What new or old equipment worked for you this year in the woods & what didn't? Did you buy anything that you thought was going to be great & it turned out to be a flop? Did anything work out better than you expected?
Lone Wolf Hand Climber - Worth the money!! (MUST wear safety harness!) Trophyline Tree Saddle - Changed the way I hunt forever! Singlemost important thing i own. (Besides the bow) Sport Climber Tree Spikes - Terrible! I threw them out after using them about three times. Dangerous and Scary! Dewalt 18v Cordless Impact Gun - Great tool! I blast 10" lags into the tree and leave 5" sticking out for tree steps!!!! Muzzy 4-Blade 100g - Always Bad to the Bone, year after year! Many more...those just stick out for this year!
Bino's: I broke down and bought a pair of Leupold bino's. They have been invaluable for finding deer, blood and just seeing things I could never investigate without them. By the way, Leupold is offering a 40% discount to military customers. Can't beat that.
Switching over to climbers and climbing sticks. Pretty much made a few great spots huntable this season that weren't in the past. Plus the added stealth was much appreciated. Bought a 101st Airborne last spring. Although I didn't fire it at a deer, it held it's own on my fall turkey. Nothing else new purchased really.
Rangefinder: Bushnell Scout 1000. This was my first season w/ a rangefinder and I was very pleased with the purchase. I took 6 deer this year and new my exact yardage on every shot and that led to confidence in every shot. I have killed deer in the past without one and have missed deer in the past as well. The added confidence was worth the chips to me. Oh yea I almost forgot this one. The little $5 zip-saw. I used to think they were cheap looking and wouldnt hold up to 1 deer pelvis......WRONG I used it on all of my deer this year and it held up great. Fast easy way to split the pelvis I was really happy with this one.
Vortex Binos: I bought them right before the season and I am so glad I did. They performed great and helped me many different times durig the season, not just spotting deer (blood trails and the like).
My first year hunting so only "new" thing I hunted with that I felt aided me was a range finder.Picking lanes and haveing true distances surprised me! Old equipment...that would be Dingus...he made me look good not getting any shots.
Oh yeah, these guys refreshed my memory. My Nikon 440. Never thought I would need a rangefinder, but I'm certainly glad I have one now.
Wal-Mart sold an umbrella to attach to the tree to keep you dry and out of the sun. Great concept, bad design, imo. Don't think it can stand up to strong winds. :punch: And when it's raining it's loud as hell. Not sure what stops rain and is still quite. Still loved the concept and can't wait to use mine this season.
Hunters Specialties Butt Out tool: Outstanding piece of equipment. Literally takes seconds to get the job done. Primos Ground Max Predator Den Ground Blind (Cabelas Exclusive): Most fun thing to hunt out of ever! I will go out of my way to find an excuse to hunt out of it. Only downside is the center windows are a bit high for bow shots. Also works great as an ice shanty. Rage 3 Blade: Absolute shocking penetration and holes blown through deer. Gorilla 3 foot climbing sticks: Super fast and easy to set up. Pain to carry 6 at a time and difficult to firmly attach together for portability. Great Value though!
2 things helped me this past fall.. A hunters specialties "butt-out" tool. Made that job much more simple/fast.. ..also a Bushnell yardage pro 450. It came in very handy on a late season doe. I know if I didnt have it, I would have judged the distance wrong
Things that worked........ The Butt-Out does work pretty well. My new Summit 180 Max. I shot a deer with my bow and rifle out of it. It's a great stand for "bigger" people. No Trace pants, jacket, gloves, and hood. I never got winded that I know of. Things that didn't....... 2 year old Nikon range finder quit reading past 30 yards. No Peep peep eliminator. I couldn't shoot a good group with it. I put my peep back on and was right back on target.
