Girls Just Want to Have Fun
INSIDE Shot Show-Candy Yow ATA Show-Judy Branham and Joni Kiser Meet Vera de Geus of Woman @ Hunt From The Netherlands
www.huntresslife.com
March 2015
Special Edition
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Welcome to Huntress Life Magazine Articles
We are not one of the guys, We are Woman @ Hunt Vera de Geus..................................................................................................4
My First Bull
Brianna Cozzetto...........................................................................................8
Shot Show 2015 Candy Yow..................................................................................................11 Girls Just Want to Have Fun Christy Turner.............................................................................................28
Shed Hunt: My Third Favorite Hunting Season Shannon Deskins...........................................................................................31
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Product Reviews The 2015 Archery Trade Show Joni Marie Kiser............................................................................................14
Judy’s Reviews What to Choose ATA Show-New Products 2015 Judy Erwin Branham....................................................................................19
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We are not one of the guys, we are Woman@Hunt By Vera de Geus
Let me introduce myself to all readers from “Huntress Life Magazine”
example for me. Of course I had to keep in mind the differences in population hunters but still, I’m a woman with a vision and a dream. A long the My name is Vera de Geus and I am the managing way I came in contact with several ladies who also director of Woman@Hunt. Based in The Nether- write for this magazine. Still I was that ‘youngster’ lands (Europe), our neighbor countries are Germa- living in Europe and was facing the world here “yes ny and Belgium. I am 37 years old and I work hard we woman hunt, get over it”. for promoting women in the great outdoors and get them known to hunting. For me it’s an honor to write for “Huntress Life magazine” and I hope y’all like my article! In the Netherlands we are with approximately 28,000 hunters 5% of them are female. When I started with Woman@Hunt in 2012 no attention what so ever was there for the women hunter. We faced major issues in finding clothes and had to buy the small men sizes. I started to do homework, to find out if a company in a niche market would be a good idea and a chance of surviving in economical downturn. I learned that in the States for years women hunters are common and on the rise. From the start the USA was in many ways a big
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Long story short: I gave the female hunter a face. Due to the success of the logo from Woman@ Hunt and highlight on our facebook page every week a other women hunter from Europe. I could not for see the huge impact this would have on the hunting industry in West Europe! Literately blown away effect in the positive way. My dream was organize a hunt women only in the Netherlands. When I shared this a lot of hunters said “good luck, you will never pull that off here”. A couple of months later and some hard working we went hunting with 21 ladies on the first of November 2013, we had newspapers, radio and tv with us. In our country we have no hunting related tv program’s, we have more or less a culture what doomed the hunt and push it in a corner ‘we don’t see it happens’. So what I did with the women hunting day was a big “breakthrough”. Two channels during prime time and on Monday the cover of a free newspaper which will be spread out in trains, subway’s and public offices. I think you all can understand how nervous and proud I was. We pulled it off! I can write articles full why our country got so far away from the food source but I will What is my role in hunting? I like that question. I participate in hunt for twenty save that for the next article. years. It started with hare driven hunts, and I didn’t What do we hunt mostly here? Geese! Overall wa- grew up in a family where hunting was involved. terfowl is a important influence for our hunting. So every tiny step in hunting was new to me. My Because the Netherlands is so densely populated, uncle took me hours and hours and he taught me the country is not really known for big game hunt- what I could see on the fields when we were out ing. In a couple of areas we have permits for wild driving or stalking. I really never knew how much I boars (hogs) and roe/red/fallow deer. Not all hunt- could see on those ‘boring fields’. My life changed ers have two guns, with this I mean: a rifle for big and my love for the outdoors was a fact. My focus lies on dogs. Last years on my own pointing game and a shotgun for small game. If a hunter (male or female) has mostly waterfowl dogs, I hunt with my stable and trustworthy Old hunt, in many cases they don’t have a rifle. The Danish Pointer, named Torben and he’s six years rules of holding guns/rifles here are very strict and our law don’t allow any citizen to own a gun without permission and safe. Below 18 you are not allowed to have or own a gun. For the record we take our kids hunting, but won’t let them carry a gun. Our law is so strict that when a mother gives her shotgun to her kid to hold it and make a picture, and that picture shows up on social media, she can loose her hunting permit. No other person is allowed to hold the gun than the one who owns it. Also about or strange hunting/game management rules and laws I can write an article but I promise I divulge all information.
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old. He never let’s me down and is a super trooper on searching wounded game. Next to that I hunt with a Perdiguero de Burgos/Burgos Pointer origin Spain and he’s two years old. Both my breeds are very uncommon here and in other countries. The reason why I choose both breeds because I am always searching for gun dogs with 99% hunting blood. I rather guide the passion than start passion on a hunting dog. And of course I fancy the looks, the heavy heads and strong build. My Spanish dog’s name is Arador and he’s not afraid of any game. In a way fantastic while hunting but in a way a lot to handle if game crosses which we don’t hunt that day. My dogs are the reason why I hunt. I can’t be more ‘honest’. I like big game hunting, but not to sit for hours and wait and wait, I rather stalk. But most I like to take my dogs to places and let them find pheasants, woodcocks so I can see if a population changed in a area. Or more predators came in some area’s. I hunt as much as I can abroad with them. Due to all our rules here and the “close world called hunting network”, hare driven hunts are fantastic but a major challenge to keep your dog under control or do as many choose to do: train them by electric collar. I’m lucky that I can take my dogs sometimes hunting in the biggest
hunting area in the Netherlands, which maybe will surprise y’all....that is our Rotterdam harbor area, 20.000 acres big. In this area all year trough population control rabbits for example. Not only by gun
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but also with falconers. For me it’s a major honor that I can participate sometimes and see what population control must been done while companies are shifting and the roe deers walking on the high way are taken out alive or when they are wounded take them down right away before a car or truck hits them. The promotion of women who go out hunting starts often because they get a gun dog. From there they start on special training for gun dogs and ‘step in the world hunting’. But that doesn’t mean they get a chance of hunting in real life. As mentioned our country is densely populated the option let’s hunt is not a step everyone can make. Often we go to Belgium of Germany, the countries are bigger, and more game is allowed to hunt.
es here. Overall international hunts for women are organized, but mostly in East Europe, and not always with the right goals attached or mission for the (near) future. I want to give my special thanks to Kimberly Snyder who writes for this magazine too. She’s from my point of view a true benefit for promoting hunt and thus women hunter and her love for waterfowl hunt. Many of you ladies are a big inspiration for me and I can see pictures and close my eyes and visualize I participate. Also I want to thank the editors from this fantastic magazine who were more than willing to work with me and I look forward to our future cooperation!
I can write pages full about hunting in Europe and all “crazy” traditions we have , but the paper is We have no club here special for the women hunt- ending and I have to stop for now. er. What I accomplished with Woman@Hunt is a big breakthrough and maybe I will decide to start With special hunting greetings, from the tiny a union in Europe for the women hunter. Because country in Europe; Holland aka The Netherlands I believe in cooperation. And we can fight the anti if we back each other up. We only have one mag- Vera de Geus azine in Europe for the women hunter and that’s Woman@Hunt a German version. Unfortunately only written by German women hunters. We face many challeng-
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My First Bull By Brianna Cozzetto
I
never thought I would be an elk hunter, I was never interested in killing an elk. Bears were my thing. For 6 years I drew a bear tag, for 6 years I did not get a bear. I come from a long line of hunters on my mom’s side as well as my dad’s. My great-grandpa on my dad’s side purchased a good size chunk of land in 1933. It borders national forest and is wildlife is abundant. In September my husband, AJ, decided he would go archery elk hunting while I was bear hunting. It was amazing. I can still feel us sitting in the middle of the woods, my husband, my dad and I, listening to the bulls bugling. The crisp fall air, the smell of aspens, not too hot, not too cold, closest to heaven I could ever imagine. There were 3 bulls and they had us surrounded and they were screaming! It was at this moment that I knew I had to go elk hunting.
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I purchased an over the counter rifle elk tag for 3rd season later that same year. AJ and my dad were staying there all week. My dad had an elk and deer tag and my husband had a deer tag. Unfortunately, I had to work three of the days of the season. I received report from them every night about what they saw, or didn’t see. My dad passed when they saw two 6-point bulls hoping they would stick around until I got there. They watched the bulls for a while, when they passed over the hill into the private land to the east, shots were heard and the bulls were never seen again. My daughter was barely a year old so I was driving out to hunt in the late afternoon and then back to town every night after shooting light. My mom is my “hunting nanny” and whenever she got the pond is the trees that surround the meadow. off work, between 3-4pm, she would come home Saturday morning AJ and my dad sat in the cabin to stay with my daughter and I would drive the to hunt because it was so cold. My dad walked to the cabin to turn the propane off that they had left on earlier. My part time job and hobby is photography. The sun was just setting so I decided I would walk down to the pond to try to get a reflection picture with the beautiful sunset and fresh snow. Now I had always envisioned my first kill, my dad would be there next to me, coaching me the whole time. Reassuring me that I could do it! Telling me exactly what I should do. That is not even close to what was going to happen. As I was walking down the hill to the pond, AJ was walking a ways behind me. I heard him say, “Get down.” I sat down to try to see what I was supposed to be looking at. My mind was set on taking a picture, I wasn’t even thinking about elk or hunting at that 30+ minutes to go hunt. I am not a fan of the cold. moment. On the south end of the meadow out I had been spoiled hunting in the warm month of came two cow elk. A half minute later a bull came September. I arrived to hunt on Thursday after- out. noon. We walked in the frigid cold to a spot where we thought the elk might show themselves. Nothing. So back to the truck I went and I made the long empty handed drive back into town. Friday evening was a repeat of Thursday. Walked, waited, froze, walked back to truck and drove back to town. Friday night it decided to snow. Saturday afternoon my mom was late getting home. I flew outta there as fast as I could! I made it up in record time and off we went. It was the second to last day of the season. We walked to our cabin which is nestled among the trees outside of a large meadow. Across from the cabin, to the east, there is a trout pond and the east side of
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My dad had walked out of the cabin and saw that we were sitting and looking at something, so he stopped at the edge of the little log cabin so he wouldn’t scare anything. The three elk went back toward the trees. When they weren’t looking in my direction I raised my 7mm-08 to get a better look through my scope. The bull was decent sized. I was not able to count the points on him as he was weaving through the trees. AJ was at least 5 yards away from me but I could hear him saying “Don’t take the shot if you aren’t sure.” Later I found out that he could not see what I could from where I was sitting. I waited for a clear shot, the cows were behind him and I sure wasn’t going to take the shot with anything behind him. He stepped a few steps forward to where he was slightly quartered away. I had a clear shot. I squeezed the trigger. At that moment I learned something new, when your adrenaline is cranked up, you don’t hear a shot and you don’t feel any recoil. The elk ran back into the trees. My dad walked down to where we were and we waited. Neither of them could see the elk that I shot at. My heart was in my throat. My mind was racing. Did I get him? Did I miss? Oh lord please don’t let him be wounded. That to me is way worse than missing by a mile. We waited, and waited. It felt like hours but it was only about 15 minutes. The three of us started walking toward the area the elk were at when I took the shot. When we arrived at the scene there was blood on the snow, but no elk. We tried to find a blood trail but no luck. Just down the hill there is an old, two-track road. We decided to walk to the road and up into the timber to see if we could find them. At this point I was slightly freaking out. On the verge of tears I thought to myself, “Oh man I wounded him, I finally get a shot at something and I wound him.” On the way down the hill to the road my dad was leading the way, I was in the middle, and AJ was behind me. I glanced back to see if AJ was following and there he was. There was my bull! He had tried to jump a tree and landed in some thick brush and downed trees. I yelled, “There he is!” We slowly walked up to him and made sure that he wasn’t breathing. He wasn’t. We exchanged high fives and hugs, probably not something a hunting party of guys would do. I think I saw a slight bit of a proud tear in my dad’s eyes. He was bigger than I thought, 5 X 7 or 6 x 7 if
you want to count the little point on the left side. Shot placement was as perfect as it could have been since he was quartered away. The bullet went through the base of the right lung and up through the left lung. Later we ranged from where I was sitting it was about 165 yards. We took some pictures and then AJ headed for the truck while my dad and I stayed to gut. When we finally got him loaded the temperature in the truck said 13 degrees. Cold but so worth it. I got my first kill, my first bull and a decent sized one at that. It wasn’t how I has thought it would be, it was so much better and did I mention it was also my dad’s birthday? A birthday that neither one of us will ever forget. Brianna Cozzetto Pueblo/Westcliffe, Colorado
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Shot Show 2015
By Candy Yow
There is no other show that comes even remotely close to this huge event that takes place in Vegas every January. If you have anything to do with hunting, shooting, military or law enforcement you would find anything and everything you may need at the Shot Show. The show was created to bring manufacturers, professionals, wholesalers, retailers and media together, and this it has. Held in the Sands convention center, it takes 3 levels and is packed at that, with long waiting lists to get a booth. We started attending the Show a few years back to meet with others in the Hunting Industry and it has become tradition, now we can’t imagine not going. This year we had 5 days booked solid with meetings before we even got there and what a time it was. Monday is Industry day at the Range and one of my favorites. This is where all the new products, ammo, optics, guns etc.‌ are available for you to test out! Yes you heard me right, as retailers or media you can go around and test out the
products, as they want you to write about them, and sell them. Now you can understand why I love this day so much. The Range is out in Boulder city so a short drive from our motel; we arrive and start checking out booths. We start with some pistols
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and rifles but before long I am drawn to the Automatic rifle I keep hearing in the distance. I shot it last year but feel I can do better this year, so off we go. They have plenty of qualified help at each station, even if you are a professional shooter, they do a good job of making sure everyone and everything is safe. As he gets me lined out, I get my stance and fire away, I had to stop mid stream to giggle a bit and then resume, I emptied 4 clips in what seemed like a minute with a smile a wide as the State of Texas. Don’t ask me what is so exciting about shooting that gun, but it does it to me every time! We shoot several other guns and enjoy our day tremendously, just as we were thinking of heading back a gentleman asks us if we have ever shot an Air gun that can shoot a 45 caliber? Obviously the answer is no, so we step up, unbeknown to me the gentleman helping me is a movie star, but he was pretty thrilled that not only did I hit the target but busted it! Our daughter saw the picture that night and said, “Hey that’s Tank helping you, “ Tank who? I obviously don’t watch enough television! Well we have a huge day tomorrow so off we go to get some rest.
Tuesday morning we are at the show before the doors open with our appointments lined out. It was a wonderful day of seeing old friends, meeting new acquaintances and building friendships. One of my favorite things of the Shot Show is the Annual Prois Awards, since I am a Prois girl this is a must attend function. This year the winner was Christine Cunningham, an avid hunter, conservationist and overall amazing lady all wrapped up in a tiny package of cuteness! Prois CEO Kirstie Pike does such a great job of promoting the award, and doing what ever it takes to promote our industry. It’s an honor to belong to such a great group of ladies for sure. Wednesday brings meetings, but the big event of the day is the Women’s Outdoor and Shooting Industry Dinner. Brittney Star has put this on the past couple years and us ladies work for months to get our outfits right. It’s a great night of meeting new friends, laughter and sharing ideas, this year’s theme was “Birds of a different feather,” and what amazing outfits graced our presence. I went simple, using feathers I had picked up during my hunts this past year, The Infamous Jim Zumbo asked afterwards if I was dressed like Sacagawea, I giggled and said possibly or maybe just an ole Hippie! Thursday started off being just a meetings day, but half way through we passed by the Sportsman’s channel booth and heard a great commotion, peering through the crowd we get a glimpse of Ted Nuggent speaking, (and he cut his hair!!) and introducing Sarah Palin, what an honor to hear her standing up for our rights!
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With Friday bringing Shot Show to a close we decided maybe we should go out and see Vegas at least one night, so off we go to meet my sister and some friends at the Infamous Gilley’s Saloon with dancing and mechanical bull riding, always a hit while we are in Vegas. A perfect end to a perfect week, and now the long trip home to gather all the info together and prepare for another year. Candy Yow Extreme Desire TV
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The 2015 Archery Trade Show (ATA) With Joni Kiser
Joni Kiser and Eva Shockey at the 2015 Archery Trade Show, photo courtesy of Joni Kiser
The 2015 Archery Trade Show (ATA) took place this year in Indianapolis, IN. Although the show is a huge event, it is actually closed to the public and is mainly an order writing event for dealers. The show is attended by folks from various areas of the archery industry including manufacturers, archery retailers, distributors and media. This year was my 5th time attending the show, I attend the show each year wearing various hats. I mainly attend as a buyer, I am co-owner of the largest archery store in Alaska and we write the majority of our season orders at the show. As a buyer I am looking for the latest in-
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novations to bring to my customers. I want to be sure to make it to every booth of my current vendor lines and I also want to see who is new to the market with fresh ideas and brands. I also am attending as a Pro Staffer for several companies, as part of the media - being part of a hunting TV Show and being an avid archer and hunter myself. Packing everything into 3 short days and still also trying to catch up with friends in the industry, maintain vendor relationships and make large season buying decisions, its impossible to get it all done! This year the show was so large, I actually left having not seen it all and wishing I had one more day. However here are some of the new products or changes to old favorites that I saw at the show that caught my eye and that I will be stocking up on for my business!
Joni Kiser with Katherine Grand and Kirstie Pike of Prois at the 2015 Archery Trade Show, Photo by Dave Kiser
Sights: For 11 years straight, HHA has retained the Bowhunting World Reader’s Choice Award in the single pin category with their Optimizer. What more could they do to raise the bar? At the ATA Show this year they released the new King Pin. This new sight has a wheel-forward design, making it compatible with all quivers and extending it further in front of the riser than the Optimizer Lite and Lite Ultra. The King Pin can be dialed from 20 to 100 yards in 1 yard increments; making it a perfect choice for both hunting and outdoor 3D shooting. One of my favorite features is the interchangeable yardage wheels which can be swapped out quickly and easily for shooters that change their set-ups or draw weights frequently, eliminating the need to retape the sight each time. This is great especially if you are like many shooters who turn down their weight HHA KingPin Sight, for target season and then turn up for hunting! courtesy of HHA Sports Lastly, a “Blind 20” feature allows the shooter to easily return the sight to the 20 yard mark without taking your eyes off the target. This new HHA King Pin will definitely be a big hit with single pin sight fans!
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Rests: Ripcord has always also made a good drop away, but I have not hunted with them because they did not offer a slow let down brake like the QAD HDX offered. This means that if you are at full draw on an animal, and they move into a position where you cannot shoot and you need to let down; a Rip Cord Code Red would have dropped as you let down and a QAD would not. I have had this happen on my archery Brown Bear hunt so this feature is very important to me. I want to be ready to immediately re-draw if needed with out any noise or chance of my arrow slipping off the rest and the QAD always offered me that security. This year, Rip Cord has released a great new rest the Ace Micro Adjust that does offer this feature. The Ace will stay up on a slow let down, has a new narrower launcher for better clearance and offers two additional great features. It has an external cord (you don’t have to take it apart to redo the launcher cord on it) and it offers micro adjust which will be a great feature for tuning your bow. I loved the new innovations on this rest; and think it will be a top seller in 2015. The QAD HDX has always been a favorite rest for me. I have hunted with a QAD HDX on my bow for several seasons now and love the features of this high quality drop away rest. In my opinion there wasn’t much that could be done to make this rest any better; but what did catch my eye was the new color option that is now available in a grey and black carbon pattern. This new color option will match the limbs on the black versions of the 2015 Hoyt and Xpedition bows as well as the Tactical Finish options on the Mathews line and is a great addition to all of the other color options that QAD currently offers Quivers: This year the most adjustable quiver on the market, Tightspot, released a new 3 arrow version. This new lightweight option is 6.86 oz and is slightly shorter at 14 inches hood to gripper, verses the 18 inch long 5 arrow version. I love this new lighter and shorter option. The Tightspot Quiver has a virtually unbreakable hood, fits expandable or fixed broadheads and has a quick disconnect option for easy one handed removal. For those who are shooting narrow diameter arrows like the Victory VAPs, the grippers are adjustable at the bottom to easliy keep any diameter of arrow tight. Bows: There are several great high end women’s bows on the market currently. One of my favorites for 2015 is the Mathews Chill SDX, which I have been hunting with for the past 5 months. I have taken 5 animals with it in the few short months that I have had it, all with great results, good speed and 85% let off that makes it incredibly easy to hold back. I cant say enough about how happy I have been hunting with the SDX this season. This is a top end ladies machined aluminum riser bow so it does come with a little higher price tag. If you are looking for something to fit a tighter budget a little better there are also some great starter bows for ladies like the Hoyt Ignite or the Mission Craze that you can get for Eva Shockey Signature Series Bowtech under $350 and have wide adjustable ranges of 15-70# draw Photo by Joni Kiser weight with comfortable draw cycles. Up until the ATA, I had felt like there were some great starter bows, some great top end bows but that the mid range price level options have been somewhat limited for Ladies. But this year at the Show; Bowtech answered that call with the Eva Shockey Signature Series bow and may have hit a home run. This bow falls in the mid range price point between the starter bows and the top end ladies options and gives the woman who wants to be a serious huntress a great and affordable option. The Eva bow is rated at 332 ft per sec, has a very smooth, comfortable draw and only weighs 3.3lbs. I demoed the bow at the show and was really surprised how easy it was to draw and how lightweight it was! It comes with teal accents and cams and Bowtech’s Powershift Technology.
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Cases: Lakewood Cases have always made a great airline approved travel case. They are sturdy and easy to access; since you can actually leave your quiver on and put your bow straight down into the case! The cases have separate compartments for arrows and a broad head and accessory box which keeps everything separate and organized. I organized a group of ladies to go hunt in Africa in 2014 and this case travelled very well over and back all the way to South Africa, protecting the equipment perfectly! This year they are offering the Lakewood Case in Muddy Girl case in some new colors for ladies which I loved! They have a solid courtesy of Lakewood Products purple and my new favorite which is the Muddy Girl. (see photo). I love the new color options, never really been much of a pink girl myself but this case is just too cool to pass up!! And they are made in the USA, I really love that! Targets: Adding to an already great line up of field point and broadhead targets; Morrell Targets launched the new Half Back Target. This self healing foam, weatherproof target is exactly the area you need in a 3D target without having to have a big bulky target. Easy to move around with a rope handle on top and at only 12 lbs; the target has anatomically correct vitals and can stop both fieldpoints and broadheads!
Morrell Half Back Target Photo courtesy of Morrell Manufacturing
Womens Hunting Gear: As a Field Staffer for Prois I am always excited to see what new items they have in their clothing line up. As a retailer I am excited to see what I can bring home to female hunters for my store! This year Prois launched several new items that should be a big hit with their customer base. The New Sojourn line of clothing was created specifically for Safari hunting. Their new items include a breathable moisture wicking base layer short sleeve shirt and long sleeve hoodie that have UV protectant woven into the fabric, and a technical jacket called the Sojourn Jacket. With a classic Safari look, deep set pockets and angled zippers; this jacket is designed to carry what you need with easy accessibility. The jackets undergo odor elimination treatments to help minimize human scent and are built to be as rugged and tough as the hunting areas that you will be wearing them in! Wish I could go back in time to my South African bowhunt in July and have had these awesome new items with me!
Prois Sojourn Jacket, courtesy of Prois Apparel
Joni Marie Kiser is owner of Full Curl Archery in Anchorage, Alaska and Pro Staff for Trophy Time TV
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Judy’s Reviews What to Choose ATA Show - New Products 2015
By Judy Branham
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“Many targets, one goal: GROWING ARCHERY” was the slogan for this year’s ATA Show 2015 in Indianapolis, Indiana’s Convention Center. Encouraging archery and bowhunting growth through the largest gathering of archery product buyers, dealers, and exhibitors in the world is a huge undertaking each year. Joining together for this international attraction draws celebrity hunters and huntresses alike not only to share new products, but to enjoy the comradery of this elite archery society. Engaging with new products such as Bear Archery’s new “Cruzer” compound bow, Red Wing’s Irish Setter boots, Hunter Safety System’s new reflective rope system, and Victory Archery’s arrows was exciting and fun having the opportunity to see new products before they go to market. The following are a few of my personal favorites from the show this January 2015. Broken down into six categories for ease of search are my choices: arrows, bows, safety systems, apparel, boots and products. To see this year’s complete exhibitors list go to: http://www.archerytrade.org/trade-show
1.
Arrows
Victory Archery Victory Archery has set a new standard in the target arrow arena – Steve Greenwood of Victory Archery explains their new line of 2015 products via this Archery Talk YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yx8rhqjf2ew They have introduced an all new arrow with ID between the VAP and V-Force arrow; the RIP 204 ID arrow. The VAP 166 ID arrow (Victory Armour Piercing), and the V-Force 245 ID arrow are improved with introduction of improved inserts and knocks as explained below. Buyers can choose from Victory’s yellow +/- .001, green +/- .003, or the red +/- .006 tolerances. Now offering aluminum knock for higher durability in the 166 which is small diameter for VAP arrows and the new 204 for the RIP arrow; these are produced for bows that exceed the 300fps mark. They are machined on a CNC machine and are hard anodized in a satin finish with diverse colors. Victory has also improved the “Penetrator” insert; this is 7075 aluminum in hard anodized. They have recessed the outsert to allow the center pin to engulf the outer circumference of the arrow. This new product should enhance the performance of the arrow significantly with no further outsert bending issues. In addition to the all-aluminum one piece insert which weighs 50 grains they have introduced the two piece stainless steel insert. The stainless steel weighs 120 grains but has a section which can be broken off to make it 100 grains. All of these new products and improvements will make for an exciting year for those archers who use Victory Archery products. I have new Victory Pink Project arrows this year and am looking forward to improving my archery ability. Part of the proceeds from the sale of Victory Pink arrows goes directly to the National Breast Cancer Foundation via the Pink Arrow Project. You can view their new 2015 catalog on their website listed below. http://www.victoryarchery.com/
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2. Bows
Bear Archery This year I shot the “Cruzer”, one of Bear Archery’s new compound bows and loved it. Bear offers a wide variety of ladies compound bows featuring diverse color patterns, draw lengths, and styles for every person’s draw length, strength, and body height. The amazing new “Cruzer” allows for draw length adjustment from 5 to 70 pounds and lengths from 12 to 30 inches. With speed capabilities as high as 350 fps their lineup of compound bows are very market competitive. Bear’s popular “Arena 30, Agenda 6, and Venue” compound bows are given high reverence on social media with men and women alike. The “Rumor, Bounty, Cruzer, and Apprentice 3 Orange” are all great choices for diverse female body sizes and styles. I also enjoy traditional archery and own a Bear Grizzly recurve bow. Bear offers a long line of diverse traditional archery equipment also, from Fred Bear’s original lines of the Kodiak, Grizzly and Takedown, to the newer Montana, AuSable and Patriot longbows. My next longbow will be a Bear Archery for sure. You can view Bear Archery’s 2015 Catalog including equipment and apparel on their website listed below. http://www.beararchery.com/ Bowtech “Eva Shockey Signature Series Bow” What can I say about the beauty of this compound bow? Eva told me she was included in designing her new “Eva Shockey Signature Series” compound Bowtech bow. It’s “Electric Blue” accents and sleek design parallel Eva’s personality and fashionable style. All I can say is “beautiful!” Kudos to Bowtech and Eva Shockey. http://www.bowtecharchery.com/#/home?r=-1&i=0
3. Safety systems Hunter Safety Systems HSS lifelines and vests for men, women and youth are form fitted with numerous useful features. I own their 2014 ladies vest and love it. Safety should be every hunter’s number one concern. HSS continues to set high standards in hunter safety products with the introduction of its new lifeline; by incorporating a woven-in reflective strip that makes locating your treestand in the dark simple and quick by shining your flashlight towards the lifeline. My favorite part is that only you can see the glow; if you are to the left or right of your flashlight beam the lifeline strip does not show up. The lifeline also houses its “Recon Carabiner” in a new “sound-dampening Cow Bell Cover” made of soft yet durable silicone for quietness while climbing and hunting. No more clanging around while climbing up or down. According to HSS, “Statistics prove that 86 percent of all treestand accidents occur while climbing in and out of the treestand, and when properly used in conjunction with safety harnesses approved to TMA standards,
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the HSS-LIFELINE is the most critical piece of equipment to prevent those accidents. With the LIFELINE, the hunter stays attached to the tree from the moment feet leave the ground until they safely return.” The LIFELINE accommodates stands up to 30 feet high, and the Recon Carabiner is rated at 3,500 pounds. We use this product and personally know a hunter whose life was saved due to using a HSS Lifeline. http://www.huntersafetysystem.com/
4. Camo/ Women’s apparel
Many camo patterns and companies exist today with diverse colors. Each has their own appeal to customers for various reasons. The following six companies each displayed appealing clothing for women I liked and would purchase for myself or other women and girls. Although hunting clothing manufacturers are paying more attention to quality, shape and colors of women’s clothes these days, not all are totally concentrating on perfecting these issues. My favorite women’s hunting clothing is Prois due to the details they put into each garment. Items such as deep pockets, draw strings to assist with contour fit and quality zippers and buttons for the ability to loosen or tighten areas where women with diverse body shapes can all enjoy wearing their clothing lines. Each company deserves to be checked out if you are interested in seeing what they are offering women for hunting apparel. Female hunters’ statistics are growing each year and manufacturers know we purchase camo clothes for everyday outings as well as hunting; therefore camo clothing manufacturers continue to improve upon their female apparel lines for the future. Realtree http://www.realtree.com/
Prois
Prois uses Realtree camo patterns as shown in this photo of their booth at the ATA Show 2015. Eight years of perfecting, learning, discovering and applying their knowledge of what women desire and need in outdoor clothing is paying off with some of the greatest hunting clothing ideas in the industry. If you desire top notch, well fitted and design warm durable apparel then check them out at the website below. http://www.proishunting.com/
Mossy Oak
http://www.mossyoak.com/
Yukon
Yukon features Mossy Oak Lifestyle camo patterns. The ladies jacket trimmed in blue is featured in this photo of their booth at the ATA Show 2015. Check out their line of apparel at the website below. http://www.yukongearhunt.com/
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Moon Shine Camo
Diversity of wear comes to mind when I see the sometimes colorful yet very useful camo patterns manufactured by Moon Shine Camo. From pink and purple to their “Harvest Moon” black, gray and white patterns and everything in between this company has created a modern, fashionable, upbeat line of clothing for hunters and everyday wear. They use words such as “attitude, sharp looking and quality” to express their apparel line. Check them out at the website below, it will be worth your effort. http://www.moonshinecamo.com/
BowChic
COVERT by Element Outdoors camo pattern. Jahna Davis, World Archery Champion and founder of BowChic, recognized a need for women’s clothing within the archery industry that “shows women off”, she said. “We are strong, sexy, beautiful bow hunters! And we DESERVE clothing that promotes that!” -- Jahna Davis Their mission is: “To provide the best women’s archery clothing and apparel products and service to our customers. We take great pride in our company, our commitment to customer service and in the products that we sell. Our goal is to make every woman feel special and beautiful in our clothing without sacrificing quality and class.” – Jahna Davis Jahna’s “know how” reference archery clothing needs, shows in the details she has incorporated into this apparel. BowChic’s online store and info can be found at the link below. http://bow-chic.com/
Kryptek
According to Kryptek’s website, their mission is to provide combat proven features and designs in high-performance technical and tactical outdoor adventure apparel. Their products are tested and proven in combat environments and extreme hunting conditions with an end-goal to provide products to outdoor adventurers who desire the best in quality and overall performance in their outdoor gear. Kryptek has a women’s line of new socks for 2015 each made with 3% to 5% spandex. Styles also contain percentages of Merino wool, nylon, polyester, and acrylic. http://www.kryptek.com/
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Slumberjack Products using Kryptek Camo patterns Nels Larson of Slumberjack Products, not only explained the Thermal Cloak but modeled it also to show its enhanced features for 2015. Slumberjack’s Thermal Cloak is designed for very cold-weather protection. The hood style helps your peripheral vision and hearing stay sharp for approaching game. Kryptek®’s Highlander camo pattern helps you blend into the environment and the cloak is compatible with treestand harness systems also. http://slumberjack.com/
My Core Control “Heated Apparel”
Donning this company’s apparel was a hunter known as “The Son of the South”, Joshua Carney. Joshua stated on social media these are the “best clothing made for hunters”. Cabelas and Yukon Gear among others are carrying this MYCORE CONTROL TECHNOLOGY. By strategically heating the pulse points of your body, MY CORE Technology places controllable heat at your wrists to keep you warm and cozy during hunting season’s coldest temperatures. One great option of this apparel, it is rechargeable. Utilizing the highest setting, reviews state the jacket will heat for around 6 hours, on low around 12 hours. They use Mossy Oak “Break-up Infinity” camo pattern. According to their website, My Core Control, Inc. states, “While currently introducing tour patented “Heated Personal Gear” to the market, we are also in the final stages of releasing next generation products including: Thermal Control Modules that regulate heat and cool, accessory wrist devices that are independent of outerwear, solar powered gear, bluetooth and WiFi capable technologies built directly into personal wear and MUCH MORE!” New for later in 2015 are an upcoming line of skiing and soft shell jackets as well as the new “Smart Coat” technology. Check out their apparel and gear at the website below. http://mycorecontrol.com/index.html.
5. Boots
I have only one problem with purchasing women’s outdoor boots; it seems like retailers are not stocking lines of women’s boots like they do men’s boot lines. Yes, I can catalog order them but do not like to as I want to try them on for fit. It is just too time consuming to return and reorder if they don’t fit. I wish more companies would figure a way to display more female hunting footwear in retail stores. Red Wing/Irish Setter boots Rutmaster 2.0 Knee Boot Improvement is the key to success in the boot industry and Irish Setter has proven another great boot for 2015. A new generation of the Rutmaster Boot, 2.0 Rubber Hunting Boots with EXOFLEX® Performance Fit System will become available in August. According to the press release this knee boot is “waterproof and scent-free, providing excellent traction, superior fit, and easy on/off convenience. The Rutmaster 2.0 features lighter weight (3.5mm) neoprene, ScentBan™ technology, RPM™ outsole and ExoFlex® technology.”
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VaprTrek 8”
“Irish Setter® VaprTrek boots with RPM technology are extremely lightweight and hunt-ready,” according to Red Wing’s website. Irish Setter has extended this technology to all-season oxford and hiker heights this year. As stated in their press release, “Especially designed for uneven terrain and abrasive conditions, the RPM outsole can be found on the VaprTrek™ family of boots in both Big Game and Outdoor categories of hunting footwear. “The wrap-around instep provides protection and aids in gripping tree stand rungs or ATV foot pegs. A ScentBan lining delivers scent control through a process that kills odor-causing bacteria. Irish Setter incorporate UltraDry™ waterproofing so feet stay dry and boots stay breathable.” See more details on their website below. http://www.redwingshoes.com/ LaCrosse boots Coming in July I have worn LaCrosse boots for years and love them. Durable, form fitted and warm are all contributing factors when I purchase boots for my outdoor activities. This year Lacrosse introduces the new 4X Alpha, a lighter more flexible boot featuring 3 mil neoprene with rubber overlay and a jersey liner and 16 inch height. The inside Quad Core Comfort Technology bumper package has four layers for comfort. Featuring a 90 degree heal for ease of climbing and a new tread design to release mud easily. This will also come in a 7 mil version for later season hunting. Check out more of their products for women at their website below. They have diverse boots, colors and patterns. http://www.lacrossefootwear.com/ http://www.lacrossefootwear.com/performance/hunt/rubber/ Muck boots These well-made boots appear to be durable and stylish. Coming in many diverse colors, styles and patterns for diverse outdoor activities, I would love to have many pairs. They have lots to choose from with this company for the outdoor woman in 2015. The only problem I have with their women’s hunting boot is the height. I love a tall knee boot for crossing creeks during spring hunting and hiking. All of Muck boots I looked at were superior craftsmanship and materials. Check out their luxurious styles and colors via their website below. http://www.muckbootsandshoes.com/
6. Products
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ORCA Coolers
Outdoor Recreation Company of America 100% American made! Lifetime warranty! January 2015 ORCA launched their new 20 quart cooler and licensed ORCA Cooler Gear products. The ORCA Gear MOLLE System features 15 products designed with tough 600 denier polyester and a polyurethane water repellant coating. The Molle webbing has 1000 lb tensile strength. Each component is designed for a specific need such as flashlight, cell phone, pistol holder and more. The ORCA HYBRID System compliments the MOLLE System with a 7 watt portable solar powered charger with integrated 8000 MAH Battery. Featuring 2 USB ports and a LED light also. Quality, dedication and patriotism are just three of the attributes of this company in Nashville, Tennessee. Beginning with the 75 quart cooler in 2012, then adding a 26 quart, 58 quart and 140 in 2013 was just the start of this family of today’s products. In 2014 ORCA added the 40 quart cooler to their lineup and in August released the 26 quart in team colors for sports fans everywhere. These certified BEAR PROOF coolers will keep items for up to 10 days! ORCA is endorsed by none other than Brenda Valentine “The First Lady of Hunting” , Michael Waddell of Bone Collector, Harold Knight and more. Check out their many great features and products on their website below. www.orcacoolers.com
Just for Does/Just for Bucks
Hair products all year round for women and men, apparel, hunting gear, gifts and more with scent-free products utilizing their Z-technology. Z-technology eliminates odors for up to 10 years or more and is also used in Just for Does shampoo, body wash, conditioner and odor neutralizer and more. According to their website toxicity tests have shown this technology is safe to use in all their products, including personal care, and has no effect on the normal bacterial processes of the skin. To learn more go to their website listed below. http://justfordoes.com/
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BANKS Outdoors
I loved the new innovative air tight BANKS Wild Water System which gives wildlife access to 100 gallons of fresh water. The system feeds clean water into the trough as they drink it which eliminates diseases found in the ground and other stagnant watering holes in the outdoors. This product can be used in your hunting areas as well as your back yard to enhance wildlife habitat. BANKS Blinds new optional wall insulation, curtain kit, shelves, and optional floor mat are all luxurious items for the hunter to have in a blind. I found this to be very comfortable, as well as practical. Female hunters will especially love this blind! The wall insulation really makes it comfortable to lean against the wall and lowers sound echo within the blind, also giving extra insulation from the elements whether heat or cold. If you want comfort in your hunting blind you should definitely take a close look at BANKS Blinds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgBkBVmtGfg http://www.banksoutdoors.com/products
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t n t a o W Hav t s eF Ju
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By Christy Turner
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dventure, excitement, adrenalin, friendship and high fives. That’s my idea of having fun! My family and I have rodeo’d our whole lives and we have what you call a rodeo family. You travel all over the United States and you know at least one other rodeo contestant who lives in the area no matter where you are. Even if you don’t know them that well, maybe just acquaintances from previous rodeos entered together or even your traveling partners friend from college. You might not have ever met them before but they will take you in their home and treat you as a member of the family. This is so nice to feel a little bit of home and comfort when you are out on the road for long periods of time. I never thought I would experience this sense of friend-
ship, family, loyalty outside of rodeo. But I have, in the Hunting World! The amazing ladies I have met going on Women only hunts have been the exact same. Friendship, Sisterhood, loyalty and making so many happy memories. My latest thrilling memory was created this January in Oklahoma with my WITO friends! WITO stands for Women in the Outdoors. My friends Stacy Sissney and Kara Jo Lorenz invited me to attend their WITO event and what an absolutely amazing day of hunting Geese it was. Our guides with Goose Reapers Outdoors were just amazing. I don’t know if I will ever experience something like this again. It was truly amazing that I kept thinking to myself, wow is this really happening!! What is even cooler
From left to right Kara Jo Lorenz (the special section in my article who commented about NWTF and WITO) Bethany Syzemore, Sayra Diel, Christy Turner, & Stacy Sissney.
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Jon Sissney got some incredible film footage that is going to be aired on the His & Hers Outdoors TV on the Pursuit Channel. Look for the episode called; Girls, Guns, Geese and Gobblers. Visit www.wekillgeese.com for an amazing once in a life time Goose hunt. Shelby and his crew will do all the calling with decoys set up ready to go, and they will get you the opportunity to help you get the job done. These guys know what they are doing and you can tell they love what they are doing, killing Geese! Don’t be surprised if you laugh a lot also. They are a bunch of funny characters too! We sure enjoyed laughing and cutting up with all our guides. They all did such a fantastic job, I would defiantly recommend a hunt with Goose Reapers and would love to do it again! Kara Jo Lorenz was happy to share her experience and knoweldge about the NWTF and the WITO, here is what she had to say: I’ve been involved with the National Wild Turkey Federation for nearly a decade.(yikes!) It was through NWTF that I was introduced to their outreach program, Women In The Outdoors. At the time I was simply interested in learning to hunt and new outdoor skills while supporting conservation efforts in my state. I am now a chapter leader and enjoy sharing my passion for the outdoors with others. We as hunters have the biggest influence on non-hunters so I encourage you to share your passion as well. Getting involved with the WITO program is a great way to do it. Women In The Outdoors events offer women of all ages a safe, pressure free environment to learn new outdoor skills. We believe that if mom enjoys the outdoors, the whole family will get involved. I’ve helped with local WITO events in my own community where volunteers taught Turkey 101, Archery, Dutch Oven Cooking, Wild Game Cooking, Antler Jewelry, etc. But this hunt was the first WITO hunt that I had ever organized. I absolutely love goose hunting and kept thinking how fun it would be to get a bunch of ladies together to go. Although I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to find 9 other willing (and possibly crazy) women to commit, the stars aligned, all the spots were filled and the rest is history! All it takes to start an event in your area is for someone to take the lead! Contact your local NWTF chapter or visit www.womenintheoutdoors.org to find out how you can share your passion with others. Watch for this episode called “Girls, Guns, Geese & Gobblers” on the His & Hers Outdoors TV airing on the Pursuit Channel. Direct TV channel 604 or Dish Network channel 393 or check your local listings for His & Hers Outdoors on the Pursuit Channel. www.hisnhersoutdoors.com
Goose Reapers Guided Outdoors from left to right, Brent Wilkinson, Shelby Anderson, Blu Moore, & Trey Miller
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SHED HUNTING : MY THIRD FAVORITE HUNTING SEASON! By Shannon Deskins
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Deer season is over, and the countdown has already begun to opening day, 2015! Stories of encounters with shooter bucks are being told all across the country as we are all re-living heart pounding moments that, unfortunately, didn’t end with a buck on the ground. Most of us aren’t blessed with property so large that you know you are the only one hunting a particular buck or bucks. And, even if you go by the “let him go so he can grow” rule, we all have those neighbors who say, “if it’s brown, it’s down!” At the end of the season, we can only cross our fingers and hope the shooter bucks that escaped us also escaped the trigger happy neighbor across the fence! Most hunters anxiously wait for early summer to roll around to see which target bucks made it, and to get a peek at promising bucks sprouting up on trail cameras. However, you don’t have to wait that long to know which bucks to be looking for on opening day! Get out there and find their sheds! The more people I get to know in the outdoor industry, the more surprised I am to find out how few people shed hunt! For me, shed hunting ranks right up there with deer and turkey hunting! It’s like a treasure hunt, and has an element of fun and excitement. Plus, it’s a great way to stay in pretty good shape because there is not an easy way to do it effectively. You have to walk…a lot. Living in the mountains of east Kentucky, we have to shed hunt mostly on foot by walking hillside benches, well-worn ridge top trails, wooded valleys and old logging roads that have never seen an ATV.
However, having an ATV or side by side sure helps to get you off the beaten path and closer to where the big bucks roam. Here in Pike County, Kentucky, old reclaimed strip mine sites on top of the mountain can give you some of the most beautiful views of the Appalachian Mountains you have ever seen! Even though you can drive a truck or SUV on most of these sites, plan a fun day on the ATV’s and invite the family. It’s a great way to ease some of our reluctant friends and/or family members into the great sport of deer hunting!
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We can also use shed hunting as an educational tool, teaching us about the bucks that live on our hunting property. When you see that shed lying on the ground, don’t just put it in your bag and start looking for another one. Pay attention to where you found it. Was it close to his bedding area or next to a fence crossing? Was it right on the edge of a field or food plot? Those are places where you can expect to find shed antlers, but they really don’t give you information you didn’t already know. However, the big antlers that are found lying along a worn deer trail deeper in the timber are the ones that get my heart rate up! If you are fortunate enough to find one of your shooter bucks’ sheds in an area like this, you are one step closer to harvesting that buck next season before the rut hits! At the time when bucks drop their antlers, the rut is long over, and the chase for hot does has ended. Bucks are more than likely back into a routine similar to what we see during early bow season : sleep, eat, repeat. Mid-day movement has slowed way down, and most big buck sightings are just after daylight and right before dark, just like it is in September and early October. All that being said, here is what we just learned from finding that shed antler deep in the timber : 1) your shooter buck felt safe walking along this trail, and 2) He was more than likely traveling during daylight hours between his bed and his dinner when it dropped. For me, that would also mean that I need to look around for a suitable tree to hang a stand! You can also find more than just shed antlers by walking your property during the off-season. You’ll more than likely see old rubs you’ve missed, abandoned scrapes on the ground and quite possibly new tree stand sites. The clock is ticking…it’s SHED HUNTING SEASON! Good luck everyone! Shannon Southern Belle Outdoors, Inc.
Huntress Harvest