The day I received the ASAT ground blind, I couldn’t wait to get it set up to try out. Everything I’ve ever read about ground blinds says that you need to set them up and leave them for several days, even a few weeks before you hunt out of them. The “experts” say that by setting it up beforehand the animals get used to the blind being there. Well, I didn’t follow that rule. Darrell and I let the blind air out over night and brought it out in the field the very next day.

We drug it to the middle of a cut wheat field that afternoon and brushed it into an old rock pile. Within the first 10 minutes of getting settled into the blind that night, we had 7 turkeys walk within 25 yards of us. 5 minutes later we had 5 more within 15 yards. Neither group paid any attention to us. As the night progressed, we had a doe and fawn come within 20 yards. None of the animals spooked. A few weeks later, we brought it to a new location and set it up at the edge of a field without brushing it in. We had the same good luck that none of the deer we saw that night were nervous of us being there. The camouflage on this blind is amazing! The pattern seems to blend into whatever surroundings you put it in. It’s quick to set up and roomy enough to accommodate 2 people. From a beginner hunter to advance, I would recommend this blind for anyone!

Trolling the shallows you suddenly see a large black shadow. Is it a large mouth? Is is a musky? Is it a log? Or is it a big beautiful carp? If you had you H3O glasses on, you’d know! We’ve been wearing H3O’s since one of the first pairs came out and wouldn’t even think about wearing any other brand while bowfishing. They come with a case, cleaning cloth, and 3 sets of lenses; dark gray, amber and twilight yellow. We prefer the amber for daytime.

People who come on the water with us start the day with their preferred brand, but within a few hours, they haven’t seen the number of fish we have, so they ask to try our H3O’s. By the end of the day, they’re ready to throw their old ones away because they can’t believe how much clearer everything is with the H3O’s! We just upgraded to the new styles this year and love how lightweight they are and the way they conform to your face – blocking out all unwanted glare. If you want to see what we see, get yourself a pair of H3O’s!

www.steelforce.com -

After looking at literally dozens of broadheads at the 2008 Archery Trade Association Show, the one we were most intrigued with was the new PhatHead by Steel Force. Steel Force President, Nickolas Giannetti, provided us with some 100 grain PhatHeads to try out on our February hog hunt in Florida.

Before we left on the trip, we had a chance to shoot a little before packing everything up. When Nick said that they would fly like our field points, he wasn’t bluffing. Right out of the pack, I was drilling my target out to 40 yards, and the penetration was unbelievable. I was full of confidence that any hog that allowed me to slip within bow range was in serious trouble. To make a long story short, there are 7 less wild hogs running around central Florida these days. The Aim Low crew put the hurt on some pigs.

The true test for the Phathead came on the last morning of our hunt when I was finally lucky enough to stalk within 35 yards of the big black boar of my dreams. The often talked about “shield” that protects the shoulder area of a mature boar was no match for the PhatHead. As we were skinning the boar, we could not believe how tough the 1 ¼” shield was to cut with a razor sharp knife, yet the Phathead zipped straight through to the vitals. The big boar was down in less than 10 seconds and made it only 60 yards before collapsing.

The Phathead broadheads are designed to be a cut-on contact broadhead – a broadhead that can break bone, tear through tissue, and deliver a lethal blow to even the largest big game animals. With a blade thickness of .080, are with out a doubt the “Phattest broadhead ever built!”

www.vortexoptics.com, “The Force of Optics” -

Each year as hunting season moves closer, I thumb through hunting catalogues, drooling over all the latest equipment and gadgets. There are so many products to choose from, and I would go broke if didn’t keep my senses. I always seem to be drawn to the optics section, thinking that binoculars and spotting scopes would be the thing to have if money was no object. I never thought it would be possible to have a really high quality pair of binoculars without spending a small fortune.

The first time I looked through a pair of Vortex binoculars two thoughts crossed my mind. First, the binocs must be top of the line of Vortex products, and second, they surely are out of most hunters’ price range. I was wrong on both accounts! When I discovered the price range at which Vortex offers their products, I couldn’t believe it. Not because I haven’t seen binoculars offered at a reasonable price before. It was the fact that I had never looked through a clearer, better light gathering pair of binocs in my life. To add to the performance and great looks, Vortex did not cut corners in the construction of their optics. With ridged rubber armor that is easy to grip, and a light weight feel, I knew I had to have a pair. The entire Aim Low hunting team is now packing Vortex binoculars and spotting scopes. Vortex undoubtedly improved our experiences in the woods this fall, especially Robin!

He tells his story:

“Until recently, I never really put any thought into my optics for bowhunting. I always figured my hunting was a close up game, so I rarely even took binocs to the woods with me. Occasionally I would have my cheap pair in the tree and if I was hunting somewhere I might see a buck way off. But when I got my first look through some quality glass, my feelings did a big turnaround. Now, I never sit in a tree without binocs, and I owe my Missouri buck from this season largely to my Vortex binoculars.”

“It was my 5th sit in my favorite North Missouri tree in just 7 days. I knew that this tree would produce at least a sighting of a good buck if I put my time in. Right after daylight, I saw a deer angling by the tree. I stood and alerted Larry to get the camera on, but in the dim light at 65 yards, it appeared to be a small buck. As it began to move away, I put my bow down and grabbed the Vortex binocs for a closer look, just for the heck of it. Instantly, I was shocked to see a really good buck was getting by us! A quick grunt stopped him as I told Larry “Shooter for sure!” A couple more grunts made him look but he turned to leave anyway. Without thinking, I snort-wheezed at him and he instantly turned and came right in for a super close shot. End result was my biggest buck to date…one that I would have let walk by if I wouldn’t have had a clear look at him through my Vortex Vipers.”

To say the least, we are thrilled to be packing Vortex optics. The people at Vortex have taught us the importance of quality field glasses, and best of all, they don’t have to cost an arm and leg. Every time I hand my binoculars to someone to try, I get an overwhelming positive response. Don’t buy a set of optics until you have tried a Vortex product.

www.duravanes.com -

The “Zip Strip” made by Duravane is one of those products that is so simple and yet genius at the same time. Once you have one…you wonder why the heck you ever lived without it. The tool is meant to be used to strip old feathers, vanes, wraps, and cresting paint of your arrows. The key is that it does the job quickly without damaging the arrow – regardless of arrow type.

I pulled a couple of carbon arrows out from last year that had feathers and cresting paint on them and wanted to change over to a white wrap with a Predator vane. I had the arrows clean in literally less than a minute each! No more of that super careful scraping with a knife…from now on, I will “Zip” those arrows clean!