New Bowhunting Gear 2011: Part 1

Our recent trip to the 2011 ATA Show in Indianapolis uncovered plenty of neat new innovation.

New Bowhunting Gear 2011: Part 1
bear archery

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

hunters safety system

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

bowtech archery

One of the most impressive hunting bow introductions at the Show was BowTech's neat new flagship, the aptly named Invasion, which was unveiled to literally hundreds of attendees who had gathered at the BowTech booth in excited expectation. The Invasion boasts an IBO speed of 343 fps at a brace height of 7 inches, and axle-to-axle length of 31 1/4 inches. Also check out the hot new Assassin, which comes as a package with a sight, rest, quiver, stabilizer, sling, loop, and peep, at a suggested retail of $599. www.bowtecharchery.com

primos game calls

Over the years Primos gear has been a solid favorite of Bowhunting World readers, and it showed this year yet again. Bigtime. At the Show we presented Will Primos (center) and company with an amazing FIVE 2011 Readers' Choice awards, covering Deer, Turkey, and Elk calls, as well as for Primos/Double Bull blinds, and outstanding Bowhunting Video. When it comes to building gear and communicating the total bowhunting experience, Primos is an undeniable bar-setter. www.primos.com

hha optimizer bow sight

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

rinehart 3d targets

Rinehart Target owners Barbara and James McGovern show off some of their award-winning lineup that includes the new Woodland Buck ($159)and RhinoBlock XL, all made with the company's unique foam that is both incredibly durable and easy-pulling, and can be shot with your choice of fixed and mechanical broadheads, or field points. Take it from us, wearing these targets out is almost impossible. www.rinehart3D.com

ameristep carnivore blind

As is typical, Michigan-based gear innovator Ameristep had plenty of new products including this smart Carnivore ground blind—featuring a durable poly-cotton blend outer shell that reduces noise and sheen, as well as a dual magnetic window system, and ground skirt that helps keep elements and light out. More new Ameristep models feature a scent-adsorbing carbon lining; see them all at www.ameristep.com

tree spider safety harness

Easily one of the best-looking booths at the Show (complete with a ginormous metal spider), Robinson Outdoors hit an undisputed home run with the intro of its new and unique Tree Spider lineup of treestand safety products. Here Kyle Wills shows off the Tree Spider Speed Harness, which can be worn alone, or clipped into specific ScentBlocker outwear, and also accessories that include the Spider Monkey Backpack. A very cool system. www.treespidersafety.com

spott hogg bow sight

Bowhunting World's 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 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, releases and more at www.spot-hogg.com

muddy outdoors tree stand

Mobile treestanding bowhunters everywhere need to check out the neat, lightweight-and-functional lineup from Muddy Outdoors. Here Muddy's Larry Kendall shows off the company's incredibly lightweight and compact climbing sticks, and a new hang-on that makes use of the same ultralight, ultra-quiet dual cinch-rope attachment, which eliminates noisy buckles and is rated to 3,000 pounds. See the entire lineup at www.gomuddy.com

scent killer mash

New from respected scent and lure maker Wildlife Research Center is its "Mash" series of attractant sprays all whitetail 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. Also, predator hunting is still going strong, and a great mid-winter challenge with bow gear...or any gear. Increase your odds for success with help from the company's new Coyote Juice and Paws & Claws scents. See them all at www.wildlife.com

first lite wool clothing

Kenton Carruth of First Lite shows off some of his company's unique camo merino wool apparel line. Merino wool is not only warm and silent, it also prevents odor that can be especially handy during long backcountry hunts...and is smart business for bowhunters anytime, anywhere. Check out the complete First Lite line, including the new Kanab pants and Red Desert boxers, at www.firstlite.com

schaffer archery

Bowhunting World's Mark Melotik (left) looks on as John Schaffer of Schaffer Archery performs one of the most-impressive demonstrations seen at this year's Show. In a nutshell, Schaffer is showing off the incredible tunability of his Schaffer Opposition full-containment arrow rest, by shooting four "perfect bullet holes" through a paper tuner. Here's the amazingly cool part: Each of Schaffer's four shots is with a Different-Spined Arrow! The incredibly forgiving rest design allows each arrow (with spines of .500, .400, .340, and .300) to tune up almost instantly. See more on this amazing rest at www.schafferarchery.com

elite archery

What are some of the sweetest-shooting hunting bows we found at the Show? Solidly among the "Top Tier" was the completely revamped line from Elite Archery, including the Hunter and the Pure models shown off here by Elite's Garret Armstrong. These amazing bows, including the new Pulse and Tour, come in a wide variety of amazing finishes including eye-catching Realtree AP Snow, Realtree Max-1, and Realtree AP, as well as all-black and black riser/camo limb combinations. Man, if you think some of today's bows draw too harshly, you've really got to try shooting the new Hunter. Incredible. www.elitearchery.com

tree stand buddy

Want to hunt more safely and efficiently with your fixed-positioned treestand? Buy a few Tree Stand Buddy systems. This unique universal treestand bracket system saves you money because it allows you to have several treestand sites, using just one treestand. Once one half of the two-part system is permanently afixed to your stand, you simply mount the affordable receiver brackets at several prime sites, and in just minutes you can quickly and safely change locales. Plus, this ultra-sturdy system virtually eliminates treestand wobble and tedious, dangerous attachment hassles. www.treestandbuddy.com



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