I learned to bowhunt the hard way, in the often-brutal conditions of northern Wisconsin. There, the climate in late season and sometimes even in the rut peak can drive the cold into your toes and fingertips after just a little while on stand. I particularly remember one November day about 20 years ago when the thermometer registered a solid 20 below zero when I headed out to hunt. Once, in the late season, the mercury dropped into the minus-50s. I got halfway to my stand and turned around.

Things are different in such conditions. If the last time you practiced was during the summer, you could be in for a rude awakening when you get on stand. Experienced cold-weather bowhunters do things differently when the temperature plummets.

The Ultimate Test

One of the most dedicated cold-weather bowhunters I know is Ray Howell of Minnesota, the owner of dozens of record-book big-game animals.

“I love to hunt whitetails in the late season, and I’ve had my most success then, so it has taught me a lot about hunting in the cold,” Howell says.

Nothing had prepared him for his ultimate super-cold bowhunt, a polar bear quest in the Arctic where Howell knew he could expect temperatures as low as 60 below. He knew what he had to do to prepare.

“I stored my bow, arrows — everything in a subzero freezer, then took it out and tested it. I was especially concerned about how the lubricants, fletching glue and nocks would perform,” he recalls.

Howell had been told by reliable sources that extreme cold would effectively increase the draw weight of his bow, making it harder to pull.

“That didn’t happen to me,” he says. “I couldn’t really detect an increase in draw weight.”

Howell says he continued testing and experimenting during his hunt at Resolute Bay, and when it came to the moment of truth, it paid off with a huge polar bear. The thermometer read 55 degrees below zero.

Tackle and Technique

When anticipating cold temperatures, many veteran bowhunters lower their draw weight and even shorten their draw length to compensate for difficult shooting conditions. They’re very careful about the effects of changing temperatures on equipment. Bringing gear in and out of a warm interior can cause condensation and then freezing that can lock up or slow down mechanical parts. Watch out, too, for melting and refreezing snow on archery gear.

Clothing For The Cold

One of the most critical elements of cold-weather bowhunting is the way in which heavy clothing affects shooting form. The pitfalls can take many forms, the most common occurring when the bowstring brushes along bulky clothing on your chest and bow arm at the release. The result, of course, is that the arrow falls short. Another problem might arise because the hood of your coat partially blocks your vision and it won’t turn out of the way as you turn your head.

“I’ve seen many instances in hunting camps where a guy puts on heavy clothes he’s not used to shooting in, and then starts shooting to the left,” Howell says.

Mark Byers of Michigan discovered a new problem on an Iowa deer hunt a couple of years ago.

“I drew my bow on this beautiful buck and released, and then the front of my hunting outfit just seemed to explode,” Byers says. “I didn’t know what happened at first; I guess I was in shock. Then I noticed my bibs were hanging down — the bowstring had caught on the left buckle and destroyed it. The arrow never even got to the buck, so my overalls ruined my first shot at a Pope & Young-class trophy!”

Which brings up something of a dilemma: How do you reduce clothing bulk so it doesn’t interfere with shooting, while still wearing enough to keep warm? The combination of chilliness and the excitement of a deer encounter can bring on major shivering, which makes accurate bow shooting impossible. When it gets a little colder, your muscle strength diminishes and you might find yourself unable to even draw your bow!

To dress for the cold, start by using methods of staying warm that don’t depend on bulky clothing, like the Heater Body Suit. Nothing will keep you warmer than this “sleeping bag with legs,” which a lightly clad hunter can pack in and get into and out of discreetly when shooting time comes.

Other stay-warm tips include bulking up your feet, legs, neck and head so you can get by with less on your torso that will interfere with shooting. Use devices like chemical warmers, a PolarWrap breath exchanger and insulated booties. A neat new item is the HotHands Heated Watch Cap, which employs chemical warmers. Attach carpeting to your stand platform to isolate the feet from frigid metal. Actually, you might think about losing the tree stand altogether — now is a great time for hunting out of portable ground blinds.

If there is still some bulk to your clothing, use a chest protector and armguard. I use two armguards, one on my forearm and the other above the elbow, when anticipating a shot while wearing a heavy coat.

Sweat the Details

Successful bowhunting is all about taking care of the details, and extreme cold makes details even more important.

“Cold can make your equipment noisier, and the sound carries farther in the cold,” notes Howell. “Your bow might develop some squeaks, and any noise will be more noticeable to game. I had a friend who lost the buck of a lifetime because his arrow rest squeaked in the cold. So make sure that anything that can make a noise is lubricated correctly or silenced somehow to be quieter.”

Cold can create or exaggerate lots of strange problems.

“On my polar bear hunt, my breath was freezing, thawing and refreezing on everything,” Howell says. “I found I lost half my eyebrows because they kept freezing to my binoculars, and I lost half my moustache because it got stuck to my bowstring and kisser button.”

Moral of that story: Cold makes things different. Be prepared.