Today is the first day in a week that we've been above 0. Been hunting every night trying to kill a wounded doe. I've been out in the high 20 's below (actual). I'm fine until I have to grab the camera, bow, or climb down. That sucks any heat out of your hands for sure. I'll take -30 and calm over 0 w/ a 10 mph wind any day.
in WI I hunted +2* during the first week of November ...think it was 2015? Both my phones, my rangefinder, and my Midland version of tacticam all froze solid. Mercifully it started snowing so hard I couldn't see more than 20 yards so my hunt ended by 0930. I've sat colder but that was in a pop-up w/ a heater buddy; so that doesn't count.
It's been a tough one. Lots of encounters though, for the little I've been out. None of the big boys have cooperated. The rut seemed non-existent near me. Only buck I saw chasing was a spike. I got a shot at a doe that my buddy wounded late Nov last Saturday, but she ducked the arrow and I only got back strap. Had a second opportunity two days ago and my release froze. She's living on borrowed time!
The coldest I have hunted was 5 degrees out, with a wind chill factor of -11. I remember dropping something in the snow and having to take my mitt off to get it. Within a minute and a half I could hardly move my fingers. I like hunting in the cold but my hands/feet don't take it so well.
I had this happen to me in Alberta one year. I had a nice wide 8pt come 20yrds from my stand after rattling him in, but I couldn't even draw my bow all the way back. I learned that you need to do practice draws every so often to keep muscles loose in that kind of cold.
last January 7th I was hunting with an actual temp of -10f , no clue on wind chill? at the time of that hunt I shot my biggest archery buck to date. I think he was sacrificing his senses for survival. little did he know he was going to die anyways.
14 degrees a couple weeks ago is the coldest I’ve sat in a tree. No wind so it was really not bad. I hunted pheasants in 1982 when it was -47. Not the smartest thing I’ve ever done but we both got our limit.
Y'all are nuts i could barley handle low 20s today in a blind! Sent from my SM-G930P using Bowhunting.com Forums mobile app
I shot the biggest deer of my life when it was -5 and 20 mph wind gusts. It was muzzleloader though, no way I would bow hunt when it's that cold. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Probably tomorrow. Highs in the negatives. Hunting with my cousin and if you shoot something it better hang on the wall to deal with a deer in this weather. I’m really excited about the possibility of a big buck on his feet early. I have muzzleloader and bow tag left unisex for both. Muzzleloader only tomorrow. I don’t want to wait or track much in this cold. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
