Inside Archery August 2021

www.insidearchery.com

®

AUGUST 2021





INSIDE ARCHERY AUGUST 2021 | VOLUME 24 | NUMBER 7

People

30 Power of Participation
■ Gary Cornum | Easton
■ Douglas Peden | POA Select
■ Robin Parks | Hot Shot Archery
■ Budro Westmoreland |
The Archery Shop
■ Randy Riggs | Randy’s Archery
■ Lance Postma | Top of Utah Archery

82 32 Scent Crusher
26 Game-Changing OZONE Technology
64
32 By Daniel Allred

Market Trends

40 Gear Report
Cobra Archery Wilderness Release

42 Bow Report
Mathews V3 31

44 Gear Report
SKB Bow Traveler Case

48 Next Generation

Treestands & Blinds

By Patrick Meitin

62 Gear Report
Victory Archery VAP TKO

42 64 Bow Report
Elite Archery EnKore

70 Gear Report
Shadow Hunter Blinds
Marksman 6x6 Octagon Archery

80 Gear Report
.30-06 Outdoors Master Series Targets

72 82 2021 Archery Target Roundup
By Josh Honeycutt

INSIDE ARCHERY (Volume 24, #7) 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 Apollo Creative Inc. PO Box 15827, Colorado Springs,
CO 80935. Periodical postage paid at Colorado Springs, CO 80935 and at additional offices. Postmaster please send address changes to INSIDE ARCHERY, P.O. Box 986, Levittown, PA 19055-9998.

4 INSIDE ARCHERY AUGUST 2021



INSIDE ARCHERY AUGUST 2021 | VOLUME 24 | NUMBER 7

70 IInndsiudsetrtyhe

16 10 Inside Track
6 Good Days & Bad

14 Kinsey’s Business
Blueprint

Engage with Your Customers
Before and During Archery Season

30
16 New & Notable

Archery products with
strong sales potential

18 Your ATA Insights
Again
By Kurt Smith / ATA

20 Industry News
Information that keeps you up
to speed on news, events and
people in the archery industry

26 ATA Action
Working With Customers:
Tips From an Archery Pro Shop Icon
By Cassie Gasaway / ATA

58 The Lancaster
40 64 Archery Foundation

By P.J. Reilly

66 Leading Archery
Manufacturers

Morrell Targets

72 Youth & Recreational Archery:
Participation on the Rise

By Daniel Allred

90 Industry 5Q
58 Five Questions with Nation’s Best Sports

INSIDE ARCHERY AUGUST 2021



INSIDE ARCHERY AUGUST 2021 | VOLUME 24 | NUMBER 7

insidearchery.com Online Exclusives

Preseason Preparation

5-Step Preseason Equipment Prep

Are you ready for archery season 2021? Inside Archery’s
Executive Editor takes you through five vital steps to
ensuring your equipment, and your shooting, are truly
prepared for the long-awaited bowhunting festivities
that lay just around the corner.

Broadheads

How Much Mechanical Is Too Much?

Mechanical broadheads certainly have their advantages,
but are you choosing the right design for your equip-
ment’s capabilities? Patrick Meitin discusses design
features you should consider to help match the right
mechanical to your bow’s delivered energy.

Shooting Tips

Taming Torque

Bow torque is an often overlooked and insidious cul-
prit to accuracy erosion. Here are some quick tips to
help eliminate bow torque from your equipment and
shooting style, and help you become the best shooter
you can be this season.

Hunting Tips

Do Wide-Cutting Heads Kill Faster?

Instincts tell you that cutting a bigger hole will result
in faster recovery of game. But is this actually true?
Executive Editor Patrick Meitin explores the pros and
cons of super-wide versus conservative cutting diam-
eters and how they affect game recovery.

:WebXtras “Gear Report” tries out the Cobra Archery Wilderness Release, SKB Bow

Traveler Case, Victory Archery VAP TKO, Shadow Hunter Blinds Marksman 6x6 Octagon
Archery, and .30-06 Outdoors Master Series Targets; “Bow Reports” take a look at the
Mathews V3 31 and Elite Archery EnKore; and “5Q” chats with Nation’s Best Sports.

Inside Archery Digital Edition

Now Inside Archery can be delivered to your door, viewed on your computer,
AND on your smartphone or tablet. VISIT INSIDEARCHERY.COM/DIGITAL

Fresh content daily
on social media!

8 INSIDE ARCHERY AUGUST 2021



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INSIDE TRACK

Good Days & Bad

L ike even the best of marriages, longtime friendships or beloved pets, owning
an archery shop, or just managing one, comes with good days and bad. Too
many hours behind the counter, a lack of quality vacation time or simply a
few nights of fitful sleep can have a negative effect on your outlook. When these epi-
sodes coincide with the arrival of rudely-demanding custom-
ers, supply-chain failures, employees giving you attitude—not
to mention major disasters like burst plumbing or a crashed
point-of-sale systems—tempers flare.
I’ve certainly been there, during my most recent stint in re-
tail archery—a second job taken during financial emergency.
I kept getting promotions and increasingly demanding re-
sponsibilities, when all I’d really wanted was some extra cash
to keep the mortgage current. I awoke at 3 or 4 a.m. to keep my writing career alive
before beginning the hour commute to arrive at the daytime job by 9 or 10 a.m. I
would put in a full day’s worth of toil before trundling home to begin all over again.
I operated on five or six hours of sleep for two years. There were days when keeping
a good cheer was difficult at best. I often failed.
As an industry, we continue to experience record demand, record growth and
record sales. We seem to have skipped the slow period of past sales years, transi-
tioning straight from busy, to busier, to outright overwhelmed—with the traditional
mad-rush season just around the corner. Burnout is inevitable. And burnout trans-
lates into more bad days, real or imagined.
How will you cope?
Patience is key, obviously, and sometimes easier said than done. The simpler so-
lution is making quality time for yourself. Getting away—if just for a day here and
there—to check trail cameras, hang a couple stands or do some old-fashioned explo-
ration does much to bring peace of mind. Better yet, spend an entire weekend—or
week—on a bass lake or trout stream, hiking in the mountains or just sitting in a
peaceful campground contemplating life, sipping a cool adult beverage.
Don’t try to do everything yourself. Hire good people, train them well and relin-
quish some trust. They just might surprise you. What is the worst that could happen
on a single weekend—or week—away? Your employee(s) might not do everything
just right, exactly as you would have it, but odds are they won’t burn the place down
in your absence.
There really is no use in building a company from the ground up and patiently
nurturing it if it is then going to own you. The most successful businessmen I know
delegate, are willing to bestow serious employee trust (paid fairly to buy that loyalty,
if needed) so they can truly reap the rewards of building a successful enterprise.
Ultimately, they are more prosperous business owners, and they are surrounded by
happier employees willing to go the extra mile to make the boss’ life easier.
Take care of yourself first, so you can properly take care of your customers after.

Patrick Meitin, Executive Editor

INSIDE ARCHERY AUGUST 2021



Publisher

Apollo Creative Inc

Executive Editor

Patrick Meitin • [email protected]

Associate Editor

Daniel Allred • [email protected]

Contributors

Kurt Smith | Cassie Gasaway
Josh Honeycutt | P.J. Reilly

Sales & Marketing Director

Stephen Mack • [email protected]
(814) 341-9313

Design & Production

ER Graphics / Ed Rother • [email protected]

Graphic Designer

Tara Bondar

Social Media Manager

Jason Ashe

Video Editor

Marc Balisteri

Account Manager

Pam Ludlam • [email protected]

Subscription Services & Change of Address:

Inside Archery® Circulation Department
Inside Archery, PO Box 986, Levittown, PA 19055-9998
Phone: (844) 862-9286 • Fax: (888) 965-9961
[email protected]

Publication Office

Inside Archery® / Apollo Creative Inc
P.O. Box 15827, Colorado Springs, CO 80935
Phone: (719) 495-9999 • www.InsideArchery.com

Inside Archery founded in 1998 by Bill and Sherry Krenz

Inside Archery® Copyright © 2021 Apollo Crreative Inc. All rights re-
served. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permis-
sion from the publisher is prohibited. Inside Archery® is a registered
U.S. trademark of Apollo Creative Inc. Opinions expressed in by-lined
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Archery, hunting and bowhunting are inherently dangerous activi-
ties. Improper use of hunting or archery equipment may cause se-
rious injury or death. Always follow state and local hunting safety
rules, and get required permits or licenses before hunting. Apollo
Creative Inc uses reasonable efforts to include accurate and up-to-
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arising from use by any person of the information in this magazine.

Inside Archery®
is a publication of
Apollo Creative Inc
Printed in the USA.

INSIDE ARCHERY AUGUST 2021



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY BUSINESS BLUEPRINT Sponsored by

Engage with Your Customers Kinsey’s is the leading distributor to the outdoors and
Before and During Archery Season archery industry. Carrying items from your favorite
A s archery dealers, it can be dif- brands, in-stock and ready-to-ship, the company offers
ficult to keep customers com- way to share what they’re capturing on domestic and international retailers a wide array of
ing into your store during the their scouting cameras. If there’s any- products and services. Kinsey’s also owns innovative
archery off-season. However, there are thing unique and interesting, it’s a way consumer brands including BlackHeart, Fin-Finder,
spring and summer archery leagues and for your archery business to get atten- Elevation and October Mountain Products.
local tournaments you can sponsor to tion, awareness and stay in the conver- For more information, please visit KinseysInc.com
help interact with your customers and sation with local archers and bowhunt-
keep them active and engaged outside of ers. Your business can even sweeten the ness to sign up for the contest. Again, the
archery season. But what can you do in pot for the contest and offer prizes for main idea with such a contest is to drive
between target archery season and bow- the top two or three photos that garner foot traffic into your store in the hopes
hunting season to keep your customers the most votes as a way to encourage that you can drive additional sales and
active and engaged? Here we’ll discuss participation. interest into other products and services
three ways your archery business can you offer. The other benefit of a big-buck
engage with your customers leading up Become a Hunting License Retailer pool, similar to the trail cam photo con-
to and during archery season. test, is that it will keep contestants ac-
The second way your archery busi- tive and engaged as they’ll be checking
Trail Cam Photo Contest ness can keep customers coming into back in person and online to see if their
your business during the off-season is buck will take home the grand prize. If
During the summer heat, many archers by becoming a hunting license vender. you’re not currently running a big-buck
are doing off-season preparation. That This might sound like a no-brainer; pool—we encourage you to consider it.
includes checking treestands, shoot- however, you’d be surprised how many As always, check with your state wild-
ing and tuning bows, food plot creation archery dealers don’t offer this service life agency to ensure you’re not breaking
and maintenance, as well as setting already. The main reason is generally any local or state rules, regulations or
and checking trail cameras. One way that there isn’t much money involved laws in holding such a contest.
you can keep your customers active and by offering this service on behalf of your
engaged with your archery business is state’s wildlife agency. However, it’s an The archery off-season can be hard on
creating a Trail-Cam Photo Contest. easy way to gain free foot traffic into businesses that rely solely on archery
Running a trail camera photo contest your brick-and-mortar store leading and bowhunting related sales and ser-
on your website or social media ac- up to the archery season. Another way vices. As a way to keep your customers
counts provides your customers with a you can help entice archers to buy their active and engaged, you should definite-
hunting license through your business ly consider holding a trail camera photo
is offering hunting license specific cou- contest, big-buck pool, or becoming a
pons for a percentage off of their total hunting license retailer. Even though
purchase or specific items at your store. the events themselves might not be ex-
Again, any way you can leverage free tremely lucrative, the attention, aware-
foot traffic to your store leading up to ness, foot traffic and customer engage-
or during the archery season should be ment they provide can prove invaluable
considered. to your archery business leading up to
and during the archery season. IA
Big Buck Pool Contest

Another great way to keep your custom-
ers engaged leading up to and during the
archery season is creating a big-buck
pool contest. In offering a big-buck pool,
you’ll entice people to stop by your busi-

14 INSIDE ARCHERY AUGUST 2021



MARKET TRENDS NEW & NOTABLE

BIGshot Archery Iron Man 30” KuduPoint
Contour+Plus
Serious archers seeking a serious backyard or range target will love
the BIGshot Archery Iron Man 30-inch Personal Range Target with Contour+Plus 100-grain
Pro Stand. This new-for-2021 target offers special construction broadheads from KuduPoint
designed to stop the fastest arrows, particularly high-performance include the company’s trademark cut-
crossbow bolts, while also allowing ultra-easy, one-handed arrow/bolt on-contact contour main blade backed by an
removal. The target is designed to be shot outside or indoors, and it measures a full 31-by-30 inches, effective bleeder to create a devastating crosscut
ensuring safety or inviting longer shots. As the name suggests, the Iron Man is made to last a very long time, wound channel. Three packs include a hardcase
providing good value for the money. The fortified shell provides extreme compression of BIGshot’s exclusive with integrated broadhead wrench, each head honed to
military fibers and a best-in-class, multi-directional woven ballistic core to stop arrows cold—even from the sharp single-bevel edges (left or right). The heads include
most extreme compound and crossbow systems up to 475 fps. Learn more at bigshottargets.com. standard #8-32 threads and feature a 1.07-inch cutting
width and a 1.18-inch length. The 100 percent stainless
Killer Food Plots Border Patrol steel construction includes a permanently swagged-on
416 stainless steel ferule and .050-inch-thick 420 stainless
Killer Food Plots’ Border Patrol is comprised of KFP Foundation steel blades, which are hardened to 50Rc to make them
and KFP Structure, plus KFP Winter Peas and KFP Forage indestructible. The single-bevel bleeder is made from 17-4
Soybeans, and is designed to stand through the entire winter. stainless steel. It is .625-inches wide and weighs 8 grains.
KFP Foundation and Structure provide an 8- to 12-foot-tall wall of A dark blade finish reduces glare. The USA-made heads
natural cover, helping funnel whitetail movement and providing include a Lifetime Materials & Workmanship Guarantee,
security that sparks improved daytime movement. KFP Winter when purchased from KuduPoint or an authorized dealer.
Peas and KFP Soybeans offer highly-palatable forage giving deer Learn more at kudupoint.com.
a 20-plus percent protein boost. Ten-pound bags cover a ½ acre,
or produce a 10-foot wall around 1 acre. This annual blend prefers
full sun (8 hours per day minimum) and thrives in a variety of soil
types, including sandy, rocky, clay and loamy. Plant in late spring
or summer. Learn more at killerfoodplots.com.

ThermaSeat Hybrid RX True North Treestands
CS533 Climbing Sticks
The Hybrid RX from 30-year-old ThermaSeat
offers ultimate comfort while in a stand, The TNT CS533 Climbing Sticks are ready to ship
sitting on the ground, in hunting camp and provide five 36-inch sections, each weighing
or attending a football game. The G4 Premium just 3.5 pounds, to get hunters in and out of
Gel Core is designed to provide prolonged comfort in elevated stands quickly and safely through set 11-inch
any setting when combined with the ½-inch Rigid Closed-Cell Foam, which protects the posterior from step spacing. The ladder sections are welded from
cold and wet ground, plus a 1 ¼-inch layer of Premium Comfort Foam. The three-layer cushion is finished stout steel and provide climbing versatility and a high
with a tough but silent polyester fabric with a non-slip, rubber-coated base, and it also has an adjustable degree of portability. They make quick work of access-
shoulder carrying strap for easy toting. The Hybrid RX is available with Mossy Oak, Realtree or black ing commanding perches when combined with TNT’s
material covers. It is made to be lightweight and built to last a lifetime. Learn more at thermaseat.com. Universal Receiver Bracket and Hang-On system.
These ladder sections install quickly, securely and
Tactacam 5.0 Camera safely in seconds using double-loop cam buckles over
a TNT toggle attachment. Individual sections make
The Tactacam 5.0 has received a 5-star it easy to work around branches, while keeping cover
customer rating after 193 reviews. The $299.99 intact. They include a 300-pound weight rating and
POV technology allows hunters to easily self-film their own hunts meet or exceed ASTM and TMA test standards. They
without confusing technology or operation. The camera includes 8x Zoom to bring the are compatible with trees measuring 9 to 20 inches in
action closer, and new Image Stabilization Technology eliminates shaky footage. Videos are captured in diameter. Learn more at hunttnt.com.
4K resolution. Tactacam assembled these units using the best components available, allowing one-touch
operation with vibration indication for foolproof operation. The miniaturized video camera holds an
ultra-high-quality lens and low-light sensor, plus a unique lens design that provides a true-to-life view of
the action mirroring the human eye. The Tactacam 5.0 action camera comes with battery, USB cable with
charging wall adapter, user manual and Tactacam decal. Learn more at tactacam.com.

16 INSIDE ARCHERY AUGUST 2021



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY YOUR ATA INSIGHTS

Again

BY KURT SMITH, COURTESY OF THE ATA

“I want to go again, I want to Go Hunting Again ■ I don’t know of too Loyal customers, on the other hand, make
go again...” additional purchases from you because
many bowhunters who have harvested they see immense value in what you of-
an animal their first time in the woods.

I never understood why, when my kids We all know that even seeing our tar- fer. For newer participants, feeling like

go to an amusement park, they want to geted game animal is not guaranteed. an employee truly cares about the quality

get off the ride and then run right back How can you play a role in getting that of their experience or getting useful sup-

to the line to do it all over again. Sure, the first-time hunter to go out port materials with a product

ride was fun, but don’t they want to go do again? For a retailer, it could make them a loyal cus-

something else? And then it dawned on could be pretty straightfor- tomer. Isn’t that what every

me. They probably think the same thing ward—talk to the customer business strives for? Think

as they watch me shoot one arrow after the next time they come in about how you can instill this

another in our backyard. And as the sun the shop and see how they mindset in every employee so

sets, it’s me saying, “I want to shoot these are doing. Offer support you can not only get archers

arrows again … just one more time.” first—let them know it can and bowhunters to try again,

According to our ATA members, grow- take some time to be successful. Maybe but also make sure they do so while sup-

ing participation in archery and bowhunt- even share some of your own experi- porting your business and not your com-

ing is one of the most important areas in ences that did not involve harvesting petition.

which we should be focusing our efforts as an animal. Reserve your advice until the The task of growing archery and bow-

a trade association. And getting people to customer asks for it. The last thing we hunting rests on all of our shoulders, from

try various archery sports is great. Every- want to do is make a new hunter feel as state agencies that determine regulations,

one needs to start somewhere if we hope to though they don’t know enough to even to manufacturers that produce gear, to re-

bring them into our community. While in- be in the woods. Manufacturers and tail shops that provide important services

terest in all outdoor activities has boomed other archery-related brands can har- and instruction. To make this all happen,

over the last year and a half, we now need ness the power of social media to en- we must think beyond what makes some-

to turn our focus from getting someone courage bowhunters to go out again by one want to try archery and instead, what

to try archery for the first time to making sharing photos, videos and stories that makes them want to try archery again?

them want to do it again. don’t involve a harvest. This lets newer I’d love to hear your thoughts on how

Watch It Again ■ We are in a digital age hunters know they aren’t the only ones our industry can continue to grow archery
who haven’t yet filled a tag.
where it’s not out of the norm to spend a and bowhunting. You can reach me via
few hours watching YouTube videos on Come Back Again ■ A customer comes email at [email protected]. IA

anything we want. I’m guessing most peo- back to your shop or continues to sup-

ple who are just getting into bowhunting port your brand for a reason. But they

or archery do just that. So what does that don’t come back when they are

have to do with your business? You can be made to feel unimportant or an

the one creating videos that your new cus- inconvenience to employees

tomers watch! due to their lack of experi-

What do you want a customer to know ence. According to custom-

after they have taken their first lesson or er experience expert Shep

purchased a bow you manufacture? Con- Hyken, there are repeat

sider making video content to educate customers who continue

these folks and make them want to learn to support your business

more. When is your next league starting? simply because it’s more

What do they need to do in order to keep convenient, less expensive,

their new bow performing optimally? Tell or their only option. These

these stories through video content and customers may come in several

give newcomers insights into what they times, but they are always look-

can watch (and learn) next. ing for a better option.

18 INSIDE ARCHERY AUGUST 2021



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INDUSTRY NEWS

sBhlaipckwEiathglSecAhrorloawstsicR3e-nDeAwrschSeproynsor- Black Eagle arrows with our hunting from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday,
bows and in competition archery. January 8, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. in
Scholastic 3D Archery announced that South Wing C. The space can accom-
Black Eagle Arrows has renewed its Black Eagle Arrows is a family owned modate 70 targets and 300 shooters.
Bronze Level Sponsorship. Black Eagle and operated business in Canton, Geor- The event will feature a unique 25-me-
Arrows offers a wide variety of prod- gia, founded by avid outdoorsmen with ter shooting format and will be World
ucts, including—but not limited to— the goal of offering the highest quality Archery certified, so participants have a
arrows, bushings, components, nocks products at the best price. They devel- chance to set world records.
and shafts. S3DA archers from across oped the best carbon shafts on the mar-
the country shoot Black Eagle arrows ket and figured out a way to sell a pre- The exclusive ATA Trade Show event
not only for competition, but also when mium product, at a lower cost, with no was added to the schedule thanks to a
hunting. sacrifice in quality.” | learn more by visiting longstanding 12-year partnership with
blackeaglearrows.com. USA Archery. Jennifer Mazur, the ATA’s
Black Eagle Arrows’ Office Manager, senior director of outreach and educa-
Jennifer Kitts, said, “Our family here at 2Fi0r2st2AArTcAheTrraydTeouSrhnoawmteonFteature tion, said the partnership is always
Black Eagle Arrows is thrilled to part- evolving and expanding to provide bet-
ner once again with S3DA! We know the For the first time in ATA history, USA Ar- ter archery opportunities.
value of investing in our youth through chery will host an archery tournament
the love of archery. Growing up togeth- during the 2022 ATA Trade Show. “The work ATA does with USA Archery
er, one well-placed arrow at a time.” has produced Archery Academies to in-
The 2022 USA Archery 25 Meter Shoot- fuse the sport into local communities,
S3DA parent Aaron Tuttle is very com- out will be hosted Friday, January 7 Explore Archery and now this opportu-
mitted to Black Eagle Arrows. When nity for our members to have a novel
talking with Aaron about Black Eagle experience at our annual Trade Show.
products he stated, “I absolutely love the We’re grateful for their dedication to
Black Eagle PS23 arrows. My son, Josh growing archery and their willingness
Phillips, is a member of Believer Archery to work together on new projects.”
in North Carolina, and his coach got
him hooked. My son and I both shoot USA Archery CEO Rod Menzer agreed.
“The ATA has long been a supporter of
ATA Trade Show Impact Awards USA Archery and makes such incredible
efforts to grow the archery communi-
Do you know an individual, company or youth who in the archery community either through their per- ty,” he said. “We’re proud and excited
is sharing their voice or platform to inspire others to sonal endeavors or service work. to build upon our partnership with the
enjoy and participate in archery and bowhunting? ■ Nonprofit—Any not-for-profit organization that ATA to put together this new event.”
is making a difference in the growth or enhance-
Please nominate them to receive the Archery ment of archery and bowhunting. Examples include Maria Lewis, the ATA’s senior director
Trade Association Impact Award. Their impact youth-focused organizations, hunting/shooting of Trade Show and membership, hopes
could stem from creativity, service, technology, ATA members will attend and enjoy the
engagement, longevity, sustainability, over- organizations or mentoring groups. Shootout.
coming adversity and/or awareness. ■ Youth—Any individual 20 years or younger
“We’re thrilled to announce the addi-
One Impact award will be present- who is making a difference in the tion of the 25 Meter Shootout to our 2022
ed to each of the following: archery community through their schedule of events. Not only will this
■ Individual—Any adult (21 and inspiration to others or service work. be an excellent competition, but the
over) who is making a difference in the archery There is no cost to nominate someone for an Shootout provides another opportunity
community through their service work and does Impact Award. Deadline for nominations is Friday, for our members to interact, learn, and
not fit into any of the other categories. Examples October 15, 2021. Winners will be announced and simply celebrate being back together as
include but aren’t limited to coaches, athletes or awarded at Connections: An ATA Happy Hour, which an industry.”
club leaders. will occur Friday, January 7 at 6 p.m. in Freedom
■ Manufacturer—Any manufacturer that is mak- Hall. Winners will be notified ahead of time and Continued on Page 22
ing a difference either through their product, per- invited to attend the ATA Trade Show if not already
sonal endeavors or service work. included. | to learn more or make a nomina-
■ Retailer—Any retailer who is making a difference tion, visit archerytrade.org.

20 INSIDE ARCHERY AUGUST 2021



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INDUSTRY NEWS

Continued from Page 20 compound and recurve categories. Com- NATeAwTPraroddeuSchtoLwauAnwcharSdhsowcase—
pound archers placing first win $10,000,
After competing on Friday and Satur- The New Product Launch Showcase
day, archers will have the option to $4,000 for second and $2,500 for third. serves as an area where Show attend-
walk the Show floor on Sunday as Recurve men and women archers ees can preview products recently intro-
part of their tournament fee. They can each win $7,000 for first, $3,000 duced to the market. These products are
pay extra for additional passes. for second and $1,750 showcased in the high-traffic lobby near
for third; Barebow ar- main registration. Industry experts vote
Archers interested in compet- chers (men and wom- on their favorite products displayed in
ing can register begin- en) compete for $6,000 this area.
ning August 16 through first-, $3,500 second- and $1,000
USA Archery’s website. third-place finishes. Gold, silver and bronze awards will
Registration fees to compete in the be given in two categories: New Prod-
2022 USA Archery 25 Meter Shootout, “This shoot is going to be fun,”
including access to the ATA Trade Menzer said. “It’s a com- uct Introduced at ATA Trade
Show floor, are $500 for Compound, pletely different round than Show and New Product Intro-
$250 for Recurve and $180 for Barebow what most people are used duced After October 1, 2021.
classes. After registration, participants to shooting at USA Archery Space is limited and will be
will receive a code that allows them to events and it will be a blast. We look for- reserved on a first-come, first-serve ba-
book a hotel room within the official ATA ward to bringing together ATA members, sis. Deadline to reserve space is Tuesday,
hotel block. top athletes and industry leaders for a December 7.
spectacular shoot.” Drop Off ■ Products need to be delivered
USA Archery will pay out nearly to the New Product Launch Showcase the
$85,000 in prizes to winners, with po- USA Archery is seeking event sponsors. day before the show opens, Thursday,
tential for more. Top-10 finishers in | contact rod menzer at rmenzer@usaarchery.
each division will receive a check. Men org to learn more. Continued on Page 24
and women will compete separately in



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INDUSTRY NEWS

Continued from Page 22

January 6 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The couraging and can result in the loss of Solid Broadheads, CAMX Crossbows and
exhibitor will be given a tent card with a sale. “If our retail partners aren’t suc- Lynch Mob Calls. | retailers looking for bows
their company name and booth number cessful, then our company isn’t going to
to display next to their product. The ATA be. And clearly you can’t sell what you and archery accessories at a variety of price
will choose the display location for the don’t have,” said Paul Guillot, VP of Sales.
item(s). “Thankfully, we’ve been able to ramp up points are encouraged to reach out to an elite
Pick Up ■ Items are to remain in the New production and drive down lead-times
Product Launch Showcase until the des- so that our retail partners aren’t put in archery representative today by calling 1-877-
ignated pick-up time. All products must that position and collectively we can
be picked up Sunday, January 9 between serve our customers hitting the woods 503-5483 and/or by visiting elitearchery.com.
3 and 5 p.m. later this fall.”
Voting ■ Voting by a panel of industry ex- BinigCuWllimnsafno,rATleaabmamMaathews
perts/influencers will take place on day "The response to the 2021 bow line-up
one of the Show (Friday, January 7, Buyer has been overwhelmingly positive, and Team Mathews dominated the recent
Day), closing at 4 p.m. demand continues to climb as we enter Cullman, Alabama, ASA shoot by claim-
Announcement ■ The six winners, plac- peak selling time," said Josh Sidebottom, ing seven podium spots, including three
ing gold, silver and bronze in each cat- COO of The Outdoor Group. first-place finishes.
egory, will be announced and awarded “We’ve been able to
at the Show. Winning products will be shrink our lead time “It was a lot of fun watching the team
identified via special displays in the New through coordination shoot this weekend, especially watching
Product Launch Showcase for viewing on with our suppliers,
days two and three of the Show. adding machine and Dan (McCarthy) and Levi (Mor-
assembly capacity, and some in- gan) battling it out,” said
The ATA will work with each winning credibly long hours for our team. In com- Mathew’s Pro Staff
exhibitor to produce a video highlight- parison, our current timeline to get bows Manager, Derek Phil-
ing your winning product. These videos out the door and into our retail partners lips. “I’m looking for-
will be posted on the ATA’s social media is one of the shortest.” ward to the final shoot in
channels and provided to the winning
exhibitor for their own promotional use. Established in 2012 and headquartered a few weeks to see who takes home
| for more information, visit archerytrade.org, in West Henrietta, New York, The Out- the coveted Shooter of the Year title.”
or contact sarah haala at (507) 233-8131 x101, or
[email protected]. door Group is the Dan McCarthy grabbed first in Men’s
parent company to Open Pro, with Levi Morgan close behind
F&aAsctcSehsispopriinegs ofrnomPreEmlitieumArcBhoewrys Elite Archery, Duel in second and Danny Evans finishing in
Game Calls, Scott Ar- third. Cara Kelly secured first in Women’s
In a time when supply chain con- chery, Custom Bow Pro, with teammate Emily McCarthy fin-
straints continue to burden the hunting Equipment, Win- ishing second. Finally, Chris Perkins took
industry, Elite Archery has managed to ner’s Choice Custom home top honors in Men’s Known Pro,
thrive and keep up with unprecedented Bowstrings, Slick finishing first while teammate Justin
demand to deliver the “World’s Most Trick Broadheads, Hannah secured third.
Shootable” bow—often in just a few
weeks to retail partners. Follow Team Mathews through the re-
mainder of the 2021 tournament season
Long backlogs and lead-times are dis- on Mathews’ Facebook, Instagram, and
Twitter accounts. | learn more about their
bows by visiting mathewsinc.com.

24 INSIDE ARCHERY AUGUST 2021

ABiLeononkiaBl,a6c0ktahtAPnonpieve&rsYaoruynCgo’snv3e2nntdion cluded some truly one-of-a-kind items. tunity to unveil a new look and logo, but
Michael Waddell delivered Friday more importantly, a newly redefined and
Pope & Young, America’s leading bow- expanded mission—a mission that aims
hunting organization, recently held its night’s keynote speech, one which was to preserve, promote and protect our pas-
32nd Biennial Convention, where they both entertaining and engaging for those sion for bowhunting.
celebrated 60 years of bowhunting heri- in attendance. A special thanks to Mi-
tage with an incredible attendance, great chael for hosting an impromptu meet- Pope & Young strives to be the voice
auctions, amazing seminars, and capped and-greet for more than 100 people, who of all bowhunters; so, whether you’re a
it off with the reveal of their updated logo got to enjoy some time with Waddell, backyard bowhunter from Alabama, or
and expanded mission statement. Remi Warren, Andrew McKean and oth- chasing new world records in the back-
ers—all over hot pizza and cold beer. country, Pope & Young is for you. A sub-
The bowhunting community clearly mission into the record books is not re-
embraced the return to With more than 120 breathtaking ani- quired. A passion for bowhunting and a
in-person meetings, with mals on display, and 10 new passion to protect and promote the sport
the total attendance being world records, the Pope & is all that is required of current and fu-
just shy of 1,000 archers. Young Convention offered a ture members.
With their great corporate big game display that can’t
partners and outfitters, the be seen anywhere else. The Pope & Young Club remains North
Pope & Young live auction The convention offered America's leading bowhunting and conser-
had more than 60 hunts a great opportunity to cele- vation organization. If you are a fair chase,
and products available for bidding. Along- brate the first 60 years, but ethical bowhunter, and you care about pre-
side the live auction, there were more than serving the culture and future of bowhunt-
125 items in the silent auction, which in- more importantly, it was a time to look ing, then you belong in the Pope & Young
forward to the next 60 years for Pope & Club. | join today at pope-young.org. IA
Young. The organization took this oppor-

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY ATA ACTION

Working With Customers: Tips From an Archery Pro Shop Icon

BY CASSIE GASAWAY

C reate positive customer interactions He needs a raise.”
and watch the money flow. Here’s how. ■ WoodlandChef: “What a
salesman. So thorough, not re-

ally pushy, very helpful. Would

In a 20-minute The Hunting Public You- love to have him in my town!”

Tube video “$500 Archery Shop Chal- ■ Dunamis: “The guy helping

lenge! How to Get Started Bowhunting!,” sell the bow had me wishing

Mark Wagner, archery manager at Ar- he was local. I wanted to go out The Hunting Public demonstrated the efficacy of
chery Field & Sports in Iowa, helps THP and buy a bow just watching.” affordable bows. photo © the hunting public.
intern Ethan Gooch assemble a bow- ■ Anonymous: “Someone get

hunting setup for less than $500. this sales guy a drink. He’s the

When the video was released, the definition of professional.” nationwide receiving this type of in-

hunting community responded in a ■ David Whitaker: “Man, I’d love to teraction? Wagner thinks some people

big way. Viewers shared their customer have a bow shop like this. My experi- have the wrong motivation.

service experiences, and many wished ence was ‘stuff’ being picked off the wall “There are quality pro-shops out

they had a salesman at their pro-shop with no explanation, no conversation, there, but some shops are out there to

like Wagner, who was patient, helpful and learning via YouTube by watching make a dollar,” Wagner said. “They’re

and kind. Don’t take my word for it; see slow-motion draws of pro archers.” not there for the consumer and for the

for yourself. Hundreds of other people had similar sport. It’s depressing to see (people say-

Here are six examples from the more reactions. They liked Wagner, and they ing they had a bad experience). I want

than 9,100 video comments: yearned for a quality salesperson to as- to continue to see the sport grow. I take

■ David Stokes: “Kudos to that sales- sist them in their archery endeavors. my time and set up customers prop-

man. He was so patient and knowledge- We spoke to Wagner to learn what erly because if someone goes home and

able. He didn’t try to push him one way archery pro-shop retailers can do to smacks their arm with the bowstring

or the other. That’s how you get lifetime provide quality customer interactions three or four times, they’re going to

customers.” that create happy, satisfied custom- hang up the bow in a closet and never

■ Mark Midkiff: “I’ve NEVER been in a ers—and leave onlookers impressed. shoot again. You’re going to lose an ar-

shop that had someone that helpful and But first, let’s address the elephant cher and potential hunter.”

focused on making a customer happy. in the room: Why aren’t customers A commenter under the name “Jetski

Jay” identified another potential issue:

“The guys at my local bow shops seem

burnt out and have no passion left in

them,” he said. “If you’re new or unedu-

cated, it feels like you’re just a burden to

them, and that’s not how an experience

should be.”

Whether retailers are burned out or in

it for the wrong reason, situations like

these create a lot of loss. The customer

loses their desire for archery. As a result,

the retailer loses a customer, while the

industry loses a hunter (and therefore,

financial support for conservation).

Continued on Page 28

UNITING THE INDUSTRY ARCHERY TRADE ASSOCIATION
archerytrade.org

26 INSIDE ARCHERY AUGUST 2021



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY ATA ACTION

Continued from Page 26

Wagner’s Tips To Provide edge about the product, but
Good Customer Service also to let them know what
to expect with the product so
So, what can you do to ensure you don’t they can make a good buy-
lose a customer? Provide good customer ing decision.”
service. After all, it is what sets your busi-
ness apart from competitors. Wagner 4 ■ Provide Tips on Shoot-
shared seven tips to help retailers en-
hance their customer interactions. ing Form or Product Use •

1 ■ Make Eye Contact and Listen • Eye When Wagner works with

contact tells a customer you’re focused, customers, he offers tips If you provide excellent customer service, your customers will come
paying attention and listening to what and instructions to ensure back and refer their friends and family. photo © the hunting public.
they’re saying. Wagner said it also helps
him better understand his customers. the customer can be as good
“I look customers in the eye when I talk
to them so I can read their facial expres- as possible. However, he also wants them interaction and experience for your cus-
sions and feedback,” he said. To show
your customers you care, commit to the to take a lesson or class, or join a league tomers. When you do that, you might
conversation with your eyes and ears.
to further their skills and generate addi- not receive a large chunk of money right
2 ■ Pinpoint the Customer’s Wants/
Needs • After listening to your customer tional revenue for the shop. By providing away, but the money usually flows later

explain why they’re at your shop, you tips during a customer’s interaction, he when the customer returns—and brings
should have a good idea of what they
want or need. Ask questions to confirm said, you establish yourself as an expert. their family and friends.
their desires. Then, zero in on the prod-
uct they’re requesting. Wagner said every “At some point, they’ll want to be better,”
customer is different, so you have to fig-
ure out exactly what they’re looking for, he said. “If you’re giving them informa- 7 ■ Post Your Own Video • After the vid-
what they want to get out of a product
and work with them to help them find it. tion and helping them, they know you’re eo came out, Wagner said Archery Field

3 ■ Explain the Product’s Pros and Cons a location to come back to when they & Sports had an influx of new custom-

• Wagner said to be honest with custom- want to improve.” ers. Some were from the area, and others
ers. “Every product has its pluses and mi-
nuses,” he said. “I want them to know that drove hours to get there. Some were new,
ahead of time to show them I have knowl-
5 ■ Don’t Be Pushy • According to Wag- and others were veterans seeking a more
Give the customer eye contact and truly listen to
what they want. photo © archery field and sports. ner and many customers, the worst enjoyable customer experience.

thing a salesperson can do is push people Many new customers are intimidated

into buying products on the spot or buy- about going to a pro-shop for help. To

ing products they don’t want or need. ease their concerns, consider posting a

Wagner always tries to give his custom- similar video to your social media ac-

ers time to decide so they don’t feel pres- count. The video must be real and genu-

sured to buy. Plus, giving them space to ine. It should tell the truth, not a story.

decide on their own helps give them con- Avoid a scripted interaction. Give an

fidence as a consumer. overview of the buying process and what

customers can expect when they come

6 ■ Watch the Money Flow • Helping in. Let the viewer see how you appreci-

the customer get exactly what they want ate and value their time in your shop.

helps ensure they’ll visit again Posting a video like that also allows cur-

when they need something else. rent customers to comment and share

“I’m all about getting the their experiences at your shop for ad-

customer into the type of bow ditional support and encouragement to

they’re looking for, whether it’s newcomers.

a $400 or $800 bow,” Wagner The ATA has resources to help you cre-

said. “Down the road, they al- ate, edit and post high-quality videos to

ways want to upgrade. They al- your website or social media accounts.

ways want to look at something Log in to your MyATA member dashboard

new and better, and if they had and click “Download Free ATA Resources”

a great experience the first time, to access the ATA’s Resource Website.

odds are they’re going to come Click “Marketing Resources” from the red

back and see you again.” “Downloads” drop-down menu to find

Focus on creating a positive several tutorials. IA

28 INSIDE ARCHERY AUGUST 2021



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 15827, Colorado Springs, CO 80935.

Robin Parks • Illinois Turkey Douglas Peden • Illinois Whitetail

Director of Customer Service & Prostaff, Hot Shot Archery Owner, POA Select

Bow ■ Xpedition Archery Broadhead ■ Magnus Black Bow ■ Hoyt RX3 Sight ■ Sword
Arrow ■ Sirius Vulcan Rest ■ QAD
Arrow ■ Kill’n Stix Ventilator LT Hornet Ser-Razor

Sight ■ HHA Sports Tetra Rest ■ Vapor Trail Broadhead ■ Rage Chisel Tip Release ■ TruFire
Release ■ Hot Shot X-Spot Other ■ DSD Decoys
Stabilizer ■ Tactacam 5.0 Other ■ Scent Crusher

30 INSIDE ARCHERY AUGUST 2021

Gary Cornum • Wyoming Pronghorn Randy Riggs • Indiana Whitetail

Marketing Director, Easton Technical Products

Crossbow ■ TenPoint Bolt ■ Easton Owner, Randy’s Archery & Outdoors
Broadhead ■ SEVR 2.0 Scope ■ TenPoint
Bow ■ Hoyt RX3 Sight ■ Custom Bow Equipment

Arrow ■ Easton FMJ Broadhead ■ G5 Montevideo

Rest ■ QAD HDX Release ■ Carter 2 Shot
Other ■ Millennium Stand

Lance Postma • Idaho Turkeys

Budro Westmoreland • Pennsylvania Whitetail Owner/Manager, Top of Utah Archery, LLC

Bow ■ Bowtech RevoltX Sight ■ Black Gold Verdict

Owner, The Archery Shop Arrow ■ Gold Tip Quantum Rest ■ QAD HDX

Bow ■ Mathews VXR 28 Sight ■ Impact Archery Jumbo Broadhead ■ G5 Deadmeat Quiver ■ TightSpot
Arrow ■ Beman White Out Rest ■ QAD
Release ■ Scott Sabertooth Other ■ Bow Spider

Broadhead ■ Grim Reaper Release ■ Scott Archery Stabilizer ■ B-Stinger 8”/Elite Sidebar

AUGUST 2021 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 31

CruScsehnetr One might assume that the word “ozone” is related to the
word “oxygen.” After all, the “ozone layer” is a part of the
GameO-Chzaongnineg Earth’s oxygen-rich atmosphere, and ozone has the chemical
Technology formula of O3, i.e., three oxygen molecules.
BY DANIEL ALLRED
But the word ozone actually comes from the Greek word
“ozein” (ὄζειν), which means “to smell.” This is because the
scientist who discovered ozone noted its distinct smell, ac-
curately recognizing it as the same clean smell that fills the
air after an electrical thunderstorm. Simply put, lightning
creates ozone, and ozone purifies the air to create that sig-
nature fresh smell. Ozone has fascinated researchers and
inventors since its discovery in the 19th century. It is a force of
nature with unique properties and applications, and—as we
all know—ozone generators have made their way into the
modern hunter’s scent-control regiment.

32 INSIDE ARCHERY AUGUST 2021

Established in 2015, Scent Crusher has a deep passion for hunting. Scent Crusher’s Scent Crusher pushed
been a driving force behind many of the founder and CEO, Dan Drake, grew up on a the limits with its Super
ozone innovations we enjoy in the hunting farm in southeast Kansas, where he fell in Charged Plus Unit, the
industry today. Scent Crusher was the first love with hunting and the outdoors. Drake’s latest and most pow-
company to combine an ozone generator career path began in other industries, but his erful ozone generator
with a sealable container, creating the com- love for hunting eventually drew him back from this scent-control
pany’s signature “Scent-Crushing” bag and to his roots. trailblazer.
closet, along with many other innovations.
Those innovations put Scent Crusher on the “Scent Crusher’s headquarters is actually
map and launched an entire new product about 45 minutes away from the small town
category. Scent Crusher has continued to where I grew up and fell in love with hunt-
refine its products and expand and improve ing,” Dan Drake said. “Earlier on, I did a lot
this game-changing category even more. of bird hunting, but eventually I picked up
a bow and started hunting with that. Like
Harnessing the Power of Ozone everyone, I just fell in love with it, and it’s
been incredible to have the opportunity to
Like most successful companies in the in- go full circle and combine business with
dustry, the Scent Crusher story begins with what I love. It makes work fun, and the

AUGUST 2021 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 33

(Left to right) Mat Mount, CFO; Tim relationships we’ve made in this industry
Galliher, senior vice president; and Dan are truly special. Everyone doesn’t get to live
Drake, CEO, discuss new product design their passion the way we do, and we see it
in one of the company’s boardrooms. as a real blessing.”

Before establishing Scent Crusher, Drake
helped launch a consumer-products com-
pany called MoJack in 2007.

“We found some quality lawn and garden
products being produced in southeast Kan-
sas,” Drake said. “We bought the business
and commercialized it to a larger scale, and
that’s how MoJack was created. Those prod-
ucts gained popularity pretty quickly, and
MoJack became the fastest growing com-
pany in Kansas for two years in a row in 2011
and 2012. The lawn and garden business that
we developed gave us the ability to create a
larger platform. We understood sourcing. We
understood customer service, and we took
care of it in-house. We took care of all our
own shipping, marketing and sales—and all
of that allowed us to have the resources to
then go focus on new products and innova-
tions, which is how Scent Crusher eventu-
ally came about.”

Drake’s experiments with ozone began
with a different problem he wanted to ad-
dress.

“Around 2012, I had a CFO whose son had
run across an AstroTurf football field, fell
down, had a wound on his shoulder, and
the bacteria on the field caused him to get
a staph infection,” Drake explained. “It was
a pretty serious injury, and at that point in
time, we were looking for new products to
expand our base. We knew that ozone kills
bacteria. It’s all natural, and we figured we
could use it to kill all the bacteria on Astro-
Turf fields. We went out and hired a guy
from NASA. He had worked on the ozone
system for the International Space Station,
so he was an expert at creating an effective
closed ozone system, with oxygen as the nat-
ural byproduct. We developed and released
that product to treat AstroTurf fields, and we
learned a lot more about ozone generators
from that experience. Eventually it clicked
that ozone is a great way to kill bacteria, and
bacteria is the root cause of all scent. Know-
ing how important scent elimination is for
hunting, our engineers set out to develop
the line of products that you see today under
Scent Crusher.”

34 INSIDE ARCHERY AUGUST 2021

Standing, from left to right: Kathy Nguyen, Janet Hennes, Tim Galliher, Ivan Lupian, Alan Harr, Dan Drake, Nick Jayne, Marissa Janzen, Mat Mount and Sara Howard.
Seated, from left to right: Morgan Upton, Westin Everhart, Curtis Hicks and Scott Smith.

Ozone generators had been used for to a closet, to the inside of a vehicle—and an automatic connection. His products
in-field scent coverage, but Drake and his you blow ozone in the container to kill made a lot of sense, and we started using
team were the first to combine an ozone all the bacteria. Hunters can get out of a them the first year they were released.
generator with a sealable container to tree, go to a gas station to grab a hotdog, We had great results with them, and we
thoroughly “blast” clothing and equip- put their gear in a bag and hit the but- believe in them thoroughly to this day.”
ment with ozone in a closed environ- ton on their way back to the woods, and
ment. This new approach was a big hit their clothes are perfect in 15 minutes. An Easy Button for Scent Elimination
among hunters and industry members. They don’t have to spend multiple hours
washing everything again. They can hit Without extensive research and develop-
“Scent Crusher came to market in 2015, that easy button and get right back to the ment, Scent Crusher would not be able to
and we knew that we had basically cre- stand, and that really connected with create the products it does. Science is a
ated an ‘easy button’ for scent elimina- hunters.” driving force behind the company, and
tion,” Drake said. “It’s obviously impor- that science extends to other industries.
tant to mask your scent when you’re Two specific hunters who really con-
hunting, and we wanted to destroy that nected with Scent Crusher’s products “All of our R&D has allowed us to ex-
scent completely—as much as we could. were Mark and Terry Drury, hosts of the plore possibilities in other industries,”
Ozone will find the bacteria very quickly highly popular “Drury Outdoors.” Drake said. “Our work with the Astro-
and eliminate it, and if it doesn’t, it just Turf products helped drive our hunting
becomes oxygen again. Hunters saw that “We had been using ozone generators products, and shortly after launching
it was an easy button, and that’s what in the field for several seasons, so we those hunting products, we launched
drove our success early on. Essentially, weren’t unfamiliar with the technol- another line of products called Odor
you put whatever you need treated into ogy,” Mark Drury said. “We learned about Crusher, which is for law enforcement,
a container—everything from a tote bag, Scent Crusher pretty early on and got in- military and sports equipment. Football
troduced to Dan Drake, and it was just and hockey gear can get pretty smelly,

AUGUST 2021 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 35

Westin Everhart (left), operations specialist, and you can’t put all that equipment in all of our work in other industries ends
and Scott Smith (right), director of interna- the washing machine. The same is true up fueling our hunting products. We are
tional supply chain, work together to stream- for certain tactical gear, like bulletproof learning how we can use ozone more ef-
line efficient retailer shipment methods. vests. So we are using ozone to take care fectively, and we are trying to find more
of the odor and bacteria that sits on other ways it can be used in a hunter’s every-
36 kinds of equipment, but everything that day life.”
we learn in those other industries is go-
ing right back into Scent Crusher and the Scent Crusher’s Halo Generator rep-
hunting side of the business, where our resents the company’s latest ozone ad-
true passion is.” vancements, and it is combined with a
variety of products that meet the differ-
Ozone is a very versatile tool, and ent needs of hunters.
Drake’s team continues to explore all the
possible uses that ozone could have in ev- “We are always excited about the ad-
eryday life. vancements in technology and materials
that continue to become available,” Drake
“A major focus of ours is just educat- said. “We take all those advancements
ing consumers,” Drake said. “Once people from other industries, and we figure out
understand how easy our products are to how to put it into different formats that
use and how effective they are, I think are more cost-effective and user friendly
they naturally start to see ways it could for hunters. Our Halo Generator, which
be used in other aspects of their life. we launched in 2020, is a great example
They understand, hey, this isn’t just for of progress we’ve made. It’s more effec-
my hunting gear. I could use this for my tive and further optimized, and we’ve
kids’ sports equipment, or I could use this also basically made it cordless, so it has
in the bathroom or utility room. Our Plus the portability to be used all over your
Line of generators has also been certified life. The Halo Generator is extremely ef-
to kill COVID and other viruses, and some fective in our variety of products, but you
of our other work revolves around that can also take it out and use it on its own.”
sanitizing side of ozone. For example, we
were recently awarded a contract by the Scent Crusher’s Halo Series, which was
United States Air Force to design a system expanded for 2021, utilizes the Halo Gen-
that sanitizes medical transports, utiliz- erator in a handful of different packages.
ing ozone to kill all the viruses and bac-
teria in that environment. Again, though, “Our Gear Bag, Locker and Covert Closet
are three of our core products that really
stand out,” Drake said. “The Gear Bag is
one of our classic offerings, but we have
upgraded it in a lot of ways over the
years. The Locker is like a large closet,
and it allows you to take all of your prod-
ucts—your bow, boots, gloves, etc.—and
you can sanitize all of it in one large con-
tainer that sits in your garage or base-
ment. Everyone needs a place to store
that stuff anyway, and it also allows you
to do an all-in-one ozone treatment of
your gear. The Covert Closet is sort of like
a combination of the previous two. It can
be used as a roller bag, and then you can
unzip it and pull out a structure to cre-
ate a larger closet for your clothing and
equipment. Another very popular offer-
ing of ours is the Ozone Go Max, which
plugs into the cigarette lighter in a car.
It takes care of all the bacteria and smell
while you’re rolling down the road, and

INSIDE ARCHERY AUGUST 2021

we engineered it to be safe to run while you’re LEFT:
inside. It takes care of all those funky smells that Ivan Lupian does tech-
you might not even think about as you approach nical support for Scent
your hunting site.” Crusher, and here he is
displaying two of the
After being impressed by Scent Crusher’s origi- most popular products
nal line of products, Mark and Terry Drury re- in the Scent Crusher
mained avid fans and began working closely lineup: the Gear Bag
with the company. and the Locker.

“We work with a variety of different manufac- BELOW:
turing partners, but Dan Drake is one of the few (Left to right) Janet
we work with who regularly reaches out to us to Hennes, fulfillment;
discuss new product development,” Mark Drury Marissa Janzen,
said. “We give him product ideas and do field controller; and Sara
testing for him, and we have designated meet- Howard, fulfilment,
ings where we just talk about the products. We discuss logistics and
have done that with a few companies, but the order processing.
norm is that we are not a part of those types of
things. I think that speaks highly of Dan and his
determination to put the right product in the end
consumer’s hands.”

“Dan also has a lot of hunting prowess, and
that gives him a good feel for what a hunter
wants and needs,” Terry Drury added. “Every-
thing he puts on the market has gone through
a ton of field testing, and his system is just
naturally very versatile. It can easily be adapted
by any hunter—whether it’s a spot-and-stalk
hunter out West, or a treestand hunter in the
Midwest. He’s got a product that can be adapt-
ed to the hunter’s needs, and part of that is be-
cause of his experience in the field. Dan is also a

AUGUST 2021 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 37

Scent Crusher’s Kathy Nguyen, executive sales assistant, and Nick Jayne, regional sales perfectionist, and he just continues to im-
manager, meet often to discuss retailer sales support. press. He doesn’t settle for anything unless
it’s second to none, and the Halo Generator is
a great example of that. From a functionality
standpoint, it is very easy to adapt to tons
of different situations, and the performance
and battery life are just exceptional. We use
it on a daily basis, and we see it as a huge
game-changer.”

Customer Driven

Scent Crusher is committed to developing
cutting-edge products, and the company is
also committed to the customers who buy
those products.

“We always put our customer first,” Drake
said. “We are continuing to develop new
products for the hunter, and we are going to
stay on the forefront of technology, but all of
that is backed up by the team we have here
at our headquarters. Scent Crusher is part
of our larger consumer-products company,
MoJack, and we have the ability to truly
take care of our customers—whether they
are end-consumers or dealers. We will take
care of them to the very highest level. We
handle our customer service in-house, with
people who understand the products and use
them—as opposed to handing it over to an
overseas 1-800 number. If something is not
right for some reason, or if you have a ques-
tion, then we take care of it the same day.
Our team hunts, too, and they are deeply
dedicated to this set of products.”

The success of independent pro-shops is
also a key concern for Scent Crusher.

“We know that dealers are the lifeblood
of the industry,” Drake said. “They are the
people who customers rely on for education
and new product information. They are one
of the most important education sources we
have that is in direct communication with
the end-consumer, so we want to give them
the tools, the knowledge and the products
they need to help them run a successful
business. We want them to be competitive
across the board, so we use and enforce MAP
pricing. We have limited the places selling
our products online, and we spend a lot of

38 INSIDE ARCHERY AUGUST 2021

time and resources to make sure our MAP ABOVE: This bird’s eye view of Scent Crusher’s spacious dis-
pricing is held across every online plat- tribution facility helps provide a sense of the company’s large
form. We know how dealers are impacted scale and ability to meet orders quickly.
by that, and we also offer attractive price
points and good margins. We want to BELOW: Morgan Upton, product technical support, holds one
help them do what they do best, which is of the company’s Gear Bags in the Scent Crusher warehouse.
educating customers and helping them be-
come better hunters.” 39

Moving Forward

It’s an interesting coincidence that ozone
was originally named for its distinct smell,
since it’s now used as a tool to eliminate
smells. It took a while for scientists to ac-
tually understand what ozone was doing.
Ozone’s fresh scent—which they associated
with thunderstorms—was actually a lack
of scent.

Looking ahead, Drake and his team will
surely continue to discover more about this
fascinating force of nature, and those dis-
coveries will continue to benefit hunters.

“Ozone is that fresh smell you get after a
rainstorm,” Drake said. “When an oxygen
molecule—O2—is hit by lightning, it splits
to become two O1s. Those O1s float around
and combine with another O2 molecule to
make O3, or ozone. That molecule is now
unstable, and it wants to find an organic
molecule, or bacteria, to bind to and de-
stroy. It destroys them very quickly, and if
it doesn’t find something to bind to, then it
just becomes O2 again. It’s really nature’s
way of sanitizing the world, and we have
essentially created a miniature electri-
cal storm to mimic the way it’s created in
nature. We are using the proper amount
of ozone for the project, in whatever con-
tainer you need. We are harnessing ozone
and allowing it to be your sanitizer and
bacteria killer. It’s also great that it’s all
natural. Deer are used to smelling ozone
out in the world, and it doesn’t require any
other chemicals that could smell foreign to
them. At the end of the day, all the technol-
ogy surrounding ozone is very fascinating
to us. We want bowhunters to understand
how much more effective our ozone prod-
ucts will make them, and we are going
to continue to pursue ozone R&D because
of the nature of our business, but all of
that will ultimately go back to benefit our
fellow hunters.” IA

AUGUST 2021 INSIDEARCHERY.COM

MARKET TRENDS GEAR REPORT

Cobra Archery Wilderness Release

BY PATRICK MEITIN
T here was a time when Cobra Archery
traded in budget-priced but solid ly new model for 2021. It’s
essentially Cobra’s field-

proven Maverick release
equipment for the weekend-warrior masses. with the addition of Pre-

mier Series features and

Despite that price-point status, I saw a a new approach to the

lot of Cobra releases back when I was caliper release style. In

guiding globe-trotting bowhunting cli- basic terms, the Wilderness

ents. Today, I’ve began to view Cobra is a dual-caliper release with a head include a patent-
ed three-position fold-back system
as a high-end manufacturer of archery stainless steel triple-joint design and that rides on a bronze bushing. It in-
cludes roller bars at the contact points
wares that now supplies some of the refined buckle strap approach. Diving and spring tension to hold the assembly
in place at three positions for shooting.
most cutting-edge precision releases in a little deeper, the Wilderness provides It can be positioned at 90 degrees (for
loading arrows or texting, as examples),
the industry. The newest arrival, the Co- an ultra-slim profile wrapped around or it can be put into a straight-back po-
sition (while climbing into a stand, for
bra Archery Wilderness Release, is such a unique—and patented—pinch-to- example). Each position holds the re-
lease securely without slop or flopping.
a product—a design engineered to com- close jaw design that makes hookup to
The neoprene-lined wrist strap in-
pete with the best available. today’s popular string loops faster and cludes a slick steel buckle design with
an exterior elastic keeper strap with re-
The $109.99 Wilderness is a complete- fumble free.
flective Cobra logos. Open
The release includes a textured, pivot- side slots allow you to re-
move the buckle strap al-
ing head that improves dexterity while together—which allows,
say, wrapping the strap
loading, the jaws essentially becoming around the bow handle
during storage or trans-
an extension of the shooting-hand fin- port—the other open slot acting as a
keeper to tuck excess strap beneath af-
gers. To load, the jaws are positioned ter putting the release on. Eight buckle
holes are provided to fit just about any
around the string loop (or serving be- archer.
I’m a T-handle fan at heart, but I
low an eliminator button could see myself using this release. It’s
sleek, fast and easy to use—which I can-
for direct hookup) and not say about many wrist-strap, index-
finger-activated designs… Learn more
squeezed together, or the by visiting cobraarchery.com. IA

trigger is pushed forward WebXtra ■ For a closer look at

to close the jaws. The re- the Cobra Wilderness, check it out at

lease then includes a su- insidearchery.com/CobraWilderness.

per-crisp, no-load trigger,

which is highly ergonomic and com-

pletely adjustable (screw in to make the

release “hotter,” out for “colder”). The

jaw tips are milled down to a fine 3/16-

inch contact point with highly polished

edges to reduce loop or serving wear.

The result is crisp, accurate cut-away

and rugged dependability.

The flat, pinch-close jaws and stain-

less-steel trigger are held on a stream-

lined stainless steel extension stem,

which allows 5/8-inch of threaded mi-

cro adjustment to length. These length

adjustments are easily and securely

locked into place by a simple but secure

set screw. The extension and release

40 INSIDE ARCHERY AUGUST 2021



MARKET TRENDS BOW REPORT

Mathews V3 31
BY PATRICK MEITIN

A s a decade’s-long servant to the V3 Series Riser ■ The V3 31’s Mathews offers customers a huge
archery trade, I’ll confess to having riser is Mathews’ longest variety of custom limb and riser
finish options, from solids to today's
some degree of insider privilege. to date—longer than the most popular camouflage patterns.

2020 VRX Series. By mov- I’ve shot before. Stabilizer
taps are offered front and
ing limb pocket and limb rear to further customize
balance, though I found
Hours are long and pay short, but I’m mass across a wider plane minimal stabilization
was required.
compensated with insider status, and Mathews created the kind
New Limbs & Cable Guard ■
lots of archery gear to play with. I’m of in-hand stability pro- V3 Series split limbs are
shorter, set on a wider
truly blessed, but also understand I live duced by the tight-rope stance and conspicuously
preloaded. This creates
in somewhat of a bubble. Unless there walker’s balance pole. This more efficient energy
loading and release. That
is an agenda to do otherwise, I shoot delivers a shorter, more preload also produces
past-parallel geometry
the best the industry has to offer, often maneuverable bow with proven to reduce shot vibrations and
noise through faster post-shot set-
before products are officially released to noticeably steadier aiming tling. Paired with an improved pocket
design weight is reduced, and reliabil-
the masses. This would include the 2021 and in-hand balance. The ity, efficiency and stealth improved.
Mathews’ Silent Connect System (SCS)
Mathews V3 31. 31-inch V3 feels closer to 33 is a 2020 holdover; lightweight studs
bolted inside limb pockets and allowing
I shot our Thanksgiving turkey with or 34 inches in the hand, a streamlined attachment of Mathews’
Genuine Bow Rope or woven Bow Sling.
the V3 31 in November 2020, though equating to steadier aim- The sleek, foolproof system provides
peace of mind while pulling the V3 into
the feature-packed model remains the ing and added forgiveness a dark treestand.
These features are easily overlooked,
company’s flagship 10 months later. when, say, the highest- but the all-new Centerguard Cable Con-
tainment system won’t go unnoticed.
That bow also helped me finish 2020 scoring Texas buck pre- Like past Mathews’ systems, this one
carries bearing-equipped rollers, but
with a bang, including my highest-scor- sented after 30-plus years this version is angled downward from
above the arrow shelf. This revolution-
ing Lone Star buck after more than 30 of bowhunting in the state appears.

years of bowhunting Texas—home of Longer overall geometry is part of

my alma mater and some of my best this, but the design also includes the

friends. I’m able to pick and choose newly-refined, heavily-skeletonized

what I tote on any given bowhunt. The Extended Bridged Riser, carefully engi-

fact Mathews’ V3 31 went to Texas is neered to shave mass while maximizing

pretty significant. rigidity in critical areas for improved

Mathews’ 2021 V3 Series, including 27 accuracy and added vibration elimi-

and 31 models corelating to axle-to-axle nation. Both V3 models include 6-inch

dimensions, were a refinement of the brace heights, a fair compromise be-

ground-breaking 2020 VRX Series. Cen- tween speed and forgiveness. The over-

tral to the new design was a longer ris- all result is exceptional in-hand balance.

er, more effective three-axis dampener, A bow that won’t sit up straight in the

refined limbs and pockets, and a new hand splits concentration while making

angle on the company’s roller-equipped stress-filled shots, diminishing efforts

cable guard. to execute technically perfect shots.

Balance—and vibration control/shot

When viewing the 2021 V3 Series for the first time, the silence—is accentuated by the newly-
angled Centerguard Cable Containment system really sticks refined Nano 740 Harmonic Damper.
out. This moves the buss cable rollers and contact points The integrated system is engineered to

into the exact center of the riser for improved tuning. synchronize with the new limb geom-

etry, increasing cam efficiency and 3D

dampening effects specific to V3 Series

harmonics. The new webbed extension

also improves full-draw balance, pro-

ducing—to my preferences at least—the

most satisfying feel of any Mathews

42 INSIDE ARCHERY AUGUST 2021

Specifications Arrow Speed

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Mathews V3 31 set at 70.0 pounds at 30 inches.

Axle-to-Axle Length 29-inch Arrows/ Shaft *Finished Kinetic Arrow

31 inches 100-Grain Tips gpi Arrow Wt. Energy Speed

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Brace Height Victory Xtorsion 300 12.9 532 grains 96.4 ft. lbs. 285.6 fps

6 inches –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Bloodsport Evidence 300 11.7 518 grains 99.8 ft. lbs. 294.5 fps

Mass Weight –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

4.5 pounds Easton 4mm FMJ 330 11.0 *502 grains 100.8 ft. lbs. 300.7 fps

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Let-Off CX Max RED SD 350 9.4 *465 grains 95.8 ft. lbs. 304.6 fps

80 or 85 percent –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– GT Kinetic Kaos 340 9.9 453 grains 95.6 ft. lbs. 308.4 fps

Available Draw Length –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

26 to 30.5 inches Bloodsport Justice 300 9.8 443 grains 96.0 ft. lbs. 312.4 fps

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Available Draw Weights Black Eagle Spartan 300 9.0 *439 grains 96.3 ft. lbs. 314.2 fps

60, 65, 70 and 75 pounds –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Refined Nano 740 technology three-axis dampening in- –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Beman White Out 340 8.8 416 grains 93.0 ft. lbs. 317.3 fps
cludes web extensions to set the Harmonic Damper farther
from the riser to provide more stabilization and to help pull Available Colors –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
more vibration from 2021 V3 Series bows.
Green Ambush, Black, Stone, First GT Velocity Pro 340 8.2 387 grains 92.4 ft. lbs. 328.0 fps
ary approach positions buss-cable contact lite Spector, Optifade Elevated II
points into the exact riser center, maxi- –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
mizing cam timing and tuning ease. It and Subalpine, Under Armour
also serves to increase vane clearance. Ridge Reaper Forest, Barren and Black Eagle Carnivore 350 7.5 363 grains 90.2 ft. lbs. 334.5 fps

Crosscentric Supremacy ■ Mathews’ Cross- All-Season and Realtree Edge –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
centric Cam System remains unmatched,
the V3 31 version also including proven –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Victory RIP XV 300 7.0 355 grains 92.1 ft. lbs. 341.8 fps
SwitchWeight Technology. Put simply,
the Crosscentric is ultra-smooth and effi- MSRP –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
cient. After sitting in a cold stand/blind for
hours, the Crosscentric’s draw cycle won’t $1,199 Liberty Archery 320 5.9 292 grains 91.0 ft. lbs. 374.6 fps
hurt you—another factor allowing full at-
tention on the shot without the distract- –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
ing feeling of muscles being ripped from
their moorings. The large-profile cam and Arrow speeds established using a Caldwell Shooting Supplies Chronograph G2. *Denotes steel inserts
buttery-smooth draw cycle makes the 70
pounds I wield feel closer to 63 pounds. FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL (608) 269-2728, OR VISIT MATHEWSINC.COM.
Despite this, the Crosscentric produces
incredible energy output, eliminates limb was frazzled. The V3’s inherent shootabil-
torque and has proven maintenance free. ity allowed me to muddle through.
SwitchWeight Technology allows chang-
ing draw length and increasing/decreas- Later that week, after passing sev-
ing peak draw weight in 5-pound incre- eral bucks and finding myself with a
ments via built-in modules—and without single evening of hunting remaining, a
the need to swap limbs. Each module is remarkably heavy, 7 ½-year-old 4x4 ap-
programmed to generate maximum effi- peared. It wasn’t a challenging shot, in
ciency at every draw length, with 80 or 85 backyard terms (25 yards broadside), but
percent let-off options. that buck was wound tight and I was as
shaky as I’d been on that first-evening
V3 In the Field ■ My first shot at big game hog, but for very different reasons. I al-
with the V3 31 occurred shortly after arriv- lowed the V3’s shootability to take the
ing in Texas, immediately following wheel again. That buck truly made my
30 hours of marathon driving from entire season.
north Idaho. I was sleep deprived,
caffeine buzzed and physically shaky. It Mathews’ V3 is simply easy to shoot.
wasn’t a difficult shot: 30 yards broad- It provides excellent balance, forgiving
side on a 250-pound hog. But mentally, I characteristics, a comfortable and re-
peatable rubberized Engage Grip, and a
remarkably smooth draw cycle. It relin-
quishes impressive arrow speeds through
an amazing degree of efficiency, propel-
ling all of our test arrows, heaviest to
lightest, quietly and with KE numbers
never dipping below the 90 foot pound
range, even with the lightest shafts. The
QAD Integrate rest mounting system is
outstanding. I honestly can’t find the
smallest gripe against the V3 31. Mathews
has achieved near perfection. IA

WebXtra ■ Take a closer look at

the Mathews V3 31 in action! Please go to
insidearchery.com/mathewsV3

AUGUST 2021 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 43

MARKET TRENDS GEAR REPORT

SKB Bow Traveler Case

BY PATRICK MEITIN
A s a bachelor, I traveled a good deal,
dragging unwieldy hard-sided bow complaint I’ve ever lodged against wardrobe-style suit-
hard travel cases. case compartment
with enough room
cases around the globe multiple times. The SKB Bow Traveler case for a week’s worth of
hunting attire, a pair
provides an all-in-one solution of boots and other
gear. It is accessed via
for traveling to distant bow- a top wrap-around zip-
per. The zipped hatch
Clunky aluminum or molded polymer hunting arenas. It includes rigid, is raised to include
two flat zippered
bow cases became a necessary evil dur- padded bow and arrow protec- pockets, one with see-
through mesh backed
ing these far-flung adventures, while tion, combined with enough room by a solid-material pocket. A smart
packer should easily get by with this
also commanding additional bag- to easily pack hunting togs and single piece of luggage on an average
lodge-style bowhunt. There is also an ID
gage fees. SKB has long produced hard other bowhunting parapherna- pocket beneath the top pull handle.
The case is decked out with a rugged,
bow cases I hate the least, but for 2021 lia, including features to help keep padded top pull handle and identical
side carry handle for easy manhan-
they’ve introduced a solution to every everything well organized. dling. The case runs on two extra-large,
heavy-duty wheels set between stout
SKB’s Bow Traveler case measures steel frames and the
molded case body. The
42-by-20-by-13 inches, so it accommo- wardrobe end portion
is protected by dual,
dates any bow currently manufactured, bolted-on polymer
bumpers, and the bot-
including long tournament bows des- tom of the case holds two bolted-on skid
rails. The top compartment is secured
tined to be used in far-away archery top and bottom by wrap-around nylon
webbing that includes four quick-snap
tournaments. The black with red stitch- buckles, and all zippers include rope/
tap pulls. All told, the case weighs just
ing/logoed roller case includes a thor- 13 pounds—a far cry from the most
streamlined hard case.
oughly padded, rigid-side bow compart- I don’t travel to bowhunt as much as
I once did before getting married, but
ment complete with secure, quick-snap when I do, this is my newest SKB travel
solution. Check it out at skbcases.com. IA
anchoring straps to prevent shifting.
WebXtra ■ For a closer look at the
Bows are protected in this “coffin” and
SKB Bow Traveler Case, check it out at
isolated from other
insidearchery.com/SKBbowtraveler.
contents by a zippered

top. This compartment

also provides plenty of

room for adding pad-

ding soft goods, ar-

chery accessories or arrow hard cases.

To check the fit, I grabbed a hunt-

ready Bear Archery EKO Redemption—

my “Western” spot-and-stalk rig. This

bow is outfitted with a 10-inch stabi-

lizer, complete V-bar system and 8-inch

backbar, besides other accessories. It

dropped right in without the need to

remove parts. Trying my Mathews V3 31

with a simpler stabilizing system cho-

sen for treestand/blind hunting, there

was plenty of room left over to add a

dozen-arrow MTM hard case. Pack the

edges with some spare socks and un-

dies, long johns, hats and gloves, and

any bow would ride in complete safety.

Topping the bow compartment is a

44 INSIDE ARCHERY AUGUST 2021







Next Generation
Treestands
& Blinds

The treestands and blinds your customers will be looking for this season.

By Patrick Meitin

Selling Ground Blinds FAQ

Ground blinds provide retailers with an
excellent opportunity to provide custom-
ers with complete ground hunting kits
that may include ozone generators, other
scent control measures and accessories
that make ground blind sits comfortable
and enjoyable. An increasing number of
hunters are choosing ground blinds for the
safety, comfort and versatility that they
provide in the field.

48

W hile early bowhunters spent rudimentary selection of the latest tree- blinds, are the decided territory of pri-
a vast majority of their time stands and blinds, you’re missing out vate-land hunters plying family proper-
stalking afoot, at this point in on the large money-making potential ties or deer leases behind locked gates.
our evolution it’s safe to say there are associated with it. Which concealment Pop-up ground blinds dominate open
very few bowhunters who don’t oper- classes sell best in your region ultimately prairie or farmland habitats for obvious
ate from a treestand, ground blind or boils down to common terrain and the reasons, though they are often preferred
elevated blind at least half of the time. prevailing land-status situation. Com- for “acrophobs” or aging hunters no mat-
It could also be argued that a vast ma- mon hang-ons sell everywhere, being ter the habitat, who feel safer keeping
jority of North American bowhunters, a straightforward solution for getting both feet firmly planted on the ground.
particularly those residing east of the perched above the action, though they Keep these aspects in mind when choos-
Rocky Mountains, spend 100 percent of are the most common choice for hunt- ing product categories, and keep the fol-
their time in stands or blinds during ers accessing larger big-woods habitats, lowing products in mind when looking
all of their bowhunting pursuits. highly competitive public lands or any- for solid, innovative products promis-
This makes treestands and blinds of where where a hike is required to reach ing to sell briskly. Today’s options offer
all types and styles hot ticket items for hunting sites. more user-friendly deployment, vastly
nearly any archery retailer. In other Ladders and similar treestand options, improved safety and added bowhunter-
words, if you’re not stocking at least a as well as semipermanent hard-sided friendly features.

49

Big Dog Family Tradition Hang-On Stands ladder sections, and nylon washers are
Hunting Treestands installed at pivot points to ensure silence.
True North Big Dog Hunting Learn more by visiting hunttnt.com.
Treestands (TNT)
Big Dog Hunting has become known for Family Tradition Treestands
Primal Treestands their sturdy, highly comfortable and
highly functional treetsands, which also Family Tradition Treestands made its
50 come with reasonable prices. Hang-on, mark with super-strong and comfort-
one- and two-man ladders and free- able designs. The American made stands
standing towers are offered. The Set- are also made to last. The HD/HO Lock-On
ter is a generously proportioned hang- Stand features galvanized tubular steel
on with an ultra-comfortable seat, and for added structural integrity and rust
it’s priced at less than $90. It features a resistance, which then receives an extra-
24-by-32.5-inch platform with integrated durable, baked-on textured powder coat-
comfort footrest, and a 20-by-14-inch, ing so it will stand up to harsh elements.
21-inch-high Comfort Mesh Flip-Up Seat It is equipped with a premium comfort
designed to ease aching posteriors during nylon-webbed, flip-up seat measuring 20
all-day sits. The seat and standing plat- inches wide and 13.25 inches deep, and
form each sport leveling capabilities, and the platform measures 25-by-31 inches.
the platform is supported by heavy duty The large incorporated footrest is anoth-
suspension cables. The stand is securely er comfort feature. The stand platform is
anchored to the tree by an upper cinch supported by two 1,900-pound-working-
belt strap and lower platform-stabilizing load rubber sleeved chains (not cables),
strap for rock-solid reliability. The stand and a T-handle screw is provided to hold
is supplied with a fall arrest system and the stand in place while securing it to the
meets all ASTM standards. The 25.5-pound tree with dual ratchet straps, each with a
all-steel stand includes a 300-pound 3,300-pound breaking strength and rub-
weight rating. Learn more by visiting ber coated handles for silence. Assembly
bigdoghunting.com. bolts are Grade 8 bolts with reliability, and
nylon lock nuts are added. The stand is
True North Treestands (TNT) supplied with a 20-foot haul-up rope. The
hang-on weighs 19 pounds and includes a
The two-person Mentor by TNT is a pat- 300-pound weight limit. Learn more by
ent-pending two-person hang-on stand visiting familytraditiontreestands.com.
based on the company’s 14-ounce TNT
Universal Quick Hitch “V” Bracket hang- Primal Treestands
ing system with single pin micro-position
leveling stem. Both make setting up fast- The 20-foot tall Primal Treestands Grip
er and safer. The Mentor sports a 43-by- Stick gets hunters into elevated positions
30-inch platform and two 14-by-17-inch faster and more safely using the compa-
seats that are individually hinged and ny’s patented Jaw Technology that can be
include Teslin material that is weath- secured from the ground. The five 48-inch
er-, mold-, UV- and rodent-proof. These sections create 20 feet of stand reach.
20-inch-high seats include backrests and Included ratchet straps increase stabil-
padded armrests. The 49-pound all-steel ity and safety. The Grip Stick weighs 32.5
stand comes with camo backpack straps pounds fully assembled and will hold up
and is covered with a grey textured pow- to 300 pounds. The patented Grip Jaw Sys-
der coating. The micro-leveling stem sys- tem provides a strong grip during instal-
tem allows setting up in less-than-ideal lation, the double-step design making for
trees. Also added are entry assist steps on easy climbing. It is constructed from steel
both sides of the platform for smoother, and has received a black textured finish
safer transitions from climbing steps or to ensure a firm grip. Learn more by vis-
iting primaltreestands.com.

INSIDE ARCHERY AUGUST 2021