Three Days Below Zero - Late Season Experiment | Bowhunting Whitetails w/ Bill Winke
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- Опубликовано: 25 дек 2022
- With the bow season back in effect, Ethan and I hunted three days right before Christmas when the wind chills ranged from -25 to -50 degrees. Nobody ever accused me of being smart! It was interesting to see how the deer reacted to this frigid weather.
Great video on the difficulty of late season hunting!
It really is adding an entire new skill set and toolbox of equipment.
It is really tough to kill them with a bow in the late season, even when hunting good properties that haven't been gun hunted. The deer are just very skittish and the equipment, as you say, is limiting. Good luck and have a Happy New Year.
Very entertaining Bill. Props to you and Ethan for sticking it out because that's as close as I'll ever get to hunting in those kind of temps...watching someone else do it. Lol. Happy holidays to you and yours. God bless.
You are doing it right Bo! No reason to hunt this stuff if you don't have to! Good luck and God bless you too.
i can’t put my arms down 🤣... really love you guys and the content. thank you thank you.
I appreciate the comment PeanutButter. I hope you have a Happy New Year.
Merry Christmas Winke family. Enjoy your time. 🎄
Thanks Donald. Merry Christmas to you and your family too. Happy New Year.
Thanks for sharing, Bill! I love late season, always have. I sat on the ground 12/23 off of fresh runs in the snow coming off of SW facing bluff bedding. It was -34 degrees (real feel) in MN that day. 22 deer in bow range, 5 were bucks, missed the biggest with a tiny branch deflection at 3:15. Oh, well. Part of hunting and would do it again. Cheers!
Man, so close. Good job on getting to that point. Very few would have been there in the first place. Congrats on a great memory. Good luck and Happy New Year.
Great Episode, Reminded me of when I hunted in PA during the winter, It is amazing that you can have so much fun while you are almost freezing. 2 things I learned was walking in snow is very loud and Never skimp on your Boots and Gloves
Agree 100%. Snow can be very noisy to walk in especially when it is really cold. Fingers and toes freeze first. Also, I have learned that a good facemask is invaluable when hunting in really cold weather. Good luck and Happy New Year.
Risking frostbite for yourself and your sponsors. The work ethic is insane. My big takeaway was beans pull, even at deathly Temps. Thanks for the episode.
We didn't have too far to go so the risk was minimal. We didn't show it, but the electric vehicles died and we had to push them all the way back to the pole barn! Good luck and Happy New Year.
Wow that's some frigid Temps to be hunting Bill.. Hope your family have a great Christmas and Happy new year...
Thanks Paul. It was cold, but not super bad in the blind (other than the windows icing over immediately after we cleared them). Hope you and your family had a great Christmas too.
Hi Bill, Putting tracks on your ATV is worth the cost. It is amazing what you can go through with tracks on your ATV....feet of snow, pluses are not another machine to maintain (Snowmobile) and its much quieter. Another thing is; I've been hunting this past week sitting in a tree, but use IWOM clothing (I am not affiliated in anyway). The clothing will keep you warm! I've been hunting for 50 years and it is the first time I've been warm and keeps your feet warm too. Happy New Year and Thank you for sharing.
I agree with the IWOM suggestion. Very warm and similar to the HBS systems but with more mobility.
I might have to try that IWOM. I have a couple of the Heater Body Suits and I did one of them for a while when hunting up in Alberta/Manitoba back a few years. They really do work well. Good luck and Happy New Year.
You're experiencing the temps we have here in northern Alberta Bill, kudos for not only sticking it out but teaching others the wherewithal it requires. Shooting a deer in the first 5 mins is entertaining - not harvesting over a harsh, several day period is a schooling.
Looking forward to the upcoming videos.
Thanks Brock. I appreciate it. I have hunted northern Alberta, but that was in September! I can't imagine hunting there in December! Good luck and thanks for the support.
Didn’t make it out while “Elliot” was raging down here in southern Iowa but did get out in a sweet pinch point on Christmas Eve, temps were well below zero with wind chill. Deer were moving bye all afternoon. One of my best sits of the year albeit very cold. Unfortunately, a nice 140 inch 8 point made the mistake of following a doe and her fawns out into the bean field with 25 minutes left in shooting light. Through my binoculars I proceeded to watch the muzzleloader hunter sitting along the edge of the field up wind of the bean field level his gun and shoot. It fell 50 yards from my stand. How did he not smell him. ?? Anyway, my night was over. I did go congratulate him and wish him a Merry Christmas though, he certainly earned it. I hunted the same area tonight. It went as cold as the weather. Public gets beat up, even in these temps. Have a great holiday week Bill!
Man, you are tough Steven. I am surprised someone else was out there in those conditions. More stout hearted people that I thought. Thanks for the comment and good luck the rest of the season. Happy New Year.
Great hunt Bill, I have hunted in below zero weather as well, it’s very tough.
For me, at this age, I am pretty sure I would not do it with a bow without a blind. With a muzzeloader, burrowed in behind a cedar it might be OK, but still very tough for more than a couple hours max. Hope you have a Happy New Year.
I got cold just watching! Best of luck Bill
It was pretty bad in the wind. That was wind Chill with a capital C. Have a great day and Happy New Year.
13 degree last fri night in alabama blackbelt...just beginning prerut here...cams on scrapes went crazy christmas day...my target 10 point..prob mid 150s, stood in front of cam at 9 in morn Xmas day and watched 4 dif 3 year olds work a mock scrape , just supervising, down here bucks will stay grouped up til right about now...expect all buck groups to break up over next week...but he was very majestic just overwatching as 3 year olds worked that scrape..like a true boss..stay warm...stay safe..
That is really cool Terry. Good luck getting that buck into range and I hope you have a Happy New Year.
Great video! Mr. Buddy heaters missing an opportunity on being a sponsor during this cold spell.
For sure. We would have run some LP through it! Thanks for the comment. Happy New Year.
That atv ride back had to be brutal in those temperatures. Bill, you need Kubota to hook you up with the enclosed cab utv with heat!!
Merry Christmas
I know it. I had two of those when I was running Midwest Whitetail and they were sponsors. When I left I had to give them both up. Mike Reed has one now (the diesel model) and Owen Reigler has the other (the gas model) and all I have is an old Coleman ATV! That baby keeps on ticking though! Happy New Year.
@bill-winke I have the diesel model as well, I prefer to use an e-bike getting to and from stands and blinds, but those temperatures can't beat the Kubota.
Happy New Year to you and your family
Bill, great show. Cold weather recommendation is using mittens instead of fingered gloves as your exterior warmth in hand. Fingered gloves constrict making your fingers get colder, less blood flow. Mittens allow for loose fit around hand. Especially since you wear contact gloves or a base layer glove. Tie a piece of para cord your mittens loops and hang on your neck. You can drop em quick with worrying where they go. A little arctic trick
That is a good tip Chris. Much appreciated. It reminds me of the "idiot mittens" we wore as kids. The mittens were joined by a string and the string went inside the coat. So if someone grabbed one of your mittens while you were wearing the other and gave it a yank, the premise was that you would hit yourself in the face with the other hand. Not sure it worked that way, but that is how they became known as Idiot Mittens. Interestingly, back then you didn't need the idiot mitten to punch someone in the face. Just punch them! Kids did it all the time. Half my school would be written up for bullying in today's world. Hope you and your family had a great Christmas and that you have a Happy New Year.
@@bill-winke hahaha yup same concept. I enjoy seeing you start your own thing again! If you ever want to pick my noggin from my experiences ask away. Probably easiest to DM on IG and I can just give you my number. Take care. Aim small!
great job believe it or not we got to below zero here in north georgia deer still moved !!
That is cold there! Surprised the deer didn't go into shock! Good luck and Happy New Year.
I've been out in it the last 3 days, minus the heater and blind, ground sitting. I finally ran into some deer last night as I was walking out, after shooting lights. Been rough
Man, I couldn't do that. My tolerance for the cold has limits. The blind is a season saver for me when it starts to get really cold. Just keeping the wind off, without the LP heater, is a huge bonus. The wind is the killer. Good luck and stay warm. Supposed to warm back up by the end of the week.
Hey Bill, hope you have warmed up from them hunts. Just wondering which Code Of Silence clothes you had on and what you thought of how warm they kept you. I saw your video on them earlier this year and ordered the coldjfall series bibs, balaclava and coat. After getting them I felt the coat was a little to bulky and the balaclava was just to long ( interfered with my anchor point) and returned it to get the versa series coat and the hat. I highly recommend these hunting clothes and wondered how they worked for you. Hope you and everyone else had a nice Christmas and your new year is the best one yet.
Art, I believe I have the Coldfjall bibs and the Versa 7 jacket. It is possible that I have the Coldfjall parka, but I don't think so. I find them to be very warm. I love insulated bibs and with them I feel that I am much warmer than when wearing just pants. For late season hunting, I would never go without the insulated bibs. I have not tried shooting with the balaclava on, but I will mention it to Ev as constructive feedback. He is really good about taking feedback and making his garments better. I asked him if he could put the berber on the inside for a new line of apparel and he is going to do that in 2023 or 2024 so that is pretty cool. Good luck and Happy New Year.
The great hunters understand how good late season can be. And the good hunters only hunt when the conditions are good
It can be really good. With a muzzleloader I would have killed my target that second evening. But with a bow, it is usually really tough to get the close shot. I have only killed a few good bucks with a bow late season in all the years I have tried. They are just so skittish that they start to stay away from the blind and are constantly looking for something to run from! Good luck and Happy New Year.
@@bill-winke thanks for the info bill Im always learning from you
Great effort Bill and Ethan! Save your old white sheets and cut a hole for your head. An old trick from a friend of a friend, photographer Frank Oberle.
That is a good tip. The stuff we had was not white enough. Good luck and Happy New Year.
Now that is paying your dues! 🥶
It was a lot harder than October that's for sure! Good luck and Happy New Year.
Pretty crazy behavior from the deer. Eat and run. Curious if they stay longer after dark. I know the coyotes and bobcats have been moving a lot last week. You might need a lift kit on that atv or a big wheel side by side. Heading back out today.
I have seen that before in the late season. They are just super skittish. Looking for any reason to run! I had one guy suggest tracks for the ATV. I need something.
I’ve hunted a few times in -8 degrees and below several time’s with wind chills in -30 degrees. It’s cold but I’ve seen alot of deer, but you have to be in the right place. I killed my first bow buck with it being-12 degrees out and that was 5 years ago. You don’t know unless you go.
Killing a deer in -12 is really something. Just gutting the deer becomes an adventure! You are right. That is a very good quote and great advice. Sometimes we look for excuses when it is that cold (I do too), but the cold usually gets them moving unless the cold stays for a long period then they start to hunker down and wait for a warm front. Good luck and Happy New Year.
Bill, wondering if those blinds have double pain windows? Might help freezing up with heater running. Hope you had a good Christmas. Great show
Good point. No, they are single pane windows. Usually, if you keep one window open or even cracked with the heater going they stay clear, but it was just so cold that the breath vapor froze immediately when it touched anything. Thanks for the support.
Was out in a tree the 22nd and softside blind the 23rd with some pretty pitiful results. Have great food but it seems like the wind just beat them into bedding down
Stick with it Alex. My spot was in a valley out of the wind and I think that made a big difference. Good luck and Happy New Year.
On my way out from my tree stand last night I spooked deer that were over 200 yards away, I was partially blocked from their view by corn and a tree line. Surprised me they could see me, a white coat probably would have prevented that. I’m digging one out right now. Snow is super soft and fluffy so I know they did not hear me.
Kevin, they are just super, super wary this time of the season. The first evening they spooked away on their own, the second evening we used the drone to run them off, the third evening we forgot the drone and had to clang the blind door against the railing of the blind stand to get them running. Not ideal but it was better than climbing out and getting caught. Yes, I do think the white outerwear makes a big difference this time of year. Good luck.
Hey Bill, and gang, a belated Merry Christmas to you all!
Bill, I have a question for you.
I was very impressed that your ATV started in such severe cold weather!
Are you able to share what ATV it is that you use?
If not, I understand. It looked as if you had a Coleman sticker over the brand name, so maybe it is a sponsor thing, but thank you for your consideration.
I may have just answered my own question as, after watching this video, I Googled "Coleman ATV" and was SURPRISED to see that Coleman did indeed have an ATV line!!!
I was thinking CanAm, Kawasaki, Polaris, etc., but would never have guessed a Coleman!!!
Great video by the way!
You guys were really tough hunting in these conditions.
I use to be that way! Hahahaaaaa!!!
Thanks Lonnie. Yes, that is a Coleman ATV. Not sure who sells them now, but Cabela's licensed that name for their "low-end" ATVs back in the early 2010s. They actually gave me that one. It has done really well for me, but I did swap out the battery almost immediately after getting it because those cheap Chinese batteries are no good. It is hard to find parts for it, but I am guessing it is a direct rip off of one of the bigger brands, maybe Kawasaki. I won't say anything bad about it, because it has held up really well for me over the years. Have a great day and Happy New Year.
Back in the early ‘80s when I was young and stupid (now I’m old and stupid) I hunted for a week in the U.P. The warmest it got all week was -9 degrees and the coldest was -28 degrees actual temperatures. The morning it was -28 I sat out for 5 hours and didn’t realize how cold I was until I climbed out of the tree. I actually had to look down to see where to step on the branches because I couldn’t feel my feet. It was a long, difficult walk back to the truck.
Dang Russell that is dangerous. One year in the early 90s when I was dead broke and poor as dirt we had a really cold snap and my gear was just not up to it. I think I had Hodgman rubber boots. I froze for a solid week. It took two or three months after that to get feeling back in my toes. I still get really cold toes whenever it even starts to get chilly out. Like a friend of mine always says, "If you're gonna be stupid you better be tough." Happy New Year.
Hey good buck in that plot.
Yes, he is an older deer. Not huge antlers but would be a really good trophy. We will keep trying for him. Good luck and Happy New Year.
@@bill-winke Thanks, good luck and HNY to u all as well.
Dang Mr. you got this deer hunting thing bad to be out researching deer in those temps. Much less hunting? And yes, I’ve used a heater many times over the years, but when it’s just miserable cold to me, well it ain’t fun no more. I know you people up north get used to it cause the cols usually hangs around for months. Besides, I hate cleaning deer or hogs in super cold temps. Another good video here. 👍👍
Thanks Tim. They sure can be hard to process in the cold. Just getting the skin off the next day when cutting it up, is basically an impossible task. You have to get them into a heated garage or similar to even have a chance. Have a great day and Happy New Year.
Cold🦌
Yes, very cold. Not sure how much of that a guy can take before he just goes to the grocery store and buys a side of beef and calls it good! Happy New Year.
It seems to be the valley is the " hot spot" on the farm most of the season bill
Agreed. It is about the only food for at least a half mile in every direction. I need to plant more plots next year so I can spread the deer and the hunting pressure a bit more. Thanks for the comment. Have a great New Year.
Wow that was cold 🥶. Did you give up on that open gate stand you and Jordan hunted in early season?
We had to give that one up when the farmer cut his cows loose in that cornfield after picking it. It was wet and they stomped everything in that corner of the field into the dirt. We own that field, but he had grazing rights for this year still. Next year they won't be able to go up into that area so it will stay good longer. Good luck and have a great new year.
You may want to look at a Mr. Buddy Heater over those sunflower type of heater, because they don't have any oxygen sensor and don't shut-off when then oxygen is low. Plus the carbon monoxide levels have to be high in that enclosed space with 2 people using up the oxygen. If you don't want do that then at least get an carbon monoxide sensor just to be safe. Those sunflower type heater are great for large space with some air flow, but in enclosed spaces can be trouble.
Mark, I have one of those Mr. Heaters for my ice fishing hut, but it is just too big to carry around when bowhunting. I suppose I could buy one and leave it in each blind. That is probably the way to go, but I am so cheap that just goes against my grain. However, we do keep at least one window open or cracked when running that heater. Your reasoning is probably why I can't find any more of those simple burner style LP heaters. They probably aren't legal to sell any more. Thanks for the caution. Everyone can learn from that. Have a great day.
How is the code of silence clothes. I just bought the versa zone 7 jacket and pants. They seem very warm and quiet. I wish the pants had elastic in it instead of the cinch tabs. I will prob put suspenders on them.
They are warm and quiet for sure and the pattern seems to blend in well. I use a belt with the pants but I have been wearing the insulated bibs this late season and those are really nice without need for a belt. Good luck and Happy New Year.
Haha hysterectomy joke was funny
Once Ethan figures out what a hysterectomy is he will be steaming mad!
Hey Bill, I was wondering if the exhaust from your little heater is enough to make you sick. Does the blind have a certain amount of venting?
I think it would if we didn't keep at least one window cracked or totally open. I wouldn't trust it otherwise. Good luck and Happy New Year.
Hey Bill, how did the Hoyt react when you did your test draw in these temps?
It was totally fine. I would not be afraid to shoot it in those temps. Have a great day and Happy New Year.
back years ago i killed one at -54 wind chill.the blood froze into little balls in the air and was laying on top of the snow.
I believe it. I wasn't using the sink drain in the living quarters because the outlet is above ground and I didn't want it freezing solid. One day I had about two or three cups of coffee left in the pot so I carried it outside and threw it up in the air to see what it would do. Froze before it hit the ground! Good input. Stay warm out there. Happy New Year.
Bill any plans on making that old barn in the valley into a blind? Or is it too far into the feeding zone?
Max, I think it is too far into the feeding area. In fact, I am pretty sure I screwed up this year putting that Redneck so deep. I need to start on the downwind fringe so I have less issues with entry and exit and less chance of any deer in the feeding area getting our scent. That means I need to stay much farther down the valley. I also need to keep that plot in corn so we can come and go without the deer on the ridges overlooking that little valley from seeing us - whether we hunt the tree or the blind, that would be much better. Those two changes will really improve that spot for next year. Sometimes you just have to learn the hard way! Happy New Year.
Ethan is funny 😄
Yes, Ethan is a fun to have in camp. Good luck and Happy New Year.
After watching this I feel like a wimp for skipping out on the 22nd and 23rd.
You aren't wimp, you are just smarter than us! Thanks for the comment and keep at it. Good luck and Happy New Year.
How much do think cattle effect deer an deer movement
I think when the cows move into an area, the deer move out of it. So if there are a lot of cows, the dee are fringed out. Deer aren't afraid of cows and cows don't hate deer, but I do think the deer don't like being crowded and they don't like the noise the cows make. Those are my thoughts. This part of the farm had a lot of cows on it, so the deer are just now starting to move back in. Good luck and Happy New Year.
What are the carts you ride?
Those are TuoreV, but they both died that evening. We had to push them home. Work great in the warmer temps, but not made for that kind of cold! Good luck and Happy New Year.
At those temperatures any risk with that bowstring busting??
No, those things are pretty resilient. Plus, it only got to about -8 or so on the thermometer. The real issue was the wind chill and inanimate items like a bowstring aren't effected by wind chill - only the thermometer temperature.
Bill, do you worry about your bow string in such conditions?
No, today's strings are very resilient. Those were wind chill numbers so the actual temps were in the single digits below zero. I never worried about the bowstring, but if I was going to hunt something like Muskox in the arctic I might have to make a few phone calls to make sure my stuff would hold up! Glad I am not doing that! Good luck and Happy New Year.
@@bill-winke Happy New and God bless you brother.
You need to bring back the radar cap
I do have one of those from the early 2000s still floating around and I got one from Ev at Code of Silence. They are warm, but make me look a bit dorky. Maybe being warm should trump my ego?
Isn’t dorky the new cool?
@@tysonames5016 I hope so then I will be the man!
The next time u see that 9 pt buck on the hoof he may not have antlers? Looks like he was shaking his head pretty good? I'm no expert by any means
Ethan and I laughed when he did that. Ethan said, "Watch, he is going to shake his antlers right off." Heading back after him either Friday or Saturday. Have a great day and Happy New Year.
Thanks sir, glad to see u back in action again, and I myself feel that your struggling, more than likely bc of the new farm, I know u will master that palace,, Keokuk county Iowa here! God bless
@@shawnmoore7841 I don't mind some struggle. I don't want this to be too easy or I wouldn't appreciate the successes. That farm I sold was kind of like that. It was so good at times that I almost didn't feel the sense of satisfaction that comes from grinding it out. But I do miss having all those big bucks to hunt! Good luck.
Do those rednecks really contain your scent?
I have had great success with them. However, once in a while I get one that isn't airtight. You have to go through and look for gaps and seal them with more of the adhesive backed insulation strips. We weren't scent proof because we had to keep a window cracked so we could run the LP heater, so a few deer did pick us off downwind side. I hate that.
@@bill-winke oh yeah me too. I have a couple shadow hunter blinds and they contain some but not 100%, was just curious about the rednecks. Good luck rest of season, hope you get that big 9!
Has to be pretty bad to cancel hunting 😊
Amen. Without a blind we would have cancelled it, though a few guys commented that they hunted the ground during these conditions. I guess if you can get out of the wind you can last a short time. Rough in the wind, that's for sure.
@@bill-winke I have a heater body suit, it's a game changer if you dont have a heated blind to go to.
@@stevedenoyer5956 I have a couple of those too. The best solution when you have to be in a tree under those conditions. Good luck.
First
Thanks for the support Kurt. Much appreciated.
With all those clothes to stay warm it must cause shootin accuracy. Have hunted in cold but not that extreme. Shoot straight.
That is the beauty of the blind. I can take off a layer or two. Without the blind just drawing the bow would be a challenge due to the cold and all the layers. Good luck and Happy New Year.