Outdoorsman Time

tips for the modern sportsman

2016 Great American Outdoor Show: A Sportsmen’s Smorgasbord

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great american outdoor show

If there is one thing I enjoy more than being outdoors its shopping for new outdoor gear. Even if I am not buying I love to see the latest and greatest in items designed to help me hunt better, catch more fish or be more comfortable while doing so. Of course, one of the problems is it usually requires hopping from one specialty store to another or surfing numerous websites. The first takes more time than I generally have and the latter prevents me from handling, feeling and testing what I like. But once a year I get the opportunity to see everything in one convenient place when I visit the Great American Outdoor Show.

The Great American Outdoor Show, held each February in Harrisburg Pa, is billed as “The World’s Largest Outdoor Show” and places 1,100 exhibitors under one roof. Over 650,000 sq. ft. of outfitters, vendors and industry representatives all in one place at the same time means you can see, handle and even try all the best in outdoor gear. It is a true sportsmen’s smorgasbord.

Although I often have a list of tried and true favorites I am hoping to pick up what I most look forward to is seeing the new groundbreaking ideas that have made it off the drawing board. This year I not only attended the show but I collected some of the more interesting items to share with you. Enjoy!

bowmounteddecoyBow Mounted Decoy

As soon as I saw this I had to stop and learn more. The idea of a portable decoy blind that looks like a wild animal is not new, the Montana Decoy has been a mainstay with elk and antelope hunters for years. But what makes this version different is its compact size, designed to be mounted to your bow rather than carried in front of you.

Available in several models including antelope, deer, turkey, elk & cow and collapsible for easy carry this may be the next revolution in stalking wild game!

Get more information on it at:  www.ultimatepredatorgear.com

Deathshimmer Spinnerbaits

Deathshimmer SpinnerbaitsIf you’ve seen one spinnerbait your seen them all, or so I thought. The Deathshimmer adds a new twist, or bends to be exact, to the traditional design.

With a series of bends in the wire arm it looks like it was repeatedly slammed in your truck door, but once you toss it into the water you see these bends add a whole new dimension of action to your presentation. Increased vibration and shaking means more fishing attracting action, and the design also limits the dreaded flip during the retrieve.

Check them out for yourself! Go to: www.deathshimmer.com

Hands Free Weapon Carry System

hands free weapon carry hunterAt first glance the WCS by Pointblank Hunting appears to be a camouflaged load-bearing vest, similar to what your see SWAT officers wearing. While this may be the foundation for the design it is actually a whole lot more – a means of safely carrying a variety of long guns or bows hands free but readily accessible and able to be used at a moment’s notice. 

Imagine if you could have your firearms ready to go but still have your hand available for calling, climbing or a host of other tasks? Well, now you can and you will not sacrifice a second in deployment time – its quicker and more secure than a traditional sling.

Learn more at: www.pbhunting.com

Are You A True Outdoorsman?

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Many sportsmen consider themselves to be “outdoorsmen” but are they really? Or are they better described as “outdoor enthusiasts”?

The term “outdoorsman” has different reading to different people. The Webster dictionary for example offers the following definition:

Outdoorsman – one who spends much time in the outdoors or in outdoor activities.

I, however, prefer to think of an outdoorsman as someone who not only enjoys outdoor activities but possesses the skills necessary to excel in those activities. The guy at deer camp others turn to for advice on setting up a stand, tuning a new bow, etc. This is how I see a true outdoorsman.

So what are the skills you should develop to make the jump from enthusiast to outdoorsman? This is a list which could be as long and varied as the number of people you ask. But over the years, through season after season of dealing with sportsmen of all kinds I have come up with my personal list. These are the skill I find sportsmen benefit from the most and those I hope I can continue to develop season after season.

  1. Tracking – for most sportsmen tracking means simply finding their wild game after it has been shot. True tracking involves seeing the entire picture. Where are different animals traveling, eating and bedding? Have other hunters been in the woods recently? If so, where did they go & what did they do?
  2. Forecasting – weather pays a vital role in your potential success afield. Checking the online forecast is a starting point, but being able to read the weather while on your stand allows you to adjust as needed in real time.
  3. Knife Sharpening – ever true sportsman I have ever met not only carries at least one knife but also keeps it ready to do what needs to be done. Not only can a dull knife interfere with your ability to complete the task at hand it can also be dangerous – nothing slips unexpectedly like a rounded edge.
  4. Marlinspike – this is more than a fancy name for knot tying; it is the ability to use line for more than simply dragging your deer. Can you fashion a simply pulley system needed to drag a carcass out of a ravine? Do you know how to lash three poles into a game hoist for cleaning? If not you might want to break out your old Boy Scout manuals.
  5. Plant Identification – an enthusiast is lucky if they can identify poison ivy before spending the weekend itching and scratching. For an outdoorsman “leaves of three, let it be” is a children’s rhyme; he can tell you where to find a natural food plot deer are going to being circling or tell you which berries might make a suitable afternoon snack or a natural insect repellant.

So, how do your skills stack up? Are you prepared to spend a weekend in the woods or will you be booking a room at the Motel 6?

Must Have: Realtree Xtra Camo Foosball Table for Hunters

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carrom REALTREE XTRA Signature Foosball TableWith hunting season alway seeming to go by so fast, leaves us hunters with several other months with nothing to do. Sure, some of us fill our time with a little fishing, camping and other outdoor fun. But there are times when you end up stuck in the house, right? Well, today I accidentally found something for hunters like me who are looking for some indoor fun.

There is a foosball table made just for hunters! It’s the Carrom Realtree Xtra Signature Foosball Table and it’s the perfect addition to the garage or man cave. If you’re like me, then you’ve probably played on one of these before but don’t really know a lot about buying one or what features you need and everything like that. I had to do some reading on it to make sure this was a good table and I used the buying guide on this site to learn about it.

Based on my experience, this is a really good quality foosball table for the money. Carrom seems to be one of the top brands that makes them and all the components and construction on this table are high quality. One thing though – I didn’t realize how big a full-size foosball table is until this thing showed up at my house. So, make sure you have a room or space big enough for it. And make sure a buddy is there to help you with it because this sucker is heavy! I think it weighs over 350 pounds!

Carrom REALTREE XTRA SNOW Signature Foosball TableRight now, it looks like Carrom has partnered with Realtree to make two different Realtree Xtra camo foosball tables. You got the traditional green and brown camo you see in the photo up above and the snow camo you see in the photo here to the side.

The Carrom Realtree Xtra Snow Signature Foosball Table has the same manufacturer’s suggested retail price as the regular camo model above, so get whichever camo design you prefer. I’m a traditional camo guy myself, but I do think that snow one looks pretty good as well.

Where you can buy these tables:

Both of these tables have hollow steel playing rods, which are supposed to the best type because it lets you spin and shoot faster and it prevents you from getting any type of strain on your wrist when you play. The tables are also equipped with premium bearings that help those playing rods spin fast and smooth. Basically, if you want one of these tables where you can get yourself some fast action playing, then you want something like this with hollow steel rods and the premium precision bearings.

The handles are made of solid hard wood, so none of that rubber handle crap that can fall apart on you. And the cabinet is made of a wood composite mixture, which is why the thing is so damn heavy – none of the cheap particle board stuff here. And the exterior is some of type of smooth finish that incorporates the camo design. Not sure what it is made of, but it seems pretty high quality to me. And if your floor isn’t level, then you’ll get some use out of the leg levelers that are built into this thing. That will help you keep the game fair….or tilt it a little to your advantage if you really want to teach your buddies a lesson!

I didn’t know this before I bought a foosball table, but apparently some of these things have a three-man goalie setup and some have just a one-man goalie setup. But this Carrom table comes so that you can decide which one you want when you put it together. Based on what I’ve read, the one-goalie man setup is the best because it is what all the pros use when they play. But, it is harder to score with just one goalie. And if you’re getting this thing for your kids, then the three guy goalie setup is better for them cause it is easier to score with three guys instead of one on the goalie rod.

I haven’t had a lot of time to play on mine yet, but so far this thing is a good way to unwind with a couple of beers when my buddies are over after work. I do wish it had some cup holders for me to put my beer while I was playing though.

It seems to be sturdy and well built. I’ve seen my kids playing rough with it and it seems to be holding up just fine against their rowdy playing, so I think this thing will be in my basement for plenty of years down the road.

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