www.insidearchery.com APRIL 2023 ®
6 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2023 24 26 16 36 38 48 50 56 58 INSIDE ARCHERY (Volume 26, #3) 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. INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2023 | VOLUME 26 | NUMBER 3 People Power of Participation ■ Armando Martinez | Bow Hitch ■ Paul Biggs | The Outdoor Group ■ Bill Tittle | Vantage Point Archery ■ Chris Hamm | HHA Sports ■ Steve Allie | Nexus Outdoors ■ Lisa Walker | Odin’s Innovations Thorn Broadheads A Vision for the Future By Michaelean Pike Market Trends New & Notable Archery products with strong sales potential Gear Report Ani-Logics Outdoors Black Ops Special Forces for Bears Exceptional Broadheads Drive 2023 Market Hunting broadheads continue to evolve, bringing greater accuracy and performance to the table. By Josh Honeycutt Gear Report Scent Slinger Gear Report Scent Stopper Elimination Vest/Jacket System Gear Report Q2i Archery ZEON Vanes Next Level Crossbows Never Settle for Less than Success! By Kat Stevens 26 16 38 52 56
8 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2023 22 12 18 14 66 20 52 22 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2023 | VOLUME 26 | NUMBER 3 24 Inside the Industry Inside Track The Dog Days of Summer Kinsey’s Business Blueprint Unlock the Power of Archery Micro-Seasons Your ATA Insights ATA Bow Technician Certification Helps Provide Credibility to Your Pro Shop By Kurt Smith / ATA Industry News The latest on news, events, and people in the archery industry ATA Action Sign Up Now! ATA’s Bow Technician Certification Course Launched. By Cassie Gasaway / ATA Kinsey’s 2023 Dealer Show Breaks Attendance Record Industry 5Q Five Questions with Gary Dodson from Power-Stop Archery Targets 36 50 48 50 58
INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2023 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 insidearchery.comOnline Exclusives WebXtras: “Gear Report” tries out Ani-Logics Outdoors Black Ops Special Forces for Bears, Scent Slinger, Scent Stopper Elimination Vest/Jacket System, and Q2i Archery ZEON Vanes; and “5Q” chats with Gary Dodson from Power-Stop Archery Targets. How to Tune Broadhead-Tipped Arrows for Perfect Flight Every broadhead manufacturer claims “field-point accuracy,” but broadheads and field points rarely provide identical flight characteristics and impacts. Patrick Meitin walks you through the steps necessary to ensure your broadhead-tipped arrows are hunt ready. Are You Ready to Try Traditional Archery? Whether you are looking for added challenge or simply want to expand your archery enjoyment, Inside Archery’s Executive Editor will walk you through the basic gear requirements and approaches you will need to know to be successful with stick and string. Start Now to Beat Target Panic Every archer experiences target panic to some degree, whether preventing you from shooting your very best, or proving completely debilitating. The summer off season is the time to rid your shooting of this common archery ailment. Patrick Meitin tells you how. Meaningful Gear Upgrades You Can Perform During the Off Season Today’s lagging economy may mean you are delaying a bow upgrade this season, but there are easy and more affordable accessory upgrades you can make to help an older bow shoot better. Inside Archery’s Patrick Meitin provides the details. Arrow Tuning Off Season Archery Fresh content daily on social media! INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2023 | VOLUME 26 | NUMBER 3 Archery Practice Traditional Archery
INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2023 The Dog Days of Summer stubborn spring has finally taken hold, meaning more pleasant days and fun in the sun lay ahead. No doubt many customers have already arrived to show off gobbler success photos and relay the tales behind them. You may have customers planning spring black bear forays and purchasing the requisite gear to make it happen. Almost certainly the first of the season’s outdoor 3D and field archery tournaments have kicked off. You have likely supplied the gear to fuel those passions already. But gorgeous weather and the allure of non-archery outdoor activities will soon pull your customer base in other directions. You are likely to see shop traffic dwindle and your indoor range—so popular during inclement weather—sadly abandoned as customers pursue other activities with family and friends. Some will turn to fishing, others to camping or maintaining deer properties and camps. While some might enjoy a temporary reprieve from insanely hectic schedules, some need time to regroup, restock, and ready their shops for the onslaught of the busy season a few months away. The bottom line is, remaining profitable remains vitally important. You may need to get creative to maintain a decent measure of customer traffic. Late spring and summer months are a great time to host a customer appreciation event. A barbeque is one easy and enjoyable avenue to bring customers in during the off season (who doesn’t enjoy free food?). This provides an opportunity to create a more tightly-knit archery community, while using the event to move stale inventory with special sales, offer fun shooting games with this merchandise offered as prizes, and simply get to know your customer base better. This is also a great time to book guest speakers to offer seminars on subjects that might interest local bowhunters. Subjects might include how to make a successful road trip “Out West,” techniques for calling whitetail or elk, or simply an area influencer sharing their bowhunting exploits. Many of these speakers will provide their services free—or at least cheaply to cover travel expenses—for the welcomed exposure to their brand, podcast, or channel, or for an opportunity to sell a few signed books they have authored. Manufactures often have people they can send or a list of pro staffers who might be interested in such a gig. As an expert yourself, a shop owner might also offer a workshop on curing target panic (which all archers have to some degree), or honing shooting form to improve overall accuracy—essentially a free group coaching session. Modern bowhunters are a serious lot, with most eager to improve their shooting skills. You might also host a bowfishing contest, using your shop as the base with entry fees divvied up based on numbers or pounds of fish shot. It might also be the time to consider diversifying, offering a selection of fishing tackle and bait, basic camping supplies and the like—room permitting, of course. These are challenging times—remaining profitable requires some creative thinking. Patrick Meitin, Executive Editor A INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INSIDE TRACK
APRIL 2023 INSIDEARCHERY.COM Inside Archery® is a publication of Apollo Creative Inc Printed in the USA. Publisher Apollo Creative Inc Executive Editor Patrick Meitin • [email protected] Associate Editor Michaelean Pike • [email protected] Copy Editor Kat Ainsworth Stevens Contributors Kurt Smith | Cassie Gasaway | Josh Honeycutt 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 Balistreri 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 © 2023 Apollo Crreative 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 Apollo Creative Inc. Opinions expressed in by-lined articles or columns are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, the magazine or its staff. Submission Guidelines: Apollo Creative Inc and Inside Archery® magazine 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 selfaddressed envelope with sufficient postage. No contract, agreement, term or condition provided by any contributor shall be binding on Apollo Creative 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. Apollo Creative Inc uses reasonable efforts to include accurate and up-todate 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. Apollo Creative 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. Apollo Creative 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.
14 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2023 INSIDE THE INDUSTRY BUSINESS BLUEPRINT Unlock the Power of Archery Micro-Seasons As a retailer, it’s crucial to stock up on equipment and accessories that cater to bowhunters who choose to pursue spring gobblers with their bows. This includes blinds, decoys, stools/ blind chairs, turkey calls, broadheads, and other turkey hunting gear. You can also offer your customers tips and advice on turkey hunting tactics, such as how to use turkey calls effectively, how to utilize turkey decoys, or how to best place a blind. Bowfishing ■ Bowfishing is a unique and exciting micro-season that takes place during spring and summer. It involves using a bow and arrow to harvest fish. This obviously requires a slightly different set of skills than bowhunting, as archers must learn how to aim at a target whose position is altered by water refraction. Once bowfishers learn how to compensate for water refraction the real fun can begin. Bowfishing is a fun and challenging way to improve archery skills, while also getting to enjoy the great outdoors. As a retailer, you can cater to bowfishing enthusiasts by stocking up on bowfishing bows, reels, arrows, points, rests, and accessories. You can also offer your customers advice on how to select the right bowfishing equipment, how to set up an old bow as a bowfishing rig, and how to aim at targets beneath the water’s surface. Additionally, you can provide guidance on how to identify different types of fish and the best locations to go bowfishing. 3D & Field Archery ■ Competitive 3D and field archery are micro-seasons that take place in the spring and summer and are popular among archery enthusiasts of all skill levels. The timing of both 3D and field archery is ideal, as the weather is just starting to warm s an archery retailer, making maximum profits means understanding the popularity of the archery micro-seasons of turkey bowhunting, bowfishing, and 3D and field archery. These micro-seasons provide a unique opportunity for archery and bowhunting enthusiasts to engage in the sport and elevate their skills during the spring and summer months. Focusing on these micro-seasons can help you connect with your customers year-round and provide them with the skills, knowledge, and tools they need to excel in these activities while also helping your business’ bottom line. Bowhunting Turkeys ■ Bowhunting for spring gobblers is a growing microseason that archers are embracing due to the inherent challenges of the pursuit. It requires archers to get close while employing specific techniques and equipment, including blinds, turkey calls, decoys, as well as broadheads specifically designed for turkey hunting. The key to success when bowhunting turkeys is patience and skill, as turkeys are known for their keen senses and ability to detect danger. However, in the spring, bowhunters look to take advantage of the gobbler’s natural instincts to mate. A up and archers are eager to make the switch from shooting indoors to outdoors. Whether you create and host your own 3D or field archery event, partner with a local archery club, or participate in a local or regional NFAA, IBO, or ASA shoot, these events offer archers a chance to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors and archery. As a retailer, you can cater to 3D and field archery enthusiasts by stocking up on a variety of targets and equipment, including target bows, arrows, field/hip quivers, range stools, rangefinders, optics, and other accessories. You can also offer your customers advice on how to set up a 3D course, how to select the right targets, and how to improve their shooting form and technique. It is essential that you understand and cater to these ever-growing and popular micro-seasons of turkey bowhunting, bowfishing, and 3D and field archery. In doing so, it will help you better connect with your customers and provide them with the tools and knowledge they need to excel in these activities. By stocking up on equipment and accessories specific to these micro-seasons and offering advice and guidance, you can become a valuable year-round resource for archery enthusiasts, and help them take their skills to the next level while also helping your business boom. IA Kinsey’s is the leading distributor to the archery and outdoors industry. Carrying items from your favorite brands, in-stock and ready-to-ship, the well-established company offers domestic and international retailers a wide array of products and services. Kinsey’s also owns innovative consumer brands including Alpine Archery, BlackHeart, Fin-Finder, Elevation, and October Mountain Products. For more information, please visit KinseysInc.com Presented by
16 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2023 MARKET TRENDS NEW & NOTABLE Lakewood Products Bow Case COMBO F or customers who hate removing their arrow quivers for storage or between hunts, Lakewood offers the all-new 41-by-8.75-by-17.5-inch Single 41-inch Bow Case COMBO. Its wider 40-by-4.25-by-16-inch interior dimensions accommodate the longest bows while also holding a fully-loaded and attached arrow quiver. The system also provides convenient Arrow and Accessory Cases. The rugged case features Lakewood’s popular top-loading/drop-in orientation for easier access, the nylon/poly exterior, ABS polymer structure and foam-lined interior keeping gear safe from hard knocks while traveling. The loop-head zippers allow it to be locked, a shoulder strap makes it easy to carry, and attached D-rings provide tie-down points while traveling. A special compartment holds up to 18 arrows. The all-new case is 100 percent American-made and includes a lifetime warranty. Learn more at lakewoodproducts.com. BIGshot Targets Personal Pro Video Wall B IGshot’s Personal Pro Video Wall is the most affordable interactive video shooting system around, making it perfect for driving traffic in smaller bow shops and private clubs or for home use. Download video sets from VideoTargets.com or create your own games and video from trail camera images and video. The base system can be set up anywhere in minutes and includes target sensors for true interactivity via VideoTargets.com Live Hunt Software and Video Processor. It is safe to use indoors or out. Range wall cubes can be interchanged to shift wear points around. The base wall, including 12 cubes, measures 55-by-70 inches but additional cubes are also available and easily installed. The system includes everything needed to get started, including DPI/Lux projector, 20 deer and 10 turkey hunting scenes, protective projector box, and HDMI cables. Learn more at bigshottargets.com. Victory Archery XBolt T he XBolt includes the latest developments from the Carbon Arrow Experts at Victory Archery. XBolts are optimized with Victory’s EFOC (Extreme Forward of Center) construction to deliver accuracy and hard-hitting performance to help serious crossbow hunters take on the toughest game. They are standard .300-inch diameter and constructed from 100 percent carbon fiber to provide extreme durability. Each is spine aligned and weight matched to +/- 0.5 grain for unmatched precision. They include Victory’s ICE Nano Ceramic Coating to aid penetration on game and allow easy extraction from stubborn crossbow-rated targets. They are hand fletched with 3-inch Fusion X-II Vanes and hold half-moon or optional lighted nocks, and specially- designed brass inserts. They are available in 20-inch (325 grains total weight with 110-grain insert) or 22-inch (325 grains with 92-grain insert). Learn more at victoryarchery.com. Rackology Plot 365 Feeding Zone R ackology’s “Plot 365 Feeding Zone” premium food plot blend offers a combination of highquality clover and chicory for successful establishment also rich with antler building protein and other key nutrients deer crave. One bag plants a ¼ acre and lasts up to 5 years on a single planting, while also handling grazing pressure. It is heat, drought, and disease tolerant and performs well in a wide range of soil types. Plant in the spring or fall to hold deer year-round and create a high protein stand-alone food plot or as a supplement to small grain plots. Premium chicory, red, and white clover give deer a high energy food source with maximum nutritional value. It is also highly attractive to pollinating insects, making it beneficial for other game animals such as turkeys. Agronomist and Biologist created for a superior mix of plants your deer want and need. Learn more at rackology.org or call (308) 880-1457. Carter Enterprises Wise Choice C arter took the popular features of the 1st choice release and refined it to include a glove-compatible index finger ring, naming it the Wise Choice. The Wise Choice is a thumb-activated design, the index finger ring providing more consistent placement and added security. Carter’s popular auto-closing jaw, which offers faster and easier string-loop attachment, is part of the equation. It also includes Carter’s customer-favorite set screw tension adjustment, which provides precise and simple trigger tension customization. Carter also added a new removable lanyard system, giving bowhunters the option of attaching the release to a wrist while on the move, or removing the lanyard and clipping it to the string loop while sitting. The Wise Choice is offered in 3- and 4-finger options, the handle providing the same universal fit of the popular 1st Choice and Too Simple. Learn more at carterenterprises.com. Odin’s Innovations Citronella Scent Beads & Liquid Scent With spring turkey season in full swing and spring bear right around the corner, bowhunters will be dealing with annoying and stinging insects. Odin’s has a solution with two citronella products. Odin’s biodegradable Scent Beads infused with proven citronella is one option, the beads sprinkled around a ground blind, hung from an Odin’s mesh bag while on stand, or carried in a pocket to keep mosquitoes and other pesky insects at bay. The beads are formulated to last for up to 30 days. Newer Odin’s Liquids provide another option, an organic oil-based product with staying power. Just squirt around the fringe of your blind or stand, or on your clothing, to repel insects for days. Natural citronella is effective and will not spook game like chemical insect repellents. A 12-ounce bottle of Citronella Scent Beads retails for $34.99, 4 ounces of Liquid Scent retails for $14.99. Learn more at odinsinnovations.com.
18 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2023 ATA Bow Technician Certification Helps Provide Credibility to Your Pro Shop e’ve been putting in a lot of work over the past year developing the ATA’s Bow Technician Certification program as a result of feedback from ATA members and support from the ATA Retail Council. The content covers the core of what every bow technician needs to know to give customers a consistently positive experience. While an industry full of seasoned veterans means there is a wealth of knowledge out there, this certification program is set to establish standards and identify best practices for all bow technicians. The ATA Bow Technician Certification program consists of an on-demand online course full of video content that covers bow design, setup tasks and tuning, and an in-person practical assessment with instructors to verify you can complete the covered tasks in a real-world situation. So, who is this program for? The Greenhorn ■ You may be starting your own business or beginning a career with an established shop and want to get a head start on building your foundational skills in bow technician work. Not only will the coursework in this program give you the skills you need, but you will gain a certification that shows customers you’re dedicated to providing excellent service. In addition, having on-demand access to the course content means you will have a solid reference source as you get to work behind the bow counter. INSIDE THE INDUSTRY YOUR ATA INSIGHTS W BY KURT SMITH, COURTESY OF THE ATA The Trainer ■ Bringing on new staff members to do technician work is great if it helps the shop operate more efficiently, but what we often hear is that finding the time to develop and implement a true training system is daunting. Because of this, many new technicians are given a trial by fire as they are put behind the counter and forced to learn on the job. While the “trainer” may not be the one taking the course, the ATA Bow Technician Certification program is a tool for those in a training role because they can use it to get a new staffer up to speed quickly before teaching them the finer points of how the shop handles specific tasks or services. The Veteran ■ You have been around for decades, but you’re a lifelong learner and are always happy for another opportunity to strengthen your business and bring in more customers. If this sounds like you, enrolling in this certification may provide you with slightly different benefits. Like most professionals, continuing education for bow technicians is part of maintaining your expertise. It is quite possible you will find a few tidbits within the course that will give you new perspective and maybe help you carry out your day-to-day tasks more efficiently. By gaining a certification, you are giving new and established customers alike another reason to put their trust in your business. Just as you may have done with getting an archery coaching certification to gain more students, getting a technician certification can give you another talking point to encourage customers to think of you first when it comes to bow work. Every successful graduate from the course will receive assets, including a printed certificate and window decal that can be displayed in the shop to boost customer confidence in the services you provide. We know success looks different for every business in this industry, and the ATA continually seeks ways to help every business take steps to reach their own goals. The goal of the ATA Bow Technician Certification program is not only to increase the skills of the individuals who enroll but also to have a positive impact on the archery industry. Jeff Greer, ATA retail member and bow technician advisory team member, believes the ATA Bow Technician Certification is a much-needed industry standard that will drive credibility for bow shops and greatly improve customer satisfaction across the industry. And the more archers who have a positive experience in the pro shop setting, the more lifelong participants, and lifelong customers, we create. Current members can sign up for the ATA Bow Technician Certification right now by visiting archerytrade.org/ bow-technician-certification. If you are not a member, go to archerytrade.org and click on “Join Today” to see how ATA membership can benefit your business. Questions about the certification? Email me at [email protected]. IA
20 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2023 ATA Announces 2023 Board of Directors Election Results Voters in the 2023 Archery Trade Association Board of Directors election retained two current Board members and installed one newly elected Board member. Jon Lené, current vice chair of the Board and general manager of Bear Archery; Jon DuMars, vice president of sales at Pure Archery Group; and Steve Lambeth, national sales manager at Wildlife Research, Inc., were all elected by their peers during the recent election held January 31 to March 1. “The passion, experience, and expertise of the ATA Board of Directors is vital to addressing the needs of our members and the ever-changing environment of the archery industry,” said Jeff Poole, president and CEO of the ATA. “Those newly elected, as well as our current Board members, are leaders from throughout the industry and we’ll continue to leverage their expertise to help protect and grow archery and bowhunting.” Bear Archery and Pure Archery Group will continue to hold their seats on the Board, with Wildlife Research Center, Inc., set to join. “It’s an honor to be elected for another term on the ATA Board of Directors, and thank you to everyone who voted for Bear Archery and myself to represent you,” said Lené. “I look forward to continuing to work with the ATA staff and fellow members on challenging issues facing our industry, including growing the trade show, creating value for our members, and promoting the sports of archery and bowhunting.” “I’m excited to bring my 20-plus years of archery industry experience to the ATA Board, and its committees, as we work to preserve and grow our great sport for all those involved,” said DuMars. “Pure Archery Group is dedicated to supporting the ATA’s mission.” “The ATA and archery industry are facing many challenges, but I’m looking forward to the opportunity to promote the sport we are all so passionate about,” said Lambeth. “Every positive contribution we make as an industry and as ATA members INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INDUSTRY NEWS can help create a brighter future for archery and bowhunting.” The four-year term for Lené, DuMars, and Lambeth will begin April 1, 2023, and end March 31, 2027. They will join Poole, the ATA’s senior directors, current Board members and all interested ATA members at the 2023 ATA Board of Directors’ meeting held in St. Louis, Missouri, April 18-19. “I want to thank departing ATA Board member Randy Kitts, who represented Black Eagle Arrows, Conquest Archery and Darton Archery, for his years of service,” said Poole. “We’re appreciative of the work he has done and the work he continues to do for the betterment of the industry.” | IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT ALLISON JASPER AT [email protected] OR CALL (507) 233-8136. Odin’s Innovations Products Earn USDA Certified Biobased Product Label LC BioPlastics announced today that it has earned the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Certified Biobased Product Label for its Odin’s Innovations Scent Beads and for Odin’s Innovations Liquid Scent. “New technologies provide the tools to develop products that work better than what have historically been on the market but are also good for the environment. When we started Odin’s Innovations, we were committed to using biobased and biodegradable materials,” said President Paul Black. The USDA Certified Biobased Product Label displays a product’s biobased content, which is the portion of a product that comes from a renewable source, such as plant, animal, marine, or forestry feedstocks. Utilizing renewable biobased materials displaces the need for nonrenewable petroleum-based chemicals. Biobased products are cost-comparative, readily available, and perform as well as or better than their conventional counterparts. “Unfortunately, there are a lot of misleading statements about products and how they do and do not impact our environment,” said Black. “The USDA’s program requirements and testing protocols provides our products with a very respected third-party validation that we honor our commitments.” “We applaud LC BioPlastics for earning the USDA Certified Biobased Product Label,” said Vernell Thompson, USDA BioPreferred Program. “The label is intended to help spur economic development, create new jobs, and provide new markets for farm commodities. But the label also makes it easier for consumers and federal buyers to locate biobased products and consider planet-friendlier options during purchase decisions. By having their products become USDA Certified Biobased, LC BioPlastics joins an expanding list of businesses combatting inaccurate marketing claims and the practice of greenwashing, while also contributing to a thriving bioeconomy that decreases our reliance on petroleum.” | FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ODIN’S INNOVATIONS, GO TO ODINSINNOVATIONS.COM ATA Compiles Bowhunter Numbers by State: Reports 3.7 Million Bowhunters Nationwide The Archery Trade Association (ATA) compiled a complete set of state bowhunter participation numbers and found America has more than 3.7 million licensed bowhunters. The ATA worked with the National Deer Association and state wildlife agencies to identify the number of licensed residents in each state who participated in hunting with a bow and arrow during the 2021-22 season. This is the first time the ATA or any other entity has put together bowhunting-specific participation totals for all 50 states, further providing an accurate number of nationwide constituents using archery equipment. “This is the most reliable single-source of bowhunting participation data generated to date,” said Jeff Poole, ATA president and CEO. “We are pleased to share this information and know the data serves as a
APRIL 2023 INSIDEARCHERY.COM benchmark to inspire growth nationwide.” The data is available in the ATA article “2021 State-by-State Hunting Data, 3.7 Million Bowhunters in America” along with harvest statistics for each state. The ATA also created a downloadable one-sheet document so members can easily read and compare state bowhunter numbers. | PLEASE CONTACT ALLISON JASPER, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS, AT ALLISONJASPER@ARCHERYTRADE.ORG OR CALL (507) 233-8136 WITH QUESTIONS. NASP—Changing Lives One Arrow at a Time, Not Just A Slogan! Since the inception of the National Archery in the Schools Program, the focus has been on making a positive impact on the lives of students. After 20 years, and with more than 20-plus million students safely introduced to in-school archery, there are many extraordinary stories about lives that the program and its instructors positively impacted. NASP is excited to share a new feature to the NASP website, entitled Why NASP—Success. These success stories are a collection of evidence to share with the NASP family. Our archers are known for their determination, strength, and resilience. These stories are just a sample of that evidence. Archery is an inclusive sport that allows people of all abilities to participate. It doesn’t discriminate based on athletic skill, size, gender, or economic background. Students are learning focus, self-control, discipline, patience, and the life lessons required to be successful in the classroom and in life. Confidence is one of the qualities that grows in students participating in archery. A NASP coach from Kentucky shared that, “During her 8th grade year, Sophie hit her stride and the opportunities provided by NASP gave her an opportunity to find her voice. NASP has given Sophie an opportunity to find several inner strengths in addition to participating in competition.” The athletic mobility and skill required for many other sports isn’t required in archery. This allows NASP to provide an athletic program open to almost all students. Adaptive equipment is one way that archery has been made accessible for even more physically challenged archers. One NASP school principal wrote about his student, Kaiya, “Unfortunately, there are opportunities that are simply unavailable to her, such as fully participating on a basketball or volleyball team. When Kaiya entered grade 4, I was excited at the possibility of her becoming a member of the… archery team.” Kaiya further explained, “I found a way to participate in archery using only one arm to pull the string and release the arrow. It has not been the easiest thing to do, but that never made me stop.” Academic success and the support of educators is another priority for NASP, and when students find success on the range it often translates into success in the classroom as well. One parent shared that her daughter Emily, “Began to experience greater success in the classroom, receiving numerous awards for academic success as well as being recognized for her character, and has continued to show leadership and determination.” NASP just celebrated its largest enrollment ever for Academic Archer, with 34,577 student archers nominated by their local coach. More information about this academic recognition program can be found at naspschools.org/2023aaresults/. The National Archery in the Schools Program delights in the positive impact that is made wherever it is launched. All the people associated with it are proud of its 21-year safe and positive history and the many lives changed, “One Arrow at a Time!” | IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ THE COMPLETE SUCCESS STORIES OF SOPHIE, KAIYA, EMILY, AND MORE OF OUR EXTRAORDINARY NASP STUDENTS, YOU CAN FIND THEM AT NASPSCHOOLS.ORG/ WHY-NASPCATEGORIeS/WHY-NASP-ARCHERY/. WE WANT MORE SUCCESS STORIES! PARENTS AND COACHES ARE INVITED TO SHARE THE SUCCESS OF THEIR ARCHERS BY SENDING THEIR STORIES TO [email protected]. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO BRING NASP TO YOUR SCHOOL, PLEASE VISIT THEM AT NASPSCHOOLS.ORG/ BRING-NASP-TO-YOUR-SCHOOL/. IA
22 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2023 Sign Up Now! ATA’s Bow Technician Certification Course Launched April 1 BY CASSIE GASAWAY INSIDE THE INDUSTRY ATA ACTION ARCHERY TRADE ASSOCIATION archerytrade.org the course skills, all of which are necessary to set up a compound bow, regardless of brand. The skills are necessary for all bow technicians, including the safe use of a bow press, draw board, and other shop equipment, knowing how to perform a complete compound bow setup, including the installation of a peep sight, D-loop, arrow rest, sight, bowstring and cable, as well as cam timing, adjusting draw length and draw weight, paper tuning, and arrow selection. Aaron Mast, owner of Kidron Sports Center LLC in Apple Creek, Ohio, signed up for the course at the 2023 ATA Show to improve his skills and knowledge and simply to be a better technician than he is now. “I’m always looking for new ‘tips and tricks’ for tuning bows,” Mast said. “It helps for the bows that give the tech issues. Personally, I believe I am pretty decent at tuning bows, but it never hurts to have that certificate!” Mast’s mindset is spot on. Most bow technicians are extremely qualified to set up and repair bows. The ATA knows that, but not all customers do. The bow technician certification boosts your store’s marketing value because it differentiates your business from competitors and attracts new customers looking for an expert. Having the certification validates your skills and reassures customers you know what you’re doing. Matt Brucker, general manager and vice president of sales for Farm to Feet in Mount Airy, North Carolina, also signed up for the course at the ATA Show. He enrolled for personal and professional reasons. “In my career, I have always found that the deeper my knowledge of the trade, the deeper my appreciation of the retailers’ opportunities and hurdles,” he said. “Understanding the details around what it means to be a bow mechanic will help me build professional relationships and pursue my archery hobby.” Brucker is grateful the ATA created this valuable learning opportunity and looks forward to taking the course. Sign Up Now Through the MyATA Member Dashboard Enroll now and become an ATA certified bow technician to improve your foundational knowledge, learn more efficient ways to complete tasks and A TA members can sign up now to gain access to the course material and learn, improve, or refresh their bow technician skills. Course content for the ATA’s Bow Technician Certification course went live on April 1. The ATA added the course as a member benefit in January. ATA members can sign up now to gain access to the on-demand educational video materials and work toward becoming an ATA certified bow technician. The ATA created the Bow Technician Certification course to help member retailers add credibility to their business and provide a consistently positive experience for customers. The course has an on-demand online component and an in-person practical where students must demonstrate proper execution of UNITING THE INDUSTRY ATA members can sign up now to gain access to the course material when it becomes available. PHOTO © ATA.
add credibility to your work. The Bow Technician Certification course is a benefit to ATA members and was created in response to ATA-member requests and feedback. The course is $600. Members who sign up will have immediate access to the course material, which is easy to use and available on demand. ATA staff worked with a sevenperson advisory team consisting of bow manufacturers and industry experts to identify the course skills. ATA staff created the content to ensure the information is accurate, reliable, consistent, and applicable for all bow brands. Those who complete the online portion and pass the in-person practical will earn a bow technician certificate, among other assets, to show they have mastered bow technician skills. Visit archerytrade.org/bow-techniciancertification to learn more about the Bow Technician Certification course. ATA members interested in signing up can register through the ATA’s Learning Center, which is accessible through the MyATA member dashboard at archerytrade.org/login. Questions? Contact Kurt Smith, ATA’s director of industry relations, at [email protected]. IA Retailers who complete the course will be issued a certification they can display in their shop. PHOTO © ATA.
24 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2023 PEOPLE Power Participation Theof 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. Armando Martinez • Hawaii Axis Deer Owner, Bow Hitch Bow ■ PSE Mach 1 Arrow ■ Arrow Tech Speed Freak Sight ■ Black Gold Release ■ T.R.U. Ball Fang 4 Rest ■ QAD Broadhead ■ Annihilator Quiver ■ TightSpot Stabilizer ■ Cutter Other ■ Bow Hitch Altitude Pro 12-inch Paul Biggs • Arizona Elk Marketing, The Outdoor Group Bow ■ Elite Omnia Sight ■ CBE Trek Release ■ Scott Archery Echo Stabilizer ■ CBE Torx
APRIL 2023 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 25 Lisa Walker • Michigan Whitetail Pro Staff, Odin’s Innovations Bow ■ Bowtech Eva Shockey Gen2 Arrow ■ Easton Axis Broadhead ■ Muzzy Trocar Rest ■ QAD HDX Sight ■ HHA Sports Tetra Release ■ Tru-Fire Stabilizer ■ Bee Stinger MicroHex Quiver ■ TightSpot Steve Allie • Michigan Whitetail Director of Marketing, Nexus Outdoors Bow ■ Mathews Triax Arrow ■ Easton Axis Broadhead ■ Annihilator Quiver ■ Mathews Sight ■ HHA Tetra Max XL Clothing ■ ScentLok Stabilizer ■ Trophy Ridge Bowhunter Elite Bill Tittle • Spain, Beceite Ibex Pro Staff, Vantage Point Archery (VPA) Bow ■ Bowtech Solutions SS Rest ■ AAE Driven Arrow ■ Carbon Express Release ■ Spot-Hogg Wiseguy Piledriver DS Hunter Broadhead ■ VPA 3-Blade 125 Grain Stabilizer ■ Bee Stinger Sight ■ Spot-Hogg Fast Eddie Sport Hunter Extreme Quiver ■ TightSpot Chris Hamm • Wisconsin Whitetail VP of Operations, HHA Sports Bow ■ Mathews V3X 33 Broadhead ■ Rage Sight ■ HHA Sports Tetra Max RYZ Stabilizer ■ HHA Sports Arrow ■ Victory Archery RIP TKO (discontinued) Rest ■ HHA Sports (discontinued)
26 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2023 Andy Buchanan’s life changed the night his wife told him they were expecting their second child. Well, obviously it did. That seems to go without saying. But his life didn’t just change in the way you would expect it to. No—thanks to one answered prayer, Buchanan’s entire world got turned upside-down in the best possible way. BY MICHAELEAN PIKE
APRIL 2023 27 INSIDEARCHERY.COM “It was 2014,” he explained. “My wife and I were trying to get pregnant with our second child, and one night she came out and said she was pregnant. Christ is very important in my life, so after my wife went to bed, I sat and had a little prayer. I prayed for the baby to be healthy. At the end of it, I prayed, ‘Lord, please give me something to help supplement our income.’” That prayer would be answered in a big way. And it wasn’t just the Buchanan family that benefitted, but bowhunters everywhere as well. “I went to bed that night and didn’t sleep a wink,” he said. “This broadhead design kept going through my head. So, I got up early and I came downstairs. My little girl had a notebook out, and I sat down and drew a sketch of the broadhead. Then I put it in my pocket and went to work. That’s where it started.” That sketch would eventually become the Thorn OG, a broadhead so accurate the company guarantees it will be fieldpoint accurate. A Better Broadhead Buchanan might not be exactly what you expect from someone designing revolutionary archery products. He doesn’t have an engineering degree, or even a great deal of experience in manufacturing. In fact, Buchanan quit high school his junior year. Over the years, he worked a variety of jobs. He drove log trucks. He worked as a prison guard. He got licensed for gas plumbing. He was the service manager at a propane company. But what Buchanan was very good at was looking at existing products and visualizing ways to improve them. “I could always get stuff in my head and break it down,” he said. “I could see how things would work and function in my mind, and I’d draw it out.”
28 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2023 One product category he had experienced some frustrations with was broadheads. An avid bowhunter, Buchanan had been involved in archery since his father bought him a bow when he was just nine. “My dad bought me a little Army store bow,” he said. “Then I moved on to a PSE Pulsar. I had a fascination with broadheads right off the bat. They always intrigued me. I shot a lot of archery tournaments back in the day, and it would frustrate me that I could be so dialed in with a field point, but when I’d try to sight-in with broadheads, they were all over the place. They never flew true. I was really a stickler for accuracy. I just always thought there was a better way to do it.” That “better way” was the OG, the broadhead Buchanan sketched out in his daughter’s notebook. The secret to improved accuracy was Hidden Blade Technology. “There’s nothing protruding from the ferrule,” Buchanan said. “If there’s nothing to plane in the air, it’s basically an elongated field point. That’s what makes it the most accurate broadhead in the world. We’re actually the only company that can put ‘guaranteed field point accuracy’ on our packaging. And it’s because there’s nothing protruding from the broadhead to catch wind and plane.” Hidden Blade Technology isn’t the only unique feature of Thorn’s broadheads. “We designed a Rip-Tip that gathers with the hair and the flesh, and that drives the tip down into the ferrule and pops the blades open,” he said. “We contained it with a sheer pin—a rubber-molded sheer pin. We’re the first to ever do that, too. Then we’re one of the only ones where you can practice with the actual broadhead. We’ve got a practice clip system that you snap between the tip and the ferrule, and as long as you’re shooting foam targets, you can practice with the actual broadhead.” With the idea for his revolutionary new broadhead sketched out, Buchanan now needed to turn that sketch into reality. Making It Happen Luckily, he had some fortuitous connections. “I had a friend who could mill out some parts,” he said. “They were rough prototype parts. Then I talked to some friends in the industry who I knew well. I talked to them about getting the patent process started.” The next three years were dedicated to development and getting patents lined out. “I received full U.S. patents in eight months, which is unheard of, because we were so radically different, there was no prior art to this,” he said. Once he was ready, he spoke with his father about his idea, explaining that he just needed to find someone who could produce the broadhead. That was when his father reminded him that he had a cousin who might be able to help. “My cousin, Greg Wilson, had just retired from 37 years of being a degreed machinist,” Buchanan said. “Greg lived about 45 minutes away. So, the day after he retired, I showed up at his house with a few little parts I had. Next thing you know, we go and meet a machinist—Jimmy Lytle of Daystar—and he did some CAD drawings. A few days later he had the actual broadhead and we started testing and shooting.” “You have to be happy with the product, but you have to be happy with the people you’re working with as well.” It was the people behind Thorn Broadheads as much as the products that appealed to baseball Hall of Famer Chipper Jones (below, left), particularly CEO Andy Buchanan (below, right) and his vision. Other members of the Thorn team, like Greg Wilson (upper right) and Steve White (lower right), are equally committed to producing the most accurate broadheads possible.
APRIL 2023 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 29 A Packed Lineup Buchanan launched the OG broadhead at the 2018 ATA Show. “We got a small 10-by-10 booth,” he said. “It was a pretty good show for us. We started getting orders. We kept producing, kept sell - ing, got a lot of web orders. We started get - ting into a lot of mom-and-pop shops, and we just progressively grew from there. We grass-rooted everything we did. All of our followers are organic.” In March 2018, Buchanan quit his job to work on the business full-time. And as the orders kept coming in, so did his ideas for new and better broadheads. “We started with the OG,” he explained. “It’s the original orange compound broad - head. Then customers were wanting broad - heads for crossbows, so we developed the HPX, which is a high-performance crossbow head. We put a titanium tip on it. It went crazy. We were on all the crossbow forums. Word of mouth was doing wonders for us because we actually had a broadhead that would fly, achieving two-inch groups at 100 yards. That was unheard of at the time. After that, customers wanted a bigger cut, The Thorn team knows what hunters want because they’re all passionate bowhunters themselves. Clockwise from top left: Andy Buchanan, Greg Wilson, Heath Smoak, Roy Stouffer, Chipper Jones, Scott Nice, and Aaron Zimmerman.
30 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2023 so we came out with the Rift 2.2 for com - pounds and crossbows.” At first, all of Thorn’s broadheads were mechanical designs. But customers asked for an ultra-accurate fixed-blade broadhead, and Buchanan wanted to deliver. The only problem was he couldn’t produce a fixedblade head with the accuracy he demanded. He was on the verge of trashing the entire idea when a friend, Scott Nice, said some - thing that struck him. “I was telling him that it looked like we weren’t going to be able to do a fixed blade because we couldn’t get the accuracy out of it,” Buchanan said. “And he said, ‘Have you ever thought of a Christmas tree?’ Basical - ly, small at the top and big at the bottom. I said, ‘Let me get off the phone,’ and I im - mediately hung up, came into the shop and started grinding on blades to get that heli - cally stacked Christmas tree look. Within three hours I took it out into the field and harvested an 8-point at 47 yards. That’s how the Crown came to be.” Another broadhead joined the lineup last year. “This past season we came out with the XV model,” Buchanan said. “It was a little bit cheaper to manufacture, so we were able to offer it at a lower price to our custom - ers. That broadhead was our best seller last year. It’s rated up to 750 feet per second. It’s one of the only broadheads on the market that can be shot out of these new airbows. That’s something that’s really catching on. We’ve actually got all kinds of airgun manufacturers reaching out to us, also talk - ing about OEM broadheads due to the accu - racy at that high rate of speed.” All About the Accuracy Whether it’s an expandable or a fixed blade, meant for a compound or a crossbow, every broadhead sold by Thorn must be accurate. “We not only design durable and depend - able broadheads, we strive to be the most accurate heads on the market,” Buchanan said. “This is why we are the only manufac - turer confident enough to guarantee fieldpoint accuracy on every package. After all, no matter how great your archery setup is, the broadhead is what delivers the accuracy and the harvest. That’s what we pride our - selves on—accuracy.” To ensure their broadheads are field-
APRIL 2023 31 INSIDEARCHERY.COM point accurate, Thorn does a lot of testing. “We do our testing in the field, on live animals,” Buchanan said. “We don’t launch a product until we’ve been in the field with it for a year. At the end of the day, we can shoot steel drums, concrete blocks, and all those things, but that’s not giving you the information that you need. When we bow - hunt, we’re shooting animals. We’re not shooting stationary targets. We do ballistic gel tests and slow-motion photography and things of that nature, too, but the best way to test a product is by using it the way it’s actually going to be used.” Of course, quality and reliability matter to Thorn as well. “We want to design products for the hunt - er,” Buchanan said. “They save their money to go on a once-in-a-lifetime hunting trip, so we want to design broadheads that aren’t going to fail, that aren’t going to let them down in the field. “We use the best materials possible. Our ferrules are 7075 aircraft aluminum, and the anodizing process we use also helps strengthen that aluminum. Then, of course, we have titanium tips. You’re not going to beat the strength and integrity of titanium. And the biggest thing here at Thorn is our quality control. We hand inspect every broadhead and we package them ourselves.” As a former service manager, Buchanan feels strongly about maintaining superior customer service.
32 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2023 “We pride ourselves on customer service,” he said. “We hear great feedback on that all the time. If a customer has a problem, they can call the number on the back of the pack - age and it’s me. If it’s not me, it’s someone else who works here, hands on.” The result has been booming sales and satisfied customers. “The customer feedback that we’re get - ting has been very positive,” Buchanan said. “Our customers report that their broad - heads are flying with their field points, just like we guarantee. We’ve got customers shooting animals at very long yardage and getting successful two-inch groups at 100 yards with the fixed or the mechanicals. We have very, very few complaints, and the few that we have generally involve user error. But we’re able to get on the phone with the customer and educate them on how to use the product or otherwise make it right.” A Growing Team In the beginning, Thorn was just Buchanan and his cousin, Greg Wilson, who came on as an owner. “We were green as a gourd,” Buchanan admitted. “We didn’t know much about business. Over the years, we got a really good education, but that’s where it started at. It was just me and Greg.” The success of the business and the qual - ity of the broadheads, however, soon at - tracted interest from other passionate bow - hunters, many with the kind of skills and experience Thorn was looking for. “We met Scott Nice at a trade show in Virginia,” Buchanan said. “He actually worked for another manufacturer in the industry. Scott was really adamant about the broadheads. He just fell in love with them. He worked with a small distribu - tor at the time, and they wanted to talk to us about distributing our broadheads. We got to be friends. When he lost his job, we hired him on immediately. He’s now our national sales manager. That’s how we wound up with Kinsey’s and Lancaster and Zanders—through the channels and people that Scott knew.” Next, Buchanan met Aaron Zimmerman. “We met Aaron Zimmerman at the ATA Show,” he said. “At the time, he was with ScentBlocker’s Most Wanted. We started sponsoring them, and we ended up being
APRIL 2023 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 33 really good friends. Over the last year, we needed help with pro staff and field staff, and we hired Aaron to run that part of the business for us. He also produces a lot of content for our YouTube.” In 2017, Buchanan met Heath Smoak, an avid ASA shooter. “He can shoot lights out, so I’d get him to do a lot of testing of the broadheads,” Bu - chanan said. “I wanted his opinion. I need - ed help here in the warehouse for shipping and packaging. So, I hired Heath, as well as Steve White. Steve was a tool-and-die guy. We needed packagers and assemblers as well, so that’s what Greg and Steve would do. Heath, through the years working here, has moved up from the packaging and shipping department. He’s now our social media manager.” Finally, Thorn brought in Roy Stouffer, a veteran of the Marine Corps. He joined the company as part-owner in 2019. “Roy has been a blessing to our team,” Buchanan said. “As an owner, his passion for faith, family, and the outdoors has been a perfect fit. He is the main reason we can proudly state we are veteran owned.” A Major League Partnership As the company grew, it began sponsoring hunting TV shows. “One of the bigger shows was Major League Bowhunter, which Chipper Jones was involved with. This past season, he ended up killing the biggest deer in Major League Bowhunter history with our new XV broadhead. I reached out to him wanting to get some good photos for social media. I mentioned that we were possibly looking for investors to grow, that it was time to pour some gas on the fire, and Chipper in - vited us down to hang out. A couple weeks later Chipper become part owner of Thorn Broadheads.” That’s right—Chipper Jones—baseball Hall of Famer and former third baseman for the Atlanta Braves—liked the broadheads so much he didn’t just want to shoot them. He wanted to be a part of the company that made them. Like Buchanan, Jones is an avid bow - hunter. “What we’ve learned about Chipper is that he’s just as passionate about bowhunt - ing as he was about baseball,” Buchanan
34 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2023 said. “When you walk into his home, you don’t really see baseball. You see more of the hunting side of it—his trophy room. I’m looking forward to his passion for the sport, as well as the show and the exposure we’ll get.” For his part, Jones is equally excited to be a part of Thorn. Through his show, Major League Bowhunter, he has the opportunity to try out a lot of different products as spon - sors come and go. But Thorn stuck out. “I had to use the broadhead to see what the product is all about,” Jones said. “I ended up shooting a 182-inch deer at 35 yards. The broadhead did its damage, and I was ex - tremely happy with it. Obviously, you have to be happy with the product, but you have to be happy with the people you’re working with as well. Andy’s a top-notch guy. I get a lot of opportunities to invest in companies and products over the years, and this one really spoke to me.” When asked what set this opportunity apart, Jones was clear: it was the vision. “I was really impressed with Andy and his forethought,” he said. “He’s an inventor. He’s staying ahead of the industry and adapt - ing. One thing that he said to me early on was, ‘I see what’s wrong with products and I try to fix it.’ That tells me he’s ever evolv - ing, and whenever you can get in business with someone who’s always thinking two steps ahead of everyone else, that intrigues me. That’s why we forged this relationship. When you have something that’s going to be revolutionary, I want to be behind it.” Faith, Family & Friends Buchanan emphasized the role of faith, family and friends in the company’s suc - cess. “The faith part is pretty simple,” he said. “We’re basically a Christian-owned compa - ny. Everyone that works here has the Chris - tian faith. You can see that through our products, through our packaging. Just like the thorns in the background.” In fact, the name of the company itself is rooted in Buchanan’s faith. “The name Thorn comes from my wife,” he explained. “We were sitting around one night talking about what to name the broad - head. I told her, ‘I’d love for it to pertain to something in the Bible.’ She just happened to be reading about the crown of thorns. She
APRIL 2023 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 35 said, ‘Well, what about Thorn Broadheads?’ Then, of course, the purple HPX represents Christ. And then we have a broadhead that’s called the Crown of Thorns. Which is the Crown broadhead. We don’t shove it down people’s throats, but we don’t hide it, either.” As for the family and friends part, Thorn has worked hard to make new employees feel like family. “Anyone that we bring into our company, we want them to feel like they’re part of a family unit,” he said. “That’s how close we are. We speak to each other every day, and that’s very important. Because in order to come into Thorn, we have to have that kind of relationship. We’re definitely all friends.” A Promising Future In just a few short years, Thorn Broadheads has made its mark on the industry. And the company isn’t done innovating. “We’re going to continue to develop new products,” Buchanan said. “We’ve got several designs on the back burner right now that are going to be coming on. We’re going to improve what’s existing now. We’ve got other products outside of broadheads that are going to be coming around in 2024 and just some exciting things going on. We’ve actually had other manufacturers in the industry reach out to us wanting to OEM some products.” Jones is equally excited about the company’s future. “We’re extremely excited about the direction of the company,” Jones said. “We think that Thorn is about to take that next step into every bowhunter’s forethought. They’re going to make products that are going to be liked by bowhunters all across the industry, and we feel very fortunate that we have the chance to get in on the ground floor.” And while Thorn’s plans for the future may be top secret at the moment, Jones dropped a few hints during our interview. “Thorn has a new product they’re working on,” he said. “I think it’s going to be revolutionary. I think it’s going to knock the socks off the industry. I’m extremely happy with what I’ve seen going forward. They’re crossing the landscape of all archery products. They are cutting edge. And they’re going to continue to evolve as archery evolves. As the entire industry evolves. I hope Thorn and Major League Bowhunter have a strong partnership for years to come.” “What I want people to know is that we’re all outdoorsmen ourselves—Christian outdoorsmen,” Buchanan said. “We have a passion for developing respectful products for the end consumer. And that we’re very approachable. We’re not a conglomerate. We believe in customer service. And we’re the world’s most accurate broadhead. If accuracy’s important to them, we have broadheads for that.” IA
36 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2023 MARKET TRENDS GEAR REPORT I BY PATRICK MEITIN Ani-Logics Black Ops Special Forces for Bears WebXtra ■ For a closer look at this product and many others, check them out at insidearchery.com. a jump start to your efforts. The food plot and deer nutrition experts at Ani-Logics have introduced a powerful weapon in the quest for bear-hunting success, including three Black Ops products introduced at the 2023 ATA Show. Special Forces Bear Molasses & Anise and Bear Berry Blast Liquids are just the thing to get productive bear baits up and running, by introducing far-reaching attractions. Black Ops Special Forces for bears includes concentrated and irresistible scents bears will certainly investigate after catching their first whiff. Molasses & Anise offers a double whammy of proven sweet-tooth attractants; Berry Blast is a concentrated formula of one of bruins’ favorite natural foods. These liquid attractants come in 1-gallon shake and deploy EZ pour jugs, so they are mess-free to transport and use. Ani-Logics recommends using the liquid attractants to “top-dress” your bait piles, but I envision other strategic uses. Instead of using it on top of bait that will be consumed, I would use the liquid to soak punky stumps or logs adjacent live in Idaho, where we enjoy spring black bear seasons and legal baiting units. While my wife annually reminds me I don’t need another bear rug, I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Most of all, while DIY bear baiting is absolutely thrilling, the satisfaction of earning a bruin after all the excruciatingly hard work and patience can’t be beat. Besides the enormous sweat equity and commitment of time and resources involved, successful bear baiting requires plenty of hunt savvy. Before the hunt even begins, it all starts by picking the right spot and attracting bears to that site from miles of surrounding wilderness. Solid food is a big part, obviously, but powerful attractants provide to bait pits or barrels, or the cut-log clutter used to deter bait robbers like ravens or racoons. In this way, should bait be depleted, bears still have something to attract them and investigate on site. More importantly, the liquid scent will stick to bears’ paws, tracked into surrounding areas for other bears to come across and trail into the site. That alone will help make for a more productive bait with faster start-up times. Ani-Logics also offers the Black Ops Special Forces Berry Blast Block, which includes the same powerful attractants as the liquid products. The 20-pound block also provides the smell and flavor of irresistible wild berries. My only worry here is a bear rolling it off the mountain or carrying it off. With this in mind, I would be inclined to place the block inside my lock-top bait barrel with its 8-inch access hole devised to slow bait consumption. Once bait is depleted, the contained block would give bears something to play with and work on, keeping them around longer between barrel fill-ups. One thing is certain, I plan to use these aromatic products this spring to make my Idaho bear baiting sites more effective. Check them out by visiting anilogics.com. IA
38 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2023
APRIL 2023 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 39 B roadheads are a hot topic in the ar - chery world. They are an integral part of the hunter’s system, mean - ing most bowhunters just aren’t will - ing to settle for subpar designs. To meet bowhunters’ needs and keep merchan - dise moving, dealers must stock quality broadheads customers want and trust. In addition to stocking reliable and trusted products that attract attention, broadheads must perform reliably in the field, as dealers will certainly get an ear full should a customer experience subpar results or failures that cost them game. These aren’t merely add-on sales. Broad - heads are an important stand-alone cat - egory, and for retailers this translates into all-important profit gains. Check out these hot options for the 2023 sales year. Fixed-Blade Reliability Bear Archery Fred Bear introduced the Razorhead to the bowhunting world in 1956. Bear Ar - chery reintroduced the Razorhead last year, but with a new twist of modern technology. The all-new Razorhead VWS (Variable Weight System) features an in - novative insert system, allowing bow - hunters to customize broadhead weight to 150, 175, 200, or 250 grains. Razorhead VWS Single Bevel and Double Bevel heads are constructed from high-grade stain - less steel and engineered to promote maximum penetration. As a stand-alone each head weighs 150 grains and can be used as a glue-on option. The Razorhead also comes with three insert sets and three field points matching the weight of finished broadheads. In conjunction PHOTO © TRAIL RED, WWW.TRAILREDLLC.COM
40 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2023 with the 150-grain heads or field points, customers can add one of three inserts: magnesium to create a 175-grain head, aluminum for a 200-grain head, or stainless steel to build a 250-grain head. Learn more by visiting beararchery.com. Annihilator Broadheads Annihilator Broadheads developed an initial design so solid there really was no room for improvement. The same solid design remains for 2023, and the 100-grain XL continues to be one of the company’s most popular options. It is also Annihilator’s latest offering, and this one-piece head will be in full production for 2023. The XL is crafted from 4140 alloy steel, has a 1.0625-inch cutting diameter, and according to Annihilator, produces devastating 2-inch circular wound channels. It boasts great edge retention and produces long-range accuracy. Learn more by visiting annihilatorbroadheads.com. REK Broadheads The REK FX4 is a rugged fixed-blade broadhead designed to tackle the toughest assignments. This four-blade option is crafted with a 7075 aluminum ferrule and hardened 416 stainless-steel cutting tip. It includes a 1.125-inch main blade diameter and 0.75-inch bleeder blade cut for 1.875 inches of total cutting surface. It sports a 0.039-inch blade thickness and standard 8/32-inch ferrule threads. The 100-grain FX4 is exceptionally accurate and compatible with compounds or crossbows. They are made in the USA. Learn more by visiting rekbroadheads.com. Helix Broadheads The four-blade FJ4 is new for 2023 from Helix Broadheads. Customers have requested a four-blade option and Helix engineers delivered. The FJ4 starts with a standard single-bevel designed blade that Helix is known for and adds two smaller bleeder blades that insert directly into the ferrule. The cut-on-contact design penetrates deeply, offering 2.0625 inches of cutting edges in 100- and 175-grain heads, 2.125 inches for the 125- and 200-grain head, and 2.25 inches for the 150- and 225-grain heads. Improved blood trails and field proven results from the 2022 fall indicate the FJ4 is a broadhead to be reckoned with. Learn more by visiting helixbroadheads.com. Vantage Point Archery (VPA) VPA is known for manufacturing precisionmachined, one-piece broadheads. For 2023 VPA expanded its Single Bevel series to include 125- and 175-grain Single Bevel options in both right and left bevel to match the fletching being used. These broadheads include an ideal blade thickness and razor sharp, 35-degree single bevel edges. They are machined from S7 tool steel, given an OD Green Duracote finish, and the ferrule supports the head all the way to the bonesplitting tip. The one-piece milled heads include no weld lines or brazing and are heat treated to 58 Rockwell for superior strength. Straight-edge, single-bevel edges promote deeper penetration and bloodletting by creating spiral wound channels—now offered in models weighing from 125 to 300 grains and featuring a 1.125-inch cutting diameter. Learn more by visiting vparchery.com. Thorn Broadheads Thorn’s Crown of Thorns is the company’s fixed-blade design. Its sports a unique helix-stack design, arranged in 5/8-, ¾-, 7/8- and 1-inch-wide stepped-down cutting diameters. The result is exceptional accuracy. The effect on game is a devastating 1-inch hole like that made by a shotgun slug. With a threaded conical titanium tip, 7075 aircraft-grade aluminum ferrule, 440 stainless steel blades, and replaceable 0.040-inch thick 420 stainless-steel blades, the Crown is tough and reliable. It comes with one set of replacement blades and one tip tool (100- and 125-grain blades not interchangeable). Note that some states may consider the Crown a barbed head, so check local game laws. Learn more by visiting thornbroadheads.com. Wasp Archery The SharpShooter series by Wasp, previously available in only 100- and 150-grain versions, is now offered in a heavy-hitting 200-grain model. This is the first single Bear Razorhead VWS Annihilator XL Thorn Crown of Thorns VPA Single Bevel Helix FJ4 REK FX4
APRIL 2023 41 INSIDEARCHERY.COM bevel (right hand) in the Wasp lineup and includes a beefy 0.040-inch-thick, cut-oncontact main blade with 0.027-inch-thick bleeder blades. The SharpShooter 200 was designed to provide higher F.O.C.s and kinetic energy delivery for traditional or dangerous game bowhunters. The bleeder can also be removed to create a deeper-driving two-blade head. Learn more by visiting wasparchery.com. Musacchia Broadhead The NBS100 (No Bull) was designed by John Musacchia to break bone and penetrate deep. The trocar tip is recognized for promoting incredible penetration, with the angles of Musacchia’s design specific to the needs of archers turning kinetic energy into penetration on big game. The trocar tip is constructed of 416 stainless steel hardened to 42 RC. This screws into the threaded tip of the 7075 T6 aluminum ferrule to anchor the interlocking, 1.125-inches wide, 0.025-inch-thick 420 stainless steel razor blades. Blades are hardened to 51 RC and include an efficient 31.5-degree attack angle. The ferrule is hard coat anodized to protect from oxidation. Learn more by visiting musacchiabroadhead.com. Magnus Broadheads The Black Hornet Ser Razor by Magnus Broadheads is a cut-on-contact broadhead with 0.060-inch-thick main blade and 0.040-inchthick bleeder. Two- and four-blade versions are offered and all blades are replaceable. Every broadhead is inspected on a dial indicator to ensure tips spin within 0.003-inch and guarantee excellent flight out of the fastest compounds and crossbows. The cut-on-contact design promotes deep penetration, and the main-blade chisel serration helps server tough tendons and produce wide blood trails. They include a Lifetime Replacement Guarantee. If a Magnus head is damaged, email a picture with name and address and it will be replaced for free. Learn more by visiting magnusbroadheads.com. Wasp SharpShooter Musacchia NBS100 Magnus Black Hornet Ser Razor
42 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2023 Muzzy Broadheads The Muzzy ONE is machined from a single piece of premium stainless steel, allowing precise control of all tolerances and delivering an exceptionally accurate and durable broadhead. The hybrid chiseled/ cut-on-contact tip blasts through bone for incredible penetrating power, while precision positioned blade vents ensure the ONE flies true. This solid head features three heavy-duty 0.046-inch-thick blades. The Muzzy ONE is easily resharpened on a flat stone, adding value through longer life. It is available in 85- (1-inch cutting diameter), 100- (1.125-inch cut), or 125-grain (1.25-inch) versions. Learn more by visiting feradyne.com/muzzy/. New Archery Products (NAP) NAP’s Meat Freak is a rock-solid, one-piece broadhead design engineered to provide both maximum accuracy and durability. Milled from high-grade 420 stainless steel, the Meat Freak can withstand hard-impact bone hits on game. Plus, its no-vent design ensures silent flight, which decreases the odds of animals jumping the string. The 0.036-inch-thick, ultra-sharp blades are reliable and easy to resharpen, providing a 1.0625-inch cutting diameter. Each is spin tested for accuracy. Learn more by visiting newarchery.com. KuduPoint KuduPoint introduced left bevel edges by popular demand in addition to the right bevel of the originals. The new left bevel versions will be available in two-blade Contour and four-blade Contour Plus, and in 100-, 125-, and 150-grain options. The blades are still made from hardened 420 stainless steel permanently swagged into a 416 stainless steel ferrule. Blades include excellent edge retention and arrive hunting sharp. The 0.050-inch-thick main blade provides strength and reliability around bone, bleeder blades 17-4 stainless steel and 0.625-inch-thick. They are given a dark matte finish to reduce glare and come with a lifetime materials and workmanship guarantee. Learn more by visiting kudupoint.com. Quality Archery Designs (QAD) Proven Exodus broadheads from QAD are offered with Standard, Crossbow, or Deep Six ferrules, in 85-, 100-, and 125-grain weights, and with swept and full blades. They are 100 percent stainless steel and sport a 1.25- inch cutting diameter. With razor-sharp, durable blades and a steep cutting angle, the Exodus gets great penetration while also cutting wide wound channels. Heavyduty SST construction holds up to punishing hits, and Blade Over Shaft Technology creates a super compact head that provides field point-like flight. The ferrule is just 0.7-inches long and holds 0.040-inch-thick blades with spurs that lock inside the insert. Learn more by visiting qadinc.com. .30-06 Outdoors The fixed-blade Little Giant Broadhead by .30-06 Outdoors is a deadly but affordable option with a retail price of just $13.99 for three. The Little Giant design delivers pinpoint accuracy through a low-profile 1-inch cutting diameter, the blades also including vents to ensure compatibility with all modern compounds or crossbows. Its three razor-sharp blades are constructed from stainless steel and 0.017-inch thick. These blades are anchored securely using a finger-tightened rear knurled/threaded steel locking ring. The high-quality aluminum ferrule has received a chrome-plating finish for corrosion resistance and is led by a cutting tool-steel chisel tip. Learn more by visiting 30-06outdoors.com. Titanium X The four-blade Quadcutter broadhead by Titanium X is a design that can be counted on to drive deep while also producing wide blood trails. The Grade 5 titanium ferrule includes an integrated cutting tip, and each head is spin tested at the factory to ensure precision concentricity. The four-edged beveled tip slices through thick hide and splits bone. The four blades create a 1 3/16-inch cut, the premium, surgical-grade stainless steel blades 0.031-inch thick for reliability. Each three pack comes with a free set of blades and a broadhead wrench. Learn more by visiting truglo.com. .30-06 Outdoors Litte Giant QAD Exodus KuduPoint Contour Plus NAP Meat Freak Muzzy ONE
APRIL 2023 INSIDEARCHERY.COM Ramcat Broadheads The HydroShock from Ramcat Broadheads provides true field-point accuracy at any arrow speed through proven aircraft technology. It features a patented Airfoil System and Firenock Aero Concentric Technology to enhance accuracy and ensure heads stay tight in the field or while shooting. Back-Cut Technology blades are sharpened front and rear, so cut while going foreward or while being pulled out. The three stainless steel 0.032-inch-thick blades produce a 1 3/8-inch cutting diameter, held in a 100 percent stainless steel ferrule that makes it ultra tough and corrosion resistant. The broadhead is led by a milled-in cutting-on-contact tip, Blade Over Shaft Technology creating a compact profile. Look for them with standard and Deep-6 threads, and in 100- and 125-grain weights. Learn more by visiting ramcatbroadheads.com. Mechanical Devastation G5 Outdoors G5 Outdoors’ Megameat mechanical broadhead is a devastating 3-blade design creating nasty 2-inch-wide wound channels. They are offered in 100- and 125-grain standard, and 100- and 125-grain crossbow models. The design includes a simple snap-lock collar that holds blades secure in flight or the arrow quiver, providing a streamlined in-flight profile and straight flight. The one-piece stainless steel ferrule includes an integrated cutting tip that drives deep and splits bone. G5 offers ballistic matched points for sight-in and practice, replacement blades, and collars (all sold separately). Learn more by visiting g5outdoors.com. Cobra Archery Cobra’s Barbarian MXT Titanium Bolt Broadhead was created for high-speed, hard-hitting crossbows. Its patent pending blade retention design, paired with a compact, low-profile profile, make it sleek and accurate. It includes a solid, one-piece, bone-splitting titanium ferrule, replaceable 420 stainless steel blades (0.070-inch Cobra Barbarian MXT G5 Megameat Ramcat HydroShock Titanium X Quadcutter
thick), and a cutting trocar tip. They come in 100- or 125-grain models with 1.5-inch cut - ting diameters, or a 150-grain option with 1.75-inch cutting diameter. Each spin-tested package of broadheads contains a practice head. The design requires no bands, clips, or O rings, and is incredibly durable. Learn more by visiting cobraarchery.com . SWAT Broadheads SWAT’s Crossbow Magnum X-Mag me - chanical delivers a two-blade entry and four-blade exit wound based on an aero - space ferrule design. It incorporates a 7075- T6 aluminum body, 440C stainless-steel tip blade and blades are set on screws, not pins. SWAT guarantees accuracy and straightness. The mechanical blades are 0.036-inch thick and cut from 420 stain - less steel, retained in flight by a militarygrade, non-latex blade containment strap that won’t deteriorate with time or expo - sure to UV rays. Learn more by visiting swatbroadheads.com . Rage Broadheads Rage continues to innovate with the ad - dition of proven NC (No Collar) technol - ogy now in three classic Rage designs—the original Rage 2-Blade, the Rage 2-Blade Chisel-Tip, and Rage Crossbow X broad - heads in 100- and 125-grain offerings. The integration of NC technology further en - hances reliability and functionality. Newly integrated NC (No Collar) technology utiliz - es cutting-edge, finger-like tabs at the blade pivot point to anchor them in place while closed. This technology eliminates the need for a Shock Collar, dental band, or O-ring, while still providing a dead-reliable system. Rage and Rage Chisel Tip broadheads are available in 100 grains and the Crossbow X in 100 or 125 grains. Learn more by visiting feradyne.com/ragebroadheads/ . Viper Archery Products The Spectre from Viper Archery Products is a revolutionary mechanical broadhead with several unique features. Its Magnetic SWAT Crossbow Magnum X-Mag Rage 2-Blade NC
APRIL 2023 INSIDEARCHERY.COM Blade Technology holds blades closed until impact, without O-rings, rubber bands, or locking collars. The blades are released instantly during deployment to create massive entry and exit wounds. The Cerakotefinished blades include a swept-back profile to promote maximum penetration and are spooky sharp and durable. They are crafted using an aerodynamic four-edged, carbon-steel chisel tip. They are available in 100- or 125-grain models. Each package contains four broadheads and includes a weight-matched practice head. Learn more by visiting viperarcheryproducts.com. SIK Broadheads The 100-grain, two-blade SIK SK2 mechanical was designed to provide incredible accuracy and a big-time punch upon arrival. It uses patented FliteLoc Technology to guarantee its signature Offset Blade Design will deploy on impact, which helps leave your customers’ game with 2-inch, offset entry and exit wounds that will not seal via 3.625 inches of total cutting surface. They come in a pack of three. Learn more by visiting beararchery.com. REK Broadheads The REK XP two-blade expandable features a rugged 7075 aluminum ferrule holding a hardened 416 stainless-steel chisel tip. The replaceable blades are 0.039-inch thick and produce a 1.85-inch cut upon deployment. The design uses a patented Spring Lock Retention Collar (three extra locks included), and an interchangeable fixed or expandable design. This 100-grain broadhead offers true accuracy and works well with compounds or crossbows. It has standard 8/32-inch threads and comes in three packs. Learn more by visiting rekbroadheads.com. Thorn Broadheads Introduced last year, the Thorn XV is an affordable expandable broadhead including an aluminum conical tip paired with exposed blade spurs for on-impact blade deployment. It is a radically different design from the original Rip-Tip hidden-blade design models. The XV includes a 7075 aircraft-grade aluminum tip and ferrule along Viper Spectre Thorn XV REK XP SIK SK2
with a 2-inch cutting diameter via its 440 stainless steel blades. With a velocity rating up to 750 fps, the XV can be used not only in high performance compound and crossbows, but uber-fast air-bows. The Thorn XV is available in 100 and 125 grains. Learn more by visiting thornbroadheads.com. SlickTrick Broadheads The SlickTrick Torch isn’t one to be overlooked. It is crafted from high-quality materials and to tight tolerances. The Torch epitomizes accuracy, durability, and large cutting diameter. It features an aerodynamic flight profile in an expandable head that deploys on impact to create large entry and exit holes. Its slim ferrule, sporting a titanium tip, was designed for precision and deep penetration. The stainless-steel Deadbolt Deployment retention system guarantees blades remain closed in flight without rubber bands or Orings, and the surgical-grade, rear-deploying blades provide a devastating 2-inch wound channel. The Torch is dependable, foolproof, and deadly. Learn more by visiting slicktrickbroadheads.com. Sullivan Industries/Innerloc Broadheads The three-blade 125-grain Innerloc Devastation broadhead features a tremendous 2-inch cutting diameter created by three 0.040-inch-thick blades that produce massive wound channels and hemorrhaging. The Devastation features Innerloc’s proven Clip Loc design, which secures the blades and are tuned for reliable performance from today’s fastest crossbows. Patent pending “Dynamic Blade Control” technology utilizes crushable DBC inserts that dampen blade opening and independently adjust each blade’s position to encountered resistance during penetration. This helps prevent blade breakage/deformity while also increasing penetration. Devastation broadheads are available in 100-, 125-, and 150-grain standard or crossbow options. ReInnerloc Devastation SlickTrick Torch
APRIL 2023 INSIDEARCHERY.COM placeable DBC inserts and 25- and 50-grain weight adaptors are also available. Learn more by visiting innerloc.com. Ghillie Monster Outdoors The Aftermath Broadhead is built for destruction. The design delivers devastating wound channels combined with straight flight and a design requiring no O-rings. It holds 0.035-inch-thick stainless steel blades that produce a 2.125-inch cut. Weighing 100 grains, this broadhead opens inside the animal. The blades are sharpened front and back and include support arms that move with the blades to add five times the structural strength. Once deployed, the blades lock open to rip and cut with forward or reverse movement, ultimately inflicting maximum damage. The patent pending ball joint locking mechanism adds strength and reliability, too. Learn more by visiting ghilliemonsteroutdoors.com. Wac’Em Broadheads The Wac’Em Steel Slip Cam Hybrid 4-Blade is a 100-grain mechanical featuring a pressed-in, stainless-steel penetrator tip and precision-machined steel ferrule. Its fixed cutting diameter is 1.125 inches, and its expandable cutting diameter is 1.625 inches, providing a virtual can of devastation. The fixed blade is 0.030 inches thick, and the expandable blades are 0.039 inches thick and held by an O ring retention system. They come in a package of three including one free Nockturnal Red/Green Strobing FIT Nock with three bushings. Learn more by visiting feradyne.com/wacembroadheads/. VIP Archery The two-blade Ranger from VIP Archery is engineered for maximum accuracy, lethality, and deep-penetrating energy delivery via the company’s Momentum Management technology. It incorporates FlexCut technology, has a surgically sharp tip, hits hard, and cuts wide. This mechanical broadhead has a closed cutting width of 1.2 inches and open cutting width of 2.4 inches. It is compound and crossbow compatible and weighs 100 grains. Learn more by visiting viparchery.com. IA Ghillie Monster Aftermath Wac’Em Steel Sip Cam Hybrid 4-Blade VIP Ranger
48 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2023 MARKET TRENDS GEAR REPORT W BY PATRICK MEITIN Scent Slinger WebXtra ■ For a closer look at this product and many others, check them out at insidearchery.com. doused with scent elimination sprays, donning surgical gloves, and products such as charcoal-lined clothing, but the hard fact is a deer’s sense of small is so astute the simple fact of living leaves some trace odors behind. Frustrated by these realities, Noah Stigall developed the Scent Slinger system—a lightweight and simple but effective scent-dispersal approach that makes it easy to deploy scent without introducing human odors to the scent site. It involves no aerosol cans, liquid bottles, wicks, or pucks, hence, none of the trash that often results from conventional tactics. The Scent Slinger concept starts with a finger-mounted sling shot, which is used to propel wooden Scent Balls soaked in natural doe urine. The compact sling shot is easily stashed in a jacket pocket or daypack pouch. Scent Slinger Scent Balls are shipped in a reusable zipper-top bag free of outside odors, and soaking in 1 ounce of 100 percent pure doe urine. The storage bag is durable enough so that after initial scent is exhausted customers can easily add their own favorite product and continue using the recyclable Scent Balls. For ease of use, the Scent Slinger syshite-tailed deer live and die by their noses, which makes curiosity and especially glandular attractants and scents an integral part of the hunt. An entire industry has emerged around producing scents and lures to bring deer closer or coax them to stand for a clean shot. That industry has also evolved into a quest to eliminate scent, or at least the human odors all game finds offensive, if not outright terrifying. One of the most basic problems while dispensing scent, whether dribbling or squirting liquid from a bottle, depositing pellets, or hanging scentinfused wicks or pucks, is doing so also introduces human odors to that site. We do our best, wearing rubber boots tem also comes with odor-free surgical gloves to eliminate human odors while handling the Scent Balls. The handy and streamlined sling shot includes leather loops at each end that slide onto a thumb and index finger to provide a base Y. A Scent Ball is then loaded in the center of the elastic power band, pinched between opposing thumb and index finger, pulled back to load, and released to deposit scent up to 60 yards away. The user remains in their stand or blind, the Scent Ball sent where it is needed to best position a deer for a clean shot. The wooden Scent Balls can be reused again and again, but should they be lost in undergrowth or forgotten, they are completely biodegradable, so will not harm the environment or any animals that may chew them. A complete Scent Slinger kit is offered, including the key finger sling shot, three Scent Balls soaking in genuine doe urine, a resealable Scent Ball storage bag, and a set of scent-free surgical-style gloves. A Scent Ball Refill Pack containing five scent-soaked balls and a resealable storage bag is also available. Check it out by visiting scentslingerusa.com. IA
50 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2023 MARKET TRENDS GEAR REPORT B BY PATRICK MEITIN Scent Stopper Elimination Vest/Jacket System WebXtra ■ For a closer look at this product and many others, check them out at insidearchery.com. chemical could completely cover unwanted human odors. They also understood that ozone, a.k.a. 03, was a natural substance that is proven effective at destroying the bacteria that ultimately leads to human odors. There are many ozone-based scent-control products in existence, of course, but the Ulrich’s soon concluded that to be most effective, ozone must come in direct contact with the source of bacteria. Volatile ozone turned loose in the atmosphere quickly breaks down into oxygen, or 02. To do its work most effectively, ozone must be confined and come in direct contact with the sources of bacteria and odor, according to the Ulrichs. That 18 years of extensive in-field experience hinted at, gave the Ulrichs an opportunity to thoroughly field test The Scent Stopper products, measured empirically through their client’s continued successes. The Scent Stopper Elimination Ozone Vest/Jacket System was devised not only to destroy odor-causing bacteria at its source, but eliminate odors originating from traveling in vehicles, smoking, eating, and laundry products, just as easy examples. The Scent Stopper Elimination Ozone owhunters, especially whitetail stand hunters, have been at war with their own stink from the very beginning. Our No. 1 mantra has always been to keep the wind in our face, but Mother Nature can prove fickle, making this easier said than done. In recent decades we have strived to combat the errant swirls and sudden betrayals that ruin hunts by producing ever more clever ways of destroying human odors. The latest weapon in that fight is safe and effective ozone. The father and son team of Bruce and Bryce Ulrich spent 18 years as Illinois outfitters dealing with this reality, understanding that scent control and leaving hunting sites as scent free as possible was the key to consistent success. They also understood that whitetailed deer noses were so astute no Vest/Jacket System is a patent-pending scent elimination product including strategically placed chambers that help to distribute powerful ozone to areas that typically hold the highest concentrations of odor-causing bacteria and serve as wells of game-spooking human odor. The system employs a rechargeable mini ozone generator that pumps the chambers of the vest/jacket area with odor-fighting ozone and moves it to these key areas from the neck to the feet. The system works because it is not attempting to cover offending odors but eliminate human scents and odor-causing bacteria directly at the source so it cannot escape into the environment surrounding hunting sites. That vest/jacket system is constructed from high quality, space-age fabrics that actively work to wick away body perspiration to keep hunters warmer in cold weather and cooler when it is warm. The vest/jacket system is also silent, so won’t give hunters away while drawing on a season-making buck. The one-size-fits-all system is cloaked in effective TrueTimber Camo, proudly made in the USA, and comes with a five year warranty. Check it out by visiting thescentstopper.com. IA