Archery

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By Zach Bowhay With many pronghorn seasons in full swing and the archery elk season fast approaching, it’s easy to be distracted right now finishing up your summer to-do list before the big game. However, if a big mule deer buck in the high country is at the top of your list for this fall, the time is now to be out scouting. By now, all the bucks have made it back to the high country and can be found, for the most part, close to where they will spend their fall. Many bucks right now are within a half-mile, or often times within a few hundred yards, of where they will be when the fall rifle seasons begin. If you spend the time now finding a buck that fits what you are after, you will be further ahead than just hopping around from basin to basin in hopes of stumbling on the buck of your dreams. Want to do some scouting with trail cams to... Read more

By Darron McDougal Is your Backyard Practice Yielding Deadly Bowhunting Accuracy? If not, Incorporate These Tips. Two spike bulls — clueless to my existence — ambled by 25 yards away as I hunkered in knee-high sagebrush. They’d seemingly appeared out of thin air. Both paused briefly to browse, then my peripheral vision suddenly picked up movement to my left. It was a third bull elk. The handsome 5x5 wasn’t a monster, but a fine public-land bull and one I’d be thrilled to take. He took a trail farther out than the spikes had, and with the sparse cover, I didn’t dare attempt to range the bull. Once he was broadside, I slowly drew my bow. The spikes caught the movement and bolted. The 5x5 locked up the brakes and stared holes through me. Though I probably had several seconds to spare, I perceived it as a now-or-never opportunity... Read more

Walking a tradeshow floor can be quite overwhelming especially if you are trying to seek out the best new products for bowhunting. Check out our Top 5 Bow picks from this year’s ATA At this year’s ATA 2019 show, we spent a lot of time scouring the show in search of something that is actually new. In no particular order, here are our best of show choices: Mystery Ranch Sawtooth 45 and Beartooth 80 Packs Mystery Ranch has once again stepped up their game with a new Guide Lite MT Frame on their new line of packs.  The Guide Lite MT frame features a 5-piece segmented belt with higher cushioning than their traditional frame.  The segmented belt gives the hiker/hunter more comfort, especially when carrying a heavy load. Mystery Ranch Sawtooth 45 Pack  Mystery Ranch Beartooth 80 Pack  Muzzy One Broadhead The new Muzzy One Broad... Read more

The Archery Trade Association show (ATA) is the largest archery and bowhunting tradeshow in the industry with over 9,000 total attendees and more than 650 exhibitors. Every year, North 40 Outfitters sends a team to discover the latest industry innovations and check out the newest gear we just can’t wait to get our hands on. Looking for the most innovative bows? Order online here. For us, this year is unlike any other when it comes to the archery industry.  Instead of bow manufacturers waiting for the ATA show to release their new bows, most of them released them in the fall of 2018.  This made it super helpful for us to know what we were going into; however, we did find a few surprises.  We had the chance to shoot every bow from every bow manufacturer side by side.  In no particular order, here is our list of the top 5 Bows from ATA... Read more

By Darron McDougal The author claimed this western tom fresh off the roost. The gobbler was roosted with hens in a giant dead cottonwood tree in the middle of the prairie. (Photo by Rebecca McDougal) Faint, distant gobbles gained volume each time I scratched my slate call. In mere minutes, as my bride, Becca, rolled footage, an angry Merriam’s gobbler confronted my jake decoy, which was positioned six yards away from our hide. I drew back when his head disappeared behind his fan feathers. Then, I held my draw until he re-exposed his head. Once my pin found red, I squeezed the trigger. My broadhead sliced his neck wide open, and death followed almost instantly. Sounds like your typical bow-bird success story, but that wouldn’t be an accurate assessment. Just 15 minutes earlier, we watched the tom from our Jeep, which was parked a half... Read more

Four-time world-champion elk caller Dieter Kaboth says open-reed cow calls are the ticket to bowhunting success. That’s because these calls mimic the sounds of a mature cow, which bulls want to mate with and other elk want to be around. In this video Kaboth gives you techniques and tactics—and good reason—to use these calls during archery season and rifle season.   Hi, I'm Dieter Kaboth and I've been very fortunate to win four world elk calling champions with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. I want to mention the mission of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. It's to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage. I've been a lifetime member for going on two decades now and it's one of the best things I've ever done and they're really working hard for you, for elk and other wildlife so future... Read more

In this video, four-time world-champion elk caller Deiter Kaboth says, “An elk wants to breed a cow during the archery season and they are coming into those cows because they want a bunch of girlfriends.” That urge is your ticket to harvesting a bull this season and Kaboth tells you exactly when to use certain calls to mimic nervous elk, and when to use others to calm the herd. If you do it right, you may be able to work right into the herd and put an arrow in a bull. So tune in and learn how to use a diaphragm cow elk call to your best advantage. Right now is the time to practice so you speak fluent cow elk by the time September arrives.   Hi, I'm Dieter Kaboth, and I've been very fortunate to win four world elk calling championships with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. You know, part of the championships is not only jus... Read more

If you’d located a giant bull elk in the western Mountains , and it was riled up and searching for cows, and you needed to get that bull across a canyon and into bow range, you’d want Dieter Kaboth to be 30 yards behind you with a diaphragm call in his mouth and a grunt tube pressed to his lips. That’s because many people consider Kaboth to be the best elk caller on the planet. That is backed up by Kaboth’s accolades, which include four Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation world elk calling titles in the professional division. Got elk? Want them close? Get Kaboth. In this video, Kaboth shares simple tips to take your elk calling to the next level. Just starting? Got a stack of antlers to your credit? Doesn’t matter—Kaboth’s words are valuable no matter how green or experienced you may be. Check out the video and have your diaphra... Read more

The new Tacticam 5.0 series is actually two 4k HD cameras in one. One has a regular lens with an upgraded 8X zoom, the other is built with a wide-angle lens for field of view up to 120 degrees. These cameras are equipped with all sorts of features, like WiFi compatibility for live feeds, remote control, auto adjustability in low-light conditions, and a battery life of 2.5 hours. Best, this camera is small, easily mounts to your bow, and captures a real hunting perspective. After a shot you can review in slow motion, via WiFi to your phone, to determine placement.   This year the exciting news is at the ATA show is we've announced we're coming out with the 5.0 series of cameras. I said series because we have two models this year. Same camera, two different lenses. I'll go over the first one, the 5.0 regular, all the same features yo... Read more

The Mystery Ranch Quick Draw Bino Harness offers quick access to one of your most important hunting tools—your binoculars. Along with quick access this harness offers great protection and a comfortable fit that works in sync with Mystery Ranch packs. The Quick Draw Bino Harness system can accommodate a pistol or bear spray, which keeps that protection readily available when needed. $75. Hi, I'm Alex from Mystery Ranch here at ATA 2018. I'd like show you the bino harness. This is the large bino harness; we have two sizes now, this is the bigger one. The smaller one's good for 10-by-42's, this will fit most 12-by-50's. Pretty nice setup. It's got a magnetic closure, so easy in and out of your buckles, one-handed operation. And that magnet will find its home every time. It's also a mechanical closure once it seats, so you don't really h... Read more

Get inside Primos’ new SurroundView Double Bull ground blind series, what the company calls, “The blind without a blind spot.” The new one-way see-through walls conceal the hunter inside, but expose everything outside to the hunter’s eyes. That means you can see the buck, the bull or the turkey, whether it’s in front, to the side, or behind you . . . but the game can’t see you. This is the biggest upgrade to ground blinds since the hub system and is sure to make you a more effective hunter. Hi guys! I'm Jason Harris with Primos and we're at the 2018 ATA Show, and today, I'm gonna talk to you about one of our coolest new products we've come out with in a long time, and what we're being told is the talk of the show. It's the new Double Bull SurroundView Blind. We call it, "The blind without a blind spot." And from the outside,... Read more