Each winter, the Archery Trade Association (ATA) hosts a trade show for its individual and corporate members. The annual ATA Show gives archery shop dealers the opportunity to see the latest and greatest gear for bowhunters and target shooters. This year, the Show — January 8, 9 and 10 — was in Indiana, at the Indianapolis Convention Center.
Thinking back on my 3 days spent walking the 2025 ATA Show floor, I must admit that my No. 1 takeaway isn’t a specific new bowhunting product, or even a business meeting. Let me explain.
1: ATA Show Surprise
As I was hiking from my hotel to the Show on the first day, I was in a massive hallway leading to the Show floor (similar to the top photo), but I was still at least 150 yards from a set of entry doors. I had timed my hike to arrive at those doors at precisely 8:30 a.m., which is when the Show opens. In front of me were at least 100 people, some alone, some in pairs, threesomes, foursomes, etc, spread out from wall to wall, all facing the same direction (away from me).
But everyone was stopped. Understand . . . they weren’t waiting in line at the entry doors. Some were near the Show entrance far ahead in the hallway, but others were only 15 yards in front of me, still a long way from stepping onto the Show floor, and everywhere in between.
Then I heard music — The Star-Bangled Banner. Everyone was stopped, hats removed, showing their respect for the American flag, our country and our national anthem, even though there was no flag to be seen in our hallway.
I could faintly hear a young woman’s voice singing the final few lines from our anthem, and I was struck with how EVERY person had stopped to show their respect. I’m always proud to be an American, but at that moment, I was also keenly proud of the archery industry.
In addition to this unexpected and special moment, I would like to recap a handful of my favorite products discovered at the 2025 ATA Show.
2: Bowtech Virtue
At last year’s ATA Show, I was so impressed with the Bowtech Core SS that I hunted with one during the 2024 whitetail season in South Dakota. I adhere strongly to the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” philosophy, so changing to a new compound is a big deal for me. As the editor of Archery Business and Bowhunting World magazines, I have the opportunity/invitation to hunt with various new bows each fall, and I almost always say “no thank you.” Once I find a compound that I love, I use it for a few years, minimum.
I explain this history so you understand that I gave the new-for-2025 Bowtech Virtue almost no chance of impressing me more than the company’s buttery-smooth Core SS from 2024. I’ll make you wait for a deep-dive bow report from our compound guru Darron McDougal in a future issue of this magazine, but I will tease his content by saying the 32-inch Virtue is crazy light (3.7 pounds, as compared to the SS’s weight of 4.5 pounds), comfortable to draw, aims solidly, and has virtually no hand shock upon release. I made a point to visit the Bowtech shooting lane a few times during the ATA Show, and everyone who put one to the test was equally impressed. It’s a tremendous new bow. Period.
In addition to proven Bowtech technologies such as DeadLock, TimeLock, GripLock and more, the Virtue also includes these features: AeroMag magnesium riser, weighing less than aluminum but outstanding strength and stiffness; premium, lightweight titanium fasteners throughout for strength and durability; and Cerakote protective coating for durability, hardness and scratch resistance. Virtue specs: mass weight, 3.7 pounds; max draw weights: 50, 60 and 70 pounds; axle to axle length, 32 inches; draw length, 25 to 30 inches; speed, 341 fps; brace height, 6.19 inches.
Pricing for the Virtue starts at $1,999. FYI: Due to the Cerakote finish, the Virtue isn’t available in camo. Solid color options include TAC (think tactical) Black, TAC Green, TAC Stone, TAC Grey and TAC Blue.
3: Barronett Insight
I’ve owned a wide variety of hub-style pop-up blinds through the decades, dating back to an original Double Bull T5 model I bought in 1999 that features a handful of tiny porthole shooting windows. Without exception, the biggest problem with a hub-style blind is the zipper. Because it’s usually placed in a sideways “V” pattern on the back wall, the zipper itself is under a lot of tension when the blind is opened and staked in place. Over time, the zipper often tears somewhere along its length, and I’m not skilled enough to mend it. Also, the tension can be so extreme that it’s impossible to slide the zipper into the full closed position, so light enters through the back of the blind, which is less than ideal.
The new Barronett Insight pop-up blind solves the zipper problem. Check out these photos and you’ll see what I mean. The blind’s back wall is bookended by two vertical zippers, and these zippers glide up and down with ease because they aren’t under tension. I also like the fact that because the entire back wall will flip up and come to rest on the roof, you can climb in and out of the blind without trying to squeeze through a tiny doorway. Sometimes hunters struggle with collapsing a hub-style blind for packing (again, due to high tension), but the “free” back wall should eliminate the problem. The design is brilliant.
Other features on the Barronett Insight include: View-Through Fabric from floor to ceiling on three walls; silent and adjustable panoramic front shooting windows provide outstanding visibility; water-resistant, 150 denier fabric with a black interior coating; set of detachable blaze orange safety panels for use during gun hunting season ensuring you are visible to other hunters while remaining hidden from your prey; brush holders for optional added concealment; carry bag, with eight ground stakes and tie-down ropes. Dimensions: 55x55-inch footprint; shooting width, 71x71 inches; height, 68 inches.
And I’ve saved perhaps the best for last: The Barronett Insight weighs only 14 pounds, and the MSRP is only $179.99. This lightweight, full-feature pop-up blind is an incredible value!
4: Rivers Edge Duralite
When it comes to hang-on portable treestands, I prefer models that secure solidly to a tree; provide a large enough adjustable platform to stand and turn safely; have a quiet, comfortable and adjustable seat; are light enough to hang without too much difficulty; and are affordable.
I own dozens of hang-ons, and I must admit that none of them check all of my boxes. There are a number of stands on the market that do satisfy all of these criteria except the last one — affordability — but I refuse to pay top dollar for a hang-on stand. The reason? I don’t do “hang and hunts” on public or private property. On public land, I hunt from the ground, and on private I set my stands (and clear shooting lanes) well in advance of whitetail season. Also, I almost always have help when I’m hanging treestands, so if a stand is a bit difficult to hang because it’s heavy, my buddies and I can work through it.
At the 2025 ATA Show, I’d just finished checking out the Barronett Blind Insight (discussed earlier), and the gentlemen who had been answering some of my questions asked if I’d seen the Rivers Edge Duralite. (FYI: Barronett Blinds and Rivers Edge Treestands is owned by the same parent company, Ardisam, so the two brands have adjacent floor space at the Show.) After a short walk to the opposite side of the large booth space, I was learning about the new Duralite, and I do believe it checks all the boxes I detailed previously.
The heart of the Rivers Edge Duralight is the Next Level Treestand Bracket, which allows for easy and secure treestand installation. You attach the bracket to the tree first — not the treestand — and then the stand slips into the bracket. Next, you secure the stand with the company’s unique Forever Strap, a TPU coated polyester strap with a stainless-steel ratchet. Both the strap and the ratchet are built to be impervious to the elements. In fact, no matter how long you leave the Forever Strap in the elements, it will not deteriorate or corrode.
Other features of the Duralite include: ultra-durable, one-piece cast aluminum construction; platform and seat can be adjusted for leaning trees; generous platform, measuring 21 inches wide and 28 inches deep; flip-up, TearTuff mesh seat; weight capacity 350 pounds. The stand itself weighs 14 pounds, and the included bracket is 2 pounds, so total weight is 16 pounds. But as I explained earlier, you hang the bracket first, then the stand, so weight won’t be an issue. The Duralite is a great value, too, with an MSRP of $249.
5: Nilch’i Wind Detector
Before I get to the specifics of the Nilch’i Wind Detector, allow me this short story. When I was 12-18 years old and deer hunting the thick woods and swamps in northern Minnesota with a rifle, I had an uncle with the uncanny ability to kill mature bucks. This area held few whitetails, probably 10 per square mile, and it was common to hunt dark to dark and see zero deer. In fact, even though I considered myself to be a decently skilled hunter, I once went six consecutive days (hunting dark to dark) during my college years without seeing a single deer. In a word — tough!
I can remember my uncle — time and time again — explaining how he was still-hunting through the forest and encountered a big buck at distances of less than 50 yards. Through the years, he killed at least four giants, and passed many others that I’m sure I would have killed in a heartbeat. I mention this history because I’ll never forget the day I watched Uncle Walt slipping through the forest, about 100 yards from my treestand. He’d walk a few steps, stop, then take a puff on his cigarette — yep, he smoked like a chimney! He constantly held up his cigarette to watch the trail of smoke in the wind or thermals. Doing so, he always worked with the wind in his favor. Crazy!
Well, I was blessed to never start smoking, and I thought of Uncle Walt when I saw a man working in the Nilch’i booth demonstrating the company’s innovative product to an archery shop owner.
Nilch'i is a Navajo word that translates to “wind” or “holy wind,” which I think is a great name for this wind detector. The squeeze bottle is small, 1.25 inches in diameter, but it carries 3 to 4 grams of finely milled odorless powder. When you squeeze the bottle, the powder reveals the slightest wind or thermal.
Okay, wind detectors aren’t new; in fact, I own several from different manufacturers. What makes the Nilch’i version different — and in my opinion, superior — is you can easily attach it to your quiver hood with the company’s Bottle Holder, which features adhesive backing (photo above). Other options for carrying/transporting the squeeze bottles include a holder that attaches to a bow’s riser with a simple ziptie, or a hat clip, which also will carry a mouth call for elk.
Because you don’t have to dig in a pocket to find the Nilch’i squeeze bottle, you’re more likely to test the wind more often — like my Uncle Walt with his cigarette! I love this product, and the cost is a home run, too: MSRP for five bottles (no holder) is $9.99; two bottles w/holder is $9.99; and three holders w/no bottles is $7.99. This would be an outstanding impulse buy in any archery shop.
6: Malta Hunting Safety Ultralight Harness
I’m always happy to see new exhibitors at the ATA Show, and one of those this year is Malta Hunting Safety. This company is a division of Malta Dynamics, which has earned a tremendous reputation in the workplace safety world, keeping men and women safe in a wide variety of difficult and potentially dangerous environments. For more than 30 years, Malta Dynamics has designed, engineered and manufactured safety products to serve its customers in construction, aviation, manufacturing, warehousing, masonry and more. To give you an idea of the size/scope of this workplace safety company: It has more than 600 employees in the field. Because Malta is an expert in full-body safety harnesses in the workplace, it only makes sense that they offer proven products to hunters.
Malta Hunting Safety manufactures three hunting-specific harness kits — Hunter’s Elite, Ultralight, and Youth Ultralight — as well as a 30-foot Reflective Lifeline, Dual-Action Twist Lock Carabiner, and various straps. MSRP for each of the three harnesses is $119.99.
I was most impressed with the Ultralight Harness Kit, which weighs only 2.4 pounds. Its features include: lightweight quick-connect chest and leg buckles; sewn-in lineman’s climbing strap loops; quiet, comfortable, breathable padded material on the back, shoulder and legs; and attached stretch shock-absorbing tether.
This kit contains the harness, tree strap, lineman’s climbing strap and deer drag/suspension relief strap. Maximum capacity is 300 pounds. It’s available in two TrueTimber camo patterns, Kanati or Strata, and one solid color, forest green. Sizes are S-M, L-XL, 2XL and 3XL.
One note regarding the Hunter’s Elite Kit: In the 2X and 3X versions, it is certified for hunters up to 350 pounds. That’s 50 pounds more than required from the company, which clearly demonstrates Malta’s commitment to safety.
Earlier I mentioned the company’s Dual-Action Twist Lock Carabiner. It opens with a simple 90 degree twist and is self-closing/self-locking for maximum safety. Its heavy-duty steel construction is rated to support up to 5,000 pounds (not a misprint) and has a corrosion resistant finish for durability. Note: This carabiner is included with the 30-foot Reflective Lifeline, but it isn’t part of the harness package. However, it is available for purchase separately ($11.99) as an upgrade option. I plan to buy a few for the harnesses I currently own.
