I look forward to the ATA almost as much as opening day of Archery season. Over the past few years I have made some very good friends through out the industry and enjoy meeting new people every year, not to mention the massive amount of archery gear you get to play with. I had the chance to play around with a few new accessories and check out some of the newest bows on the market. I think one of the hottest items I seen was the whole new line of add-on that Badlands Back Packs has to offer. They are offering pockets for range finders, cameras, and everything in between to add on to your current Badlands pack. They also unveiled a pack line built specificaly for women. But the one I am most excited about is a new pack called the Sacrifice, 3500 cubic inches of space internal pack frame, and all the other great features of Badlands but only weighing in at 3.9 pounds dry weight. I can’t wait to give her a try in North Dakota this fall. They will be offering the pack in Max-1 and AP, the picture I posted is a prototype pack.

One other product that I will be giving a try is the new Montana Black Gold Ascent sight. The Ascent is a slider style sight that you have the choice of a one,three, or four pin scope. Montana also offers any type of customizing on pin colors and sizes so you can virtually build your sight to your liking. The ascent is built super tough and with a very simple micro adjust system looks to be a very user friendly sight to work with. If you ever get a chance to make it to a ATA show I would highly suggest doing so. Stay tuned to Back 40 Outdoors for more reviews from the 2010 ATA show.

The state of MN decided to make my areas I hunt a one deer area this year which means either a doe or a buck but no extra management tags, that alone effected the number of deer I was going to be drawing back on in 2009. I am not one to pass up an opportunity at a mature doe and having to let I don’t know how many of them walk by was not an easy task. I knew if I shot one early I would regret it all season long so I made a deal not to shoot a doe until the month of December rolled around. I had a food plot that was getting destroyed but I also had a work schedule that didn’t want to budge through out the whole month of Dec.

I actually had more encounters with mature bucks this season than any other season in the past, that right there is an accomplishment in itself, the area I hunt is not public but very pressured private land and honing in on a mature whitetail can be tough. Sometimes us as hunters measure success by the number of animals we down in a season, which I am very guilty of but if we actually would weigh out all of the experience and knowledge we gain in any given season every year would be a success. Hope you all had “successful” 2009 seasons and I am looking forward to 2010

In a perfect world we would never have a chance to get bored on stand because of non-stop deer activity.  While there are a few days a year when this is true, it’s the exception rather than the rule. I’m sure we have all felt the disappointment of sitting all day and not even catching a glimpse of a deer. That is hunting and that is what makes it so gratifying when we do connect on a big mature whitetail.

During the early and late seasons (Sept-mid October, and December-January), I typically sit the key hours of the day, early in the morning and late in the evening.  I’m usually hunting feed to bed or vice versa. The rut is a different monster all by itself, where all day sits are the norm. If you have never sat all day during the rut, you should make it a point in the upcoming season to do so.

I have had several encounters between 11:30 and 2:00 when most hunters are catching a snooze or are sitting at the café eating lunch. But pulling this off for 5-7 days straight can really wear on a guy (or gal).  Those 8-9 hour days on stand can feel like an eternity if deer movement is slow.   But you never know when the big boy will come strolling by your stand scent checking for does or scrapes.

Books and hand held video games

When I pack my bag getting ready for an all day hunt, I always make sure to pack either a good book or a hand held video game. I know bringing a game into the woods seems a bit cliché but believe me, it will help pass the time while waiting out Ol’ Mossyhorns (plus, you can definitely sharpen your poker and yahtzee skills in short order). There are several small pocket sized games you can pick up at your local electronics store for a very reasonable price.  Make sure to turn the sound off when in stand!

I sometimes prefer to bring a book to keep me relaxed, and what better way to keep up on the latest hunting strategies! I do recommend checking the weather for rain and snow before bringing a book into the woods.

Clothing

Hunting the rut can be a roller coaster of weather. Ten years ago you could almost bet that by the end of October in Minnesota, your warm weather gear was in the closet waiting for spring turkey hunting.  In more recent years, you have to keep a watchful eye on the weather channel, as a predictable weather pattern is about as predictable as the whitetails we all chase!  Regardless of weather you need to make sure you have the right equipment for the job. I’ve had excellent results with a good layering system and the proper shell for the elements. The clothing industry has grown leaps and bounds in the last few years, offering plenty of options depending on what you are looking for.

A good rule of thumb is you can always take off layers but can’t put more on.  I like to dress light walking in and put my heavier clothes on once I am in my stand.  Having a good pack makes this easier, and we will get to that later. Remember we are going in the woods before light and unless we fill that tag we won’t be coming out until dark so be prepared.

Personally I have my favorites that I wear while hunting. I like to use Under Armour as my base layer in cold weather and actually in warm weather also, they have two separate lines of clothing for hot and cold climates. In cold weather I wear either my Scent Blocker Road trips suit or in frigid temps I have found that Renegades line of Berber Fleece with wind blocker is invaluable. I have heard unbelievable results with Rivers West and also Sitka Gear.

Food and Drink

Sitting all day is definitely going to require some sort of food intake; we all know you need to keep fueling the fire. This is a topic that I feel gets totally ignored by whitetail hunters and the reason far too many hunts are cut short. How often has it happened to you? You’re on stand till about 11:30 or Noon and the stomach starts growling.  Pretty soon you talk yourself into climbing out of your stand and heading to the café to get a warm cup of coffee and some eggs. I know exactly how it feels as I have been there plenty.  I also know that during the rut any time of the day is a good time to harvest a deer.

Recently there has been an influx of food products targeted at hunters and outdoorsman. I have tried a few of the different brands and my personal opinion is that Wilderness Athlete is above the rest based on performance and taste. WA offers four different flavored bars and two types of drinks. I am not a scientific type of guy but I do know that WA’s products taste great and are good for you. They have even done the whitetail hunter a huge favor and put a 3 day hunt pack together so we know exactly how much we need to eat and drink to keep us going on stand.

Western bow hunters have been using WA for a few years now and I have heard nothing but great results. After using their product all last season I am a firm believer in them. Whatever you choose to bring on stand with you make sure it is giving you enough energy to make it through the day.

Back Packs

Back packs in bow hunting are almost as important as the bow itself. When I am choosing a pack I consider a couple of features.   Number one on the list is comfort.  What good is a pack if you don’t wear it’s awkward or can’t carry a load?   Number two is versatility.  Will the pack be able to carry all the things required for an all day whitetail sit?  Keep in mind hunting the rut you are going to try and shove a lot of goodies into your bag of tricks and you want to make sure that it is going to be comfortable and not take up to much room in your tree.

A big plus is a pack that has bed roll straps. Why do I need them if I am never going to use a bed roll? They work great for putting excess clothing in.  I put my warm clothes in them on my way into my stand; also if it warms up on stand and I need to shed a layer it’s an easy spot to store your extra clothes. There are several great bags on the market, but the one I chose several years ago was the BadlandsMonster Fanny. The Monster fits the criteria for everything I just listed and more. I can even put a hydration bladder in it if I wish. Badlands also has the best warranty I have found, guaranteed for life! That’s tough to beat.

These are four things that have helped me get through many seasons of the rut. Hopefully you can try even just a few of them and maybe it will be enough to help you sit a little bit longer on stand. Remember hunting the rut has many different twists and turns and maybe you have your own tactics for getting through the day on stand.  Remember, no piece of equipment can replace a positive attitude on the fifth day of a hunt!

Born 5 years ago in Washington State, Elite began by designing bows mainly for women shooters, but soon became so popular the Strothers family decided to make a model or two for men. Fast forward to 2009, Elite is under new ownership, is based out of New York State, and offers 3 bows for the discriminating archer. The GT 500, Z28, and the XLR all represent top of class quality and design.

Elite bows feature the twin track binary system, with a choice of two different cam designs to choose from on the GT 500 and the XLR. The Cam designs feature a wide range of draw length and weight adjustment. All of the bows are built and designed with the hunter in mind first and foremost. I feel very confident shooting an Elite bow that was designed for the rigors of bow hunting rather than standing on the line. Elite cares so much about us hunters they have just came out with a ground breaking guarantee called the Elite Hunt Guarantee.

It goes like this; you are on a 10 day hunt that you have been looking forward to since last hunting season. You have sacrificed much to be here, from money, time, and work. On the second day, you accidentally drop your bow or cut your string and have no way of fixing it. Well, the great folks at Elite have you covered. Simply get in touch with someone in the warranty department and let them know where you want your loaner bow sent to. The bow will arrive set up to your specs, with the only job left to do is sighting in.

There is no other offer like this anywhere in the archery world. If I wasn’t already shooting an Elite, this would have definitely made up my mind. All you are responsible for is shipping it back in the original condition after the hunt. Along with the hunt guarantee they also have re upped their limited lifetime warranty. Elites warranty covers your basic stuff like riser, pockets, limbs and eccentrics. Here’s the kicker it doesn’t matter where you got your bow, whether you bought it in a shop or found one on the internet, as long as it says Elite on it they will fix it.

I love knowing that I am shooting one of the smoothest, most accurate, quiet and fastest bows on the market. An additional feather in the cap is that Elite cares enough that they will back up their product in the unlikely case something happens to it with a couple great guarantees. If you haven’t shot an Elite, or maybe you haven’t even heard a whole lot about them, feel free to check out there website www.elitearchery.com or check one out at your local archery shop.

Elite Z28 in Action