September 2019

www.insidearchery.com

®

SEPTEMBER 2019





INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019 VOLUME 22 NUMBER 8

People

40 Power of Participation
■ Rafael Villar, Liberty Archery
■ Mike Fisher, CATCHIN’ DEERS
■ Gene Hobbs, Hobbs Archery
■ Grant Nicodemus, True Cut Tool Co.
■ Jake Major, Cobra Archery
■ Brad Hand, Stacked Outdoors

Tink’s:

42 Unraveling the
Mystery Behind CWD
By Daniel Allred

Market Trends

42 14 New & Notable
Archery products with
strong sales potential.

52 Bow Report
Xpedition Archery Thresher X
By Patrick Meitin

54 Today’s Cutting-Edge
Broadheads

Check out the latest broadhead

designs and their advanced

technology.

30 By Patrick Meitin

14 52 36

INSIDE ARCHERY (Volume 22, #8) ISSN #1940-3879, USPS #024-412 is published 10 times per year (Jan / Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep / Oct, Nov, Dec)
by Zebra Publishing Inc. PO Box 25007, Colorado Springs, CO 80936. Periodical postage paid at Colorado Springs, CO 80936 and at additional offices.
Postmaster please send address changes to INSIDE ARCHERY, P.O. Box 986, Levittown, PA 19058-9902.

4 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019

JULY 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 5

INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019 VOLUME 22 NUMBER 8

IInndsiudsetrtyhe
10 Inside Track
Whitetails Remain Industry’s
Driving Force

20 Kinsey’s
Business
Blueprint

Marketing at the Grassroots

22 22 Inside Retailing
Michiana Archery

By Daniel Allred

28 ATA Retail Growth Insight
If You Have to Ask, You Can’t Afford It
By Kurt Smith / ATA

30 Industry News

Information that keeps you up

to speed on news, events and

people in the archery industry.

36 ATA Action
It’s Time! Register for the

40 2020 ATA Trade Show
By Cassie Gasaway / ATA
66 Industry 5Q
Five Questions on Wildlife Research
Center with Sam Burgeson

54 14

14 66
6
INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019

JULY 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 7

INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019 VOLUME 22 NUMBER 8

insidearchery.com Online Exclusives

Bowhunting

Know Your State

t can be hard to keep track of your state’s specific
hunting regulations, seasons and products that can
be used. Take a peek at this comprehensive guide
on each state’s laws.

Tournament Archery

Youth Participation
in Target Archery

Target archery is steadily increasing in popularity,
especially among the younger generation. Learn
more about youth participation in target archery.

Industry

T embership Benefits

The ATA offers many advantages for its members
that can directly benefit your business. f you’re not
already a member, learn about some of the benefits
the ATA has to offer.

Products

Finest 2019 Camo Clothing

Are you looking to update your camo apparel this
hunting season? Find the best fit for you and your
hunting needs with this list of 01 ’s top camo
clothing.

WebXtras: In this issue: “Inside Retailing” examines success at Michiana

Archery; “Bow Report” tests the Xpedition Thresher XS-VT; and “Industry 5Q” exam-
ines Wildlife Research Center.

Inside Archery App

Now Inside Archery can be delivered to your door, viewed on your computer,
AND downloaded onto your smartphone or tablet.

Fresh content daily
on social media!

8 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INSIDE TRACK

Whitetails Remain Industry’s Driving Force

I t’s safe to say our industry would be far smaller if not for white-tailed deer,
which are widely available and popular east of a line from Texas to North
Dakota. Whitetails get overshadowed in Western states, but they’re the big game
of “everyman” in the eastern two-thirds of the U.S.
Maybe that’s because whitetails are adaptable creatures that do well without our direct
care. In fact, their numbers—roughly 30 million—likely match or exceed the herds living
here when the pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock in 1620.
Even so, many hunters continually work to ensure their
future, which helps explain the presence of Whitetails
Unlimited (113,000-plus members) and the Quality Deer
Management Association (60,000-plus members).
You also see the whitetail’s popularity and dominance
each January at the Archery Trade Association’s annu-
al trade show, where roughly 60 of the 600 exhibiting
companies (10%) were peddling scents, lures and scent-
elimination products at this year’s event. Not far behind
were treestand and treestand accessory manufacturers,
which numbered 52, or roughly 9% of all exhibitors; and crossbow manufacturers, which
numbered 41, or 7% of the exhibitors.
And those are just the obvious manufacturing categories that cater largely to whitetail-
focused bowhunters. I quickly calculated those numbers by scanning the show’s list of
manufacturers. I’ve wondered what I’d tabulate if I walked every aisle with a clipboard,
and checked the box of every exhibitor whose products cater mostly to whitetail hunters.
Chances are, that list would re ect what we know of the whitetail’s dominance based
on participation data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s every-five-year national
surveys of hunting, fishing and wildlife watching. Most analyses of those data find that
roughly 89% of the U.S. hunting population chases whitetails at some point each fall.
That adds up to lots of whitetail hunters. The latest survey by the F&WS estimated that
11.5 million Americans hunted at least once in 2016. We also know these surveys don’t
count people who skipped hunting in 2016, but hunted at least once the previous couple of
years or the years since. Research sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation
concludes that we should include those who “churn” in and out of hunting participa-
tion to get a more accurate count of the U.S. hunting population. When we include that
churn, we find roughly 1 . million hunters in the U.S., of which 15. 5 million are likely
whitetail hunters.
Most of us can accurately guess which states generate the most hunting activity. Just
to confirm, the top five states are Texas, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin,
according to the F&WS. In fact, those states combine to generate half of the nation’s deer
hunting activity each fall. The F WS estimates hunters in those five states combine to
spend over 62 million days each fall hunting whitetails. That means whitetails generate
nearly 125 million days of recreational deer hunting nationwide annually.
That’s 60% of all hunting activity in the U.S. A good chunk of that activity comes from
firearms hunters, of course, but most bowhunters also gun-hunt each fall, given that they
seldom tire of chasing whitetails.
So let’s hear it for white-tailed deer! We love elk, bears, muleys and pronghorns, too, but
given the whitetail’s prominence, we can’t afford to take this grand animal for granted.

Sherry Krenz
Publisher

10 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019

SEPTEMBER 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 11

INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019

Publisher & Founder

Sherry Krenz • [email protected]

Founding Editor

Bill Krenz • 1952–2010

Editor

Daniel Allred • [email protected]

Editor-at-Large

Patrick Durkin • [email protected]

Equipment Editor

Patrick Meitin • [email protected]

Editorial Assistant

Rachael Reginek-Krenz • [email protected]

Contributors

Michaelean Pike | Kurt Smith | Cassie Gasaway

Associate Publisher

Stephen Mack • [email protected]

Art Director

Ed Rother • [email protected]

Associate Art Director

Tara Bondar • [email protected]

Accounting Manager

Pam Ludlam • [email protected]

Circulation Director

Greg Wolfe • [email protected]

Senior Circulation Manager

Mark Rosen • [email protected]

Subscription Services & Change of Address:

Inside Archery® Circulation Department
Inside Archery, PO Box 986, Levittown, PA 19058-9902
Phone: (844) 862-9286 • Fax: (888) 965-9961
[email protected]

ublication ce

Inside Archery® / Zebra Publishing Inc.
P.O. Box 25007, Colorado Springs, CO 80936
Phone: (719) 495-9999 • [email protected]
www.InsideArchery.com

Inside Archery® Copyright © 2019 Zebra Publishing Inc. All rights
reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission
from the publisher is prohibited. Inside Archery® is a registered U.S.
trademark of Zebra Publishing Inc. Opinions expressed in by-lined
articles or columns are those of the author and do not necessarily
re ect the views of the publisher, the magazine or its staff.

Submission Guidelines: Zebra Publishing Inc. and Inside Archery® mag-
azine assume no responsibility for unsolicited editorial, photography or
art submissions. Contributors submitting articles, photos or art do so at
their own risk. Material will not be returned without a self-addressed
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dition provided by any contributor shall be binding on Zebra Publishing
Inc. unless it is signed and returned by the Editor.

Archery, hunting and bowhunting are inherently dangerous activities.
Improper use of hunting or archery equipment may cause serious
injury or death. Always follow state and local hunting safety rules, and
get required permits or licenses before hunting. Zebra Publishing Inc.
uses reasonable efforts to include accurate and up-to-date information
in our publications; however, we do not make any warranties or
representations as to accuracy or completeness. All information in
this magazine is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. Zebra
Publishing Inc. is not responsible for researching and investigating
the accuracy of the contents of stories or advertisements published in
this magazine. Readers use the information in this magazine at their
own risk. Zebra Publishing Inc. assumes no liability for any errors or
omissions in the content of this magazine, or arising from use by any
person of the information in this magazine.

z Inside Archery®
is a publication of
Zebra Publishing Inc.
Printed in the USA.

12 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019

SEPTEMBER 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 13

MARKET TRENDS NEW & NOTABLE

Oneida Bows Phoenix Trophy Ridge
Hotwire
The hoeni features a silent
lever-action design and The Hotwire three-pin
e ceptional perfor- sight features two precise,
mance with a vibration micro-ad ustable pins for fi ed
suppression system short distances and a third adjustable pin for longer distances.
and user-friendly draw
stops. High-performance d ust the two fi ed pins with an on-board tool and the third with a tool-less knob.
outboard limbs, a precision This sight features a second-a is level to strengthen accuracy at severe angles over long
cam and lever system, and distances. rheostat light powers the . fiber optic pins to suit any lighting condition. t also includes
a machined-aluminum riser an on-board pin adjustment tool for windage and elevation. ■ Learn more at trophyridge.com.
define the hoeni ’s appeal.
t boasts the smooth draw Rhino Blinds
of a recurve with the power
of a compound. The riser Rhino has developed blinds for every
gives archers a long size and every budget. Rhino has a
sight window for fast reputation for quality and near 100
target acquisition, percent customer satisfaction. Rhino offers
and its ergonomic handle eight sizes of blinds that are available in
increases accuracy. t includes Realtree, Mossy Oak and Predator. Rhino
an interchangeable module design focuses on quality, customer satisfaction
for a wide range of let-off ad ustment. ■ and retailer support. For 2019, Rhino has
Learn more at oneidaeaglebows.com. partnered with the Bone Collector brand
to launch two Bone Collector blinds: the
Sleeping Indian Ascend Rhino 150BC and Rhino 600BC, which are
complete with new silent slide windows
Ankle Socks and Survival and high-end features. ■ Learn more
Series Shirt and Pants at rhinoblinds.com.

Sleeping ndian’s scend nkle Socks are made Mobile Warming Summit 12v Heated Vest
of 100 percent Virgin Merino Wool to maintain
comfort during e treme adventures. These Mobile Warming has incorporated the Mossy Oak Break-Up Country
socks are insulated when wet, durable pattern in its men’s Summit v eated est
under stress and comfortable when with Bluetooth control. The Bluetooth integrated
faced with fatigue. The company heating technology allows users to wirelessly select
also unveiled the Survival Series heat levels and check the battery remotely from any
wool shirt and pants, which have smart phone using the MW Connect mobile app.
a tight weave structure that The combination of unique materials, construction
produces no bunching or balling. techniques, battery designs with advanced charging
This high-quality wool also has circuitry and innovative heating panels results in the
a natural antibacterial property. most advanced heated gear for a variety of outdoor
The thickness of the wool, plus applications. ■ Learn more at
the added windbreaker liner, mobilewarming.com.
is very effective in e treme
weather. ■ Learn more at
sleepingindianusa.com.

Continued on Page 16

14 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019



MARKET TRENDS NEW & NOTABLE

Continued from Page 14

Morrell High Roller 21 Shiver Shell

Morrell has taken target foam technology to a Conquer the cold this season with the Shiver Shell. The
new level with the release of the High Roller magnetic closures on the arm slots are quick and easy
21. The improved formula creates an extraor- to use. The user can experience some mobility with the
dinarily durable, self- included boot covers that detach. Once in place, the boot covers
healing target are simply applied with a drawstring. An additional non-camo
with easy and boot cover is sold separately for those who wish to add an
e cient arrow extra layer of warmth. Stay warm and comfortable this hunting
removal. This season with Shiver Shell. ■ Learn more at shivershell.com.
target’s impres-
sive self-healing Bohning Premium Points
capabilities make
it incredibly long Bohning’s glue-in and screw-in Premium Points are proudly
lasting. Through machined in Lake City, Michigan. They’re constructed with
su cient testing, 303 stainless steel and feature industry-leading manufactur-
the 13-by-13-by-13-inch ing tolerances guaranteed at +/- .25 grains that result in extremely
High Roller 21 has been proven to consistent weights, sha alignment and fit. remium oints are
withstand arrows that reach speeds over 450 engineered for easy arrow removal for indoor and outdoor use.
fps. Transportation is also easy, thanks to its 10-pound Combine these points with the Bohning Zen vanes to solve clearance
weight and EZ-tote carrying handle. ■ Learn more at issues with larger diameter sha s. ■ Learn more at bohning.com.
morrelltargets.com.

Continued on Page 18

16 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019



MARKET TRENDS NEW & NOTABLE

Continued from Page 16

Blizzard Slayer Archery Slayer Blinds
Buddy
Slayer blinds have five Smartside side panels, and its oor and
Bli ard roof sections are assembled with a standard -inch wrench for
Buddy’s easy transport with a truck, T or boat. The blind has tinted,
hunting suit marine-grade glass windows that won’t warp or scratch. The aluminum
helps hunters stay frame won’t rust or rot in wet conditions, and the thermal-formed plastic
dry and warm to hunt roof has no seams to prevent leakage. The pentagon oor plan allows hunt-
longer. This wind, snow and water ers to cover multiple shooting lanes, and the carpeted walls and oor are uiet
resistant suit keeps hunters warm and provide warmth. ■ Learn more at slayeroutdoorproducts.com.
with grams of insulation. The
Thinsulate thermal lining and Redmond Hunt Cherry Bomb
ultra- uiet material is perfect for
long, cold hunts. t offers e ibility The same company that produces Trophy Rock is now offering a powerful
hunters need with arm ports long-range protein attractant called Cherry Bomb. ts enticing
that allow hunters to use aroma pulls deer from afar, and its highly palatable protein
their bow while wearing ingredients with added vitamins and minerals keep them coming back for
the suit. The carrying harness more. t is available in bag si es of , and pounds, and in two avors
makes it easy to carry the suit into a stand Cherry and pple. unters can also use the same enticing aromas in a
before putting it on. ■ Learn more handy multipurpose field spray that’s great in a stand. Since Cherry Bomb
at blizzardbuddy.com. Spray is a scent only attractant, it can be used during hunting season in
almost every state. ■ Learn more at redmondhunt.com.

18 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019

SEPTEMBER 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 19

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY BUSINESS BLUEPRINT Sponsored by

Marketing at the Grassroots
Y ou probably don’t have an abun- Kinsey’s is the leading distributor to the outdoors
dant marketing budget that allows there’s a good chance that they’ll consid- and archery industry. Carrying items from your favor-
you to invest heavily in a paid ad- er a visit to your store. ite brands, in-stock and ready-to-ship, the company
vertising campaign that attempts to send offers domestic and international retailers a wide
your message to the masses, but don’t If your focus is primarily target ar- array of products and services. insey’s also owns in-
fret. As an archery shop owner, you are chery, consider supporting the local high novative consumer brands including BlackHeart, Fin-
marketing to a relatively niche consumer school’s archery team. Being part of a Finder, Elevation and October Mountain Products.
group. Your business position is ideal for a positive cause gives grassroots market- For more information, please visit KinseysInc.com
grassroots marketing effort that can pro- ing campaigns additional momentum.
vide small brick-and-mortar shops with Customers tend to rally behind a business wasted time marketing to groups who
a powerful tool. Even better, this form of that shows concern for the future, and aren’t interested in your product—groups
marketing is economical and can produce this can be an excellent way to spread who likewise have no desire to spread
great results! the word about your business. A donation the word. Be diligent and engage in many
of only one 3-D target might earn you a smaller-scale campaigns as suggested
Grassroots marketing attempts to pur- plaque on the wall or a mention in a tour- above as an alternate to one expensive
posefully target a niche group of in uen- nament brochure. While this may seem advertisement. Instead, make posts on
tial people with the hope that they will like a small group, remember that it’s the your social media account and ask your
spread your message to a larger group right group. The developing-archer’s par- archer friends to share the content.
of like-minded individuals. To begin, it’s ents will instinctively support the shop Consider rewarding your best custom-
important that you find the right people that furthered their child’s passion. ers with a standing discount—or reward
to target your efforts toward. So let’s de- them with occasional product to test.
fine your specific audience and explore Hosting an educational seminar is Before you know it, they’ll be raving to
ways to implement some techniques. another good way to bring customers their friends about your great service.
into your store. For example, plan a night
If your focus is primarily hunting, then where you demonstrate how to string Remember, grassroots campaigns may
pursue involvement in the local sports- a recurve bow a couple weeks before take longer to show results than an expen-
man’s clubs in your proximity. Make a Christmas. Order pizza (who doesn’t love sive, targeted advertising effort, but it will
visit and talk to the president or a mem- pizza?) and have some bows available to undoubtedly cost less for the results you
ber about upcoming events (or even any test. If done successfully, you’ll create a achieve. The customer loyalty you create
needs they have) and leave behind an local buzz and see more bows head out will be sincere and it will spur business
exclusive coupon for club members on the door and under trees. The risk of a for years to come.
the message board. Consider sponsoring lightly attended event will certainly be
a giveaway at one of their shoots. They’ll worth the reward!
likely let you hang a store poster that will
spread awareness. The next time attend- Targeting your efforts at a small group
ees are in the market for sporting goods, may not cast as instant and as broad of a
net to catch customers, but you’ll certain-
ly enjoy the cost savings. You’ll eliminate

20 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019

AUGUST 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 21

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INSIDE RETAILING

Experienced Coach Revitalizes and Expands Historic Shop

Michiana Archery Retailing Q & A huge teaching function, and we also now
have two collegiate club teams from Notre
Sto e ofi e Inside Archery: What led to you becoming Dame and Indiana University South Bend.
the owner of the shop?
■ Headquarters: South Bend, Indiana Inside Archery: Have you seen good results
Henry W. Schacht: I bought the assets of from these efforts?
■ Owner: Henry W. Schacht Michiana Archery about 3 ½ years ago, but
the shop dates back to the 70s. I’ve been Henry W. Schacht: To put a fine point
■ Store Facts: Michiana Archery was teaching archery for 35 years, and I taught on it, we have quadrupled revenue in 3
established in 1972, and the current own- private lessons here before I became the years. Admittedly, it started with a some-
er took over in 2016. The shop occupies owner. The former owners decided they what low base, but we have done a better
a 6,000-square-foot facility. About 3,000 wanted to focus on other businesses they job with hunters and non-hunters alike. I
square feet are devoted to the range, which own, and I thought I could breathe new life think hunters are more open to the idea of
holds 20 lanes that go out 20 yards. into the shop because those lessons were coaching and becoming a better shooter. So
becoming a bigger and bigger factor for overall, we are converting a lot of hunters
■ t fin The shop employs four full- people walking through our doors. into competitive shooters, and we are also
time and three part-time workers. Multiple converting a lot of young and recreational
volunteers and interns also perform valu- Inside Archery: How have you updated shooters into competitive archers. Because
able duties. Michiana Archery since taking over? of that, Olympic recurves have become
a big part of the business. Our Hoyt rep
■ Bow Lines: Hoyt, Mathews, Mission, Henry W. Schacht: The shop was almost recently told us that we are only one of two
Genesis, PSE, Elite, Bear and Win & Win. solely focused on the hunter. That is still shops in his multi-state territory that does
a very large portion of our business, but Olympic recurves in a serious way, and our
■ Crossbow Lines: Ravin, Mission, Bear we also opened it up to every other kind of approach to quality coaching is a driving
and Excalibur. archery. We offer bowfishing bows, Olym- force behind that.
pic recurves, horse bows—and obviously
■ Arrow Lines: Easton, Beman, Gold Tip, hunting compounds and crossbows. We Inside Archery: How would you describe
Black Eagle and Carbon Express. pretty much do it all. The shop also had your personal approach to coaching?
limited hours before, and we are now open
■ Inside Numbers: About two-thirds of 7 days a week. But the biggest difference is Henry W. Schacht: I love seeing the im-
the shop’s annual revenue comes from that teaching has become the hallmark of mediate impact that my advice can have
equipment sales. The other one-third of this shop. founded an unofficial team of on a student, and I have always admired
revenue comes from services. The owner instructors about 15 years ago, and I basi- archery for being a great equalizing sport.
predicts that this split will become closer cally merged that team with Michiana Very few shops do as much adapted archery
to 50/50 in the future. Archery, so we have 15 to 20 active instruc- as we do. We work with people in wheel-
tors working through my shop. We have a chairs, stroke victims, amputees, students
Henry W. Schacht, owner of Michiana Archery. with cerebral palsy, etc. It’s an amazing

The shop occupies a 6,000-square-foot facility.

22 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019

Sponsored by

Plano Synergy

Participating retailers will receive $1,000 in products 1
generously donated by Plano Synergy.

sport, and a lot of barriers have been broken the day I took over. The university had denied 2
down about who can shoot. So I think an the establishment of an archery club several 3
archery instructor has to meet everyone’s times, and that’s because there was no venue
individual needs. If there is a 5-year-old who at the university and an issue with liability.
just wants to know what it’s like to shoot a I basically brought them a solution. I pointed
bow, they can do that at my shop. If a more out that their students wanted archery, and
advanced archer wants to compete at nation- I showed how we would help them in an of-
als or potentially even go to the Olympics, we ficial way. t turns out we had a very work-
can help them with that goal as well. Every- able solution for them, and we were actually
one’s goal with archery is different, and we
need to figure that out instead of imposing 1 ■ The shop’s new owner has put coaching and lessons at
our goals on them. We need to learn about the forefront of the business.
the goals they want to accomplish, and give
them the tools to get there. 2 ■ Michiana Archery was founded in 1972, and the shop
is located in South Bend, Indiana.
Inside Archery: Tell us more about your
work with colleges. 3 ■ The shop carries a wide selection of youth and target
bows.
Henry W. Schacht: I am a Notre Dame alum,
and the shop is actually less than 5 miles 4 ■ Henry W. Schacht, owner of Michiana Archery, has been
from the university. We already had a steady coaching archery for 35 years.

ow of Notre Dame students coming to the 5 ■ Every employee of Michiana Archery is USA Archery
shop, so I wanted to make this happen since certified, and the owner is a Level 3 Coach.  

54

SEPTEMBER 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 23

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INSIDE RETAILING

Since taking over, Henry W. Schacht has established two collegiate club teams
from Notre Dame and Indiana University South Bend.

approved very quickly. It is a huge honor to equipment on anyone. We like to watch
be the coach of the Notre Dame Club Team, them shoot and learn more about them,
and it has continued to grow since it start- and our customers really appreciate our
ed. A similar thing happened with Indiana no-pressure approach. More importantly,
University South Bend. Both groups are very we place a lot of value on our membership
impressive, and they are getting very good. fees. We offer a range membership and a
We have not fielded a competitive team yet, coaching membership, and those create the
but that is a future goal. It’s also worth noting recurring revenue we are looking for. We
that about two-thirds of the Notre Dame Club support those memberships by just being
Team members are female, and 90 percent of engaging and helpful. We generally see a lot
them shoot an Olympic recurve. I think that of the same people again and again. Some-
speaks to the future of the sport. times there’s a day when they want to spend
$1,500 on a new bow, but I don’t need to sell
Inside Archery: How would you describe a $1,500 bow to be happy to see them. Our
your approach to equipment sales? main goal is to provide customers with a
service—whether that is time on the range,
Henry W. Schacht: As instructors, we try to or a solution to a problem they are having.
approach equipment sales differently. Every
bow needs to fit the shooter and their goals, Continued on Page 26
and we are very adamant about not pushing

Matt Smith, employee of Michiana Archery, tunes a bow in the shop’s service area.

INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019

AUGUST 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 25

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INSIDE RETAILING

Continued from Page 24 internship program, so if a young person
loves archery and wants to work towards
Most archery shops go into some sort of equipment and help with their member-
hibernation from January to July. We do ship, then they can come in and help
not. Obviously revenue is not quite the with various things as an intern. A lot of
same in the offseason, but our approach them become what we call junior instruc-
keeps us busy and profitable year round. tors, and I think it’s really valuable to
have younger people working with other
Inside Archery: What else makes Michi- younger people because it’s inspiring to
ana Archery unique? see someone their age doing something

Henry W. Schacht: We started our own

Henry W. Schacht has ambitious plans
for the future of the shop.

well. Our interns are able to impart things
they’ve learned to others, and teaching
also helps them with their own shooting.
We have about 10 active interns right now.
Those interns and our volunteer instruc-
tors have become a very important aspect
of the shop.

Inside Archery: What are your long-term
goals?

Henry W. Schacht: The main goal is to
get more memberships and more people
engaging with the shop on a regular basis.
We want to continue to do more coach-
ing, and we want to get our shooters more
involved competitively. We want to keep
increasing our internship program, and we
are working very hard on other programs
that benefit the shooter and the shop. We
would love to add one more collegiate team,
and we also want to host competitions
between the two teams we already have. At
the same time, we are working very hard
on our online presence. We already have
a very nice website, but we are currently
redoing it, and we are also working on
e-commerce solutions. Ultimately I want
this to be the most well rounded archery
facility anywhere—not just in our area. It’s
not about nickel-and-diming people; it’s
about giving them a value proposition. I
think we do that very well, and I think our
growth will continue.

WebXtra ■ Learn about Michiana

Archery and the shop’s coaching approach
at insidearchery.com/michianaarchery

26 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019

SEPTEMBER 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 27

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY ATA RETAIL GROWTH INSIGHT

If You Have to Ask, You Can’t Afford It

BY KURT SMITH, COURTESY OF THE ATA

W hat are you not telling Here are a few areas to focus on: give advice to help someone avoid prob-
your customers? What lems? If so, you may gain trust, which
Prices ■ It goes without saying—cost is could bring a new customer through

are you waiting to tell them king. A consumer looking for any prod- your door.
uct or service wants to know how much

only when they ask? it will cost. According to Sheridan, 70 per- What You Don’t Do ■ You probably

cent of a buying decision is made prior to already answered this question in your

Maybe the better question is why are you the customer contacting you for the first mind countless times, but have you put

waiting? time. This means they’ll need pricing it in writing? Just as important as know-

You probably answer the same ques- information before they ever step foot in ing your core customer base is knowing

tions all day—How much can I expect your store or pick up the phone. who you can’t serve. If your

to pay? How long will it take to have my Think about common products shop is dedicated to compound

bow serviced? How do I buy a new bow or and services you offer, and bow hunting, be upfront about

arrows? They have to ask because you list those prices on your web- that with traditional, cross-

haven’t made this information readily site. If you can’t give an exact bow and target archers. An

available. But for every person who asks, price, give an estimate, along honest explanation might tell

countless others never do. So, if they’re with an explanation of fac- them you simply don’t have

not finding what they need on your web- tors that affect price. If you have avoided the expertise in these areas to stock the

site or calling you to ask, what are they this because you didn’t want to give away product assortment. If you can serve all

doing? secrets to the competition, think again. aspects of archery, that’s great. But if not,

According to business guru Marcus Any information that you’ll freely give telling customers what you don’t do will

Sheridan, they shop somewhere else. Cus- over the phone to an unidentified caller prevent them from being disappointed

tomers are no longer willing to chase in- should already be on your website. after a visit. Again, being open and hon-

formation that should be easy to find. Can est builds trust and will pay off in the

you blame them? Beyond feeling frus- Problems ■ Overall, you work to pre- future.

trated, customers may also question your vent customer issues with gear or shoot- Customers of previous generations

service. They may perceive you’re with- ing form, but sometimes things just go wanted to build a personal relationship

holding information, or that your prod- awry. Identify common issues custom- with shop owners. Today’s digital buyer is

uct or service is expensive. Either way, by ers face, and use your website to explain similar, but with an additional nuance—

not providing information upfront, you how you will help resolve them. You may they want to see you, hear you, and know

can lose the customers’ trust and in turn, even want to compare the types of prob- you before they ever pick up the phone

their business. lems customers face when they buy gear or step in your store. And the only way

How can you avoid this pitfall? Answer from you, and those encountered after to meet that need is to make informa-

your most common questions before purchasing gear used or from online tion available before it’s requested. You

they’re asked, and make the information sources. Naturally, this is a way to set can write a few simple articles for your

available on your website. yourself apart, but be honest. Can you website, or better yet, record some vid-

eos for your site and social media pages.

These efforts will highlight your expertise

and help you build a personal connection

between your new customers and your

business.

If you need help getting started, the

ATA is here. Whether it’s identifying

areas of focus or learning the basics of

creating video, we have resources to help

your business. You can contact me via

email at [email protected] or

by phone at (717) 478-5919.

28 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019

SEPTEMBER 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 29

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INDUSTRY NEWS

Lancaster Archery Supply Lancaster’s New Website
Launches New Website

Lancaster Archery Supply’s new web-
site will make shopping with the
world’s leading supplier of target, 3D,
traditional, bowhunting and recre-
ational archery equipment easier and
more enjoyable.

As they have for years, dealers will
be able to log in to the site under their
individual accounts to browse and
shop for thousands of products at their
specific pricing levels.

Continued on Page 32

2019 NASP Open & Championship a Hit in Nashville

Nashville, Tennessee, welcomed the 2019 National the tournament. All eleven countries that participate
Archery in the School’s Program Open & Champion- in NASP (the USA, United Kingdom, Canada, British
ship on July 25-27. The Music City Center was on fire Virgin Isles, Australia, New Zealand, Mongolia, South
with archery enthusiasts, spectators and competi- Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe) were
tors participating in six different events, including the invited to the All-Star event. Canada and the USA
NASP Bulls-eye Open, the NASP All-Star Champion- were present in Nashville. Namibia competed and
ship, the NASP Bulls-eye Championship, the NASP submitted results electronically from Africa.
IBO/3D Challenge Open, the NASP IBO/3D Challenge
Championship and the NASP Scholarship Shoot-Off. Roy Grimes, president and CEO of NASP, said,
“The All-Star Championship once again succeeded in
The competitive format was identical to all NASP its mission to demonstrate top-notch NASP archer
tournaments: Students release five practice arrows prowess and noteworthy sportsmanship.” 
followed by 15 scored arrows at each of the 10- and
15-meter distant shooting lines. Archers shoot bare- Speaking about the tournament overall, Grimes
bow style without the help of sights or release aids. continued, “Total scholarships awarded now total
The highest score possible is a 300 with 30 tens. more than $2.3 million dollars. We are proud to have
helped so many of our recipients pursue and achieve
This year, archers who had either not advanced college, technical school and even military educa-
from a national tournament or who had never par- tion using money won during the NASP Scholarship
ticipated in a NASP tournament got to shoot for Shoot-Off.”
spot in the Championship during the first day Open.
Those who shot well in the Open advanced to the As a nonprofit organization, NASP is able to present
Championship portion of the tournament. these huge, prestigious archery events and generous
scholarships thanks to its many Medal Level and schol-
Tommy Floyd, vice president of NASP, said, arship partner sponsorships, which include Mathews,
“NASP is thrilled to have offered our first ever Open Mission, Genesis Archery, Morrell Targets, Easton
tournament. This tournament did not require any  Technical Products, Easton Foundations, Gordon Com-
prior participation or qualification from a separate posites, National Wild Turkey Federation, Whitetails
NASP event.  We want to establish an opportunity Unlimited, Cabela’s Outdoor Fund, Feradyne Outdoors,
for any NASP student that has participated in NASP Rinehart Targets, BCY, Academy Sports + Outdoors,
at their school to experience the atmosphere of one NAP, NEET, American Whitetail, Lancaster Archery, KY
of our large tournament events. With 789 students Exposition Center and Louisville CVB, and EA Promo-
participating in the 2019 Open, we are thrilled, but tions. To maintain NASP’s perfect safety record, the
we know that there are so many others out there that Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) provided
could benefit from this wonderful experience. We officials to watch over and assist the student archers.  |
are asking anyone who knows of a NASP archer near For more information and a complete list
them to make sure they know about the Open.” of sponsors and tournament results, please
visit nasptournaments.org.
The NASP All-Star was another exciting part of

30 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019

SEPTEMBER 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 31

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INDUSTRY NEWS

Continued from Page 30 companies in the hunting in-
dustry. As an NDA supporter,
Leading the list of improve- Arcus Hunting has shown a
ments incorporated into the
new site is increased security commitment to protecting our
with the Magento 2 platform and deer hunting heritage, which is fur-
other security enhancements. For ther illustrated by this important
those customers who prefer PayPal, Board appointment.”
Lancaster has added it
as a payment option “The NDA’s mission to
offered at checkout. bring together the entire
deer hunting industry, in-
But mostly what deal-
ers and other custom- cluding state and federal
ers will notice about the wildlife agencies, gov-
new Lancaster Archery ernment officials, the
website is its look. Whether customers various deer associations
view the website on a desktop computer and deer disease experts, and get every-
or a mobile device, product images are one singing out of the same hymnal is
larger, categories are prominently dis- spot on,” said Robinson. “Deer hunters
played and there’s a new search plat- and wildlife agencies need a credible
form that’s built to quickly find the gear hub of information and policies that
users are looking for. improves our wild deer populations and
also encourages more people to engage
With the new Lancaster Archery Sup- in hunting.” | TO JOIN THE NDA OR SIGN UP
ply website, users can shop the way they FOR THE AWARD-WINNING NDA ON WATCH
want. Shop by searching for individual E-NEWSLETTER AT NATIONALDEERALLIANCE.COM.
products, by product category or by ar-
chery style—Olympic Recurve, Compound FeraDyne Outdoors, LLC,
Target, 3D Archery, Recreational, Tradi- Names John Flanagan CFO
tional or Bowhunting. | EXPLORE THE NEW
AND IMPROVED SITE AT LANCASTERARCHERY.COM. FeraDyne Outdoors, LLC, has named
John Flanagan as the company’s chief
National Deer Alliance Welcomes financial officer CFO . Flanagan has
Phil Robinson of Arcus Hunting over 5 years of experience in finance,
to Board of Directors operations and strategy, driving process
improvements in both publicly traded
The National Deer Alliance NDA re- and private companies. His background
cently added Phil Robinson, president includes corporate finance, treasury,
and CEO of Arcus Hunting, to its Board financial planning/analysis, tax, inves-
of Directors. The NDA was created in 2014 tor relations, strategic planning and risk
to serve as the guardian for wild deer management. He will have oversight
conservation and our hunting heritage and leadership for planning, imple-
working at the policy level. menting, managing and controlling all
financial and T-related activities for the
“We are delighted to add Phil to the company.
NDA Board of Directors,” said NDA Presi-
dent/CEO Nick Pinizzotto.
“He brings to the table
a wealth of knowledge
and experience while
currently guiding Arcus
Hunting, one of the top

32 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019

“I look forward to John joining the Previously, Flanagan served as CFO of hunting tool used by many successful
FeraDyne Outdoors team, where he will Remington Outdoor Company. He has hunters every year.
undoubtedly make a significant impact,” also been the CFO of AcuSport Corpora-
said CEO Todd Seyfert. “ ohn’s experience tion, unn-O-Matic Corporation and a Unfortunately, there is a lot of false
and capabilities will benefit FeraDyne large multi-unit franchisee of Panera and misleading information driving
Outdoors as we continue to transform policy and regulations regarding urine-
the business. His leadership is essential read. Flanagan also held senior finan- based scents being a risk for spreading
to help ensure we improve overall profit- cial executive roles with Struers, nc. CWD. The impact of banning these prod-
ability as we continue to strengthen our ucts on hunters and businesses, both
products and brands in the market.” Flanagan was born and raised in small and large, across the state this
Akron, Ohio, and holds a S A in account- year will be huge.
“I am thrilled to join FeraDyne ing from ohn Carroll University and an
Outdoors,” said Flanagan. “This is a M A from Cleveland State University. A recent press release by the South
pivotal time within the archery and LEARN MORE AT FERADYNE.COM. Carolina DNR stated, “CWD research con-
broader hunting and outdoor recreation ducted in Colorado showed that mule
markets. Todd has a clear vision and Wildlife Research Center and Tink’s deer were able to be infected with CWD
has commenced valuable initiatives to Offer Response to South Carolina after exposure to just the urine, feces
strengthen FeraDyne Outdoors’ market- Deer Urine Ban and saliva of infected deer.” This state-
leading brands and products. am excited ment misrepresents the actual scientific
to be a part of these efforts and look The South Carolina Department of finding of these studies. Many studies
forward to supporting the strategy.” Natural Resources released a new hunt- have attempted to transmit CWD with
ing rule last week banning urine-based urine, and none have been successful
scents, taking away an important

SEPTEMBER 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 33

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INDUSTRY NEWS

in deer. Later studies in Colorado used Wildlife Trails End
urine from CWD-sick deer, concentrated and Tinks 69
it 10-fold, and injected it directly into
brains of mice that were genetically worked with industry experts, wild-
altered to be six times more susceptible life disease experts, CWD scientists and
to the disease than deer. One of the nine many others to develop the ATA Deer
mice became infected. Hunters are not Protection Program to safeguard their
injecting deer with urine, and the urine facilities from any risk of CWD con-
they use comes from healthy animals, tamination. The small number of elite
not sick ones. operations in this program far exceed
the USDA standards with a higher level
South Carolina wildlife officials say of biosecurity than other deer farms, and
that CWD has been found in 40 captive their products proudly display the ATA
cervid facilities since 2012. What they checkmark on their packaging. To name
don’t tell you is the collection facilities a few requirements of the program, the
that companies like Wildlife Research facilities have to be 100 percent moni-
Center and Tink’s use are from a small tored, closed to importation of deer, and
number (less than a dozen) of highly are annually inspected by accredited
specialized facilities. Of the 40 positives veterinarians, who also review their
since 01 , only 1 were in a certified records to verify they are meeting all of
herd testing and certification program, the requirements of the program.
and none of those were closed to impor-
tation of deer like the facilities where According to two of the top experts
urine is sourced. The facilities the urine who authored the most commonly
scent companies utilize are all 100 per- referenced studies on CWD relating to
cent monitored, meaning every deer urine, “The risk of urine-based scents
that dies is tested. CWD has never been spreading CWD is virtually zero. When
found in one of these urine collection you consider the process of how urine
facilities. Moreover, the urine collection
process prevents or removes nearly all
contamination from feces or saliva.

South Carolina wildlife officials also
say the scent industry is not regulated
by any agency or entity and there is no
testing or marking requirements iden-
tifying the source of the urine products.
That is also false. The collection facili-
ties are regulated by state and federal
department of agriculture and wildlife
agency rules and regulations relating
specifically to CWD and to the operation
of those facilities. All of the source herds
are 100 percent monitored. The depart-
ment of agriculture requires that testing
is conducted before issuing the testing
certifications the facilities all have and
maintain.

Furthermore, the scent industry, with
the help of the Archery Trade Association,

34 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019

is collected and all the measures in Kim French
place, these products are not a risk of
spreading CWD.” roles covering both hunting and fishing.
Prior to joining GSM, French also held
SCDNR also states that there is no sales positions with several other major
commercially available CWD test for outdoor companies, including Doskocil
our products. Wrong again. Wildlife Manufacturing and Bushnell.
Research Center and Tink’s have collab-
oratively funded a research project and “Having had the opportunity to repre-
a test for urine has been developed. It is sent several major brands in the outdoor
now becoming commercially available industry over 30 plus years, I am excited
to test and certify these products have to join Team GSM and to work with a
no detectable levels of CWD in them. group of dynamic individuals focused on
Companies like Tink’s and Wildlife have bringing new and improved products to
already begun testing their products in the hunting and shooting marketplace,”
2019, and many others will be sure to said French.
follow.
SM has significantly expanded its
Many other states have considered product and brand lineup over the last
bans on urine-based scents. However, couple years to add several of the most
after learning about our industry pro- noted and trusted brands in the outdoor
cesses and discussing these often- industry to the company’s portfolio.
referenced studies with the actual CWD
scientist that authored one of the major “The continuing growth of GSM and
studies, states have reversed course and our ongoing mission to bring more
either decided not to implement a urine innovative products to the hunting and
ban or modified their rules to allow shooting consumer requires experienced
use of urine-based scent products that and dedicated people who are both pas-
participate in the ATA Deer Protection sionate and product-savvy,” said Zach
Program. | WE ENCOURAGE HUNTERS TO EXPRESS Henderson, director of sales. “With his
lengthy and diverse background in the
THEIR THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS ON THIS NEW RULE outdoor segment, Kim will be a valued
asset to the GSM team.” | LEARN MORE AT
TO THE SCDNR. TO COMMENT, VISIT THE AGENCY’S GSMOUTDOORS.COM.
WEBSITE AT WWW.DNR.SC.GOV/ADMIN/CONTACTUS.
HTML OR SIMPLY EMAIL [email protected].

GSM Outdoors Welcomes
New Regional Sales Manager

GSM Outdoors, a multi-brand manu-
facturer and technology innovator of
premium hunting and shooting gear,
announced the recent hire of Kim
French to the GSM Outdoors sales team.
In his new role at GSM, French will serve
as the regional sales manager for the
TALO and MINK states.

French comes to GSM with a lengthy
background in the outdoor sales
segment. He began his career in 1987
as a sales representative for PRADCO
Outdoor Brands, working in various sales

SEPTEMBER 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 35

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY ATA ACTION

It’s Time! Register for the 2020 ATA Trade Show

BY CASSIE GASAWAY

R egister for the 2020 ATA Trade to the exhibit hall on Day 1 of the 2020 products, products in the Featured
Show in ndianapolis, an. -11, ATA Trade Show. This schedule ensures Product Showcase, and people and com-
panies inspiring others to try archery
to secure your spot and start the industry’s buyers and manufac- are eligible for awards. Stay tuned for
more information.
planning your trip. turers can focus their joint efforts on

The ATA Trade Show is the archery uninterrupted order-writing, business

and bowhunting industry’s largest and planning, and new-product evaluations

longest-running trade show. It gathers the first .5 hours of the three-day Show. Step 1: Renew Your Membership

retailers, manufacturers, distributors The Show oor opens to all other Show or Join the ATA

and other industry professionals to attendees the next two days, Jan. 10-11. You must be an ATA member to register

network, write orders, score deals and The ATA Board of Directors approved this for the 2020 ATA Trade Show, book your

solve industry challenges. It’s a can’t- decision in April. hotel room, or enroll in an archery-

miss event. instructor certification class. Log into

Learn what’s new. Then, follow the Trade Show Awards your MyATA member dashboard and

steps to register today! The ATA created an awards program click “Pay Membership Dues and Open

to recognize ATA members for their Balances” to renew your membership. If

New for the 2020 Show achievements—or for creating prod- you’re not a member or did not receive

Buyer Day ucts—in the archery and bowhunting a dues-renewal notice, find out more at

Only those with a buyer badge yellow industry. The ATA will present about 26 archerytrade.org. Contact Wendy Lang,

or exhibitor badge red will have access awards at the Show. Innovative new ATA’s senior membership manager,

with questions at 50 - 1 or

[email protected].

PHOTO © ATA Step 2: Register for the Show

Registration is open! Reserve You must register for Show badges to
your spot in Indianapolis! attend the 2020 ATA Trade Show.

Please log into your MyATA member
dashboard and click “Badge Registra-
tion” to register. Follow the on-screen
prompts to register and pay.

• Exhibitors: You can register through
the “MyATA Login” or the Exhibitor
Service Center. However, you must
use the Exhibitor Service Center to
manage your booth.
• Nonmember press: Registration
opens Sept. . Thank you for your
patience.
FYI: You can also register for an archery
instructor certification class through
the “Badge Registration” section of your

Continued on Page 38

UNITING THE INDUSTRY ARCHERY TRADE ASSOCIATION
archerytrade.org

36 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY ATA ACTION

Continued from Page 36

MyATA member dashboard.

PHOTO © HYATT REGENCY INDIANAPOLIS Step 3: Make Hotel Reservations

You’ll gain access to the ATA hotel block
during the final stage of the ATA Trade
Show registration process. After register-
ing online, be sure to click “Check out.”
Then, click the “book hotel” link and
follow the step-by-step instructions to
quickly book rooms.

To learn more about ATA-discounted
hotel rooms, visit archerytrade.org for
rates and a hotel map. Please note: The
ATA cannot make your hotel reservations.

Need Help?

We’re here to help! Contact the ATA Trade

Once you’ve registered, Show, business and membership office toll-
reserve your hotel room.
free at - , option 1, for assistance.

We’ll see you in Indianapolis!

38 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019



PEOPLE

PowerTheofParticipation
Archery Industry Members Participating in the Sport

SUBMIT YOUR PHOTO: Visit insidearchery.com/pop or mail a color image with your name,
address, where the animal was taken, and archery gear used—both manufacturer and model—
to Inside Archery Power of Participation, P.O. Box 25007, Colorado Springs, CO 80936.

Brad Hand • Kansas Whitetail Jake Major • Iowa Whitetail

Stacked Outdoors, Founder Cobra Archery, Owner

Bow: Bowtech BTX-31 Sight: TRUGLO Bow: Bowtech BT-X Sight: Spot Hogg Hunter

Arrow: Carbon Express Rest: Whisker Biscuit Arrow: Carbon Express Maxima Blue RZ Rest: Ripcord

Broadhead: Rage Release: Scott Archery Shark Broadhead: G5 Deadmeat Release: Cobra Moment

40 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019

Gene Hobbs • South Africa Kudu Mike Fisher • Alabama Whitetail

obbs Archery, Owner CATC N EERS, Co-Founder

Bow: Obsession Lawless Sight: A King Pins Release: Bow: Hoyt REDWRX RX-1 Other: Nikon Monarch
TruFire
Arrow: old Tip Rest: QAD Arrow: Carbon Express Maxima RE inoculars, Nikon Monarch
ardcore
roadhead: Ramcat ydroshock - rain roadhead: Rage -treme - lade 2 Laser Rangefinder

Rafael Villar • Canada Polar Bear Grant Nicodemus • Ohio Whitetail

Liberty Archery, President True Cut Tool Co., Office Manager

Bow: Liberty Sight: Liberty 75- rain Bow: oyt Carbon Element Sight: 5 Optix

Arrow: Liberty ltra Lite 5.9 Rest: Octane ostage Arrow: Easton Nemesis Rest: Trophy Taker

roadhead: ital ear 5-Pin Release: T.R. . all roadhead: Rage Release: Scott Archery

SEPTEMBER 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 41

By Ignorance is the cause of fear.
Daniel
Allred T hat might sound a bit like the famous FDR quote about
fear, but this expression was actually coined by a Roman

philosopher about 2,000 years ago. Despite its ancient

origins, this simple observation is still as true as it’s ever been.

Uncertainty naturally leads to distress.

Ignorance and uncertainty surely contributed to the fear that current-
ly surrounds chronic wasting disease, or CWD for short. This infectious
deer-based disease has rattled archery and hunting communities, and
that’s largely because there are so many questions about it that have
gone unanswered.

The tides are changing, though, and the mystery behind CWD is being
steadily unraveled. This is thanks to numerous experts, organizations,
companies and government agencies that have invested a countless
amount of time and energy to shed light on
CWD and combat its spread.

The archery industry is a key player in
the fight against CWD. After all, nothing
could really hit home harder for us than
a disease that affects deer populations. More specifically, the historic
scent-maker Tink’s has been one of the most vocal figures in the investi-
gation. Tink’s is also adamantly not in this fight alone, and the company
has joined forces with other urine-based scent manufacturers to provide
answers and peace of mind to the bowhunting public.

Tink’s and its partners understand the seriousness of CWD, but they
have also proven that by dispelling ignorance, you can dispel fear as well.

42 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019

SEPTEMBER 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 43

Competitors Joining Forces One of the key motivating factors be- and it is the infectious agent that causes
hind this partnership is simple: The CWD. Its name is a combination of the
At this year’s ATA Trade Show, a few urine-based scent industry was heavily words “protein” and “infection.”
dozen of the industry’s top writers and impacted by the implications of CWD.
media personalities gathered in a large Some states banned the use of these Unlike other infectious agents like
conference room to learn about the latest products in an effort to slow the spread viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites, a
information on CWD. of the disease, but it turns out that the prion is native to the body and brain. It
science doesn’t support this decision. is a protein in an animal that has “gone
Four men shared a table at the head rogue” by folding itself into a shape
of the conference room, ready to present Before we get to that, however, let us that causes damage to the brain and
their findings to eager listeners. Those first cover the basics. body it inhabits. Prions prompt other
four men were Phil Robinson of Tink’s, proteins in the body to form into the
Sam Burgeson of Wildlife Research Cen- What We Know About CWD same shape, causing the infection to
ter, Steve Lambeth of Code Blue and Dr. gradually worsen.
Davin Henderson—a well-known re- CWD was first recognized in 1 at a
searcher and expert on CWD. research facility in Colorado. The name One of the most troubling aspects of
“chronic wasting disease” is derived from CWD is its ability to jump from deer to
Few things are more rare in the busi- the observation that infected deer were deer. Once a deer is sick, it has the poten-
ness world than competitors coming to- wasting away, losing weight steadily un- tial to infect other deer, continuing the
gether to work towards a common goal, til their death. chain reaction by turning more normal
but this is exactly what took place at this proteins into deadly prions.
conference. Tink’s, Wildlife Research CWD affects the brain and nervous
Center and Code Blue have been competi- system of deer, and it is designated as When a deer dies from CWD, its car-
tors for years, but the companies’ leaders a “prion disease,” which is a somewhat cass contains an abundance of prions—
put that aside for the greater good. unique phenomenon in the medical which are mainly located in the brain,
world. A prion is a malformed protein, spine and lymph node of the animal.

44 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019

These prions can contaminate the environment were referencing scientific studies, which stated Tink’s has provided
and potentially get other deer sick. When a CWD- that CWD could be detected in urine. That made hunters with high
infected deer is still alive, prions have been found us question our own products. The last thing we quality and e ec-
in its muscle tissue, blood, saliva, feces and urine. wanted to do was sell products that risked spread- tive lures since
ing CWD, so we contacted the lead authors of those 1972. Almost 50
Correcting Misconceptions studies that the states were referencing. We went years later, the
straight to the horse’s mouth to hear their opinion, company has
That last item, urine, is exactly what brings us back because they were the authority on the subject.” established a
to Tink’s and the other urine-based scent manu- solid reputation
facturers. Concerned observers read a simple sen- Dr. Davin Henderson was one of the leading sci- as one of the best
tence much like the one above, which pointed out entists behind some of those studies. Dr. Henderson
that prions can be detected in urine, and without holds a PhD in biochemistry, and he spent 8 years in the business.
much further inquiry, certain state governments of his career working at Colorado State University,
began outlawing deer-urine products. the leading research facility for CWD in the country.

Phil Robinson, president and CEO of Tink’s, de- Dr. Henderson became closely involved with the
scribed the initial chain of events like this: urine-based scent industry after receiving that call
from Phil Robinson.
“We’ve been heavily involved with CWD research
since the first state banned the use of natural urine “I had been working on chronic wasting dis-
several years ago,” Phil Robinson explained. “Seeing ease for a while, and I published a few papers on
your product get banned obviously gets you
pretty energized, and we immedi-
ately got very serious about this
problem. When we looked
into it, we saw that the states

SEPTEMBER 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 45

it,” Dr. Henderson were being misrepresent- room to talk things through.”
said. “One of those ed, and we also weren’t Tink’s and its partners have taken a
papers was about being contacted to answer
detecting prions in questions or expand on humble and well thought-out approach
urine, and at the our findings. f you just look to correct misconceptions about their
time, I actually had no idea that there at the papers on the surface, and you products. They’ve also strengthened their
was a whole industry based around deer take a few phrases, then it might sound argument by working together.
urine. When Phil called me, he had a lot like deer urine could pose a risk to deer.
of questions about my research. He told But once you drill down and really look “Deer urine was unrightfully targeted
me about his company’s products, where at the numbers and you see the levels as a means of spreading CWD, and the
they come from, and how they’re used. it would actually take, then it becomes science just does not support that,” Phil
He asked if those products could pose a clear that these products aren’t spread- Robinson said. “It’s still been tough,
risk to wildlife, and he asked if it’s some- ing the disease. though, because it’s not easy to go to a
thing we should be concerned about for “The urine in these products also wildlife agency and try to get them to
the spread of CWD. I said no. The prion comes from deer farms that have nev- amend a regulation they proposed to
levels in deer urine are extremely low, er been CWD positive, so it really didn’t protect deer. Of course, we all want to do
and no deer has ever been infected with make sense that these products were everything we can to stop the spread of
CWD from inoculations of deer urine.” being targeted as a threat,” Dr. Hender- CWD, but the information that was being
son continued. “After hearing from Phil, used was either taken out of context or
In essence, Dr. Henderson’s research I wrote some letters explaining this to being heavily exaggerated.
was misinterpreted, and those misinter- states that were considering a ban. I also
pretations were being used to pass laws. traveled to a few states to sit down and “This is also why it was so important
Seeing this, Dr. Henderson made efforts talk with the people making these deci- for us to work with our competitors,
to present the facts. sions. All of those conversations have and that’s one of the greatest things
been very productive. t was just a mat- about this industry,” he continued. “They
“I didn’t think it was fair that my pa- ter of getting the right people in the right might be competitors of ours, but it’s al-
pers were being used to ban these prod- ways been easy to start a friendly con-
ucts,” Dr. Henderson said. “Our papers versation with them. We knew we had
to work together because we needed this

46 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019

This diagram outlines the states Requirements of the ATA Deer Protection Program
and counties where CWD has been
detected. The data comes from the Participating manufacturers guarantee, through their participation in the ATA
Program, that the cervid urine used in their products comes from participating
National Wildlife Health Center in Deer Protection Program facilities that comply with the following measures:
Madison, Wisconsin, and it was
updated in July 2019. I Participate in a Federally approved CWD program
I Have documented all cervid movement in/out of herd
Deer Protection I Continually monitor their herd for CWD
Program Participants I Allow additional facility inspections
I Physically inspect 100 percent of the herd every 3 years
I Black Widow Deer Lures Inc. I Commit to advancement of sound science related to CWD
I Buck Baits, LLC I Remain aware of CWD instances within 30 miles,
I Buck Bomb Inc. and maintain minimum fence requirements
I Code Blue
I Conquest Scents Tissue samples prepared for CWD
I CreekSide Whitetails testing at a laboratory. The revolution-
I Green Dot Bioplastics ary RT-QuIC Test, which was developed
I Harmon Scents with funding from Tink’s and Wildlife
I Hunter’s Edge Research Center, uses a di erent
I Hunter’s Specialities method to directly detect CWD in urine.
I Indianhead Whitetails
I Jackies Deer Lures, LLC
I James Valley Scents
I Jinx’em Scents
I LockDown Outdoors
I Ms. Doe Pee Buck Lures
I Nationwide Scents
I Nexus Outdoors
I Nose Down Scents, LLC
I Portland Outdoors
I Pure-fection Scents
I Pure Whitetail
I RAW Frozen Scents
I TGX3 Deer Scents
I Tink’s
I TT’s Buck Wild Deer Scent
I Wild Carrot Scents
I Wildgame Innovations
I Wildlife Research Center Inc.
I Wyndscent
I Wyoming County Whitetails

Tink’s, Wildlife Research Center and Code Blue joined forces with Dr. Davin Henderson to discuss the latest
CWD research during a conference at this year’s ATA Trade Show. Seen here, from left, are Sam Burgeson
of Wildlife Research Center, Phil Robinson of Tink’s, Steve Lambeth of Code Blue and Dr. Davin Henderson.

47

message to come from the whole industry, not one particular brand.
We aren’t just trying to protect our brand; we are doing this for the
good of the whole industry.”

n terms of specifics, here are some of the particular findings from
those studies that involved CWD and urine. With full context, it’s clear
that CWD isn’t being spread by urine-based scents.

“One of the studies was conducted on genetically modified mice,”
Dr. Henderson said. “The mice were modified to be more suscep-
tible to CWD than a normal mouse, and they were also significantly
more susceptible than a deer. The study took 2 milliliters of in-
fected urine, and concentrated it down to the amount you could in-
ject directly into the mouse’s brain. Even under those conditions—
with genetically altered mice and concentrated injections into the
brain—only one out of the nine mice got sick. Another paper sug-
gested that the feces and urine from a whole infected herd could
contaminate the environment, but that’s only when there is a large
accumulation of infected feces and urine in a small area over the
course of multiple years.

“I’ve tried to help others understand that just because you can detect
prions in urine, it doesn’t mean it’s at a level that could be dangerous,”
he continued. “Meanwhile, we know that about 1 to 1.5 ounces of saliva
is an infectious dose for deer. It’s been shown that you can inoculate
deer with infected saliva to spread the disease, and the opposite is true
with urine. You would probably need about 10-times more prions in
infected urine for 1 ounce of liquid to be infectious, and that entire
ounce would have to be directly ingested by a single deer.”

So, what exactly is causing the spread of CWD?
Unfortunately there is no clear answer to that question.
There are, however, some insightful findings from the re-
search of Dr. Henderson and his colleagues.
“We know that CWD can spread from deer to deer,”

48 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019

Dr. Henderson explained. “That’s been shown in a laboratory
situation, and there was also a case in Texas where two
CWD-infected deer were sharing a fence line. The only
thing those two deer had in common was the fence
line, so that suggests that deer can spread the disease
just through saliva and nose-to-nose contact. There is
also likely another component to the spread of the dis-
ease, and that’s when a population of deer with CWD gets
established. When their carcasses decompose in the wild,

it can create an environmental reservoir of prions that may be
spread by scavengers. An infected brain has thousands of lethal
doses of CWD—maybe even a hundred thousand lethal doses. That
seems to indicate that carcasses are a leading factor.”

A Foundation for the Future

The educational efforts of Tink’s, its partners and Dr. Henderson have
been well received, and there is also much more that the industry’s
urine-based scent makers have done to further ensure the safety of
their products.

The ATA Deer Protection Program is a prime example of this.
“We wanted to make sure that the facilities that supply us with
urine do everything possible to keep CWD out of their farms,” Phil Rob-
inson said. “There are actually thousands of captive deer farms in the
United States, and they all are regulated by state and federal depart-
ments. We decided to go above and beyond those standard rules and
regulations, and this is where the ATA came in. We needed a trusted
and respected third party to regulate the program, so we worked with

Tink’s has made some remarkable updates to its time-tested formulas over
the years. The company’s latest and greatest application methods makes it
easy for hunters to utilize Tink’s e ective scents in a variety of ways.

SEPTEMBER 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 49

Tink’s puts the utmost amount of care into the
development and production of its products. The
company’s e orts against CWD are ultimately a
refection of the company’s dedication to provid-
ing hunters with safe and e ective products.

them, others in the industry and disease
experts to create additional safeguards
that prevent CWD contamination from
the outside.”

This program’s strict procedures and
spotless record have provided lots of ad-
ditional peace of mind.

“There are a dozen or less facilities
that are part of the ATA Deer Protection
Program, and these few facilities pro-
duce 95 to 99 percent of the urine sold in
the country,” Phil Robinson said. “These
are elite operations that we have dealt
with for many years, and CWD has never
been found at any of the facilities in this
program. We have the most stringent
requirements in the deer farming indus-
try, and the ATA oversees it to ensure that
all these protocols are followed.”

Thanks to all these efforts, many of the
states that banned urine-based scents
have reversed their decision.

“It’s been a really successful year,” Phil
Robinson said. “I want to applaud the
wildlife departments of Alabama, Ten-
nessee, Mississippi and Louisiana for let-
ting us come in and present these facts.
They were great to work with, and they
all heard us out and amended their bans.
Many of the states we have worked with
have either reversed their ban, or at least
allowed the sale of products in the ATA
Deer Protection Program.”

Another important development in the
fight against CWD is the use of some-
thing called the RT-QuIC Test, which
will provide even more reassurance that
these products are safe.

“The RT-QuIC Test is a fairly new test
for CWD,” Dr. Henderson said. “The con-
ventional tests for CWD rely on detecting
the presence of the prion directly in the

50 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPTEMBER 2019