It turns out even I can be wrong. When I reviewed the Archer Range range finder I found a few thing I did not like. It turns out it was operator error combined with not reading instructions. I know none of you guys have ever been guilty of ripping a new toy out of the box and running to the woods with out reading the instructions first but that is exactly what I did with this product. If you check out the following web site www.ArcherRange.com you will find helpful tips on how to best use this product. I was using the crank to try to pull up my gear and that isn't what it is designed for. I also reported that the product was not good for uneven terrain but if you check out the website it will tell you how to handle this problem. I also failed to mention that the Archer Range requires no batteries and will sustain alot of abuse. The case is plastic but very tough.
Contact Billy with any questions about the Archer Range. I have been in contact with him and he has done a great job of answering my questions and correcting my mistakes. Updated score 10 of 10 based on quality and customer service.
IKE

This picture should be enough to remind us all of what not using a safety belt can cost us. This is my wife and son and they are the reason I put up with the bulky, noisy, contraptions that could cost me a deer. I think the cost is worth the price. If I had to choose between a B&C buck and going home to my family at night I think the choice would be obvious. Deer are grand wonderful things but the memory of that buck will be overshadowed by first steps, first words, school, sports and a thousand other memories you will make with your family. Falling may not cost you your life but it will change how you live it. Daily pain, unpaid bills, and not being able to enjoy your life are surely a part of any bad fall from a stand. So before you climb in strap in and make sure you return to those who love you the same man that left.

IKE

I don’t have a reputation as a world class hunter that kills giant deer every year. I do have a reputation for being an honest ethical sportsman. People who know me are always willing to let me hunt their land. They know I won’t blaze a trail with a three wheeler or send a bullet through their home. They know I won’t destroy fences or litter the land. Actually most of the time they don’t even know I am there.

These are lessons that all hunters must learn and they are the most important lessons we can teach our children. How to hunt and how to take a deer are important but how to do it the right way ethically and legally are far more important. We teach by example what we do and what we say influence our children. Even the things our friends do can teach a child the wrong lesson. If a family friend, relative, or complete stranger do things that are illegal or unethical, we should tell our children that this is not right. We do not have to confront the wrong doer but we have to make sure that the hunters of tomorrow do not follow their examples.

When I was a young hunter I was forunate to be surrounded by men who were hunters in the truest sense of the word. They taught me to respect the land and the landowner. To respect the animal, and to protect my quarry from those who would harass or harm these animal for misguided fun or for a piece of bone on top of a skull. My father was chief among these men. He used hunting to keep me from trouble, jail, or a young death. He never scored on a world class animal but all of his kills were treated as such. He taught me how to make the most of the animal and how to be a true hunter. He may not have killed a Pope & Young buck, but he did something most hunters never do. He left behind a legacy that I carry in my heart. He left his mark in not only my life, but the lives of many. I like to think that mark looks an awful lot like a big ol’ buck. He has been gone for ten years, and I still miss him everyday and I thank the Lord he helped me become a good man and more importantly a good hunter.

The Carthage Press did a wonderful article about the shop. Click the link below to read it! Thank you to John Hacker and the Carthage Press for sharing our story with the community!

http://www.carthagepress.com/lifestyle/x1369592031/50-Neighbors-Couple-sets-up-archery-shop-in-Old-Cabin-Shop

The Archer Range rangefinder's name suits the product perfectly. This rangefinder can only be used out to 50 yards, and only from a treestand 15ft or higher.

Don't ask me to explain the science because I failed college algebra 3 times. There is some triangulation and geometry involved I am sure. Even though I cannot explain how it works, I am smart enough to operate this device. Acutally I think my 8 year old nephew could probably figure out how to use it. Simply climb into a stand at the set height: 15, 20, 25, or 30 yards, point it at the base of a tree, hold a button for 1 second and release. Turn the rangefinder to the side and you will find a range chart. Choose the height you are hunting, (the Archer Range  has a convenient built-in tape measure) and you will find a needle pointing to the range of the object. Easy as pie.

There are a few drawbacks to the Archer Range, though. To measure your height, you have to anchor the tape measure to your bag or bow. I anchored to my bag and tried ot use the built in crank to bring it up, but no dice. My bag is not very heavy, but I ended up bypassing the crank, and pulling the bag up by hand. Not a big deal though, still worked out very smoothly.

The biggest drawback, and it is a big one, is that it is not accurate on ranges not level with the bottom of your tree. That means if you hunt draws and valleys, leave it at home.

Overall, the Archer Range is easy to use and very accurate on level ground. With a pricetag of under $50, it is affordable even if you hunt the occasional downward slope.

I give it a 7 out of 10. I would have scored it a little lower, however, the price makes it worth a little hassle.

-Ike

 The main stream definition of Professional Hunter seem to have changed over the years. There was a time when a professional hunter was a teacher, a conservationist, and pretty much an average joe. Today they seem to be the rich, trophy hunters, or wanna be rock stars. (No offense Ted you really are a Rock Star.)

 If you have the money you can go to a ranch and pay for the buck of a lifetime. If you can afford this odds are you can afford the equipment needed to film this hunt. Once said trophy is secured and the hunt is successfully lodged onto your video unit you can spend a little more money for some fancy editing and some nice packaging and like magic you are a professional hunter.

 Maybe I am just jaded or maybe it is the little green monster sitting on my shoulder but what ever the case I am sick of watching pretty boy college kids that pay for their deer being glorified.

 Raise your hand if you have seen a professional hunter hunt on public land. Anyone? I see a few gray haired gentlemen raising their hands. I was raised watching men like Roger Raglin, Dan Fitzgerald and Ted Nugent hunting public or private land without high fences not ranches with guranteed shot opportunities. They scouted, glassed, packed, canoed, in short they hunted like a normal man. Of course they traveled to some prime spots but once there they were not lead to a treestand or tree condo that someone else had hung. They did all of the work themselves.

 Times have changed and like any smart business man the old timers have adapted as well. But I can recall watching these men live the true adventures of hunting. One of my favorite memories was a Dan Fitzgerald hunt in which Dan shot a small deer. Skins and quarters the deer giving instruction on what he was doing and why. After the meat was cut Dan then proceeds to cook the deer on an open fire using his treestand for a cooking surface. This is a scene that has happened in deer camps around the country. This is the type of scene that the common man can identify with.

 I am ecstatic to see all of the hunting shows on T.V. I am a big fan of alot of these hunters. Even though I don't stand behind their ways these show have done alot of good. I just miss the good old days and once just once would like to see some of these young pro's work for a deer.

 If any of you pro's need a lesson on how to work for a deer visit some public land with just your gear and no guide and have fun closing in on that moster buck. If this proves too easy call me. I will give you a few lessons on how to hunt the hard way. I have a natural talent for turning a sure thing into the hardest hunt.

First and foremost, I am a feather shooter. So when the Blazer vanes hit the market, even though I loved them, I did not make the switch. I'm very set in my ways on some items. I still shoot cut on contact 2 blade broadheads and feathers, and I probably always will. When I discovered the Gateway Rayzr, I was instantly interested in trying them out.

I fletched an arrow with the Rayzrs and did some comparison shooting. I used an identical arrow on each set up: 28" 55/75 Gold Tip. I shot one with a 4" vane, 4" feather, Blazer vanes, and one with Rayzrs. I shot each through paper and target shot each from 10-20 yards

Each arrow paper tuned the same- perfect bullet hole everytime. Each arrow grouped the same. But here is the main difference- Silence. I have an indoor range, and if your bow makes a noise, you will amplify it indoors. My bow is ultra quiet. The only noise you can hear is from the feathers. Drawing back, the very front of my feathers drag on my whisker biscuit and in flight they have a slight whistle. The Rayzr eliminates this. Actually so does the 4" vane and Blazer, but we are discussing the Rayzr so I will not get off the subject.

For me, the Rayzr is the answer to my prayers. They give me the silence of the Blazer and the guidance of a 4" vane, but I still get to shoot feathers. The other thing I like about them is they look great. They are shield cut, so they have a traditional look ingrained with modern technology. Gateway cuts these from a very specific part of the turkey feather, making them very durable and very easy to work with.

I give the Rayzr a perfect 10. I can guarantee I will be shooting these next season.

-Ike

The #1 most important thing a person can do to ensure years of use from their bow, is to take care of the string. The strings and cables on the market today are very advanced and durable, but without care, they are no better than the strings of the medieval archer.

The first and easiest way to take care of your string is to wax it. Wax is cheap and easy to obtain. The string should be waxed every month in the off season and every 2 weeks during season. Shooting and the elements take a toll.

Make sure you check your string every few months for wear. Check not only the nocking point, but also the serving around your cams. If you are using a metal D loop, check this area more often.

In the off season, it is not necessary to back your poundage down. Keep your bow in a case, not hanging on a nail or screw. This will cause damage to your string. Use only approved oil on your cams. Products like W-D40 will also damage strings.

Strings should be changed every 2 years. With proper care, they will last this long, or even longer.

Wax your string, check for wear, properly store in the off season, and your bow will not end up like the poor bow in this picture.

In our upcoming blogs we will not only be telling about upcoming sales and new items we will also be doing product reviews. These reviews will be unbiased. I am not paid by any company to endorse their product so these reviews will not be the typical reviews found in magazines and other websites. If the product is great we will say so if it is not we will tell that as well. We will discuss the good and the bad of all the products we review. If the product doesn't do well it will not be in the store or web site. We sell it because we would use it. We will be doing reviews very shortly on Game Plan's Standback backpack, Archer Range rangefinder, Steelforce broadheads and Blazer vanes.