Inside Archery June 2021

www.insidearchery.com

®

JUNE 2021





INSIDE ARCHERY JUNE 2021 | VOLUME 24 | NUMBER 5

People

28 Power of Participation
■ Josh Honeycutt | Honeycutt Creative
■ Patrick Meitin | Inside Archery
■ Zach Benson |
Easton Technical Products
■ P.J. Reilly |
Lancaster Archery Supply
■ Paul Musumeci | Northern
Broadheads & Huntech Outdoors
■ Bill Henneman | Wildcat Archery

30 30 Ani-Logics Outdoors
14 Science Based Solutions
52 By Daniel Allred
Market Trends
64
38 Gear Report
Custom Bow Equipment CX5 Sight
By Patrick Meitin

40 Gear Report
Ramcat Diamondback Hybrid
By Patrick Meitin

42 Accuracy-Boosting
Release Aids & Stabilizers

Once neglected, nearly every archer

today employs a release and stabilizer.

By Patrick Meitin

42 50 Gear Report
The Adjustable Red Dot System

By Patrick Meitin

56 Gear Report
Lowdown Trail Cam Viewer
By Patrick Meitin

16 58 Strings & Things
By Daniel Allred

INSIDE ARCHERY (Volume 24, #5) 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 JUNE 2021



INSIDE ARCHERY JUNE 2021 | VOLUME 24 | NUMBER 5

26 38 IInnsdiudsetrtyhe
50
42 10 Inside Track
6 Family-Owned Buisnesses

14 Kinsey’s Business
Blueprint

Community Events

30

16 Inside Retailing
Pat’s Archery

20 Your ATA Insights
Head-On
By Kurt Smith / ATA

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

26 ATA Action
ATA Creates a Diversity, Equity
and Inclusion Committee
By Cassie Gasaway / ATA

52 Leading Archery
Manufacturers

Odin’s Innovations

66 Industry 5Q
Five Questions on
America’s Best Bowstrings
with Bryant Lyon

58 By Daniel Allred

INSIDE ARCHERY JUNE 2021



INSIDE ARCHERY JUNE 2021 | VOLUME 24 | NUMBER 5

insidearchery.com Online Exclusives

Technical Talk

How Long Should You Cut Your Arrows?

How much arrow shaft should you leave protruding
in front of the riser or arrow rest while at full draw?
Executive Editor Patrick Meitin discusses the pros and
cons of cutting short or long and how arrow length af-
fects accuracy and bowhunting efficiency.

Preseason Gear Prep

Proper Hunting Bow Break-In

Properly breaking in your hunting bow’s bowstring and
cables during summer months can prevent a host of
problems that can cost you shot opportunities and even
time in the field after season opener. Use these tips to
ensure your bow is ready for action.

Gear Choices

Do You Need A Larger Peep?

Today’s compound bows are shorter than ever, which
automatically sets the peep farther from the eye. Choos-
ing a larger peep provides proper sight-aperture align-
ment, faster sight and target acquisition, and dead-con-
fident aiming at the very edges of legal shooting hours.

Modern Gear

Are 100-Grain Broadheads
Best For Bowhunting?

The industry seems to have settled on 100 grains as a
“standard” broadhead weight, but why? Executive Editor
Patrick Meitin discusses using heavier 125-grain heads
in conjunction with today’s faster, higher-energy bows
and the big advantages gained while bowhunting.

:WebXtras In this issue: “Inside Retailing” takes a look at Pat’s Archery; “Gear

Report” tries out the the CBE CX5 sight, Ramcat Diamondback Hybrid broadhead, The
Adjustable Red Dot System, and the Lowdown Trail Cam Viewer; and “5Q” chats with
America’s Best Bowstrings

Inside Archery Digital Edition

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

Fresh content daily
on social media!

8 INSIDE ARCHERY JUNE 2021



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INSIDE TRACK

Family-Owned Businesses

T he term “family-owned business,” to my mind at least, seems tossed about
rather casually in the world of modern advertising. Wal-Mart, Ford Motor
Company, Comcast, News Corp and Mars Chocolate North America, after all,
are family-owned businesses—some of the largest in the nation. But these aren’t re-
ally businesses that spark the family-owned aura that naturally springs to mind. You
don’t walk into or call a Wal-Mart and talk with an actual owner. They’re part of the
Corporate America behemoth.
When I think of family-owned businesses, I see a small op-
eration where you’re dealing intimately and directly with actual
owners—people who are blessed to work alongside their parents
or children or siblings, actual faces who have learned a business
from the ground up and fought to make it viable, while also de-
veloping a deep empathy for their customers’ wants and needs.
The vast majority of American wealth is created by family-owned businesses. Fam-
ily companies comprise 90 percent of business enterprises in this great country. Fam-
ily-owned businesses employ more than half of the U.S.’s workers—just one of the
things that sets the United States of America apart from other countries.
Family business owners, particularly archery pro-shops and small manufacturers,
built what they have on their own, not through government intervention follow-
ing an appropriate amount of reelection funds rendered. Almost universally, family
owners put it all on the line in pursuit of a dream of independence, the freedom to
set a personal vision into motion. Starting a small business takes guts and determi-
nation, and no small amount of business savvy. Success or failure is largely a make-
or-break proposition.
Statistics gleaned from The Family Business Institute suggest that something to the
tune of 30 percent of family-owned businesses last into a second generation, only 12
percent making it to the third generation. Yet some do. It warms my heart to do busi-
ness with a shop or manufacturer where grandpa served me in my early twenties, the
owner’s offspring becoming my go-to as I reached adulthood, and that man’s son or
daughter serving me as my hair grows grey. You come to feel like part of something
very special—almost family.
One thing that seems to run through any of these successful businesses are owners
with a faith in something larger than themselves, people who genuinely like people
and solving their unique archery dilemmas, and especially people who seem to truly
enjoy coming to work every day. Perhaps most importantly, they are people who seem
able to take lessons learned in the field and bring them back to their places of business.
Family-owned pro-shops and archery manufacturers are the heart and soul of the
archery industry. They are the very fuel that drives our economic pistons, a vast ap-
paratus that drives demand and/or produces products that make our sport so enjoy-
able. They are people who are there to help individual archers and bowhunters from
beginner to expert and sort out equipment and shooting issues. These are the real
family-owned businesses.

Patrick Meitin, Executive Editor

INSIDE ARCHERY JUNE 2021



Publisher

Apollo Creative Inc

Executive Editor

Patrick Meitin • [email protected]

Associate Editor

Daniel Allred • [email protected]

Contributors

Kurt Smith | Cassie Gasaway

Sales & Marketing Director

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

Design & Production

ER Graphics / Ed Rother • [email protected]

Graphic Designer

Tara Bondar

Website & Social Media

Stephen Mack • [email protected]

Account Manager

Pam Ludlam • [email protected]

Subscription Services & Change of Address:

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

Publication Office

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

Inside Archery founded in 1998 by Bill and Sherry Krenz

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

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

12 INSIDE ARCHERY JUNE 2021



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY BUSINESS BLUEPRINT Sponsored by

Community Events

Get your local community involved in archery (even if they aren’t archers).

A s an archery shop, it’s easy to traffic and potential sales during the Kinsey’s is the leading distributor to the outdoors and
entice archers, hunters and offseason. archery industry. Carrying items from your favorite
outdoor enthusiasts into your brands, in-stock and ready-to-ship, the company offers
store. However, how do you get those Event Goals domestic and international retailers a wide array of
products and services. Kinsey’s also owns innovative
individuals who are just interested The second thing you need to consider consumer brands including BlackHeart, Fin-Finder,
Elevation and October Mountain Products.
or curious about archery to check out is the overarching goal of your event.
For more information, please visit KinseysInc.com
your store? One tried-and-true meth- At the end of the day, you want both
when hosting your event is provid-
od is to hold a community event. In kids and adults walking away from ing a space for other local businesses,
groups and organizations. For exam-
doing so, you not only get to serve your event with a favorable experi- ple, you could invite a local restaurant
or food truck to be your food vendor for
your existing customer base, but you ence for the sport of archery. If your the event. You could also invite local
archery clubs, sportsman clubs or con-
receive an opportunity to get your lo- event is all ages, you’ll need to have servation groups to provide education
and information on their clubs and
cal community involved in archery, activities for both kids and adults organizations. Ultimately, you want
to find other local businesses, groups
even if they aren’t archers. Here we’ll alike. The main goal for the kids’ ac- or organizations whose customer base
is similar to your customer base so
discuss three important things you tivities should be having fun. For ex- you can both help cross-promote and
market your event for a true win-win
need to consider before hosting a ample, you could set up a 3-D target or for all parties involved. Creating local
partnerships and collaborations will
community event. a wall of balloons for the kids to shoot. help your business in the long run, too.

Space and Timing Even if their parents aren’t archers, It’s easy to continue to provide great
they should walk away with a positive products and services to your existing
customer base, but it’s important to
The first thing you need to consider memory and experience of archery. As always think of creative ways to grow
the sport of archery. By hosting a lo-
is the space and timing of the event. for the adults, it’s always good to have cal community event you’ll not only
serve existing customers, but you’ll be
Do you have enough space inside your activities that lend to friendly com- providing an opportunity for the ar-
chery curious, both young and old. If
store? If not, you may need to consid- petition with prizes and giveaways. I you take into consideration the space,
timing, goal of the event and getting
er hosting the event outside of your mean, who doesn’t like winning stuff? local community involvement, you’ll
create a memorable event with at-
store. In conjunction with the physi- Also, don’t worry about providing a ton tendees looking forward to next year’s
installment. IA
cal space of the event, you need to of activities. If you can pull off a fun

consider the timing of the event—ide- and exciting event with two or three

ally between busy times and seasons. awesome activities, that’s better than

The last thing you want to do is plan a decent event with a ton of lack-lus-

an event in the lead up to archery ter activities for kids and adults.

season. Ideally, if you can get people

out to your store during the slower Support Local

months, then that can help drive foot The third thing you need to consider

14 INSIDE ARCHERY JUNE 2021



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INSIDE RETAILING

Half-Century-Old Shop Carries More Than Archery Gear

Pat’s Archery & Outdoors

Store Profile owned and operated Pat’s Archery for 12 Pat’s Archery has been in continuous business
years before passing it on to Bruce, Matt since 1962 and is now owned and operated by,
■ Headquarters: Okmulgee, Oklahoma and Mark Mabrey, who operated the shop left to right, Jamie, David and McKenzie McCoy.
from 2013, until the McCoys purchased
■ Owners: David and Jamie McCoy the shop in October 2019. able to answer customer questions via
phone or email. John Hurt, another Pat’s
■ Years in Business: 53 years David and Jamie McCoy, and their Archery bow tech, has been with the shop
daughter, McKenzie, are avid bowhunt- for 10 years, and is also the go-to guy for
■ Square footage: 10,000 (total), 8,000 ers with a passion for all things outdoors. firearms-related questions.
(store floor), 2,000 (shooting lanes). The McCoys purchased Pat’s Archery with
the goal of providing their daughter with Retailing Q & A
■ Staffing: Full-time: Three. Part-time: Four another source of income after she com-
pleted college. McKenzie soon took the Inside Archery: Does your store stock
■ Bow Lines: Mathews, Hoyt, Bowtech, store to new heights through her social products other than those directly related
Bear Archery, Elite Archery, Diamond Ar- media posts and the shop’s online store. to archery and bowhunting, for instance,
chery, Prime, Quest, PSE Archery, Mission McKenzie also produces all of the store’s fishing, guns and ammo, camping/back-
and Genesis. videos and new-products features, which packing, watersports or footwear?
have become a popular promotion tool
■ Arrow Lines: Easton and GoldTip. for the shop. David McCoy: Yes, we carry guns and
ammo, and a small line of fishing
■ Crossbow Lines: Ravin, Wicked Ridge, The McCoys have focused on carrying supplies. Ammo started to become a
TenPoint, CenterPoint, AXE and Killer premier archery lines from some of the little difficult to get last March when
Instinct. most respected names in the archery COVID hit, along with the riots and
business. As a family-owned business, protests. We did what we could to get
■ Inside Numbers: Estimated annual the McCoys are dedicated to providing
revenues: $800,000. Percentage (estimate) the best products, with a focus on hon-
of store’s revenue generated by bow- esty, integrity and personal service. Pat’s
hunting: 75%; by target and recreational Archery’s senior bow technician, John
archery: 25% Grubb, has more than 20 years of experi-
ence in the archery business, making his
■ Store History: Pat’s Archery was estab- bow set-up and tuning expertise sought
lished in 1962 by Pat and Arlene Giulioli by archers and bowhunters from across
and has since become Oklahoma’s larg- Oklahoma and beyond. Grubb is avail-
est and oldest archery pro-shop. Pat and
Arlene owned and operated the business
for more than 30 years before passing
the reins to Dean Anderson. Anderson

Pat’s Archery rural location near Okmulgee, Oklahoma, offers a full-service archery pro shop, but also offers guns and ammo as well as basic fishing supplies.

16 INSIDE ARCHERY JUNE 2021

Pat’s Archery offers a huge selection of bows, with 11 major Archers from a wide area come to Pat’s Archery for expert bow setup and tuning performed
brands available, including all of the top-five names. by John Grubb and John Hurt.

what we could, but I don’t think anyone that non-archery/bowhunting products Dryshod boots, bowfishing equipment, and
in our industry was prepared for the helped you remain profitable during pe- guns and ammo.
shortage. We sold completely out of our riods when archery-related business was
most popular calibers of ammo within slow, like summer or late-winter months? Inside Archery: Do you find that some
days. We are still having trouble getting product companies and industries—fish-
guns and ammo, but it has gotten a little McCoy: Yes, I believe the success of an ing, guns/ammo, camping or footwear, as
better over the last month. archery shop depends on providing examples—are easier or more difficult to
products that will carry you through slow work with than others? Can you provide
Inside Archery: In addition to archery and times. We sell bows year round, and we get examples?
bowhunting, what product categories have real busy around mid to late July. Our goal
proven to be most successful—and profit- is to cater to the outdoors all year round. McCoy: Our non-archery suppliers are
able—in your store, and what do you attri- Being in a small community, we aim to generally a little more difficult to work
bute that popularity to? provide a variety of outdoor products such with in the sense of your terms of payment.
as Yeti coolers and Thermacell mosquito With the archery business, most of the
McCoy: Our guns and ammo have become repellants. We have a good selection of companies know you won’t be busy until
a great seller for us during the off season— the fall, and they allow for that.
when we can get product in. COVID has
affected everyone in this area, as far as With 8,000 square feet of retail space, Pat’s Archery is able to provide more than archery products.
getting product. I attribute most of the Guns and ammo, fishing gear, and e-bikes help them remain profitable during slow periods.
success of these products to the uncertain
times in our nation right now.

Inside Archery: Do you find there are a lot
of crossover customers between archery/
bowhunting and some of these other cat-
egories? For instance, can it be assumed
that most bowhunters are fishermen, and
vice-versa?

McCoy: Absolutely. Most hunters are out-
doorsmen in general, and when they are
not hunting, they are fishing or doing
something outdoors.

Inside Archery: In the past, have you found

JUNE 2021 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 17

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INSIDE RETAILING

Oklahoma is crossbow friendly, and Pat’s Archery offers six crossbow brands Arrows are a pro-shop mainstay and Pat’s Archery carries a huge selection
from the biggest, most trusted names in the industry. of options from Easton and Gold Tip.

Inside Archery: Do any of the major dis- ers that help with other categories besides most excited to add electric bikes to the
tributors you work with on the archery/ archery, but I’m sure there are companies lineup. Since getting the e-bikes in March,
bowhunting side of your business also help out there that do. we have already sold two and our store
fill your stocking needs in other product has been buzzing with new customers. Our
categories? Inside Archery: How does space limita- small-town store continues to grow with
McCoy: Personally, I don’t have any deal- tion factor in your decision to expand or the presence of social media and our online
forgo many sporting-goods categories? For store. We have aspirations of Pat’s Archery
The McCoys, owners of Pat’s Archery, pride themselves instance, would you stock more camping & Outdoors to be a household name in the
on providing top-notch individual customer service and gear if you had more floor space available? years to come.
the best archery selection in the region.
McCoy: Yes, we have a goal in our store to Inside Archery: Any words of wisdom
pay off our business in five years. At that you can offer other dealers or department
point we would love to be able to buy some managers for expanding into additional
land and build a bigger store. We would product categories to increase store traffic
definitely like to expand our fishing sup- or profitability?
plies, for instance.
McCoy: Approach expansion very carefully.
Inside Archery: Have you dabbled in any We have found that it is very easy to get over-
product categories outside of archery and extended. While I believe it is good to carry
bowhunting in the past that just fell flat products that help during the slow times,
so were dropped from the lineup? If so, it’s easy to carry products that will fail if
what were the contributing factors to that you get too stretched out. When I purchased
failure? this store, we had a lot of inventory that was
old and outdated because it didn’t sell. We
McCoy: We try not to venture too far have basically eliminated all of that and are
outside the hunting and fishing industry. very careful about only ordering products we
We are always eager to try new products, know will sell well in our area. IA
but unfortunately, they don’t always go
over well. Being fairly new owners, we WebXtra ■ For more information
are just beginning to get our feet wet with
new products. Throughout the last year about Pat’s Archery & Outdoors, please go
we have included new products such as to insidearchery.com/PatsArchery.
bow hangers, backpacks and boots. We are

18 INSIDE ARCHERY JUNE 2021



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY YOUR ATA INSIGHTS

Head On
BY KURT SMITH, COURTESY OF THE ATA

U ncomfortable, painful, difficult… the list of neg- you’ve likely seen a comment about how provide an honest and detailed overview of
ative adjectives could go on when describing expensive everything is “these days” and what your business offers to add value.

how products aren’t made for the every-

what it feels like to take on a problem or challenge head-on. day person. Those of us within the indus- Archery for Everyone

try recognize what makes some products It’s not a secret. Archery in the United

For humans, with their fight-or-flight in- more expensive than others—and that States has been dominated by white

stinct, tackling difficulties can seem down- there are generally prod- males who live in rural areas.

right unnatural, and we often operate our ucts available at just about Many of us realize that the

businesses the same way. Throughout my every price point. How can growth and longevity of our

time in the workforce, I’ve worked in edu- we take on this complaint sport depends upon increas-

cation, retail and the archery industry. No head-on, without offending ing participation by including

matter the setting, I’ve seen businesses a potential customer? individuals from all different

identify an obstacle or shortcoming and For manufacturers who races, ethnic backgrounds and

make the decision to simply ignore it. I hear this often, it might be socioeconomic statuses. But

probably don’t need to tell you this, but I’ve time to start talking about what sepa- what does that look like when someone

never seen a challenge overcome by not rates a flagship product from those that different enters your retail store? Or your

talking about it. sit in lower price points. Explain what booth at a trade show?

Can you think of anything similar that’s makes the flagship more expensive, On a recent episode of our “Beyond the

happening in your business right now? If and what type of consumer would re- Bow” podcast, we talked with a member of

so, it might be time to sit down with your ally benefit from spending a few dollars our committee on diversity, equity and in-

team and talk about how you can address more. Point out how warranties and clusion. As a black man and a new archer,

the problem, overcome the obstacle, or customer service play a role in price. he has had less-than-stellar experiences in

take advantage of an opportunity head- Retailers can deliver a similar message archery stores. The encounter he described

on. What do I mean? Get proactive! Start to through platforms like social media as extremely positive was one where a busi-

talk about problems your customers have. videos, but they have the added ben- ness owner addressed the issue head-on.

Make direct, honest conversation a part of efit of being able to compare and con- The owner welcomed him into his store, ac-

your company culture. Maybe most impor- trast products from different suppliers. knowledged that there may have been neg-

tantly, do all of this in a way that shows Whatever you determine is the appro- ative experiences in the past and followed

customers and employees that you are al- priate messaging, get it out there pro- through with a genuinely helpful experi-

ways working to improve your business to actively before you field more customer ence. This approach was not complicated,

better serve its stakeholders. comments and complaints. but it was direct and it was intentional.

Here are a few common scenarios I’ve How do we move forward as an indus-
try? We build trust among our customers
witnessed that might get you thinking Added Value

about your business: Every archery business I have encoun- by being honest and forthright. We express

Tell the Story tered can offer customers value beyond the value each and every business brings
just the product or service sold. Every- to the sport, and we engage with all cus-

If you have visited an archery or bowhunt- thing from support and service after tomers in meaningful and genuine ways.

ing forum or social media page just once, the sale to expert instruction or social The success of archery and bowhunting

support gives customers excellent val- will not come from the fall of internet

ue for their money. I seldom hear this sales giants (which isn’t likely to happen

talked about in detail. What I usually anytime soon). It will come from the hard

hear is negative discussion of what the work of everyone who makes their living

competition doesn’t do, and in-depth through the sport of archery.

rhetoric about why the competition is If you’d like to learn more from your

killing the sport. peers, check out the MyATA Learning Cen-

How can we seize this opportunity ter for educational video content on selling

head-on? Acknowledge that custom- skills and communicating with custom-

ers have a choice in where they shop ers. Or contact me via email at kurtsmith@
or what brands they support, and then archerytrade.org. IA

20 INSIDE ARCHERY JUNE 2021



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INDUSTRY NEWS

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■ 12-day Alaska/Yukon moose hunt from on Saturday, July 17th, 2021 at Pope &
MacMillian River Adventures. Young’s convention taking place in Reno,
■ 7-day mountain goat and black bear Nevada, where the club will be celebrat-
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Lancaster Archery Foundation Introduced arship. Through his schooling, Kaufhold earned degrees in business
management and marketing, which guided him as he launched Lan-
The leadership of Lancaster Archery Supply introduced the Lancast- caster Archery Supply in 1983 after graduation.
er Archery Foundation, a nonprofit organization with a mission to
“provide resources to grow, educate and develop athletes in com- As the business grew over the years, Lancaster Archery Supply’s
petitive archery.” contributions to, and efforts to promote, the
sport of archery also expanded. Now, with
According to foundation president Rob the launching of the 501(c)(3) foundation’s
Kaufhold, the foundation’s core activities website—lancasterarcheryfoundation.org—
will be to offer scholarship grants to schools Rob and Carole Kaufhold are inviting schools
with established programs for archery as a and clubs to apply for grants.
competitive sport, and grants to nonprofit
clubs and organizations looking to improve their facilities or increase They are also opening the opportunity to contribute to the
their programming to expand participation in competitive archery. foundation. Anyone can go to the foundation’s website and make
a donation, or LAS customers can contribute every time they make
“It is our greatest wish to make resources and information avail- a purchase.
able to allow archers to pursue their passion for the (archery) sport
through their lives,” Kaufhold said. “Especially as it relates to balanc- The foundation will be the beneficiary of a “round-up” program,
ing the realities of education, occupation and family priorities in living which will allow LAS customers to round up their purchases at
‘an archery life.’” checkout to even dollar amounts. The difference between their
total purchase and the even dollar amount will go to the founda-
The key to the foundation’s mission is its focus on competitive tion and its efforts.
archery. Whether it’s 3-D, indoor target, outdoor target, field archery
or any other archery-related disciplines, the foundation seeks to The Lancaster Archery Foundation is run by a volunteer board of
boost participation in competitive archery. directors, so contributions to the foundation go toward its charitable
efforts and operating expenses. | for more information on the
For Rob Kaufhold, the foundation’s mission is personal. After win- foundation, or to learn about its programs and mission,
ning the U.S. National Championship as a high school senior in 1978, go to lancasterarcheryfoundation.org.
Kaufhold attended James Madison University on an archery schol-

22 INSIDE ARCHERY JUNE 2021

get ready for fall with an all-new line of of them carrying Big Green’s name on CEO of OPI. “Quality products combined
accessories through new licensee Outdoor a broad assortment of products,” said with top-notch customer service and fill-
Products Innovations (OPI). The Reming- Danny Evans, Remington’s Director of Li- ing orders on time has been, and always
ton brand has teamed up with stalwart censed Products. “Remington customers will be our recipe for success. It really
manufacturer OPI to bring hunters, land expect the very best from their gear and is an honor to work with a brand like
managers and shed heads around the equipment and the new additions from Remington who understands these same
country a new line of tools designed to get OPI are quality products that will stand ideas and trusts us to represent the Rem-
the job done. the test of time.” ington name.” | to learn more about prod-
uct availability and exciting new products, visit
“OPI has such an impressive selec- OPI offers top quality, premium prod- remington.com.
tion of products for hunters and outdoor ucts for hunting, fishing and other out-
folks, and we are excited to see many door industries. The company strives to HCei lMeboruantteasin30SeYaesaornsings
deliver quality products to make the cus-
tomer’s outdoor experience safer, more This year marks the 30th anniversary of
enjoyable and more successful. Reming- Hi Mountain Seasonings, a leading pro-
ton fans can expect to see ground blinds, vider of meat and fish seasonings, jerky,
blind chairs, tree stand accessories, sausage, and snackin’ stick kits, dressings
game feeders, trail cameras and much and dips, and much more. How the com-
more from OPI soon. pany got here is a story of hard work and
good ole American entrepreneurship.
“Innovative design and durability are
two key components in each and every The story of this great company has
one of our product lines,” said Dan Reaser,

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INDUSTRY NEWS

its early beginnings in Casper, Wyoming, Edition items will be available through- Victory Archery Sponsors
where Dean Clark, founder of Hi Mountain out the year. Be sure to check the website ASA Tour Nationwide
Seasonings, then a high school sopho- regularly. | for more information on the entire
more, worked at his father’s meat market, World renowned as one of the top archery
Clark’s Meat House. That year his father line of hi mountain seasonings’ products and free tours for professionals and amateurs
began teaching Dean the craft of process- alike, the ASA brings the archery world
ing sides of beef, whole hogs and wild mouth-watering recipes, visit himtnjerky.com. to life between spring and summer each
game during Wyoming’s hunting season.
Dean quickly perfected cutting prime cuts NFAA Announces Date year. For the 2021 Tour, Victory
of meat, and his passion for processing C2h0a23ngVeegFoasr 2S0h2o2otasnd Archery is proud to be an ASA
and seasoning meats was seeded. contributing partner as a
The National Field Archery primary sponsor. With this
Dean eventually founded Hi Mountain Association Foundation partnership, Victory Ar-
Seasonings in 1991. This one-man com- (NFAAF) has announced a chery will help bring all the
pany that started with just one product, date change for the 56th action to more than half a
The Original Jerky Cure & Seasoning, has and 57th annual Vegas dozen tour stops throughout
since grown into a booming business with Shoot. The Vegas Shoot is the the 2021 season.
a staff of 40 and an expansive product line world’s largest indoor archery With tournaments sched-
of more than 200 products under the lead- tournament, held an- uled from February
ership of Hans and Kimberly Hummel, nually at the South through August, cov-
who purchased the company from Clark Point Hotel & Casino ering the country
in 2003. At the time of the sale, the com- in Las Vegas, Nevada. from Texas to Ala-
pany had five products in its line. The addition of a regular-season game to
the 2022 and 2023 NFL seasons pushed the bama and Kentucky to Illinois, the ASA
Still located in its founding hometown Super Bowl to air on the same weekend as 2021 tour has something to offer for shoot-
of Riverton, Wyoming, the com- The Vegas Shoot, prompting the ers of all skill levels. Professionals and
pany has expanded its
headquarters from date changes. amateurs will enjoy a wide array of target
its original 12-by- NFAAF staff worked scenarios, with ranges custom built for
24-foot office to in- with South Point each tournament location. Tournament
clude 28,000-square over the past several stops like the Hoyt Archery Pro/Am in
feet of space in four weeks to secure new Foley, Alabama, the Mathews Pro/Am in
buildings with two dates for both events. Metropolis, Illinois, and the Delta McKen-
satellite facilities. zie ASA Classic in Cullman, Alabama, will
Updated dates are: Feb-
“Since we purchased the com- ruary 3-6, 2022 and Febru-
pany from Dean, we have held true to the ary 2-5, 2023.
principals that our customers come first “This is exciting news for The
and understanding their wants and needs Vegas Shoot organizers,” NFAA
is essential. We must maintain the high- Foundation President Bruce Cull
est quality at all times and remember said. “The date change has actu-
that our employees are our greatest asset. ally worked out really well for
With that, we will always be successful,” us. The arenas will almost all be
said the Hummels. “We are excited for carpet-free, making setup much
what this year holds as we launch several more efficient, and we will not
very special Limited Edition items, as well be backed up against another event, giv-
as what the next 30 years will bring for ing us some welcome breathing room for
Hi Mountain Seasonings, its staff and its completing the event. We are excited to
customers.” welcome everyone back to the best tour-
nament of the year!” | room blocks for the
To help celebrate Hi Mountain Season- 2022 event have been posted and are now avail-
ings’ 30th anniversary, several Limited able at thevegasshoot.com.

24 INSIDE ARCHERY JUNE 2021

be attended by competition shooters from cases, supply chain disruptions across the sary to ensure that the team can keep
across the globe, many of whom shoot globe continue to upset manufacturing pace with the unprecedented demand for
Victory Archery arrows. and transportation of goods in virtually archery products. 
every industry. These delays have resulted
Victory Archery is proud to be support- in record backorders on everything from "This year has brought unprecedent-
ing the ASA and will have representatives children's toys to appliances, as well as ed demand for CBE products," said Josh
onsite at various tour stop locations. Ar- archery accessories. There is no industry Sidebottom, COO of The Outdoor Group.
chers and guests will find information untouched by this situation. "Through coordination with our sup-
about all of the new arrow and acces- pliers, adding machine and assembly
sory technology from Victory as well as The unprecedented demand for goods, capacity, and some incredibly long hours
have a chance to shoot some of the most coupled with the restricted supply chain for our team, we have managed to keep
advanced arrows in the business. | visit over the past 15 months, has drasti- up with demand. We're now to the point
victoryarchery.com for more details. cally impacted supply speed. That said, we can ship virtually any CBE product
the team at CBE has worked tirelessly within just a few days. And if retailers
CAuvastiloambleBoNwowEqFuoirpFmaestntShPirpopdiuncgts to increase their carrying levels, adding order on our Partner Portal, which allows
capacity and working the hours neces- 24/7 ordering, we're able to get orders out
Custom Bow Equipment (CBE) is a pre- even faster." 
mier manufacturer of archery sights and
accessories for both bowhunters and tar- Since 1993, CBE has brought new preci-
get archers. CBE knows that this year has sion, quality and affordability in archery
proven no less challenging than 2020 for accessories | learn more by visiting custom-
businesses and customers alike. In many bowequipment.com, or calling (877) 503-5483 to
speak to a cbe representative. IA

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY ATA ACTION

ATA Creates a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee

BY CASSIE GASAWAY

A TA’s DEI committee strives to make the cent of the nation’s 18 million-plus hunt- mantha Seaton, ATA’s academy and com-
industry more inclusive and equitable for ers in 2017 were female, compared to 78.9 munity program manager; and Jennifer
people of any race, gender, ability and background. percent male. Mazur, ATA’s senior director of outreach
and education.
To better understand the barriers
Each committee member agreed to
women and people of color face as they share their perspective, experience,
knowledge and ideas to help make ar-
ATA’s new diversity, equity and inclu- pursue archery and bowhunting, the ATA chery and bowhunting more accessible,
inviting, inclusive and equitable. The
sion committee will identify and develop invited representatives of different races committee meets monthly via video
conference. The first meeting was in Oc-
strategies to make the industry more in- and genders to join the committee. tober 2020.

clusive and equitable for people of any Committee members include: Johanna Seaton, who facilitates each meeting,
said the committee’s goal is to grow the
race, gender, ability and background. The Dart, hunting recruitment, retention and industry by creating an environment and
atmosphere that’s inclusive to all—and to
committee includes two ATA staff mem- reactivation coordinator for the Ohio De- be intentional about it.

bers and six representatives from the ar- partment of Natural Resources; Kendrick “We’re trying to create an awareness
and help people understand how people
chery and bowhunting community. Gray, community archery specialist for of different cultures feel in our industry
so we can identify ways to improve and
The ATA recognizes that the demo- the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department change from within,” Seaton said. “Then,
we’ll be better positioned to welcome
graphics of the industry do not reflect in Houston; Mike Jasper, head football newcomers and make them feel accepted
in archery and bowhunting.”
those of our country, as shown by recent coach and DEI committee member at
Dart hasn’t always felt welcome in
research. A 2015 Responsive Manage- Bethel University in Tennessee; Emily shooting sports and hunting spaces be-
cause of her appearance and identifiers.
ment study on U.S. archery participation Beach, director of marketing and mem- As a result, she’s struggled with cultural
and psychological barriers. She joined the
showed that 81 percent of archers age 18 ber experience for USA Archery; Ron committee to help break these barriers
for others.
and older are white, as are 88 percent of Rice, community builder for the Near
“Being part of a committee tasked with
bowhunters. Archery sports are also male Northwest community in Indianapolis, addressing these barriers for others is an
honor and a privilege,” Dart said. “As the
dominated. According to the National Indiana; Immanuel Salas, community country’s demographics continue to shift,
hunters are (still) predominately white,
Sporting Goods Association’s 2018 Annual archery specialist for the Texas Parks & male and middle-aged. The ATA and oth-
er organizations need to expand to reach
Sports Participation Report, only 21.1 per- Wildlife Department in North Texas; Sa- broader groups of people in ways that are
relevant and important to them. Learn-
ATA’s DEI committee strives to make ing ways to engage new customers, re-
the industry more inclusive and equi- move barriers and increase participation
table for people of any race, gender, will be essential to the industry’s future
ability and background. photo © ata

UNITING THE INDUSTRY ARCHERY TRADE ASSOCIATION
archerytrade.org

26 INSIDE ARCHERY JUNE 2021

where we need to go. I’m really proud of

the ATA for stepping up and embracing this

opportunity.”

The committee plans to invite para-ath-

letes, people from the LGBTQ community

and other underrepresented individuals

to the table to provide additional insights.

Committee members also hope to work

with DEI groups from other agencies and

organizations to identify allies and part-

ners and help broaden their perspectives.

ATA’s DEI committee will work with ATA

staff members to create resources, includ-

ing articles and learning modules, to help

ATA members recruit and interact with

Committee Member Johanna Dart (pictured right) discusses her experience in a video. photo © ata nontraditional audiences, as well as ex-
plore and change any subconscious biases

and will require strategic and actionable Future Plans they have. They also want to create tools to
help prepare new bowhunters and custom-

outreach from the ATA’s DEI Committee The committee members are optimistic ers for the bow-buying process, so they feel

and the community.” about the future and look forward to mov- comfortable and confident in an archery

Dart is grateful to see an organization in ing the ATA and other organizations to- pro-shop.

the hunting community make an authen- ward a more inclusive and relevant space. Yes, anyone and everyone can partici-

tic effort to address needs for diversity, eq- “If something doesn’t resonate with a pate in archery, but not everyone feels

uity and inclusion. She said the commit- person, it’s not relevant to them,” Dart like they’re welcome. ATA’s DEI committee

tee is an extraordinary collection of people said. “The ATA and its members should wants to break barriers, change perspec-

with different experiences, backgrounds be relevant to a greater and more diverse tives and make archery and bowhunting

and personalities. So far, she said, work- audience. I believe this committee will cre- inviting for everyone who wants to be a

ing with committee members has been ex- ate a multifaceted approach for increasing part of the sport. That shift will lead to a

tremely powerful and inspiring. awareness of DEI efforts and their impor- more inclusive—and therefore stronger—

Gray agrees. “Working with everyone tance.” industry, which benefits everyone.

has been exactly what I expected and Gray said the committee is a stepping- Questions? Please contact Samantha

more,” he said. “The committee has a stone for the archery industry that will Seaton at samanthaseaton@archerytrade.
mixture of people from different back- hopefully create a ripple effect in other in- org or (502) 689-4245. IA

grounds and experience levels. Some dustries.

people consider themselves experts, oth- “This topic is important to every

ers just started archery and one person industry and aspect of life,” Gray

hasn’t shot a bow. All those perspectives said. “The more people who invest

are important because I think the biggest time in this topic, the better off we’ll

thing that separates people isn’t their be. Our sport is unique. Everyone can

color or how much money they have— benefit from it. There aren’t a lot

it’s how experienced they are. We need to of recreational activities out there

give everyone a voice, and the committee where young people, old people,

truly represents that.” people of all ethnicities, and those

Gray promotes archery daily for his job. who are disabled and able-bodied

He joined the committee to learn more can participate. I hope we’re able to

about diversity and inclusion so he can make everyone feel like they belong

better serve and meet the needs of his in archery and inspire other organi-

community. He believes it’s important for zations to start a DEI committee to Kendrick Gray promotes archery with the Texas Parks & Wildlife
everyone to figure out what they can do in- continue this work. We need more Department. photo © texas parks & wildlife
dividually to grow the sport in a big way. people to commit to this to get to

JUNE 2021 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 27

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.

Paul Musumeci •

Queensland Australia Wild Boar

Sales Manager, Northern Broadheads & Huntech Outdoors Zach Benson • Illinois Whitetail

Bow ■ Matthews Monster Chill R Release ■ T.R.U Ball Engineering Technician, Easton Technical Products
Arrow ■ Northern Broadhead Sight ■ Viper 5-Pin
Bow ■ Hoyt Carbon Defiant Rest ■ QAD UltraRest HDX

Barefoot 350 Stabilizer ■ Bee Stinger Arrow ■ Easton AC Pro Comp 340 Broadhead ■ Sevr 2.0

Broadhead ■ Northern Rest ■ QAD UltraRest Quiver ■ APEX Game Changer Stabilizer ■ Easton Halcyon
Sight ■ Axcel AccuTouch Carbon Pro Release ■ T.R.U Ball Fang 3
Broadhead 125 EVO Quiver ■ Matthews

28 INSIDE ARCHERY JUNE 2021

Josh Honeycutt • Kentucky Whitetail

Owner, Honeycutt Creative

Bow ■ Hoyt Arrow ■ Gold Tip Hunter
Broadhead ■ G5 T3 Release ■ Scott Archery

Rest ■ QAD Sight ■ Trophy Ridge

Stabilizer ■ Fuse Quiver ■ G5

Bill Henneman • Alberta Canada Whitetail

President, Wildcat Archery

Bow ■ Mathews Traverse Rest ■ Hamskea Trinity

Arrow ■ Carbon Express Badlands SD Release ■ Tru-Fire Hardcore

Broadhead ■ Wac’Em 100 3-Blade Other ■ Ozonics
Sight ■ Spot Hogg Fast Eddie XL

Patrick Meitin • Idaho Turkey

P.J. Reilly • Pennsylvania Whitetail Executive Editor / Co-Owner, Inside Archery

Bow ■ Bear Archery Redemption EKO Arrow ■ Arrow Tech MT

Technical Writer, Lancaster Archery Supply Broadhead ■ VIP Combat Veteran Sight ■ Trophy Ridge Retaliate

Bow ■ Mathews Traverse Broadhead ■ Magnus Buzzcut Release ■ Scott Archery Pursuit Rest ■ Vapor Trail Gen 7
Quiver ■ Rancho Safari Stabilizer ■ Trophy Ridge
Rest ■ QAD UltraRest Sight ■ Axcel AccuTouch Carbon Pro

Arrow ■ Carbon Express Maxima Red SD Catquiver Mini Hitman Kit

JUNE 2021 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 29

Established in 2012, Ani-Logics Outdoors has
grown to become a leading producer of white-
tail feed, supplements, minerals, attractants
and food plots. This family-owned company takes
a strict science-based approach with its products,
and this approach has resulted in some remarkable
breakthroughs in whitetail nutrition and health.

Ani-Logics Outdoors has been in business for
about a decade, but the company’s foundation in
science and animal nutrition extends much further.
In fact, Ani-Logics’ founders and leaders bring more
than 70 years of combined experience to the table,
with ample amounts of time spent in veterinary
clinics, animal vaccine laboratories, the farming
and livestock industries, and more.

The Ani-Logics team doesn’t just sell products—
they sell science. They use extensive research and
years of specialized experience to deliver solutions
that are truly cutting edge, and the industry has
taken notice.

Starting from the Grassroots

The story of Ani-Logics begins with Dr. Wayne
Freese, who started his career as a veterinarian in
1971. Deeply passionate about animal health, Dr.
Freese steadily expanded his veterinary business to
include research laboratories that developed animal
vaccines and medications.

30 INSIDE ARCHERY JUNE 2021

JUNE 2021 INSIDEARCHERY.COM His son, Marc Freese, grew up with traces of
the family business all around him.

“When I was growing up, I would go to our
refrigerator to grab the milk or something, and
there would be Petri dishes in the way that I had
to move first,” Marc Freese said. “My father was
extremely passionate about his work, and he was
always bringing it home with him. All of his re-
search and work in laboratories started there at
home from the ground up, and it all just seemed
like a normal thing to us when we were kids.”

By 1984, Dr. Freese had established a USDA-
licensed vaccine laboratory called Oxford Labo-
ratories, and he also expanded his veterinary

company to include multiple clinics. There
was no shortage of work to be done in the
family businesses, so Marc Freese saw a
lot of different aspects of his father’s
enterprises.
“I have always really enjoyed
spending time with my father,”
Marc Freese said. “He would go from
farm to farm doing veterinary work
on Saturdays, and he would never
turn me down when I asked to ride
along with him. He also gave us a lot
of jobs as we were growing up. My
brother and I would ride our bikes to
the vet clinic every weekend to clean
kennels, walk dogs, mop the floor—

By Daniel Allred

31

pretty much everything. When I got older, ized that we needed to centralize all the
I was able to work in some of his research accounting and management. We had so
laboratories and other businesses. Eventu- many different ventures, and we were
ally, I went to college to study veterinary doubling up on certain expenses by having
medicine and business. My passion was multiple people doing the same job. We or-
always working with my father and the ganized and centralized everything under
family group of companies he created, so a parent company called Prairie Holdings
that’s what I wanted to keep doing.” Group, and that allowed us to be much
more efficient while remaining family
Those family companies continued to owned. It has also allowed us to analyze
grow, evolve and multiply over the years. all the ideas and opportunities that are al-
In time, Oxford Laboratories was eventual- ways being brought to us, due to our back-
ly sold, and Dr. Freese established another grounds.”
USDA-licensed vaccine laboratory called
Newport Laboratories in 1997. Marc Freese’s wife, Dawn Freese, also
works for the family business, and she saw
The work done at Newport Laboratories how one of these opportunities resulted in
was largely focused on livestock herds. the creation of Ani-Logics Outdoors.
More specifically, Newport developed “au-
togenous” vaccines for cattle and pigs, in “My husband and father-in-law are re-
addition to other animal medications. ally good at juggling at lot of things at
An autogenous vaccine is a type of vac- once,” Dawn Freese said. “Having all these
cine that addresses a targeted disease in a animal health companies under the same
specific herd. Farm owners would submit roof provided us with so many incredible
a sample of infected tissue, and the re- resources. We had scientists, veterinar-
searchers would use that sample to reverse ians, and biologists already on staff, so
engineer a vaccine for those animals. we had the benefit of their research and
knowledge at our disposal. We were well
This area of specialty eventually led to known for our work with the EHD vaccine
Newport Laboratories working with cap- for captive deer herds, so when there was
tive white-tailed deer herds. In response to an EHD outbreak in wild deer herds in 2012,
the spread of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Dis- hunters and wildlife experts came to us
ease (EHD) in high-fence deer operations, and asked if we could create a solution.
Newport developed the first Autogenous
Regional EHD vaccine, and this vaccine “We thought about it, and we realized
is still widely used today in captive deer there was something we could do,” Dawn
herds across the country. Freese continued. “Obviously these are wild
deer, so you can’t line them up in chutes
Animal vaccine work continues in and give them all vaccines like you would
Freese’s third and current USDA-licensed with captive animals. We needed a differ-
laboratory, Cambridge Technologies, ent delivery method, and we realized that
which was launched in 2017. Cambridge the best approach was through their food.
features cutting edge Precision Vaccinolo- We knew it wouldn’t function quite the
gy, employing 60 highly skilled people with same as a vaccine, since it’s being eaten
services ranging from research and diag- instead of injected, but we knew we could
nostics to quality custom manufacturing— develop a scientifically formulated supple-
all with outstanding customer service. ment that would help deer boost their own
immune systems to provide similar pro-
But the laboratories are still only a part tection from EHD and other diseases.”
of a larger collection of family-owned or-
ganizations. Perfecting the Science of Deer Feed

“I’ve had so many different jobs over the With this approach to whitetail feed in
years,” Marc Freese said. “I spent time in mind, Ani-Logics Outdoors was born. The
the vet clinics and research labs, and we company’s leaders got to work and be-
also started farming operations, grain el- gan using their extensive scientific back-
evators and other businesses. At one point, grounds to create something remarkable.
I was doing accounting for one part of the
business, and someone else was doing ac- The key technology behind most of
counting in a different part, and we real-

32 INSIDE ARCHERY JUNE 2021

The team at Ani-Logics has over 70
years of combined experience in
medical research and animal health.
Key team members of the company
include (clockwise from bottom left): Dawn Freese, brand manager; Marc Freese,
CEO and founder; Wayne Freese, DVM, founder of Ani-Logics, president and founder of
Cambridge Technologies; Ani-Logic’s creative team; Nathan Grummons, director of sales;
Dr. Aaron Gaines, Head Nutritionist; and the company’s warehouse staff.

below: Ani-Logics’ spacious headquarters is located in Worthington, Minnesota.

JUNE 2021 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 33

Ani-Logics’ products is called Ani-Shield special because they were specifically de- of our time,” Marc Freese said. “We put
TX4, and it takes a multi-pronged approach signed for white-tailed deer,” said Dr. Aar- all of this effort into creating something
to supplementing and fortifying a deer’s on Gaines, head nutritionist of Ani-Logics that was deeply rooted in science and
immune system. Ani-Shield TX4 is com- Outdoors. “We took the harmful bacteria animal health, but that’s not what av-
prised of five key components: vitamins, that you find in deer—like E. coli and Clos- erage hunters were really looking for.
minerals, probiotics, essential oils and a tridium—and we tested different probiotic They were looking for attraction, plain
powerful attractant. Each of these ingredi- strains to see how well they inhibit those and simple, and as an avid hunter my-
ents were carefully selected by the experts bacteria. The probiotics we use in TX4 are self, I know how important attraction is.
at Ani-Logics to perform specific functions. really good at taking care of that harmful Accordingly, we spent a lot of time work-
bacteria, and that’s important because it ing with wild deer to figure out what
“We performed a nationwide study on eliminates these secondary pathogens that they wanted to eat and what attracted
the livers of wild deer, and that played a weaken a deer. If we can knock out that E. them, and we were able to figure out an
key role in the formula we developed,” coli or Clostridium, and then a deer gets in- extremely alluring scent and flavor. It’s
Dawn Freese said. “Any veterinarian will fected by the EHD virus, then we have given very powerful and distinct, providing
tell you that an animal’s liver is essentially it a much better chance of surviving that hunters with the attraction they were
a report card of its health. It shows the sto- illness.” looking for, while also delivering all of
ry of that animal’s health, and it will tell these added health benefits to the deer
you what nutrients that animal was defi- A unique blend of essential oils adds yet who consume it.”
cient in. After analyzing the livers of deer another layer of protection.
that had been harvested across the coun- Proven Results
try, we found that most people were focus- “Our second USDA-licensed laboratory
ing on the macro minerals, but that’s not had a research grant to study the efficacy Over the years, hunters and land man-
what the deer were deficient in. They were rates of essential oils,” Dawn Freese said. agers who used Ani-Logics began to
deficient in the trace minerals, which are “In those studies, we compared different notice some remarkable effects. One
often overlooked. We coupled those find- essential oils with antibiotics, and we were such hunter was none other than Lee
ings with USDA soil maps, which showed able to develop a combination of essential Lakosky, co-host of the highly popular
the amount of nutrients and minerals you oils that were basically as effective as the “Crush with Lee & Tiffany.”
could find in different areas of the country. strongest antibiotics we had in our vet
We looked for the presence of those trace clinics, but they didn’t have any of the bad “When I initially heard about Ani-Log-
minerals—like copper, zinc, selenium and side effects. This cocktail of essential oils ics, I figured they were probably just like
manganese—and we saw that the places has a lot of beneficial properties. It is anti- all the other feed and mineral compa-
that had all of these trace minerals were fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti- nies,” Lee Lakosky said. “Then we started
also the places where Boone and Crockett inflammatory, and these different essen- to have an EHD outbreak here in Iowa
deer were often shot. That showed us that tial oils also work together synergistically back around 2015, and I was losing deer
most places did not have all the nutrients to amplify each other. It’s funny because to it and panicking. I ended up meet-
that deer really need, and our formula spe- essential oils are pretty commonplace ing Dr. Aaron Gaines and started work-
cifically addresses that.” these days, but they weren’t widely known ing with him on deer nutrition. During
about when we started using them.” this time, I also learned about what they
Tailor-made probiotics also play a key
role in fortifying the health of deer. A highly powerful attractant aspect
rounds out the package.
“The probiotics in Ani-Shield TX4 are
“In some ways we were a little ahead

34 INSIDE ARCHERY JUNE 2021

were doing at Ani-Logics in terms of health and nu-
trition while helping to prevent diseases like EHD. I
decided to go ahead and try their products, and I didn’t
think too much about it, but I didn’t have any prob-
lems with EHD in the following years. I realized how
truly effective it was, though, when I got a troubling
call from my neighbor. He told me there was another
EHD outbreak and he lost at least 40 deer to it. He was
wondering how many dead deer I found on my prop-
erty, but I looked around and didn’t find a single one.
We never lost one that whole year, and that’s when I
knew this stuff really works.”

Extremely impressed by the company’s products,
Lee Lakosky ended his agreement with his previous
sponsor and started working more closely with the
team at Ani-Logics Outdoors.

“The more I learned about all the science that went
into Ani-Logics, the more convinced I became,” La-
kosky said. “The sponsorship was a natural fit be-
cause we only accept sponsors that we truly believe
are the best, especially when it comes to our deer
herd. That is of the utmost importance to me, and
I saw what Ani-Logics did for them firsthand. I got
to learn more about their backgrounds and all the

Lee and Tiffany Lakosky became firm believers in Ani-Logics after using the company’s

products on their farm. Now, this superstar hunting duo works closely with the experts

at Ani-Logics to develop cutting-edge new products. The Lakoskys also

do extensive product testing on behalf of

Ani-Logics, further supplementing the

company’s extensive research.

JUNE 2021 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 35

The team at Ani-Logics are true scientists by trade, and they use their decades of experience they had in animal health. It’s
background to take the company’s products to the next level. For instance, incredible what they do, and I want other hunters to
know about it.”
Ani-Logics uses “chelated” minerals, which means the minerals are
bound to a protein for an increased mineral absorption rate. In addition to healthier, more disease-resistant deer,
Lakosky noticed something else interesting taking place.

“I’ve been on this property for more than 20 years, and
for the first 15 or so years, I only ever knew about two
200-inch deer,” Lakosky said. “I started using Ani-Logics
to just keep them healthy and protect them from EHD,
not even thinking about what it did for antler growth
and body weights. But after using Ani-Logics’ products
for five years, I shot four 200-inch deer, and I don’t think
that’s a coincidence. I’m seeing them grow larger at a
younger age, and there’s nothing else different we are
doing. We’ve always had food plots and supplemental
feed, but there have been undeniable results since we
started using Ani-Logics.”

Stories of 200-inch deer and larger have become very
common among Ani-Logics’ pro-staffers and customers.
Mark Drury, co-host of “Drury Outdoors,” started using
Ani-Logics on his Iowa farm in 2015, and since then has
harvested three 200-inch giants; one buck that mea-
sured 211 inches, another that measured 217 inches, and
yet another in 2020 at 200 2/8 inches. Greg Glesinger,
another member of “Drury Outdoors,” also started us-
ing Ani-Logics in 2015, and he has since harvested three
200-plus-inch deer (also in Iowa), the largest measuring
239 inches. Pro-staffer Austin Ashley tagged a 235-inch
deer in Mississippi after using Ani-Logics supplements,
and pro-staffers Jeff Thieman (Ohio) and Cody Larri-
more (Kansas) harvested 235-inch and 205-inch bucks,
respectively.

Poised for the Future

With proven results across the country, Ani-Logics Out-
doors has developed a large and loyal following. The
company continues to develop cutting-edge products
that are rooted in science and research, and there are
targeted options for each season of the year.

“We have the mentality that there is no off-season,”
said Dr. Aaron Gaines. “Many of us are avid hunters, and
we are using these products on our farms. It’s personal to
us, so we wanted to find ways to support our deer herds
all year long. Deer have different requirements through-
out the year, so we have created specific products to meet
those different requirements. We start early in the year,
when the deer are run-down from hunting season. We
give them supplemental feeding to restore their energy
reserves in those cold months. Then we get into spring,
when the fawns are born, and the bucks start growing
their antlers. Their nutritional requirements are chang-
ing again, so we start using more mineral supplementa-
tion. We maximize mineral uptake and also provide some
of the critical ingredients for overall health during that

36 INSIDE ARCHERY JUNE 2021

growing season. That continues through Ani-Logics’ customers and pro-staffers
the summer months, and then when fall often report 200-plus-inch bucks
approaches we start thinking about the after using Ani-Logics products for an
attraction side. We want to attract them extended time period. Here you can see
to hunting sites and keep them on our some of those bucks, harvest by (clock-
farm. Food plots are a key part of the puz- wise from bottom): Greg Glesinger, Lee
zle here. They provide an additional food Lakosky, Mark Drury, Cody Larrimore,
source, and they also give your property Jeff Thieman and Lee Lakosky (again).
something that your neighbor might not
have. It really never ends. It’s something 37
we think about 365 days a year.”

In response to the recent demand and
shortages of hunting goods, Ani-Logics
Outdoors is braced and well stocked for
the approaching hunting season.

“Sales are good, and the stores have
been very receptive to our recent products,”
Dawn Freese said. “We have spent a lot of
time and resources building up our stock-
piles for the year ahead. We see that the
demand is going higher and higher, and
we wanted to make sure we had product
available for the shop owners who need it.
Our warehouses are full, and we are very
excited about what the future holds.”

Conclusion

The team at Ani-Logics Outdoors is a fas-
cinating group of experts. They approach
deer nutrition from multiple angles, draw-
ing on the combined knowledge of experts
from different fields. It’s no surprise that
the wide variety of products offered by
Ani-Logics are each special in their own
right. They are all tailor-made for a specif-
ic purpose, and they all have hard science
backing them up.

At the end of the day, though, Ani-Logics
Outdoors is also a family-owned company
that’s passionate about its employees, con-
sumers and the hunting industry at large.

“Our goal is to remain in touch with
the consumer and never forget that we
are here for them,” Marc Freese said. “Our
goal is to build exceptional products for
the consumer and grow the company for
our employees, who we consider as part of
our family. We also know that nature does
not provide everything that deer need. We
want to help hunters everywhere grow
healthier deer, so we will remain commit-
ted to research and committed to putting
out products that are effective and good for
deer—all at a competitive price.” IA

JUNE 2021 INSIDEARCHERY.COM

MARKET TRENDS GEAR REPORT

Custom Bow Equipment's 2021 CX5 Sight

BY PATRICK MEITIN
C ustom Bow Equipment (CBE) has
only been around since 2012, but it tics that put the brand on the bowhunt-
ing map.

Much of this weight loss can be
quickly developed a reputation for creating attributed to the new high modu-

bow accessories beyond the ordinary. lus carbon extension bar. The car-

bon material saves weight, yes, but

CBE is part of The Outdoor Group, which it also proves super rigid and is able to

also offers Elite Archery bows, Duel Game absorb hard knocks with ease. The

Calls, Scott Archery releases, Winner’s bar dovetails into an aluminum

Choice Custom Bowstrings and Slick bracket base for length adjustabil-

Trick and Solid broadheads. CBE creates ity. Top-quality machined alumi-

precision-oriented gear made for seri- num comprises the mounting brack-

ous shooters who expect more from their et with quiver taps, adjustment rails

equipment. While CBE makes other bow and pin aperture for lightweight

accessories, they are best known for their dependability. Fiber optics and

best-in-class sights. peep-alignment rings

The CBE lineup has are the only parts made

continued to expand, of plastic.

with some of the The CX5 includes

latest introductions second- and third-

designed to put this elite brand within fi- axis adjustment capabilities, in-

nancial reach of more archers. The new- cluding a large bubble level, en-

for-2021 Carbon Fiber CX5 Sight is such a suring precision shot placement on

product, priced at less than $170 yet engi- the most demanding shots, particularly

neered to eliminate excess weight while across tilted topography. The five bright sight. The pin housing includes laser-en-
graved hash marks for precise pin place-
addressing rugged terrain or extended aiming points—three green, two red—in- ment and adjustments. The aperture/
pin housing can be moved to multiple
backcountry forays. CBE designers made clude .019-inch-diamter fiber optics, each mounting positions for coarse elevation
and windage corrections. Micro, tool-less
the CX5 lighter (less than 9 ounces) while pin backed by a full 12 inches of mate- windage and elevation movements are
also equipped with laser-engraved hash
retaining the tough-as-nails characteris- rial and wrapped inside a clear overhead marks for correction reference or to re-
turn to a previous setting easily.
capsule to efficiently absorb and transfer
You won’t find CBE accessories at
light to pin points for confident shoot- any big box stores, as they are sold only
through local Custom Bow Equipment
ing at the very edges of legal shooting retailers. And CBE wares are currently
in stock and ready to ship, while many
hours, under heavily overcast skies or other brands struggle to keep up with
current demand. Check out CBE’s entire
beneath canopied vegetation. When op- lineup at custombowequipment.com. IA

erating from inside an enclosed blind, a WebXtra ■ For a closer look at

rheostat-controlled pin light is included. the CBE CX5 Sight, please check it out
at insidearchery.com/CBEcx5.
Fibers are fully supported by nail-tough,

blade-style pins to withstand the abuses

run-and-gun bowhunting commonly

dishes out. Four interchangeable peep-

alignment rings are included—in green,

red, yellow or grey—to match any bow’s

color scheme or provide a hue an individ-

ual shooter’s eyes pick up best.

The CX5 is easily set up for right- or

left-handed shooters within a single

38 INSIDE ARCHERY JUNE 2021



MARKET TRENDS GEAR REPORT

Ramcat Broadheads Diamondback Hybrid

BY PATRICK MEITIN bines the best of these designs into a for further air disruption. Even the trail-
hybrid design that provides the security ing edges of the fixed blade and edges
R amcat Broadheads, now part of Arcus
Hunting, first appeared on the scene of the mechanical blades (that lay
against the ferrule in flight) in-
with a semi-fixed-blade head with its telltale of a fixed-blade with the wide- clude air-flow-disrupting edges.
concave-scoop leading point that cuts on contact cutting action of a mechanical. The overall design creates an
and clears a path for the trailing broadhead in The Diamondback Hybrid is a open pocket of air behind
100-grain broadhead that in- the broadhead for the ar-
row to draft in. The stain-
flight and during penetration cludes a squat 7/8-inch-wide less-steel tip screws
onto the ferrule tip to
fixed blade, with two me- lock the fixed blade de-
finitively. The one-piece,
The thread shoulder includes O-ring chanical blades that open stainless-steel body in-

alignment that also helps heads stay to a full 2 inches wide. Ev- cludes three spiral flutes located 120
degrees around the ferrule to add struc-
tight after installation. I say “semi- erything is led by Ram- tural strength and further direct air flow
in flight. The mechanical blades hinge
fixed,” as the three blades are held at a cat’s distinctive concave- on stainless-steel screws and are held
in flight by a dependable O-ring. The en-
pivot point so they will swivel backwards scoop point. The con- tire unit is nail tough—the blades honed
from .032-inch-thick stainless steel and
upon extraction. Blades are sharpened cave-scoop point begins spooky sharp.

front and rear to cut while penetrating cutting the moment it touches hide. The The Diamondback Hybrid ensures pin-
point accuracy at speeds of up to 400 fps.
or during extraction. The concave-scoop fixed blade then creates a 7/8-inch cross- The 100-percent stainless steel construc-
tion creates a broadhead that will hold
leading point and the pivoting-blade de- cut, and the mechanical blades deploy together should even heavy bone be en-
countered, as the concave-scoop point
sign provide true field-tip flight, even and open to 2 inches to create internal also offers the advantage of splitting
bone to clear a path for the broadhead
from the fastest modern compound devastation. The 7/8-by-2-inch wound blades. This is a hybrid broadhead that
inspires confidence, guarantees straight
bows or crossbows. They included a channel is unlikely to close, translat- flight from today’s high-performance
compound bows and crossbows, ensures
fairly conservative 1 3/8-inch cutting ing into massive hemorrhaging, copious rugged dependability after impact, and
promises that even a marginal hit spills
diameter. Next came the Diamondback blood spilled and quick recoveries. plenty of trailing blood.

fixed-blade broadhead, combining the The concave-scoop point includes Ramcat Diamondback Hybrid heads
are sold in three packs and come with
concave-scoop point with solidly an- deep front scoops that create massive air three spare O-rings. To learn more visit
ramcatbroadheads.com. IA
chored fixed blades. deflection, and the flats behind each of

The latest Ramcat Broadhead com- the three cutting edges include a dimple

WebXtra ■ For a closer look at

the Ramcat Diamondback Hybrid, go to
insidearchery.com/RamcatDBhybrid.

40 INSIDE ARCHERY JUNE 2021



42 INSIDE ARCHERY JUNE 2021

Much has changed in archery since I finger model. The jaw assembly is precision .30-06
started bowhunting seriously in the cut and polished to reduce wear on string Outdoors
1970s. This is especially pointed re- loops, and the fully adjustable trigger pro- Pantera
garding the accessories bowhunters choose vides ultra-crisp cutaways. Learn more by Trophy Ridge
when heading afield. Release aids and sta- visiting 30-06outdoors.com. DrawPoint
bilizers are perhaps the most glaring exam- T.R.U. Ball
ples—equipment that was once considered Trophy Ridge X-Tension
highly optional has now gone mainstream. R/T
There was a time not so long ago when more The DrawPoint release from Trophy Ridge Cobra
archers set bowstrings into motion with features a D-loop style hook and index- Archery
their fingers than with releases, while today finger triggering. The adjustable wrist strap Wilderness
it is rare to see a compound shooter employ- provides comfort after even hundreds of Scott
ing their God-given fingers to cut the shot— shots. The design provides a huge latitude Archery
though traditional archers obviously still do. of length adjustments to create that just- Summit
right feel and includes a 360-degree rotat-
The same is true of stabilizers. Once con- ing shaft that can also be locked into any
sidered a target-head gizmo shunned by position to stay out of the way while hik-
self-respecting bowhunters, it has become ing or climbing into a stand. The rotating
rarer to see a hunting bow in the field not head eliminates torque for greater accura-
wearing a stabilizer today. Many modern cy. The DrawPoint is Trophy Ridge’s most
bowhunters choose stabilizers as yet anoth- adaptable release, and it’s paired with
er silencing tool. Today’s “active” stabilizers, a high-quality, smooth leather wrist
even stubby models, help suck residual vi- strap and a hinge spring that resets
brations out of the riser as efficiently as limb immediately after release. For all this,
silencers dampen that portion of the equa- the DrawPoint retails for around $79.99.
tion. Still others have discovered they shoot Learn more by visiting trophyridge.com.
tighter groups at longer ranges by adopting a
steadying stabilizer on their hunting bow— T.R.U. Ball
while also enjoying dampening action.
T.R.U. Ball’s new-for-2021 X-Tension R/T and
This is to say that releases and stabilizers X-Tension R/T GS wrist-strap releases allow
have become an increasingly important part shooters to choose between a pull-through
of your shop’s accessory lineup. A healthy or relax-tension activation style. The release
assortment of releases designed to serve the can be shot as a pull-through/back-tension
beginner market, weekend warriors, seri- release by setting the release mechanism
ous bowhunting crowd and hardcore target to break 5 pounds over holding weight
shooters is vital in today’s marketplace. Sta- at full draw, drawing the bow with both
bilizers, too, are now an important part of the thumb and index finger tension le-
annual sales, from compact models with vi- vers tightly depressed, removing pressure
bration-absorbing features for bowhunters from the thumb and index finger tension
more concerned with quiet shots than long- levers and then pulling through the shot
range I-dotting, to longer models for ex- until pull weight exceeds the hold weight by
treme bowhunters or serious target-heads. 5 pounds. To shoot the release while using
relax-tension activation, the release it set
New & Popular Releases up to break at 5 pounds less than the
bow’s holding weight at full draw. The
.30-06 Outdoors bow is then drawn with the thumb and
index finger tension levers tightly de-
For fans of handheld/T-handle releases, .30- pressed. To fire, pressure is relaxed on the
06 introduced the brand-new and affordable thumb and index finger levers. A single side
Pantera ($99 MSRP). The design includes a lock screw is used to determine which ac-
super-crisp, fully adjustable trigger, high- tivation mode is used. The release includes
quality machined aluminum construction a milled-aluminum extension stem, which
and precision manufacturing assembly for is micro adjustable for length and set on
dependable performance. The Pantera ar- the leather buckle wrist strap. The linkage
rives standard with a fourth finger rest, between wrist strap and extension stem
which can be removed to create a three-

JUNE 2021 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 43

TruFire includes a swivel system to eliminate release. It will not fire if the trigger is
ThruFire torque. MSRP is $199.99. Learn more by vis- snatched or jerked. The trigger is contained
Carter iting truball.com. inside the C-shaped release body and ex-
Like Mike II posed at full draw only after using proper
Cobra Archery back tension. The trigger is fully custom-
Buck Rub Gear izable for travel and exposure tension (5
Classic Jim Cobra’s Wilderness is a wrist-strap release to 30 pounds, set just slightly above peak
with index-finger triggering. The release holding weight at full draw). The ThruFire
Apex Gear offers an ultra-low-profile design with a is offered in an adult model with a soft and
Surge patented, body-less pinch-to-close double ultra-comfortable premium leather strap,
Spot Hogg caliper. The pivot head is textured and the and a youth version with a durable and
Tuff Guy crisp, adjustable trigger includes a no-load extremely adjustable brushed nylon strap.
feature and is highly ergonomic. The Wil- Each includes a widely adjustable nylon
44 derness is made for rough-and-tumble connection strap and TruFire’s TrapTab
bowhunting and accurate shooting. The buckle system allowing one-handed ma-
patented stem is made of stainless steel. nipulation. Both retail for $159.99. Learn
It’s super slim and folds back when not more by visiting feradyne.com/trufire/.
needed. The machined release also in-
cludes 5/8-inch of length adjustment with Carter Enterprises
a position lock. The release is anchored
on a low-profile quick-connect A228 steel Carter Enterprises’ Like Mike II is an up-
buckle with reflective ribbon and comfort- graded version of the company’s popular
able neoprene interior. Learn more by vis- index-finger trigger release. Changes and
iting cobraarchery.com. improvements include a new tension ad-
justment feature located at the side of the
Scott Archery release instead of the rear, for easier ac-
cess and shorter case length. The tension
New for 2021, Scott is offering an entry- range is adjustable from around 10 ounces
level handheld/thumb-activated release to about 3.5 pounds. Heavier triggering ten-
called the Summit. This American-made sion—up to 11 pounds—can be created by
release includes the kind of high-quality inserting the supplied steel ball. The Like
materials and tight tolerances that has Mike II also includes Carter’s new Con-
made Scott an industry leader. The Sum- trolled Engagement System, which elimi-
mit retails for just $109.99, opening the nates the need for a trigger travel adjust-
thumb-activated/T-handle arena to more ment screw. The new sear engagement
archers. The release includes an open system is controlled internally by design
hook roller sear and thumb barrel—a style and tolerance. This provides no-movement
many find helps eliminate trigger punch- triggers without the need to adjust trigger
ing and target panic. The Summit includes travel. These improvements translate into
Scott’s renowned crisp trigger feel and auto a more user-friendly design. Learn more by
hook return, and the trigger is adjustable visiting carterenterprises.com.
for travel. The ergonomic four-finger han-
dle is super comfortable and comes with Buck Rub Gear
a wrist lanyard. Learn more by visiting
scottarchery.com. Buck Rub Gear’s Classic Jim release is a
wrist-strap, index-finger design with field-
TruFire proven over-center trigger-linkage. Like
other Buck Rub Gear products, the Classic
TruFire’s ThruFire is a wrist-strap release Jim comes with a reasonable price tag. The
with a pull-through index-finger design over-center trigger design is super depend-
promising enhanced accuracy and shoot- able, while also offering a silky-smooth,
ing consistency by alleviating accuracy- ultra-crisp and adjustable trigger mecha-
robbing trigger punching habits. The re- nism ideal for bowhunting or 3-D target
lease features a hidden trigger system that shooting. The self-locking gate closure of
forces shooters to utilize a pull-through the Classic Jim is hunter friendly, elimi-
shot sequence that results in a surprise

INSIDE ARCHERY JUNE 2021

nating the need for springs that can wear string loop. The trigger includes Spot-Hogg’s vibrations while optimizing bow balance
with time, while also preventing unsafe zero creep, no travel system and trigger for steadier aiming. The stabilizer fea-
premature releases. The release is activat- tension is fully adjustable from extra light tures a quick connect/disconnect system
ed through a traditional index finger trig- to heavy. The rigid connection step is mi- for easier travel or storage and comes pre-
ger and includes a Velcro-equipped wrist cro adjustable for length to fit any size of assembled with two removable 1-ounce
strap that is easy to put on, quite comfort- shooter, and the design also allows the re- weights. The Hitman is also packed with
able while shooting even high-poundage lease to be securely locked back and out of an included wrist strap, mounting bar and
bows and highly-adjustable for length the way when not in use. It is offered in a rubber accent/dampening rings in red, or-
through the nylon-webbing connection Realtree Edge version, or with buckle or BOA ange, blue, green, purple and yellow. The
strap to fit any archer. Learn more by visit- strap, and an MSRP of $129.99 to $159.99. Hitman retails for $89.99.
ing buckrubgear.com. Learn more by visiting spot-hogg.com.
The Hitman Kit comes with two stabi-
Apex Gear Stabilizers lizers with a quick-connect system, two
1-ounce weights and an adjustable mount-
Apex Gear’s Surge 3- and 4-Finger handheld Trophy Ridge ing-bar/knuckle to create a front-bar/
releases are new for 2021, including a trim back-bar arrangement for improved bow
head and jaw design engineered to reduce The Hitman stabilizer from Trophy Ridge balance. Kits are offered with Top of Form
D-loop torque. The Surge includes a quiet is built from the latest materials, includ- 6- and 8-, 8- and 10-, and 10- and 12-inch
and intuitive “lever” cocking mechanism ing carbon bars and milled-aluminum stabilizers. Like the Hitman, they include
with a thumb-activated firing system. Er- bases, and it’s offered in 6-, 8-, 10- and six colored rubber rings to match custom
gonomic finger bed grooves provide com- 12-inch versions. Hitman stabilizers are color schemes. Each kit retails for $199.99.
fort and a sure grip. The case is CNC milled engineered to reduce shot noise and riser Learn more by visiting trophyridge.com.
from top-quality aluminum and all interior
mechanisms are cut from hardened stain- Trophy Ridge Hitman
less steel for long life and dependability in
the field. Additionally, they are polished for Pine Ridge Nitro Hunter
silky operation. The release allows indi-
vidual travel and sensitivity adjustments,
and the thumb barrel can be adjusted to a
multitude of positions to find an ideal fit
and feel. The release comes with a built-
in lanyard, which attaches to the rear of
the release case. Or the lanyard can be re-
moved, with the wrap-around jaw locked
onto a string- or D-loop and left hanging
while occupying treestands or blinds. All
in all, this is a precision machined release
with a jaw polished to glass-like smooth-
ness to reduce wear on string loops and
ensure crisp triggering. Learn more by vis-
iting apex-gear.com.

Spot-Hogg

Spot-Hogg’s Tuff Guy bowhunting release
is a wrist-strap, index-finger design with
a single, closed jaw that fully captures the

HHA Sports 45
Tetra LR
System
JUNE 2021 INSIDEARCHERY.COM

BowJax Pine Ridge Archery cluding various stabilizers, weights, side
MaxJax bar brackets, quick disconnects and even
Pine Ridge Archery offers two effective but slings. The stabilizers are offered in 6-, 8-
CBE TorX affordable stabilizer options. The $28.50 and 10-inch lengths, and they have options
Nitro Hunter Stabilizer offers balance, for providing front, rear and side balanc-
Axion vibration control and good looks. The Ni- ing weight. HHA’s thoroughly thought-out
DNA Plus tro Hunter Stabilizer includes Sawtooth designs help reduce bow vibrations and
Stokerized vibration dampening technology via its shot noise while dramatically enhancing
M1 Hunter Sawtooth blades found on the lightweight bow balance and shooting accuracy. Pack-
AAE Mountain Series aluminum body, and it is made from vi- ages are made up of various Tetra stabiliz-
bration destroying material that hushes ers and V-Bars, combined with HHA’s LR-DC
46 today’s high-performance bows. This Quick Disconnect system. Tetra LRZ Stabi-
model is offered in 5.5-inch (5-ounce) or lizers are highly unique, allowing users to
7.5-inch (6-ounce) versions. Like other Pine fine tune for length and individual bow bal-
Ridge products, the Nitro Hunter is avail- ance through an adjustable design that can
able in nine pleasing colors, including be set to lengths between 6 and 10 inches
black, red, blue, orange, lime green, pink, in a single unit. It, too, incorporates inter-
purple, yellow and  turquoise, as well as nal and external dampening technologies
Next G1 Vista Camo. for shock-free and quiet shooting. The LR-
VBAR is a single-side bar mount with an in-
The $22.50 Sawtooth Stabilizer features tegrated quick disconnect for fast and easy
solid rod construction for durability and stabilizer installation and removal, along
balance and Sawtooth-style blades for with customizable weight-system balance.
Learn more by visiting hhasports.com.
vibration control. The 4.6-ounce Saw-
tooth measures 5.5 inches, great for BowJax
bowhunters who prefer a compact
option. The eye-grabbing Sawtooth BowJax demonstrates that stabilizers don’t
have to be imposing to produce big results.
blades and colored Nitro rings  quickly The MaxJax 2 ¾-inch wide by 2-inches
destroy noise and vibration. The Sawtooth tall stabilizer is perfect for archers and
can be purchased with 10 different bowhunters looking for vibration reduc-
colored rings, including black, red, blue, tion without a lot of bulk or parts to snag
orange, lime green, pink, purple, yellow while, say, pulling a bow into a treestand
and turquoise, plus camo. Learn more by on a haul-up rope. It can also be used as
visiting pineridgearchery.com. a booster to an existing stabilizer design,
as it is compatible with the 5/16-inch-by-24
HHA Sports end threads of many stabilizer designs.
The four-armed BowJax dampener helps
Brand new for 2021, the Tetra LR and increase the effectiveness of any stabilizer,
LRZ Stabilizers by HHA Sports are made or it can be used alone or on rear-facing
to serve the needs of serious bowhunters riser stabilizer taps for added balance
and 3-D competitors alike. The new Tetra or vibration reduction. The four rubber
LR Stabilizer System is comprised of a dampening arms each hold an end ball to
complete balancing/steadying system, in- increase stability and soak up excess bow
vibrations. The MaxJax weighs 2.25 ounces,
is offered in black, red, blue and florescent
green, and it includes an MSRP of $22.99.
Learn more by visiting bowjax.com.

Custom Bow Equipment (CBE)

Custom Bow Equipment’s TorX stabilizers
have become firebrand accessories from
The Outdoor Group’s flagship bow acces-

INSIDE ARCHERY JUNE 2021

sory company. These high-quality sta- and measures just 5.5 inches long. Learn lineup. The Advante-X Mountain Series in-
bilizers are made for both serious target more by visiting axionarchery.com. cludes an ultralight, high-modulus carbon
archers and hardcore bowhunters, and bar with a .50-inch diameter. They also
all are based on ultra-stiff but lightweight Stokerized Stabilizers employ a new internal vibration dampen-
high-modulus carbon bodies. Bowhunting ing material. Together, the design provides
models are offered in both 7- and 11-inch The M1 Hunter series from Stokerized Sta- remarkably vibration-free and dead-quiet
versions, each holding a Doinker A-Bomb bilizers is a small diameter, high-perfor- shooting without an undue amount of
dampener and 2 ounces of black-nitride- mance hunting stabilizer made to stand up carry weight. The Mountain Series weighs
coated stainless-steel weights. CBE hunt- to harsh use and provide the latest in vi- from 2.1 to 3.1 ounces in 8- to 15-inch
ing stabilizers are also offered in kit form, bration control technology while reducing X-Factor
featuring the TorX single bow mount. Com- dynamic shot movement. The stabilizers Extreme
petition stabilizers are available in lengths include a streamlined .563-inch outside di- Balance
from 10 to 33 inches, each outfitted with 3 ameter, and they are manufactured from
ounces of black-nitride-coated stainless- the stiffest high-modular carbon available TRUGLO
steel weights. today. Stokerized M1 Hunter stabilizers are Cadence
available in six compact models to precise-
TorX stabilizer accessories include the ly tune your bowhunting setup for balance
TorX V-Bar and Side Bar mounts, both in- and aiming stability at full draw, whether
cluding built-in  quick disconnect systems target shooting or tackling the most
that provide quick removal for storage or demanding bowhunting
travel. Both mounts  sport laser engraved terrain or conditions.
positioning marks and nearly infinite M1 Hunter series stabi-
angle adjustment. TorX also features stan- lizers are proudly made
dard and 10-degree Quick Disconnect sys- in the USA and backed by
tems. Both are compatible with the V-Bar Stokerized’s rock-solid war-
and Side Bar mounts. TorX 1-ounce stabiliz- ranty. Learn more by visiting
er weights can also be purchased individu- stokerized.com.
ally or in four and eight packs, each stain-
less-steel weight including a chip-resistant Arizona Archery Enterprises (AAE)
black nitride finish. Learn more by visiting
custombowequipment.com. Arizona Archery Enterprises (AAE) Moun-
tain Series Stabilizer Bars were re-
Axion Archery leased for 2021, introducing the
latest hunting stabilizer models
Axion Archery’s DNA Plus Stabilizer offers from the company’s Hot Rodz
a compact and lightweight design that
provides impressively effective vibration Viper SX
dampening and bow silencing qualities.
The DNA Plus Stabilizer is CNC machined Option Archery
from bar-stock aluminum to create a one- Quivalizer
piece, streamlined housing that stands up
to harsh treatment. Inside the stabilizer
body are a Mathews Harmonic Lite Damper
and two Mathews Flat Dampers, while an
optional Axion hybrid damper is offered as
an add-on. The Axion DNA Plus Stabilizer
provides maximum vibration control on
any bow design and improved bow balance
and stabilization for quieter, more stable
shooting and aiming. The stabilizer is of-
fered with black or Realtree Edge finishes

Easton Halcyon

JUNE 2021 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 47

models, respectively. This makes these Stabilizers in 6-, 8-, 10- and 12-inch bar
models a perfect accessory for weight-con- lengths and with two different end caps—
scious bowhunters hitting mountainous the patented SBT A-Tech Rubber Cap or a
backcountry, or simply those who prefer Mathews H/S option. Both supply excep-
a lighter outfit, and the company accom- tional sound and vibration dampening. All
plished this without sacrificing maximum models arrive with a 3.5- or 4.5-ounce end
stabilization. AAE’s Mountain Series Stabi- weight, depending on the end cap chosen.
lizer Bars are destined to become the hot- Three packs of additional 1-ounce weights
test hunting stabilizers in the company’s can be purchased, which include an ex-
Hot Rodz lineup. Learn more by visiting tra-long set screw to accommodate added
arizonaarchery.com. weight thickness. These stabilizers are of-
fered in black, Ambush Green and a variety
X-Factor Outdoor Products of camo colors.

X-Factor Xtreme Balance Stabilizers are 100 The X-Factor Xtreme Side Bar Mount is
percent American made and use a thermo- the only single-adjust sidebar mount in
setting two-part epoxy normally used on the industry that includes a full 360-degree
quality golf club heads, ensuring these range of motion. The design includes no
stabilizers prove dead reliable essentially locking teeth to align, so it allows true mi-
forever (they are also backed by a lifetime cro adjustments. The mount includes a du-
warranty). X-Factor offers Xtreme Balance rable black oxide finish and is also backed

3 Standout Wrist Slings

Pine Ridge Archery ■ The Kwik Sling allows ar-

chers to use a loose grip without fear of dropping
the bow. The braided design is available in 10 two-
tone colors and made from material that holds its
shape for years to help archers get into the grip faster.
The adjustable design will fit all shooters. The two-tone
design is offered in Blue/Black, Red/Black, Silver/Black,
Orange/Black, Lime Green/Black, Pink/Black, Purple/Black,
Yellow/Black and Camo/Black. It has a black molded base
plate and retails for $11.99. Learn more at pineridgearchery.com.

Bohning ■ The Cinch Sling is fast and simple to adjust for use

with bare hands or while wearing gloves. Just set to the de-
sired tension and then pull the elasticized rope into the
cinch slot to secure it. The sling remains open for quick
access, and it holds its shape for many seasons. The
molded base plate allows users to fasten the anchor-
ing stabilizer tightly without rotating the sling out of
place. Learn more at bohning.com.

Elite Archery ■ The Elite Lanyard-Style Wrist Sling is a

lightweight wrist sling that delivers a high degree of
adjustability, quality construction and user-friend-
ly features. The rope-loop system is semi-rigid to
make it easy to get into fast while bowhunting, and
it won’t fold or flop with age. The milled-aluminum
base allows rotating to accommodate any preference,
and multiple colors are offered. It fits all Elite models, as
well as most bow brands. Learn more at elitearchery.com.

48 INSIDE ARCHERY JUNE 2021

by a lifetime warranty. Learn more by vis- quiver as a front-oriented stabilizer system.
iting x-factoroutdoorproducts.com. Five-arrow Quivalizers weigh only 11 ounc-
es, so they reduce finished bow weight,
TRUGLO while also greatly improving side balance
and aiming stability. A no-tool quick re-
The ultra-effective Cadence Stabilizer from lease system allows the Quivalizer to be
TRUGLO is based on a high-modulus car- used as a standard side-mount quiver dur-
bon-fiber body held on a CNC-machined ing storage and travel, while hiking or for
aluminum base. The design squelches tight-quarters shooting. The system also
shot noise through dual offset vibration- allows the quiver to be moved tighter to
dampening disks set 90 degrees to one an- the riser, and it can be moved up and down
other to cover a 360-degree axis. The entire when in this mode. Used as a stabilizer, the
stabilizer is then covered in a rubberized Quivalizer provides target-stabilizer stabil-
TRU-TOUCH soft-feel technical coating for ity and balance, with less overall weight.
further vibration absorption. The stabi- The Quivalizer can be quickly converted for
lizer measures 8 inches long and weighs right- to left-hand use. It allows arrows to
8.5 ounces. A majority of the stabilizer’s be stored on either side of the stabilizer, and
weight is positioned well forward to pro- it can be adjusted left or right to fine tune
vide excellent bow balance and aiming bow balance. Carbon construction provides
stability at full draw. The Cadence is com- dampening action, and the Quivalizer is
patible with all bow models. Learn more by covered by a lifetime warranty. The arrow
visiting truglo.com. grippers are adjustable to ensure any arrow
diameter is held securely, and rotating sec-
Viper Archery Products ond- and third-axis adjustments are easily
made. MSRP is $180 to $190. Learn more by
Viper Archery  Products’ SX Stabilizer Se- visiting optionarchery.com.
ries were designed to be lightweight for
easy toting during backcountry hikes, but Easton Archery
they also steady the shot at the moment of
truth. They are offered in 6-, 8- and 10-inch The Halcyon Stabilizer System from Easton
options. Each is CNC machined from high- includes the company’s smallest-diameter
quality T6 6061 billet aluminum to be as support rods, featuring 360-degree Wind-
durable as they are lightweight. The 6-inch cutting technology designed to vastly mini-
weighs 6.7 ounces. The 8-inch weights 7 mize wind buffeting with recurve or com-
ounces, and the 10-inch is 7.1 ounces. SX pound target bows. The Halcyon provides
Stabilizers are anodized black and feature the highest stiffness-to-diameter ratio of
four ribbed, soft-rubber vibration dampen- any carbon stabilizer system ever offered
ing located behind the weight mount. One by Easton, with an outside diameter mea-
5-ounce weight is included, attaching via suring a slim 14.7mm (about .58-inches).
a 2-inch stainless steel front stud that is The feathery mass and exceptional stiff-
adjustable to allow the addition of addi- ness result from the specialized Ultra-
tional weights. Three-packs of additional Modulus carbon construction, and it helps
weights are also available in black, white, isolate weight away from the bow riser for
red, blue, stone gray, pink, yellow, purple, the maximum stabilization that serious
orange and lime green. SX Stabilizers are indoor and outdoor competitive shooters
manufactured in the U.S., with 6-, 8- and demand. The Halcyon stabilizer is compat-
10-inch models retailing for $49.99, $59.99 ible with Easton’s 1/4-20 and 5/16-24 stabi-
and $69.99, respectively. Like other Viper lizer weights and accessories, allowing it to
Archery Products, SX Stabilizers include a work with a wide variety of setups. Avail-
limited lifetime warranty. Learn more by able main-rod lengths include 27, 30 and 33
visiting viperarcheryproducts.com. inches, with side rods offered in 12- and 15-
inch models. Halcyon main rods include an
Option Archery MSRP or $340, with side rods at $193. Learn
more by visiting eastonarchery.com. IA
Option Archery’s Quivalizer is truly one of
a kind, using a carbon-based 5- or 8-arrow

JUNE 2021 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 49

MARKET TRENDS GEAR REPORT

The Adjustable Red Dot System

BY PATRICK MEITIN
E mploying bow sights has remained es-
sentially unchanged for three decades, but without success. So
he set out to have one

made. Machine shop
and they have universally involved riser-mounted owner Kunkle, also a

bow sights and bowstring-mounted peeps. shooting enthusiast,

and his team at Dy-

Peeps, in particular, introduce many namic Machine would

hassles and potential pitfalls, from te- bring Zelenka’s con-

dious initial setup, to rotating off axis at cept to fruition.

full draw and ruining shot opportunities. The ARD mounting

Peep-less systems have appeared before, system is 100 percent

but many present their own issues. The machined aluminum

Adjustable Red Dot, or ARD, system makes and 100 percent Ameri-

shooting easier, more efficient and con- can made in Kunkle’s

sistently accurate. The setup adapts to Michigan shop. All-metal construction peep. The optic aiming dot is centered in
the scope and the shot cut. An off-center
any bow, providing a highly visible red and high-quality red dot optics make dot instantly reveals torque, making it
easy to keep shots centered. The system
dot aiming point quickly adjustable for them ruggedly dependable. Just as im- isn’t particular about anchoring point,
so long as the aiming dot is centered
any distance. portant, they’re designed to in the scope when the shot is released.
No more peeps, kissers or other tricks
The ARD system is be user friendly and ready for lining up the shot, like fletching in a
mouth corner or bowstrings across the
the brainchild of life- for serious bowhunting. nose. This eliminates many shooter’s
tendency to overthink the shot, includ-
long bowhunter Tim Various 30mm “scope ing helping those with target panic enjoy
less stressful shooting.
Zelenka, made into reality by Jeff Kunkle. ring” heights (Standard, Short, Medium,
The ARD system uses one of three Ul-
Zelenka, an avid bowhunter, had been Long and Extra Long) make it compatible tradot red dot optic systems. These optics
include multiple reticle and color options
mulling the idea over for many years with any bow riser. This includes bows via side dials, as well as rheostat-con-
trolled illumination intensity. The illu-
while setting up bowhunting outfits for with generous sight-window offsets or mination feature makes low-light shots
surer and more ethical, but also means
his three children, nephews and friends. cut-outs, or those with extra-thick risers, the system isn’t legal in every state, so
check regulations before ordering.
An enduring red dot fan, Zelenka had like the latest Mathews or Bowtech mod-
ARD systems start at $499, with rock-
been seeking an adjustable red-dot optic els, as examples. solid construction ensuring it will stand
up to many seasons of hard use. To find
system that would easily adapt to a bow, The highly adaptable system is sight- out more visit adjustablereddot.com. IA

ed for 20 yards. The en- WebXtra ■ For a closer look at

tire scope-ring-mounted the Adjustable Red Dot System, go to

red-dot scope can then be insidearchery.com/ARDsystem.

moved up and down via

a side adjustment knob.

The front edge of the sight

includes etched/white-

accented hash marks for

easy yardage marking. I

was especially impressed

by how little movement

was required when tran-

sitioning from, say, 20 to

30 yards.

The ARD system is a

single-pin mover, but it

eliminates the need for a

50 INSIDE ARCHERY JUNE 2021