Special Report

found the silver lining. is year, Here, Jonathan some of the worst winter weather Karch of 3Rivers Iwe’ve ever seen here in Northeast shows Indiana kept me from attending the us the new Forge ATA show in Nashville, Tennessee. small game head. Luckily, I had some of my people there This unique head ts behind a 5/16 and they were able to connect with a inch eld point to few traditional manufacturers there for become a hard hit- me. ey also reported a noticeable ting small game increase over last year in the num- head and a fine ber of booths with traditional o er- stump shooting head. The long tip ings. However, since I did not walk the of the eld point  oors of the ATA show, I needed to works well in bow gather as much “what’s new” informa- quivers to keep tion as I could from the vendors attend- your from rattling as well. ing the Traditional Archery Expo in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Digging deeper led me to  nd quite a few golden nug- event is organized by Jerry and Sharon January; it’s a great event. gets: noteworthy new items that may Brumm, owners of the Great Northern If you’re interested in what’s new have easily been missed if I hadn’t Company. is is a pre- in traditional archery, you’re reading been paying such close attention. mier event for traditional archers and the right article, because in addition If you’re not familiar with it, the bowhunters, drawing hundreds of to those aforementioned hidden gems, Traditional Archery Expo is held each traditional archery vendors and thou- there were many new bows, arrows, year toward the end of January, in sands of retail customers. If you’ve quivers, tools and accessories on dis- Kalamazoo, Michigan. is popular never been there, check it out next play and we’re going to share them all with you. Traditional Archery Suppliers to Consider First, a quick state-of-the-industry 3Rivers Archery: 3riversarchery.com (866) 732-8783 message: I’m pleased to report that Fix: arrow- x.com (330) 464-5160 the overall mood of all the traditional Bear Archery: beararcheryproducts.com (812) 467-1388 manufacturers and vendors I spoke Great Northern Bow Company: gnbco.com (517) 852-0820 with was very optimistic. All of them Great Northern Quiver Company: gnqco.com (269) 838-5437 were excited due to the steady growth Hunter Image: gfredasbell.com (231) 828-4086 they’ve experienced in the past year Joel Turner - A&H Archery: acsbows.com (616) 677-2726 and everyone interviewed agreed that Kustom King Traditional Archery: kustomking.com (877) 566-4269 traditional archery is de nitely in the Outdoor Lines, LLC: outdoorlines.com (616) 844-7351 midst of a strong upsurge in interest, Predator Traditional Bows: huntersniche.com (989) 984-0838 sales and growth. St. Joe River Bows: stjoeriverbows.com (517) 617-3658 As you probably know, traditional Spinrite Cresters: spinritecresters.com (248) 818-0705 archery has many facets, so whether Striker Bows: strikerbows.com (419) 628-2393 you’re a full line traditional dealer TradTech Traditional Archery: tradtecharchery.com (800) 829-7408 already or interested in testing tradi- Traditional Archery Products: tional in your shop to cash in on some traditionalarcheryproducts.com (303) 569-2372 of the traditional growth potential, True North Arrows: truenortharrows.com (989) 443-9027 there’s plenty for you to choose from. Two Tracks Bow and Wool Company: twotracksbow.com (989)824-0588 Why not provide what your local cus- tomers are looking for? If they don’t 104

APR14AT104-121T-R-A-V.indd 104 3/3/14 4:56 PM Traditional Bows & Accessories By Todd Smith

3Rivers Archery’s Japanese (bow) The Trail Blazer center of the back quiver It is surprising that so many traditional and a bamboo arrow. They are used in the is a new o ering from 3Rivers Archery. This shooters are now experimenting with practice of Kyudo or the “Way of the Bow.” concept of putting the arrows in the center sights. This new single pin sight from Kyudo is a Japanese discipline that places of the back rather than over the right or 3Rivers can be attached to traditional more emphasis on releasing the perfect left shoulder of the shooter allows this bows with either screws or tape. So far, the arrow than on the accuracy of the shot. one quiver to work for either right or left interest in it has been signi cant. handed archers. Knowing that one quiver  ts all is nice when stocking shelves. get it from you, you know they’ll get it Koppedrayer. Bows like this are used somewhere else. by company makes the most sense. e in the Japanese discipline of Kyudo, ere are varied demographics companies are grouped as logically as or the “Way of the Bow.” Kyudo places feeding this growth. We have seen more possible for the  ow of the content. much more emphasis on the spiritual and more compound shooters adding essence, the precise movements and traditional bows to their bowhunting 3Rivers Archery the release of the perfect arrow than arsenals. Women in the entire hunting 3Rivers Archery has added many on the accuracy of the shot. It is a wor- industry are becoming quite a force in new items for 2014. I spoke with thy challenge and we’re lucky to have the marketplace, which in turn trickles Johnathan Karch, vice president of access to such a quality bow, made by down to traditional bowhunting and sales and marketing and he shared a master like Jaap, at such a with another episode of “ e Hunger some of the top picks for 2014 with me. reasonable price. Games” hitting the streets recently, the e Tomahawk Bow line has two If you’re shooting a Japanese Yumi, surge of kids and tweens showing up new members: the understorm II you’re going to need bamboo arrows in shops looking for “bows like in the and the Autumn Harvest. True to their and 3Rivers is o ering your choice of movie” is nothing short of amazing. lineage, these sleek o er  etched bamboo arrows with horn or Normally, this article would be graceful lines and the promise of per- bone nocks and steel points installed. arranged in a category or product order formance in the  eld. Small sections in the front and back but this year, there were so many ven- Another new bow of interest is of the  etching and a section behind dors interviewed that an organization the Japanese Yumi Bow from Jaap the point are wrapped with traditional 105

APR14AT104-121T-R-A-V.indd 105 3/3/14 4:58 PM Bohning’s new mini serving tool is popular with traditional shooters for emergency in- the- eld repairs. This compact little unit allows the archer to work in tight spaces and to easily carry one in the  eld just in 3Rivers is o ering TopHat points for 2014. case. TopHat is a German company that manu- factures precision points and accessories for both wood and carbon arrows. Pictured silk thread. If you think you might o er at the top is the TopHat  eld repair point, your customers the Yumi mentioned which you twist onto the end of a bro- above, consider these arrows as well. ken wood arrow. Under that is the TopHat In quivers, 3Rivers is introducing threading tool for threading the blunt end a center of the back quiver called the of a wood arrow. Next in line are a couple of special TopHat points that absorb shock to Trail Blazer. It’s all leather, it easily minimize arrow damage and  nally, at the The rugged Safari Tu back quiver from holds a dozen arrows and since it rides bottom is the TopHat Dura-Point system for 3Rivers, available in green or pink camo, in the middle of the archer’s back, it carbon arrows, in which the point itself acts is a popular choice by kids and parents is ambidextrous.  is is an interesting as a protective collar around the end of the alike. The 15 inch depth is plenty for the shaft to help prevent damage. shorter arrows kids use, the shoulder strap concept in back quivers. is adjustable and the quiver is designed for Sights on traditional bows? You tape-on sight. For compound shooters both right and left handed shooters. bet. Sights have been used on tradi- looking to switch to traditional but still tional bows for decades; they went out wanting to use a sight pin, this is an as a protective collar around the end of favor for many years but now there excellent choice. of the shaft to help prevent damage to are more and more stickbow shooters  e Forge Converta Blunt is an the shaft on hard impacts. TopHat is who have no aversion to getting a little interesting new small game and stump German innovation and engineering at help in boosting their accuracy. 3Rivers shooting concept.  e 75 grain Forge work for archers all over the world. now o ers a single pin screw-in/ point is placed behind a 5/16 inch Another new item of interest is diameter screw-in  eld point. Once it’s the Bohning mini-server.  is clever assembled, you’ve got a deadly small little unit allows in-the- eld repair of game/stump shooting point that  ts servings that need to be replaced, yet nicely into your bow quiver. it’s small enough to  t in a pocket or TopHat is a German company that in your daypack. You’ll never know manufactures precision points and how valuable this item can be until you accessories for both wood and carbon need it. arrows. 3Rivers o ers quite a few of For the younger archers, 3Rivers TopHat’s products, including a unique o ers Pilgrim longbows for kids in two  eld repair point that is an extra 1/2 versions.  ere are a 34 inch Pilgrim inch long.  e archer twists it onto the Squirt available in 10 - 12 pounds at 16 end of a wood arrow that has broken inches and a larger 48 inch Pilgrim in just behind the point and that arrow is 20 - 22 pounds at 24 inches. Both are back in business. available in right or left handed models  ere are a TopHat threading tool in brown, purple or pink, with antler for threading the blunt end of a wood tip overlays. arrow, a TopHat arrow protection In youth arrows, 3Rivers o ers nice system point that absorbs shock on 5/16 inch wood arrows for bows up to hard impacts to minimize arrow dam- 35 pounds, with real feather  etching age for both wood and carbon arrows and press-on points installed.  ese and a Dura-Point system for carbon are great starter arrows for kids. arrows, in which the point itself acts For youth quivers, 3Rivers has a 106

APR14AT104-121T-R-A-V.indd 106 3/3/14 4:58 PM You can’t actually cast spells like Harry Potter or swing from webs like Spider- Man or  y around in a suit of armor like Iron Man. But you can actually hold a bow in your hands like Legolas or Hawkeye or Katniss and shoot some arrows.” “Archery is deeply embedded in fantasy literature. When I wrote the  rst ‘Noggle Stones’ book, I knew archery had to be a part of the story. Being a fantasy novel based in late 19th Century America, there wasn’t just the fantasy connection with archery but the Native American connection as well. I had a lot of fun developing a mythology around archery in the books, devel- oping di erent cultures with di erent approaches to the ‘stick and string.’ “Working with 3Rivers Archery to bring this archery line to life has been a huge thrill for me. In archery, there is a great sense of being connected not only to the past but to other worlds and other realities where the is a noble weapon used to lay low the forces of evil. Movies and TV shows like ‘ e Hobbit,’ ‘ e Hunger Games,’ 3Rivers Archery has built an entire line of archery products around the popular “Noggle ‘ e Avengers’ and ‘Arrow’ build on this Stones” series of books written by talented author Wil Radcli e. The books and the Bow very strong connection humanity has of the Nagonene are pictured above. The illustrated character of Riley Ratcatcher, the to this ancient sport. Kids love emulat- Ratcatcher Quiver with arrows and the Ratcatcher belt pouch are also shown. ing their heroes, pretending they’re on adventures and quests. I hope ‘Noggle new nylon back quiver from Safari the Fellowship from ‘ e Lord of the Stones’ can add yet another arrow to Tu .  is durable quiver is 15 inches Rings,’  inging my arrows at orcs and the quiver.” deep,  ts right and left handed kids, trolls. And I think that’s the advan- “Who knows…maybe somewhere, utilizes an adjustable shoulder strap tage archery has over other pastimes. there is another farm boy with his Bow and comes in green or pink camo. Now for something completely dif- ferent…how about kids’ books, adven- ture books with archery woven into the tales? Meet Wil Radcli e. Radcli e is the author of the “Noggle Stones” fantasy series of books, which is promi- nently featured in the 3Rivers Archery catalog. I asked Radcli e if he would comment on how archery in uenced his writing and why he thought so many kids were  ocking to the archery stores these days, looking for the kinds of bows and arrows their  ctional heroes were shooting.

Wil Radcli e “When I was a boy growing up on the family farm in Indiana, I remem- ber going out into the  elds with a  berglass bow and a Fred Bear Youth Quiver. I’d pretend I was a member of 107

APR14AT104-121T-R-A-V.indd 107 3/3/14 5:00 PM of the Nagonene and Ratcatcher Quiver Kustom King roving the elds and forests in search Traditional Archery of adventure.” Tim and Gobby Cosgrove, owners With not only “Noggle Stones” in of Kustom King Traditional Archery, mind but “ e Hunger Games” and have some great new items for 2014 all the other mainstream media glo- for both adults and young archers. rifying primitive looking stickbows,  is year marks Kustom King’s 42nd there is an opportunity to o er that year of serving the traditional archery sort of equipment to younger would-be market. When it comes to traditional archers while the opportunity is ripe. archery, the company knows its stu . Once they’re into archery, it very often Kustom King is also a full-line Bearpaw becomes a lifetime passion. Products distributor in the United 3Rivers sells the “Noggle Stones” States. Bearpaw is now one of the books and has developed an entire world’s largest manufacturers of tradi- line of archery accessories around the tional archery products, so if you have series, o ering kids the chance to shoot been looking for a supplier for Bearpaw the very equipment they’ve read about. archery items, contact Kustom King; For starters, there is the Noggle they’ll be glad to help you out. Stones Bow of the Nagonene, a nice  e and recurve division 65 inch all hickory bow with an arrow of Bearpaw Products is called Bodnik shelf on both sides of the riser, allowing Bows.  is year, Kustom King is o ering right and left handed shooting. 3Rivers the new Bodnik Mohawk TD Recurve also o ers Noggle Stones arrows to in 60 and 62 inches.  e Mohawk go with the bow, a fancy Ratcatcher Take-Down Recurve is as attractive as back quiver and even a Ratcatcher belt it is fast and that makes it a perfect pouch. bow all around, whether you’re a bow-  is is a very unique concept hunter or a 3-D shooter.  e Mohawk and a great way to get kids interested o ers a 17 inch walnut riser that is cut in archery. to center with pecan stained bamboo The new Mohawk Take-Down Recurve limbs under clear from Bearpaw is a well balanced bow, Bearpaw Power making it a great choice for bowhunting Glass. Each bow or 3-D shooting.

TARGET MORE INTERNATIONAL ARCHERS WITH THE UK’S BOW INTERNATIONAL Pictured are Tim and Gobby Cosgrove, owners of Kustom King AVAILABLE ANY TIME, ANYWHERE Traditional Archery, at the 2014 Traditional Archery Expo. Kustom King Archery is now in its 42nd year of servicing the traditional Call Hannah Benson: +44 (0)1926 339808 archery market. It is a full line distributor of Bearpaw Archery prod- Email: [email protected] ucts and o ers dealers attractive pricing and fast order processing. Visit: www.bow-international.com The company encourages shop owners everywhere to take advan- tage of the growth in traditional archery by adding traditional archery products to their inventories. 108

APR14AT104-121T-R-A-V.indd 108 3/5/14 3:11 PM Above, the Little Indian Back Quiver from Bearpaw Products is the perfect companion to young archers inter- ested in stalking the woods in search The new Bodnik Slick Stick at left is a high per- of adventure. The leather construc- formance de ex-re ex longbow with a walnut tion is quiet in the woods and the riser and pecan stained bamboo core. This sweet quiver will hold up to 20 arrows. shooting 58 and 60 inch longbow, available There’s even an attached pouch for through Kustom King Traditional Archery, is per- other treasures or necessary gear fect for both kids and adults and it’s guaranteed young archers need to carry. for 30 years. The new Easton Beginner bow at top center is New from Kustom King Traditional the perfect setup to get kids started in archery. Archery, these 1/4 inch youth wood The lightweight polymer riser and durable, glass- arrows (shown below) are lighter in reinforced limbs are impervious to weather and spine than most other youth arrows, hold up well to the abuse bows normally get from so they y well from the lightest of younger shooters. The 10-20 pound draw weights kids’ bows. They come standard with are easy to handle and the bow is ambidextrous. real 3 inch feathers and traditional The Easton Beginner bow is an excellent starter 1/4 inch glue-on steel  eld points bow at a great low price and it’s made in the USA, with sharp tips so they don’t bounce available from Kustom King Archery. o targets. Kids like that.

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APR14AT104-121T-R-A-V.indd 109 3/3/14 5:03 PM Another new bow from Bearpaw is the Slick Stick Longbow. e Slick Stick is a new and improved version of the old Bodnik Big Stick and is now featured with a High Performance Whisper string, micarta tip overlays, a walnut riser, pecan stained bamboo limbs and a 30 year warranty. is sweet shooting 58 and 60 inch longbow is perfect for both kids and adults. e petite grip is reminiscent of recurves from the 1950s and 1960s and it  ts like a glove. If you’re looking for a moder- ately priced, high performance de ex- re ex longbow, this is it. e Slick Stick This portable endless string making jig is is available in right or left hand mod- now available from Kustom King Archery els, in weights of 29 - 55 pounds in 5 for retail customers who want to make their pound increments. own strings or for the shop owner looking to cash in on making custom strings on the Kustom King keeps an eye on the spot for old recurves and longbows cus- pulse of the industry and is well aware tomers are always bringing in, looking for that youth archery is probably the fast- a string or to sell. est growing segment in the sport. at’s one of the reasons the company just Pictured on the left is the Samick Little Fox, a new takedown recurve TradTech is comes standard with a performance added the Easton Beginner Bow. is releasing for younger archers. It is avail- Bearpaw Whisper String and a 30 year new bow is the perfect setup to get able in 48, 54 or 58 inches, in weights of warranty. Also, each bow is available in kids started in archery. e bow fea- up to 30 pounds. On the right is TradTech’s right or left hand models, in weights of tures a lightweight polymer technol- latest ILF riser, Black Magic. It’s 17 inches, crafted from wood and Phenolic and 40, 45, 50 and 55 pounds. ogy riser and durable, glass-reinforced according to TradTech, it shoots as good limbs. is smooth shooting polymer as it looks. platform is ambidextrous, its 10 - 20 pound draw weights are easy to handle both right and left handed shooters. and it even comes with an adjustable e accessory pouch will carry a snack sight. is is an excellent starter bow at or other necessary items and the quiver a great low price and it’s made in the holds up to 20 arrows. is is a great USA; how can you beat that? option for youngsters who hunger for One thing that’s tough to  nd for archery adventure. really lightweight bows, like the Easton Another item Kustom King has Beginner bow mentioned above, is added for the young archer is the youth arrows that are low enough in spine to long suede armguard. is new 7 x 3 We’ll help you heat up sales actually shoot well. Kustom King has inch long armguard is reinforced and the answer. Its 1/4 inch wood arrows the extra length gives the arms extra ® The Hot-Tail Wild Game Scent Warmer are lighter in de ection than most protection from painful string slap. e uses a scented candle and has a screw- other youth arrows, so they  y perfectly soft, comfortable backing and adjust- on top cup where you add liquid scent. from the lighter bows. ey’re light but able elastic straps give young archers a Choose from a wide range of candle not too light; they’re sti enough for perfect  t. Kids get discouraged really TM scents to use with our Steaming Hot bows up to 25 pounds. ese arrows quickly if they keep slapping their arms liquid scents as hunters target deer, have real 3 inch feathers and solid steel with the string. is armguard will go a bear and predators. We also offer food glue-on points that are pointed on the long way to eliminate all the distraction plot mixes and a unique survival kit. ends so the arrows stick into targets and pain of string slap. www.hot-tail.com or (937) 725-2656 better. Kids get discouraged if their Traditional archers like to make arrows bounce o of targets. things themselves and as popular as Bearpaw makes a dandy leather Flemish strings are, endless strings have back quiver for kids and Kustom King their advantages. Kustom King now has it in stock and ready to ship. e o ers a portable endless string making Little Indian Back Quiver is sure to jig that won’t break the bank. e PEL appeal to young archers everywhere. (Portable Endless Loop) Bow String It’s built from soft honey brown suede Jig is one of the most compact and leather, has a nice woodsy look and  ts inexpensive jigs available anywhere. 110

APR14AT104-121T-R-A-V.indd 110 3/3/14 5:04 PM Dan Sculler, a Lancaster Archery Associate, former Target Recurve National Champion and former USA Archery Team member, shows us two new bows from TradTech Traditional Archery. On the left is the new Black Magic ILF riser and on the left is the Victor, one of the new bows that ties in to the latest “The Hunger Games” movie.

TradTech has introduced three new bows to satisfy the hunger of the throngs of young folks looking to shoot bows like they’ve seen in the movies. On the left is the Capitol, a 60 inch one piece polymer . In the middle, we see the NEW PRODUCTS most primitive of the o erings; the District ® longbow is a 58 inch made from 2014 palm tree wood stained dark brown, with a leather wrapped handle section. On the right is the 66 inch Victor recurve, which IS IN OUR BLOOD really looks the part. The Victor has a mag- nesium riser and wood core laminated limbs backed with black glass for perfor- mance. With these three bows, you’ll have your “The Hunger Games” market covered. It is fully adjustable, so you can build any length of endless loop for recurves or even for longbows. e heavy duty metal construction will last ™ for years and the jig is compact, so it’s

easily stored out of the way between in AMS exclusive uses. is is even a good tool for shop KOI Carp Camo owners to have on hand. With this tool, you can instantly build a custom string for any old recurve or longbow your customers show up with. MADE IN THE USA TradTech Traditional Archery amsbowfishing.com I spoke with John Wert, the TradTech division manager of Lancaster Archery Supply, at the 111

APR14AT104-121T-R-A-V.indd 111 3/3/14 5:05 PM Traditional Archery Expo. When asked bow sets that have dominated the about the growth he has seen in the demand for bows similar to those used market, especially the youth market, in the books and movies. he shared, “ e only way to describe First, the Capitol Silver Recurve the growth in recreational traditional Bow set features a 60 inch one piece archery is ‘explosive.’ e explosion in polymer recurve bow with a comfort- new archers has been skewed toward able grip and an arrow shelf on both the young but what we have found sides, allowing right or left handed is that men and women and kids of shooting. ree Capitol aluminum all ages are  nding traditional archery arrows are included. e 20 - 25 pound and enjoying practicing and learning draw weight is suitable for ages 11 about the sport. e growth and inter- through the teens and can be drawn to est in traditional archery is, from our 29 inches with no problem. perspective, very exciting and we imag- Second is the District Primitive ine the sport has a bright future that Longbow set. is set, true to its will be carried forward by many new name, is more primitive. e District young archers. Longbow is solid palm tree wood “One bow that characterizes the stained dark brown and the handle growth in traditional archery is the section is wrapped with leather. ere’s Samick Little Fox. is little bow has an arrow shelf on both sides, so both Here, John Wert, the TradTech division been extremely popular with young left and right handed archers can shoot manager of Lancaster Archery Supply, and shorter archers. It’s available in this bow with ease. A true Flemish shows us another of the new recurve bows 48 inches, 54 inches or 58 inches, in twist bowstring and three District wood Lancaster is o ering this year. This one is weights of up to 30 pounds.” arrows complete the set. e bow mea- the Win&Win RCX 17 recurve. Win&Win bows are extremely popular with target When asked if movies such as sures 58 inches, comes in a 20 - 25 shooters around the globe. The RCX17 “ e Hunger Games” have caused pound draw weight and can be drawn is built for bowhunters and Wert shared an increase in sales and driven the to 28 inches. is set is suitable for that TradTech expects big things from the introduction of new products, Wert young archers from age 10 through the RCX17 in 2014. said, “‘ e Hunger Games’ movies teens. have had a remarkable in uence on ird and the most modern of our market. We’ve developed a few them all is the Victor Recurve Bow bows that capture the  re surrounding set. is set includes the Victor plati- these books and movies. So far, they num grey magnesium riser takedown have been very popular.” recurve bow styled after the hottest Wert shared that there are three bow in Hollywood. e laminated

John Ellis (left) holds the Striker Sport Longbow while his brother Dusty Ellis shows the Striker Classic Longbow. These brothers worked the Striker Bows booth at the ATA show this year in Nashville, Tennessee. Striker Bows is a family business that has specialized in quality crafted custom bows for over 15 years. This year, Striker is o ering these two longbows, the 58 inch Sport and the 60 inch Classic, to dealers worldwide. 112

APR14AT104-121T-R-A-V.indd 112 3/5/14 3:19 PM limbs of black berglass and solid stabilizers.  ree Black Easton Tribute item that’s new for TradTech is the new wood core give excellent performance 1716 aluminum arrows are included 17 inch Black Magic wood and Phenolic and will last for years.  e bow is 66 and they’re  etched with black 3 inch ILF riser that shoots as good as it looks. inches in length and is available in vanes.  is advanced archery set is TradTech was an early adopter and draw weights of 20 - 25 pounds.  e appropriate for teens through adults up proponent of bows utilizing the ILF riser is threaded for all normal acces- to 6 feet tall. sories like sights, rests, plungers and One last hot

One of the new items from the Two Tracks Bow and Wool Company that really caught my eye is a soft  eece cap with ear aps that Chris and Chuck Deshler own the Two Tracks Bow and Wool cover your ears nicely and fold up on the back of the cap when not Company and they make a great team. Chuck has been building in use. I liked it so much, I bought one. These caps are available in custom bows for decades; you can see some of his work in the  eece and in Two Tracks’ own felted wool. This is a great cap for rack to the left. He is a full time bowyer at Two Tracks and his wife bowhunters. Two Tracks welcomes dealers who are interested in Chris specializes in amazing camo-patterned felted wool clothing stocking their custom bows or clothing items. for bowhunters. She raises her own sheep, shears them, processes the wool and then creates her own unique clothing for bowhunt- ers. Chuck is shown wearing a felted tie and a new bowhunter cap with ear  aps.

www.crepin-leblond.fr “Discover the only two archeryin France magazines !” Here, we see a closeup of the right and left sides of the Striker existing More than Sport Longbow on the left and of the Striker Classic Longbow More than 25 000 readers every 3 months on the right. Of special note is the built-in thumb rest each bow > CHARC (bowhunting) : o ers, which helps with consistent hand placement. These hand For any questions by e-mail : crafted bows are made by bowyer Rick Ellis and they’re available > Tir à l’Arc Magazine (Target, 3D and leisure archery) : to dealers everywhere. 30 000 readers every 3 months [email protected] 113

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APR14AT104-121T-R-A-V.indd 113 3/5/14 3:20 PM Predator Bows owners Michael Hoadley and Ron Pittsley show a Predator takedown recurve bows on display at the Traditional couple of the Predator Bows lineup for 2014. On the left, Hoadley Archery Expo. From the left, the rst bow is a Predator Hunter shows us the Predator aluminum riser Velocity takedown recurve and DX, the next three are beautiful examples of Predator Classic on the right, Pittsley shows us one of the Predator Classic takedown risers and on the far right is the Predator Velocity takedown recurves. recurve, the only one in the bunch sporting an aluminum riser.

(International Limb Fitting) system Kalamazoo, Michigan; they were also performance de ex-re ex limbs that and it is always pushing the envelope to at the ATA show in Nashville, Tennesee. optimize speed and stability while min- develop the best performing risers and ese guys are ready for dealers! imizing all traces of hand shock. e 58 limbs on the market. e company said eir plan is aggressive yet con- inch Sport is available in a gray super that the  rst reports from customers trolled growth, so at this time, they are  ex action wood riser with an action have been very exciting and positive. limiting their o ering to dealers to two bamboo core. e 60 inch Classic is longbows. e  rst, the Sport, is a 58 available in a Bocote riser, also with Striker Bows inch model; the second, the Classic, action bamboo cores. Both bows come Striker Bows is growing strong. is a 60 inch model. Basically, they are in right or left hand models, in weights Rick Ellis has been building custom both the same style of longbow. e of 30 - 60 pounds in 5 pound incre- recurves and longbows for over 15 forward handle complete with built ments. If you’ve been thinking about years and this year, he brought his son in thumb rest combines with a short adding a nice, hand crafted longbow to Dusty on board to help drive the com- 16 inch riser that transitions into high your traditional bow selection, contact pany to the next level. Not only were they at the Traditional Archery Expo in

Bowyer Tracey Balowski and her husband David own St. Joe River Bows and Thunderbird Endurance Bow Epoxy. Here, David (right) shows a customer (left) the limb-bolt takedown system while Tracey, who actually builds the bows, explains the process and the bene ts of that particular takedown system. 114

APR14AT104-121T-R-A-V.indd 114 3/3/14 5:08 PM Striker Bows to see how the company can help.

Two Tracks Bow and Wool Company Chris and Check Deshler own the Two Tracks Bow and Wool Company. Chuck is a full time custom bowyer and Chris raises her own sheep, processing the wool into amazing felted clothing for bowhunters. Chris has perfected her own method of felting camo pat- terns, which are as stunning as they are unique. Of course, this kind of cloth- ing is not only for traditional bow- hunters but since Chuck and Chris are stickbow shooters themselves, that’s the market they normally reach. A Bear Archery was at the Expo in full force. Here, from left to right, are Gary Lewis, Neal shop owner interested in very unusual Byce and Steve Dalp. On the left, Lewis shows us the new two-toned Fred Bear Take-Down riser of Bubinga and Black Maple. In the middle is none other than Neal Byce with one of and extremely warm wool clothing the new ’59 Kodiak recurves. This legendary 1959 Kodiak remake has been a long time would do well to consider Two Tracks coming and it looks like it has been worth the wait. felted wool. One of the items that really caught At this time, the company o ers my eye was a new bowhunter’s cap with three versions of its take-down ear aps Two Tracks has developed.  e recurves: the Classic T/D, the Hunter hat is available in soft eece in assorted DX T/D and the Velocity T/D, as well colors and in Two Tracks’ felted wool. as two longbows: the Lobo and the  is cap has a soft bill that does not Phoenix. interfere with your bowstring, nice ear Most dealers who have tried  nding aps that cover your ears and a price custom willing to sell to them that makes it very attractive. I checked have found it isn’t an easy task but the with the Deshlers and they said they guys at Predator want to sell through To complement the 1959 Bear Kodiak are open to working with dealers who dealers. Dealers are their target market. recurve, Bear Archery has licensed Rose City Archery to manufacture boxes and are interested in stocking their items. If you’re interested in adding quality arrows just like those Bear Archery sold  e ubiquitous Stormy Kroemer cap recurves and longbows to your store, in 1959. As you can see, they have a great has almost become a must have item contact Predator Traditional Bows. retro look and to collectors, they will look for traditional bowhunters but it is the In addition to its custom bows, just like the originals. opinion of this writer that this new cap from Two Tracks just might knock the Stormy Kroemer out of  rst place. PINE RIDGE ARCHERY Predator Traditional Bows SINCE 1997 Michael Hoadley and Ron Pittsley • AVAILABLE IN VANES own Predator Traditional Bows. 9 COLORS MICRO GLUE POCKETS FOR Predator Bows has been in business for SUPERIOR BOND more than 20 years and its takedown • MICRO GLUE POCKETS / SUPERIOR HOLD recurves are well known for quality • FOR HUNTING AND TARGET SHOOTERS “NITRO provides improved aerodynamic manufacturing and performance in the performance relative to the other vanes • 2.0” AERODYNAMIC DESIGN tested. The improved aerodynamics of the  eld.  ese guys are bow makers, not • EXTREMELY DURABLE NITRO results in a flatter shooting arrow just a bow company. having greater kinetic energy” • MORE RETAINED ENERGY DOWNRANGE Source: Full Flight Technology, LLC / Velocitip One thing that sets Predator apart is the P.L.F. (Predator Limb Fit) system. • GREAT STABILIZATION “NITRO results in a flatter shooting Predator uses a special bezel that goes • GREAT FOR BOLTS arrow having greater kinetic energy” all the way through and into the riser. • GREAT ON ALL ARROW SHAFTS It’s the best system the company has ever used and because of this, any THE VANES YOU GREAT WITH Predator limbs from 1996 on will  t INSTANT CAN RELY ON! US PAT. PEND. ARROW GLUE any Predator riser, including the new aluminum Predator Velocity. TOLL-FREE: (877) 746-7434 WWW.PINERIDGEARCHERY.COM .COM/PINERIDGEARCHERY 115

APR14AT104-121T-R-A-V.indd 115 3/4/14 2:35 PM Predator Traditional Bows also manu- durable nish is used by many of the the bows: rst, the new two-toned riser factures two-ply Flemish twist bow- top bowyers in the country. It’s imper- for the Fred Bear Take-Down recurve strings and the Cricket, a draw check vious to water, gasoline, chemicals bow and second, the long antici- device that works on the range or in and the real world hardships of hunt- pated remake of the 1959 Bear Kodiak the eld. ing, bow shing and transportation recurve. to shoots.  e Fred Bear Take-Down is an St. Joe River Bows Thunderbird Endurance epoxy icon. Fred Bear himself hunted with Tracey and David Balowski are remains  exible over a wide range of that bow almost exclusively from 1969 the owners of St. Joe River Bows and extreme temperatures, will not crack until the day he stopped hunting.  e  underbird Archery Finish.  eir ne or check and resists impact and abra- new Bubinga and Black Maple riser is custom bows have been impressing sion better than any other nish the one of the best color combinations to traditional archers for many years. Balowskis have tried or tested over 30 date and is sure to be popular with Bear  ey o er one piece and two piece years. David and Tracey are actively Take-Down fans. custom longbows and recurves and, seeking dealers and distributors to What can you say about the 1959 get this, Tracey is the bowyer. In all expand the  underbird line. Kodiak? It’s a legend and in a class my years of dealing with custom bow- by itself. I have heard of the original yers, I believe Tracey is the rst full Bear Archery models selling for nearly $2,000, so it’s time female bowyer I have ever met. I Of course the guys from Bear nice to see Bear Archery nally release was impressed with the bows and with Archery were at the Expo; Michigan the latest version. I have spoken with David and Tracey themselves; they are is still Bear country.  ey had all the some folks who have shot the new ’59 casual and fun, yet professional. Bear bows on hand for folks to try out Kodiak and every one of them was New for this year is the  underbird on the shooting range but there were impressed. Looks like Bear Archery did Endurance epoxy bow nish.  is two noteworthy developments among it right again. In addition to the 1959 Kodiak, the guys from Bear Archery showed me the new 1959 retro arrows made by Rose City Archery. Rose City has long been the premier supplier of Port Orford Cedar in the U.S. Now it has partnered with Bear Archery to replicate the origi- nal Bear Archery arrow box, as well as

This is Tim and Tricia Gardner of Outdoor Lines, LLC. The delightful couple was mak- ing custom Flemish strings and selling a special beeswax blend of string maker’s wax the entire time. The Gardners o er a special two-ply Flemish string, a perfectly twisted three-ply Flemish twist string and a high quality string maker’s wax. Dealer orders are welcomed. At right, Tricia explains the di erences between the normal two-ply and the three-ply Flemish string that she manu- Dan Worden shows us how accurate his factures. Many archers have no idea how Spinrite cresting lathe can be. Worden has Flemish strings are made and they would replicated a bar code on this arrow that much rather purchase them from their local scanners can actually read! If you’re famil- dealers than take the time to make them iar with cresting by hand, you’ll understand themselves. just how impressive that is. 116

APR14AT104-121T-R-A-V.indd 116 3/5/14 3:24 PM the color schemes, cresting patterns making strings.  ey set up shop in user can simply untwist the loop itself and feather patterns that were o ered their booth and crafted custom three- a bit to allow it to slide onto the limb by Bear Archery back in 1959.  e ply Flemish strings on the spot for folks. tip and into the groove; then, the rest commemorative boxed set looks very I took a close look at the strings and I of the twists in the braid will cinch up authentic and should be popular with am happy to report that the Gardners against the limb tip for a perfect  t Bear Archery collectors everywhere. do excellent work.  ey specialize in every time. It’s a good argument for building three-ply strings, which are the two-ply string but I will stick to the Outdoor Lines, LLC more time consuming to make but are three-ply as my favorite. I found another supplier of Flemish nicer, rounder, stronger and an overall One other product for sale there displaying at the Expo. Tim better looking bowstring than the two- was quality String Maker’s Wax, a blend and Tricia Gardner of Outdoor Lines, ply Flemish string. of beeswax and other secret ingredi- LLC were there and they were busy Tim and Tricia do o er a two-ply ents. I have been making string wax for string but they over 20 years, so I have a good idea of call it an “adjust- what’s in it but the secret is safe with able loop” me. I know what it’s like to tinker with a string.  e idea special blend until you get it just right. behind that is  at wax had the perfect combination that, unlike the of stickiness to hold strands together defined termi- when building stings and waxiness for nation point of keeping strings well maintained on a most Flemish day to day basis. strings, the Tim and Tricia were very pleasant Gardners’ two- and quite interested in working with ply string is dealers, so if you’re in the market for a twisted all the source of custom Flemish bowstrings way out through and a high quality string maker’s wax, the end of the give them a call. loop.  e bene t is that the end Helmut Dittrich shows how to use the Arrow-Fix tool. His tool cuts nock tapers, point tapers and even reverse point tapers so two sections of arrow can be glued together to repair arrows. Now, archers shooting wood arrows can x rather than toss their broken arrows.

In the upper section, you can see two ”halves” of an arrow ready to be repaired with the Arrow-Fix tool. One side has the female cut and one side the male: apply glue, push them together and put them back in the tool until the glue sets for a strong permanent x. The lower section of the photo shows a cutaway of what the glue joint looks like inside the arrow. 117

APR14AT104-121T-R-A-V.indd 117 3/6/14 10:45 AM On the left is the Scorpion, branded as “The Ultimate Footing Tool.” Footed arrows are tricky to make but with this tool by Gary Renfro, it’s much easier. On the right is Renfro’s four sided broadhead sharpening tool, the Super Gary Renfro owns Traditional Archery Products. It o ers broadhead Star. This four sided sharpener is tough to beat for sharp- sharpening accessories, tapered brushes for cleaning taper hole broad- ening two bladed broadheads. With diamond hones down heads and  eld points and various other supplies, including how-to DVDs to 800 grit, hair popping sharpness is the rule, not the for traditional archers. exception.

Spinrite Cresters date. To show just how accurately you it’s always with me. Every bowhunter Anyone who has crested wood can crest an arrow in his unit, Worden should have one and Worden reports arrows knows how tricky it can be. If the has replicated bar codes on arrows and that they sell very well as impulse arrow isn’t perfectly straight, it will not scanners can read them! buys when they’re sitting near the spin straight and your lines will end up e Hero Shot II is another clever cash register. looking terrible. For those of you famil- product from Spinrite Cresters. Screw iar with this, I have some good news. it into the bottom of your camera, then Arrow-Fix Dan Worden has developed an amaz- stick an arrow in the ground and place I am always impressed with ing cresting lathe, called the Spinrite your camera on top of the arrow and German engineering and the Arrow- Cresting Lathe, that greatly diminishes you’re ready for pictures. With the Hero Fix tool is a  ne example of why. I the wobbles in wood arrows. I have Shot II, you’ll never miss another photo met Helmut Dittrich in the Arrow-Fix seen this unit in action and it’s the best opportunity or have to carry a tripod. booth, where he showed me his multi- cresting lathe design I have seen to I tuck one into my camera case so talented Arrow-Fix tool. is tool cuts

Joe Callahan shows us examples of carbon and alumi- num arrows that have been prepped, primed, dipped and crested, all with eco-friendly products from True North Arrows. True North Arrows is well known for its water G. Fred Asbell (at left) has been carrying the torch of traditional archery based dipping and cresting paints as well as its water for many years. Here he is visiting with his good friend Roger Norris, no based clear coats. New for this year are a no-rinse carbon doubt discussing the  ner points of instinctive shooting. G. Fred and his prep solution and an acrylic carbon primer that provides wife Teresa Asbell own and operate gfredasbell.com, where they sell bow the perfect surface treatment and base for any of True quivers, side quivers, traditional wool clothing and assorted instinctive North’s water based paints. shooting books and DVDs. 118

APR14AT104-121T-R-A-V.indd 118 3/6/14 12:34 PM Jerry Brumm (left) is the owner and bowyer extraordi- naire at the Great Northern Bowhunting Company. The Bob Brumm is pictured here in his booth at the Traditional Archery Expo. gentleman on the right was visiting from France and The inset shows some of his latest o erings. He now o ers various colored picking up another Great Northern longbow to add to his quiver hoods, including pink camo. At lower right in this photo, you can see collection. a GNQCO quiver attached to a riser. Great Northern quivers are known as Jerry Brumm and his wife Sharon put together the some of the best on the market. Traditional Archery Expo every year in Kalamazoo, Michigan. This was the event’s 19th year and it was a blast. Held in late January, it’s a great place to shoot a variety nock tapers and point tapers but most With this tool, Renfro of traditional bows and chat with some of the best in the importantly, it can cut a precise cone made making footed business. Whether you already o er traditional supplies inside of an arrow shaft in the exact arrows sound easy and if in your shop or you simply want to see what’s so special about traditional archery, plan on attending in 2015. dimensions of a regular point taper so you know about footed another arrow shaft with a point taper arrows, you know they can be glued inside it. Everyone who are anything but easy to build. Lastly, Harness the power of the world-wide-web to bring new customers to your door. builds wood arrows knows the invest- Renfro had what he calls the Super ment they have in them. It’s nice to Star.  is four sided V-sharpener is 10 Increase Your Sales Offer Customers A Fully Stocked know that now there’s a tool for repair- inches long, allowing for nice, long and ing any standard diameter wood arrow. smooth strokes of your broadheads ONLINE STORE I think anyone would agree that x- when sharpening. One side holds a Now Your Website Can Offer ing arrows is much better than tossing set of les for quick shaping of new or Over 10,000 Products them in the trash.  ere was a bit of a damaged broadheads.  e next bay has -Creation of an easy to use language barrier but apparently, these 400 grit diamond hones, the third bay E-commerce website solution allowing you to start offering tools can be purchased in the States has 600 grit diamond hones and nally, product and selling securely on and are already being sold by a few the fourth bay has 800 grit diamond the web. -Pape’s full product catalog up- dealers and distributors. hones.  ese quality diamond hones loaded to your websites: Product Images and Descriptions.

sharpen even the hardest of broad- DISTRIBUTOR -An inventory feed that CATALOG AUTOMATICALLY updates your Traditional Archery Products heads. If you or your customers are website every 15 minutes as to the inventory level on hand at Gary Renfro from Traditional looking for a sharpening tool for two Pape’s. Archery Products was moving and shak- blade broadheads, this one is tough -Complete Pricing Control: Allows you to easily set your prices by category or even down to the ing in his booth for the entire show. He to beat. product level.

o ers quite a variety of unique prod- -One Click To Ship (TM): Allows you to click one button that sends ucts for traditional archers. He had True North Arrows order to Pape’s for blind ship fulfillment to your customer from a tapered brush for cleaning out the If you’ve never heard about the Pape’s warehouse. insides of tapered glue-on points, a set water based dipping paints, cresting of paper wheels for sharpening knives paints and clear coatings o ered by and broadheads, a DVD he produced Joe Callahan, give him a call some- - Distributor Product & Inventory Link about sharpening broadheads, dia- time. He is a wealth of knowledge. - One-Click-To-Ship mond hone bench stones and a DVD Callahan has created an entire paint - Custom Design & Branding about building footed arrows. All that system that, until now, was known for was impressive enough but Renfro also its compatibility, striking colors and Call Today for a Free Consultation and Online Demo had a tool called the Scorpion, which durability on wood arrows.  is year, at Toll Free: 1-800-699-0820 he sells as “ e Ultimate Footing Tool.” the Traditional Archery Expo, Callahan www.outdoorbusinessnetwork.com 119

APR14AT104-121T-R-A-V.indd 119 3/3/14 5:20 PM showed me a new carbon prep product and a carbon primer and his timing couldn’t be better. Many traditional archers are making the switch to car- bon arrows but don’t want to lose the ability to customize their arrows. An archer can follow up the “no rinse” carbon prep and carbon primer with any True North water based paints or clear coatings. ere are many colors to choose from and of course, the opportunities for custom cresting are endless. True North Arrows is interested in growing its dealer/ distributor base, so if customizing carbon arrows is some- thing you’d be interested in, contact Joe Callahan; he’ll take care of you.

Hunter Image Hunter Image is owned by G. Fred Asbell and his wife Teresa. ey are delightful folks and they o er a wide assortment of items, including knives, sheaths, wool cloth- ing, bow cases, bow quivers, side quivers, various books about bowhunting and instinctive shooting and a DVD about instinctive shooting. ey operated a very large booth area at the Traditional Expo and if you took the time to really look over their items, there were more golden nug- gets to be found. Hunter Image’s ever popular wool clothing is all hand Joel Turner (left) gave an impressive seminar at the Expo about sewn with quality U.S. wool and is available in pullovers, target panic, what it is and how to beat it. I was in the crowd and I zippered jackets, vests and more. e company o ers quite can verify that this guy knows his stu . The presentation was spot a few styles of traditional knives and sheaths and even an on. Turner is pictured here holding the Joel Turner ACS bow made for him by Larry Hanify (right), owner of A&H Archery. If you ever get a armguard with a built in knife is available. Bow quivers chance to sit in on one of Turner’s seminars, I highly recommend it. and side quivers are available with plain, wool covered or

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APR14AT104-121T-R-A-V.indd 120 3/3/14 5:24 PM leather covered hoods and grippers that will t any size of For more information, contact the companies men- arrow on the market. Last but not least, Hunter Image o ers tioned in the article.  eir contact information is listed on an assortment of wool bow cases for longbows and recurves. the rst page of this feature. Many thanks to all the traditional folks who continue Great Northern Quiver Company to push the sport forward; it has been a pleasure working Bob Brumm, owner of the Great Northern Quiver with you. Company, has aggressively expanded his quiver o erings in About e Author: Todd Smith has been a traditional the last 12 months. He added some kick-back models and an bowhunter for over 40 years. After learning the art of hand- assortment of di erent hood colors (even pink camo) and, crafting wood arrows in Alaska from his mentor John Dodge, due to customer demand, he just started o ering replace- he built arrows professionally for several years. In 2008, after ment wires for the quivers. Great Northern strap-on bow a 19 year stint with 3Rivers Archery, he made the decision to quivers are recognized as among the best on the market. help other businesses grow and currently o ers marketing  e wires are guaranteed for life and you can even workUntitled-17 out services1 3/5/14 through 8:38 AM his website, ToddSmithCo.com. a deal with Bob to have your own custom branding done on the leather quiver hoods. If you’re interested in a top of the line bow quiver, get in touch with the Great Northern Quiver Company.

Joel Turner – A&H Archery The Traditional Archery Expo always brings in excellent speakers who put on seminars for the attendees.  is year, Joel Turner was there, speaking about target panic. He assured us that we all have target panic built in. It’s not something we catch; it is just there.  at being the case, the best thing to do is to acknowledge it and learn how to control it. His seminar was lively, interactive and spot on. I would rank him among the top ve public speakers I have heard in the last 10 years. If you were not able to be there, don’t worry; there are DVDs of Turner’s seminar available. Larry HanifyC of A&H Archery taped one of Turner’sM

seminars some time ago and producedY a DVD. I have not seen the DVD but I CM have seen the seminar and I can tell you that the information Turner sharesMY can help anyone, no matter how disabledCY he

or she is by target panic. Contact HanifyCMY for info about the Turner seminar DVDs. K Summary As you have seen, if you take the time to dig a little, there’s no end to what you can nd in traditional archery.  is year, the Traditional Archery Expo yielded some exciting new develop- ments in traditional archery: new bows, new quivers, new trends and more. Tradtional archery is still growing.  ere are thousands of young would-be archers out there and they want to nd bows like what they have seen in the movies.  e shops that have the equip- ment that they are looking for in stock are going to make the sale. 121

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