Bowhunting’s Top 10 Products for 2022
By: Joe Byers
Braving the COVID storm, a thousand vendors descended upon Louisville, Kentucky for the 2022 Archery Trade Association Trade Show to display the nation’s newest and most innovative archery products. For hunting, shooting or just having fun, here’s the gear for you.
How cool is it to shoot the fastest crossbow in the world? Instantly gratifying! TenPoint has progressively built their crossbow line to faster and faster speeds, and breaking the 500-fps barrier is an engineering accomplishment. Plus, the bow is made in Ohio. The Nitro 505 comes with various scope options, including self-ranging models from Garmen and Burris that allow you to literally point-and-shoot up to 100 yards. The model I tested was topped with the 38mm EVO-X Marksman Elite Scope, that was honestly like looking at a wide-screen TV. Additionally, the bow features a 2-stage trigger with zero creep, which allowed me to shoot with pin-point precision on the first shot. The butt plate is adjustable, making the bow fit a wide variety of statures, and the Micro-Trac Barrel gives the bow a slender physique. It cocks easily with a crank that nests in the stock and de-cocks with the push of a button allowing the string tension to be unwound. www.tenpointcrossbows.com
Hunting from ground blinds is quickly growing in acceptance among successful hunters, because this format allows one or more hunters to spend time in total concealment, out of the elements, and in great comfort. Rain, snow, and wind are no problem, and can put you on game when other hunters are in camp. Primal Treestands offers this hub style blind that allows 270 degrees of one-way vision. The best feature of the Vision 270 blind is that you can see out, while game cannot see in. The advantage of this feature is it allows you to spot a buck or gobbler as soon as it approaches and be at full draw or dead-on when it enters a shooting window. At 67 inches high and 72 inches hub-to-hub shooting width, it easily fits two people, allowing one to shoot while the other operates a video camera. Check out the Vision 270 at www.Primaltreestands.com as well as their full line of hunting stands.
Alps introduces a line of packs specifically designed for adventure and wilderness hunters. The Elite system centers on the all-new Elite frame, which is 30-percent lighter and 30-percent stronger than previous pack frames. In addition, this new frame hits higher benchmarks of performance and ergonomics thanks to an adjustable torso length, fully adjustable load lifters, contoured lumbar support, anti-sway waist belt, and a quiet and breathable 3D air mesh suspension with an anti-slip lumbar pad. The Elite system is designed so that the frame can be used as a standalone solution for hauling meat and capes. A large front load panel and two side panels feature buckle compression straps that allow the hunter to properly balance and secure heavy loads without shifting. The total weight for the frame comes in at an impressive 3 lbs. 10 oz.
Two-pack bags are offered with the Elite system. For short trips or for ultralight bivouacs, there is the Elite 1800 pack bag, weighing 1 lb., 12 oz. with the included rain cover and drop-down weapon pocket. For multi-day backcountry trips, the Elite 3800 pack bag is the optimal choice. This pack features a 3800 cu-in capacity, weighing 2 lbs., 7 oz with the rain cover, drop-down pocket, and spotting scope pocket on the exterior of the pack bag. www.alpsbrands.com
These technologically advanced products offer built-in heating panels that activate via Bluetooth and eliminate the need for bulky jackets and pants to keep warm. Each garment comes with an on-off button and operates with a remote that regulates the length of warming and the degree. The company offers a wide variety of products from jackets and vest to base layers, muffs, socks, and gloves for women and men. Colors range from casual threads including popular puffer styles, to orange for hunters, and Hi-Vis green for commercial use. If you want to stay warm, this new technology recharges like a smartphone and lasts up to 10 hours on one charge. Check out all the possibilities at their website: www.fieldsheer.com
5. Bow Spider
Bow Spider is an American-made business located in Wyoming. David (owner) missed a bull elk of a lifetime and decided to develop a product to help make archery easier. After several years of development in field testing, he finally came up with the Bow Spider which allows a person to carry a compound bow in a variety of ways. The system has two main parts, a “post” that attaches to the bow and a “receiver” that connects it. For backpackers, the receiver attaches easily to a pack or to a small harness that fits like a binocular harness. The post drops easily into the receiver and is held securely until the bow is raised for quick use. The receiver also fits easily on a belt for side carry and on a pack in where the bow can be cradled in front of the hunter. This is ideal for hunting in thick brush or rugged ground, because both hands are free for climbing and passing through branches. 3-D shooters will enjoy the ease of carry as well. For more information, check out www.bowspider.com
In 2021, GPO Rangeguide 8X42 Binoculars won The Gray’s Sporting Journal for the best binocular, a significant achievement among the best optics in the world. For 2022, GPO has included the same rangefinding technology in a smaller, more hunter friendly version in 8x32. If you have never used rangefinding binoculars, you are missing a key element of hunting success. With the touch of a button, you can instantly know the distance to a game animal and plan a shot or a stalk. This compact premium optic weights just 1.5 pounds, so it’s portable enough to hunt all day without causing fatigue. Incredibly, the Rangeguide measures distance from 6 to 3,000 yards, along with readings on humidity, barometric pressure, and the angle to your target. When hunting in steep terrain, hunters need to know the horizontal distance to a game animal to make an accurate shot, and the Rangeguide calculates this distance automatically. Typically, range-finding binoculars price over $2,000, but the GPO Rangeguide 8x32 is less than half that cost. www.GPO-USA.com
In this era of screaming arrows from fast crossbows and compounds, every hunter needs a quality target and the ability to move it about for realistic practice. Since deer season is either over or almost so for 2021, many archers will be keeping their form tuned by practicing realistically on their favorite game animal- the whitetail deer. Others will be honing their skills for the upcoming turkey season and the most challenging task in bowhunting- taking a spring gobbler with an arrow. Morrell offers the Back to Back 2 target, which is ideal for both of these options. The Back to Back 2 has a realistic molded target of a strutting tom one side and a whitetail deer on the other. This target is made from “High Roller Foam,” the same material found in their “dice” targets. I tested these with a crossbow of 425 fps and was able to pull the shaft from the target with one hand, the most user-friendly foam target I’ve experienced. It is designed to stop arrows of 450 fps, with either field tips or broadheads, and shows deer and turkey vitals. Equally important is the portability of the Back to Back 2. If you hunt from a blind for turkeys, you will want to experiment with ranges and angles to hit a gobblers’ incredibly small kill zone. With this target, you can literally go to the turkey or deer woods and practice where you will be hunting. www.morrelltargets.com
Shooting-house style blinds are becoming very popular, and Banks Outdoors makes a variety of those. Uniquely, they also offer a “Wild Water” hydration device, which can turn a deer hunting desert into an oasis. States have varying regulations about baiting whitetail deer and turkeys, yet none restrict the use of a portable “water hole.” Providing a small, concealed drinking location will attract deer of all age groups. In many areas, mature bucks will not come to a feeder, yet water is needed by all animals and makes a wonderful means of luring a variety of creatures to your hunting spot. Additionally, Banks Outdoors offers Wild Water Mineral Supplements, which can be added to this water supply. These minerals can be unflavored, or you can select from persimmon, grape, and apple for added attraction. Wild Water dispersal systems come in 50-, 100-, and 300-gallon sizes to meet varying geographical and population needs. If you want a way to lure that big buck to a secluded hunting spot, the need for water can be the ticket to get them there. www.banksoutdoors.com
Hodag Outdoors offers several unique ways to attract and holding deer in the perfect position for a shot. Their Licking Stick holder allows a hunter to place a branch or sapling in an ideal shooting location near a stand. When a buck comes to rub the sapling, it will be standing perfectly still, and you will know the exact range. If you overlook a bean field, placing this sapling 20 yards out will be irresistible to a buck who wants to examine its scent and place its own scent upon it. Likewise, the Hempscent Rope System will attract bucks to rub and visit an exact spot and works in states that have laws against baiting. These two tricks work well for camera placement, and the deer will tell you which tactic works the best. www.hodagoutdoors.com
As the hunting community increasingly warms to enclosed and elevated shooting houses, the Millennium 250 Solo Buck Hut is the perfect way to get started. An enclosed and elevated blind allows archers and firearm hunters to score when most of the competition is back in camp. The elevated enclosure is above a deer’s normal range of vision, and the enclosure helps reduce scent detection and provides a tree stand view while you sit in comfort. Crossbow and firearm users can rest their gear for a solid shot and to increase their maximum range. The 4x4 foot enclosure is large enough for full, 360 degree movement and small enough to be easily relocated if hunting conditions change or you just want to hunt a different spot. www.millenniumstands.com
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