Inside Archery March 2022

www.insidearchery.com

®

MARCH 2022





INSIDE ARCHERY MARCH 2022 | VOLUME 25 | NUMBER 2

People

36 Power of Participation
■ Corrine Yohann Bundy |
The Outdoor Group
■ Kari Beam | TNP
■ Tom Perdikaris |
The Shooter’s Sports Center
■ Patrick Meitin | Inside Archery
■ Jan Wilson | Archery Depot

38 ■ Brett Rousselle |
Backcountry Bowhunter

38 Huskemaw Optics
Long-Range Precision Made Simple
By Daniel Allred

Market Trends

50 50 Gear Report
BowSpider

52 2022 Flagship Bows
2022’s hottest compound

hunting bows have a lot

of performance and

innovation to offer!

100 52 By Josh Honeycutt
76 Bow Report

Obsession Bows Nitro X

100 2022 Home Run
Products

Products that stand

out so far in early 2022

64 78 By Patrick Meitin

INSIDE ARCHERY (Volume 25, #2) 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 MARCH 2022



INSIDE ARCHERY MARCH 2022 | VOLUME 25 | NUMBER 2

IInndsiudsetrtyhe

10 Inside Track
Full Steam Ahead!

14 Kinsey’s Business

Blueprint

Essential Qualities to Look for
When Hiring Management Help

36

15020 16 Inside Retailing
52 Mike’s Archery

16 20 Your ATA Insights
The Three Ps for 2022
By Kurt Smith / ATA

22 Industry News
The latest on news, events and
people in the archery industry

30 ATA Action
That’s a Wrap! #ATA2022
Was One for the Books!
By Cassie Gasaway / ATA

76 66 Manufacturer Profile
Detailed information on the
top manufacturers in the industry

78 2022 ATA Trade Show Review
A visual recap celebrating the
return of an in-person show

30 114 Industry 5Q 50
6 Five Questions with Paul Black
from Odin’s Innovations

INSIDE ARCHERY MARCH 2022



INSIDE ARCHERY MARCH 2022 | VOLUME 25 | NUMBER 2

insidearchery.com Online Exclusives

Archery Equipment

What is the Best Broadhead Design
for Bowhunting Turkeys?

Spring turkey seasons are upon us or just around
the corner. While the big-game broadhead you
know and trust might work on turkeys, choosing
specialty heads is guaranteed to increase your
odds of a quick kill and sure recovery.

Archery Equipment

Are “Head-Lopping” Broadheads a Viable
Turkey-Hunting Solution For You?

Several broadhead companies offer broadhead designs
aimed specifically at instantly-fatal head and neck shots.
The appeal is obvious, but there are pitfalls. Is this the
best option for your spring gobbler efforts?

Successful Bowhunting

Choosing the Best Spring Turkey Blind

Pop-up ground blinds have tipped the odds in favor of
the spring turkey hunter, making it easier to hit full
draw and often resulting in closer shots. What design
features are best suited to the terrain and type of
hunting you do most?

Calls & Decoys

Turkey Calling & Decoys—Winning Strategies

How much to call, when not to call, when to lay it
on... How far to place decoys, deadly arrangements
and strategic pairing… What you need to know about
turkey calling and decoying to succeed.

:WebXtras “Gear Report” tries out Bow Spider; “Bow Report” takes

a look at Obsession Bows Nitro X 3T; “Inside Retailing” investigates
success at Mike’s Archery; and “5Q” chats with Odin’s Innovations.

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!

INSIDE ARCHERY MARCH 2022



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INSIDE TRACK

Full Steam Ahead

T hough a lot has happened during the intervening days, it seems like only
yesterday we were attending the 2022 ATA Trade Show—the first in-person
Show held in two years. The timing of the 2022 Show presented some major
obstacles, including the increasingly tiresome specter of COVID hysteria (thank you
ATA board for hanging in there!) and an unexpected foot of northern Deep South
snow that made driving intimidating at best. One or the other
kept many dealers and regular participants at bay. Show at-
tendance was conspicuously low. Many major manufacturers
dropped out, some without advanced notice. I talked to one
industry friend, for instance, whose company had their booth
unloaded on the Show Floor before pulling the plug.

With this news in mind, I departed for ATA 2022 wondering
if I was wasting my time and our company’s money. A big
part of any ATA appearance for an old hand like me is seeing longtime friends. All
in all, I missed seeing some friends, but many of my favorite people made the trek.

As a media member, reduced Show attendance also has its upside. While some
booths were still mobbed despite reduced foot traffic, in the big picture I was able
to slip in and talk to just about anyone I needed to talk to. This is important for the
inside info provided by this magazine—the inside relationships, insights and glad-
handing that allow us to do what we do better than anyone else in the business.
Quality face time, handshakes and even hugs are still important in the age of cell
phones and the internet. It was also nice to see nearly an entire industry dispense
with the masks, allowing true human interaction….

But another thing happened as well. Nearly every manufacturer and major dis-
tributor we talked to during and after the big Show reported robust sales orders. It
would appear that although overall attendance to ATA 2022 was down from traditional
numbers, those who did brave the virus and winter weather showed up to do serious
business. This bodes well for the industry and the continued health of our sport.

There are still some supply-chain issues to overcome, of course, but archery
manufacturers are a clever lot and have done an admirable job keeping pace with
our unprecedented thirst for new archery and bowhunting gear. That continued
demand is another encouraging trend moving into 2022, new and returning archers
and bowhunters added to the diehards who fuel the industry’s continued growth
and prosperity.

The economy may be sagging slightly under the highest inflation spike since the
1970s, but folks are still flocking to the simple and relaxing pastime of recreational
archery and the self sufficiency that bowhunting can be a big part of. People are
looking for affordable but rewarding recreation, something that provides self-sat-
isfaction and reward. People are looking to fill freezers with organic protein during
these uncertain times.

There is money on the table for those with the ambition to put in the effort to get
some.

Patrick Meitin, Executive Editor

INSIDE ARCHERY MARCH 2022



Publisher

Apollo Creative Inc

Executive Editor

Patrick Meitin • [email protected]

Associate Editor

Daniel Allred • [email protected]

Contributors

Kurt Smith | Taylor Walston | 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 Balisteri

Account Manager

Pam Ludlam • [email protected]

Subscription Services & Change of Address:

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[email protected]

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Inside Archery® / Apollo Creative Inc
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Inside Archery® Copyright © 2022 Apollo Crreative Inc. All rights re-
served. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permis-
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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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Inside Archery®
is a publication of
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Printed in the USA.

INSIDE ARCHERY MARCH 2022



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY BUSINESS BLUEPRINT Sponsored by

WEshseenntHiairliQnguaMliatineasgteomLoeonkt Hfoerlp Kinsey’s is the leading distributor to the outdoors and
O ne of the most important things archery industry. Carrying items from your favorite
to consider when you’re getting your prospective manager stays fo- brands, in-stock and ready-to-ship, the company offers
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you need in a manager. If you know
what those qualities are ahead of time, Another important quality to look communicator will only get you so far.
you won’t miss it when that perfect for in a manager is someone with As with all things in business and in
person applies for your position. We’ll great communication skills. Someone life, things won’t always go according
cover the essential qualities to look for who can communicate clearly and to plan. In those instances, you’ll need
when hiring management help for effectively is very important to your a manager who can think critically
your business, as well as questions you business’s success. It’s great if your and solve problems as they arise.
can ask during the interview process. potential candidate is a great listener,
but then if they can’t communicate the How exactly do you ensure your po-
One of the first qualities you need to game plan to their team, as well as up- tential manager has those skills? One
look for in a great manager is being a per management or ownership, they’ll way you can do so is ask open ended
good listener. As a manager, you need be doomed. questions to test their critical thinking
to be able to listen effectively. A great skills and problem-solving abilities.
manager needs to actively listen to One way you can help weed out those For example, tell us of a time where
upper management, their employees skills is by paying attention to their you had to solve a problem on-the-go.
and their customers. After listening to communication with you throughout Or, tell us of a time where you had to
everyone’s wants and needs, a great the interview process. If their com- think critically about a problem you
manager then knows how to prioritize munications with you and your busi- experienced at work, and how you
and execute on those wants and needs. ness are timely, clear and effective, it’s were able to overcome that obstacle.
That’s not to say every want and need safe to say those communication skills Asking open ended questions allows
will be actionable, but a great listener should carry over if you decide to bring the potential candidate to elaborate
will be able to collect insights and then them on board. and explain their critical thinking and
build an action plan based off of those problem-solving skills.
learnings. What’s a great manager without
critical thinking and problem-solving The hiring process can be a fun and
One way you can help ensure your abilities? Problematic. exciting process, or a long and labori-
applicant has those listening skills ous one. Knowing what you’re looking
is by calling references, making sure You’ll want to make sure your man- for in a qualified individual ahead of
ager has those crucial skills, as they’ll the hiring process will help provide a
need them at times during their ten- framework to make the process easier.
ure. Having a great listener and great If you can find a manager with great
listening, communication, critical
thinking and problem-solving skills,
you’ll be setting you and your business
up for success. IA

14 INSIDE ARCHERY MARCH 2022



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INSIDE RETAILING

50-Year-Old Archery Shop Uses Grassroots Advertising To Help Business Thrive

Mike’s Archery

Store Profile

■ Headquarters: Ironton, Ohio Shown left to right are Bryan, Linda and Mike Dickess. Linda and Mike founded
the store 50 years ago, while their son Bryan manages it today.
■ Owners: Linda and Bryan Dickess
Mike and Linda Dickess. At that time the family business, leading the shop
■ Years in Business: 50 years archery was in its infancy, or B.C. as into new areas of commerce as the in-
Mike called it, i.e. “Before Compounds.” dustry evolved, including reestablish-
■ Square footage: 10,000 (total), 2,500 A love for archery and bowhunting was ing the retail business through online
(store floor). the driving force. sales and local service, while continu-
ing to serve wholesale clients.
■ Staffing: Full-time: Six. Part-time: Three. The small retail shop grew and
served thousands of archers through- The company continued to grow and
■ Bow Lines: Bear Archery, PSE Archery, out the ‘70s. By 1980 the business had serve archery dealers, conservation
Mathews, Mission Archery, Hoyt, Dia- grown and taken a new direction, in- organizations and archers with top-
mond Archery, Bowtech, Elite Archery, cluding an Easton Distributorship. This quality products, quick order response
Oneida Eagle Bows, Genesis, Martin moved Mike’s Archery into nationwide and knowledgeable service from their
Archery, Obsession Bows, Xpedition wholesale distribution. 10,000 square foot warehouse facility
Archery. in Ironton, Ohio. Mike’s Archery stocks
In the late ‘90s, after graduating more than 6,000 products from hun-
■ Arrow Lines: Easton, Gold Tip, Victory from college, Bryan Dickess took over dreds of top archery brands. A love of
Archery, Black Eagle, Carbon Express. archery and bowhunting is still the
driving force.
■ Crossbow Lines: TenPoint, Wicked
Ridge, Ravin, Bear-X, PSE Archery, Cen-
terpoint, Excalibur, Barnett, Mission
Archery.

■ Inside Numbers: Percentage (estimate)
of store’s revenue generated by bow-
hunting: 85%; by target and recreational
archery: 15%

■ Store History: Mike’s Archery Inc. was
launched as a hobby business in 1971 by

Retailing Q & A

Mike’s Archery started on the family’s front porch 50 years ago and has grown into a 10,000 sq ft operation. Inside Archery: Does Mike’s Archery
engage in “grassroots” advertising and
has it been beneficial to your bottom
line?

Mike’s Archery: Yes, we do. Some of it
does come back to us in the form of be-
ing the place to go to get product and
expertise. Some of it is just helping out
where we can with events.

16 INSIDE ARCHERY MARCH 2022

Mike’s Archery does brisk business as a consumer retailer, full service pro shop and on-line outlet. Mike’s Archery carries nearly all the major bow brands.

Inside Archery: What types of grass- at their annual youth deer hunt. We privileged families would be a great out-
roots advertising has Mike’s Archery im- also donate to local churches wild game reach.
plemented and which approaches have dinners, either sending out product for Inside Archery: Have you found it ben-
proven most profitable or rewarding? door prizes or cooking a wild game dish eficial to work with or extend discount-
or two. ed/free services to groups such as 4H,
Mike’s Archery: We, like a lot of busi- Scouts, JOAD or other youth groups?
nesses, use many different forms of Inside Archery: Are there any types of
advertising. We keep our FaceBook and grassroots advertising you have not par- Travis Klaiber serves as customer service,
Instagram up to date with our latest ticipated in but have been considering? videographer and media manager for Mike’s
products and special promotions. We Archery, and also an excellent bow technician.
also produce regular product videos for Mike’s Archery: One area we have prob-
our YouTube channel. ably lacked in is more support to our
local archery ranges and clubs. We do
We have several programs to reach work with several of them to provide
out to our community. One is special discounted targets to save them money,
pricing for local schools that have an but we have not really reached out any
NASP team. We offer special pricing to further to help those clubs grow events
the school and all the kids on the team. and prosper.
We do this to help parents save money,
and to get more kids involved in archery. We’ve started working more with our
Ohio Bowhunters Association, ‘OBA.’ We
Another form of grassroots marketing hadn’t worked with them much in re-
we do involves influential people in the cent years and hopefully will be getting
community. Most of our bow companies more involved to help strengthen that
offer discounted pro staff bows to their group.
dealers. We use some of those for our
staff, but we also put those bows in the Another idea we haven’t tried is a cus-
hands of people we feel will drive cus- tomer appreciation day/event. This may
tomers back to our shop. be something we try in the future. This
past Christmas we had Santa come in
We also work closely with several one afternoon for the kids of our em-
NWTF chapters in our area, donating ployees. That may be something we can
time and product to banquets, Jakes turn into a customer event in the future.
events / hunts, Wheeling sportsman
hunts and Women in the Outdoors I’m not aware of us having a Hunt-
events. We also work with a group called ers for the Hungry program in our area,
(SNYS) Special Needs Youth Sportsmen but if you do, encouraging guys from
your shop to donate venison to under-

MARCH 2022 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 17

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INSIDE RETAILING

The Mike’s Archery family includes, left to right, Travis Klaiber, Aaron Bennett, Matt Jones, Linda Dickess, Bryan
Dickess, Bryan Dickess (baby), Mike Dickess, Josh Barnard, Sara Redmond, Polly Wilson and Daron Dixon.

Mike’s Archery: Yes, we have a lot of Inside Archery: Can you share some of Hard at work at Mike’s Archery are, top to bottom:
schools close by that have NASP pro- the industry or community outreach Josh Barnard, Online Sales; Aaron Bennett, Customer
grams, and we focus on helping those projects Mike’s Archery has been in- Service and Online Sales; Polly Wilson, office manager
schools and students with discounts volved in, and how they helped promote and Daron “Snuggie” Dixon, Shipping & Receiving.
and even free services to the kids when your business or the sport of archery? Together they help Mike’s Archery run smoothly.
possible.
Mike’s Archery: We help every year with
We’ve worked with our local 4H, judg- a handicapped fishing day that our local
ing archery projects at our local county NWTF and Ohio Division of Wildlife put
fair, as well as supplying these groups on for the community. We don’t sell any
with equipment. We are always eager fishing products, but it is a cool event to
to work with any youth programs in be a part of. The event welcomes sev-
our area to help get kids interested in eral hundred people to come in, taking
archery. It’s not only the right thing to them all fishing at a local lake where
do, but vital to our industry and creat- the ODNR releases trout. They provide
ing a future generation of archers and all the gear and bait, as well as a hotdog
bowhunters. lunch. It’s a big community event allow-
ing a lot of people from all ages to enjoy
We also have a pretty generous mili- a day of fishing.
tary discount program, offered to all cus-
tomers who are active or retired military. We also help with the annual (Nation-
al Wild Turkey Federation) NWTF Christ-
Ironton, Ohio’s, Mike’s Archery includes 2,500 square feet mas toy drive, as well as a Thanksgiv-
of retail space, serving area archers and bowhunters. A ing program where we help buy about
mail order business serves the international market. 1,000 turkeys every year to pass out to
local churches and food banks so that
less fortunate families in our commu-
nity can have a turkey for Thanksgiving.

We were also instrumental in help-
ing build a public archery range at our
local National Forest Recreational area.
It was a large project requiring several
years, but we helped in the planning,
providing targets and equipment to get
it up and going. Our family had access
to heavy equipment and donated time

18 INSIDE ARCHERY MARCH 2022

and equipment to help install trails and turns from all the different things we
bridges during the project. The range is do. It’s just something that we do as part
open to the public free of charge when of who we are at Mike’s Archery. I’m sure
the National Forest recreational areas we get business from some of the things
are open. we do. I don’t think a week goes by that
we don’t hear someone say ‘a friend told
Inside Archery: What types of proj- me I should come see you and that you
ects would you encourage independent would take care of us.’ At the end of the
shops and larger distributors with the day that is what we are here for, to get
means to get involved in to help pro- customers what they need to enjoy the
mote store growth or the health of area sport of archery and make a living doing
archery? what our family loves.

Mike’s Archery: Any sort of youth ar- Inside Archery: Do you believe that get-
chery program will always be worth- ting Mike’s Archery more involved in
while. your community through grassroots
efforts well outside of archery can help
We have one of the best NWTF chap- pull completely new archers into the
ters in the country, and throughout the fold?
year they put on a lot of different events
to reach a lot of folks in our community. Mike’s Archery: I’m sure it can. There
If you have an NWTF chapter, or some is a whole new generation of archers
other conservation organization in your out there who are different from our
area, I would strongly encourage you to traditional customers. The pandemic
get involved in any way that you can. sent them looking for outdoor activi-
Get more involved than just a donation. ties. There are a lot of people not raised
You will find helping these groups is not on a farm or who have no connection
only rewarding but helps your business. to hunting but are looking for a new,
different and cool hobby to get into.
Inside Archery: What advice would you Archery is one of those things many of
have for archery shop owners who want them are trying. Look for the opportu-
to get more deeply involved in their nity to reach out to those groups.
communities, but who might not have
the funds to sponsor local events? I think the NASP program is one of our
strongest moves for getting new people
Mike’s Archery: From what I’ve seen in into archery. We certainly see parents
recent years, your local clubs need man- and kids who have no background in
power more than they need donations. archery or hunting coming in the store
If you have the ability as a store owner regularly. If we are able to retain some
to spend time or get employees involved of those folks, then we will have a sol-
helping those groups, it will go further id industry in the future. We certainly
than donating some hats or old mer- need to do more to reach out to people
chandise as a door prize for events. Our who are not our typical customer. Even
local clubs struggle to set ranges and get if they don’t become an archer or hunt-
events staffed. So if you can help in that er, if they can at least understand where
way, I think you will have customers we are coming from and respect what
from that club for life. we do, especially on the hunting side of
things, then we can protect and grow
Inside Archery: Have you attempted to our heritage for years to come. IA
track tangible returns related to grass-
roots advertising you have been involved WebXtra ■ For additional infor-
with in the past, or is it just something
you do out of the goodness of your heart? mation about Mike’s Archery please go
to insidearchery.com/MikesArchery.
Mike’s Archery: We have never really
tried or had a way to track the true re-

MARCH 2022 INSIDEARCHERY.COM

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY YOUR ATA INSIGHTS

The Three P’s for 2022

BY KURT SMITH, COURTESY OF THE ATA

I n the office, behind the bow counter or on bottom line. Instead of looking at a few times, and yet even she admits
the shooting line—common themes I noticed the free goods or discount percent- that tuning a bow to absolute perfec-
among this year’s Archery Industry Masterclass age, Yacek encouraged Masterclass tion is not what got her there. As Pearce
presentations showed that all the different facets attendees to go through a process of discussed her process for tuning set-
calculating how much it costs to keep ups for target archery and hunting,

of the archery business share similar challenges. a product on the shelf each month, she concluded with a comment that

determining how long it might take archery super tuners may not like to

While the past two years have often to sell through inventory, hear: Getting a perfect bare

been characterized by businesses mak- and finally identifying the shaft at 50 meters is not go-

ing quick decisions to adapt to local overall profit margin. ing to be the difference be-

regulations and marketplace changes, tween winning and losing.

I believe 2022 will be a year where suc- Progress ■ Getting better While a well-tuned bow

cessful businesses will slow down and each day is the name of is certainly more forgiv-

take a more methodical approach with the game. And the state- ing, the largest impact on

a focus on the three Ps: process, prog- ment is true no matter your scores or success in

ress and perfection (or lack thereof). which game you’re playing. USA Ar- the field is your own ability, which will

Processes have changed in every as- chery’s Guy Krueger discussed this never be perfect either.

pect of business. We are all learning concept during his “Foundations — We are all learning every day. If

new ways of dealing with day-to-day Skills to Make Great Archers” coach- you’re not, you are falling behind your

challenges, and maybe more impor- ing seminar. He spoke about the competition. Now more than ever, we

tantly we are learning that changing need for coaches to continually chal- are faced with daily new challenges

how we do things (more often than lenge archers beyond their current that require sound reasoning and

ever before) is now a way of life. Pro- abilities. Putting them in situations thoughtful action to overcome. What

gress and perfection seem to go hand where they may fail allows them to matters most is having a process by

in hand but may be opposing forces in grow in both the physical and men- which you operate and make business

many regards. While you may be able tal facets of the sports. The key here decisions, a commitment to making

to get close to perfect at some tasks, like is that learning is a continuum, and progress each day and an understand-

paper tuning a bow, you’re unlikely to success will be measured differently ing that perfection is not a requisite of

ever have your business running at 100 for each person. success.

percent efficiency with zero mistakes. If you weren’t able to join us for the

Many have realized that a pursuit of Perfection ■ It is what every archer Archery Industry Masterclass series in

perfection is futile, but a pursuit of needs to be successful, right? Maybe person, you can still get all the valu-

making progress each day keeps them not. Paige Pearce has found herself able content when and where it works

motivated and searching for new ways at the top of the podium more than for your schedule by registering for

to improve. the course through the MyATA Learn-

The three Ps were also common ing Center. Just log in to your MyATA

themes during our Master- Dashboard and click on the Learning

class sessions: Center icon to get started. A plethora

of prerecorded content and re-

Process ■ It all starts with cordings from each session

a plan. In Hank Yacek’s (along with resources) is

session titled “Buying available with unlimited ac-

the Best Deal for Your cess for those who register. If

Store,” he shared a few you’ve got questions

methods to help archery about the Master-

businesses determine class or any other ATA

whether a show special resource, please reach

or buying program was out to me at kurtsmith@
beneficial for their archerytrade.org. IA

20 INSIDE ARCHERY MARCH 2022



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INDUSTRY NEWS

Record Breaking Start eliminations. New to the to announce a new partner, Muddy Wa-
to the Year for Team Elite team and just 28 years old, ter Outdoors’ Bowfishing, who will be co-
Kappers shot the tourna- sponsoring the event.
The Elite Team is off to a ment with quiet confi-
great start this year with dence. “Nick’s composure Bringing back the spirit of the pre-COVID
wins at both the Kansas was felt all weekend. He’s experience, this year’s tournament is sure
City Shootout and Lancast- a man of few words, lets to shake things up with more fun than
er Archery Classic. Rich- his shooting do most of the ever. With the annually expanding growth
ard Bowen put his skills talking. He just went out of the nation’s premier bowfishing com-
to work at the Kansas City there and got after it,” said petition, Muzzy looks forward to getting
Shootout where he scored Elite Archery’s Pro Staff Co- the world-renowned tournament back on
the first-ever perfect 690 in ordinator, Darrin Christenberry. track and returning to the bowfishing fun.
competition. The team then headed off to Other Lancaster Archery Classic high-
the Lancaster Archery Classic to join 2,000 lights include Lewis Holmes III shoot- Initial planning for the 2022 Muzzy Clas-
archers in competing in the high-pressure, ing his personal best qualification score sic Bowfishing Tournament is underway.
head-to-head format tournament. (655/660) in his second Stay tuned for soon-to-be-released pric-
professional tourna- ing, payouts, additional sponsors, fishing
The Rezult, designed and developed by ment shooting an
professional archers, was the bow behind Elite. Caleb Eby made the top 64 formats and more.
both wins. Richard Bowen describes the with a 647 while Curtis Broadnax This year’s partici-
Elite Rezult 36 as “fantastic under pres- qualified with a 650/660 and won pants will launch in
sure.” Before Richard Bowen, no archer has his first head-to-head match with registered order so early registra-
ever shot a perfect 360 score on a five-spot a perfect 132/132. Kaci Therrien fin- tion is important to making the
target, plus a perfect 330 score on a Vegas- ished in 4th place in the Youth Fe- most of time on the water. Early
style target during the same competition. male Division.| LEARN MORE AT ELITEARCHERY.COM. registrants will also have exclusive
eligibility for prizes that include a
The following weekend the Elite Team AfBonornwtohfiuesnh2ci0nin2gg2TDMoauutrzenzsaymaCnleadnsDtsiectails Covert Optics HS1 handheld Thermal
headed to the incredibly tough-to-win Scanner, Covert Optics 8X42 or 10X42 binoc-
Lancaster Archery Classic. Elite’s Nick Kap- The dates of June 11 and 12 are set for the ulars, $100 FeraDyne gift card or a Muddy
pers qualified with a 654/660 and shot the 23rd Annual Muzzy Classic and this year’s Water package valued at $399.
highest shoot up score in the history of the event is shaping up to be a blockbuster. This comes in addition to a new loca-
event against fellow Elite Pro Jacob Mar- With the annually expanding growth of tion based out of Vicksburg, Mississippi,
low (133 vs. 132). Meanwhile, Elite’s Rich- the nation’s premier bowfishing compe- with access to fish-filled waters of the
ard Bowen and Jacob Marlow both shot tition, Muzzy Bowfishing is also excited mighty Mississippi river. Together, Muzzy
their personal best qualification score of Bowfishing and Muddy Water Outdoors’
657/660 each. Bowfishing are looking forward to as-
sembling the bowfishing community un-
Kappers went on to beat out the world’s der the fanfare and traditional style the
best of the best in direct, head-to-head Muzzy Classic has been known for over
the years. In addition to great fishing,
CC2lr0ao2sw2sniLceaEdnnc&dassVtiweewritAherrCcshhEaenmrgypaigoends crowd tuned in to watch Competition Archery Media’s live participants should be prepared for meet
video coverage of the Classic. and greets, raffles, field games, music and
The Lancaster Archery Classic is in the books. Around much more, plus a huge 1st-place payout
2,000 archers competed in the largest indoor tournament As of the morning after the tournament ended, the of $20K —guaranteed! | KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR
on the East Coast, which was held in Manheim, Pennsyl- two days of live-streamed finals matches had nearly
vania, January 27 through 30. 100,000 views on YouTube alone. The Facebook versions TOURNAMENT UPDATES ON MUZZY’S FACEBOOK AND
also had nearly that many. In the days to come, the finals
Champions were crowned in 17 divisions, including livestream will be cut up to separate each of the 17 divi- INSTAGRAM PLATFORMS OR GO TO FERADYNE.COM/THE-
the Open Pro champion Nick Cappers, who took home sions into individual videos, which will be posted to the
the tournament’s top prize of Lancaster Archery YouTube channel. MUZZY-CLASSIC.
$20,000. To see the results
from all four days of the Those individual videos draw views for years after RtoubTeLainme MAmarikdeItminpgreAsdsdivseKGorrodwekth
Classic, see Lancaster each Classic, and are among the most watched on
Archery’s website. RubLine Marketing announced the ad-
Lancaster’s YouTube channel, such as the 2018 dition of Michael Kordek to the agency’s
Besides the archers Barebow Finals, which has more than 500,000 growing team. With a strong background
who competed, a record views alone. | TO RELIVE THE 2022
Continued on Page 24
LANCASTER ARCHERY CLASSIC FINALS,

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE LANCASTER

ARCHERY SUPPLY YOUTUBE CHANNEL.

22 INSIDE ARCHERY MARCH 2022



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INDUSTRY NEWS

Continued from Page 22

in communications and pas- of turkey and duck hunting. 2Bw0eit2ah2r HAInerdcahuvesytr-yrHyiCtPotaimnrtgensLeiornsuetuSpwoifnging

sion for the outdoors, Kordek RubLine Marketing is a After back-to-back record years, iconic Bear
Archery is not showing any sign of taking
will help serve RubLine’s roster strategic marketing agency its foot off the gas. The 89-year-old archery
company, most widely known for its direct
of clients as the new Market- with roots deep in the out- tie to the Godfather of bowhunting himself,
Fred Bear, recently stole the spotlight with
ing & Social Media Coordina- doors. The agency helps or- the launch of its performance and technol-
ogy loaded lineup of 2022 bows back in Oc-
tor. His role will include in- ganizations design, develop tober. To kick off the new year, Bear is not
wasting any time announcing its full lineup
teracting with clients’ fans in and execute marketing plans of partners and bowhunting personalities for
the upcoming season.
real time as well as generating tailored for the specific re-
Bear Archery’s roster of partners reaches
and distributing compelling sults each client is seek- new heights with the signing of several
well-known faces. The list also sees several
content within the hunting/ ing. Combining the most contract extensions with names we’ve seen
flying the Bear flag in the past. Last year the
shooting space. Michael Kordek modern marketing tactics brand added powerhouse partners like Fred
Eichler and family, the Total Archery Chal-
“We’re happy to have Mi- with years of strategic busi- lenge, Kristy Titus of Pursue the Wild and

chael join our team, and I know he’ll have ness development, RubLine Marketing is Continued on Page 26

an immediate impact on the digital pres- able to offer something truly unique to

ence of all the brands we serve,” says Chase its customers. Whether it’s large-scale

Rohlfsen, President at RubLine Marketing. media planning, brand launch, public

“His knowledge, experience and love for the relations, growing a presence on digital

outdoors make the perfect blend to provide and social media channels, supporting

incredible value to our clients.” retail, creative planning or graphic de-

A former Division I athlete, Kordek is sign and promotions, RubLine Market-

currently completing his Master’s degree ing has what you need to take your com-

in Communication Studies at the Universi- pany’s marketing efforts to the next level.

ty of Northern Iowa. When he is not work- | FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT RUBLINE MARKETING

ing, you can find him pursuing his passion AT [email protected].

24 INSIDE ARCHERY MARCH 2022



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INDUSTRY NEWS

Continued from Page 24

Shane Mowery of Bone Ma- hunting realm. gear to curate the content and capture the
niacs. Bear has also curated “Bear has a history effectiveness of real-life application. From
strong long-term relation- exotic and Western big game to Midwest
ships with names like The that can most easily be whitetail and everything in between, Bear’s
Hunting Public, Raised Hunt- summed up as legend- roster for 2022 is guaranteed to cover it all for
ing, Identical Draw and Hard- ary,” said Marketing consumers. | TO LEARN ALL ABOUT BEAR ARCHERY, ITS
core Pursuit, all of which will Manager, Alec Wyman.
carry forward into the 2022 “Our team is incredibly PARTNERS, OR THE FULL LINEUP OF 2022 BOWS AND ACCES-
season. honored to be working
with every one of our SORIES, VISIT BEARARCHERY.COM.
This year Bear has stra- partners this year as we
tegically entered into agree- write another chapter KthinesPeays'ssiInngc.oMf oJiumrnKsinsey
ments with a diverse suite of for the brand. They each
names in the industry. World- bring a unique history Members of the local Mount Joy, Pennsylva-
famous Chuck Adams has and set of bowhunting nia, community, as well as members of the
joined the brand, with plans skills that will continue archery industry at large, are mourning the
to continue adding to his honor- to help fuel and drive Bear’s im- loss of Jim Kinsey. Jim passed away Tuesday,
able list of six World Record Pope & pact on the archery industry.” January 18, 2022 at the age of 84.
Young trophies. Combined, Bear and its part-
ners have more than 10 million Jim’s father, Vernon Kinsey, founded Kin-
Also joining the Bear team is followers on social media and sey’s as a local archery retail store in Mount
On Tour Outdoors. This Texas receive more than 100 million Joy, Pennsylvania in 1952. Jim Kinsey then
based crew of rock and roll, al- views across streaming plat- pioneered the distribution portion of the busi-
ternative and country music art- forms like the ness, laying the groundwork for what Kinsey’s
ists came together to enjoy hunts Outdoor Chan- is today. Starting in 1957, Jim was instrumen-
and the outdoors when they’re nel, Sportsman’s
not touring or writing music. Channel, Way- tal in distributing arrows to re-
Point TV, Carbon- tailers throughout the North-
Finally, Bear Archery has TV, YouTube and others. Col- east. He also spearheaded the
opted to bring aboard accom- lectively, Bear and its partners company’s arrow manufactur-
plished outdoorsman, Matt Jennings of will be bringing authentic and ing division by cementing con-
The Game. Matt is an avid bowhunter with educational in-field and camp tracts with both Colt Firearms
proven success chasing all types of Midwest content to consumers. Bear’s and Bear Archery.
game. Matt’s comprehensive approach to partners utilize a variety of
everything that goes into an archery hunt the brand’s latest and greatest Jim led the family business
resonates with his audience and has quickly for 40 years from 1957 through
made him a voice to be heard in the bow- 1997 before passing the reins
onto his children, third gen-
eration owners, Rick Kinsey

and Sherri Gorman. Jim Kinsey stayed con- “2020 saw the highest buck harvest in the
nected to the business through 2013 when he new century, and amazingly we estimate
formally retired. that we set another new record for the per-
centage of those bucks that were 3½ years old
Throughout the industry Jim was known or older,” said Kip Adams, NDA’s Chief Conser-
to be extremely kind and relational. There vation Officer. “U.S. hunters are taking fewer
are numerous stories throughout the indus- yearling bucks and killing more of them as
try where Jim gave both vendors and dealers mature deer, but this doesn’t mean fewer
their first start by connecting buyers and sell- bucks harvested overall. We’re killing older
ers using his vision for the distribution model. bucks and more bucks than ever in America.”

Rick and Sherri said, “He was a very pas- The steadily climbing percentage of
sionate outdoor enthusiast and avid archer. 3½-and-older bucks in the harvest is the
Kinsey’s was his life’s work and he dedicated result of declining pressure nationwide on
over 50 years of service to the organization yearling bucks (1½ years old). Only 26 percent
and the archery industry. We would like to of the 2020 antlered buck harvest was year-
thank him for all that he has done for Kin- lings, another new record low in modern
sey’s, but even more so for us as a family. He history. The total buck harvest of 3,041,544
will be greatly missed.”
was up 5.3 percent from the previous season.
Jim Kinsey will be forever remem- It is estimated 41 percent of them were 3½
bered as one of the founding fathers of or older, or 1.2 million. While hunters killed
Kinsey’s Inc. slightly more bucks in total in the record 1999
season, the national harvest at that time
Greg Easton, President of Jas. D. Easton, was more than 50 percent yearlings, there-
Inc., said, “All of us at Easton mourn the fore the 2020 season likely saw the greatest
passing of Jim Kinsey. Jim was known number of mature bucks killed by American
in the industry as an excellent business- hunters in modern history.
man. But he was also known as a true
gentleman, always kind and considerate The new Deer Report covers data for the
to those around him. My grandfather 2020-21 hunting season, the most re-
Doug, my father Jim and I have always cent season with complete harvest data
enjoyed working with the Kinsey family over available from all
the years. We are saddened by the loss of this major deer states.
generation and this fine man.” Nationally, the
antlerless harvest
Neil Byce III, Director of Operations at Bear (which includes
Archery, said, “The entire team at Bear Ar-
chery expresses condolences to the Kinsey does and buck fawns) jumped 12 percent
family. Mr. Kinsey and Mr. Bear were part- from the previous season to 3,207,937, re-
ners and two great icons in the industry that versing a three-year decline and putting the
revolutionized the way we operate today. Mr. number back above 3 million for the first
Kinsey will be greatly missed and will al- time since 2013. The antlerless harvest esti-
ways be remembered.” mates also climbed above the antlered buck

B20u2c0k HNaDrAveDseteHr iRgehpeosrttiRne2v1eYaelsars

Deer hunters in the United States
harvested an estimated 6.3 million
white-tailed deer in the 2020-21 hunt-
ing season, the most since 2011, according
to the National Deer Association’s latest
Deer Report. Harvests of both antlered bucks
and antlerless deer were up over the 2019
season, but the estimated buck harvest of
3,041,544 was the most in 21 years.

MARCH 2022 INSIDEARCHERY.COM

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INDUSTRY NEWS

harvest for the first time since 2016. Modern greatest percentage 3D-archery courses that vary in levels of dif-
antlerless harvests first surpassed the buck of any state with 57 ficulty and shot distances. Archers register
harvest in the 1999 season and remained percent, and Dela- for a “Nock-Time” on one of the available
there until it dipped slightly below the buck ware also took over courses, like a tee time in golf. The event is
harvest in 2017, 2018 and 2019. the top spot in buck designed to push the boundaries and test ar-
harvest per square chers in a fun and social environment. Each
“We know 2020 hunting license sales in- mile, at 3.9. location also features a practice range with
creased by about 5 percent over 2019, and • Mississippi killed the more than 100 3D targets set at distances
those license buyers took home half a mil- most bucks per 100 hunters at 74. from 5 to 100-plus yards that is open to any-
lion more whitetails than the previous sea- Complete state-by-state estimates of total one. Participants can utilize the range at any
son, or an increase of almost 9 percent,” said buck harvest, total antlerless harvest, buck point over the course of the event.
Adams. “They helped increase the antlerless age structure, and many other harvest pa-
harvest back above the buck harvest where it rameters are available in the full Deer Re- For 2022, Trophy Ridge is the premiere
needs to be, but they also saw more mature port, which also includes a look at numerous sponsor of the famous “Shoot to Win” truck
bucks in the woods than ever before. Hunters other critical issues for deer hunting. | NDA’S giveaway. The base truck being given away
are clearly reaping the benefits of more natu- is a new Chevrolet Silverado 4X4 crew cab
rally balanced age structures in herds across 2022 DEER REPORT IS AVAILABLE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD AT Trail Boss. Trophy Ridge, along with several
the whitetail’s range.” other Total Archery Challenge partners like
DEERASSOCIATION.COM/2022-DEER-REPORT/. Firestone tires, Anthem Off Road Wheels,
Among other facts to be found in the new Leitner Designs bed racks, Free Spirit Recre-
Deer Report: 2T“Sr0oh2po2hoTytotRtoaidlWgAiernc”RhGeeivrveyeaCalhwsaUalylletiTnmrguaectkeTofourr ation truck tents, Retrax Bed Covers, Moun-
• 65 percent of deer taken in the 2020-21 sea- tain Hatch truck accessories and Light Force
Trophy Ridge proudly unveiled the 2022 Total lighting have outfitted the giveaway truck to
son were killed with a firearm compared Archery Challenge “Shoot to Win” Chevrolet make it the most capable and well equipped
to 26 percent with archery equipment and Silverado. One lucky participant will have the 4X4 possible. The Trophy Ridge “Shoot to
9 percent with a muzzleloader. opportunity to drive away in the fully capa- Win” truck will be on site at each of the
• Texas had the highest total buck harvest ble off road 4x4 valued at more than $50,000 ten locations this year. Archers will have
of any state in the nation at 449,933, but at the end of this year’s tour. the opportunity to make a 111-yard shot at
Alabama had the greatest increase in buck a 3D caribou target for $15 a shot. Every ar-
harvest from the previous season of any This year marks the Total Archery Chal- row that lands inside the smallest ring on
state, climbing by more than 27,000. Penn- lenge’s 10th national tour. The non-compet- the target, the 12-ring, earns that individual
sylvania had the highest buck harvest in itive event will have ten stops at state parks an entry into the truck drawing. One win-
the Northeast at 174,780, and Michigan and ski mountains across the United States ner will be drawn at the end of the tour in
killed the most in the Midwest at 219,387. in 2022. The golf-like event features several August 2022.
• Delaware increased its buck harvest by the
The Total Archery Challenge will kick-off
ECeasletborna’ste1d00atthVAengnaisveTorsuarrnyament “For 57 years, more than half of our company’s history, in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, the last weekend
Easton has been a partner of the Vegas Shoot, and we’re of March and then will head to Texas, Ten-
Thousands of avid archers and archery fans recently gathered proud of how this event has helped grow the sport, give nessee, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Michigan,
in Las Vegas for the World’s largest indoor archery competi- scholarships to young shooters and bring the excitement of South Dakota, Colorado, Utah and end in
tion. A big part of the 2022 festivities included events cel- archery to every corner of the world,” said Easton Marketing Montana the last week of July. Nock times at
ebrating the Easton company’s 100-year anniversary and Director, Gary Cornum. “The Vegas Shoot is awesome. We each event are limited and early registration
its 57th year of supporting the world’s largest indoor archery couldn’t imagine a better place to celebrate a century of mak- is strongly encouraged. | FOR ADDITIONAL INFOR-
event—the Vegas Shoot. ing arrows than right here.” | LEARN MORE ABOUT EASTON’S 100-
MATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.TOTALARCHERYCHALLENGE.
For 2022, both World Archery’s Indoor World Se- YEAR HERITAGE OF ARCHERY INNOVATION AT EASTONARCHERY.COM.
ries Grand Final and the legendary Vegas Shoot Pro COM. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TROPHY RIDGE VISIT WWW.
Shoot-off were back in full force following the pan-
demic disruption. TROPHYRIDGE.COM. IA

28 INSIDE ARCHERY MARCH 2022



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY ATA ACTION

That’s a Wrap! #ATA2022 Was One for the Books!

BY CASSIE GASAW AY

T he in-person event invigorated spirits, said. “Our members know
helped companies plan for the year and
how important business re-
brought a sense of normalcy to the archery and
lationships are and that the
bowhunting industry.
ATA Show provides those op-
Some 727 days passed from the last day
of the 2020 ATA Trade Show to the first day portunities to connect. I’m
of the 2022 Show that was held January 7-9
in Louisville. The gap between gatherings glad they were willing to
was apparent as attendees and exhibitors
hugged, shook hands, laughed, talked busi- work through disruptions
ness and shared stories from the past two
years. The in-person event invigorated spir- and challenges to come to-
its, helped companies plan for the year and
brought a sense of normalcy to the archery gether for the betterment of
and bowhunting community.
the industry. We’re stronger
Maria Lewis, ATA’s senior director of Trade
Show and membership, wasn’t sure how together, and the Show was
weather and COVID would affect Show atten-
dance, but she was impressed by the com- an indication of their dedica- Members were excited to attend the 2022 ATA Trade Show
mitment level demonstrated by buyers and tion to customers.” and see new products. PHOTO CREDIT © ATA.
exhibitors.
Overall, the Show drew
“It’s obvious members at the Show came to
focus on the success of the industry,” Lewis 4,301 individuals. Each mem-

ber category had good representation. Buyers Poole was formerly with the National Rifle

from 548 retail accounts took to the Show Association and enjoyed interacting with

floor to interact with 484 exhibitors. Several members and learning about ATA programs

ATA partners, nonprofit groups and media and initiatives.

members also attended. “It was great to be back on the Trade Show

floor where we could all meet face-to-face for

ATA’s New President & CEO: Jeff Poole ■ All the first time in two years,” Poole said. “I’m

Show attendees had the opportunity to meet happy to be a part of this great industry and

the new ATA president & CEO Jeff Poole, who look forward to working with the members I

was announced on Thursday, January 6. met on the Show floor to continue to develop

new ideas that propel archery forward.”

Poole officially started with the ATA on

January 24.

The in-person event invigorated spirits, helped companies plan for the year and brought ATA-Member Reactions ■ Bill First, director
a sense of normalcy to the archery and bowhunting industry. PHOTO CREDIT © ATA. of sales for Limbsaver, was pleased and sur-
prised by the 2022 Show.

“The crowds are less than normal, but ev-
eryone that is here wants to buy,” he said.
“The good thing is that there is no wait to get
in to talk to people or look at products and
pricing. Sales are better than we expected
considering all the COVID and weather prob-
lems in the country.”

Limbsaver expects to fill all the orders it
receives. First said buyers are placing ASAP
orders, meaning they want them right away.

Continued on Page 32

UNITING THE INDUSTRY ARCHERY TRADE ASSOCIATION
archerytrade.org

30 INSIDE ARCHERY MARCH 2022



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY ATA ACTION

Continued from Page 30

tween 11 retailers. All that, people who sign up to become BU mem-
the winners were an- bers throughout the year will be entered in
nounced at Connec- later drawings.
tions: An ATA Happy
Hour presented by Out- Educational Opportunities ■ Unfortunately, a
door Sportsman Group. few seminar presenters were unable to attend
Congratulations to all the Show at the last minute. Although some
our lucky winners. educational offerings got cut, the ATA was still
able to offer a robust lineup of education top-
Bowhunters United ■ ics and offerings, including seminars, Coffee
Talks, certification classes and the Archery In-
Many attendees took dustry Masterclass.

advantage of the buy Many members converged for Troy Fowler’s
“Long-Range Bowhunting: Arrow Speed/KE/Mo-
The week included seminars like the one presented by Darrel Barnette (above), one, get one free Bow- mentum at 60 Yards” Coffee Talk and Korbin
certifications, Masterclass sessions and Coffee Talks. PHOTO CREDIT © ATA. hunters United mem- Williams’ “Act Right! How Behaviors Affect the
Customer Experience” presentation. Kurt Smith,
bership deal at the ATA ATA’s director of industry relations, said many
of the seminars and Coffee Talks were recorded
He said the company had several supply chain Store in Booth 701. BU unifies, supports, em- and will be posted on the MyATA Learning Cen-
ter post-Show. Participants in the certification
issues in 2021, but they’re all hands on deck powers and recruits bowhunters. Its mission and Masterclass courses were grateful for the
discounted learning opportunities.
and have kept inventory in stock. is to unite bowhunters and promote and pre-
Bryce Hinegardner is a bow technician at
First-time retail attendees Jeff and Ashley serve the sport of archery. The organization Cleland’s Outdoor World in Ohio who took
the Level 1 certification on Friday and Level 2
Bussell from Brush Mountain Outfitters in celebrates the lifestyle, focuses on conserva- certification on Sunday. The ATA changed the

Texas said they had a great Show. They have tion efforts, promotes a positive image of bow- Continued on Page 34

been in business for 19 years and were glad hunters and advocates on behalf of bowhunt-

they finally made the bucket-list trip to the ers nationwide.

ATA Show. Everyone who signed up to become a mem-

“We had a lot of fun,” Jeff said. “We saw a ber at the Show or online before January 9 is

lot of the people I’ve talked to for years and eligible to win epic hunts and exclusive gear

have great relationships with. It was good to through the year-long membership sweep-

see our reps and the people we’ve only emailed stakes. The first drawing is January 18. After

over the past two years because of COVID. Other

retailers said the Show was a little slow, but

from our perspective, it was great.”

The Bussells said they didn’t have a baseline

to go off of since it was their first ATA Show, but

compared to other industry shows, “it was fan-

tastic.” They picked up three new product lines

and saw a lot of products, but didn’t attend any

education events because they wanted to focus

on the Show floor. They were satisfied with

#ATA2022 and plan to attend in future years.

$20K Giveaway ■ All ATA-member retailers Prairie Archery won $10,000 of the $20,000 Giveaway. PHOTO CREDIT © ATA.
who registered for the Show by December 17
and attended the Show on day one were au-
tomatically entered to win a cash prize. John
and Susan Lammie, owners of Prairie Archery
in Minnesota, won the $10,000 cash prize and
were in disbelief after hearing they won. They
plan to use the money to buy big-ticket items,
like blinds, that are expensive and costly to
ship. Ten other retailers won a $1,000 cash
prize, so the ATA gave away $20,000, split be-

32 INSIDE ARCHERY MARCH 2022



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY ATA ACTION

Continued from Page 32

certification course layout for the 2022 Show “There’s no more valuable investment than took home accolades and an award for prod-
and required participants to complete an on- one in yourself, so being able to come (to the uct innovation in the New Product Launch
line class component before attending the Show) and learn was the best part,” he said. Showcase. Industry judges evaluated more
Show to finish an in-person portion. The hy- than 102 entries split between two catego-
brid offering gave attendees more time on the Impact Award & Best in Show Awards Program ries. Winners in the “products released at the
Show floor and a chance to absorb the infor- Winners ■ ATA staff announced winners for its Show” category were Carbon Fiber Saddle
mation before arriving in Louisville. third annual Best in Show awards program at Hunting Platform by Tethrd (gold), the Stock
the Connections event on Friday night. Two in- Arrow by Swhacker Broadheads (silver), and
“Because of the format, you were able to dividuals and three organizations won an ATA the JAKT Tag – Game & Fish Smart Tags by
learn the information, reflect on it, revisit it Impact Award, including Rob Kaufhold, Tim JAKT Gear (bronze). Winners in the “products
and apply it during the practical portion of Thomas, Whitetails Unlimited, Straight 6 Ar- released after Oct. 1, 2021” category were the
the certification,” Hinegardner said. “It wasn’t chery and Hunter Safety System. Read ATA’s ar- Executive Release by T.R.U. Ball Archery (gold),
a memorize and regurgitate-it thing. I got to ticle “ATA Announces 2022 Impact Award Win- the Redi EDC by Havalon Knives (silver), and
go back to the information and cement the ners” for recipient reactions and information New XKG Draft Pant & Elevation Hoodie in XK7
knowledge in my head before the class.” about the winners. by King’s Camo (bronze).

Hinegardner also attended the Masterclass Meanwhile, three products in the Feature Thank You! ■ The ATA thanks everyone who at-
and found a lot of value in the content. His fa- Product Showcase received an award after at- tended #ATA2022. Please mark your calendar
vorite sessions were “Coaching to Build Your tendee votes were tallied at the end of day one. for the 2023 ATA Trade Show in Indianapolis on
Customer Base,” “Foundations—Skills to Make The JAKT Tag, a Game & Fish Smart Tag by JAKT January 11-13, 2023. If you have questions about
a Great Archer” and “Buying the Best Deal for Gear, won gold; the Digital React 1 Pin by Trophy the Show or regarding your ATA-Member Ben-
Your Store.” He said the things he learned in Ridge won silver, and the Epsilon Arrow Rest by efits, please contact the ATA business, member-
the Masterclass course and certification ses- Hamskea Archery Solutions, LLC, won bronze. ship and Trade Show office at (507) 233-8130. IA
sions will help him host classes, clubs and
programs at the shop. Additionally, six companies and products



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.

Patrick Meitin • Texas Wild Boar

Executive Editor/Co-Owner, Inside Archery

Corrine Yohann Bundy • Wisconsin Whitetail Bow ■ Mathews V3X 29 Sight ■ Mathews AXCEL

Arrow ■ Gold Tip Kinetic Pierce Bridge-Lock Fixed 5-Pin Sight

VP of Marketing, The Outdoor Group Broadhead ■ SWAT Quiver ■ Mathews LowPro
Juggernaut Titanium 100 Detachable 5-arrow
Bow ■ Elite EnVision Sight ■ CBE Trek Pro

Broadhead ■ Slick Trick SS3 Rest ■ QAD Rest Stabilizer ■ Mathews Flatline 8” Release ■ Scott Archery

Release ■ Scott Archery Pursuit Rest ■ Mathews QAD Integrate Pursuit

36 INSIDE ARCHERY MARCH 2022

Jan Wilson • Colorado Pronghorn

CEO, Archery Depot

Bow ■ PSE Carbon Air Broadhead ■ Innerloc 75

Tom Perdikaris • Florida Alligator Arrow ■ Gold Tip Pro Rest ■ QAD HDX
Sight ■ Montana Black Gold Release ■ Spot Hogg Wiseguy

Archery Specialist, The Shooter’s Sports Center

Bow ■ Hoyt Satori Broadhead ■ G5 Montec
Arrow ■ Easton Rest ■ Stingray

Brett Rousselle • Kansas Whitetail Kari Beam • Texas Whitetail

Owner/Producer, Backcountry Bowhunter President, TNP

Bow ■ Hoyt RX3 Broadhead ■ SEVR Bow ■ Martin Archery Broadhead ■ NAP Endgame

Arrow ■ Easton FMJ Rest ■ QAD Ultra Rest Arrow ■ Bloodsport Sight ■ TRUGLO
Sight ■ Spot Hogg Fast Eddie Release ■ Spot Hogg
Rest ■ TRUGLO Release ■ TruFire

MARCH 2022 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 37

38 INSIDE ARCHERY MARCH 2022

Huskemaw Optics

Long-Range Precision Made Simple

The word “Huskemaw” comes to us from a From Customers to Owners
Native American dialect. It is believed to be
the name of an Inuit tribe that lived along Joe and Christine Michaletz are partners
the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, in life and partners in business. In fact, Joe
and this tribe was famous for being excel- and Christine even originally met at work,
lent hunters and self-sufficient survival- and they have remained colleagues for the
ists in the extremely harsh environment entirety of their relationship.
they called home. The Huskemaw tribe
also happened to be famous for their arctic “When I first met Christine, I was just ex-
sled dogs, and this is why we call the same tremely impressed by what a smart person
breed of dogs “huskies” today. she is,” Joe Michaletz said. “She is very in-
tellectual, but she also combines that with
Huskemaw Optics was named in honor common sense, professionalism and grace.
of this tribe because the company’s found- She really loves all the technical things re-
ers were also committed to being deadly lated to business—all the data, policies and
and efficient hunters. Huskemaw Optics procedures that make a company more
has enjoyed a steady rise in popularity since streamlined—and those are also the parts
it was established in 2007. Huskemaw’s pri- of business that I don’t enjoy. We make a
mary point of focus has been making ex- great team because I enjoy all the aspects
tremely precise long-range scopes for rifles, of business that she doesn’t, and she en-
but the company has more recently applied joys the aspects I don’t. It’s sort of funny
its precision approach to crossbow optics. how it worked out. We have been business
partners for 28 years, and it just keeps get-
Huskemaw Optics was recently acquired ting better. I am trying to help her and sup-
by new owners with big plans and ambi- port her, and she is trying to help me and
tions for this rapidly growing company. support me. I’ve got her back and she’s got

The new owners are the husband-and- mine, and we have been very
wife duo Joe and Christine Michaletz, blessed and successful as a
who were avid fans of
team because of that.”
the company for years Joe and Christine Micha-
before they took ownership. Joe and Chris-
tine Michaletz are building upon the strong letz spent many years in the financial
foundation that Huskemaw has already advisory industry, where they helped cli-
established, living up to the company’s ents with investment decisions and estate
namesake by helping others become more planning. Joe Michaletz is also an avid
efficient and deadly hunters. hunter and outdoorsman, and this is how
the couple originally made a connection

By Daniel Allred

MARCH 2022 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 39

❝longO-urranuglteimshaoteotginogalsaimt Hpluifsikeedm, aanwdiws etohmavaekseeen

that there is a lot of demand for our approach.

We want to help hunters make the shot of a lifetime.❞

with Huskemaw Optics. high level of accuracy. I continued buy- “Joe and I got to know each other
“I was born and raised in Minnesota, ing new rifles and putting Huskemaw through work, and we have worked to-
scopes on them, and I retrofitted older gether ever since,” Christine Michaletz
and I grew up hunting, fishing and trap- rifles with Huskemaw scopes as well. said. “We are great partners because our
ping,” Joe Michaletz said. “I have always Eventually we had an opportunity to in- skillsets are very complementary. I did
been intrigued by long-range shooting. I vest in the company to help them grow take some years off to raise our kids, but
bought my first long-range rifle about 10 and produce more optics. We continued once we became empty nesters a couple
years ago, and it had a Huskemaw scope to be huge believers in the company, and years ago, I got more intrigued with
on it. I had never heard of Huskemaw be- eventually it just made sense to acquire hunting and shooting. I did not grow
fore that, but once I understood how the ownership.” up in a hunting family like Joe. In fact,
optic operated and worked in conjunc- I never shot a gun before we were mar-
tion with the ammunition I was shoot- For Christine Michaletz, investing in ried, but once I got more into it, I saw that
ing, I became a huge believer. It shot like Huskemaw has been a thrilling experi- it was something that’s a lot of fun that
a dream, and I became obsessed with all ence and a natural progression of her we can also do together. I never knew
the details surrounding the scope and its and Joe’s time in business together.

40 INSIDE ARCHERY MARCH 2022

what I was missing all those years, and working here and doing R&D for us,” Joe on the map, in addition to the high-
I also naturally became very interested Michaletz said. “Jack and some of his quality materials the scopes were being
in Huskemaw. I fell in love with their friends were very passionate hunters made with. We use the highest quality
products, just like Joe. We believed that who really wanted to be able to shoot components, so the scopes are super ac-
Huskemaw had a very solid foundation long range, but they weren’t satisfied curate and easy to use, and they are also
in place, and we thought it was an in- with the long-range rifle scopes of the extremely durable.”
credible opportunity to get involved and time. They decided to just create their
see how much further we can take it.” own sight, and they ended up develop- Joe and Christine Michaletz have big
ing a patented turret system that allows plans for Huskemaw, with ample de-
As the new owners, Joe and Christine you to collect data with a specific rifle- mand and plenty of room to grow.
Michaletz have been careful to keep that and-ammunition combo and then put
solid foundation intact while still grow- that data on the turret to accommodate “Two of our main focuses as new
ing and expanding. precise and adjustable long-range shoot- owners are R&D and increased produc-
ing. That’s really what put Huskemaw tion,” Joe Michaletz said. “The optics are
“Huskemaw was founded by a vision- staying the same, but we are making in-
ary named Jack Peterson, and he’s still vestments to increase production. Since

MARCH 2022 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 41

we have become owners, production of their crossbows,” Joe Michaletz said. into a crossbow scope, and it’s extreme-
has gone up 200 percent, and our goal “We earned our reputation in the rifle ly precise and exact. You just range the
is to increase it by another 500 percent industry by making long-range scopes, distance, dial it in on the scope, and
in the next two years. We think that’s so we figured that we could do a simi- your shot should hit exactly where the
very possible, considering the growth lar thing for crossbow optics. There point of impact is supposed to be. The
we’ve already seen. The other thing we is a different functionality with it be- Crossfield is also a lot less cluttered
are really focusing on is research and cause you’re not dealing with the same than other crossbow optics. There is just
development, and that’s going great as ballistics and velocities as a rifle, but one crosshair, instead of multiple hash
well. The primary founder of the com- there are also a lot of factors that are marks for different range increments.”
pany, Jack Peterson, is still coming up the same. We basically bought some
with new ideas for Huskemaw. He’s very fast, very high-end crossbows and Huskemaw also offers custom laser
coming up with new ways to improve started testing, and from that we devel- etching on every Crossfield turret for a
existing optics, and he’s also explor- oped what we felt was the right optic truly customized long-range crossbow
ing other product lines like binoculars, for modern crossbows. Just like with system.
spotting scopes and crossbow scopes.” our rifle scopes, you are collecting data
when you sight in, and that allows you “We offer custom turrets for all of our
The Next Generation to get more range out of the crossbow. Crossfield scopes,” Joe Michaletz said.
of Crossbow Scopes You zero in at, say, 20 yards, and then “Just like they would for a rifle, they
you collect data for every 10-yard incre- find the ammunition that shoots the
Huskemaw’s Crossfield 4x40 Crossbow ment beyond that, all the way out to 150 best—the bolts that have the tightest
Scope is the company’s solution to ex- yards. We were basically able to take and most accurate groups, as well as the
tremely precise, long-range crossbow our turret technology and build that broadhead they will be hunting with.
shooting. Just like the riflescopes that They want to find whatever shoots best
put Huskemaw on the map, the Cross-
field combines simplicity and durabil- Continued on Page 44
ity with highly dependable long-range
accuracy.

“Crossbow hunters are constantly
looking for ways to extend the range

42 INSIDE ARCHERY MARCH 2022



Continued from Page 42 also just amazing how accurate it is. You
can easily hit a tennis ball at 150 yards,
from that crossbow and use that to plot meaning you can hit a golf-ball sized
the data because that scope is going to target at 80 or 90 yards. We call the tur-
be custom built for that crossbow, bolt ret the ADC, or Arrow Drop Compensator,
and broadhead combination. Sighting it and it truly takes the guesswork out of
in and collecting the data is also great the vertical orientation of the scope. We
practice and pretty fun, and then they also have other patents that we are inte-
send that data in to Huskemaw. We grating into the Crossfield like windage.
then cut a turret based on that data and We already have windage on our rifle
send it back, and now they have a true scopes, and we are carrying that over to
precision instrument on their crossbow the Crossfield to take the guesswork out
that is accurate up to or past 100 yards.” of windage as well.”

Most agree that shots past 100 yards All considered, the Crossfield definite-
should be for target practice only, but ly lives up to Huskemaw’s reputation for
the precision and ease of use provided by extremely precise long-range scopes.
the Crossfield will still greatly increase a
crossbow hunter’s effective range. “The Crossfield is a good example of
how we are trying to maintain the high
“The Crossfield is just so simple and level of quality we are known for while
fast,” Joe Michaletz said. “From a hunt- still being open to new ideas and inno-
ing perspective, there is nothing else vations,” Christine Michaletz said. “The
you have to think about—no buttons to team we have at Huskemaw has never
push or electronics to worry about. You been hindered or intimidated by the
just range, dial and shoot. The whole challenges they face when they develop
process takes a few seconds, not 30 a new idea. These guys are passionate
seconds, not a minute. I don’t know of long-range hunters. Accuracy, precision
a more user-friendly or accurate cross- and consistency are extremely impor-
bow scope than the Crossfield. I’m cer- tant to them, and if there is any little
tainly going to be biased, but I’ve tried thing they can do to improve some-
everything. There is some pretty awe- thing, then they figure out a way to do
some stuff out there, but there’s noth-
ing as fast and simple as our system. It’s Continued on Page 46

44 INSIDE ARCHERY MARCH 2022



Continued from Page 44 INSIDE ARCHERY MARCH 2022

it. Most of them are lifelong hunt-
ers. This is their passion, and it’s an
emotional industry. This is what they
love, and they don’t want to compro-
mise on quality because they want to
heighten their own experience. On
top of that, we are also just listening
to the market and to our consumers,
looking for opportunities and im-
proving whatever we can.”

Becoming More Dealer Focused

Another notable change that Joe and
Christine Michaletz have brought to
Huskemaw is the company’s new ap-
proach to brick-and-mortar retailers.

“Before, Huskemaw was selling di-
rectly to the end consumers, but we
made the decision to end direct-to-
consumer sales and instead focus
on supporting our dealers,” Christine
Michaletz said. “We saw a real oppor-
tunity to grow our dealer network,
and that has been a major focus for
us. We are very excited about this
change, and we have already received
a lot of really positive feedback. We
are putting a great deal of focus and
energy into supporting dealers and
helping them grow, with things like
point-of-purchase displays, educa-
tional resources and short videos
that educate them on the product
and simplify their interactions with
customers. So far, it’s gone very well.
Everyone we talk to is excited about
the products, and the real struggle is
just keeping up with all the orders.”

Something else that Huskemaw
is doing to support independent re-
tailers and build awareness is the
company’s “Shooting Schools,” which
allow customers to test out a high-
speed crossbow equipped with a
Crossfield scope.

“The easiest way to make someone
believe in the Crossfield is just hav-
ing them use it,” Joe Michaletz said.
“To make that happen, we host some-
thing we call Shooting Schools, where
we get a bunch of different crossbows
from different manufacturers and
set up Crossfield scopes on them to let
people see how simple and accurate

Continued on Page 48

46

ADVERTISEMENT

Continued from Page 46

they are. We did the same thing with
rifles in the past, and it’s always in-
credible to watch their reaction when
they try it. It makes them instant
believers and turns it into a pretty
easy sale. We have held the Shooting
Schools around where we are located
in Cody, Wyoming, but now we are go-
ing to start expanding them into new
areas where we have dealers to dem-
onstrate the product and build brand
awareness in the community around
those shops.”

Long-Range Future Goals

Huskemaw Optics is well positioned
for the future. Guided by its entre-
preneurial husband-and-wife duo,
Huskemaw has the right people, re-
sources and mentality for continued
success. Huskemaw has managed
to bring a whole new level of conve-
nience to long-range shooting, first
for rifles, and then for crossbows.
Huskemaw is even shaping the optic
industry around it by challenging oth-
er companies to step up their game.

But perhaps most important,
Huskemaw is also staying committed
to its founding philosophy and name-
sake by helping hunters become more
deadly and efficient.

“We think Huskemaw is at a very
exciting point in its history, and we’re
thrilled to see where it will go,” Joe
Michaletz said. “Our ultimate goal
at Huskemaw is to make long-range
shooting simplified, and we have seen
that there is a lot of demand for our ap-
proach. We want to help hunters make
the shot of a lifetime. There are a lot of
shots that weren’t taken because the
hunter wasn’t confident in themselves
and their equipment. They didn’t get a
humane lethal shot, and we have been
able to potentially double their effec-
tive range. That’s what it’s all about
at the end of the day. These are optics
created by hunters for hunters, and we
keep it super simple. The best products
are typically designed by people who
are enthusiastic consumers as well,
and we believe that is certainly the
case for Huskemaw.” IA

48 INSIDE ARCHERY MARCH 2022



MARKET TRENDS GEAR REPORT

Bow Spider

BY PATRICK MEITIN

I like to goad friends who adopt any than others. Yet shoulder
form of moral superiority while shoot- slings introduce still more

ing traditional bows by saying, “If you’re not opportunity for snagging,
tangles and interference during
going to kill anything, might as well tote a unexpected shot opportunities. This

bow that’s easier to carry.” approach has been revisited again and stud attachment point, allowing the
length of the bow to ride along the back
again, with only subtle improvements for better balance. The receiver can also
be strapped behind a truck seat for safe
I own, shoot and bowhunt with re- to form and function. transport, or screwed to a shop wall for
convenient bow storage. The imagina-
curves regularly, but also use com- The Bow Spider solves these short- tion is the only limit to the ways the
Bow Spider can assist.
pounds and don’t feel compelled to falls, while keeping bows under control
The head of the milled-aluminum
disparage anyone for their equipment and hands free for bowhunting ma- bow stud slips in and out of the receiver
slot slickly and quietly. The receiver slot
choices. But carrying a fully-equipped neuvers such as run-and-gun elk call- is flared slightly at the top opening for
drop-in use, but the bow will not fall
compound into the field certainly ing, glassing ahead while still-hunting out while walking or climbing. Placed
on a belt at the hip—the way I use my
comes with more potential snags and or stalking, pushing aside brush in Bow Spider most—bows can be dropped
in instantly while handling optics, dig-
unwieldy weight. thick areas or climbing steep terrain.
ging in a fanny pack or just taking
In the past, bow slings addressed this The Bow Spider system includes a a breather, all while avoiding the
need to find a hanging branch or
carry issue, some designs more clever “mushroom-head” stud attached to dropping bows in the dirt. It offers

the bow with a milled washer and bolt a lot less hassle and
more streamlined
system, paired with a rounded polymer profile than clas-
sic bow hooks. A daypack setup allows
receiver that can be placed just about bowhunters to hike hands free, but de-
ploy bows nearly instantly and silently
anywhere needed. The bow stud is eas- with an over-the-shoulder grab.
Out of the package I doubted the si-
ily attached to any skeletonized com- lence claim, as the hollow plastic ap-
peared a tad clacky. But attaching the
pound riser, positioned for the de- Bow Spider receiver to a belt or pack
instantly muffled any in-and-out
sired balance point and how the noise. The Bow Spider is a genuine so-
lution to a common bowhunting need
BowSpider system will be used and something I now wear on every
bowhunt. IA
most. For instance, the rounded

receiver can be placed

on a belt at the hip to

hold the bow while

glassing or calling, indicating a more

centralized stud attachment point.

Lashing the receiver to a pack with the

supplied straps might call for a higher

WebXtra ■ For more information

on the Bow Spider, please check it out at

insidearchery.com/BowSpider.

50 INSIDE ARCHERY MARCH 2022