Eva Shockey was among the special guests at last week's Archery Trade Association trade show in Louisville, Ky. She is the daughter of Jim Shockey, who hosts Outdoor Channel programs, and one of two women who have been on the cover of Field and Stream magazine in the past 100 years. The other was Queen Elizabeth II.Last week I rode the super slab down to Louisville, Ky., for the 20th edition of the Archery Trade Association trade show, an annual gathering of anyone involved in the manufacturing, marketing or promotion of all things in the archery and bowhunting world.
To be honest, I didn't know there was this much bow-and-arrow equipment in the whole wide world. But I come before you today to tell you that there is - I've been there and seen it. Believe me when I tell you that anything out there with a string and bow or a stick with a sharp point on it was represented.
The show was held at the Kentucky Exposition Center, which I am told is one of the largest facilities in the world for such events. For you rabid bow hunters, try to imagine four NFL fields - more than five acres (229,000 feet of booth space with 615 exhibitors) under one roof - of bows, arrows, broadheads, crossbows, strings and arrow rests. That doesn't even begin to cover what else was there. More camo than you can imagine (we hunters can imagine a lot), boots, tree stands, ground blinds, knives and coolers.
In addition, you have the celebrity hoopla going on. Most any name you see on the Outdoor Channel or related networks was there. Willie Robinson and his Buck Commander buds showed up, and Eva Shockey, Michael Waddell and Lee and Tiffany Lakosky were also there, just to name a few.
If you saw a long line leading to a booth, you knew a celebrity from the bow hunting world was present.
Usually I am not a big fan of standing in lines to see anyone, but the few times I hung around to meet one of the stars at this show, I was always pleasantly surprised. I found these people and everyone around them to be very friendly and gracious, especially Shockey. It was not what I expected.
As far as products, here are some of the things I saw that were really cool:
' Rage Broadheads
The sheer number of broadhead companies at this show was staggering. One thing is clear - bow hunters are serious about their broadheads and want plenty of choices. Rage has a couple of new offerings this year. The Hypodermic +P and Hypodermic Crossbow broadheads give the term "deadly" a new meaning with a 1.5-inch cut on the compound bow model and an extreme 2 inches on the crossbow model.
These are very accurate and very devastating when they strike an animal.
' New Breed Archery
I like these bows for several reasons. The owner of New Breed, Kyle Null, actually started making bows in his garage and grew the company from there. (Is that the American dream or what?) And all of these bows are still made in America. I shot some of them at the ATA show, and they were nice!
I have told you before that I do not consider myself a bona fide archery expert, but I can tell you when a bow is easier to draw, easier to hold at full draw for long periods and easier to let off when you don't shoot (no "jolt" when you ease the string back). Check out the new GX2 Compound. I think that you'll really like it. These are quality American-made bows with many features and at prices that may surprise you.
' Siberian Coolers
That's right - coolers. Anyone spending much time in the great outdoors needs a good cooler or two. Long periods away from electricity make them a must, whether to keep your grub cold or to ice down the meat of game you've killed. Siberian Coolers are tough, polyethylene coolers made using the rotational molding process. This type of cooler is all the rage now and keeps ice for a long time. Siberian's good prices mean you should check them out.
' Monster Buck Scent
Many bow hunters use some form of deer scent, whether it be gland-based attractants or actual deer urine. I've written about this before, but in recent years the specter of chronic wasting disease has risen on the deer hunting landscape. Some claim the use of real deer urine may endanger your local deer with chronic wasting disease, some do not. Be that as it may, the possibility has put enough doubt in the mind of some state game managers that the use of actual deer urine has been banned in several states, most recently Virginia.
Monster Buck Scent is 100 percent synthetic; the formula was painstakingly developed and tested over several years by company owner/operator Mike Jespersen. I tested this scent myself, and it attracted bucks to the exact spot I sprayed it. See for yourself.
"The Trail Less Traveled" is written by Larry Case, who lives in Fayette County, W.Va., has been a devoted outdoorsman all of his life and is a contributing columnist for The Times Free Press. You can write to him at larryocase3@gmail.com.