood self bow shouldn't suffer any noticeable effects.

[LittleBen]

FWIW I think every bow I've had break on me has broken inside. And most of them inside during the winter. That's before I had a basement. In other words they were too dry. I'd be a lot more worried about how dry it is in your house when it's super cold out than how cold it is when your hunting.

[Pat B]

Many bow wood trees grow in very extreme cold conditions and are susceptible to high winds and snow loads at the same time and most survive each year. In the trunk of a tree there is a very small percentage of living cells. The rest of the tree, the wood, is what we make bows out of. Like Ben said I think dryness is more harmful than cold.

[aaron]

Can't remember the exact details, but I read an article in Bulletin of Primitive Technology about a bow built in the 1980's and used in the arctic in temps well below zero f. cable backed bow preformed perfectly. I personally can't imagine hunting in temps that low, and I whimp out at about 40f.

[Dakota Kid]

I kinda like second season archery. Arctic camo makes you nearly invisable, snow shoes give you superior mobility, and late season drives are much more predictable. 

I certainly wouldn't last very long trying to sit in a stand all day. It's windy up there. I much prefer a slow creep through some quiet hemlocks and trying to spot them before they spot you. 

[Msturm]

Im heading to Alaska in a couple weeks with a guava self bow. Temps are currently around -15 F.  Probably going to be a bit colder in a couple weeks. I will let you know how it goes.


Msturm

[Pappy]

Hunted in teens to sub zero many times over he years with mine and had no problems, they seem to gain weight, not sure if they really do or it just feels like it because of my cold muscles.
 Pappy

[George Tsoukalas]

I've hunted in the teens and once in -5F in my younger days. My bows were fine.
I have found they get a little stiffer in the cold. LOL. It could be me that's stiffer.
Jawge

[DV IN MN]

Sounds like the bow is good to go. Me? Well I guess I will put thy self to the test this weekend. I much prefer to be successful before Thanksgiving. I didn't think there would be an issue but somewhere, probably and arm chair QB, had stated some concerns and just thought I would verify with the experts.

Thanks

[DC]

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,58880.0.html

[bradsmith2010]

i think we would break before the bow does,,