Think Before You Buy

If you are like me, you look forward to checking out the newest hunting gear and equipment every year. I'm sure that by now you are planning your hunts for the upcoming season. For some of you, that is sooner rather than later. Anyhow, here are some things that I would consider before purchasing new equipment.The first item for consideration is that every manufacturer in the the world is in the business of making money. Seems natural enough, right? Well, the point is that every year, nearly every manufacturer is producing a newer or better version of an item they had the year before; only this year it is 'better' or 'improved' somehow. Not necessarily so. A friend of mine told me once that most new fishing lures catch more fishermen than they ever do fish. And he is right. The same holds true for hunting gear. Personally, I don't like to replace my gear until it is 'used up'. The cost of a new piece of gear to replace an old, serviceable piece is rarely  worthwhile.  I would prefer to spend my money on gear that is groundbreaking and inventive. Which brings us to my second point.How much time and money do you have to spend at your local archery shop to get your bow set-up changed or minor adjustments made? That is a trick question. The answer is none. You may need to spend the money but you need not miss a single hour out of the woods. Learn to fix your own gear. There are some great websites to help you acquire these skills. The one that comes to mind, and the very best that I know of is bowtuningtips.com. Kenny has created a ton of videos to help you learn to do everything from tying a 'd' loop to setting up your drop away rest. He also has an online store and sells most every tool that you need to work on your bow. It will make you a better archer.
I hope that the time you spend in the woods this year will be productive not only in terms of meat in the freezer but also rich in memories of time not wasted but spent outdoors becoming more in tune with nature. Remember, we don't hunt to kill. We kill to say that we have hunted.

Stay Frosty my friends.