The 2011 ATA Archery Trade Show attracted a crowd of more than 8,000 industry professionals to Indianapolis, January 6-8, to see and try out the latest and greatest archery and bowhunting products from more than 500 companies.
Among the crowd was Team Bowhunting World, which took the time to shoot new bows, interview manufacturers, take copious notes—and snap thousand of photos of all the action. We also took the time to distribute the Bowhunting World 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards (see February issue), determined with help from readers like you.
The annual event this year, held at the Indianapolis Convention Center, boasted a record-sized Show floor featuring 513 exhibitors who rented 167,550 square feet of space, including a record 55 shooting lanes, 11 more than in 2010. Among the attendees were 2,989 archery dealers, buyers, and distributors.
As stated, the Show is for industry pros only, but that didn’t stop Bowhunting World from reporting on the action for all to see. To help fellow "Gearheads" get a flavor for the Show and its new-gear excitement, here are images from the event.
 |
Jason Pickerill of Bear Archery shows off the completely revamped 2011 Bear Traditional Bow lineup—a line that has consistently won the Bowhunting World Readers’ Choice award. Be sure to check out the new, vintage “green glass” models that celebrate the early days of Fred Bear’s legendary bow company. www.beararcheryproducts.com |
 |
An undeniable theme at this year’s show was the influx of new products aimed specifically at women. A great example is the new Lady Pro Series safety harness (pictured) from Hunter safety System, which also introduced the new Ultra Lite X-Treme vest that features camo and weighs only 32 ounces. www.huntersafetysystem.com |
 |
Who makes some of the very best fixed treestands in the biz? Bowhunting World readers say that the innovators at Gorilla are definitely doing it right. Here Bowhunting World’s Jared Pfeifer (right) presents a Bowhunting World 2011 Readers’ Choice award to Gorilla’s Lennie Rezmer at the Gorilla booth we found packed with dealers looking to check out the latest and greatest….innovation that included the new Prof Series King Kong Expedition HX Hang-On stand, and the Gorilla G-15 E.A.S. (energy Absorbing System) treestand safety harness. www.gorillatreestands.com |
 |
Chris Hamm of HHA Sports shows off one of the hottest moveable sights on the market, the Optimizer Lite Ultra. This lightweight 10-ounce sight features finger-tip adjustability and includes a Mathews Harmonic Damper in the sight bar. It’s available with a 1 5/8-inch aperture and five feet of .029, .019, or .010 fiber optic for incredible low-light performance, even without the optional sight kit. www.hhasports.com |
 |
Archery Business Editor Mark Melotik (left) presented a 2011 BW Readers’ Choice Award to Josh Johnson of Spot-Hogg, which took home honors for its innovative, ultra-rugged line of fixed bowsights, which features smart models like the aptly named BulletProof. If you’re big on durability (and who isn’t?), check out the complete lineup of sights, rests, and more at www.spot-hogg.com. |
 |
New from respected scent and lure maker Wildlife Research Center is its “Mash” series of attractant sprays all whiteail bowhunters should know about. Choose from Buck Mash, Acorn Mash, Apple Mash, and Corn Mash, all aimed at luring more whitetails and other game to your favorite stand setups. Predator hunting is gaining in popularity and is a great challenge with bow gear…or any gear. www.wildlife.com |
CLICK ON PAGE 2 FOR MORE GEAR!
 |
Hunter Safety System has always been a true leader in the field of treestand safety, and its 2011 offerings are no exception. A great example is the new HSS Ultra Lite X-Treme harness, which offers the same popular design as the proven Ultra Lite introduced in 2010, with some added features. David Langston of HSS shows off the new harness that adds a Realtree APG camouflage finish, and new built-in, adjustable bino/rangefinder straps conveniently located near the shoulder/chect area. Another change is that the loops for attaching a lineman’s climbing strap have been moved closer to the front of the harness for easier use. www.huntersafetysystem.com |
 |
Did we mention that gear aimed at women was an undeniable trend throughout the 2011 Show? We did, and here’s more proof: The Well-rounded, great-looking Sola line from ScentBlocker/Robinson Outdoors, some of which you see here shown off by a few members of the ScentBlocker/Sola booth team. From base layers to middle insulation to cutting-edge outerwear, this line offers the fit and features female bowhunters everywhere need to check out. www.robinsonoutdoors.com |
 |
Moultrie Game Cameras have consistently been lauded for their cutting-edge features, but for 2011 they’ve kicked it up a notch. Here Moultrie’s Beth Lauderdale shows off one of the company’s new “mini cams,” the Game Spy M-100 infrared camera that offers several cool features: Widescreen pictures and videos, a new Illumi-Night sensor, Plot Stalker time-lapse mode battery-life calculator, and up to one-year battery life—all in a unit smaller than your hand. The similar M-80 camera offers 5.0 Megapixels, while the M-100 delivers 6.0 megapixel resolution. Both models also record video with sound. Users can choose picture delays ranging from 15 seconds to 60 minutes. Moon phase, temperature, time, date, and camera ID are stamped on each picture. An SD card slot accepts up to a 32GB SD card. www.moultriefeeders.com |
 |
Bowhunting World’s Lee Hetherington, left, presents Carmen Forbes of Hunter’s Specialties with a Bowhunting World 2011 Readers’ Choice award for Scent Eliminator. The extensive H.S. Scent-A-Way lineup has long been lauded by our readers, and the line has expanded recently to include Scent-A-Way Tek 4 apparel. A great complement to the sprays and detergents, Tek 4 garments utilize state-of-the-art silver thread technology to permanently control odor caused by bacteria, while using 33 percent more silver than other available silver-based garments. Another cool fact? The odor eliminating properties last for the life of the garment. www.hunterspec.com |
 |
Most of you know that Hoyt’s new Carbon Riser bows are ground-breaking-incredible for many reasons, including their unusual combination of light weight, serious strength, and ability to absorb virtually all shock at the shot. We shot Hoyt’s new Carbon Element and CRX bows at the Show and were amazed. Still are, in fact. Add another attribute: World-Record taking. We watched as Hoyt’s Jeremy Elderidge, left, was presented with a replica of the new SCI World Record European Roe Buck, taken by Max Hunt. The 60-inch trophy is expected to crush the current record of 49 SCI points. Congrats to both Max, and Hoyt. Read more at www.hoyt.com |
 |
Easily one of the hottest bows at the Show, PSE’s new X-Force Dream Season EVO (shown here by PSE’s Jon Shepley) offers up some serious speed at 345 fps, but with an incredibly smooth draw and feel that you’ve got to experience to believe. We did, and do. Unlike most other risers that flex side to side, the unique new Planar Flex Riser flexes back to front, greatly enhancing accuracy. The bow measures 32.5 inches axle to axle, with a 6-inch brace height. Check it out at PSE’s helpful, cutting-edge website: www.pse-archery.com |
