This year several companies provided gear to the writers at the Writers Camp. Nikon sent us the Pro Staff 7 binoculars we put up a video on for Day #2 of the hunt. We also received an Archers Choice Rangefinder. I definitely put mine to use and when a shot opportunity turned up I checked the range at 25 yards and got ready to shoot. In the video below C. J. Davis shows us the Archers Choice and demonstrates how to use it effectively.
Click on the video below to play it.
Don Wood Polaris provided an all electric Polaris Ranger for use at the hunt. It was up to the task of the muddy, steep hills on the farm. It took us everywhere effortlessly and had plenty of charge left at the end of the day.
We also received a crossbow to use on the hunt. In the video below Tim Dehn of Arrow Trade magazine talks about crossbows.
Click on the video below to play it.
Darton Archery sent us a Serpent Ltd II crossbow and Joe Byers, Tim Dehn and myself got an Ohio deer with ours. I’ve never shot one before this hunt and found it easy to get used to and smooth to shoot. My bolt went through the doe and stuck in a galvanized metal gate behind it. It was powerful and accurate. In the video below Bruce Ryan shows us this powerhouse crossbow.
Click on the video below to play it.
Nikon sent us all a X-Bolt Scope for our crossbows. In the video below C.J. Davis shows us all about this excellent scope that is designed specifically for crossbows. When it came time to use it I could see the deer clearly and tell exactly where I was aiming.
Click on the video below to play it.
Other items received were:
The ThermaCELL from ThermaCELL. It was too cold for mosquitoes. But those of us who hunted in the Turtle blind had red wasps inside the blind. Our ThermaCELL’s cleared them out.
Grim Reaper Broadheads provided their new X-Bow broadhead designed for crossbows. It put everybody’s deer down in seconds.
ATSKO provided the products to eliminate and control our human odor on our bodies as well as our clothing and gear. Mike Jordan had Scent Wash body and hair liquid soap in all the showers. There were two washer and dryers in the lodge and Mike had Scent Wash laundry detergent and UV Killer there for us to use. Plus he gave us the No-O-Dor spray for our use.
Code Blue sent us a variety pack of several of their deer scent products. I asked Mike Mattly of PRADCO Outdoor Brands to sweeten a scrape near my stand with Grave Digger and he did on video on Day #2. I was only there a few days but several deer were caught on our Moultrie game camera.
Heartland Wildlife Institute gave us Autum Addiction deer attractant to use on future hunts. Â It containins soybeans, whole roasted corn, and a supercharged energy nugget. Jeff Neal told me, “deer can not resist it.”
Fall Guy ( Integrated Safety Systems) provided Fall Guy full body harness systems for all the treestands. I didn’t hunt from a treestand on this hunt but I do on many hunts. I’ve used the Fall Guy and even tested it once by jumping off a lower rung of a ladder stand. It stopped my descent immediately.
Keith Jennings of Mathews provided Lost Camo garments made by GameHide. They were well designed, comfortable, warm coats and pants for cold weather.
The manufacturers attending this Writers Camp are; ATSKO, ( Mike Jordan), Grim Reaper Broadheads (Jay Liechty), Heartland Wildlife Institute (Jeff Neal and Les Ray), Nikon (C. J. Davis), PRADCO Outdoor Brands (Mike Mattly), Lost Camo, (Keith Jennings). Other manufacturers that have provided product are; Darton Archery, Don Wood Polaris, ThemaCell, Fall Guy ( Integrated Safety Systems) and GameHide.
Outdoor writers on the hunt are; Â Bob Humphrey, Joe Byers, Tim Dehn of ArcheryTrade mag, Robert Hoague of Bowhunting.net, Jim Miller of Great Southwest Outdoors TV show, and media expert Bruce Ryan.