LAST UPDATED: May 1st, 2015
The power of smell has to be one of the most underrated senses in life. It is amazing how a scent on the wind can remind you of family, friends, places and situations. It has the power to transport your mind to many different places. For me the smell of freshly cut grass on an August morning can instantly take me back to my days of playing football in High School and College; bringing with it a flood of memories that up until that time had been long forgotten. Maybe for others it is the smell of burning leaves in the fall, or certain foods cooking that can release memories. Whatever it may be it is a powerful way to remember and reminisce.
Over my years of hunting I have come to believe that Whitetail Deer are not very different when it comes to smell; be it a smell that they associate with danger, food, curiosity or breeding. These scents will elicit certain reactions. If their reaction to smell is one quarter of the reaction that we experience, it can be a powerful tool or a definite deterrent to your effectiveness in the woods. When it comes to the outdoor industry, very few companies will spend all of their time dealing with the science of scent. However, one such company does exist. Recently, I had the privilege to spend some time with Terry Rohm, Director Of Marketing at Tink’s, to discuss what they are doing to make us all better hunters via a whitetails sense of smell.
Tink’s makes a variety of lures and attractants sure to increase your chances of success in the field.
Q: How did Tink’s get started?
A: Tink’s was the vision of an avid, young bowhunter named Tink Nathan. Tink loved to bow hunt, made his own arrows way back then, and started selling them. Tink saw the need as a bowhunter to get deer close for a better shot. He knew the rut was one of the best times to shoot a monster buck so he started testing and experimenting with deer lures and formulas; thus the start of Tink’s #69 Doe-Rut-Buck Lure began. That same formula still remains the same today.
Q: What does a typical day in the life of Terry Rohm look like?
A: Well hunters often tell me they wished they had my job because all they see is the hunting part of the job. Let me say this, it is a great job and I love it! I’ve been here 25 years now and would not think of doing anything different. What hunters don’t realize is that it is a business. The hunting part is a few weeks out of the year, but the rest of the time my days and weeks are spent dealing with trade shows, advertising, packaging, catalogs, answering email from hunters, and working on new products. Those are just a few things in my day to day life here at Tink’s…..besides keeping the boss happy, happy, happy!
A fully stock warehouse at the Tink’s facility just waiting to be delivered to hunters across the country.
Q: What challenges have you had to overcome as a business?
A: I think our biggest challenge is constantly working to keep Tink’s on top and making sure we give hunters the very best product we can. Challenges seem to come from nowhere and it is always something different. One recent challenge for Tink’s would have been adjusting to the new wave of social media. Tink’s has been in business now for 41 years and to stay the leading brand that long you have to change. Another challenge for Tink’s and everybody else in our industry is getting younger hunters into our sport. We all must do our part in getting new blood into hunting.
The brand new Hot Shot product, with “bag-in-the-can” technology, rolling off the manufacturing line.
Q: What is the one thing about your company that readers do not know about, that they should?
A: Well one thing we want them to know here at Tink’s is how much we appreciate their support when purchasing Tink’s products. If you don’t have a customer you don’t have a company, and we don’t have a job! The other thing is we have a great team. It takes serious team work year after year to make it all come together at the end of the year. You can’t really put one job as the most important; if one fails we all fail…and I must say our team hates to fail!
Q: Tell me about some of your new products that you are most excited about, and why?
A: We listen to the hunters that use scents every day of the season. We want to know what would make lures easier to use, more convenient, and most of all…work the best. Our new Hot Shot Spray Mists have answered their requests. The Hot Shots are a spray like an aerosol but we found a better spray technology called the “Bag-in-Can” system. Aerosols mix the propellant with the lure so your lure is getting contaminated with the propellant. With our bag- in-can system, the lure is contained inside a bag, inside the can, and then surrounded with compressed air. No contamination, 100 % evacuation, and 3ounces of pure product. The Hot Shot will spray from any angle and is super quiet so it won’t spook game when close. As a hunter, I really like to use the Hot Shot from a tree stand or from a ground blind. If the wind changes just keep it handy and mist the air a few times. My favorite thing to do is if I see a deer going down wind of me and I know they will hit my scent stream, I will take my Hot Shot and start to mist the air. Hopefully when that deer hits my scent the mist will confuse them, especially if it’s an old doe, or bring that big buck right back to me.
Q: How are your products tested to ensure quality?
A: Well before we would even think of putting a product on the market we test in the field with actual hunters. We also have partnerships with some great TV shows and web advertising partners that evaluate our products such as Bowhunting.com. These companies are great at testing new products in the field and in several different regions and weather conditions. Many of our products are formulas, like Tink’s # 69, and we follow those formulas to the T (or should I say “P”). The hunters know what it should smell like and that is what they expect.
Tink’s new odor destroying product, B-Tech, eliminates odors that can cost you that shot at a mature buck.
Q: How have your products made people better hunters?
A: One way deer communicate is by smell. Quality lures can attract or stop deer giving the hunter the advantage. Deer lures are another tool for hunters just like your bow, broadheads and any other piece of hunting equipment you rely on as a hunter. When used properly and under the right conditions, lures can put that animal right in front of you for a good shot. There are so many things that can affect your hunt that hunters should think about and understand. Thinks like hunting pressure, buck to doe ratio, and the age structure of your deer. Keep in mind deer lures are not magic, hunters still need to do their scouting. Here at Tink’s we also try to teach or educate hunters about hunting and the critters they are hunting. Take a look at our web site www.tinks.com where we have lots of good hunting info.
Q: What can consumers expect when it comes to customer service?
A: Tink’s backs its products 100% period! Here at Tink’ s we look at it from the consumer’s point of view. If you buy something, you want to know you got your money’s worth. Hunter’s expect it from Tink’s and we aim to make sure they get it. We have two great gals that handle several different jobs at Tink’s. Julie and Gail both have been with Tink’s for several years and are customer service experts. Our selling season is as short as some deer seasons and right now we are running wide open shipping products. What most people don’t know is during our busiest time of year we are also getting everything ready for the following season.
Q: If you only had one piece of advice to give to all of our readers that would make them better in the deer woods what would it be?
A: I hear a lot of hunters say I wish I could shoot a big buck like that. Hunters need to evaluate their hunting area and see what kind of deer they have to hunt. Growing up in PA way back then, if it had 3 inch spikes it got shot. I was trying to shoot a P&Y buck and just never got to see one. It took me a long time and many frustrated seasons to figure out we had no P&Ys where I was hunting. Dad and I got tired of that and went to Ohio and both shot P&Ys the very first time we went. We were finally hunting where the big bucks lived. So let’s face it, we all don’t have a big buck place to hunt, so a trophy can be a doe. Just enjoy Bowhunting and have fun! For heaven’s sakes don’t put pressure on yourself. Just remember if you want to shoot a big buck, you have to start by making sure you have big bucks on the property.
Tink’s has been producing quality products for 40 years and continues that tradition today. Check them out for all of your hunting attraction needs.
Q: If you could change one thing about the hunting industry what would it be?
A: I know this is way out there, but we have so many great organizations doing great things, but wouldn’t it be great if we could unite somehow to become stronger to protect all hunting and the outdoors.
Q: How can we find out more about the products and what is going on at Tink’s?
A: Just visit our web site www.tinks.com to see all of our products and how best to use them and other good hunting information. You can also go to our Facebook page (Tink’s Hunting Products) to see what is going on with our hunters out in the field. Oh and don’t forget to go to our web site and sign up for a free Kansas whitetail hunt in 2014. Somebody is going to win!
