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ATA Show Day 1 Impressions

By Justin ZarrJanuary 8, 200941 Comments

LAST UPDATED: May 8th, 2015

The first day of the 2009 ATA show once again brought a lot of anticipation to see what new products would be hitting the market for this year.  The entire Bowhunting.com staff is here in attendance, checking in on the latest gear and bringing you the most up to date info on what's happening in the archery world.

One of the first products that caught my eye is the Universal Bow Rope Holder from Pine Ridge Archery.  As simple as this product is, I personally think it's a great it.  Basically, the holder screws onto your treestand, either a lock-on or a climber, and includes a hoist rope that can be used to pull up your bow, pack, or other gear you may have in th field with you.  As someone who hangs and hunts from quite a few treestands during the season I think this is a great product.  I fully intend on putting one of these on every stand I have, just to make sure I always have a bow rope handy when I need one.  There's nothing worse, or more unsafe, than trying to climb up into your stand with your bow in your hand.

The new Fusion vane from Norway Industries also caught my eye today.  One of the hottest new products of this year's show, this vane features a stiff, durable material in a shield cut vane for optimal broadhead flight, fused with a softer, more pliable base for better adhesion to your shafts and more flexibility in case your fletchings do contact anything on the way towards your target.  I picked up a sample of these vanes and plan on fletching up a few arrows next week in preparation for our indoor shooting leagues which start soon.

I forgot to snap photos at the Duravanes booth, but did find this video on YouTube the other day.  It gives a pretty good explanation of what these vanes are all about. 

 

Another cool product Todd and I saw was the Timber Tread.  Essentially, this rugged step slips over and attaches to your screw-in treestep to offer a larger and more stable platform when climbing and/or decending your tree.  This step accessory helps grip your boot sole more securely and prevent slipping in wet or cold weather.  The Timber Tread is 3.5 inches wide and 4.5 inches long and works great for both lock-on type stands as well as tree saddles.

New for 2009, Lone Wolf now offers a wider version of their popular Sit & Climb stand, which is 3 inches wider than the standard version.  This larger version is more accomodating for larger hunters, or for those cold weather hunts when you've got a few extra inches of clothing on.

New Archery Products released several new broadheads this year, one of which is the Bloodrunner.  This rearward-opening expandable broadhead features a 1" cutting diameter when in flight, and opens to a full 1.5" cutting diameter on impact without losing any kinetic energy or penetrating power.  This looks like a super durable head that can withstand just about anything, and will penetrate extremely well.  I'm personally looking forward to testing them out soon!

Muddy Outdoors has released a new set of climbing sticks that feature a buckle-less fastening system that is completely silent both in transport and when attaching to your tree.  Simply slide the climbing-grade rope into the cam locks, pull it tight, and tie it off and you're up your tree in seconds.  These new climbing sticks also feature dual steps that work in tandem to support your weight while climbing, and offer a greater range of flexibility when climbing those crooked trees, or ones with a lot of limbs.  The new climbing sticks also pack down tightly and attach to the Muddy Outdoors treestands for lightweight, easy transportation.

New from Scent Blocker for this year is the Bone Collector line of apparel and boots.  Based around the new TV show of the same name staring noted personality Michael Waddel, the Freak Nasty Jacket features both activated carbon and S3 technology to eliminate and prevent odors, along with a neat silent wrist fastening system for securing the cuffs.  Thank you for not using velcro!!!  The jacket also has 6 roomy front pockets, 2 rear pockets, and accepts a fleece zip-in vest for colder days.  This is a great looking jacket that I'm eager to test out come next fall.

 

To wrap up Day 1, the Huntmore 360* stool is finally ready for production and will be available in stores shortly.  This compact stool weighs a mere 9 pounds, folds down quickly and quietly and stores in the included bag, and is perfect for ground blind hunting.  The feet have been enlarged for this year to make it more stable even on wet ground, and the patented cast aluminum hub system makes this stool extremely strong and deadly quiet.  When it comes to hunting out of a ground blind, or from the ground in general, there is no better stool than the Huntmore 360.  As soon as they're available to the public, you can bet I'll have one!

I'll make sure to update the site tomorrow night with more products and I learn about them, so check back tomorrow night!  

Justin Zarr
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General Manager at Bowhunting.com
Justin has been bowhunting for more than 30 years and co-hosting the popular bowhunting show Bowhunt or Die since 2010.  He lives in the NW suburbs of Chicago with his wife, 3 children, and semi-smelly dog.
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